Shuffle up and deal - the Final Table of the opening event is under way.
Seating positions are as follows:
1st 346,000 Gabriel Xiourouffa
2nd 169,000 Paul Effeney
3rd 38,000 George Tsakrios
4th 252,000 Kin Joh Pua
5th 103,000 Karim Jomeen
6th 259,000 Matthew Hilger
7th 122,000 Andrew Gelfand
8th 86,000 Michael Harrisonford
9th 170,000 Zhi Hong Ma
The blinds have been wound back two levels to $2000/4000 with a $500 Ante.
Holding around $20,000, George Tsakrios makes a $10,000 raise from the cutoff. Karim Jomeen moves all in from the SB and George puts in the rest of his stack.
George opens the , but Karim has the .
The flop is AKQ, giving both players a pair!
The Turn and River bring no change and George is eliminated in 9th position picking up $8,240
The button is on Karim in Seat 5. Gabriel Xiourouffa makes it $25,000 in middle position. Joe Pua reraises to $80,000 from the cutoff. Andy Gelfand moves all in from the BB for $140k and takes down over $100,000
Claiming he has somewhere to be, Gabriel Xiourouffa is betting up a storm. Is it a ploy, or does he have a prior engagement?
Matt Hilger makes it $16,000 in late position and is called by Andy Gelfand in the cutoff. Gabriel makes it $200k from the BB and both players fold. The very next hand it is folded to Gabriel in the SB and he moves all in, seemingly without looking at his cards!
Karim Jomeen makes it $22,000 UTG, and it is folded around to Gabriel Xiourouffa on the button. He takes a quick glance at his cards and as has been the tradition for the last few hands pushes his stack all in. The blinds fold and Karim goes into the tank.
Karim eventually makes the call and rolls over , but cannot believe it when Gabriel shows him .
The flop is the ,
The Turn card is the and there is an uproar from the crowd as anticipation builds for the River.
It is the and Karim is on the rail, picking up $11,588 in 8th position.