Robert Cowen potted against Ben Lamb in the last hand on their table to boost his stack just before the redraw. The new seat assignments and updated chip counts can be found below. Around 16 minutes remain at blinds of 40,000-80,000 with a big blind ante of 80,000.
Moments after losing a showdown pot against Jason Mercier with two pair versus straight, Jared Bleznick raised the pot to 240,000 out of the small blind. Joni Jouhkimainen as the table short stack mulled it over, glanced at the other table and tournament info, then called.
On the flop, Bleznick bet the pot and Jouhkimainen called all-in.
Joni Jouhkimainen:
Jared Bleznick:
Bleznick was marginally ahead against a wrap and flush draw as he also blocked some of Jouhkimainen's outs. The lead didn't change on the turn and river to eliminate the Finn in 10th place.
All nine remaining players will now redraw to the unofficial final table.
Michael Heritsch raised to 280,000 from under the gun and Robert Cowen called from the small blind. The flop came and Cowen led out with a bet. Heritsch jammed all in for around 800,000 which Cowen quickly called.
Michael Heritsch:
Robert Cowen:
The on the turn gave Cowen a straight but Heritsch was still live to a flush. It was the on the river that gave Cowen the win and Heritsch was eliminated in 11th place.
Jared Bleznick limped in from the hijack and Joni Jouhkimainen raised the pot to 360,000 in the cutoff. Aaron Katz flat-called on the button and Bleznick then limp-shoved. They quickly determined the pot size and Bleznick was indeed all-in for 1,600,000 which forced out Jouhkimainen.
Katz mulled it over for just half a minute and made the call with the superior stack.
jared Bleznick:
Aaron Katz:
Katz nodded, knowing he'd run into pocket aces as the Katz was already out of the bag considering how the action had unfolded. The flop brought no significant extra equity for Katz and the same applied for the turn and river.
"Did you have the winner?" Jouhkimainen was asked and he nodded.
Joni Jouhkimainen limped in from the small blind and Aaron Katz raised the pot to 180,000 in the big blind. Jouhkimainen re-potted to 540,000 and Katz just called.
The flop fell and Jouhkimainen started with a check. Katz eyed up his opponent's stack and announced a pot-sized bet of 1,140,000. It was for nearly all of Jouhkimainen's chips but he elected to lay his hand down.
Robert Cowen was the initial preflop raiser for 130,000 and he picked up two callers in Aaron Mermelstein in the small blind and Veselin Karakitukov out of the big blind.
The trio checked the flop and Karakitukov led the turn for 175,000. Cowen raised it up to 435,000 and that forced out Mermelstein. It wasn't the end of the aggression on the turn, however, as Karakitukov then clicked it back to 1,200,000.
Cowen went into the tank for a while and used two time bank extensions before folding.
From under the gun, table short stack James Cavanaugh raised and then got the last 375,000 or so in when facing a three-bet by Aaron Katz for the following showdown to emerge.
James Cavanaugh:
Aaron Katz:
"I even have a pair!" Cavanaugh exclaimed with a grin on the face. He remained ahead on the flop and turn but the fell on the river to send Cavanaugh out in 12th place for $91,832.
In a preflop contest, Duarte Baptista raised to 150,000 and then faced a three-bet to 540,000 by Robert Cowen. Baptista piled it in for what appeared to be 925,000 and Cowen instantly called.
Duarte Baptista:
Robert Cowen:
Cowen's double-suited ace-king had plenty of equity and improved right away on the flop. Baptista already bolted out of his chair and was ready to leave. There was no help on the turn and river as his run ended in 13th place for $91,832.
Aaron Mermelstein raised it up from the hijack and Ben Lamb three-bet to 330,000 from the small blind. The action was back on Mermelstein who four-bet shoved all in and Lamb called off his stack of 1,205,000.
Ben Lamb:
Aaron Mermelstein:
The flop fell to give Lamb a straight with a flush draw. The on the turn meant Mermelstein was drawing dead to the on the river, passing over a double-up to Lamb.