Table 26 of the shootout portion may have set the stage for this final table. We're over two hours in without an elimination yet. Jai Kemp did take a big hit in the last hand with Edison Nguyen. Kemp opened for 24,000 and Nguyen called in position. The flop was ragged, . Kemp checked it Nguyen, then called when Nguyen bet 35,000.
The turn came . Again Kemp checked, but this time he raised to 95,000 after Nguyen made it 45,000 to go. Undeterred, Nguyen responded by announcing he was all in. As the chip leader at the table, Nguyen had Kemp covered. Kemp thought it through for a few seconds before mucking. He's down to 137,000 in chips.
It doesn't help to generate action when players are being dealt the same hands. That's what happened in a pot between Neil Channing and Ben Delaney. After a preflop raise, the two checked all the way to the river without connecting with the board. Each showed a suited ace-jack at that point for a chop.
Sometimes it seems like Jai Kemp is almost invisible at this final table. He is certainly playing far fewer hands than anyone else. He did decide to call a raise to 15,000 from Ben Delaney. Sean Keeton also called out of the big blind, leading to a three-way flop of . After Keeton checked, Delaney made a continuation bet of 25,000. Only Kemp called.
Both players checked the turn and the river. It was then that Kemp turned over for two pair, aces and fives. Delaney nodded and mucked his hand.
There's still not been a single elimination from the final table, in part due to Liv Boeree's excellent short-stack play. She raised to 16,000 and was called by the big blind, Edison Nguyen. When Nguyen checked a flop that came down , Boeree moved all in. Nguyen wasted little time before folding.
Ben Delaney did most of the aggressing in a hand against Neil Channing. He raised preflop to 15,000 (Channing called); he bet 23,000 on a flop of (Channing called); he checked the turn (Channing also checked); and then he checked the river. It was at that point that Channing went for a bet of 25,000 chips. Delaney quickly called, then just as quickly mucked when Channing showed him two red jacks, .
Sean Keeton was sleepily rubbing his eye one moment, then the next moment confidently declaring that he was all in for 150,000 over the top of an open-raise to 16,500 from Edison Nguyen. Keeton flashed Nguyen a goofy smile as Nguyen contemplated the call. He smiled again and banged the table in disappointment when Nguyen folded.
We still don't have any table talk at this final table, other than declarations of actions. We're getting a little more action. Cort Kibler-Melby opened for 15,000 and was called by Saidal Wardak. Kibler-Melby bet 20,000 on a flop of and then surrendered his hand when Wardak raised to 60,000.
"Come on Saidal!" shouted a supporter from the rail as Wardak collected the pot.