James Dempsey raised and then Oleg Shamardin reraised. Sergey Altbregin was on the button and made the call before Dempsey called as well.
The flop came down 
and action checked around. After the 
fell on the turn, Dempsey bet and only Altbregin called. The river card was the 
and Dempsey bet out again. Altbregin tanked and then mucked his hand, allowing Dempsey to scoop the pot.
Dempsey has taken the past few pots at his table and now has 1.07 million in chips.
![[user75032]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
David Baker was only able to hold off the Reaper for so long. In the big blind on his final hand, he re-raised all in after James Dempsey opened with an under-the-gun raise that Sergey Altbregin called. The players were three-way to a flop of 
. Dempsey and Altbregin checked.
Dempsey made bets on the 
turn and 
river. Altbregin called both times. For the side pot, Dempsey showed 
, a full house, treys full of fives, and a live ace. Altbregin had 
, kings and a live ace. Baker couldn't beat either of those hands for the main and was eliminated.
Sammy Farha raised from the cutoff seat and then Yueqi Zhu reraised from the small blind. Farha made the call.
The flop came down 
and Zhu bet out. Farha raised and Zhu called. The turn card put the 
out on fourth street and Zhu check-called a bet from Farha. After the fell on the river, Zhu check-raised Farha's bet. Farha called.
Zhu tabled the 
and Farha mucked. Zhu moved up to 670,000 in chips while Farha dropped to 270,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
785,000
-45,000
|
-45,000 |
|
||
|
460,000
295,000
|
295,000 |
|
||
|
445,000
95,000
|
95,000 |
|
||
|
390,000
-110,000
|
-110,000 |
|
|
||
|
305,000
135,000
|
135,000 |
|
290,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
|
|
||
|
210,000
-220,000
|
-220,000 |
|
||
Michael Chow raised and then David Baker reraised and was all in. Tony Merksick called from the small blind and then Chow called as well. Merksick and Chow checked it down from there.
The board ran out 
and Merksick tabled the 
for a straight. Chow tabled the 
and Baker held the 
. Baker was able to win the low and stuck around in the tournament with 40,000 chips left.
"F***ing check it down with a straight," commented Baker after the hand, upset at Merksick.
"I thought he had ace deuce," responded Merksick.
Two hands in rapid succession ended Steve Zolotow's run in Event 25. In the first, he raised from early position and was called from the blinds by Tai Nguyn and Eugene Katchalov (he of the formerly-1,000-chip stack). Katchalov took the lead on a flop of 
and the 
turn, with each other player calling. When the river fell 
, Nguyen suddenly led into his two opponents. Katchalov folded and then Zolotow also folded, preserving his last 40,000 chips.
Those chips wound up into the pot pre-flop a few hands later against Yueqi Zhu. Zolotow's 
was up against Zhu's 
. Zhu got both halves on a board of 
by making aces and sevens with a king for high, and a live deuce for low. Zolotow's aces and sevens with a jack for high and live five for low, were both second-best.
Tony Merksick raised from early-middle position and David Baker called on the button. The flop came down 
and Merksick check-called Baker's bet.
The turn brought the to pair the board and Merksick check-called again. The river completed the board with the and Merksick check-called once more.
Baker tossed over the 
and Merksick announced that he could beat that, tabling the 
. Merksick moved up to 255,000 in chips while Baker was left with just 50,000.
Level: 20
Blinds: 9,000/18,000
Ante:
Jean-Robert Bellande out-lasted all of the players he made last-longer bets against, but he himself didn't last much longer after that. Bellande raised from under the gun and was called by three players: Mike Sexton, Sam Farha, and Yueqi Zhu. Zhu had first action on a flop of 
and bet. Bellande raised, folding Sexton but not Farha. Farha called through the raise and Zhu called as well, making the pot three-handed to a turn. Zhu checked to Bellande. He bet and was called by Farha before Zhu check-raised. It was enough to put Bellande all in. He called and Farha called again.
The river was the 
. Zhu's last bet was called by Farha. They each got half, Zhu taking the high half with the nut flush, , and Farha taking the low half with 
. Bellande got nothing, as he was second-best both ways.
Images of the remaining players.
