Because the feature table was four-handed for all of Level 24, Vinny Pahuja (the big blind at the time) was just shipped over from the secondary, five-handed table.
Joe Matos raised to 70,000 on the button, Artyem Perlov three-bet to 170,000 from the small blind, and Nicholas Palma cold four-bet to 380,000 from the big blind. Matos and Perlov both folded, and Palma picked up the pot.
David Stefanski raised to 48,000 from the cutoff seat, Patrick Chan called on the button, and both blinds released. The flop fell , Stefanski led for 37,000, and Chan called.
The turn was the , and Stefanski led again - this time for 68,000. Chan raised to 140,000, and Stefanski moved all in for effectively 478,000. Chan quickly called.
Stefanski:
Chan:
Stefanski could eliminated Chan with an ace on the river, and cross the three million-chip threshold in the process, but the bricked off. Chan doubled to 1.13 million chips, while Stefanski slipped to 1.9 million.
Joe Matos opened to 65,000 on the button, Nicholas Palma three-bet to 200,000 from the big blind, and Matos moved all in for effectively 479,000. Palma tank-called, and the hands were opened.
Matos:
Palma:
The flop didn't change much, but the spiked on the turn, giving Palma a leading pair of aces. The bricked on the river, and Palma doubled to 989,000 chips.
Matos was left with just 37,000 chips, but tripled up the next hand. The hand after that, he was all in for 123,000 holding . Andrew Sherman-Ash had him at risk holding , and the board ran out .
After three turbulent hands, Matos is still standing, but he only has 262,000 chips.
Patrick Chan opened to 48,000 from the cutoff, David Stefanski defended his big blind, and the flop fell . Stefanski check-called a 48,000-chip bet from Chan, and the turn brought the . Both players checked.
The river was the , and the chip leader led out for 142,000. Chan released, and Stefanski raked in yet another pot.
David Stefanski raised to 55,000 out of the small blind, and Adam Bitker made the call. The flop was , and Stefanski led out for 47,000. Bitker called.
The turn was the , both players checked, and the completed the board. Stefanski led for 106,000, and Bitker called.
Stefanski tabled for a pair of queens, Bitker mucked, and Stefanski won the pot.