A few tables were shifted around during the break in order to move chip leader Kyle Keranan to the ESPN feature stage. This is familiar territory for Keranen, who was the chip leader after Day 5 of the 2012 Main Event. He ended up finishing 38th in that tournament and is well on his way to surpassing that result this year.
Players are on break after Level 20, the first level of the day, and it was relatively light on major action for a two-hour stretch this deep in a tournament. Having said that, some notable names did head for the payout desk this level: Mike Sowers (286th), Sam Jaddi (284th), Michael Shklover (278th), John Monnette (272nd), Tony Ma (265th), Konstantin Puchkov (262nd), and Kory Kilpatrick (249th).
At the other end of the spectrum, Griffin Benger has pushed for the chip lead by hitting the 3.3 million mark. He still trails the 3.5 million of Kyle Keranen.
In one recent pot, Benger was in the big blind against Michael Palo on the button, and he check-called 75,000 on a board of . On the river, Benger checked again before calling 150,000. After his opponent announced a pair of sevens, Benger turned over for top two, and he took down the pot.
Trailing Benger at the top of the counts: Zach Jiganti (2845,000), Leif Force (2,563,000), and Dan Smith (2,550,000).
Mark Newhouse is surging today with 2.35 million after outdrawing a pair of kings in the hole with by making an ace-high flush as he pushes toward a second straight November Nine appearance.
Raj Vohra opened to 26,000 in the hijack only to have Mukul Pahuja three-bet next to act to 64,000. Vohra responded by making it 157,000 and Pahuja called as the dealer spread a flop.
Vohra checked and Pahuja bet out 88,000 which Vohra called as the was checked by both players on the turn. The river landed the and as Vohra checked a third time, Pahuja cut out a bet of 315,000.
With players now heading on break, Vohra went deep into the tank as Pahuja sat there stone-faced looking down towards the board and the pot.
Although a few players stayed behind, over eight minutes would pass with Vohra still not settling on a decision.
Pahuja finally broke his statuesque gaze and took a sip of his coffee Vohra pushed the calling chips into the pot with half the break already over.
Pahuja tabled his for a full house to scoop the pot and climb to 1,770,000 as Vohra slipped down to 171,000 in chips.
Garrett Garvin moved all in for his last 174,000 from middle position and Martin Jacobson called from the cutoff. The button and blinds folded, allowing the hands to be tabled.
Garvin showed and was racing with Jacobson's . The flop came down , keeping Garvin's jacks in the lead. The dropped down on fourth street, meaning Jacobson needed an ace or a king on the river to score the elimination. The river was indeed the , allowing Jacobson to make top pair and eliminate Garvin from play.
Vadzim Markushevski was all in and at risk for 355,000 - around the size of the pot - on a board of . His was ahead of Idan Raviv's , and both players held straight and flush draws.
The river was the , giving Markushevski a heart flush, and he doubled to 1.085 million chips.
When we arrived at the table, Timur Margolin had 78,000 in front of him on the button and was facing a four-bet from Kyle Keranen to 158,000 from an earlier position. Margolin opted to make the call, and the flop fell . After Keranen checked, Margolin bet 116,000. Keranen made the call to see the turn.
Fourth street produced the , and action was checked through to the river card. Keranen studied, then bet 245,000. Margolin received the count on the bet, took about a minute, then called.
Keranen rolled over the for top two pair, kings and queens, and Margolin mucked his hand. This moved Keranen up over 3.5 million and dropped Margolin to 500,000.
To provide a little background information on Keranen, he was the chip leader at the end of Day 5 in the 2012 World Series of Poker Main Event. t that point i the tournament that year, Keranen finished the day with 6.935 million in chips and 97 players remained. He went on to bust on Day 6 in 38th place for $191,646. Keranen has two other WSOP cashes on record, one from 2011 and one from 2010, and a total of $260,856 in live tournament earnings.
Below are the full chip counts from Table 422 following the hand.
Farzad Bonyadi, winner of three World Series of Poker bracelets and almost $4 million in career earnings, has just been knocked out by Eddy Sabat.
Sabat raised from early position to 25,000 and the action folded to Bonyadi in the big blind. Bonyadi moved all in for 189,000 and Sabat went into the tank for a bit.
"This may be optimistic," Sabat said right before he put in the call.
![[user153906]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
. On the 
river, Benger checked again before calling 150,000. After his opponent announced a pair of sevens, Benger turned over 
for top two, and he took down the pot.
flop.
was checked by both players on the turn. The river landed the 
and as Vohra checked a third time, Pahuja cut out a bet of 315,000.
for a full house to scoop the pot and climb to 1,770,000 as Vohra slipped down to 171,000 in chips.
and was racing with Jacobson's 
. The flop came down 
dropped down on fourth street, meaning Jacobson needed an ace or a king on the river to score the elimination. The river was indeed the 
, allowing Jacobson to make top pair and eliminate Garvin from play.
was ahead of Idan Raviv's 
, giving Markushevski a heart flush, and he doubled to 1.085 million chips.
. After Keranen checked, Margolin bet 116,000. Keranen made the call to see the turn.
, and action was checked through to the 
river card. Keranen studied, then bet 245,000. Margolin received the count on the bet, took about a minute, then called.
