Championship: Curt Kohlberg Eliminated in 42nd Place by Matt Berkey

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 25:  30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  41 of 2,010

Curt Kohlberg

After a flop of 8d7h6h, Curt Kohlberg got it all in from the big blind for 1,150,000 with 10c9s for a ten-high straight, and he needed it to hold to stay alive against the Jh9h (heart flush draw with a gutshot straight draw) of Matt Berkey, who covered him by just 65K from UTG+1.

The turn card was the Jc, the river card was the Kh, and Berkey rivered a heart flush to win the pot and eliminate Kohlberg in 42nd place.

Matt Berkey  –  2,900,000  (48 bb)
Curt Kohlberg  –  Eliminated in 42nd Place  ($20,000)

With 41 players remaining from a field of 2,010, the average chip stack is about 2,450,000 (41 big blinds). The field is in the money, with the remaining players guaranteed at least $20,000.

The 30-second Action Clock by Protection Poker is in use, and players have 30 seconds to make each decision. Each player has been given a limited number of non-transferable Time Chips that can be used to extend a decision by 30 seconds.

Action is scheduled to continue tonight until the field is down to the final two tables (16 players).

Championship: Recent Eliminations, 49th-56th Places

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 25:  30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  42 of 2,010

Nicholas Immekus
51st-Place Finisher Nicholas Immekus

49th:  Giuliano Lentini  –  $17,300
50th:  Uri Kadosh  –  $17,300
51st:  Nicholas Immekus  –  $17,300
52nd:  Andrew Esposito  –  $17,300
53rd:  Eli Berg  –  $17,300
54th:  Michael Nugent  –  $17,300
55th:  Millard Hale III  –  $17,300
56th:  Kevin Garosshen  –  $17,300

Championship: Darren Elias Nearly Laps the Field at the Break with 8.59 Million

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 25:  30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  46 of 2,010

Darren Elias
Four-time WPT Champion Darren Elias has almost twice as many chips as anyone else in the field.

The players have returned from break to begin Level 25, with increased blinds of 30,000-60,000 with a 60,000 ante.

A scan of the field during the break turned up six players with at least 3.5 million in chips, and one knocking on the door to create an unofficial leaderboard:

1.  Darren Elias  –  8,590,000  (143 bb)
2.  Carlos Dorca  –  4,480,000  (75 bb)
3.  Benjamin McCoy  –  4,465,000  (74 bb)
4.  Andrew Barfield  –  4,335,000  (72 bb)
5.  Dan Bekavac  –  3,805,000  (63 bb)
6.  Adam Hendrix  –  3,540,000  (59 bb)
7.  James Kousouros  –  3,460,000  (58 bb)

With 46 players remaining from a field of 2,010, the average chip stack is about 2,185,000 (36 big blinds). The field is in the money, with the remaining players guaranteed at least $20,000.

The 30-second Action Clock by Protection Poker is in use, and players have 30 seconds to make each decision. Each player has been given a limited number of non-transferable Time Chips that can be used to extend a decision by 30 seconds.

Action is scheduled to continue tonight until the field is down to the final two tables (16 players).

Championship: Viet Vo Triples Up as Steven Snyder is Eliminated in 47th Place by Gil Aboodi

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  25,000/50,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  46 of 2,010

Viet Vo
Viet Vo

Gil Aboodi limped from middle position for 50,000, Steven Snyder moved all in from the button for 865,000, and Viet Vo called all in from the big blind for 370,000.

Aboodi called, covering both players, and they turned over their cards:

Gil Aboodi:  KhKd
Steven Snyder:  AdJd
Viet Vo:  AhAc

The board came Jc8h7d5s2d — Snyder paired his jack on the flop to pick up some outs, but improved no further. The pocket aces held up for Viet Vo to win the main pot and triple up in chips.

The pocket kings held up for Aboodi to win the smaller side pot, eliminating Snyder in 47th place.

