Event #11: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em

Scott Hamilton opened the pot to 52,000 from early position, and a player smooth called before Tom Dwan squeezed them both up to 136,000. Hamilton moved all in for about 740,000 total, and that was enough to quickly fold the monkey in the middle. Dwan didn't waste any time making the call, though, putting Hamilton at risk and putting a huge pot up for grabs.

Showdown

Hamilton:    

Dwan:    

Let's flip a coin for, oh, 1.5 million chips, shall we?

The flop came out      , and that was a fine sight indeed for Hamilton, taking a big lead with two to come.

The   that turned on fourth street was a fantastically exciting card, giving Dwan his two-out set, but keeping Hamilton in the lead with Broadway.

River:   (bink!)

Dwan improves to the runner-runner full house, drawing a big reaction from the players and spectators huddled around the table. In fact, the only person who didn't react was Dwan, sitting statuesquely still throughout that entire hand.

Unable to win that dramatic race, Scott Hamilton has been eliminated in 16th place, and Dwan once again has a commanding chip lead with 1.76 million.

We have a pretty limited view of the featured table, but we did just see Jacobo Fernandez stand up and head to the payout desk. A quick check with his eliminator, Michael Smith, gives us the vital details.

He couldn't remember what Fernandez busted with, and we couldn't see the cards on the overhead camera, but Smith knocked him out with pocket jacks. The board ran out king-high, and whatever Fernandez had, it wasn't good enough to overcome two jacks.

Jacobo Fernandez is out in 18th place.

Venkatesh Gupta just had his phone ring as the dealer was pitching cards, and he folded out of turn to go answer it. When he returned, the floor gave him a warning for his actions.

"But it was my boss!" Gupta complained.

The floor man responded, "You won't have to worry if you win this."

Gupta's boss must be following along with our coverage today, because his reply was a simple one: "No, I like my job!"

The table shared a chuckle.

With Christopher Gidding's elimination, we are down to our final 18 players, and the field is being redrawn as we speak. We'll be right back with the new table draw and some chip counts for your viewing pleasure.

Under the gun, Christopher Giddings open-shoved for 361,000 total. He made it all the way around the table to the big blind, but Jason Young looked down at     and made the snap-call to put Giddings at risk. He was in bad shape with    .

The dealer would provide no help for the all-in player, dealing a board of          . Unable to find an out, Giddings has been eliminated in 19th place.

From the hijack seat, Harsukhpaul Sangha made an opening raise to 56,000. Jason Taus moved all in behind him for about 225,000 total. Just to make things interesting, Kyle Winter called all in for just a few chips less, and Sangha ducked out of the way. Cards up, gentlemen:

Taus:    

Winter:    

There was a queen right in the window, but it was not at all good news for Taus as the dealer rolled out      . The   on the turn left him drawing live to four chop outs, but the   that rivered was the wrong paint.

Winter has notched his double up over 400,000, and Taus has been left with just 20,000 to start his comeback.

David Newcomer has been nursing his short stack admirably since being crippled by that two-outer with aces. Just a moment ago, however, his day was ended in dramatic fashion by Austin McCormick.

McCormick started the action with a raise from the cutoff to 33,000, and Newcomer moved all in for 116,000 in the next seat over. McCormick called.

Showdown

McCormick:    

Newcomer:    

The flop was an awesome one, coming out       to make things quite interesting with two cards to come. The turn was a safe blank for Newcomer, the  , and he was one card away from his third comeback double up.

He could not fade the   on the river, though, and that diamond flush earns McCormick the pot and the knockout.

After a valiant short-stacked battle, David Newcomer is out in 20th place.

Tom Dwan opened to 42,000 from early position, and Harsukhpaul Sangha made the call in position. Everyone else folded, and it was heads up to a flop of      . Dwan fired out a small bet of 38,000, and Sangha made the quick call.

The turn was the  , and both players check-checked. They did the same when the   completed the board on fifth street, and Sangha rolled over     for second pair. Dwan had top pair, though, and his     earned him that small pot.

Antoine Amourette open-shoved his last 121,000 chips into the pot under the gun, and Nicholas Phillips re-shoved, successfully isolating himself against the at-risk Frenchman.

Showdown

Amourette:    

Phillips:    

The board ran out a counterfeit-y          , and playing the board is not so good for Amourette. Phillips' ace kicker earned him the pot and the knockout, moving his stack up to 680,000.

Antoine Amourette is our 21st-place finisher.

Jason Taus opened the pot to 42,000 in early position, and Michael Smith three-bet to 146,000 in the next seat over. Action came around to David Newcomer, and he moved all in for an additional 270,000 on top. That was enough to quickly fold Taus out of the way, but Smith would tank for several minutes as he struggled with the decision.

Finally, he quietly said, "I guess I need to get lucky," and moved his chips into the pot, the two men having virtually even stacks. Smith was right:

Showdown

Smith:    

Newcomer:    

"There's just too much in there," Smith lamented as he was presented with the bad news.

Not to worry, as he had already guaranteed himself help with that dramatic foreshadowing before showdown. The   appeared right on the flop, drawing a big, "Oooooh!" from the already sizable rail. The board ran out          , and that gives Smith the winning full house.

When the chips were counted down, it was Smith who had been all in for 379,000 total. That leaves Newcomer with just 33,000 in funny money to play with.

He doubled up three hands later to get himself back close to 100,000, still very much in the danger zone.