Ameristar East Chicago

Kotara Flips a Double

Pawel Kotara was all in preflop from the hijack and was called by Mike Holm.

Pawel Kotara:
Mike Holm:

It was a classic with Kotara’s made hand of eights holding strong, as the runout kept his Main Event hopes alive.

Pawel Kotara - 1,300,000
Mike Holm - 1,100,000

Ariel Pressman Eliminated in 7th Place ($16,164)

Ariel Pressman was all in preflop from middle position and was called by Paul Choi from the button.

Ariel Pressman:
Paul Choi:

Pressman was ahead holding a pair of nines, until an ace appeared in the window on the flop, putting Choi in the lead.

The turn did improve Choi to top two-pair, but it also kept Pressman live with a diamond flush draw.

Unfortunately for Pressman, the river came red, but it was the that completed the board and ended his tournament.

Paul Choi - 3,800,000
Ariel Pressman - Eliminated

Varkey James Eliminated in 8th Place ($12,628)

Varkey Jams was all in preflop from the cutoff, and was called by MSPT champ Jason Mendoza from the hijack.

Varkey James:
Jason Mendoza:

James was behind, looking to connect with either of his two overcards, but couldn’t find either on the runout, ending his Main Event run.

Jason Mendoza - 3,750,000
Varkey James - Eliminated

MSPT Champ Lee Rzentkowski Eliminated in 9th Place ($9,597)

A series of preflop raises led to MSPT champ Lee Rzentkowski getting his 1,300,000 stack in the middle, and fellow champ Jason Mendoza called him from the big blind.

Lee Rzentkowski:
Jason Mendoza:

Rzentkowski didn’t like seeing Mendoza roll over a pair of aces, and for good reason, as the sweaty runput made him the first final table elimination.

Jason Mendoza - 3,200,000
Lee Rzentkowski - Eliminated

Final Table Redraw

Final Table Chip Counts

Player Name	Chip Count	Previous	Progress
Paul Choi (IL)	3,600,000	2,700,000
Michael Holm	3,000,000	2,100,000
John Kurfman	2,800,000	2,900,000
Jason Mendoza	1,375,000	1,300,000
Lee Rzentkowski	1,300,000	1,700,000
Ariel Pressman	1,145,000	750,000
Varkey James	850,000	1,000,000
Benjamin Stuart	750,000	1,300,000
Pawel Kotara	695,000	1,100,000

Jeff Schwartz Eliminated in 10th Place ($7,577)

Jeff Schwartz raised all in for 455,000 from the button, and Paul Choi looked him up from the small blind.

Jeff Schwartz:
Paul Choi:

Schwartz was behind holding suited connecting cards, but wasn’t able to connect on the runout, making him the final table bubble.

Paul Choi - 3,600,000
Jeff Schwartz - Eliminated

Fred Ginther Eliminated in 11th Place ($7,577)

John ‘Farmboy’ Kurfman raised to 130,000 from the hijack, and then called Fred Ginther’s 1,110,000 three-bet jam from the cutoff.

Fred Ginther:
John ‘Farmboy’ Kurfman:

Ginther was ahead holding a premium hand of kings, until the flop fell giving Kurfman the ace-high flush.

The pairing the board on the turn kept Ginther live with one card to go, but the completed the board on the river and ended his tournament.

John ‘Farmboy’ Kurfman - 2,900,000
Fred Ginther - Eliminated

Stuart Doubles Through Pressman with Aces

MSPT champ Lee Rzentkowski raised from the cutoff only to have Ariel Pressman three-bet from the button, and Ben Stuart (pictured above) four-bet jam for 550,000 from the big blind.

Only Pressman called, and the two players tabled their hands.

Ben Stuart:
Ariel Pressman:

Stuart woke up with aces at the perfect time, as the runout secured his double-up.

Ben Stuart - 1,300,000
Ariel Pressman - 750,000