$5,250 SHRPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed | Payouts | Live Stream
Level 25: 25,000/50,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 8 of 887

Hand #22: Dylan Drazen raised to 125,000 preflop under the gun, and Joe Kuether reraised all in for 1.12 million on the big blind. Drazen called so the two players flipped over their cards.

Drazen:
Kuether:

Board:

Kuether was eliminated in ninth place, good for $75,413, and Drazen stacked up 2.65 million after the hand. Kuether left his seat in the Championship event, and immediately took his seat at the $1,000 event final table.

Dylan Drazen – 2,650,000 (53 bb)
Joe Kuether – Eliminated in 9th Place ($75,413)

$5,250 SHRPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed | Payouts | Live Stream
Level 25: 25,000/50,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 of 887

Hand #17: Martin Kozlov raised to 100,000 from under the gun and received no action.

Hand #18: Aaron Mermelstein raised to 110,000 from under the gun, and Martin Kozlov called from the big blind.

The flop came down and Kozlov checked to Mermelstein who continued for 150,000. Kozlov folded.

Hand #19: Aaron Mermelstein received a walk in the big blind.

Hand #20: Adam Levy raised to 110,000 from the cutoff and Matt Berkey called from the big blind.

The flop fell and Berkey check-called 135,000 from Levy. The turn was the , both players checked, the river was the , and both players checked again.

Levy tabled for kings and deuces, Berkey mucked, and Levy won the pot.

“I was using my peripheral vision, thought it was a queen,” said Levy.

Adam Levy – 3,600,000 (72 bb)
Matt Berkey – 3,500,000 (70 bb)

Hand #21: Michael Aron raised to 100,000 preflop from late position, and Martin Kozlov called on the cutoff. Aaron Mermelstein (button) and Yi Chi Li (big blind) also called before the flop was dealt . Mermelstein bet 150,000, Li folded, Aron folded, and Kozlov tanked before also folding.

$5,250 SHRPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed | Payouts | Live Stream
Level 25: 25,000/50,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 of 887

Hand #12: Aaron Mermelstein raised to 110,000 preflop on the button, and everyone else folded.

Hand #13: Martin Kozlov raised to 105,000 preflop from the hijack, and Matt Berkey reraised to 275,000 on the button. Kozlov reraised all in for 2.16 million, and Berkey tanked before folding.

Hand #14: Aaron Mermelstein raised to 110,000 preflop from the hijack, and Joe Kuether reraised all in for close to a million. Mermelstein tanked before folding.

Hand #15: Adam Levy raised to 110,000 preflop UTG+1, and everyone else folded.

Hand #16: Matt Berkey raised to 125,000 preflop from late position, and Yi Chi Li reraised to 350,000 on the hijack. Berkey called, and the flop was dealt . Li bet 200,000, and Berkey check-called. The turn fell , and Li bet 550,000. Berkey check-folded.

$5,250 SHRPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed | Payouts | Live Stream
Level 25: 25,000/50,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 of 887

Hand #7: Matt Berkey raised to 125,000 from middle position and received no action.

Hand #8: Matt Berkey limped from middle position, Yi Chi Li raised to 250,000 from the next seat over, Dylan Drazen three-bet to 550,000 from the cutoff, Berkey folded, and Li folded as well.

Hand #9: Aaron Mermelstein raised to 110,000 from under the gun and won the blinds and antes.

Hand #10: Aaron Mermelstein received a walk.

Hand #11: Luke Brereton raised to 125,000 from middle position, and Matt Berkey called from the big blind.

The flop came down and Berkey checked to Brereton who continued for 160,000. Berkey folded.

$5,250 SHRPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed | Payouts | Live Stream
Level 25: 25,000/50,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 of 887

Hand #6: Matt Berkey raised to 125,000 from the hijack, Joe Kuether three-bet shoved from the button for 475,000, and Berkey called.

Berkey:
Kuether:

The board came down , giving Kuether a flush to double through Berkey.

Joe Kuether – 1,070,000 (21 bb)
Matt Berkey – 4,900,000 (98 bb)

$5,250 SHRPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed | Payouts | Live Stream
Level 24: 20,000/40,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 of 887

Hand #1: Dylan Drazen raised to 100,000 from late position, and Adam Levy called on the button. Aaron Mermelstein also called on the big blind before the flop was dealt . Drazen bet 100,000, Levy called, and Mermelstein folded. The turn fell , and Drazen bet 250,000. Levy tanked before calling, and then the last two players checked the on the river. Drazen showed , but Levy won the pot with .

Hand #2: Aaron Mermelstein completed on the small blind, and Matt Berkey checked on the big blind. The flop was dealt and both players checked. They also checked the on the turn, and the river delivered the . Berkey bet 100,000, and Mermelstein check-folded.

Hand #3: Matt Berkey raised to 120,000 on the small blind, and Yi Chi Li reraised to 340,000 on the big blind. Berkey called before the flop was dealt . Li bet 200,000, and Berkey check-called. Both players checked the on the turn, and the river delivered the . Berkey bet 550,000, and Li folded.

Hand #4: Michael Aron raised to 80,000 preflop from middle position, and Matt Berkey reraised to 240,000 on the button. Aron tanked before folding.

Hand #5: Aaron Mermelstein raised to 85,000 from the hijack, and Matt Berkey called on the cutoff. The flop was dealt , and Mermelstein bet 90,000. Berkey raised to 275,000, and Mermelstein called. The turn fell , and Berkey bet 400,000. Mermelstein folded his cards.

