$2,200 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Freezeout)
Level 18: 2,500/5,000/500 Ante

As we transitioned from Level 17 to Level 18, Darryll Fish took down the biggest pot of the final four and then took a big hit.

Fish got into a 300,000 chip pot with Jason Mercier to get things rolling as off a board, Mercier fired out 32,000 and Fish shoved the rest of his 112,000 chips into the middle.  This time it was Mercier’s turn to tank and after doing the math and reviewing the hand, Mercier made the call and it was easy to see why his decision was so difficult.

Fish:
Mercier:

Fish led with the already made flush and Mercier made the call with top pair and a jack-high flush draw. But Mercier got no help and Fish raked the monster pot.

Unfortunately for Fish, Matt Stout clipped him on another big hand pulling him with a 48,000 chip bet on the river with board. Fish debated before making the call and Stout turned over . Stout rivered the two pair and Fish pushed his cards into the muck. The hand has put Stout a step ahead of the rest of the table as he tries to take down Event 15.

$2,200 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Freezeout)
Level 17: 2,000/4,000/500 Ante

It looks like Jason Mercier has tagged out – to Natasha Barbour’s dog.

Barbour showed up on the rail and Mercier temporarily let his new cuddly friend take over.  Fortunately in this situation, verbal was not binding.

Four players still remain in Event 15.

$2,200 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Freezeout)
Level 17: 2,000/4,000/500 Ante

We had an outstanding final table featuring some of the best players in Seminole Hard Rock-Hollywood history in Event 7.  It was going to be hard to top that table but Event 15 has delivered in a big way.  The final four in this one is a group that any tournament would thrilled to have.

Aside from the “This looks like PokerStars from 2009” jokes going around, it doesn’t get much better than this with Jason Mercier, Darryll Fish, Matt Stout and Shannon Shorr playing for the Event 15 title.

$2,200 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Freezeout)
Level 17: 2,000/4,000/500 Ante

Stephen Pinta had been reduced to one move against this field: going all-in.   And he finally did it at the wrong time.

Pinta pushed his stack and Shannon Shorr made a quick call.  After the rest of the table folded, Pinta flipped up but Shorr was waiting with .  Pinta got no help and was knocked out in 5th place for $14,320 and ton of respect hanging on against a superstar-laden field.

His elimination now leaves an all pro group of Jason Mercier, Darryll Fish, Matt Stout and Shannon Shorr playing for this Event 15 title and $53,920.

$2,200 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Freezeout)
Level 16: 1,500/3,000/500 Ante

Darryll Fish took a lot of time but made the right call.

After Fish bet out 6,500 pre-flop, Matt Stout raised to 16,000 and Stephen Pinta went all-in.  Fish was caught in the squeeze and being the shortest stack at the table had a rough decision to make.

And while hating to use the term here, Fish ended up in the tank for quite awhile trying to decide if this was the place to make a potential final stand.  Finally, he made the call.  Stout folded and the cards were turned up.

Fish:
Pinta:

Fish would end up winning the hand after an board ran out and he now has some chips to play with here in Event 15.

Shortly after, Pinta managed to double his very short stack against Shannor Shorr and stayed alive as we near the players next break.

$2,200 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Freezeout)
Level 16: 1,500/3,000/500 Ante

With three big stacks and three short stacks on the table, some tough collisions were imminent.  This one between Stephen Pinta and Cliff Goldkind turned out be Goldkind’s last here in Event 15.

Pinta put out a raise of 7,000 and Goldkind pulled the trigger going all-in and put Pinta to the test.  Pinta made the call holding while Goldkind flipped up .

Goldkind had been making the most pushes at the final table and looked good after the board ran out but it was not meant to be as Pinta spiked the on the river eliminating Goldkind.

Cliff Goldkind finishes in 6th place for $11,020.  Five players remain and we are guaranteed to have at least one of poker’s finest playing tonight for the Event 15 championship.

$2,200 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Freezeout)
Level 16: 1,500/3,000/500 Ante

Ory Hen, the man who has been so dominant this entire series, ran into one of the few players that could take him down – Jason Mercier.

Hen made an all-in re-raise trying to put Mercier to the test but when the cards were flipped up, Hen was in bad shape.

Hen:
Mercier:

Hen’s hopes to catch up were dashed by the board and Mercier eliminated one of Florida’s hottest players in 7th place. Hen picks up $8,260 as we have now reached the official final table with Stout, Shorr and Mercier leading the way.

$2,200 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Freezeout)
Level 15: 1,200/2,400/400 Ante

Here is how the final seven players are seated at the unofficial final table in Event 15.

Seat 1: Jason Mercier
Seat 2: Darryll Fish
Seat 3: Matt Stout
Seat 4: Stephen Pinta
Seat 5: Ory Hen
Seat 6: Cliff Goldkind
Seat 7: Shannon Shorr

$2,200 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Freezeout)
Level 15: 1,200/2,400/400 Ante

Brian Hasting was all in preflop with and Matt Stout had him covered with . The board was dealt and Hastings was eliminated on the hand in eighth place, good for $8,260. Stout was over 300,000 after the hand and he will have the chip lead at the start of play at the unofficial final table of seven. Play was paused after the hand so players could take their new seats at that final table.