On a flop, Alex Smith checked to Chad Layne. Layne bet 8,000, and Smith made it 25,000, Layne called. The turn was the , and Smith moved all in. Layne folded.
Paul Mitrano was in middle position and open-raised to 15,000. Keun Kwak was on the button and called.
The flop was , and Mitrano bet 15,000, Kwak called. The turn was the , and Mitrano moved all in for 110,000.
Kwak tanked for over five minutes, questioning his opponent. Eventually, another player at the table called for a clock. Kwak told his opponent that he could beat ace-king and got no response. With about ten seconds remaining, Kwak defiantly put in a handful of chips, signifying he called for his remaining stack of 97,000.
Keun Kwak:
Paul Mitrano:
Kwak begged the poker gods, "Hold, one time," and he did just that as the hit the river. Mitrano was left very short with four big blinds, and Kwak moved to a very healthy stack.
Tommy Tran raised to 5,500, and Chris Klodnicki made it 18,400. Tran called.
The flop came , and Klodnicki bet 15,000. Tran made it 30,000, and Klodnicki called. The turn was the , and both players checked. The river was the , and again, both players checked.
Klodnicki showed for a set of queens, and Tran mucked.
With about 19,000 in the pot and the board reading , Grant Hillman moved all in for 11,800. Markus Prinz was in the cutoff and called. Hillman tabled , and Prinz showed and was drawing dead. The river was the , and Hillman got some valuable chips.
Then, Schuyler Thornton raised to 5,700 from the cutoff. Hillman was in the small blind and moved all in for roughly 43,000, Thornton called.
Schuyler Thornton:
Grantland Hillman:
Hillman needed a lot of help if he was going to double up in back-to-back hands. The dealer spread the board, revealing , which didn't do it. Hillman made a valiant effort but was relegated to the rail.