SHRPO $5 Million GTD Championship
Level 27: 40,000/80,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 of 847

The players return from break to begin Level 27, with increased blinds of 40,000/80,000 and a 10,000 ante. With nine players remaining, the average chip stack is about 2,825,000 (35 big blinds).

Here are the official chip counts from the break, followed by the remaining prizepool:

Seat 1.  Seth Davies  –  2,600,000 (33 bb)
Seat 2.  Roman Valerstein  –  4,300,000 (54 bb)
Seat 3.  Tom Midena  –  3,835,000 (48 bb)
Seat 4.  Ryan Fair  –  1,335,000 (17 bb)
Seat 5.  Jason Koon  –  4,920,000 (62 bb)
Seat 6.  Zo Karim  –  1,130,000 (14 bb)
Seat 7.  Paul Balzano  –  2,765,000 (35 bb)
Seat 8.  Joe Serock  –  2,055,000 (26 bb)
Seat 9.  Tim Burt  –  2,465,000 (31 bb)

1st:  $1,000,000
2nd:  $575,000
3rd:  $310,000
4th:  $220,000
5th:  $180,000
6th:  $150,000
7th:  $125,000
8th:  $100,000
9th:  $75,000

SHRPO $5 Million GTD Championship
Level 26: 30,000/60,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 of 847

Hand #30  –  Tim Burt completed the small blind to 60,000, Seth Davies raised from the big blind to 210,000, and Burt thought for a while before he called.

Both players checked to the river on a board of . Burt checked, Davies bet 175,000, and Burt called with for ace high. Davies mucked, and Burt won the pot.

Hand #31  –  Ryan Fair raised UTG+1 to 150,000, taking the blinds and antes.

Hand #32  –  Everyone folded to Tom Midena, giving him a walk in the big blind.

Hand #33  –  Roman Valerstein raised from the button to 135,000, and Tom Midena called from the small blind. The flop came , Midena checked, Valerstein bet 150,000, and Midena called. The turn card was the , Midena checked, Valerstein bet 440,000, and Midena thought for nearly 45 seconds before he called.

The river card was the , Midena checked, Valerstein bet 480,000, and Midena tanked for nearly a minute before he folded. Valerstein took the pot.

Level 26 comes to an end, and the players take a 15-minute break.

SHRPO $5 Million GTD Championship
Level 26: 30,000/60,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 of 847

Hand #23  –  Joe Serock raised from the hijack to 140,000, Roman Valerstein reraised from the small blind to 405,000, and Tom Midena cold-four-bet from the big blind to 1,125,000. Serock and Valerstein both folded, and Midena took the pot.

Hand #24  –  Seth Davies raised from the cutoff to 150,000, and Ryan Fair called from the big blind. Both players checked to the turn on a board of , Fair bet 175,000, and Davies called.

The river card was the , Fair bet 250,000, and Davies called. Fair showed , but Davies turned over to win the pot with a king-high straight.

Hand #25  –  Zo Karim raised under the gun to 150,000, taking the blinds and antes.

Hand #26  –  Paul Balzano raised under the gun to 135,000, and Zo Karim called from the big blind. The flop came , Karim checked, Balzano bet 175,000, and Karim quickly folded. Balzano took the pot.

Hand #27  –  Ryan Fair raised from the cutoff to 150,000, taking the blinds and antes.

Hand #28  –  Seth Davies raised UTG+1 to 150,000, taking the blinds and antes.

Hand #29  –  Roman Valerstein raised UTG+1 to 140,000, and Paul Balzano called from the button. The flop came , Valerstein bet 155,000, and Balzano called. The turn card was the , and both players checked.

The river card was the , Valerstein bet 505,000, and Balzano tanked for nearly a minute before he called. Valerstein showed to win the pot with a full house, jacks full of kings, and Balzano mucked.

SHRPO $5 Million GTD Championship
Level 26: 30,000/60,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 of 847

Hand #21  –  Roman Valerstein raised under the gun to 150,000, taking the blinds and antes.

Hand #22  –  Jason Koon raised from middle position to 150,000, Paul Balzano called from the hijack, and Joe Serock called from the cutoff. The flop came , and Koon bet 260,000. Balzano folded, and Serock called.

The turn card was the , and Koon thought for a while before betting 675,000. Serock tanked for a full minute before he called.

The river card was the , and Koon thought for a while before moving all in for about 2.6 million, enough to cover Serock, who had about 2.4 million. Serock went into the tank.

After more than two minutes, Serock folded, saying, “I don’t want to know.” Koon took the pot.