Viet Vo  –  1,185,000  (24 bb)
Gil Aboodi  –  2,950,000  (59 bb)
Steven Snyder  –  Eliminated in 47th Place  ($20,000)

With 46 players remaining from a field of 2,010, the average chip stack is about 2,185,000 (44 big blinds). The field is in the money, with the remaining players guaranteed at least $20,000.

The 30-second Action Clock by Protection Poker is in use, and players have 30 seconds to make each decision. Each player has been given a limited number of non-transferable Time Chips that can be used to extend a decision by 30 seconds.

Action is scheduled to continue tonight until the field is down to the final two tables (16 players).

Championship: Justin Zaki Doubles Thru Dan Bekavac

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  25,000/50,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  47 of 2,010

Justin Zaki
Justin Zaki

Dan Bekavac raised from the cutoff to 160,000, Justin Zaki moved all in from the small blind for 725,000, and Bekavac called with 8s6h.

Zaki turned over JsJh, and needed it to hold to stay alive.

The board came 10s4s3h2s10c — Bekavac turned a straight draw, but the river card paired the board. The pocket jacks held up for Zaki to win the pot and double up in chips.

Justin Zaki  –  1,550,000  (31 bb)
Dan Bekavac  –  3,800,000  (76 bb)

With 47 players remaining from a field of 2,010, the average chip stack is about 2,140,000 (43 big blinds). The field is in the money, with the remaining players guaranteed at least $20,000.

The 30-second Action Clock by Protection Poker is in use, and players have 30 seconds to make each decision. Each player has been given a limited number of non-transferable Time Chips that can be used to extend a decision by 30 seconds.

Action is scheduled to continue tonight until the field is down to the final two tables (16 players).

Championship: Aram Zobian Eliminated in 48th Place by Christopher Meyers

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  25,000/50,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  47 of 2,010

Christopher Meyers
Christopher Meyers

Christopher Meyers raised from the cutoff to 100,000, and Aram Zobian called from the small blind.

The flop came 6d5d2s, Zobian moved all in for 400,000, and Meyers called with Ad6s for top pair. Zobian turned over Ac2c for a pair of deuces, and needed to improve to stay alive.

The turn card was the Kh, the river card was the Kc, and Meyers won the pot with a higher two pair, kings and sixes, to eliminate Zobian in 48th place.

Christopher Meyers  –  1,850,000  (37 bb)
Aram Zobian  –  Eliminated in 48th Place  ($20,000)

With 47 players remaining from a field of 2,010, the average chip stack is about 2,140,000 (43 big blinds). The field is in the money, with the remaining players guaranteed at least $20,000.

The 30-second Action Clock by Protection Poker is in use, and players have 30 seconds to make each decision. Each player has been given a limited number of non-transferable Time Chips that can be used to extend a decision by 30 seconds.

Action is scheduled to continue tonight until the field is down to the final two tables (16 players).

Championship: Recent Eliminations, 57th-72nd Places

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  25,000/50,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  50 of 2,010

Jake Ferro
69th-Place Finisher Jake Ferro

57th:  Rafael Farah Jarufe  –  $15,000
58th:  Pierre Martin Couturier  –  $15,000
59th:  Jonathan Jaffe  –  $15,000
60th:  Nathan Steuer  –  $15,000
61st:  Timothy Little  –  $15,000
62nd:  Javier Zarco Sanchez  –  $15,000
63rd:  Fred Goldberg  –  $15,000
64th:  Joel Deutsch  –  $15,000

65th:  Jason Weaver  –  $13,100
66th:  Neil Blumenfield  –  $13,100
67th:  Allan Rabinovich  –  $13,100
68th:  Nir Naim  –  $13,100
69th:  Jake Ferro  –  $13,100
70th:  Steve Buckner  –  $13,100
71st:  Alessio Isaia  –  $13,100
72nd:  Erion Qoku  –  $13,100

Steve Buckner
70th-Place Finisher Steve Buckner

Championship: Nicholas Immekus Eliminated in 51st Place by Andrew Barfield

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  25,000/50,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  50 of 2,010

Nicholas Immekus
Nicholas Immekus

Andrew Barfield raised from the cutoff to 110,000, Nicholas Immekus moved all in from the button for 630,000, and Barfield called with AdJc.

