Kori Hunter was all in for 46,000 over an opening raise from Harry Kaczka. Kaczka made the call, then both he and Hunter waited to reveal their hands while the other all-in hands played out.
After the first two were competed, Hunter turned over the and was up against Kaczka's .
The flop came down to give Kaczka a pair of eights, but keep Hunter in the lead.
The turn was the , and that made things even more interesting as Kaczka added a gutshot straight draw.
Then, the river delivered the to give Kaczka two pair, and that was the end of the line for Hunter as he joined the other two players before him as bustouts on the bubble.
The action folded to Stuart Rutter on the button and he raised to 10,500. Daniel Alaei called from the big blind and checked the flop with Rutter continuing for 12,000. Alaei then pushed in a stack of chips before Rutter moved all in for 73,000 with Alaei instantly making the call.
Although Rutter was the first hand to be paused, his would be the last to be played out.
Rutter:
Alaei:
With Rutter at risk, the turn of the and river of the ensured him the double to 174,000 as Alaei slipped to 145,000 in chips.
After big preflop action, Paul Tedeschi was all in and at risk for 145,000 on a flop of . He was ahead with against the of Arthur Morris, and the cards were turned face up when prompted by Jack Effel.
"There's streets to come," Morris joked, hoping for a diamond on the turn.
The turn was red, but the was a brick, as was the on the river.
The Frenchman doubled to 440,000 chips, while Morris dipped down to 520,000.
With three players busting on the bubble - Zhen Cai, Kori Hunter, and John Dwyer - and only one 2015 World Series of Poker Main Event seat to give away, Jack Effel decided to get a little crazy.
The three split the first $18,406 prize, earning $6,135.33 each, then pulled high cards for the $10,000 seat.
"Alright, Max," Effel told the dealer. "Let's scramble 'em up."
Max obliged, shuffling the cards then fanned the 52 across a table in the middle of the Amazon Room. Hunter was first, and he opted to sweat his card. He eventually turned over the , leaving him drawing very slim, and Cai quickly took the lead with the man with the ax - the .
Dwyer was the last to pick, and because spades and hearts rank higher than diamonds, there were six cards in the deck that could give him the $10,000 seat: .
He also pulled a red six - the - and Cai was the winner of the hi-card bonanza.
The remaining players are all in the money, and guaranteed a minimum of $18,406, but all eyes are on the $10 million first-place prize.
We found Craig McCorkell all in and at risk for roughly 100,000 before the flop. McCorkell was up against Bradley Craig and in need of improvement.
McCorkell:
Craig:
The flop came down , keeping Craig's ace-king high out in front. The dropped down on the turn, meaning that McCorkell would need to spike a jack for the full double or a five to chop the pot.
The dealer burned and produced a dramatic river card — the — ensuring that McCorkell would stay alive. Craig shipped a majority of his stack to the other end of the table and is now left with 85,000. McCorkell, on the other hand, now has about 220,000 in chips.
Meanwhile on an adjacent table, a short-stacked Randy Ohel was eliminated from play.
Michael Jensen just ended up all in for his final 76,500 chips and he was up against Hyong Kim. Both hands were turned over, but the dealer was instructed to hold up for the EPSN cameras.
"Hey man, this is not important," Jensen said, "Just get me on my next double-up."
Jensen was in a great mood, as he was well ahead, but the showdown did not go his way.
Jensen:
Kim:
The board ran out and the five on the flop ended Jensen's tournament.
Ronnie Bardah with his 5th consecutive Main Event cash
With a cash in the 2014 World Series of Poker Main Event, Ronnie Bardah has set a new record. Previously, Bardah shared the record for most consecutive cashes of four with Robert Turner (1991-1994), Bo Sehlstedt (2004-2007), Theodore Park (2005-2008), Chris Overgard (2007-2010), Chris Bjorin (2008-2011), and Christian Harder (2010-2013).
Now, Bardah stands alone as he just earned his fifth Main Event cash in a row.
Bardah, winner of the 2012 $2,500 Six-Handed Limit Hold'em event, began his cash streak in 2010. That year, Bardah finished 24th out of 7,319 players for $317,161. In 2011, he placed 453rd for $27,103 from a field of 6,865. In 2012, Bardah finished in 540th place out of 6,598 for $21,707, and in 2013 he placed 124th out of 6,352 for $50,752. In the four prior years, Bardah has played in an average Main Event field size of 6,783.5 players with an average finish of 285.25. In total, his previous Main Event cashes have earned him $416,723, and he's guaranteed at least $18,406 this year.
Right after the field entered the money, Bardah moved all in from the small blind against Eric Cloutier's big blind. Cloutier tank-called with the and was ahead of Bardah's . Cloutier was the player at risk.
The flop, turn, and river ran out to give Bardah the win and bust Cloutier from the tournament.
Yesterday, PokerNews' Remko Rinkema chatted with Bardah about the record he was chasing, and you can watch that interview in the video below.
A short-stacked Jianming Zeng got his last 40,000 all in preflop and was in great shape to double against Matthew Sedgeman.
Zeng:
Sedgeman:
Zeng held the better kicker, but Sedgeman picked up a gutshot straight draw on the flop. Much to Zeng's dismay, it came in when the dealer burned and turned the .
"There you go," a resigned Zeng said. The dealer then put out the on the river and Zeng made his way to the payout desk.
and was up against Kaczka's 
.
to give Kaczka a pair of eights, but keep Hunter in the lead.
, and that made things even more interesting as Kaczka added a gutshot straight draw.
to give Kaczka two pair, and that was the end of the line for Hunter as he joined the other two players before him as bustouts on the bubble.
flop with Rutter continuing for 12,000. Alaei then pushed in a stack of chips before Rutter moved all in for 73,000 with Alaei instantly making the call.
and river of the 
ensured him the double to 174,000 as Alaei slipped to 145,000 in chips.
of Arthur Morris, and the cards were turned face up when prompted by Jack Effel.
was a brick, as was the 
on the river.
, leaving him drawing very slim, and Cai quickly took the lead with the man with the ax - the 
.
and Moroeanu will collect the $18,406 min-cash.
