After what has been a long and eventful Day 4 of the 2024 Main Event already, the players are on their 75-minute dinner respite where they can recharge and prepare for the final four hours of play. Play will resume at ~ 9:07 p.m.
A look back at what occurred in a wild Level 18:
Nacho Barbero was seen dragging in a sizable pot after having doubled up by winning a huge flip.
With his cards still face up at showdown, Barbero tabled 8♣8♠ on a board that read 8♥9♣A♦Q♦A♠ for a full house, eights full of aces.
When PokerNews asked Barbero what his opponent had, he advised that the hand he was up against was AxJx.
Shortly after the hand took place, Jared Jaffee was seen exiting the tournament area and heading to the payout desk.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,215,000
15,000
|
15,000 |
|
||
|
Busted | |
|
|
||
On a completed board of Q♠8♠8♣Q♦Q♣, Josh Reichard in the small blind checked and Jesse Lonis bet 190,000 on the button. Reichard then check-raised to 800,000 and Lonis gave it brief consideration before he called.
Reichard tabled the A♠K♣ briefly as he was playing the board and Lonis won the massive pot with the K♦K♠ for queens full of kings.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
2,725,000
585,000
|
585,000 |
|
||
|
1,100,000
-1,070,000
|
-1,070,000 |
On a completed board of J♦7♦4♠4♦5♠, Kevin Ordet in the big blind moved forward a bet of 500,000. That covered his sole remaining opponent Dimitrii Kamalov, who went deep into the tank.
Eventually, Kamalov called all-in and Ordet tabled the 8♥5♥ for a flopped gutshot that had only hit the five on the river. Yet, it was enough as Kamalov tried to slide his cards very carefully into the muck. The dealer looked at him almost apologizing as he turned over the A♥Q♦ according to the all-in showdown rule.
"That was a thin value bet," someone at the table joked while several players were in disbelief.
Another player busted shortly after and the table was then filled with Lucas Greenwood and Brian Rast. The latter called a raise to 25,000 by John Kim from under the gun with Ordet in the cutoff and Adam Rude in the big blind coming along as well.
The Q♦4♥3♥ flop was checked to Rast and he bet 40,000, Ordet and Rude called.
On the 6♠ turn, Rude checked again and Rast now bet 160,000 yet both opponents called once more. They then checked the 4♣ on the river and Rude showed J♥10♥ for a missed flush draw, Ordet had the 5♥5♦ and Rast won the pot with the K♠Q♠.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
2,260,000
860,000
|
860,000 |
|
1,275,000
515,000
|
515,000 |
|
||
|
540,000
395,000
|
395,000 |
|
380,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
|
||
|
330,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
Busted | |
A player in middle position was all in for around 350,000 as Marcelo Tadeu Aziz Junior put him at risk from the big blind.
All-In Player: A♣K♥ 
Marcelo Tadeu Aziz Junior: Q♥Q♣
The at-risk player took the lead on the A♠7♣8♣ flop with top pair, while the 2♥ turn left him one card away from a double up. The river, though, was the Q♠ and Aziz Junior spiked a two-outer for a set to win the pot and send his opponent to the rail.
"I can be all in and have you dead on the turn, and I still wouldn't celebrate until the river," tablemate Steven Warburton told Aziz Junior after the hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
2,550,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
400,000
-150,000
|
-150,000 |
On a flop of 3♣K♠9♣, there were around 80,000 chips in the middle when a player bet 30,000, Joseph Kozah made it 170,000, and Mihael Jeraj called, which got the initial better out of the way.
A 6♥ came on the turn and Kozah had already bet 13,000, which was all that Jeraj had remaining in his stack. After looking at the clock, Jeraj noticed that a pay jump was looming and went well into the tank.
"I know you're waiting for a pay jump but you're probably dead," said Kozah.
Eventually, the floor were called to initiate a countdown.
"I'm going to call with one second remaining," said Jeraj to the floor.
"Do I need to say something or is it ok?"
"I would probably say something," replied the floor.
As the clock got to one second, Jeraj made the call.
Mihael Jeraj: A♣5♣
Joseph Kozah: 9♠9♥
Jeraj wasn't quite dead but the 4♦ river didn't help him, which meant he was eliminated. The good news for Jeraj is that he did make the pay jump.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
800,000
659,000
|
659,000 |
|
Busted |
Action was caught on the flop of 7♦A♥10♦, in a hand between Brandon Cantu in middle position, the player in the cutoff and the player in the small blind.
With about 100,000 in the pot, the small blind checked, Cantu bet 24,000, and the cutoff called. The small blind then came over the top with a raise to 135,000 and Cantu made the call. The cutoff then moved all in, the small blind folded, and Cantu went into the tank.
Cantu counted out his chips, and with about 455,000 behind, Cantu's opponent had him covered. After some serious thought, Cantu almost put in the call and then went back into the tank, mentioning that he was considering making the biggest fold of his life.
After some more contemplating, Cantu eventually tossed in a handful of chips, signaling the call.
Brandon Cantu: A♠10♠
Opponent: A♦6♦
The turn landed the K♥ and the river brought the 8♥, with Cantu dodging diamonds to secure a huge double up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,415,000
840,000
|
840,000 |
|
|
||
After some previous raising action, Aaron Werner moved all in for 510,000 out of the small blind and was called by Ren Lin on the button.
Aaron Werner: Q♥Q♦
Ren Lin: J♥9♣
Werner was in wonderful shape to score a massive double. Unfortunately for him, the board ran out 7♣9♥A♠3♣9♦ to improve Lin to trips to hand him an unlikely knockout while leaving a sour taste in Werner's mouth. "I thought you had ace-king," Lin explained to Werner as his opponent made his way to the exits.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
2,625,000
275,000
|
275,000 |
|
||
|
Busted | |
Hector Berry and Jimmy Gorham were heads up in a massive pot of roughly 500,000 chips. The completed board read 3♥3♦10♣9♣2♦ and saw Gorham check from middle position to Berry in the cutoff.
Berry then shoved all in, covering the 290,000 chips of Gorham. Gorham spent some minutes in the tank before finally slamming in a tower of chips for a call.
Berry could only turn over K♠J♠ for king-high, and was looked up by the 7♥7♦ of Gorham, who had caught the bluff with third pair.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,080,000
500,000
|
500,000 |
|
790,000
-755,000
|
-755,000 |
|
||
Ariel Mantel raised on the button, the big blind moved all in for around 150,000, and Mantel called.
All-In Player: K♦Q♣
Ariel Mantel: 10♠10♣
The at-risk player took the lead on the 4♣K♠3♠ flop with a pair of kings, and the dealer started to push him the pot after running out the 8♠J♠ board. The table then pointed out that Mantel had made a flush on the river to win the pot, while the big blind was sent to the rail.
The next hand at this table, Hongru Zhang raised to 24,000 under the gun and Mantel called in the cutoff, as did a player in the big blind.
Zhang continued for 42,000 on the J♠2♣5♥ flop and Mantel called. The big blind then raised to 115,000 and only Zhang called.
The turn was the 7♥ and the big blind moved all in. Zhang spent several minutes in the tank before calling for his last 284,000, turning over A♠J♦ for top pair. His opponent had 6♥3♥ for straight and flush draws but missed the 10♦ river as Zhang doubled up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
900,000
125,000
|
125,000 |
|
850,000
393,000
|
393,000 |
