Hand #43: Matthew Jarvis Eliminated in 8th Place ($1,045,743)

John Racener has the button in Seat 7.

Jonathan Duhamel makes it 1.4 million to play, and Michael Mizrachi sits shuffling chips for a moment. He flicks the calling chips into the pot, and Matthew Jarvis announces a squeezy raise next door. It's 'all you can eat' as he commits his final 14.3 million to the pot with a verbal declaration. Duhamel quickly folds, but The Grinder takes a few minutes to consider, and it eventually looks like he might be on the cusp of a fold as well. Just as we momentarily let our guard down, he calls! Jarvis is at risk, and the cards are on their backs with a huge pot up for grabs. Let's race for 30 million chips, shall we?:

Mizrachi: {A-Diamonds} {Q-Diamonds}
Jarvis: {9-Clubs} {9-Hearts}

Flop: {Q-Spades} {8-Diamonds} {Q-Clubs} ! Camp Mizrachi explodes into a celebration that momentarily deafens us. That middle board card was a little scary, but it was one rank low enough to be safe for Grinder's trips. It takes several minutes before the Mizrachi cheerleaders quiet down enough to see another card.

Turn: {9-Spades} ! Now it's Camp Jarvis in utter jubilation as their man finds his two-outer to take an enormous lead in the hand. He's one card from a double up. Mizrachi has seven outs; he needs an ace, an eight, or the case queen to win the pot.

River: {A-Spades} ! No! The theater is in stunned shock, either deathly silent (Jarvis and company) or in complete celebratory hysterics (the Mizrachi crew). It's just the river card Mizrachi was looking for, certain to make his list as "the most beautiful card in the deck" now. The ace of spades is the death knell for Jarvis, however, eliminated in 8th place. That's good for more than $1 million, but he's visibly disappointed as he's pulled into the arms of his friends and family.