We didn't catch the hand that got him so many chips, but we saw on our last walk through that Joseph McKeehen has chipped up quite well this level. He now holds the chip lead, wielding a stack of over 700,000!
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
740,000 | 355,000 |
Richard Murnick's day is done after running 
into an opponent's on his final hand. Murnick finishes in 40th place for a cash of $3,394.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |
After a short-stacked Joseph Liberta pushed all in for 95,000 from early position, Ido Ashkenazi reraised all in from a couple of seats over for 218,000.
It folded back around to Hend Matthews in the big blind, the action pausing for a while at Patrick Houchins in the cutoff seat who thought a while before letting his hand go. Matthews then tanked for some time before finally emerging with a call.
Matthews: 
Liberta: 
Ashkenazi: 
Three pocket pairs, and after the community cards came 
, Ashkenazi's kings had held to knock out Liberta in 41st and take a big chunk from Matthews's stack as well.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
525,000 | 400,000 |
|
170,000 | -225,000 |
|
Busted |
Timothy Finne just got the last of his short stack in with 
against the 
of Sai Wang. The board rolled out 
to give Wang quads, and Finne goes out in 42nd place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
412,000 | |
|
Busted |
Christian Harder has been fairly quiet throughout the day. He has maintained a solid stack, but was never involved in any big hands really before the money bubble. However, that has quickly changed, as he knocked out players on back to back hands.
In the first hand, Harder raised it up under the gun, and Carl Restifo was the lone caller in the small blind. The flop came down all hearts, 
, and Restifo announced all in for about 100,000. Harder instantly called, and when the cards were tabled, it was clear why he called so quickly.
Harder: 
Restifo: 
Harder had flopped the second nuts, and Restifo would need runner runner to survive the hand. However, when the 
hit the turn, he was drawing dead. The meaningless river came the , and Harder took the hand down.
On the next hand, Kenneth Stacy moved all in for his last 15,000. Gregory Burns made the call, as did Harder in the big blind. The flop came 
, and Burns fired out 25,000. Harder clicked it back to 62,000, and Burns elected to fold his hand. The cards were table, and again, Harder was well out in front.
Harder: 
Stacy: 
Harder would again just need to fade runner runner, and when the hit the turn, Harder had the hand secured. The on the river gave him an unnecessary full house, and when the dust settled on the two hands, Harder had jumped all the way up to 350,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
350,000 | 135,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted |
Level: 21
Blinds: 4,000/8,000
Ante: 1,000
Action folded around to Pat Halter, and he raised it up to 13,000. Bryan Kessler peaked down at his cards in the big blind, and three bet it to 45,000. Halter spent about 20 seconds in the tank before moving all in for around 150,000. Kessler made the call, and the cards were tabled.
Kessler: 
Halter: 
Kessler made a good call, as his mid ace was out in front, but the hand was far from over. There was an ace in the window, but it also came with a queen, as the flop came 
. Halter would need to catch another queen or a king, and he got that when the hit the turn. The on the river was safe for Halter, and he secured the double up to 335,000.
Meanwhile, Bryan Kessler, who was once near the top of our counts, is now down to 140,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
335,000 | 314,100 |
|
|
140,000 | -85,000 |
Garrett Utt was just all in for his last 65,000 with 
and hoping his pocket pair would hold against the 
of Jason Deutsch. But the flop came to pair Deutsch's king, and after the turn and 
river Utt was felted in 45th place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
295,000 | 236,800 |
|
Busted |
David Robinson (not the Admiral), open shoved all in for his last 75,000 in middle position. It folded around to Matthew DeLuca in the big blind, and he peaked down at his cards, and quickly called.
DeLuca: 
Robinson: 
Robinson was slightly out in front, but that all changed when the flop came down . It couldn't have been much worse for Robinson, as he cpould only catch the , or runner runner straight. The didn't help anything, and the river was the .
After that hand, DeLuca is up to 205,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
205,000 | 161,000 |
Leo Walker just reduced the field by two more after a three-way all-in preflop confrontation between him, Helen Ellis, and Yervand Buyadjan.
Ellis: 
Walker:
Buyadjan:
The community cards came 
, meaning Walker ended with tens full of jacks to win the pot and bring the total field down to 46 players.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
452,000 | 306,000 |
|
|
Busted | |
|
Busted |