Kokoulin Backdoors a Flush To Escape Elimination

Claudio Di Giacomo raised from under the gun to 225,000 and Tomasz Kozub called from the small blind with A♣J♣6♦4♦. Volodymyr Kokoulin also called out of the big blind.

On the flop of 7♣9♠K♥, it checked to Di Giacomo, who fired 280,000. Kozub quickly got out of the way then Kokoulin made it 1,575,000. Di Giacomo shoved, and Kokoulin called off his stack of 3,085,000.

Volodymyr Kokoulin: K♦Q♠9♥7♥ All in
Claudio Di Giacomo: K♠K♣Q♥8♣

It was a dream situation for Di Giacomo who was a huge favorite to take over as the chip leader, and would do so if he faded some of the backdoor draws of Kokoulin.

However, poker is never easy and the 3♥ dropped on the turn, which gave Kokoulin a flush draw. That flush draw was completed when the 6♥ rolled off on the river, much to the disbelief of Di Giacomo.

From the brink of elimination, Kokoulin now surges into the chip lead with almost 7,000,000, and Di Giacomo becomes the short stack with less than ten big blinds.