Day 1a of the Main Event is in Level 5 with 79 total entries and some 60 players remaining.
In the meantime, the ZAR50,000 High Roller is down to the final three tables. Only 27 players out of 72 entries remain to compete for the ZAR3,024,000 prize pool. It is a long way to the money as just the top seven spots will be paid. Whether or not the bubble will burst tonight remains to be seen, as the event plays down to a winner tomorrow.
Down to the last 8,500 in chips. Samuel Tebege open-jammed from a late position. Chad Khoury went all-in over the top on the button and both blinds folded.
Samuel Tebege: 5♦5♥ 
Chad Khoury: K♣K♠
After the 9♦3♠2♠ flop, Tebege asked for a "four for a sweat" but the 10♥ turn and 3♥ river sealed his fate on the first bullet.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
95,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
|
Busted |
The second ever recorded live poker cash for Raymond Rahme was a third place in the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas. It came with a huge payday of $ 3,048,025 and this alone put him in first place for the all-time money list of South Africa according to the Hendon Mob.
He hasn't played much live poker since with the last cash dating back to 2016 at the WPT Emperors Palace National Poker Championship but Rahme has been spotted in the Day 1a field with more than the starting stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
55,000 |
In three-way action to the Q♥6♥4♣ flop, Malcolm Rajah checked out of the big blind. Russel Wheatley bet 6,500 before Jarred Solomon jammed for 42,600 on the button. Rajah called all-in for fewer than that and Wheatley pushed forward his stack of T-5,000 chips to put two players at risk.
Malcolm Rajah: 5♥4♥
Jarred Solomon: A♥10♥
Russel Wheatley: K♦K♥
Wheatley was ahead but both opponents had plenty of outs. Rajah gained equity with the 2♦ turn but instead, it was Solomon who got there on the A♦ river.
After all was down and he was busy stacking the chips, Solomon joked "played it like an absolute champion".
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
135,000
88,000
|
88,000 |
|
45,000
57,000
|
57,000 |
|
Busted |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
140,500
15,500
|
15,500 |
|
85,000
57,000
|
57,000 |
|
85,000
85,000
|
85,000 |
|
83,000
21,000
|
21,000 |
|
|
83,000
49,000
|
49,000 |
|
|
80,100
80,100
|
80,100 |
|
75,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
|
|
70,000
2,500
|
2,500 |
|
|
70,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
|
63,000
63,000
|
63,000 |
|
|
62,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
|
60,500
100
|
100 |
|
|
57,000
100
|
100 |
|
|
54,500
24,500
|
24,500 |
|
53,000
53,000
|
53,000 |
|
49,100
2,600
|
2,600 |
|
|
47,000
23,000
|
23,000 |
|
46,000
8,000
|
8,000 |
|
|
43,000
6,700
|
6,700 |
|
|
42,000
2,000
|
2,000 |
|
38,000
38,000
|
38,000 |
|
17,500
17,500
|
17,500 |
|
14,000
22,000
|
22,000 |
Level: 5
Blinds: 300/600
Ante: 600
Level four has been completed and the tournament info shows 62 players out of 70 entries remaining. They have been sent on a scheduled 15-minute break.
On the tail end of a confrontation between Carel "CJ" Snyman and Russel Wheatley, the latter bet the K♣5♥4♦8♥7♦ river for 6,000. Snyman moved all-in for little more and Wheatley called but mucked upon getting shown the K♦K♠ for a set of kings.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
102,000
7,000
|
7,000 |
|
|
31,000
3,800
|
3,800 |
Harshud Keshav four-bet jammed for 11,100 and Thomas Bedford called to set up the following all-in showdown.
Harshud Keshav: A♥8♥
Thomas Bedford: A♠K♠
Both players held suited aces and the kicker played on the A♣5♣2♦J♦3♠ runout to send Keshav to the rail.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
44,000 | |
|
|
Busted |
Four ways to the J♠10♣9♥4♠ turn with 5,300 in the middle, Howard Lipman bet 3,200 in the small blind. Wouter Van Der Merwe and one further player called, while Marvin Torres folded.
The 2♠ river was checked and Lipman showed 8♥7♥ for the bottom end of the straight to win the pot. Van Der Merwe flashed A♥J♥ and the third player showed his Q♦J♣, while Torres mentioned he had let go of ace-ten of diamonds.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
82,000
2,700
|
2,700 |
|
|
36,000
13,600
|
13,600 |
|
|
28,000
17,000
|
17,000 |
button in Safari