SHRPO $5 Million GTD Championship
Level 26: 30,000/60,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 of 847

Hand #14  –  Jason Koon raised UTG+1 to 150,000, taking the blinds and antes.

Hand #15  –  Paul Balzano raised from middle position to 130,000, and Seth Davies called from the cutoff. The flop came , Balzano checked, Davies bet 160,000, and Balzano folded. Davies took the pot.

Hand #16  –  Ryan Fair raised from the small blind to 150,000, and Jason Koon called from the big blind. The flop came , Fair bet 225,000, and Koon called. The turn card was the , Fair moved all in for 970,000, and Koon tanked for a full minute before he folded. Fair took the pot.

Hand #17  –  Tim Burt raised from middle position to 140,000, taking the blinds and antes.

Hand #18  –  Tom Midena raised from the hijack to 135,000, and Paul Balzano called from the big blind. The flop came , Balzano checked, Midena bet 175,000, and Balzano folded. Midena took the pot.

Hand #19  –  Paul Balzano completed the small blind to 60,000, and Joe Serock checked his option in the big blind. The flop came , Balzano checked, Serock bet 125,000, and Balzano called. The turn card was the , Balzano checked, Serock bet 290,000, and Balzano folded. Serock took the pot.

Hand #20  –  Seth Davies raised under the gun to 150,000, Zo Karim moved all in from the cutoff for 915,000, and Davies thought for a bit before he folded. Karim took the pot.

SHRPO $5 Million GTD Championship
Level 26: 30,000/60,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 of 847

Hand #13  –  Joe Serock raised from the cutoff to 145,000, taking the blinds and antes.

Seat 1.  Seth Davies  –  2,270,000
Seat 2.  Roman Valerstein  –  3,055,000
Seat 3.  Tom Midena  –  3,870,000
Seat 4.  Ryan Fair  –  1,435,000
Seat 5.  Jason Koon  –  4,020,000
Seat 6.  Zo Karim  –  1,075,000
Seat 7.  Paul Balzano  –  4,200,000
Seat 8.  Joe Serock  –  3,320,000
Seat 9.  Tim Burt  –  2,160,000

1st:  $1,000,000
2nd:  $575,000
3rd:  $310,000
4th:  $220,000
5th:  $180,000
6th:  $150,000
7th:  $125,000
8th:  $100,000
9th:  $75,000

SHRPO $5 Million GTD Championship
Level 26: 30,000/60,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 of 847

Hand #11  –  Jason Koon raised from the hijack to 150,000, and Tim Burt called from the big blind. The flop came , Burt checked, Koon bet 135,000, and Burt called.

The turn card was the , and both players checked. The river card was the , Burt bet 210,000, and Koon called with for a pair of kings. Burt showed , but it was no good. Koon took the pot.

Hand #12  –  Joe Serock raised from the button to 145,000, Seth Davies moved all in from the big blind, and Serock called all in for 1,515,000 with . Davies turned over , and Serock needed his hand to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and the pocket queens held up for Serock to win the pot and double up in chips.

SHRPO $5 Million GTD Championship
Level 26: 30,000/60,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 of 847

Hand #6  –  Roman Valerstein raised from the button to 125,000, taking the blinds and antes.

Hand #7  –  Seth Davies raised from the hijack to 150,000, taking the blinds and antes.

Hand #8  –  Tim Burt raised from middle position to 140,000, Ryan Fair moved all in from the button for about 1,165,000, and Burt folded. Fair took the pot.

Hand #9  –  Jason Koon raised from the button to 140,000, taking the blinds and antes.

Hand #10  –  Jason Koon raised from the cutoff to 150,000, Paul Balzano reraised from the small blind to 375,000, and Koon folded. Balzano took the pot.

SHRPO $5 Million GTD Championship
Level 26: 30,000/60,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 of 847

Hand #1  –  Seth Davies raised UTG+1 to 150,000, and took the blinds and antes.

Hand #2  –  Joe Serock completed the small blind to 60,000, and Tim Burt checked his option in the big blind. Both players checked to the turn on a board of , Serock checked, Burt bet 75,000, and Serock folded. Burt took the pot.

Hand #3  –  Tim Burt completed the small blind to 60,000, and Seth Davies checked his option in the big blind. Both players checked to the turn on a board of , Burt bet 80,000, and Davies called.

The river card was the , Burt bet 240,000, and Davies folded. Burt took the pot.

Hand #4  –  Tom Midena raised under the gun to 130,000, Seth Davies called from the small blind, and Roman Valerstein called from the big blind. The flop came , and it checked to Burt, who bet 175,000. Davies called, and Valerstein folded.

