$1,650 Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em
Players Remaining: 3
Level 1: 50/100

Aaron Mermelstein was down very early in this heads-up match before doubling the stacks back to even. He’s just put himself in a hole once again, though.

The most recent pot began with Alex Foxen raising to 300 on the button, and Mermelstein defended his big blind. The flop was . Mermelstein checked, Foxen continued for 300, and Mermelstein check-raised to 750. Foxen called, and the turn was the . Mermelstein bet 1,000, and Foxen called. The river was the , and Mermelstein bet 1,500. Foxen moved all in with the covering stack, and Mermelstein surrendered his cards into the muck. Foxen won the pot with no showdown, taking a lead of nearly 4:1 here in the first level.

Alex Foxen – 19,050
Aaron Mermelstein – 4,950

$1,650 Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em
Players Remaining: 3
Level 1: 50/100

The final semifinal match between Aaron Mermelstein and Alex Foxen has just gotten underway. The winner of this best-of-three match will clinch their seat in the final, where Ari Engel awaits.

$1,650 Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em
Players Remaining: 4
Level 7: 300/600

George Lusby moved all in for 4,750 on the button, and Aaron Mermelstein called from the big blind to put him at risk.

Lusby:
Mermelstein:

The board ran out , and Mermelstein flopped a pair of eights to win the pot, the game, and the match. He advances to a semifinal matchup against Alex Foxen, which is scheduled to begin in just a few minutes.

Lusby was eliminated by a score of 2-1.

Aaron Mermelstein – Advances to Semifinals
George Lusby – Eliminated in Quarterfinals ($4,800)

$1,650 Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em
Players Remaining: 4
Level 6: 250/500

Aaron Mermelstein had been whittled down to 7,950 chips when he got it all in with a premium pair against George Lusby.

Mermelstein:
Lusby:

The board ran out , and Mermelstein won the pot with his pair of queens. That double-up gives him a 2:1 chiplead, the first time he’s had a such a large edge large in this decisive third game.

Aaron Mermelstein – 15,900
George Lusby – 8,100

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

Aaron Mermelstein has been all in and called three times in the last five hands. And he’s won all three.

The last one was for 6,100 apiece, with Mermelstein’s holding against George Lusby’s . Stacking that double-up pot gives Mermelstein a small chip lead after being down to just a handful of big blinds less than five minutes ago.

Aaron Mermelstein – 12,200
George Lusby – 11,800

$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