Sunday, February 12, 2017 9:47 PM Local Time
Players are taking their final 15-minute break of the night. When play resumes, they will play two more 60-minute levels and then bag up chips for the night.
Sunday, February 12, 2017 9:39 PM Local Time
Ala Aqel raises to 35,000 from under the gun and Ben McCoy calls from middle position. Chris Karambinis calls from the small blind and Joshua Reichard three-bets to 130,000 out of the big blind. Aqel calls and everybody else gets out of the way.
They are heads-up to a flop of and Reichard bets 165,000. Aqel calls and the turn is the . Reichard bets 220,000 and Aqel calls again.
The river is the and Reichard checks. Aqel takes inventory of his stack before moving all in for about 750,000. Reichard thinks for just under a minute and then tosses his hand into the muck. Aqel mucks his hand, takes the pot, and the chip lead as the level nears a close.
Ala Aqel - 1,850,000 (115 bb)
Joshua Reichard - 1,050,000 (65 bb)
Sunday, February 12, 2017 9:26 PM Local Time
Josh Reichard raises to 35,000 from under the gun. Nick Pupillo calls on the button, as does Chris Karambinis in the big blind.
The flop comes . Karambinis checks, Reichard bets 44,000, Pupillo folds, and Karambinis calls.
The turn is the and both players check.
The river is the . Karambinis bets 45,000, and Reichard pauses for a few seconds before raising to 156.
Karambinis quickly tosses his cards face down into the muck, and the pot is passed to Reichard.
Josh Reichard - 1,575,000 (98 bb)
Chris Karambinis - 600,000 (37 bb)
Sunday, February 12, 2017 9:22 PM Local Time
Josh Reichard limps on the button and Ala Aqel raises to 50,000 from the small blind. Action is folded back to Reichard and he calls.
The flop comes and Aqel bets 70,000. Reichard calls and the turn is the . Aqel bets 120,000 and Reichard raises to 340,000. Aqel calls and the river brings the . Aqel checks and Reichard moves all-in.
Aqel instantly sits up in his chair and removes his sunglasses. He asks the dealer to count Reichard's stack. The dealer breaks the stack down and says "433,000". A minute goes by.
"433?" says Agel.
"433," replies the dealer.
Another minute goes by as Aqel talks to himself about Reichard's potential holdings. He tells the table that they can call the clock on him if they want, but no one does. Another minute goes by.
"Clock," says Aqel.
The dealer informs Aqel that he cannot call the clock on himself.
Across the table Stephen Buell calls the clock. The tournament director arrives and starts the clock. Aqel folds his hand a few seconds later and asks Reichard to show. Reichard pushes his cards face down to the dealer and starts stacking his chips.
Josh Reichard - 1,320,000 (82 bb)
Ala Aqel - 1,100,000 (68 bb)
Sunday, February 12, 2017 9:22 PM Local Time
Joe Barnard raises preflop and Abraham Beddaoui three-bets all-in from Barnard's direct left. Action is folded back to Barnard and he calls. Both players table their hands.
The flop comes and Barnard flops Beddaoui dead. Barnard's flush cannot be beat. The meaningless turn and river hit and Barnard is pushed the pot. Beddaoui is given his payout card and he exits the tournament area.
Joe Barnard - 430,000 (26 bb)
Abraham Beddaoui - Eliminated in 17th place
Sunday, February 12, 2017 9:20 PM Local Time
Paul Fisher is in the small blind and heads-up with Ben McCoy, who is under the gun. Fisher gets all in for about 250,000 on the turn with the board reading .
Fisher shows , good for two pair, but is drawing thin against McCoy's .
The river is the and Fisher is eliminated in 18th place, taking home $10,500. McCoy drags the pot and moves over the million chip mark.
"Do you ever miss a flop?" joked Ala Aqel as McCoy was collecting his chips.
Ben McCoy - 1,150,000 (71 bb)
Paul Fisher - Eliminated
Sunday, February 12, 2017 9:15 PM Local Time
With the elimination of TK Miles in 19th place, the clock is paused and there is a slight break in the action while they redraw for seats at the final two tables.