$5,250 SHRPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed | Payouts | Live Stream
Level 24: 20,000/40,000 with a 5,000 ante (15 minutes remaining)
Players Remaining: 9 of 887

The cards are now in the air for the final table of the $5,250 SHRPO Championship!

Those looking to sweat The Big 4 action can join us in Hard Rock Live. To access the venue, please use the VIP entrance just outside the food court in Paradise.

$5,250 SHRPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed | Payouts | Live Stream
Level 24: 20,000/40,000 with a 5,000 ante (15 minutes remaining)
Players Remaining: 9 of 887

Welcome to final table coverage of the $5,250 SHRPO Championship!

What started with a field of 887 entries is down to just nine hopefuls, each looking to capture the first-place prize of $754,083. Two-time WPT champion Aaron Mermelstein (pictured) has been on top of the chip counts since late on Day 2 and is in pole position to capture the title. A talented bunch is hot on his heels, though.

Here is the final table lineup:

Seat 1: Dylan Drazen – 2,110,000 (53 bb)
Seat 2: Luke Brereton – 2,020,000 (51 bb)
Seat 3: Michael Aron – 2,200,000 (55 bb)
Seat 4: Adam Levy – 2,675,000 (67 bb)
Seat 5: Martin Kozlov – 2,320,000 (58 bb)
Seat 6: Aaron Mermelstein – 6,150,000 (154 bb)
Seat 7: Matt Berkey – 4,045,000 (101 bb)
Seat 8: Yi Chi Li – 4,555,000 (114 bb)
Seat 9: Joe Kuether – 565,000 (14 bb)

All told, these nine players have more than $17 million in career live tournament earnings. Joe Kuether accounts for nearly $6 million of that number and is the short stack entering the final table. He’ll be multi tabling in Hard Rock Live today as he also is at the final table of the $1,100 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry).

Cards will be in the air at noon, and we’ll be providing hand-for-hand coverage of the action.

Remaining Prize Pool:

1st: $754,083
2nd: $528,322
3rd: $341,618
4th: $252,481
5th: $191,437
6th: $152,547
7th: $126,305
8th: $100,408
9th: $75,413

The final table is set for the 2017 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Championship with nine players vying for the title, and we have a good mix of professional and recreational grinders. They have more than $17.5 million in combined career earnings, two WPT titles (Aaron Mermelstein), a handful of WSOP final tables, a WSOP bracelet (Martin Kozlov), and three WSOP Circuit rings (Joe Kuether).

They return today at noon to play down to a winner in front of the Poker Night in America cameras and live stream as part of The Big 4.

Seat 1: Dylan Drazen
Chip Count: 2,110,000

The Fort Lauderdale, FL resident has $176,682 in career earnings. Drazen scored the largest cash of his career with a ninth-place finish in the 2015 Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ’N’ Roll Poker Open”, where he scored $46,573. Drazen will top that amount no matter where he finishes on Tuesday.

Seat 2: Luke Brereton
Chip Count: 2,020,000

Brererton has won $1,090,722 in his poker career dating back to 2010. He is originally from Manchester, England, and Brererton scored his largest single cash ($276,632) when he took fifth place in the $1,500 Millionaire Maker event at the 2016 World Series of Poker.

Seat 3: Michael Aron
Chip Count: 2,200,000

Aron is another local player at the final table, and he hails from Palm Beach Gardens, FL. His career poker earnings stand at $658,203, and Aron’s largest cash was an 80th-place finish at the 2014 World Series of Poker Main Event that was good for $85,812.

Seat 4: Adam Levy
Chip Count: 2,675,000

Levy is one of the well-known poker professionals at the final table, and although he has moved around a lot during his poker career, his hometown is Coral Springs, FL. Among the accomplishments that have led to his career earnings of $2,620,927, are a deep run in to 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event (12th), and a World Poker Tour final-table appearance at the 2008 Festa al Lago main event (fifth).

Seat 5: Martin Kozlov
Chip Count: 2,320,000

Kozlov is from Melbourne, Australia, and in addition to his career live earnings of $1,926,894, he can claim over $3.5 million more in online earnings. Kozlov won a gold bracelet at the 2016 World Series of Poker, when he topped the field in the $10,000 no-limit hold’em six-handed championship.

Seat 6: Aaron Mermelstein
Chip Count: 6,150,000

The perennial chip leader in the tournament, Mermelstein is from Philadelphia, PA. Mermelstein holds career earnings worth $2,078,259. The largest accomplishment in his poker career came in the form of a World Poker Tour title that Mermelstein won at the 2015 Borgata Poker Open main event ($712,305), and he captured a second WPT title at the 2015 WPT Maryland Live! main event ($250,222).

Seat 7: Matt Berkey
Chip Count: 4,045,000

Berkey currently lives in Las Vegas, but he is originally from Leechburg, PA. His career live earnings stand at $3,418,927. Berkley earned $1.1 million of that total when he took fifth place at the $300,000 buy-in Super High Roller Bowl in 2016. Berkley has also appeared at multiple World Series of Poker final tables.

Seat 8: Yi Chi Li
Chip Count: 4,555,000

Li is originally from China, but he now lives in Jacksonville, FL. His career earnings stand at $35,874, so he stands to double that number no matter where he finishes at the final table. Li’s largest previous cash was for $29,265 when he took 13th place in the 2017 Wynn Summer Classic Championship.

Seat 9: Joe Kuether
Chip Count: 565,000

Kuether will be the only play at the final table who will be multi-tabling at another table in The Big 4, because he is also in the final nine of the $1,100 event. The poker pro has $5,579,879 in career earnings, and he is from Elm Grove, WI. Kuether has appeared at two World Poker Tour final tables, and he has also won three gold rings at World Series of Poker Circuit events.