Alex Yen has stayed relatively quiet, but he continues to increase his stack by refusing to let players open light or limp when he's in the blinds. He recently shoved over a raise from Charlie Dawson and then shoved again when Drake Espenlaub tried open-limping the button.
Drake Espenlaub bet 26,000 from the button on a board of , and Dale Sudduth raised to 52,000 from the big blind. Espenlaub called, and the river came a . Sudduth fired out 100,000, and Espenlaub thought only briefly before forcefully sliding in a call.
"Good call," Sudduth said, showing .
"It's good," Espenlaub said regretfully as he got out of his seat before spiking his cards onto the felt, one of which bounced off the table.
"First bluff of the tournament," Sudduth said as he dragged the pot. "I didn't know I wasn't bluffing."
Charlie Dawson opened for 52,000 in the cutoff and was called by Evan Niemeier on the button and Rory Monahan in the big blind. The flop brought , and Dawson bet 75,000. Niemeier raised to 150,000. With shaky hands, Monahan stacked all of his chips into a tower and slid them forward. Dawson announced all in as well, and Niemeier folded.
Monahan:
Dawson:
"Good flop," Dawson said. "Club to make it interesting."
A arrived though, leaving Dawson with just two outs. He missed on the river, and he sent 203,000 to Monahan.
John Hoover pushed all in under the gun for about 180,000, and Rory Monahan made the call from the hijack.
Monahan:
Hoover:
"Windowww," one of Hoover's friends said from the rail as the was turned over followed by . The turn gave Monahan a straight draw. Paint arrived on the end, but it was the , no help to Monahan.
Byron Hubert shoved all in from the hijack for about 150,000, and Evan Niemeier eyed the stacks behind him from the button. He announced all in after about a minute of thought, and the blinds folded.
Hubert:
Niemeier:
The flop was , followed by a .
"Jack will save you now," Charlie Dawson observed. It was a though, and Hubert was the first to go at the final table.
Byron Hubert put his last 57,000 in from middle position, and action folded to Alex Yen, who called from the small blind. Dale Sudduth came along in the big, and the flop brought . Yen bet 65,000, and Sudduth quickly folded.
Yen:
Hubert:
Yen had slowplayed his monster, but Hubert had gotten a good flop for his jack-eight.
"Five for a sweat, though," a member of Hubert's rail called.
Close: it was a which gave him more outs with a gutshot. The river was one of the cards he sought, and Hubert at least has a stack that could force some folds now.
Evan Niemeier opened for 35,000 and was called by Drake Espenlaub on the button. From the small blind, Alex Yen shoved all in and collected the pot when everyone folded.
Rory Monahan opened for 40,000 in middle position and got two callers behind him. Everyone checked the flop, and Monahan bet 40,000 on the turn. Drake Espenlaub made it 80,000, and Dale Sudduth mucked. Monahan quickly called, but he check-folded to 55,000 on the river.