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: 25
Average Stack: 825,000

Brett Apter is climbing up the leaderboard and at his peak for Event 67. 

Through two different methods of extraction, Brett Apter and Bob Bounahra are both over 1,300,000. Apter has been quietly accumulating all day while Bounahra hit gin by knocking out Stephen Deustch in poker’s biggest cooler.

Apter opened to 51,000 in the cutoff and got calls from Omar Zazay and Konstantin Puchkov in the blinds. The blinds checked the Q♠6♣5♥ flop as did Apter. Zazay bet 62,000 on the 3♣ turn and only Apter called. Zazay checked the A♠ river and Apter bet 110,000. Zazay let it go to fall to 840,000 while Apter (1,350,000) is top-five in chips now.

On the other table, Jamie Rosen opened under the gun to 48,000 and Ubaid Habib called in the hijack. Deustch three-bet to 150,000 in the cutoff and Bounahra tanked for two minutes before moving all-in, having all players covered. Action folded back to Deustch, who called for 490,000 with K♦K♥ and was crushed by Bounahra’s A♦A♥. The board ran clean and Bounahra is third in chips with 1,750,000.

Tanveer Dhanjal (1,960,000) and Javier Zarco (1,850,000) are the only players currently in front of Bounahra.

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

Level 23
Blinds: 8,000/16,000/2,000
Total Entrants: 1,032
Players Remaining: 27
Average Stack: 764,000

The end of Level 27 coincided with a herd of all-ins. The field is down the three tables and there won’t be a redraw until the final table is reached. A few players put their tournament lives on the line in the last few minutes with some rewarded and others off to the cage.

Miguel Riera got the better of David Peters, sending Peters to the exits. Peters opened to the button and Riera shoved the big blind. Peters called for about 340,000 total with A♣K♠ and was up against the 3♦3♠ of Riera. A three hit the flop and that was it for Peters.

On an adjacent table, Ryan Hall maximized the value of his aces to double through Joseph Alban. Hall opened under the gun and was called by Georgios Karakousis and Brett Apter. Alban three-bet to 141,000 in the big blind and Hall shoved for 455,000 total. Alban called with A♣K♣ and was crushed by the A♦A♥ of Hall. The board ran pure and Hall is near 1,000,000 with Alban cut down to 400,000.

Below is a look at the top stacks left in the field on the first break of the day.

Javier Zarco – 1,910,000
Tanveer Dhanjal – 1,770,000
Muhammad Rahim – 1,200,000
Bob Bounahra – 1,120,000
Jonathan Karamalikis – 1,050,000
Elizabeth Provan – 1,035,000
Georgios Karakousis – 1,025,000
Ryan Hall – 1,020,000
Brett Apter – 1,000,000
Miguel Riera – 1,000,000
Omar Zazay – 980,000

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

Level 23
Blinds: 8,000/16,000/2,000
Total Entrants: 1,032
Players Remaining: 29
Average Stack: 712,000

Tanveer Dhanjal is second in chips after flopping the world and getting there against Kalyan Chivukula.

Table 18 was the action table last level but that has since shifted to Table 17, where Tanveer Dhanjal just eliminated Kalyan Chivukula in dramatic fashion.

Dhanjal opened to 35,000 in middle position and Chivukula three-bet to 135,000 in the cutoff. Dhanjal called and then checked the 4♣3♥2♣ flop with Chivukula shoving for about 325,000. Dhanjal looked him up with 7♣5♣ and was drawing very live against Chivukula’s A♠J♦. The Q♣ turn locked up the pot and Dhanjal started raking in the chips.

He is right behind Javier Zarco (1,575,000) for the chip lead while Chivukula is on the outside looking in.

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

Level 23
Blinds: 8,000/16,000/2,000
Total Entrants: 1,032
Players Remaining: 30
Average Stack: 688,000

Almost out of Event 67 earlier in the level, Jonathan Karamalikis is picking up steam and nearing 1,000,000. 

