Kirill Gerasimov Eliminated in 2nd Place ($391,369)

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On the 28th hand of heads-up play, the match has come to a close. Before the flop, Kirill Gerasimov raised to 435,000 from the button, and John Kabbaj made the call from the big blind.

The first three cards showed up {4-Diamonds}

, and with it would come the final betting actions of the tournament. Kabbaj led out into the pot with a bet of 400,000. Gerasimov shot a glance over at his opponent before announcing a raise. He grabbed two neat towers of green chips from his stack and made it 1,000,000 straight. Kabbaj took a sip of his beer and leaned back in his chair. He announced an all in, and Gerasimov quickly called to put his own tournament life on the line.

Showdown
Gerasimov: {K-Hearts}

Kabbaj:

After 198 hands of final table action, it was going to take a situation like this to end the day. Gerasimov had the second-best pair, but it was only second best. Kabbaj's pocket aces were primed to bring their owner a bracelet. The turn {4-Spades}

was safe, and the {Q-Diamonds}

that filled out the board brought a big celebration for Kabbaj.

Kirill Gerasimov was a formidable foe here today and for the last three days. Each of the final three players, including him, held the chip lead at one point. But with the big blinds and the pot limits, he was unable to seal the deal. There isn't a bracelet for second place, but nearly $400,000 is good enough for his second-largest career cash. Congratulations are certainly due for a fine performance this week.

Tags: John Kabbaj Kirill Gerasimov