Level 23
Blinds: 12,000-24,000
Entries: 271
Players Remaining: 5
Average Stack: 813,000

Nic Vita

Lance Howard found a way to build himself back up after being quartered earlier at the final table but is in need of a double once again after getting quartered by Nic Vita.

With 280,000 in the middle, Vita checked the 9♣8♣7♠ flop and Howard moved all-in for 174,000. Nikolaos Panopoulos called in the cutoff and Vita then moved all-in over the top. Panopulos folded and Vita showed A♠J♠10♦2♣ for a straight with the nut low draw. Howard was drawing to the same low A♥K♦6♥2♥ and was dead to the high. The 4♠ gave them the same low and Vita took 3/4 of the pot.

He is playing 900,000 and Howard is down to 165,000. The blinds are soon to go up and Howard along with Bradley Ruben are under 400,000.

Level 23
Blinds: 12,000-24,000
Entries: 271
Players Remaining: 5
Average Stack: 813,000

Tim Vukson

Shawn Nguyen continues to be the primary driver of action at the Event 74 final table and his lack of fear toward swinging for the fences has allowed him to regain his lost chips by eliminating Tim Vukson.

Vukson opened to 50,000 on the button and Nguyen called in the big blind. Nguyen checked the A♦Q♦4♠ flop and Vukson bet 60,000. Nguyen raised the pot and Vukson shoved all-in for about 500,000 total. Nguyen’s Q♥3♦2♣2♥ was drawing to a gutshot wheel along with a third queen against Vukson’s A♥6♣5♦2♦.

The 10♥ turn kept Vukson ahead but the Q♠ river gave Nguyen his third queen to scoop the pot. Vukson looked at the board in disbelief and then walked over to the payout desk. Nguyen is once again the chip leader with 1,700,000, giving him almost half of the chips in play.

Level 23
Blinds: 12,000-24,000
Entries: 271
Players Remaining: 6
Average Stack: 678,000

Sean Remz

Shawn Nguyen is over 1,100,000 in chips but Nikolaos Panopoulos has moved past him for the chip lead. Panopulous took out Sean Remz in a three-way pot and is playing a little bit more than Nguyen.

Remz, Nguyen and Panopoulos invested 84,000 each preflop and Nguyen checked from the small blind on a flop of K♣9♠8♣. Remz shoved in early position for 113,000 and both of his opponents called. The 6♥ turn and 10♣ river went check-check on both streets.

Remz opened up A♠K♠3♣3♥ but Panopoulos’s A♥K♦10♥Q♠ had caught the river for two pair. Nguyen’s A♦8♦5♠2♦ went into the muck and Panopoulos took in the pot.

He is playing 1,175,000 with Nguyen’s 1,100,000 right behind him. Additionally, Lance Howard doubled up through Tim Vukson to pull himself out of immediate danger. He is playing 280,000 and Vukson is above the chip average with 690,000.

Level 22
Blinds: 10,000-20,000
Entries: 271
Players Remaining: 7
Average Stack: 581,000

Shawn Nguyen hasn’t been afraid to utilize his chip-leading stack and that has led to a few swings for him in the last level. Nguyen doubled up Nic Vita and Bradley Ruben but also eliminated Paul Holder while quartering Lance Howard down to under 10 big blinds.

Nguyen opened to 50,000 in early position with A♥9♠J♥2♦ and Howard shoved on the button for 175,000 holding A♦J♦10♠2♣. Holder called all-in from the big blind for about 150,000 with A♠J♣7♦3♠ and Nguyen called to put them both at risk.

The 8♥7♣6♥ flop gave Howard and Nguyen the same low and Nguyen was live to get the high with his flush draw. Nguyen asked for a heart but missed on the Q♦ turn. The Q♥ river was perfect for him and he officially eliminated Holder. Howard is left with less than 100,000 after getting a small rebate.

With the blinds set to go up, updated counts for the final table are below.

1. Nikolaos Panopoulos – 565,000
2. Shawn Nguyen – 1,350,000
3. Nic Vita – 430,000
4. Bradley Ruben – 340,000
5. Sean Remz – 240,000
6. Lance Howard – 165,000
7. Tim Vukson – 895,000

Event 74: $1,100 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-or-Better $200,000 Guarantee 

Level 22
Blinds: 10,000-20,000
Entries: 271
Players Remaining: 8

Colin Gelker

The slow play in relative nature to eliminations is officially over with Colin Gelker and Ashly Butler on the rail in consecutive hands. Tim Vukson and Shawn Nguyen busted the respective players and have increased their edge on the field by that much more.

