Hand #32: Jake Schindler raised the button to 75,000 with and Cary Katz flatted the out of the big blind. The flop helped Schindler get rid of Katz who folded to a continuation bet.
The blinds increased to 20,000/40,000 with the ante of 30,000.
Hand #33: Ben Tollerene received a walk.
Hand #34: Ryan Riess raised to 90,000 with and that was enough to win the pot.
Hand #35: Schindler raised to 130,000 in the small blind, holding a playable . Riess peeled rags and mucked.
Hand #36: This time Tollerene raised to 85,000 with and raked in the pot without contest.
Hand #27: Ben Tollerene raised to 70,000 on the button with and Ryan Riess called in the big blind with . The flop came and Riess checked to Tollerene who continued for 45,000. Riess slid his cards to the muck and Tollerene raked in the pot.
Hand #28: The action folded to Riess in the small blind who looked down at . He bumped it up to 95,000 and Katz instantly mucked his cards.
Hand #29: Tollerene received a walk in the big blind.
Hand #30: Riess opened to 75,000 in the cutoff with and Jake Schindler three-bet to 300,000 out of the big blind holding . Riess decided to let his hand go and Schindler took it down preflop.
Hand #31: Tollerene raised it up to 70,000 with on the button and Riess defended his big blind with . The flop came and Riess check-called a bet of 45,000 from Tollerene. The turn brought the and both players knuckled the table as the rolled off on the river. Two more checks led to Riess scooping the pot with the larger two pair.
Hand #22: Ryan Riess made it 70,000 with and Ben Tollerene flatted in the small blind, inviting big blind Jake Schindler to the contest with .
Riess hit a flush draw on the flop and bet 40,000, just one-sixth of the pot. Tollerene stuck around for the small price while Schindler mucked.
Tollerene checked the turn and Riess barreled for 135,000, now adding an open-ended straight draw to his outs. Tollerene folded.
Hand #23: Cary Katz opened to 75,000 with and Tollerene paused with on the button. He eventually threw in 225,000 and Katz called his three-bet to continue to the flop.
Katz flopped top two on the and waited to see how much Tollerene was going to invest. Tollerene continued with a 150,000-bet and Katz called after 30 seconds.
The turn was safe for Katz who checked to his opponent again. Tollerene took his time before checking back to let the dealer roll over the river. Katz checked one more time, trying to induce a bet from Tollerene and the high-stakes cash game pro burned a time extension before checking.
"You lost the minimum," Katz observed. "I had a really bad feeling," Tollerene replied. "My intuition was like 'this is not gonna work, don't do it.'"
Hand #24: Jake Schindler had and raised from the button. Big blind Katz peeled six-five suited again, now the . He called and called another 60,000 on the flop.
Katz switched for leading the turn, making it 200,000 and Schindler called in position.
The river gave Katz the best hand but he decided to check. Schindler fired 450,000 and Katz looked puzzled. He verbally announced that he was thinking Schindler may have been frustrated after missing a flush draw. But he eventually released his hand, leaving the pot to Schindler. "Alright, good bet," Katz said.
Hand #25: Schindler opened to 75,000 with and Tollerene defended to flop trips on the . Schindler bet 60,000 in position and Tollerene checked. Both players checked the turn, as well as the river, and Tollerene showed the winning hand.
Hand #26: Riess looked down at and made it 70,000 to go. Tollerene flatted in the small blind and Schindler joined with . Tollerene seemed to be getting in trouble after the flop hit the felt. Riess continued for 85,000, earning a call from Tollerene and a fold from Schindler.
The turn slowed down the action as Riess checked back and he also checked the river.
Hand #19: Ben Tollerene raised to 60,000 on the button with and Jake Schindler called from the small blind with . Ryan Riess also tagged along from the big blind with . The action flop of hit the felt and all three players had a bit of everything.
Both Schindler and Riess checked to Tollerene who continued for 65,000. Schindler just called with his top two pair and Riess check-raised to 245,000 after flopping a straight. Tollerene called with his straight draw along with Schindler.
