Martin Zamani was facing a bet from Joao Simao on the turn of a board showing 2♣2♠A♣K♥, taking some time before announcing a raise to 180,000.
Simao then took some time of his own before moving all in. Zamani made a quick decision, tossing his cards into the muck while urging Simao to show his hand.
After flipping over the Q♣ and 9♥, Simao slid his remaining two cards forward and told Zamani to pick one. Zamani turned over the A♠ as Simao collected a big boost to his stack.
Down to the last 66,000 and on the button, John Monnette was all in and at risk against Ryan Rapaski.
John Monnette: 10♠9♣8♥4♥
Ryan Rapaski: A♠A♦K♣7♦
The 6♥6♦5♠ flop gave Monnette straight draws and he picked up more outs with the 10♦ turn. However, the 2♥ river brought no help as the aces of Rapaski held up and he held the superior low, too.
With the field closing in on the bubble, the knockouts have come quickly after dinner.
Jared Jaffee was all in against Randen Honigman and James Obst, with Honigman folding after the 5♦5♥7♦ flop. Jaffee was at risk heads-up, but his pocket queens could not catch up to Obst's A♣A♥A♦5♣ after the 9♥ turn and J♣ river completed his exit.
At the same time, Taylor Paur fell to the two pair and low of Yingui Li on a runout of 6♠5♥A♠3♦J♣.
Stephen Chidwick was also exiting the tournament area after falling to the A♣A♥7♥6♣ of Martin Zamani.
George Wolff was down to his last 11,000 chips in the big blind, facing Martin Zamani for his tournament life. Play was halted while the other tables completed their hands, with Wolff in front as the cards were tabled.
George Wolff: K♣Q♠Q♣9♠
Martin Zamani: J♦7♥4♥2♦
Zamani connected with the 4♣4♦2♥ flop for trip fours, collecting a low on the 3♦ turn and improving to a full house on the 7♣ river. Wolff wished the table good luck as he exited just before the money.
Players are now on the direct bubble with 43 remaining.
Three hands on three separate tables took place at the same time and two of them were of particular interest.
Taylor Wilson flat-called a min-raise to 20,000 by Long Tran while on the button and they checked the 8♣7♣2♦ flop. On the 5♣ turn, Tran checked and Wilson bet 20,000. The check-raise to 100,000 followed and Wilson sigh-folded with the words, "I know you are so full of shit right now," before asking how much it would cost him to see Tran's hand.
Tran shook his head and raked in the chips.
One table over, the betting action was already completed and a duo waited to proceed with their showdown. Igor Zektser had potted in the cutoff to 35,000 with 18,000 behind. Stephen Deutsch groaned but then opted to gamble with the words, "Ah fuck it," as Zektser called it off.
"It is not a great hand, I am sure you are winning,"Deutsch had told Zektser who replied "let's keep it that way" while they were waiting for the other tables to finish.
Igor Zektser: A♣5♣4♠3♦
Stephen Deutsch: A♥Q♥Q♠5♥
Deutsch was surprised to find himself ahead and Zektser ended up drawing dead on the K♦2♦2♥10♥ turn to make the 10♦ river a formality, bursting the bubble after some half an hour of hand-for-hand mode.
Vincas Tamasauskas raised the pot to 42,000 from under the gun and received three callers including Christopher Vitch and Phil Hellmuth out of the blinds.
Vitch checked the 10♠8♣8♦ flop and Hellmuth moved all-in for 81,000. That forced folds to Vitch, who gave it brief consideration and then called.
Phil Hellmuth: A♦8♥3♣2♠
Christopher Vitch: K♠Q♠Q♣10♥
The Q♥ turn improved Vitch to queens full of eights and the 7♣ river ended the run of Hellmuth, who chatted up a storm of swear words before heading to the rail.
Taylor Wilson raised the pot from early position and was called by Vincas Tamasauskas, who then announced that his final 5,000 chip was going in blind. Wilson obliged on the J♥7♦J♣ flop leaving Tamasauskas at risk.
Vincas Tamasauskas: Q♠8♥5♦4♣
Taylor Wilson: A♠4♠3♥2♣
The A♦ turn left Wilson in the lead, with the K♠ river completing the board as Tamasauskas hit the rail.
Dan Shak was all-in before the flop for around seven blinds against Ryan Rapaski and the following cards were exposed.
Dan Shak: K♣K♠5♠3♣
Ryan Rapaski: A♥Q♠4♣3♠
The 10♠9♣6♣ flop was a good start for Shak and he even added a second flush draw with the J♠ turn. However, the K♥ then followed on the river as Rapaski got there with an unlikely ace-high straight to score the knockout.
Patrick Leonard raised to 43,000 in the small blind before Dylan Wilkerson announced a pot-sized raise to 144,000 in the big blind, leaving just 21,000 behind.
Leonard made the call to see the Q♥Q♦A♣ flop, leading out for 20,000. Wilkerson called leaving one last 1,000 chip.
The turn 7♣ saw Leonard put in one more chip, with Wilkerson making the call.
Dylan Wilkerson: K♠K♦6♥3♣
Patrick Leonard: A♠10♣6♦3♠
Wilkerson was behind Leonard's pair of aces, with both players drawing to the same low hand. The K♥ river saw Wilkerson spike a full house, taking the full pot with no low on board.