Honghao Shi opened to 1,500,000 from middle position, leaving a single 25,000 denomination chip behind. Nathaniel Shoshan jammed his 1,750,000 from the button, and the blinds got out of the way. Shi tanked for a short period of time, before flicking in his last chip.
Honghao Shi: 8♥8♣
Nathaniel Shoshan: A♥10♣
The two traded outs on the 9♦7♠6♥ flop, and neither connected further on the 6♦4♣ runout, giving Shi the full double and leaving Shoshan with less than a big blind behind.
Andrew Shelton was the 43rd player to pull a Gold Chest, and it proved to be the magic number.
Shelton selected his ticket and slowly peeled it from the packaging. The first digit was a one, and he instantly knew what it meant. He had pulled the biggest Mystery Bounty on offer and was suddenly a millionaire.
Shelton erupted in celebration at winning $1,000,000, shouting and screaming uncontrollably, while the rest of the field let out a collective sigh, knowing the biggest bounty was finally off the table.
Andrew Shelton
The timing made the moment even more surreal. Shelton had only recently been eliminated from the tournament in 102nd place for $3,350 after losing with ace-king against pocket eights.
“I was under the gun, so I was like, ‘I’m gonna play my button and then I’ll go up.’ On my button I get ace-king versus eights and bust. So I was like if I just went up, I’d still be in the tournament, but you know, I’m not too worried about it now.”
Moments after pulling the bounty, Shelton reflected on what the life changing score meant to him.
“It feels great. That’s, I pretty much double my net worth, so that’s pretty good.”
Shelton also admitted he arrived in Las Vegas feeling like something positive was going to happen during the summer.
Andrew Shelton
“Part of me felt like this is my year. Like I felt something good was gonna happen. I’m not a super superstitious person, but I felt something good was gonna happen, so it felt good.”
Despite banking the seven-figure score, Shelton said fans should not expect to see him jumping into a packed tournament schedule for the rest of the series.
“Definitely not playing tournaments. This is such a fucking grind. My one World Series poker tournament a year, too much grind.”
Andrew Shelton
Shelton described himself as “a lucky recreational player” and joked that he was “the second best poker player from Sacramento behind Mike Postle.”
Jialong Cui announced all in for 2,400,000 from middle position, Amit Shah also announced all in from the button, and the blinds folded.
Amit Shah: A♥9♠
Jialong Cui: A♦7♠
Great start for Cui as the flop came Q♠7♥10♠, Shah decided to stand up on the K♠ turn but sat back down when the A♠ hit the river as this gave Shah a flush.
Alexander Kaviani opened the action with a raise to 425,000. Eugene Pleyo moved all in for his remaining 750,000. Qing Sun flatted from the small blind, and Kaviani also called.
On a flop of 8♥7♦J♥ Kaviani bet out for 925,000 into a dry side pot when checked to, and Sun placed in the call. Sun checked the 10♦ turn, also, after a prolonged tank. Kaviani bet 2,200,000 which folded Sun out.
Eugene Pleyo: A♠J♦
Alexander Kaviani: K♥2♠
Pleyo's top pair was in great shape, and he got a full triple following the 4♣ river.
Jason Terry open-shoved under the gun for 475,000. Wayne Leonard on his left reshoved close to 3,000,000, and everybody else folded.
Jason Terry: Q♥10♠
James Leonard: A♣K♦
Leonard couldn't have asked for much better than the K♠6♠6♥ flop, however the J♥ turn improved Terry to seven outs. The 9♣ river was one of them, as he doubled and survived.
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