Around 150,000 was already in the middle as Adrian State and Yisha Chen went to the turn on a board of A♠7♥Q♥8♣7♣. State then moved all in for 160,000 from the small blind and Chen snap-called in early position.
State showed A♥K♣ for top pair, but Chen turned over A♦Q♠ for two pair. The river was the 7♣ and Chen took the massive pot to send State to the rail.
Leonidas Kostagiolas opened from middle position to 12,000 and both Ivan Banic & Biao Ding called from the blinds.
On the flop of K♣J♦K♠, the action checked to Kostagiolas, who fired 10,000. Both Banic and Ding called.
The 9♦ turn was checked around to the 5♠ river where Banic checked, and Ding fired 47,000. Kostagiolas thought for a while before he folded, and Banic's cards also found themselves in the muck.
Christopher Nguyen raised to 12,000 in early position and David Cabrera three-bet to 37,000 on the button. Nguyen called and the flop came J♣10♦7♦.
Both players checked to the 5♣ turn, where Nguyen led out for 25,000. Cabrera called and the 7♥ fell on the river.
Nguyen slowed down and checked, and Cabrera bet 67,000. Nguyen used a few time banks until calling as Cabrera showed A♣10♣ for two pair to win the pot.
"You had eights or nines, right? I could not resist. If you shove I probably have to call," Cabrera told Nguyen as he took the pot.
"Now we're even. We're playing best-of-five," Cabrera added.
One of the most entertaining shows in poker is stepping it up a notch as PokerStars announced that the next season of Big Game on Tour will feature four-time Super Bowl champion and NFL star Rob "Gronk" Gronkowski.
Gronkowski, who spent 11 seasons as a tight end in the NFL and is now a sports analyst, will compete on the upcoming The Big Game on Tour season alongside the pros, Loose Cannons and sports media personality Nick Wright, whose appearance was also confirmed on Thursday.
“I’m always up for a challenge, and diving into the world of poker is going to be an amazing new adventure for me," Gronkowski said in a press release. “I’m beyond excited to play alongside some of the best in the game and tackle the high-stakes action. Just like on the football field, I’ll be bringing my competitive edge and giving it everything I’ve got at the tables.”
Alexane Najchaus was all-in for 112,000 and at risk versus Adrian State.
Alexane Najchaus: Q♦Q♠ 
Adrian State: 10♠10♣
Najchaus was in great shape with the overpair of queens, and there was no sweat for her on the J♣5♦3♠J♠8♦ runout.
With around 260,000 already in the pot and the flop reading 5♠5♥10♠, Vytautas Semaska, first to act in early position, checked. Kirill Shcherbakov followed up with a 55,000 bet, which Semaska called.
Both players checked the 8♠ turn.
On the 4♥ river, Semaska took the lead with a 35,000 bet, which Shcherbakov snap-called. At showdown, Shcherbakov revealed QxQx, but Semaska's A♠A♦ gave him the better two pair, earning him the sizable pot.
Ivan Kuziv raised to 100,000 in the cutoff, leaving himself 35,000 behind, and Boris Tabiyev moved all in from the small blind. Kuziv stared at the tournament clock as he burned through a few time banks and eventually committed the rest of his chips.
Ivan Kuziv: 8♠8♦
Boris Tabiyev: A♠K♥
Kuziv's two eights remained in the lead as the board came J♥5♥2♣5♠, but Tabiyev hit the A♥ on the river to make two pair as he let out a big fist bump while Kuziv was forced to head for the exit.
Guy Taylor opened to 12,000 from under the gun and Samuel Dray three-bet from the cutoff to 35,000. Once the action got back to Taylor, he made a four-bet to 85,000. Dray then used a few time-bank cards before he piled in his stack of 327,000, and Taylor snap-called
Samuel Dray: K♠K♥
Guy Taylor: A♠A♦
A dream spot for Taylor, but a disastrous one for Dray as his Cowboys were about to send him to the showers. However, there were still five cards to come.
The flop of 3♥4♣2♠ made Taylor an even bigger favorite as he picked up a gutshot straight draw to go along with his overpair. Dray was reduced to just two outs when the 9♦ hit the turn and hope was nearly gone. He even stood up, bracing himself for the walk to the rail. But poker is a game of drama—and just when the chips were ready to slide to Taylor, the dealer revealed the K♣ on the river, earning Dray the pot and snatching victory from the brink of elimination.
Lucien Cohen opened the action with a raise to 13,000 from the hijack, and Adi Rajkovic, in the big blind, was the only one to call.
Both players checked the 7♣2♣Q♣ flop.
On the Q♦ turn, Cohen fired a 15,000 bet, and Rajkovic check-called.
Rajkovic checked again when the 5♥ landed on the river, only to face a 30,000 bet from Cohen. Rajkovic quickly called, and they went to showdown. Cohen revealed K♠J♦ for king-high, but Rajkovic showed A♦7♥ for a pair of sevens, scooping the pot.
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