Event 67: $3,500 No-Limit Hold’em $3,000,000 Guarantee 

Level 27
Blinds: 20,000/40,000/5,000
Total Entrants: 1,032
Players Remaining: 13
Average Stack: 1,590,000

Once the chip leader just a short while ago, Elizabeth Provan is now the shortest stack left in Event 67. In almost consecutive hands, Muhammad Rahim and Miguel Riera doubled through Provan to boost their tournament hopes while lessening hers.

First, Rahim opened under the gun and Provan shoved from the big blind. Rahim called off with K♣Q♦ and trailed the A♣10♠ of Provan. The 10♣7♣2♣ flop increased Provan’s lead and she let out a “yes!” when the A♠ came on the turn. Drawing to only a jack, Rahim hit it on the J♥ river to double up.

Provan then opened the button to 100,000 with A♦J♠ and Riera shoved for 740,000 in the big blind with 8♦8♥. The board was all good for Riera and he celebrated with his Spanish rail. Provan is down to 300,000 and in need of a double up of her own.

Event 67: $3,500 No-Limit Hold’em $3,000,000 Guarantee 

Level 26
Blinds: 15,000/30,000/5,000
Total Entrants: 1,032
Players Remaining: 13
Average Stack: 1,590,000

Boris Kolev (L) put Brett Apter (R) to the test and ended up picking up a 2,000,000 chip pot without a showdown. 

The barrage of all-ins from earlier in Level 26 has subsided. The chip average of nearly 60 big blinds and huge money implications are certainly playing a role in the action slowing down but over on Table 17, Boris Kolev and Brett Apter playing a 2,000,000 chip pot with Kolev getting the better of Apter.

Jonathan Karamalikis opened under the gun and Omar Zazay called on the button. Apter called in the small blind and Kolev came in from the big. Apter led for 150,000 on the J♠10♠9♥ flop and only Kolev came along.

Apter checked the 5♠ turn and Kolev bet 445,000. Apter thought for two minutes and then called to the Q♥ river. Apter checked again and Kolev went all-in for 925,000. Apter had 1,060,000 and to call would be for most of his stack. After thinking it over for three minutes, Apter folded and Kolev scooped the pot.

Kolev is playing 2,150,000 and chipping up at the right time. Apter is going to be down to 25 big blinds with the level soon to go up and has plenty to think about after making such a huge fold.

Event 67: $3,500 No-Limit Hold’em $3,000,000 Guarantee 

Level 26
Blinds: 15,000/30,000/5,000
Total Entrants: 1,032
Players Remaining: 13
Average Stack: 1,590,000

Jamie Rosen was almost out but is now near the top of the leaderboard with 13 players remaining. 

Jamie Rosen had one foot out the door once the final two tables were reached but is now over 2,400,000 thanks to his elimination of Dong Je.

Rosen opened to 70,000 in the hijack and Je three-bet to 210,000 in the cutoff. Rosen moved all-in and Je called with A♠J♠. Rosen was ahead with A♣K♥. The K♣9♣5♣ flop left Je drawing as thin as could be and a club on the turn locked up the pot.

On the other table, Zazay was all-in for 295,000 over the top of an open to 70,000 from Bob Bounahra. Bounahra called with A♣5♣, trailing the A♠Q♣ of Zazay. The board was clean for Zazay and he escaps temporary danger. Bounahra takes a hit down to 1,950,000.

Zazay (650,000) and Ubaid Habib (500,000) are the two current short stacks.

Event 67: $3,500 No-Limit Hold’em $3,000,000 Guarantee 

Level 26
Blinds: 15,000/30,000/5,000
Total Entrants: 1,032
Players Remaining: 14
Average Stack: 1,475,000

Taylor Paur

The disparity in stack sizes across the final two tables is making itself known early in Level 26 with Thiago Macedo and Taylor Paur now on the rail with the rich getting richer as a result.

Javier Zarco shoved the button with Q♦J♦ and Paur called off in the small blind with A♠10♣. Omar Zazay folded his big blind and held on to his last 300,000. The Q♥J♥4♣ flop gave Zarco two pair and a lead he would not relinquish. Paur is out and earns $32,364. Zarco has a narrow edge as the current chip leader with 2,500,000.

Thiago Macedo

Right after Paur busted, Macedo was sent to the exits, albeit with a pay jump. Georgios Karakousis opened in early position and Macedo defended his big blind. The flop came out 10♥6♦2♦ and Macedo shoved for close to 400,000. Karakousis called and had A♠10♠ against Macedo’s 7♥6♣. The last two streets were bricks and Macedo earns a little bit extra ($39,629) for finishing 14th. Karakousis is playing 2,325,000.

Event 67: $3,500 No-Limit Hold’em $3,000,000 Guarantee 

Level 26
Blinds: 15,000/30,000/5,000
Total Entrants: 1,032
Players Remaining: 16
Average Stack: 1,290,000

The short stack with the blinds up, Konstantin Puchkov had little choice over what hands he could get his chips in the middle with and ended up out with Tanveer Dhanjal taking him out.

Puchkov got his last 200,000 in with A♠6♥ against the Q♦10♦ of Dhanjal. The K♦7♥K♣3♣10♥ board gave Dhanjal a rivered pair to take the pot.

Dhanjal chips up to 1,625,000 with the knockout. Bob Bounahra has been moved to balance tables and his 2,150,000 chip are now seated between Dhanjal and Javier Zarco.

