Danny Wong opened to 165,000 from the hijack seat, Shahriar Assareh called on the button, and the blinds released. The dealer fanned , and Wong checked. Assareh tossed out 225,000, and Wong called.
The turn was the , and Wong checked again. Assareh slid out 275,000, and Wong made the call.
The river was the , and both players checked. Wong tabled for a pair of queens, and Assareh showed for top two, winning the pot.
The action folded to Taylor Paur, who moved all in for 1.28 million from the small blind. Amnon Filippi called from the big, and the hands were tabled.
Paur:
Filippi:
The board ran out , and Paur doubled to 2.64 million chips.
Action folded to Lasell King who completed from the small blind. Charles Coultas made it 170,000 total from the big blind only to have King three-bet to 475,000. Coultas announced all in and King called for his tournament life.
King:
Coultas:
The board ran out and Coultas' queen of clubs was able to make the best flush, sending King to the rail.
Full counts of the secondary feature table will come soon.
The action began with Percy Mahatan checking his cards while sitting under the gun, then raising to 180,000. It folded to Jacob Balsiger in middle position who called, and everyone else folded.
The pair watched the dealer spread the flop. First to act, Mahatan bet 260,000 and Balsiger called. The turn brought the . Mahatan checked this time, and Balsiger took the invitation to bet 375,000. Mahatan thought it over, then called.
The river was the . Mahatan checked again, and this time Balsiger decided it would cost Mahatan at least 725,000 to see the river. Mahatan considered, but decided against taking things any further and folded.
Jan Heitmann has just been moved to the feature table. His record hasn't been the greatest on tv tables so far, but he's determined to break that streak.
Webber Kang raised to 160,000 and received one caller in Greg Merson. The latter proceeded to call a bet of 175,000 on the flop, leading to the turn. Again Webber led out, this time fore 425,000, but Merson chose to push back with a raise to 1.075 million. Webber proceeded to move all in for 3.43 million and Merson made the call.
Showdown
Kang:
Merson:
Merson was ahead with top two pair, but Kang was drawing live to the nut flush. The crowd around the ESPN Main Stage was on its feet as the dealer burned and put out the . Some in the audience mistakenly thought the card helped Kang, but it did not.
The stacks were close, but when counted down it was verified that Kang had been eliminated.
Action folded to Percy Mahatan in the small blind and he limped in. Jeremy Ausmus raised from the big blind to 240,000 and then Mahatan made it 700,000 to go. Ausmus reraised to 1.3 million, but that wasn't enough to shake Mahatan. Mahatan moved all in and Ausmus folded.
Marc Ladouceur opened to 165,000 in middle position, Shahriar Assareh called on his direct left, and the rest of the players folded. The flop was , and thinking the action was on him, Assareh slid out 1 million in lavender T100,000 chips. Ladouceur asked the dealer if the bet was binding if he checked, and she nodded, "yes."
"Where are you from?" Ladouceur asked Assareh.
Assareh seemed a bit affronted.
"You don't have to answer," Ladouceur told him.
"Nowhere," he finally answered.
"Norway?" Ladouceur shot back.
"Nowhere!" Assareh echoed.
Ladouecur finally opted to check, and Assareh slid his bet back out into the middle. Ladouecur folded, and Assareh won the pot.
"I'm from Iran," he informed the table.
A few hands later, Danny Wong opened to 165,000, and was called by Assareh in the cutoff, Robert Corcione on the button, and Scott Abrams in the big blind. The flop fell , and Abrams led for 375,000. The action folded to Assareh, who raised to 1 million, and won the pot.
On the third hand, three players saw a flop of , including Abrams, Jordan Batt, and Assareh. The action checked to Assareh, who fired 300,000, and Abrams called. The turn was the , and Abrams led for 450,000. Assareh released, and Abrams picked up the pot.
Amnon Filippi raised to 180,000 from the cutoff, and it folded to Cylus Watson who reraised to 415,000 from the small blind. When the action got back to Filippi, he thought a moment, then called the reraise.
The flop came and both players checked. The turn was the and this time Watson pushed out a bet of 390,000 which Filippi called. Both players then checked the river.
Filippi showed for nines and fives, but Watson had outdrawn him with that river card as he had .