High Roller: Mike Leah vs. Sam Panzica

$25,500 Big 4 High Roller
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 18: 20,000/40,000  with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 10 of 117

Sam Panzica opened the cutoff to 80,000, and Mike Leah called on the button.

The flop was AsQcTh. Panzica continued for 90,000, and Leah called.

The turn was the 3s. Panzica yielded the lead, and Leah bet 175,000. Panzica called.

The river was the 6s, and Panzica checked again. Leah bet 400,000, and Panzica folded after a couple minutes of deliberation.

Mike Leah – 2,295,000 (57 bb)
Sam Panzica – 1,160,000 (29 bb)

High Roller: Chance Kornuth Doubles Through Joseph Cheong

$25,500 Big 4 High Roller
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 18: 20,000/40,000  with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 10 of 117

Chance Kornuth moved all in for 555,000 from the cutoff and Joseph Cheong called out of the big blind.

Kornuth: Qs10s
Cheong: KsQd

Kornuth was way behind but he got a good flop as the 5d3sAs gave him a flush draw, which he hit on the 7s turn. Another spade would give Cheong a better flush, but it didn’t come as the Qc peeled off on the river.

Chance Kornuth – 1,120,000 (28 bb)
Joseph Cheong – 525,000 (13 bb)

High Roller: Alex Papazian Eliminated in 11th Place ($70,200)

$25,500 Big 4 High Roller
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 17: 15,000/30,000  with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 11 of 117

Alex Papazian

Action folded around to the blinds, where John Andress moved all in for 400,000 in the small and Alex Papazian called to put him at risk in the big.

Andress: Ad9c
Papazian: QsTc

The board ran out 5h3h2dJh7c, and Andress doubled up with ace-high. Papazian was left with 280,000 chips.

The next hand, Mike Leah opened the cutoff to what looked like 75,000, and Papazian three-bet shoved for 275,000 in the small blind. Leah called.

Leah: Ad9d
Papazian: AsTc

The Qd4c3c flop was clean for Papazian, but the 9s on the turn pulled Leah into the lead with one to come. The river was the 8c, and Papazian was sent to the cashier in 11th place.

“Sorry, Alex,” Leah apologized, walking around the table to shake his opponent’s hand. “Always fun playing with you.”

Mike Leah – 2,400,000 (80 bb)
Alex Papazian – Eliminated

High Roller: Jeff Gross Eliminated in 12th Place ($67,275)

$25,500 Big 4 High Roller
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 17: 15,000/30,000  with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 12 of 117

Jeff Gross

Action folded around to the blinds, where Jeff Gross moved all in for about 250,000 in the small and Brandon Adams called in the big.

“Uh oh,” Gross started. “I think you got me this time. Dominated? Yeah. Oh, how did I do it?”

Gross: Qh8c
Adams: AcQc

Gross quietly pleaded with the dealer for a little help. “He’s a good guy and he can afford it,” he said at one point.

The board ran out Ks9s4cKd2h, and Adams won the knockout pot. The gregarious Gross exchanged well wishes with the rest of the field as he exited in 12th place.

Brandon Adams – 1,850,000 (62 bb)
Jeff Gross – Eliminated

High Roller: Marvin Rettenmaier Eliminated in 14th Place ($61,425); Rainer Kempe Eliminated in 13th ($64,350)

$25,500 Big 4 High Roller
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 17: 15,000/30,000  with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 14 of 117

Rainer Kempe

Rainer Kempe moved all in for 255,000 under the gun, and Joseph Cheong re-shoved for 385,000 next to act. One more seat over, Marvin Rettenmaier called all in for 220,000 total, putting himself at risk, as well.

Kempe: 6c6d
Cheong: AsAh
Rettenmaier: TcTh

The board ran out Jc5s2sKdAc, and Cheong’s aces held to earn him the double knockout.

Rettenmaier, the defending Champion of this event, started the hand with the shorter stack, so he took the worse finishing position. He received the slip for 14th place, and Kempe 13th.