Event 67: $3,500 No-Limit Hold’em $3,000,000 Guarantee 

Level 25
Blinds: 12,000/24,000/4,000
Total Entrants: 1,032
Players Remaining: 17
Average Stack: 1,214,000

Ryan Hall

The first casualty of the final two tables is Ryan Hall, who peaked at 1,100,000 earlier on Day 3 but slowly declined from there.

Hall shoved for 540,000 in late position and Javier Zarco moved all-in right behind him. The rest of the table folded and Hall saw the bad news when his K♦Q♦ was matched up against Zarco’s A♠K♥. An ace hit the flop and Zarco is back to 1,675,000.

Event 67: $3,500 No-Limit Hold’em $3,000,000 Guarantee 

Level 25
Blinds: 12,000/24,000/4,000
Total Entrants: 1,032
Players Remaining: 18
Average Stack: 1,147,000

The final tables are set and play is ready to go down to the final table of 10. Bob Bounahra is the chip leader with 2,120,000 and he has Georgios Karakousis (2,050,000) on his direct left, making for an interesting dynamic with so much at stake.

Since the field reached 18, Jamie Rosen doubled when his A♦10♠ got there on there on the A♠ turn against Thiago Macedo’s K♣K♠. Rosen was all-in for 545,000 and is now over a million.

Additionally, Jonathan Karamalikis doubled with 9♠8♠ on a K♠10♦7♠J♥ board against Konstantin Puchkov’s K♦J♦. All the money went in on the turn and Karamalikis is up to 1,460,000 with Puchkov under 10 big blinds. A look at the updated counts and draw for the final 18 is below.

1. Taylor Paur – 590,000
2. Omar Zazay – 720,000
3. Brett Apter – 1,505,000
4. Boris Kolev – 1,720,000
5. Jonathan Karamalikis – 1,460,000
6. Tanveer Dhanjal – 1,845,000
7. Ryan Hall – 655,000
8. Javier Zarco – 835,000
9. Konstantin Puchkov – 220,000

1. Elizabeth Provan – 1,855,000
2. Muhammad Rahim – 950,000
3. Miguel Riera – 925,000
4. Jamie Rosen – 1,250,000
5. Thiago Macedo – 560,000
6. Dong Le – 990,000
7. Ubaid Habib – 670,000
8. Georgios Karakousis – 2,050,000
9. Bob Bounahra – 2,120,000

Event 67: $3,500 No-Limit Hold’em $3,000,000 Guarantee 

Level 25
Blinds: 12,000/24,000/4,000
Total Entrants: 1,032
Players Remaining: 18
Average Stack: 1,147,000

The final two tables are here in Event 67 with two bustouts on Table 17 leading the charge to the current stage of the tournament.

Boris Kolev was right in the middle of both and ended up a net postive as a result. Danny Fuhs shoved in early position for 332,000 with 7♦7♥ and Konstantin Puchkov called for all-in for about 300,000 with 9♦9♥. Kolev called with A♥Q♣ to put them both at risk. The board ran clean and Puchkov tripled up while Fuhs was left with little after taking the side pot. He was eliminated the next hand.

A few hands later, Kolev opened to 52,000 in the cutoff and Jonathan Karamalikis called on the button. Robert Spano shoved in the big blind for 560,000 with A♣J♠ and Kolev looked him up with J♣J♦. A jack hit the flop and Kolev had the hand locked up by the turn. He is playing 1,560,000.

Fabrice Soulier bubbled the final two tables with Georgios Karakousis sending him out. On a flop of 7♥3♥3♦, Soulier checked and Karakousis bet 50,000. Soulier shoved for 410,000 and Karakousis called with A♥7♦. Soulier’s J♠J♥ was ahead but a seven on the turn left him reeling. No jack came on the river and Karakousis is over 2,000,000. The two table reset will be posted shortly.

Event 67: $3,500 No-Limit Hold’em $3,000,000 Guarantee 

Level 24
Blinds: 10,000/20,000/3,000
Total Entrants: 1,032
Players Remaining: 23
Average Stack: 825,000

The all-ins are increasing dramatically as the field narrows down and it’s leading to some major decisions having to be made. Boris Kolev was put to the ultimate test by Jonathan Karamalikis but passed with flying colors and doubled up as a result.

Kolev opened in middle position and Karamalikis called on his direct left. Kolev continued on the 8♥7♥6♦ flop for 63,000 and Karamalikis shoved. Kolev thought for two minutes over his last 290,000 and decided to call with A♥K♦. His decision was correct as Karamalikis turned over A♥Q♦. The rest of the board ran dry and Kolev doubled up. Karamalikis falls to 885,000.

All-ins took place on the two other tables as Fabrice Soulier ran down Javier Zarco while Jason Les lost a flip for his tournament.

Zarco opened to 45,000 in the hijack and Soulier shoved for 265,000 in the big blind. Zarco called with J♥10♥ and was against Soulier’s K♥9♥. The J♦10♦5♠ flop gave Zarco a big lead but the 9♠ turn gave Soulier some added life. The K♣ river was enough to double up and Soulier is back to 30 big blinds. Zarco takes a slight hit to 1,750,000.

Les was all-in for 430,000 with A♦Q♦ with Dong Le barely having him covered with J♣J♠. The board was dry for Les and the high stakes pro is out.