Gelker limped in from the small blind and Vukson raised to 80,000. Gelker called and moved all-in for 140,000 on the Q♣8♥3♥ flop. Vukson called with A♣A♦J♥6♥ and was up against the flopped set of Q♥Q♦K♦10♥ of Gelker. Vukson had only one immediate out with the A♥ being dead and he hit it on the A♠ turn. Still live to hit a straight, Gelker missed on the 2♠ river. He will take home $4,488.

Ashly Butler

Butler limped in from early position and Nguyen raised to 100,000. Butler called and the flop came out Q♥J♣8♠. Butler got his last 270,000 chips in with A♣J♥5♣2♥ and needed to hit against the A♠A♦10♠2♠ of Nguyen. The 5♦ turn put Butler ahead but the Q♦ river gave Nguyen a better two pair to take the pot. Butler earns $5,551.

Nguyen is currently playing 1,560,000 with Vukson up to 850,000.

Event 74: $1,100 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-or-Better $200,000 Guarantee 

Level 22
Blinds: 10,000-20,000
Entries: 271
Players Remaining: 10

The blinds have been increased for the second time at the Event 74 final table and there has still yet to be an elimination. The latest player to be at risk was Nikolaos Panopoulos but he was able to double through Sean Remz after flopping the nuts.

On a flop of A♥K♦J♦, Panopulos got his 227,000 chips in with A♦Q♣10♠2♣ against the J♥J♠4♣2♠ of Remz. The board did not pair and Panopulos earned the double. A look at the updated final table chip counts is below with Shawn Nguyen still out in front.

1. “Jack Smith” – 175,000
2. Nikolaos Panopoulos – 460,000
3. Ashly Butler – 330,000
4. Shawn Nguyen – 1,150,000
5. Nic Vita – 300,000
6. Bradley Ruben – 290,000
7. Sean Remz – 230,000
8. Lance Howard – 240,000
9. Colin Gelker – 190,000
10. Tim Vukson – 760,000

Event 74: $1,100 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-or-Better $200,000 Guarantee 

Level 21
Blinds: 8,000-16,000
Entries: 271
Players Remaining: 10

Tim Vukson

The original 10 that started the Event 74 final table are still intact but there has been a slight power shift. Tim Vukson is now second in chips and only a short distance away from Shawn Nguyen after doubling up through the chip leader.

In a four-way limped pot, Lance Howard and Colin Gelker checked the 8♥7♦4♠ flop and Vukson checked under the gun. Nguyen bet 35,000 from middle position and the blinds folded. Vukson raised to 100,000 and Nguyen came along.

Vukson moved all-in for 262,000 on the 4♥ turn and Nguyen mulled it over before calling with A♥9♦7♣3♣. Vukson’s A♣6♥4♣2♦ held the lead and he scooped the pot after the 5♠ river.

Nguyen takes a hit to 940,000 and Vukson is second in chips with 700,000.

Event 74: $1,100 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-or-Better $200,000 Guarantee 

Level 20
Blinds: 6,000-12,000
Entries: 271
Players Remaining: 10

Shawn Nguyen’s large stack looms over the rest of the Event 74 final table and he has used that stack to control the action thus far. No players have pushed back at Nguyen and he has pushed up his stack up to 1,300,000 while most of his opponents have stayed in neutral. One player who has made some moves up the leaderboard is Sean Remz, who managed to get a nice scoop through Lance Howard.

Remz opened the cutoff to 25,000 and Howard called on the button. The flop came out J♠9♠7♥ and Remz checked. Howard bet 22,000 and Remz called. They both checked the 2♠ turn and Remz bet 112,000 on the A♠ river.

Howard called and Remz showed 7♠5♠4♣3♦ which was enough to get the full pot against Howard’s A♦10♦8♦2♦.

With the blinds ready to go up, Remz is playing 550,000 and Howard is down to 180,000.

Event 74: $1,100 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-or-Better $200,000 Guarantee 

Level 20
Blinds: 6,000-12,000
Entries: 271
Players Remaining: 10

1. “Jack Smith” – 180,000
2. Nikolaos Panopoulos – 380,000
3. Ashly Butler – 230,000
4. Shawn Nguyen – 1,120,000
5. Nic Vita – 300,000
6. Bradley Ruben – 220,000
7. Sean Remz – 415,000
8. Lance Howard – 245,000
9. Colin Gelker – 355,000
10. Tim Vukson – 420,000

Event: $600 No-Limit Hold’em SuperStack
Guarantee: $300,000
Entries: 979
Prize Pool: $502,227
Places Paid: 99
1st Place: $95,000+

*Day 2 begins at 11 a.m. July 3 

Payouts