Big stacks Aditya Systla and Bryan Obregon were playing a big pot of 950,000 chips and had arrived on the river on Q♣2♠10♥3♥3♣. Systla checked from the small blind and Obregon threw in an additional 325,000 from the button.
After some thinking time, Systla threw in the call. Obregon showed Q♠9♠ for top pair and Systla mucked his cards as he could not beat that.
Steven Jones raised 80,000 in the hijack, and Anirban Das called on the button before Philip Almond defended the big blind.
The dealer fanned a flop of Q♥7♥5♦, and Almond checked to Jones who continued for 125,000. Das made the call but Almond pitched his cards into the muck.
The 4♣ hit the turn before Jones tossed a bet of 275,000 in the middle and Das quickly called.
When the 10♣ river hit the felt, Jones checked and Das checked back.
"Queen," said Das as he tabled KxQx.
Jones responded, "No good," as he showed K♦K♠.
Heads-up on a flop of 10♦8♣5♠, Bohdan Slyvinskyi bet 75,000 from middle position and Harsheel Kothari called in the big blind.
Both players checked the 4♣ turn as the 2♥ fell on the river. Kothari then announced he was all in and Slyvinskyi snap-called for his last 400,000, tabling K♣K♠.
Kothari, though, showed him 8♦4♦ for two pair to send a shocked Slyvinskyi to the rail.
Graham Matthews found himself in a blind versus blind preflop confrontation against statistician Nate Silver that saw Matthews at risk for around 1,300,000.
Graham Matthews: Q♥Q♦
Nate Silver: A♣A♠
Matthews was on the wrong side of the cooler and couldn't hit a queen as the board ran out 7♠6♥5♠J♠4♥ to mark his elimination.
The action folded to Oscar Alache on the button who just limped in. Daniel Weinman raised to 150,000 in the small blind and Alache called. The flop came K♥K♦9♥ and Weinman fired out a bet of 75,000 which Alache called.
The turn was the 4♦ and Weinman counted out a bet of 275,000. Alache just called again and the K♠ hit the river. Weinman checked this time and Alache quickly checked it back. Weinman showed A♣5♣ but Alache had a full house with 4♠4♥.
Ezequiel Lebed jumped up celebration after he had been all-in and at risk against John Quattlebaum and got there on the river. His Q♦J♦ had flopped top pair and a flush draw but he was up against A♣A♠. However, the J♥10♦5♦9♣ turn gave him even more outs only for the 3♦ river to complete the flush.
"Wife just landed ... it was a hell of a run," Quattlebaum said after his stack was reduced to 45,000. Right after the hand was over, he also received the beer he had just ordered and tipped the waitress all of his pocket change.
Soon after, Quattlebaum was all-in preflop and Ruben Correia isolated with a bet on the K♠8♥3♦ flop.
John Quattlebaum: A♣5♣
Ruben Correia: Q♥J♥
Quattlebaum was happy to be ahead but the miracle comeback was cut short on the 5♥ turn and 7♥ river runout.
"This was the greatest four days of my life ... in poker," a thankful Quattlebaum said on the way out of the tournament area.
Timothy Holt moved all in from early position for around 900,000 as action folded around to Nicholas Gerrity in the big blind, who took a peek down at his cards then instantly slammed in the chips to call.
Timothy Holt: A♠K♣
Nicholas Gerrity: A♣A♦
A collective gasp arose from the table when Gerrity showed his hand. Holt was already standing up from his seat heading to the 7♥9♠4♦10♦9♥ board before he wished the table luck and headed for the exit.
Nikita Luther opened to 80,000 from middle position and Roman Hrabec defended his big blind.
Both players checked the J♥Q♥K♠ flop leading to the 3♠ turn. Hrabec check-called a 110,000 bet from Luther.
Hrabec checked again on the 10♠ turn and Luther bet 350,000, sending Hrabec deep into the tank.
"I have a very bad hand..." Hrabec commented after a couple minutes of thought. Shortly afterwards he flicked in the call.
Luther tabled J♠9♠ for a rivered flush to win a sizable pot.
Wayne Nicholson limped in from under the gun and Timothy Holt came in for the same amount from early position. Koveh Waysei then raised to 140,000 from middle position before Nicholas Gerrity three-bet to 405,000 from the cutoff.
The action folded back to Nicholsen, who went all-in for a little bit more. Holt and Waysei both weighed their options but settled on folds and Gerrity put in the few extra chips necessary.
Wayne Nicholson: Q♠Q♣
Nicholas Gerrity: A♠Q♥
Nicholson was a big favorite with his pocket queens, and when the board ran out 2♣8♥K♥4♣J♥, he won the pot without much of a sweat.
Clay Johnson opened to 80,000 from the hijack and the button called before Joe Ghio three-bet jammed a stack of 590,000 from the small blind. Johnson re-shoved with a bigger stack to bring a fold from the button.
Joe Ghio: 8♣8♦
Clay Johnson: A♦10♣
Ghio was able to survive the flip to hold onto his tournament life as the board ran out a safe 3♠5♠9♥J♣K♠.
"Got it through," Ghio said in relief as he earned a double.
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