On a board of Q♣Q♥K♥4♣ and with roughly 170,000 in the pot. James Obst checked from early position, and Biao Ding bet 70,000 from the hijack. Obst thought for a few moments before making the call.
Obst knuckled the action over to Ding on the 9♥ river, and Ding jammed for Obst's remaining 130,000. Obst thought it over for some time before making the call.
Ding showed a flopped boat with K♦Q♦ to claim Obst's bounty as Obst showed A♣K♣ for a pair of kings.
Martin Kabrhel opened the action with a raise from middle position, and Ramon Munoz responded with a three-bet to 85,000 from the cutoff. Action folded back to Kabrhel, who eventually called with a grin and a comment: “I call, imagining I bubble now.”
The flop came 10♦Q♠6♥, and Kabrhel checked. Munoz continued for 60,000, prompting a long tank from Kabrhel before he made the call.
The K♣ turn was checked by both players, but not before Kabrhel asked, “Do you like the king?”, repeating the question more than once.
When the 10♥ river landed, Kabrhel didn’t look at the board. Instead, he locked eyes with Munoz and asked, “Is it a blank? If it’s a blank, I win.”
Munoz smiled slightly and nodded. After finally glancing at the card, Kabrhel quipped, “Big blank, heh?” and began counting his stack.
He then placed a few stacks of chips in the middle and announced after a bet of 170,000, with confidence. However, after a quick recount, he corrected himself, “Sorry, just 168,000.” Munoz took a moment, then tossed in the call.
Kabrhel revealed 9♠7♠ for a nine-high bluff. Munoz tabled A♥K♠ for a pair of kings, enough to drag the pot and leave Kabrhel with just a handful of chips. That hand took so long to play out that the entire table missed an entire blind level.
With the tournament on the bubble, action folded to Ilya Nikiforov in the small blind, who moved all in for 190,000. In the big blind, Jeffrey Hong took some time to make a decision. After a little while in the tank, he apologised to the table, saying he really wasn't sure what to do. Ultimately, he decided to call, putting Nikiforov at risk.
Ilya Nikiforov: A♣4♣
Jeffrey Hong: K♥4♦
It wasn't what Hong was hoping to see, as he didn't even have two live cards.
The deck took care of that for him, though, as the flop came down 3♦K♣7♠, moving him into the lead.
The 8♦ turn and 7♥ river couldn't provide a way back for Nikiforov, who vacated his seat and headed to the exit.
Alex Kulev opened to around 114,000 from middle position, leaving just 20,000 behind. Brian Rast moved all in from the cutoff, and after the action folded back around, Kulev snap-called, putting himself at risk.
Alex Kulev:A♠8♠
Brian Rast:8♦8♣
Kulev needed to find an ace to stay alive, but the board ran out 10♦Q♣10♣5♥5♠, offering no help. Rast’s pocket eights held strong, earning him another bounty and a boost to his growing stack.
Jonathan Azoulay opened from early position, and Justin Armstrong shoved from middle position for around 80,000. Action folded to Dominykas Karmazinas in the big blind, who moved all in as well, covering both opponents. Azoulay didn’t hesitate and snap-called, setting up a big three-way showdown.
Justin Armstrong:A♥10♥
Jonathan Azoulay:A♠Q♦
Dominykas Karmazinas:10♣8♣
The flop came K♠3♥Q♣, giving Azoulay a pair of queens and a solid lead. The 8♦ turn and 7♠ river brought no help for either opponent.
Azoulay knocked out Armstrong to claim the bounty and doubled through Karmazinas in the process, putting him in the top of the counts.
Vitalijs Zavorotnijs jammed for around 60,000 from early position. Josh Arieh raised to 125,000 from a few seats over, which got the rest of the table to fold.
Vitalijs Zavorotnijs: 3♦3♠
Josh Arieh: Q♥Q♣
Zavorotnijs couldn't find a trey to beat the pocket queens of Arieh on the J♣4♦8♦J♠7♣ runout, and he headed to the rail.
Oliver Weis had been forced all in from the big blind, with just 3,500 remaining in his stack. Alejandro Ganivet made the call under the gun, having to match the blind, rather than the 3,500. Next to act was Scott Stewart, who decided to jam, despite only having 500 chips more than a single big blind. left. The next four consecutive players, Davidi Kitai, Luis Faria, Robert Paddock, and John Hennigan, all called the second all-in.
The action didn't stop there, though, as Rob Hollink then reshoved from the big blind, for 50,000. Ganivet got out of the way, Kitai reshoved for 300,000, Pinho De Faria and Paddock folded, and Hennigan called all in. Five players total had cards on their backs awaiting a runout.
Oliver Weis: 4♦4♥
Scott Stewart: J♠8♦
Rob Hollink: 3♥3♣
John Hennigan: K♥J♣
Davidi Kitai: 9♠9♥
Kitai was favorite to knock out all four players, and it stayed that way on the 5♦10♠A♣ flop. The turn 8♥ meant he had to fade a king, queen, jack, eight, four, or three to pick up a whopping $12,000 in one hand. The river 3♠ was had an unidentifiable amount of real-money equity for Hollink: his rivered set gave him $6,000 in bounties, as well as a triple up, survival, and all of the dead money in the middle. Kitai had to settle for just the single elimination.
Wagner Ripper moved all in from under the gun for 53,000, and Joshua McCully, next to act, did the same for 60,000. Action folded to Mark Darner on the button, who also moved all in, covering both players.
Wagner Ripper: 8♦8♣
Joshua McCully: A♦Q♥
Mark Darner: J♠J♥
Darner was eyeing up two bounties, and things started well, as the flop came down 7♦9♦K♣.
The tide turned in Ripper's favour when the turn card 8♥ was revealed, improving him to a set, leaving McCully drawing dead for the main pot.
The river 9♥ only served to improve Ripper to a full house, ensuring a full triple up and the elimination of McCully.