The turn brought the and Schindler played it cautiously with another check. Riess shoved all in for 820,000 which forced a quick fold from Tollerene. Schindler sat with a puzzled look on his face as he tossed in a time extension and eventually decided on the correct fold.
Hand #20: Schindler opened to 60,000 on the button with and both of the blinds folded.
Hand #21: Riess raised it up to 60,000 on the button with and Cary Katz called from the small blind with . Tollerene was getting a good price in the big blind and also called with . Another action flop of was fanned and the action checked around to the on the turn. Katz led out for 75,000 with his trip nines and Tollerene folded. Riess made the call and the completed the board. Katz checked this time and Riess checked behind, sending the pot to Katz.
Hand #16: Cary Katz limped in from the small blind with and Ben Tollerene checked his . They checked the flop as well as the turn before Katz led out 25,000 on the river, firing a last-minute bluff. Tollerene, however, raised to 80,000 to force a fold from Katz.
Hand #17: Katz found spades again, raising the button to 50,000 with . He wouldn't have any success as Tollerene three-bet out of the small blind, making it 225,000 with .
Hand #18: Tollerene raised to 60,000 from the button and Kristina Holst looked down at a small pair in the small blind. She shoved for 495,000 and Tollerene double-checked his hand before calling with a monster.
Holst:
Tollerene:
Unfortunately for Holst, the board hit Tollerene's Big Slick on the turn and that was the end for the lone female player in the tournament. Holst collected $53,600 for the fifth place, the biggest prize of her career.
Hand #15: Jake Schindler opened to 60,000 from the cutoff with and Rodger Johnson found a spot to get involved holding . Johnson shipped all in for 200,000 but Cary Katz woke up in the big blind with . Katz asked for a count and then made the call while Schindler quickly folded.
The flop came and Johnson would need some help in order to stay alive. The turn brought the and Johnson was left drawing to a four. The landed on the river and Johnson became the first player eliminated at the final table.
Hand #10: Cary Katz seized the momentum early on. After winning a huge pot with pocket eights, Katz looked down at in the small blind. He was facing an open-raise to 60,000 from hijack Jake Schindler who had . Katz three-bet to 200,000 but Schindler wasn't interested in fighting.
Hand #11: Ryan Riess picked up for the second time in a short span and he raised to 55,000 from the hijack. Kristina Holst called from the big blind with and she flopped the nut-flush draw on .
Riess, however, checked behind and he was rewarded with a turn card. He fired a delayed c-bet and Holst paid the 75,000 to see the river miss her draw. She checked for the final time and Riess ended the hand with a bet of 155,000.
Hand #12: Riess opened to 60,000 with and button Katz opted for a loose flat with . Both blinds folded, leaving Riess and Katz in a heads-up pot on the flop. Riess checked to Katz who bet 75,000 in position to take it down.
Hand #13: Schindler was in the small blind and he opened to 80,000 with . Riess had a queen-eight and decided to let it go.
Hand #14: Ben Tollerene took the blinds and ante after raising to 55,000 from the hijack, holding .
Hand #6: Cary Katz opened to 45,000 from the cutoff with but could not pick up any customers.
Hand #7: Ben Tollerene looked down at the in the cutoff and raised it up to 45,000. Ryan Riess defended his big blind with and the flop came . Riess checked to Tollerene who continued for 45,000 and Riess quickly folded.
Hand #8: Riess raised to 45,000 on the button with and picked up the blinds and ante.
Hand #9: Jake Schindler opened to 45,000 in the cutoff with and Riess flat-called on the button with . Katz also came along with in the big blind and the flop came . The action checked around to Riess who fired 60,000. Katz called with his top set while Schindler let his hand go. The hit the turn and Katz checked again, allowing Riess to bet another 165,000. Katz check-raised all in for 390,000 and Riess burned up a time extension before letting his hand go.