Tom Brachowski bet 9,000 into a 20,000 pot, with the board showing 
.
Brachowski was in middle position, and the bet sent his button opponent into the tank.
The button eventually folded, and with that pot Brachowski has already more than doubled the starting stack on Level 3.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
72,000
42,000
|
42,000 |
With 
showing on the board, Kevin Andriamahefa made a bet for 4,000 from the small blind.
Andriamahefa's opponent, on the button, made the call, and saw the bad news when Andriamahefa showed down 
.
The pair of kings was good enough to take down the pot, chipping Andriamahefa up to 35,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
35,000 |
Players are now on a 15-minute break.
Level: 4
Blinds: 100/200
Ante: 200
While PokerNews is here offering live updates from the High Roller and Main Event we’d be remiss if we didn’t tell you about the full schedule of side events that have been playing out over the past week at the World Series of Poker Circuit Horseshoe Hammond.
In Event #2: $250 NLH Double Stack, 541 runners create a $108,200 prize pool that was paid out to the top 82 players. Among those to cash but fall short of the official final table were Eric Mardsen (10th- $1,584), Isidro Sandoval (12th - $1,584), Dimitre Dimitrov (17th - $1,067), Guillermo Vargas (19th - $893), Robert Richmond (22nd - $759) and Josh Reichard (40th - $417).
In the end, it was Illinois native Lena Zhao who collected every chip in play to win her first gold ring along with a $21,031 payday.
This two-day tournament was a true grind, with play continuing for a little over 10 hours and Zhao didn't let the length wear her down.
Zhao came into the final day with the chip lead but went to the final table as one of the shortest stacks with only 820,00, but after a long grind at the final table couple, she got the hands she had been waiting for to seal the deal.
“I work a full-time job so I don’t get to play as much as I want to,” Zhao continued, “I only get to play the events that come through here so it feels so good to win my first ring.”
Zhao has a pretty rough work schedule but intends to continue the Circuit stop at Hammond and earn some points towards the 2020 Global Casino Championship.
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lena Zhao | Chicago, IL | $21,031 |
| 2 | Patrick Novak | Chicago, IL | $13,005 |
| 3 | Andres Garcia | Skokie, IL | $9,565 |
| 4 | Ryan Marin | Elgin, IL | $7,122 |
| 5 | John Allen | Romeoville, IL | $5,370 |
| 6 | Raynanza Duke | Louisville, KY | $4,099 |
| 7 | Melissa Bartelme | Muskego, WI | $3,170 |
| 8 | Scott Weitzenfeld | Arlington Heights, IL | $2,483 |
| 9 | Frank Cerminara | Kenosha, WI | $1,970 |
Facing an under-the-gun open to 600 and an early-position call, Bryce McVay three-bet to 2,500 from the button.
The big blind cold called, and the under-the-gun player four-bet to 7,500. The early-position player folded, McVay called, and the big blind folded.
The under-the-gun player continued for 7,000 on the 
flop, and McVay called.
Both players checked the 
turn.
Facing a check on the 
river, McVay bet 12,500, and got a fold from his opponent.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
61,000
61,000
|
61,000 |
Facing an early-position limp, a call from Chad Holloway in middle position, and a call from the hijack, Tim Capretta raised to 1,100 from the cutoff. David McDermott called on the button, and the three players who were already in the pot all called, creating a five-way pot.
Action checked to Capretta on the 
flop, Capretta bet 2,000, and only McDermott called.
Capretta bet 3,000 on the turn, and McDermott called.
Capretta bet 6,000 on the river, McDermott called, and Capretta rolled over the winner with 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
53,500
25,500
|
25,500 |
|
26,000 | |
|
||
|
19,200 | |
Level: 5
Blinds: 200/300
Ante: 300
While PokerNews is here offering live updates from the High Roller and Main Event we’d be remiss if we didn’t tell you about the full schedule of side events that have been playing out over the past week at the World Series of Poker Circuit Horseshoe Hammond.
In Event #3: $400 NLH Seniors, 275 runners create a $90,750 prize pool that was paid out to the top 45 players. Among those to cash but fall short of the official final table were Ira Lathan (10th- $1,387), Sandra Morse (13th - $1,146), Scott Buller (16th - $966), Allan Furman (18th - $833), Albert Bevilacqua (22nd - $734) and Frank Glass (25th- $661).
In the end, it was Florida native Simon Phillip who collected every chip in play to win his second gold ring in the Seniors Event in back-to-back years at Hammond and collected a $21,034 payday.
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Simon Philip | Pensacola, FL | $21,034 |
| 2 | Frank Bralick | South Milwaukee, WI | $12,996 |
| 3 | Guowei Zhou | Plainfield, IL | $9,203 |
| 4 | Gerald Siemienas | Arlington Heights, IL | $6,635 |
| 5 | Anthony Ezman | Coatsville, IN | $4,872 |
| 6 | Anastas Mukoski | Crown Point, IN | $3,645 |
| 7 | Tony Pena | Fennville, MI | $2,780 |
| 8 | James Stern | Chicago, IL | $2,161 |
| 9 | Nathan Richmond | Manitowoc, WI | $1,714 |