Immekus turned over 9s9h, and needed his pocket pair to hold to stay alive.

The board came Ac6h2dQs7s, and Barfield paired his ace on the flop to win the pot and eliminate Immekus in 51st place.

Andrew Barfield  –  2,250,000  (45 bb)
Nicholas Immekus  –  Eliminated in 51st Place  ($17,300)

With 50 players remaining from a field of 2,010, the average chip stack is about 2,010,000 (40 big blinds). The field is in the money, with the remaining players guaranteed at least $17,300.

The 30-second Action Clock by Protection Poker is in use, and players have 30 seconds to make each decision. Each player has been given a limited number of non-transferable Time Chips that can be used to extend a decision by 30 seconds.

Action is scheduled to continue tonight until the field is down to the final two tables (16 players).

Poker Cards and Chips

Championship: Recent Eliminations, 73rd-99th Places

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  57 of 2,010

Brek Schutten
Last year’s Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Champion Brek Schutten went all the way to 76th place in defense of his title.

73rd:  Thomas Laviano  –  $11,600
74th:  Timothy Conn  –  $11,600
75th:  David Mzareulov  –  $11,600
76th:  Brek Schutten  –  $11,600
77th:  Markus Gonsalves  –  $11,600
78th:  Arkadiy Tsinis  –  $11,600
79th:  Carl Bevilacqua  –  $11,600
80th:  Marco Sanchez Alfaro  –  $11,600

81st:  Lex Ozias  –  $10,400
82nd:  Kunal Shah  –  $10,400
83rd:  Andrew Blake  –  $10,400
84th:  Evan Lash  –  $10,400
85th:  Scott Wright  –  $10,400
86th:  Kitty Kuo  –  $10,400
87th:  Tyng Low  –  $10,400
88th:  Justin Liberto  –  $10,400

89th:  Martins Adeniya  –  $9,300
90th:  Sumeet Wayachal  –  $9,300
91st:  Lexy Gavin  –  $9,300
92nd:  Harold Evans  –  $9,300
93rd:  Vito Distefan  –  $9,300
94th:  Michael Graffeo  –  $9,300
95th:  Amarender Sartaj Puri  –  $9,300
96th:  Jean-Louis Santoni  –  $9,300
97th:  Gabriel Abusada  –  $9,300
98th:  Ema Zajmovic  –  $9,300
99th:  Ivan Ruban  –  $9,300

Championship: Javier Zarco Eliminated in 62nd Place by Blaise Ingoglia

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  62 of 2,010

Javier Zarco
Javier Zarco

Rafael Farah entered the pot from the hijack for 150,000, Blaise Ingoglia moved all in from the button for 890,000, and Javier Zarco called all in from the big blind for about 600,000. Farah folded.

Zarco turned over AdQc, and he needed to improve to stay alive against Ingoglia’s AcKh.

The board came Ah10d2d7c9d, and Ingoglia won the pot with a pair of aces and his king kicker to eliminate Zarco in 62nd place.

Blaise Ingoglia  –  1,700,000  (43 bb)
Javier Zarco  –  Eliminated in 62nd Place  ($15,000)

With 62 players remaining from a field of 2,010, the average chip stack is about 1,620,000 (41 big blinds). The field is in the money, with the remaining players guaranteed at least $15,000.

The 30-second Action Clock by Protection Poker is in use, and players have 30 seconds to make each decision. Each player has been given a limited number of non-transferable Time Chips that can be used to extend a decision by 30 seconds.

Action is scheduled to continue tonight until the field is down to the final two tables (16 players).

Blaise Ingoglia
Blaise Ingoglia