From middle position, Sterling Savill got his last 234,000 chips into the pot with . Jim Harnden flatted in the hijack, and the action came around to Matthew O'Brien in the small blind. He wanted to play for more. A small reraise to 500,000 seemed in order, and Harnden spent a long while deliberating before surrendering to let Savill sweat it heads-up.
When O'Brien turned up , Savill stood from his chair and pleaded with the dealer to help him out. The flop was as blank as it gets, but the turn kept Savill's hopes alive with five outs to the win. He couldn't get there, though. The river is the last card he'll see today, and the next piece of paper he's dealt will be a check worth $26,930.
From the hijack seat, Chris Parsons open-shoved his short stack of 487,000. Jamil Wakil made the call from the button, the blinds folded, and Parsons was heads-up for his tournament life. The news was not good; he'd run into a monster.
Showdown
Parsons:
Wakil:
The flop was a decent start for Parsons, and the turn gave him four chop outs to try and chase down, as well. He'd end up missing, though. The river brought the blank to end his day in ninth place, and made the call to the cashier himself.
"Payouts," he yelled. He'll be handed a check for more than $20,000 on his way to the exits. Ask and ye shall receive. Parsons wished his table luck as he headed out the door, and we are down to eight players.
In middle position, Roman Valerstein raised to 65,000, and Nabih Zaczac three-bet shoved his short stack of just 218,000. Valerstein was hating life at that point, and he asked for the count before making a reluctant call with a chance at the knockout.
Showdown
Valerstein:
Zaczac:
"Ideal situation," a surprised Valerstein cheered up. "About as good as it gets for me."
Things got even better for him as the flop brought a pair in the window. Zaczac needed help in a hurry, but there was none to come on the turn or river .
With that, we've lost Nabih Zaczac in 10th place, good for $17,184.
Our nine remaining players have stepped away for a quick five-minute break before the official final table begins.
In early position, Jim Harnden opened the pot to 50,000, and Jamil Wakil three-bet to 125,000 right next door. One more seat over, the action landed on one of the short stacks, David Stefanski. He looked down at something favorable and shoved all in for 438,000. That folded the rest of the table and Harnden out of the way, but Wakil asked for the count as he debated the call. When he learned the number, he went ahead and slid out the chips to put Stefanski at risk.
Showdown
Wakil:
Stefanski:
"You have my sut," Wakil noticed as the hands were shown up.
The flop came , a big kaboom for Stefanski as he flopped Broadway and was guaranteed to survive his all in. The turn secured his double, and the river was the meaningless river. After doubling up and then some, Stefanski has worked his stack back up to 992,000 and back close to his high point in the tournament from late in Day 2.
Under the gun, Roman Valerstein came in raising to 52,000, and Matthew O'Brien called from the button to go heads up.
The dealer gave them a flop to work with, but they checked through to the turn. Valerstein made his delayed continuation bet of 66,000, and O'Brien wanted to play for more as he raised to 155,000. Valerstein gave it just a quick look before matching the bet.
The river brought the and a check from Valerstein, and O'Brien was going to fire again. He stacked up 465,000 and slid it across the line, and Valerstein snap-called to see what was what. O'Brien showed up for the set, and it was the winner.
"Pair no good," Valerstein lamented as he spun his cards into the muck. He let out a big sigh as he paid off the debt to drop back to about 1.3 million, while O'Brien has moved up to about twice that count.
Under the gun, Brian Hastings came in with a raise to 48,000, and the action came around to Jim Harnden in the big blind. He made another raise to 120,000 total, and that drew a short pause from Hastings. He had just about 500,000 to start the hand, and he eventually committed his full stack with . Harnden snap-called with the crushing , though, and Hastings was drawing slim for survival.
There was no help for "Stinger 88" on board as it came . The rest of the field can breathe just a bit easier now as the dangerous pro has been sent off. He'll take $17,184 for his work — worth a handful of big blinds at the nosebleed stakes he's accustomed to playing.
Two hands in a row here, both of them going the way of Jamil Wakil. And both of them at the expense of David Stefanski.
In the first pot, Wakil opened to 50,000 from the cutoff, and Stefanski three-bet to 101,000 from the small blind. Wakil shoved over the top of him, and Stefanski was forced to surrender his cards.
One hand later, Wakil opened to 50,000 again, this time from the hijack seat. Stefanski three-bet him to 116,000, but that wasn't getting through, either. Wakil shoved again, and Stefanski was forced to fold again, and Wakil has recovered some of his losses to move back up to 3.55 million.
Stefanski is geting a bit short now, sitting with close to 500,000 and 20bb.
![[user66118]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
. Jim Harnden flatted in the hijack, and the action came around to Matthew O'Brien in the small blind. He wanted to play for more. A small reraise to 500,000 seemed in order, and Harnden spent a long while deliberating before surrendering to let Savill sweat it heads-up.
, Savill stood from his chair and pleaded with the dealer to help him out. The 
flop was as blank as it gets, but the 
turn kept Savill's hopes alive with five outs to the win. He couldn't get there, though. The river 
is the last card he'll see today, and the next piece of paper he's dealt will be a check worth $26,930.
flop was a decent start for Parsons, and the 
turn gave him four chop outs to try and chase down, as well. He'd end up missing, though. The river brought the blank 
to end his day in ninth place, and made the call to the cashier himself.
flop brought a pair in the window. Zaczac needed help in a hurry, but there was none to come on the turn 
or river 
, a big kaboom for Stefanski as he flopped Broadway and was guaranteed to survive his all in. The turn 
was the meaningless river. After doubling up and then some, Stefanski has worked his stack back up to 992,000 and back close to his high point in the tournament from late in Day 2.
turn. Valerstein made his delayed continuation bet of 66,000, and O'Brien wanted to play for more as he raised to 155,000. Valerstein gave it just a quick look before matching the bet.
and a check from Valerstein, and O'Brien was going to fire again. He stacked up 465,000 and slid it across the line, and Valerstein snap-called to see what was what. O'Brien showed up 
for the set, and it was the winner.
, though, and Hastings was drawing slim for survival.
