We found Craig McCorkell all in and at risk for roughly 100,000 before the flop. McCorkell was up against Bradley Craig and in need of improvement.
McCorkell:
Craig:
The flop came down , keeping Craig's ace-king high out in front. The dropped down on the turn, meaning that McCorkell would need to spike a jack for the full double or a five to chop the pot.
The dealer burned and produced a dramatic river card — the — ensuring that McCorkell would stay alive. Craig shipped a majority of his stack to the other end of the table and is now left with 85,000. McCorkell, on the other hand, now has about 220,000 in chips.
Meanwhile on an adjacent table, a short-stacked Randy Ohel was eliminated from play.
With three players busting on the bubble - Zhen Cai, Kori Hunter, and John Dwyer - and only one 2015 World Series of Poker Main Event seat to give away, Jack Effel decided to get a little crazy.
The three split the first $18,406 prize, earning $6,135.33 each, then pulled high cards for the $10,000 seat.
"Alright, Max," Effel told the dealer. "Let's scramble 'em up."
Max obliged, shuffling the cards then fanned the 52 across a table in the middle of the Amazon Room. Hunter was first, and he opted to sweat his card. He eventually turned over the , leaving him drawing very slim, and Cai quickly took the lead with the man with the ax - the .
Dwyer was the last to pick, and because spades and hearts rank higher than diamonds, there were six cards in the deck that could give him the $10,000 seat: .
He also pulled a red six - the - and Cai was the winner of the hi-card bonanza.
The remaining players are all in the money, and guaranteed a minimum of $18,406, but all eyes are on the $10 million first-place prize.
After big preflop action, Paul Tedeschi was all in and at risk for 145,000 on a flop of . He was ahead with against the of Arthur Morris, and the cards were turned face up when prompted by Jack Effel.
"There's streets to come," Morris joked, hoping for a diamond on the turn.
The turn was red, but the was a brick, as was the on the river.
The Frenchman doubled to 440,000 chips, while Morris dipped down to 520,000.
The action folded to Stuart Rutter on the button and he raised to 10,500. Daniel Alaei called from the big blind and checked the flop with Rutter continuing for 12,000. Alaei then pushed in a stack of chips before Rutter moved all in for 73,000 with Alaei instantly making the call.
Although Rutter was the first hand to be paused, his would be the last to be played out.
Rutter:
Alaei:
With Rutter at risk, the turn of the and river of the ensured him the double to 174,000 as Alaei slipped to 145,000 in chips.
Kori Hunter was all in for 46,000 over an opening raise from Harry Kaczka. Kaczka made the call, then both he and Hunter waited to reveal their hands while the other all-in hands played out.
After the first two were competed, Hunter turned over the and was up against Kaczka's .
The flop came down to give Kaczka a pair of eights, but keep Hunter in the lead.
The turn was the , and that made things even more interesting as Kaczka added a gutshot straight draw.
Then, the river delivered the to give Kaczka two pair, and that was the end of the line for Hunter as he joined the other two players before him as bustouts on the bubble.
Zhen Cai shoved from early position for 29,500 and was called by Darren Keyes in the big blind. After several minutes of having to wait for the ESPN cameras to get there because of multiple all-in hands, the hands were revealed.
Cai:
Keyes:
Cai found no help from the board that ran out , ending his Main Event on the bubble.
There were multiple all-in situations on the first hand of the bubble, and one of the first to play out happened over at Table 377.
It began when Mark Newhouse, who finished ninth in this very event last year, opened for 10,500 and John Dwyer called on the button. The player in the small blind came along for the ride and it was three-way action to the flop. The small blind checked, Newhouse bet 18,000, and only Dwyer called.
When the appeared on the turn, Newhouse bet 32,000 and Dwyer called, which brought about the on river. Newhouse simply bet 205,000, which put Dwyer, who had 160,000 behind, to the ultimate test. The minutes ticked by as Dwyer debated what to do, and he ultimately dropped in a single orange T5,000 chip to signify a call.
Action was paused until tournament director Jack Effel could make his way over, and he told the players to table their hands. Dwyer showed for a full house, but it was no good as Newhouse held for quads.
There were other hands yet to play out, so Dywer stuck around to see if any other players would bust on the hand.
We arrived to find Andrey Zaichenko and Randy Ohel engaged in a hand where the completed board read . Ohel checked the river and Zaichenko fired out a bet of what looked to be 70,000. Ohel announced a call and Zaichenko showed for a rivered straight.
Ohel sighed, flashed for two pair, and dropped his cards into the muck. This hit left Ohel with just 9,000 in chips while Zaichenko's stack soared to around 845,000.
, keeping Craig's ace-king high out in front. The 
dropped down on the turn, meaning that McCorkell would need to spike a jack for the full double or a five to chop the pot.
— ensuring that McCorkell would stay alive. Craig shipped a majority of his stack to the other end of the table and is now left with 85,000. McCorkell, on the other hand, now has about 220,000 in chips.
and Moroeanu will collect the $18,406 min-cash.
, leaving him drawing very slim, and Cai quickly took the lead with the man with the ax - the 
.
- and Cai was the winner of the hi-card bonanza.
. He was ahead with 
of Arthur Morris, and the cards were turned face up when prompted by Jack Effel.
was a brick, as was the 
.
to give Kaczka a pair of eights, but keep Hunter in the lead.
, and that made things even more interesting as Kaczka added a gutshot straight draw.
to give Kaczka two pair, and that was the end of the line for Hunter as he joined the other two players before him as bustouts on the bubble.
for two pair, and dropped his cards into the muck. This hit left Ohel with just 9,000 in chips while Zaichenko's stack soared to around 845,000.
