In middle position, Roman Valerstein raised to 65,000, and Nabih Zaczac three-bet shoved his short stack of just 218,000. Valerstein was hating life at that point, and he asked for the count before making a reluctant call with a chance at the knockout.
Showdown
Valerstein:
Zaczac:
"Ideal situation," a surprised Valerstein cheered up. "About as good as it gets for me."
Things got even better for him as the flop brought a pair in the window. Zaczac needed help in a hurry, but there was none to come on the turn or river .
With that, we've lost Nabih Zaczac in 10th place, good for $17,184.
Our nine remaining players have stepped away for a quick five-minute break before the official final table begins.
From the hijack seat, Chris Parsons open-shoved his short stack of 487,000. Jamil Wakil made the call from the button, the blinds folded, and Parsons was heads-up for his tournament life. The news was not good; he'd run into a monster.
Showdown
Parsons:
Wakil:
The flop was a decent start for Parsons, and the turn gave him four chop outs to try and chase down, as well. He'd end up missing, though. The river brought the blank to end his day in ninth place, and made the call to the cashier himself.
"Payouts," he yelled. He'll be handed a check for more than $20,000 on his way to the exits. Ask and ye shall receive. Parsons wished his table luck as he headed out the door, and we are down to eight players.
From middle position, Sterling Savill got his last 234,000 chips into the pot with . Jim Harnden flatted in the hijack, and the action came around to Matthew O'Brien in the small blind. He wanted to play for more. A small reraise to 500,000 seemed in order, and Harnden spent a long while deliberating before surrendering to let Savill sweat it heads-up.
When O'Brien turned up , Savill stood from his chair and pleaded with the dealer to help him out. The flop was as blank as it gets, but the turn kept Savill's hopes alive with five outs to the win. He couldn't get there, though. The river is the last card he'll see today, and the next piece of paper he's dealt will be a check worth $26,930.
Under the gun, Jim Harndon opened to 75,000, but that's as far as he'd get. Jamil Wakil three-bet to 165,000 next door before Matthew O'Brien four-bet to 355,000 in position. Wakil came along with the call, and it was heads-up to the flop.
With a big pot brewing, the two men checked through the flop. The turn paired the board with the , and now O'Brien found a small bet of 265,000. Wakil didn't waste much time calling. The rivered, and once again, it went check-check to showdown.
O'Brien tabled his for tens up, and Wakil had tens up too. His was superior in the kicker department, though, and he drags a nice pile of chips to work back up over the 4-million chip mark. O'Brien is still well above the chip average with about 2.46 million now.
From middle position, David Stefanski came in raising to 60,000, and Roman Valerstein defended his big blind to go off to the flop.
It came out . Valerstein checked, but he was thinking sinister thoughts. He check-raised from 51,000 to 126,000, and Stefanski added the extra chips to the pot to see another card. It was the that hit the turn, and Valerstein stacked out another 202,000 chips into the pot. Stefanski gave it a long look before letting it go.
After that exchange, Stefanski has dropped back to 830,000, neck-and-neck with Rob Williamson for the title of short stack right now.
Rob Williamson opened the action with a raise to 60,000 under the gun. Action folded around to Drazen Ilich in the big blind and he put in a three-bet to 175,000.
A call from Williamson landed a flop to the board. Ilich fired 165,000, but Williamson shot back with an all-in raise for 487,000 total. After about 90 seconds in the tank, Ilich surrendered the pot to Williamson.
We're telling you, this Jim Harnden character knows what he's doing.
In the last pot, Jamil Wakil raised to 65,000 under the gun, and Drazen Ilich three-bet to 125,000 a few seats over. Action came all the way around to the big blind where Harnden wanted to play for more. His four-bet to 325,000 was enough to shake Wakil out of the way, but Ilich came along with the call to see what was what.
The flop brought and a 500,000-chip continuation bet from Harnden. Ilich took pause to make sure as he shuffled the calling chips in his hand for a couple minutes. He tossed them into the pot eventually, and the hit fourth street. When it did, Harnden very quickly announced, "All in." The two men were close in chips to start the hand, but it looks like Ilich was just covered and faced with a decision for his tournament life.
There wasn't much to think about, apparently. With a big sigh of frustration and a shake of the head, Ilich slapped his cards into the muck, and he's been set back under the 2-million-chip mark now. Harnden is on the move, charging forward to about 3.225 million with that big pot.
In early position, Matthew O'Brien opened to 60,000, and he called a 190,000-chip three-bet from Jamil Wakil in the small blind. They were heads-up to the flop, and it went check-check to the turn. When Wakil checked to him a second time, O'Brien took his cue to fire 268,000 at the pot. Wakil called that bet, but he was presented with another big one on the river. O'Brien liked the enough to make a big bet of 1 million straight, and that sent Wakil deep into the tank. It would be at least five or seven minutes before the call came.
O'Brien tabled for the baby flush, and it was good. That big pot gets pushed to O'Brien's corner, and with it comes a big swing in the chip stacks. The players are just stepping away for a break, so we'll get some hard counts for you right now.
![[user66118]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
flop brought a pair in the window. Zaczac needed help in a hurry, but there was none to come on the turn 
or river 
.
turn gave him four chop outs to try and chase down, as well. He'd end up missing, though. The river brought the blank 
to end his day in ninth place, and made the call to the cashier himself.
. Jim Harnden flatted in the hijack, and the action came around to Matthew O'Brien in the small blind. He wanted to play for more. A small reraise to 500,000 seemed in order, and Harnden spent a long while deliberating before surrendering to let Savill sweat it heads-up.
flop was as blank as it gets, but the 
turn kept Savill's hopes alive with five outs to the win. He couldn't get there, though. The river 
rivered, and once again, it went check-check to showdown.
for tens up, and Wakil had tens up too. His 
that hit the turn, and Valerstein stacked out another 202,000 chips into the pot. Stefanski gave it a long look before letting it go.
and a 500,000-chip continuation bet from Harnden. Ilich took pause to make sure as he shuffled the calling chips in his hand for a couple minutes. He tossed them into the pot eventually, and the 
turn. When Wakil checked to him a second time, O'Brien took his cue to fire 268,000 at the pot. Wakil called that bet, but he was presented with another big one on the river. O'Brien liked the 
enough to make a big bet of 1 million straight, and that sent Wakil deep into the tank. It would be at least five or seven minutes before the call came.