Frank Cucchiara of Next Gen Poker was on the button in a heads-up pot against Phil Badiola in the big blind.
Badiola checked on the flop of 5♠4♦Q♦ and Cucchiara bet 75,000. Badiola check-raised all in for 485,000 and Cucchiara, who was filming the hand, shuffled some chips before folding.
"I'll tell you later," Badiola said about his holding.
Three players headed to a flop in a three-bet pot which contained a little over 500,000 in the middle already. The flop came 10♠10♥2♠ and the action checked to Scott Berko on the button who bet 215,000. Thomas Larson check-raised to 445,000 and Berko ripped all in. Larson went into the tank for over three minutes with just 900,000 behind and then finally called.
Thomas Larson: 8♥8♦
Scott Berko: A♠K♠
"I knew you had spades!" Larson shouted as he rose from his chair. "Come on baby, hold one time!" Larson crossed his fingers and held them to his lips.
The turn was the 9♦ and Larson's emotions were on full display. The river was the 3♠ and Berko exploded out of his chair as he spiked a flush on the river. Larson's reaction was the opposite as he smacked his chair to the ground before exiting the tournament area.
On the tail end of a heads-up pot to the J♣J♦2♣10♣10♠ river, Kathrine Brandt checked and her opponent on the button checked it back. Brandt revealed the A♣8♣ for the ace-high flush and that won the pot.
Heads-up on a flop of 2♦Q♦8♣, Ronald Cleaver bet 75,000 from the cutoff before Riley Dieckhoff shoved all in for around 400,000 in the small blind. Cleaver called to put him at risk.
Riley Dieckhoff: Q♣J♣
Ronald Cleaver: A♦A♥
Dieckhoff had flopped top pair but walked right into Cleaver's aces and was at serious risk of his Main Event coming to an end. The 10♣ turn gave him a flush draw, but he missed the K♠ river.
"You had to give me a pair," Dieckhoff said before collecting his payout slip.
Heitor Saraiva opened to 60,000 from the hijack and was called by Kyna England in the cutoff.
The flop came Q♠4♦2♥ and Saraiva fired a continuation bet of 100,000. England made the call.
Saraiva slowed down with a check on the 3♣ turn. England bet 130,000 which was enough to force a fold from her opponent.
Chance Kornuth raised to 55,000 from early position and Jeremy Becker shoved all in for 740,000 from middle position.
The action folded back to Kornuth and he instantly put in the call with the covering stack.
Jeremy Becker: 9♣9♥
Chance Kornuth: A♠K♥
Becker had a slight lead with his pair of nines, and increased it when he flopped an open-ended straight draw on 10♠8♣7♥. The turn of J♥ made him his straight and Kornuth did not rebink Broadway when the J♠ paired the board on the river.
Becker doubled up and Kornuth finally forfeited some chips on Day 5.
Upon completion of the first level on Day 5, an initial field of 441 hopefuls has been whittled down to just 351 contenders. A new WSOP Main Event champion will be crowned as Chris Moneymaker and Joe Hachem were among those to fall.
Find below some of the highlights the PokerNews live reporting team caught during the opening stages of the day.
Level: 22
Blinds: 15,000/30,000
Ante: 30,000
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