The cards were already on their backs soon after the final five tables were reached with Josh Arieh at risk holding the Q♠J♠10♦7♦. He was up against the A♥A♣7♣2♦ of Kane Kalas and the 10♣4♠2♥ flop gave Arieh a pair.
With the K♦ turn, he picked up some more straight outs but the 3♠ river ended his tournament, as he quickly gathered the belongings and headed out of the tournament area.
Jeremy Ausmus: XxXx/7♣A♠4♣Q♦/Xx
Michael Moncek: XxXx/A♣9♥8♦6♠/Xx
Johannes Becker: XxXx/2♦5♦5♣3♦/Xx
Michael Moncek completed and was called by Johannes Becker and Jeremy Ausmus.
Moncek bet on fourth street and Becker called. Ausmus then raised, Moncek reraised, and both opponents called.
Ausmus bet on fifth and Moncek and Becker called. Action then checked to Becker on sixth and he bet as Ausmus and Moncek both came along to seventh.
Ausmus then opened the betting again and both opponents called. Ausmus showed A♦Q♠3♣ for aces and queens, and that was enough to scoop the entire pot as both Moncek and Becker mucked.
Three-handed on a flop of Q♠8♦4♠, James Obst bet 45,000 from the big blind and John Monnette called under the gun, while Dustin Dirksen folded on the button.
The turn was the 10♣ and Obst bet 230,000, enough to put Monnette all in. Monnette quickly folded and Obst added to his massive stack.
Josh Arieh: XxXx / 10♣8♠7♥A♦ / Xx
Viktor Blom: J♥5♥5♠ / J♦J♠8♦9♦
Josh Arieh completed and Viktor Blom called with a jack. Blom then paired his open jack and bet for Arieh to call. The same action repeated on fifth and sixth street before Blom also bet seventh. Arieh raised only for Blom to make it three bets.
"I should have just called," Arieh sighed ... then added "maybe you just have nines full" before he tossed in calling chips. Blom had jacks full of fives and won the pot as Arieh flashed his cards for what appeared to be tens in the hole.
Jason Mercier: XxXx / 6♣J♦10♠8♦ / Xx
Michael Rocco: XxXx / 7♥A♣J♥folded on fifth street
Josh Arieh: 5♠6♠7♠ / Q♠A♥7♣Q♦
Viktor Blom: XxXx / 4♣2♥folded on fourth street
Three players then limped in for the bring in and Jason Mercier bet fourth street when checked to. Michael Rocco called and so did Arieh. The latter then bet fifth street with a single 1,000 chip behind. Mercier called and Rocco folded as Mercier joked he "might make a better open board" than Arieh.
However, Arieh paired his queen on sixth and Mercier grinned. Both remaining streets were checked behind by Mercier and Arieh won the pot with his two pair. They talked about the hand and Arieh joked "I cost myself one thousand chips" as the final chip had not gone into the middle.
"I did this keeping one chip behind thing," Arieh added and John David Rogers replied "I didn't know that was a thing in stud games".
With late registration closed, tournament officials have announced the prize pool for this event.
There were a total of 89 entries, generating a prize pool of $4,249,750. The top 14 players will finish in the money, with the champion earning $1,178,703.
