The original plan was to play 10 levels today with a break after Level 6. Instead, the tournament organization has just decided to play eight levels today with no dinner break. The (late) registration and time to reenter when busted remain the same. Instead of till the start of Day 2, though, registration is now open until the start of the third level on Day 2.
Cary Katz limped in from middle position, Haralabos Voulgaris raised to 9,000 from the cutoff, Blake Bohn called from the big blind, Katz limp-reraised to 36,000, Voulgaris folded, and Bohn called.
The flop came down and Bohn check-called 35,500 from Katz to see the turn. Bohn checked, Katz bet 75,000, Bohn check-raised to 250,000, and Katz called after a little while. The river was the and both players checked.
Bohn showed for a set of queens, Katz mucked, and Bohn collected the pot.
Jason Mercier opened under the gun for 8,500 and Niall Farrell on the button called. Both blinds called as well and checked on . Mercier bet 15,500 and Farrell called. Small blind Sam Stein tanked for a bit and called, but big blind Chance Kornuth folded.
Stein checked again as the hit the turn. Mercier bet 59,000 and Farrell called while Stein folded.
The completed the board and Mercier checked. Farrell bet 115,000 and Mercier instantly folded.
Following the river of a board with about 260,000 in the middle, Rainer Kempe (under the gun) was in the tank facing a shove of 168,000 from Ben Tollerene in middle position. After a little while, Kempe called.
Tollerene tabled , but Kempe turned over for a straight to win the pot and eliminate Tollerene.
Right before the break got underway, another German player entered the competition. Three-time bracelet winner Dominik Nitsche took his seat in between Niall Farrell and Sam Stein after having just busted in Event #3: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em SHOOTOUT.
Picking up the action after the turn of a board that read with about 100,000 in the pot, action was on Erik Seidel in the big blind, tanking for his remaining 170,000-ish after being set all in by Leon Tsoukernik on the button. After a little while mulling it over, Seidel called all in.
Tsoukernik tabled for trip aces and had Seidel's drawing dead. The river was the inconsequential and Tsoukernik scored the elimination.
In the following hand, Jonathan Jaffe raised to 13,000 from under the gun and Tsoukernik three-bet to 40,000 from the cutoff. Jaffe called and the flop came down .
Jaffe checked, Tsoukernik bet 60,000, Jaffe called, and the turn was the . Jaffe checked again and Tsoukernik bet effectively 620,000. After mulling it over for about 45 seconds, Jaffe folded. Tsoukernik showed .
Christoph Vogelsang, who took down the 2017 edition of the $300,000 buy-in Super High Roller Bowl for $6 million last week, has just taken his seat again after having busted earlier. The man he beat heads up, Jake Schindler, is sitting three to his left. Except for Pratyush Buddiga, who finished sixth for $1 million, all players that made the money in the biggest event of the year, are all playing this event as well.