After a few quick acknowledgments and introductions, the cards are in the air, and we're underway here at the final table. There are 47 minutes left on the clock in Level 19.
Daniel Walsh was on the losing end of the first hand dealt at the final table. Jean Gaspard made a straight with against Walsh's aces to take about 100,000 off of Walsh.
A few hands later, Walsh called a preflop raise from Ken Christopher. Christopher was in the cutoff and Walsh on the button.
The flop came and Christopher bet 25,000. Walsh elected to make a raise to 100,000 and Christopher called.
The turn brought the and a check from both players.
The river was the and Christopher led for 75,000. Walsh took his time and then made the fold. Christopher showed him the nut flush with the .
Jean Gaspard just took a big pot off of Kenny Milam. After the river was dealt, the board read and Milam checked. With the pot well over 100,000, Gaspard moved all in and put Milam to the test.
Milam chose to fold and with that pot, Gaspard is now over one million chips.
Kenny Milam raise from early position to 24,000. Kurt Scheer made the call as did Billy "Patrolman35" Kopp from the big blind. The three players saw the flop come down and Kopp led for 37,000. Milam ducked out of the way, but Scheer made the call.
The turn brought the and both players checked. The river brought the and once again both players checked. Scheer rolled over two black tens, , and Kopp mucked his hand.
As we tick down toward the end of the first level today, here's the way the final nine stack up.
Jean Gaspard - 1,130,000
Billy Kopp - 530,000
Ken Christopher - 380,000
Kurt Scheer - 300,000
Daniel Walsh - 230,000
Justin Allen - 225,000
Anita Vasquez - 160,000
Kenny Milam - 133,000
Steven McKoy - 110,000
Kurt Scheer started things off with an open-limp from the hijack seat. Justin "LockdownTex" Allen limped from the cutoff and then Anita Vasquez limped from the button. Jean Gaspard completed from the small blind before Ken Christopher checked his option in the big blind.
The flop came down and everyone checked to Allen. He fired a bet of 22,000. Vasquez flat-called and then Gaspard put in a raise to 82,000. Everyone folded and Gaspard took the pot.
Kenny Milam opened the action and was flatted in two spots by Kurt Scheer and Jean Gaspard. The flop came down and Milam checked.
Scheer fired 50,000. Gaspard called in position before Milam folded.
The turn brought the and Scheer immediately moved all in. Gaspard paused, but then made the call.
Showdown
Scheer:
Gaspard:
Scheer was in the lead with one card to come holding a flush. He even had one of Gaspard's outs in the . After the dealer burned a card, he dealt the river... the ! Just like that, Gaspard filled up and eliminated Scheer in ninth place.
Scheer was the first out busted from the final table and earned nearly $22,000 for his finish.