$1,650 Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em
Players Remaining: 4
Level 4: 150/300

Aaron Mermelstein raised to 1,000 on the button, and George Lusby defended his big blind.

The flop was , and both players checked. The turn was the . Lusby checked again, Mermelstein bet 1,400, and Lusby called. The river was the . Lusby checked for a third time, Mermelstein bet 4,000, and Lusby called.

Mermelstein flashed with a frown, and Lusby tabled , winning the pot with a pair of aces. Mermelstein is now dangerously short on chips as Lusby closes in on a spot in the semifinals.

George Lusby – 22,175
Aaron Mermelstein – 1,825

$1,650 Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em
Players Remaining: 5
Level 4: 150/300

Over the last two levels, Ari Engel seized control of the decisive match against Jonathan Little.

Little was already starting getting short on chips when he opened the button to 500 in the last level. Engel defended his big blind, and the flop came . Engel checked, Little continued for 400, and Engel called. The turn was the , and Engel led out for 800. Little called, and the river was the . Engel bet 1,525, and Little called to see a showdown. Engel tabled , winning the pot with queens up and leaving Little with less than 3,000 chips.

A couple hands later, Engel shoved the button, and Little called all in, putting himself at risk for less than 10 big blinds.

Engel:
Little:

The board ran out , and Engel turned a pair of aces to win the pot, the game, and the match. He’s through to the finals, where he awaits the winner of a match that has yet to be determined.

Little was eliminated by a score of 2-1.

.@realAriEngel drowned me on the river about 7 times. The @shrpo main event is tomorrow for me.

— Jonathan Little (@JonathanLittle) August 12, 2016

Ari Engel – Advances to Final
Jonathan Little – Eliminated in Semifinals ($9,600)

$1,650 Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em
Players Remaining: 6
Level 5: 200/400

Corey Dodd limped in from the button, and Alex Foxen checked his option in the big blind.

The flop was , and both players checked. The turn was the . Foxen bet 500, Dodd raised to 1,500, and Foxen called. The river was the . Foxen checked, and Dodd moved all in for 4,200. Foxen deliberated for maybe 30 seconds, then called to put Dodd at risk.

“You got it,” Dodd said, reluctant to show his cards. Foxen took his cue to table , winning the pot, the game, and the match with a pair of queens. He advances to the semifinals, where he’ll face either Aaron Mermelstein or George Lusby.

Dodd was eliminated by a score of two games to zero.

Alex Foxen – Advances to Semifinals
Corey Dodd – Eliminated in Quarterfinals ($4,800)

$1,650 Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em
Players Remaining: 6

The Jonathan Little/Ari Engel semifinal match continues to play much quicker than the two remaining quarterfinal games.

Little tied up his match against Engel when they mixed it up with the board reading . Little’s top pair was ahead of Engel’s and stayed that way on the river to even the match at one a piece.

Shortly afterwards, a short stacked Aaron Mermelstein called all-in for his chips with and ran right into George Lusby’s . Things got worse on the flop and their match was even when the board completed .

$1,650 Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em
Players Remaining: 6
Level 1: 50/100

Ari Engel opened up an early chip lead in his second game with Jonathan Little, but Little quickly doubled back to the front.

The hand in question began with Engel raising on the button, and Little three-bet to 1,000 in the big blind. Engel called. The flop was . Little continued for 1,000, and Engel called. The turn was the , and Little bet 1,800. Engel moved all in with the bigger stack, and Little quickly called all in for 5,400 total, putting himself at risk.

Engel: (pair of eights, straight draw)
Little: (set of nines)

The river was the blank , and Little doubled up with nines full. He’s now up more than 2:1 in this second game, which is a must-win for him.

Jonathan Little – 16,800
Ari Engel – 7,200

$1,650 Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em
Players Remaining: 6

While the two remaining quarterfinal matches are still stuck at 1-0, the first semifinal match is now 1-0 in Ari Engel’s favor.

It took five bets to get Engel and Jonathan Little’s chip in the middle and it was a flip with Engel’s against . The board ran to send the big pot to Engel, leaving Little with only 1,500.

He put tossed them in on the next hand and his went down to to give Engel the 1-0 lead.

$1,650 Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em
Players Remaining: 6

Even with two other quarterfinal matches still rolling, Ari Engel and Jonathan Little jumped back into action to get their semifinal match underway.

$1,650 Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em
Players Remaining: 6
Level 6: 250/500

Aaron Mermelstein got himself all in for 8,400 preflop, flipping for his stack against George Lusby.

Mermelstein:
Lusby:

The board ran out , and Mermelstein’s pocket pair held to earn him the pot and a double-up.

Two hands later, Lusby moved all in for about 7,000 with , and Mermelstein woke up with , quickly calling to put his opponent at risk. The board ran out , giving Mermelstein the pot and the match with a pair of queens.

The two men are taking a short break before beginning their second match.

$1,650 Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em
Players Remaining: 7
Level 1: 50/100

The decisive match between Jonathan Little and Timothy Tenpas didn’t make it out of the first level. The two tangled up in a preflop raising war that left Tenpas all in with , and he was dominated by Little’s .

The board ran out clean for Little, giving him the game, the match, and a semifinal date with Ari Engel.

Down to the final 4 in the $1650 @shrpo @hardrockholly heads up tournament. I get to play everyone’s nemesis @realAriEngel

— Jonathan Little (@JonathanLittle) August 12, 2016

Jonathan Little – Advances to Semifinals
Timothy Tenpas – Eliminated in Quarterfinals ($4,800)

$1,650 Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em
Players Remaining: 7
Level 5: 200/400

Corey Dodd doubled up his short stack once before Alex Foxen sealed the victory.

On the last hand, Dodd shoved the button for 4,400 with , and Foxen called with , flipping for the win. The board ran out , and Foxen’s deuces held to give him the pot and a 1-0 lead in the match.

The two players are taking a short break before beginning the second game.