Here is a look at the seating arrangement and chip counts for the final 18 players:
Table 1:
Seat 1: Thomas Peebles - 900,000
Seat 2: Denise Pratt - 490,000
Seat 3: Lee Rzentkowski - 650,000
Seat 4: Brian Yaremych - 495,000
Seat 5: Chad Wiedenhoeft - 1,790,000
Seat 6: Joe Barnard - 340,000
Seat 7: Abraham Beddaoui - 120,000
Seat 8: Nikolas Stone - 360,000
Seat 9: Brad Jansen - 730,000
Table 2:
Seat 1: Paul Fisher - 320,000
Seat 2: Garrett Riley - 655,000
Seat 3: Ben McCoy - 945,000
Seat 4: Stephen Buell - 410,000
Seat 5: Nick Pupillo
Seat 6: James Gregg - 920,000
Seat 7: Chris Karambinis - 710,000
Seat 8: Joshua Reichard - 860,000
Seat 9: Ala Aqel - 1,650,0o00
Sunday, February 12, 2017 9:02 PM Local Time
TK Miles
Nick Pupillo raises to 32,000 from the cutoff and TK Miles moves all in from the small blind for about 200,000. Pupillo snap-calls and shows . He's got Miles' dominated and is in good shape to send to tournament to its final two tables.
The board runs out and Pupillo fades an eight and backdoor spades to eliminate Miles. There is a brief pause in the action while the players redraw for seats at the final two tables.
Nick Pupillo - 905,000 (56 bb)
TK Miles - Eliminated
Sunday, February 12, 2017 9:01 PM Local Time
Earl Potter recently lost a big hand against Ben McCoy, leaving him with less than ten big blinds.
Facing a raise from Nick Pupillo on the button, Earl Potter shoves his remaining 150,000 in from the big blind, and Pupillo calls.
Pupillo:
Potter:
The board runs out , giving Pupillo a straight on the river, and eliminating Potter in 20th place.
Nick Pupillo - 800,000 (50 bb)
Earl Potter - Eliminated
Sunday, February 12, 2017 8:50 PM Local Time
Nick Pupillo raises to 27,000 on the button. Ben McCoy calls in the small blind, and Earl Potter calls in the big.
The flop comes . Both blinds check and Pupillo makes it 36,000. McCoy raises to 118,000, and Potter tanks for over a minute before shoving all in.
Pupillo pauses for a minute, and slowly releases his cards into the muck. McCoy puts his hand on his and head and says, "So sick." He pauses for another minute, muttering quietly to himself, and then calls.
"Straight?" McCoy asks Potter.
Potter turns over for an open-ended straight draw.
McCoy shows for a set of fives.
The turn is the , giving McCoy a full house, and he enthusiastically says, "Yes!"
The river is the , and the dealer started to count out McCoy's 430,000 in chips, and then passes them from Potter's stack to McCoy.
"I mucked pocket kings," Pupillo says.
Ben McCoy - 977,000 (61 bb)
Earl Potter - 150,000 (9 bb)
Sunday, February 12, 2017 8:46 PM Local Time
Level: 23
Blinds: 8,000/16,000
Ante: 2,000
Sunday, February 12, 2017 8:45 PM Local Time
On the turn with a board of , Chad Wiedenhoeft checks from under the gun and Jesse Haabak bets 115,000 from the cutoff. Wiedenhoeft check-raises to 255,000 and Haabak thinks for a minute before calling.
The river is the and Wiedenhoeft moves all in for about 600,000. Wiedenhoeft calls and is all in for just over 500,000. Wiedenhoeft shows , good for a set of nines and is on the right side of a cold deck against Haabak's .
Haabak takes home $8,754 for his deep run and Wiedenhoeft takes the chip lead with 20 players remaining.
Chad Wiedenhoeft - 1,750,000 (145 bb)
Jesse Haabak - Eliminated
Sunday, February 12, 2017 8:44 PM Local Time
Rich Alsup
Play is folded to Rich Alsup on the button and he moves all-in for 141,000. Nick Pupillo folds in the small blind and Ben McCoy calls in the big blind. Both players table their hands.
McCoy:
Alsup:
The board runs out and McCoy eliminates Alsup from the tournament.
