Our final table is a good one, and it's drawn quite a crowd to the rail. We're exiled over here in the secondary featured table area, and it's got a flimsy black rope surround the table at a pretty close proximity. We've seen a ton of familiar faces come and go. Alex Bolotin stopped by early on to wish Eric Buchman luck, and we see Dan O'Brien and Allen Bari sweating Brent Hanks, we assume. We've also spotted Allen Kessler, Jonathan Wein, Mohsin Charania, Matt Affleck, Mel Judah, and just now, Jason Mercier.
John Juanda raised with the button, and John Monnette called out of the big blind. Monette drew three, Juanda drew two, and Monnette led out. Juanda called.
Both players drew one on the second draw and checked. They both drew one on the third draw as well, and Monnette checked to Juanda again. Juanda slid out a bet, Monnette immediately check-raised, and Juanda released.
Brent Hanks potted from the cutoff, making it 42,000, and John Monnette called in the big blind. The flop came down , Monnette checked, and Hanks went all in. Monnette snapped it off.
Hanks:
Monnette:
"Diamonds!" someone on Hanks' rail shouted.
"No," Hanks responded. "We want hearts."
They were both wrong, the turn was a club; the . Hanks could now make a straight or a flush to win the pot.
"Am I gunna hit this?" he asked his rail with a grin.
River -
"Mmmmmmmmmmyeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" his rail cheered.
"Straight flush," Hanks professed, pushed the and the from his hand to the board.
"That's the second-best hand you can get!" someone yelled.
Hanks' straight flush gave him the pot, and doubled him to over 250,000 chips.
Michele Limongi opened to 20,000 from early position, and the action folded to Adam Kornuth who moved all in for 265,000 from the small blind. Limongi tanked for nearly two minutes before calling.
Limongi:
Kornuth:
"Who wants an eight?" Limongi jokingly asked the rail.
The flop came down , which was no help for Kornuth, and neither was the on the turn. Limongi was standing nervously, kissing a lucky coin while the dealer waited for permission to deal the river. The hit the felt, cementing Limongi's tens as the best hand, and Kornuth exited in 7th place.
John Racener got his money in ahead with / on fifth street against Eric Buchman's / . Buchman pulled the on fifth to take a big lead with his flush, but Racener caught the to make two pair and keep himself drawing live. He needed to fill up to stay afloat, but his seventh card was the , a blank.
That's the end of Racener's day in 8th place, good for just less than $25,000.
Eric Buchman completed with the up, and John Juanda three-bet with the . Desmond Portano called 20,000 before he realized it was 40,000, and he called the extra amount to go three ways.
Juanda paired with the on fourth street, and he bet. Portano pulled a and called, Buchman caught a , and he called too. On fifth, Juanda drew a , and Portano's and Buchman's were both not good enough to call with.
Michele Limongi completed with the , and Desmond Portano called with the up.
Limongi: (x-x) / / (x)
Portano: (x-x) / / (x)
Portano bet his pair on fourth street, and he bet again on fifth. Limongi called both those bets, then made one of his own when Portano checked sixth street. The call came, and both men checked seventh street.
Portano revealed down for the pair of fives with the eight-seven low. Limongi turned over , and his pair of sixes was good for the high half. Portano gets the low, and it's a split pot.
![[user66118]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
, Monnette checked, and Hanks went all in. Monnette snapped it off.
. Hanks could now make a straight or a flush to win the pot.
, which was no help for Kornuth, and neither was the 
on the turn. Limongi was standing nervously, kissing a lucky coin while the dealer waited for permission to deal the river. The 
hit the felt, cementing Limongi's tens as the best hand, and Kornuth exited in 7th place.
/ 
on fifth street against Eric Buchman's 
/ 
. Buchman pulled the 
to make two pair and keep himself drawing live. He needed to fill up to stay afloat, but his seventh card was the 
, a blank.
, and he called too. On fifth, Juanda drew a 
were both not good enough to call with.
, and Desmond Portano called with the 
/ (x)
down for the pair of fives with the eight-seven low. Limongi turned over 
, and his pair of sixes was good for the high half. Portano gets the low, and it's a split pot.