$10,000 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Finale
Level 7: 400/800 with a 100 Ante
Players: 325

The field grew a bit during the dinner break, and that’s a mixed bag for a few of the players.

Phil Hui and Taylor Von Kriegenbergh would probably prefer not to be playing this event at all. They were both part of the Day 2 restart in the $3,500 WPT Showdown, but they were both eliminated while this Finale field was on its dinner break. Hui fell in 21st place, Von Kriegenbergh right behind him in 20th, and they’re both new entries into this event.

Jake Schwartz was also just eliminated on the other side of the room, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him join this field, as well.

$3,500 WPT Showdown Championship
Level 26: 20,000/40,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 18 of 1,207

Jake Schwartz moved all in from the small blind for about 425,000 and Eric Beller called from the big blind. Schwartz showed and needed help against Beller’s .

The board ran out and Schwartz was eliminated in 19th place. He took home $25,470 and there is a short break while the final 18 players redraw for seats at the final two tables.

Eric Beller – 4,200,000 (105 bb)
Jake Schwartz – Eliminated

$3,500 WPT Showdown Championship
Level 26: 20,000/40,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 19 of 1,207

John Gordon raised to 105,000 from middle position and Taylor Von Kriegenbergh called, all in for 55,000. Simeon Naydenov three-bet to 280,000 on the button and everybody else got out of the way, leaving Von Kriegenbergh heads-up for his tournament life against Naydenov.

Naydenov showed and Von Kriegenbergh’s needed a lot of help.

The flop was and Naydenov flopped top set, but Von Kriegenbergh picked up outs with a straight draw.

The turn was the , giving Von Kriegenbergh the nut straight, but the river was the , which paired the board, gave Naydenov a full house, and eliminated Von Kriegenbergh in 20th place for $25,470.

Simeon Naydenov – 1,225,000 (30 bb)
Taylor Von Kriegenbergh – Eliminated

$3,500 WPT Showdown Championship
Level 26: 20,000/40,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 20 of 1,207

Phil Hui moved all in from under the gun for 770,000 and Lander Lijo called from the big blind.

Lijo showed and had Hui’s dominated. The board ran out dry for Hui as it came . Lijo’s big slick held up to win the pot and eliminate Hui in 21st place.

Hui earned $25,470 for his deep run.

Lander Lijo – 1,580,000 (39 bb)
Phil Hui – Eliminated

$3,500 WPT Showdown Championship
Level 25: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 21 of 1,207

Action folded to Vlad Mezheritsky in the small blind, who raised to 90,000. Nipun Java moved all in for about 400,000 and Mezheritsky called.

Java showed and has Mezheritsky’s dominated. The flop was and Mezheritsky flopped much more equity with the nut flush draw.

The turn was the , changing nothing, but the river was the and Mezheritsky rivered a seven to eliminate Java in 22nd place. He earned $20,698 for his finish.

Vlad Mezheritsky – 1,285,000 (43 bb)
Nipun Java – Eliminated

$3,500 WPT Showdown Championship
Level 25: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 22 of 1,207

John DePersio raised to 65,000 from the hijack and Dan Colman called from the cutoff. Tony Sinishtaj called from the big blind and James Mackey defended his big blind.

Four players take a flop of and Sinishtaj checked. Mackey checked as well and DePersio bet 165,000. Colman folded, Sinishtaj folded and Mackey check-raised to 375,000. DePersio moved all in and Mackey called.

Mackey was the player at risk and all in for 1,790,000 with , good for middle pair and a flush draw. He needed to improve against DePersio’s .

The turn was the , keeping DePersio in the lead, but the river was the and Mackey rivered a flush to win the pot and double up.

Mackey becomes one of the biggest stacks remaining after taking a huge chunk from DePersio’s stack.

James Mackey – 3,875,000 (129 bb)
John DePersio – 2,000,000 (66 bb)

$10,000 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Finale
Level 6: 300/600 with a 75 Ante
Players: 320

Level 6 concluded, and the field was sent on their 90-minute dinner break. Play resumes just after 10 p.m.

$10,000 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Finale
Level 6: 300/600 with a 75 Ante
Players: 320

With a couple minutes left before the dinner break, the floor staff just walked from table to table passing out $10 dinner vouchers. It’s pretty much everyone’s favorite time of the day.

Always gambling, a couple tables decided to put all of their vouchers into the next pot they played, with the winner collecting some serious dinnertime value. Table 34 is one of those that decided to play the game, but one player had no interest in the side action.

Matt Glantz stood up from his chair to tell Jake Bazeley about it, since Bazeley was sitting at the adjacent table. “The one person who didn’t put his card in is a Main Event Champion,” Glantz said, pointing back at Joe McKeehen. “He’s a disgrace to the game.”

McKeehen just smirked, and he’ll have the last laugh while he’s enjoying his free dinner courtesy of Seminole Hard Rock Poker.

$3,500 WPT Showdown Championship
Level 25: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 23 of 1,207

On a flop of , Dan Colman bet 160,000 from the big blind and James Mackey raised to 405,000 from the hijack.

Colman called and the turn was the . Colman checked and Mackey moved all in for 805,000. Colman double checked his cards and thought for about a minute before tossing his hand into the muck, exposing the in the process.

Dan Colman – 2,650,000 (88 bb)
James Mackey – 1,900,000 (63 bb)

$10,000 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Finale
Level 6: 300/600 with a 75 Ante
Players: 319

A year ago, Chino Rheem made WPT history in this event, becoming just the fourth player to capture three titles during the Tour’s 15-year run. Darren Elias has since matched that feat, but nobody has yet gotten to four.

Rheem would like to change that, and he’s just jumped into the Finale field in defense of his title. Predictably active early, his 40,000-chip starting stack has already been trimmed down to about 16,000, but that’s still plenty of chips with which to make his opponents’ lives miserable.

Chino Rheem – 16,000