Following his major loss to Kalyan Chivukula, Jonathan Karamalikis was almost DOA but after effectively eliminating two opponents, is at his peak for this event with 850,000.

Karamalikis took down Jeffrey Wang and then took most of Akin Tuna’s chips and is once again over the chip average.

Karamalikis held A♣Q♥ against Wang’s 10♠10♥ with Wang at risk for 250,000 (and most of Karamalikis’s chips on the line as well) and hit two aces on the flop to bust Wang.

A few hands later, Tuna opened to 40,000 in the cutoff and Karamalikis three-bet to 87,000 on the button. Tuna called and the flop came out Q♣9♦3♣. Both checked and the turn came the 3♠. Tuna check-called for 53,000 and did the same for 77,000 on the 7♥ river. Karamalikis showed J♣J♦ and took in the pot, leaving Tuna with 80,000. He was eliminated a few hands later by Danny Fuhs.

One of the top players left in the field, Karamalikis is peaking at the right time with 30 left.

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

Level 23
Blinds: 8,000/16,000/2,000
Total Entrants: 1,032
Players Remaining: 32
Average Stack: 645,000

Kalyan Chivukula out-kicked Jonathan Karamalikis and doubled through him as a result. 

One of the players lurking below the radar at the start of Day 3, Kalyan Chivukula is now playing close to 1,000,000 after taking down a double against Jonathan Karamalikis in a pot that started with limps.

Tanveer Dhanjal limped under the gun and Chivukula followed suit from early position. Uri Reichenstein deposited from the hijack and Karamalikis checked his option.

Dhanjal bet 29,000 on the 9♣9♠4♦ flop and Chivukula raised to 65,000. Reichenstein dumped his hand and Karamalikis called with Dhanjal folding behind. Karamalikis bet 55,000 on the 2♥ turn and snap-called the 256,000 all-in from Chivukula. Karamalikis had a nine 9♦3♠, but Chivukula’s Q♥9♥ was better. The river bricked and Chivukula took in the pot.

Down to 100,000, Karamalikis doubled through Chivukula the next hand, but Chivukula is still among the top wave of players with 775,000.

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

Level 22
Blinds: 6,000/12,000/2,000
Total Entrants: 1,032
Players Remaining: 32
Average Stack: 645,000

Through most of Level 22, the action has been fairly quiet on most tables with the exception of Table 18. The powerhouse table featuring chip leaders Bob Bounahra, Muhammad Rahim along with top players David Peters and Taylor Paur, has been rife with pots so far. That table will not break until the field is down to 18 players and with the average stack still above 50 big blinds, that might not be for a while. Recently, Bounahra and Rahim tangled while Peters got the better of three opponents preflop, as well as a Paur double.

Rahim opened to 27,000 under the gun and Ubaid Habib called on the button. Bounahra followed suit from the small blind before Peters pumped it up to 144,000 in the big blind. Rahim and Habib quickly folded and Bounahra took a moment before dumping his hand, allowing Peters to pick up the pot. He is currently playing 600,000.

A few hands later, Bounahra opened the cutoff to 27,000 and Peters called on the button. Rahim bumped it to 129,000 from the small blind and Bounahra called. Peters folded and the flop came out Q♠9♥4♦. The two players checked and the K♥ hit the turn. Rahim checked and Bounahra bet 150,000. Rahim shot Bounahra a look and eventually mucked his hand.

Paur managed to hold with 10♦10♠ for his last 205,000 against Jamie Rosen’s A♥K♠, leaving the latter with 225,000. As play progresses some major pots should be in store for this table.

A look at updated counts is below.

Javier Zarco – 1,425,000
Muhammad Rahim – 1,275,000
Omar Zazay – 1,100,000
Elizabeth Provan – 1,050,000
Ubaid Habib – 1,000,000
Stephen Deustch – 945,000
Bob Bounahra – 905,000