Kou Vang raised to 70,000 from middle position, and Allen Lanier made it 200,000 to go from the small blind. Tony Pena called off 130,000 in the big, and Vang folded.
Lanier:
Pena:
Pena was behind, and he found no help on the runout.
Allen Lanier opened to 85,000 in the cutoff, and Brian Zimcosky three-bet to 190,000 in the small blind. Lanier made the call, and the two took in a flop. Zimcosky fired a continuation-bet of 220,000, and Lanier raised to 440,000. Zimcosky responded by shoving all in, putting Lanier's last 491,000 at risk.
Lanier went deep into the tank.
"I didn't put in half of my stack with top pair just to fold," he muttered to himself.
Finally, however, he did decide to fold, showing the . The players at the table clamored for Zimcosky to show, and he obliged: .
Fadi Hamad shoved 537,000 when action folded to his button, and Kou Vang called in the big blind.
Vang:
Hamad:
The flop came , and Hamad was dead to runner-runner. The turn brought hope in the form of the , and the three non-heart sixes would give Hamad the pot. Amazingly, the fell, and Vang was left with just 71,000, which he doubled up the next hand when his outdrew John Simon's .
Kou Vang open shoved for 156,000, and action folded to Brian Zimcosky, who called in the big blind.
Zimcosky:
Vang:
Vang appeared ready to double up once more when the first four came . The dealer burned and turned the on the river though, and Vang wished the remaining players good luck, taking his run of horrible luck with grace.
Leon Morford opened for 100,000, and Allen Lanier jammed for about 450,000. Action folded back to Morford, who immediately called.
"That sucks," Lanier said, knowing he was in trouble.
Morford:
Lanier:
Lanier found help on the flop, but he was unable to improve past the aces on the and .
The next hand, he went all in for his last 6,000 under the gun. Brian Zimcosky raised to 100,000 from middle position, and Ken Baime and Leon Morford called from the button and the big blind, respectively. After a flop of , Zimcosky bet 160,000, and Baime shoved. Morford folded, and Zimcosky immediately called.
Zimcosky:
Baime:
Lanier:
Baime had coolered Zimcosky, while Lanier was drawing live with a straight draw. The filled that draw, and a river was a brick, so Baime doubled up on the side while Lanier survived.
Lanier doubled up once more in a blind battle with against Morford's , but two hands later he shipped the button with 110,000 and was called by Zimcosky in the big blind.
Zimcosky:
Lanier:
Lanier had found ace-king once more, amazingly enough, but the flop came .
"That's a good flop for you," Lanier said dryly.
"It is," Zimcosky said, and the turn brought a that left Lanier dead. The players shook hands.
Leon Morford opened for 125,000 under the gun, and Mike Deis dropped his remaining 221,000 in the middle. Behind him, Brian Zimcosky checked his cards and then thought for about 30 seconds before shoving all in. Everyone behind him folded, including Morford.
Zimcosky:
Deis:
The two were racing, and the community came , no help to Deis, who exited in sixth.
Fadi Hamad opened to 150,000 on the button after Leon Morford accidentally mucked his big blind.
"This is awkward," Hamad said.
"Well, that changes the dynamic," Ken Baime said with a laugh as he peaked down at his cards in the small blind.
Baime made the call, and the two saw a flop of . Both players checked, and the turn was a . Baime checked once more, and Hamad bet 140,000. Baime shoved for about 1.4 million, and Hamad began thinking, while asking his opponent what he was doing shoving for such a huge amount.
Finally, he called.
Hamad:
Baime:
Baime had a flush draw and second pair, but he trailed the top pair of Hamad. The river was an , completing Baime's flush draw and drawing a frustrated sigh from Hamad.
"Why didn't I just fold and nit it up?" he said to himself.
When the dealer counted out stacks, he had 28,000 remaining, which he got all in the next hand under the gun. Everyone called, and he didn't improve his by the river, and Brian Zimcosky took the pot with two pair with .
With the board reading on the turn, Brian Zimcosky checked to Ken Baime, who bet 525,000. Zimcosky shoved all in for about 1.6 million, and Baime called.
Baime:
Zimcosky:
Zimcosky had been caught semi-bluffing with a flush draw and an over, but he needed a spade on the river to outdraw Baime's two pair. The river brought an , a blank.
"Nice job, guys," Zimcosky said, pushing his stack to Baime, who now has a huge chip lead heads up.
Ken Baime raised to 215,000 on the button, and Leon Morford shoved for 1.4 million. Baime called after thinking for just a moment.
Baime:
Morford:
Baime had Morford dominated, and the dealer spread a flop of , all but securing Baime the win. A turn ended Morford's slim chances, and a finished out the board.