The turn card was the , and both players check. The river card was the , and they check again. Davies showed to win the pot with a pair of aces, and Midena mucked.

Hand #5  –  Seth Davies raised from the button to 150,000, Roman Valerstein reraised from the small blind to 460,000, and Davies folded. Valerstein took the pot.

SHRPO $5 Million GTD Championship
Level 26: 30,000/60,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 of 847

Day 3 of the SHRPO $5 Million Guaranteed Championship began with 38 players, all battling for the nine seats at tomorrow afternoon’s final table, where they’ll be guaranteed at least $75,000 each with a shot at the first prize of $1,000,000.

Without further delay, here are the final nine players, along with their official chip counts and seating assignments for tomorrow’s final table:

1.  Seth Davies  –  3,350,000  (56 bb)
2.  Roman Valerstein  –  2,895,000  (48 bb)
3.  Thomas Midena  –  4,395,000  (73 bb)
4.  Ryan Fair  –  1,335,000  (22 bb)
5.  Jason Koon  –  3,595,000  (60 bb)
6.  Zo Karim  –  1,295,000  (22 bb)
7.  Paul Balzano  –  4,120,000  (69 bb)
8.  Joe Serock  –  1,845,000  (31 bb)
9.  Tim Burt  –  2,575,000  (43 bb)

Thomas Midena leads the pack with nearly 4.4 million in chips, and if he finishes eighth or better, it’ll be the biggest live tournament cash of his career. Local player Paul Balzano isn’t far behind in the counts with 4.1 million in chips.

Roman Valerstein has more than $1 million in career earnings, and has televised final table experience after finishing sixth at last September’s WPT Borgata Poker Open. Zo Karim has more than $1.4 million in earnings, and finished third at the 2013 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown, which was also a TV final table.

Seth Davies is fresh off a victory here last week in Event 17 ($1,100 Six-Max NLHE), and he won a WPT title in Montreal just four months ago. Jason Koon has more than $4.2 million in earnings, and would love to commemorate his birthday (which was yesterday) by adding another million to his career total.

World Poker Tour Season 10 Player of the Year Joe Serock might have been the chipleader at this final table if not for a hand that went down with 11 players remaining. In a pot worth 4.45 million, Midena got it all in on the turn with a pair and a flush draw against Serock’s two pair. Midena made his flush on the river to knock Serock down to the short stack, but Serock was able to hold on and fight his way back into contention. Serock has more than $3 million in career earnings, but is still looking for his first high-profile title, and would love to win it here at the Seminole Hard Rock.

Full bios for all nine finalists will be posted here later this evening.

Here is the remaining prizepool at stake, followed by the players who finished in the money here on Day 3:

1st:  $1,000,000
2nd:  $575,000
3rd:  $310,000
4th:  $220,000
5th:  $180,000
6th:  $150,000
7th:  $125,000
8th:  $100,000
9th:  $75,000

10th:  Corey Hochman  –  $50,000
11th:  Said Mossallam  –  $50,000
12th:  Justin Swilling  –  $50,000
13th:  Esther Taylor-Brady  –  $40,000
14th:  Chris Klodnicki  –  $40,000
15th:  Lexy Gavin  –  $40,000
16th:  Ting Ho  –  $35,000
17th:  Theo Lawson  –  $35,000
18th:  Thomas Houghteling  –  $35,000
19th:  Sam Ho  –  $32,500
20th:  Brett Bader  –  $32,500
21st:  David Wolff  –  $32,500
22nd:  Angel Guillen  –  $30,000
23rd:  Tom Marchese  –  $30,000
24th:  Paul Dlugozima  –  $30,000
25th:  Matt Affleck  –  $27,500
26th:  Patrick Eskandar  –  $27,500
27th:  Zach Mullennix  –  $27,500
28th:  Bob Mather  –  $25,000
29th:  Brian Wachs  –  $25,000
30th:  Michael Cohen  –  $25,000
31st:  Michael Newman  –  $25,000
32nd:  Andre Crooks  –  $25,000
33rd:  Santana Noronha  –  $25,000
34th:  David Peters  –  $25,000
35th:  Tom Gity  –  $25,000
36th:  David Belikov  –  $25,000
37th:  Mark Johnson  –  $22,500
38th:  Rich Alsup  –  $22,500

The final table begins tomorrow at 2:00 pm ET as part of the Seminole Hard Rock’s “Big Four,” with a livestream on a 30-minute delay. As always, you’ll also be able to follow live updates right here at SHRPO.com.