Ben McCoy - 480,000 (40 bb)
Rich Alsup - Eliminated in 22nd place
Sunday, February 12, 2017 8:39 PM Local Time
On a flop reading [4c , Denise Pratt bets 75,000 from the big blind position. Brad Jansen is to her direct left and he moves all-in for 325,000. Pratt calls and both players table their hands.
Jansen:
Pratt:
Pratt is calling for a club. The turn brings the and the river is the . Jansen fades the club to double up.
Brad Jansen - 720,000 (60 bb)
Denise Pratt - 600,000 (50 bb)
Sunday, February 12, 2017 8:36 PM Local Time
Joe Barnard raises to 26,000 from middle position and Nick Stone three-bets all-in for 204,000 from the hijack. Play folds to Brad Jansen in the big blind and he four-bets all-in and has both Barnard and Stone covered. Barnard folds to leave Stone and Jansen heads up for the pot. Both players table their hands.
Stone:
Jansen:
The board runs out and Stone hits the straight on the end to win the pot and double up.
Nick Stone - 445,000 (37 bb)
Brad Jansen - 370,000 (30 bb)
Sunday, February 12, 2017 8:30 PM Local Time
Anselmo Villareal
Stephen Buell raises to 27,000 from under the gun and the only caller is Anselmo Villareal in the cutoff.
Buell checks a ten-high flop and Villareal bets. Buell raises all-in and Villareal calls for his tournament life. Both players table their hands.
Buell:
Villareal:
Buell is leading with his pair of tens. The turn and river bring no help to Villareal and he is eliminated from the tournament.
Stephen Buell - 525,000 (43 bb)
Anselmo Villareal - Eliminated in 23rd place
Sunday, February 12, 2017 8:21 PM Local Time
On a flop of , Chris Karambinis bets 40,000 out of the small blind and Joshua Reichard calls on the button. The turn is the and Karambinis bets again, this time 100,000.
Reichard calls again and the river is the . Karambinis checks and Reichard bets 129,000. Karambinis doesn't waste much time in calling. Reichard tables and Karambinis mucks his hand.
Joshua Reichard - 990,000 (82 bb)
Chris Karambinis - 425,000 (35 bb)
Sunday, February 12, 2017 8:19 PM Local Time
Earl Potter raises to 29,000 from under the gun, and Chris Meyers makes it 65,000 on the button. Potter shoves all in, having Meyers covered, and Meyers snap-calls for his remaining 200,000.
Meyers:
Potter:
The flop comes , leaving Meyers' aces in the lead, but the turn gives Potter Broadway. The river is the , and Meyers is eliminated in 24th place, for $6,306.
Earl Potter - 500,000 (41 bb)
Chris Meyers - Eliminated in 24th place, for $6,306
Sunday, February 12, 2017 8:10 PM Local Time
Kevin Andriamahefa - 25th Place - $6,306
There are two players to see the flop. Ala Aqel checks in the big blind, and Kevin Andriamahefa bets 36,000 on the button. Aqel reraises to 128,000, and Andriamahefa pauses before announcing that he is all in.
Aqel calls and tables for two pair, and Andriamahefa shows for a pair of aces.
Unfortunately for Andriamahefa, the turn and river do not improve his hand, and he is eliminated from play in 25th place.
Ala Aqel - 1,550,000 (129 bb)
Kevin Andriamahefa - Eliminated in 25th place, for $6,306
Sunday, February 12, 2017 8:09 PM Local Time
Lei Zhao
Brad Jansen raises from middle position and Lei Zhao moves all in from the big blind. Jansen calls and the cards are tabled. It's a race with Jansen's up against Zhao's [K]c.
The board runs out and Jansen's queens win the race after rivering a set. The dealer breaks down both stacks and after counting out Jansen's roughly 280,000 chip stack, they verify that Zhao was the all in player and he is eliminated.
On the neighboring table, Igor Hot busted out in 27th place on the same hand, but hit the rail just moments before Zhao. Both Hot and Zhao take home $6,306 for their deep runs.
Brad Jansen - 560,000 (46 bb)
Lei Zhao - Eliminated
Igor Hot - Eliminated