Marvin Rettenmaier

Joseph Cheong – 924,000 (39 bb)
Rainer Kempe – Eliminated
Marvin Rettenmaier – Eliminated

High Roller: Zach Smiley Eliminated in 15th Place ($58,500)

$25,500 Big 4 High Roller
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 16: 12,000/24,000  with a 4,000 ante
Players Remaining: 15 of 117

Zach Smiley

Zach Smiley moved all in for 63,000 from middle position and Jeff Gross called without looking out of the big blind.

Smiley: Ad3h
Gross: Jh5d

“This is out of my comfort zone,” said Gross. “Motown.”

The QdQc9h flop didn’t do Gross any favors, but the running 10c turn and Kc river did as he made a runner-runner straight.

Jeff Gross – 300,000 (12 bb)
Zach Smiley – Eliminated in 15th Place ($58,500)

High Roller: John Andress Spins It Up

$25,500 Big 4 High Roller
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 16: 12,000/24,000  with a 4,000 ante
Players Remaining: 15 of 117

On the bubble, John Andress was down to a single big blind, tripled up, and then fell back down to a single blind before sneaking into the money. Since then, he’s worked that 20,000 up to over 600K!

In a recent hand, Matt Glantz raised to 50,000 from the button and then called when Andress moved all in for 313,000.

Andress: QhQs
Glantz: QcJh

The board ran out 2d8hJc7d4s and just like that Andress is back in the thick of it.

John Andress – 650,000 (27 bb)
Matt Glantz – 570,000 (24 bb)

High Roller: Anthony Spinella Eliminated in 16th Place ($55,575)

$25,500 Big 4 High Roller
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 16: 12,000/24,000  with a 4,000 ante
Players Remaining: 16 of 117

Anthony Spinella raised everything but his last 3,000 chips preflop, and Omar Zazay called a couple seats over.

The flop was 7d5s2c, and Spinella checked. Zazay set him in for 3,000, and Spinella eventually called to put himself at risk.

Spinella: QsJh
Zazay: AsQd

The Kh turn and 9h river were blanks for Spinella, and he was eliminated in 16th place.

Omar Zazay – 1,350,000 (56 bb)
Anthony Spinella – Eliminated

High Roller: The Final Two Tables

$25,500 Big 4 High Roller
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 16: 12,000/24,000  with a 4,000 ante
Players Remaining: 16 of 117

Seat 1: Rainer Kempe – 270,000 (11 bb)
Seat 2: Anthony Spinella – 85,000 (3 bb)
Seat 3: Joseph Cheong – 505,000 (20 bb)
Seat 4: Marvin Rettenmaier – 240,000 (10 bb)
Seat 5: Omar Zazay – 1,140,000 (48 bb)
Seat 6: Sam Panzica – 1,205,000 (50 bb)
Seat 7: Chance Kornuth – 395,000 (16 bb)
Seat 8: Tom Marchese – 1,225,000 (51 bb)

Seat 1: Matt Glantz – 980,000 (41 bb)
Seat 2: John Andress – 20,000 (1 bb)
Seat 3: Alex Papazian – 430,000 (18 bb)
Seat 4: Jeff Gross – 90,000 (4 bb)
Seat 5: Brandon Adams – 1,825,000 (76 bb)
Seat 6: Chris Hunichen – 1,275,000 (53 bb)
Seat 7: Zach Smiley – 100,000 (4 bb)
Seat 8: Mike Leah – 1,955,000 (81 bb)

High Roller: Kathy Lehne Bubbles 2017 SHRPO $25,500 High Roller

$25,500 Big 4 High Roller
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 16: 12,000/24,000  with a 4,000 ante
Players Remaining: 17 of 117

Kathy Lehne

After a bubble lasting more than a dozen hands, Kathy Lehne, one of two women to enter this field (the other was Cate Hall) moved all in for roughly 175,000 from the hijack and Omar Zazay called from the small blind.

Zazay: 10d10s
Lehne: Jc10c

Lehne was in need of some help, but she watched helplessly as the board ran out a lackluster 4s8d3s3dQh. With that, the remaining 17 players are guarantee $55,575 in prize money.

Omar Zazay – 1,100,000 (46 bb)
Kathy Lehne – Eliminated on the bubble in 17th place