The final 32 players have been sent on a scheduled 15-minute break. Raymond van der Vyver headed into the break with a bit of a relief when he doubled his short stack with A♦A♠ against the A♣K♠ of Wouter Van Der Merwe thanks to a board of J♣6♦6♥3♥9♣.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
65,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
Level: 12
Blinds: 2,000/3,000
Ante: 3,000
Gavin Sardini limped the button and then joked "oh here we go again ... maybe I will win one against you," once he called a raise to 12,000 by Adam Woolf in the big blind. They ended up checking down the entire board of K♣10♥10♠K♥9♣ and Woolf won the pot with the A♦J♦.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
280,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
|
120,000
55,000
|
55,000 |
Down to the last 25,500, Wouter Van Der Merwe got it in from the cutoff and he was looked up by Theo Hunter in the small blind.
Wouter Van Der Merwe: 9♣9♥ 
Theo Hunter: A♣K♦
It was a classic race and Van Der Merwe came out on top thanks to a board of 6♦6♠3♥3♣6♥.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
70,000 | |
|
57,000
58,000
|
58,000 |
Gavin Sardini opened the action with a raise to 5,500 and earned three callers in Adam Woolf, Kyle Krishnan and Josh Liebenthal. The K♦10♠6♥ flop saw Sardini continue for 10,500 and the only caller was Woolf. Sardini then check-called the 10♥ turn for 16,000 before leading the 2♠ river for 25,000.
Woolf gave it a few seconds before he called and Sardini shook his head with the words "I missed". He never disclosed the cards as Woolf won the pot with the J♣10♣ for trips tens. While the hand played out, Patrice Ah-Nien was knocked out one table over and Anand Kumar took over the lead there.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
300,000
215,000
|
215,000 |
|
|
220,500
59,500
|
59,500 |
|
|
200,000
80,000
|
80,000 |
|
|
160,000
30,200
|
30,200 |
|
85,000
15,000
|
15,000 |
|
Busted |
El-Juan Du Plessiers raised to 8,000 from under the gun and then folded when Theo Hunter from one seat over and Wouter Van Der Merwe in the big blind moved all-in.
Theo Hunter: A♦K♦
Wouter Van Der Merwe: A♠J♠
The 4♥3♣2♠7♦K♥ runout kept Hunter in the lead and he doubled for 48,500. Van Der Merwe was left on fumes and lost the last of it with J♥7♦ against the K♥J♦ of Marvin Torres.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
220,000
38,000
|
38,000 |
|
|
105,000
35,000
|
35,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Brett Toker raised to 8,000 and Gideon Scheepers called in the small blind. Marko Nortje then jammed for 71,000 in the big blind and Toker asked for an exact count before folding, while Scheepers called.
Marko Nortje: 7♥7♣
Gideon Scheepers: 8♥8♠
The Mystery Bounty Event winner was pipped by one notch and was drawing dead on the K♥Q♥4♣8♦ turn to make the 5♠ river a formality. El-Juan Du Plessiers followed suit shortly after as the next player hit the rail in quick succession.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
200,000
1,000
|
1,000 |
|
80,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
|
Busted | |
|
Busted |
Norman Cherry defended the big blind against a raise by Brett Toker and checked the J♦8♦4♥ flop. Toker continued for 11,000 and Cherry joked "I am giving you chips again" before tossing in the calling chips. They quickly checked down the 9♠ turn and 9♥ river for Toker as last aggressor to reveal the A♦J♥.
"You hit the jack?" another player at the table asked. Cherry exposed his 8♠6♣ to lose a portion of his stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
100,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
95,000 |
Near the end of level 12, Jehan Richards was spotted on his way out of the tournament area and his former table broke right after. The field was down to the last 27 contenders and Jarred Solomon leaped into the top spot for the time being.
Day 1a is three full levels away from the conclusion or when the last 16 have been reached, whichever of the two comes first.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
350,000
175,000
|
175,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 13
Blinds: 2,000/4,000
Ante: 4,000
