Evan Schwartz Eliminated in Fourth Place ($165,008)

It was a battle of the blinds when Evan Schwartz moved all in from the small blind and Justin Rollo made the call from the big blind. Schwartz flipped over Q 3 while Rollo revealed pocket sixes. The board was dealt A J 9 8 5 and Schwartz was eliminated in fourth place. He took home $165,008 in prize money.

Break!

The players then went on a ten minute break.

The Twilight Zone

After the break, the chip counts were extremely even for three handed play. Less than one big blind separated the final three players and it created a twilight zone atmosphere.

Seat two: Justin Rollo - $2,125,000
Seat five: Ben Ponzio - $2,190,000
Seat seven: David Hewitt - $2,160,000

Rollo Gets Rolled

Ben Ponzio quickly made an all-in call with pocket queens after Justin Rollo moved all in. Rollo rolled over A 3. The board brought J J 2 4 K and shipped Ponzio the chip lead. Rollo was crippled after the hand and he will be all in on the next hand when he is in the big blind. Ponzio was now the massive chip leader with over two-thirds of the chips left in play.

Justin Rollo Eliminated in Third Place ($244,566)

Justin Rollo moved all and Hewitt made the call. Rollo flipped over Q 5, while Hewitt showed K 10. The board came A 7 4 2 6. Rollo was eliminated in third place and he took home $244,566.

Heads-Up!

The unlikely heads-up match brought together two players who were on the brink of elimination earlier in the day. It also brought out the vocal chords of Hewitt, who now held a massive chip lead when things started.

The match began slowly despite the large chip lead of Ponzio. He had $5.3 million to the $1.2 million of Hewitt after 15 minutes of heads-up play. The blinds were kicked up to $60,000-$120,000 with a $15,000 ante. Hewitt held strong and the heads-up match continued over 30 hands before it got interesting.

Ben Ponzio Wins Event #25 ($599,467)

It was a battle of the blinds when Evan Schwartz moved all in from the small blind and Justin Rollo made the call from the big blind. Schwartz flipped over Q 3 while Rollo revealed pocket sixes. The board was dealt A J 9 8 5 and Schwartz was eliminated in fourth place. He took home $165,008 in prize money.

Leader Board

Seat one: Evan Schwartz - $2,170,000
Seat two: Justin Rollo - $850,000
Seat four: Adam Ross - $270,000
Seat five: Ben Ponzio - $650,000
Seat six: Danny Noam - $830,000
Seat seven: David Hewitt - $375,000
Seat nine: Travis Rice - $1,360,000

Price of Poker Increases

Action continued along seven handed uneventfully for the next dozen or so hands. The blinds were then kicked up again to $30,000-$60,000 with a $5,000 ante.

Adam Ross Eliminated in Seventh Place ($61,878)

Adam Ross pushed all in and Travis Rice made the call. Rice flipped over K 10. Ross showed down A 7. The board was rolled out K 10 3 3 2 and Ross was eliminated in seventh place. He took home $61,878 in prize money.

The Big Three

With action down to six handed, three players held the lions share of the chips. The table had been divided into the haves, and have not's. Rice , Justin Rollo, and Evan Schwartz represented the big three and they were all seated right next to each other.

Triples Alley

David Hewitt moved all in preflop and both Danny Noam and Justin Rollo made the call. The two live payers then check down a board of 6 5 4 10 8. Hewitt flipped up A 7 to take down the pot. Neither Noam (Q J) or Rollo (A 8) showed down enough strength to beat him out of the pot.

Danny Noam Eliminated in Sixth Place ($82,504)

Danny Noam was all in preflop with pocket eights against the As 10s that Schwartz held. The board was dealt Q 10 5 4 4 and Schwartz won the pot with tens up. Noam was eliminated in sixth place, and took home $82,504 in prize money.

Revised Leader Board

Seat one: Evan Schwartz - $1,240,000
Seat two: Justin Rollo - $1,350,000
Seat five: Ben Ponzio - $1,750,000
Seat seven: David Hewitt - $600,000
Seat nine: Travis Rice - 1$,540,000

Ground Rollo Double

Justin Rollo raised from the cut off and Rice reraised from the big blind. Rollo moved all in and Rice calls with pocket jacks. Rollo rolled over K Q. The board was rolled out A 10 4 Q 7 and Rollo paired up his queen. He doubled up through Rice on the hand.

Travis Rice Eliminated in Fifth Place ($111,970)

Travis Rice was all in on the short stack with 8 7, against the A 7 of David Hewitt. The board hit the table Q 10 3 7 5, and Hewitt took down the pot with his ace kicker. Rice was eliminated in fifth place. He took home $111,970 in prize money. The chip leader at the beginning of the day has fallen.

Adam Ross pushed all in and Travis Rice made the call. Rice flipped over K 10. Ross showed down A 7. The board was rolled out K10 3 3 2 and Ross was eliminated in seventh place. He took home $61,878 in prize money.

Darryl Ronconi made it $100,000 to go and Travis Rice reraised from the big blind to $560,000. Ronconi moved all in and Rice called with K Q. Ronconi showed pocket jacks. Start your engines gentleman, we have a race. The board hits the table Q 8 2 6 7, and Rice paired up his queen to take down the pot. Ronconi was eliminated in ninth place, and took home $34,770.