Grant Hinkle raised to 350,000 preflop and James Akenhead reraised to 1.2 million. Hinkle then reraised all in and Akenhead quickly made the all-in call. They both flipped up their cards and revealed:

Hinkle: 104

Akenhead: AK   

Board: 10410105

Blinds/Antes: 80,000 - 160,000 with a 20,000 ante

Players Left: 2 of 3,929

Chip Counts:

Hinkle Wins One Early

Hinkle began the heads-up match by taking down an early pot worth 1.5 million. The board read KJJ28 when Hinkle revealed K8 after both players checked the river. He increased his large lead even more so thanks to this pot.

The Akenhead Headache for Hinkle

Hinkle took down an early pot, but James Akenhead has proved a worthy opponent during the heads-up match by picking up more than his fair share of the small pots that have come to define this heads-up match. Many pots make it to a flop, and the two players seem content feeling each other out for now. This style seems to be playing into the hands of Akenhead as the two chip stacks draw even.

Hinkle Stirkes Back

Hinkle opened the action for 300,000 and Akenhead reraised to 600,000. Hinkle reraised again to 1.2 million and Akenhead made the call. The flop hit the table K74 and Akenhead checked his option. Hinkle bet 1.5 million and Akenhead mucked his cards. Hinkle was able to recoup some of the losses he had suffered at the hands of Akenhead and the chip counts now stand Hinkle - 6.5 million to Akenhead - 5.2 million.

Role Reversal

Let the record show that Akenhead took over the chip lead from Hinkle 36 hands into their heads-up match. He held over 6 million in chips for the first time.

Note: The players went on yet another break 20 minute break.

Blinds/Antes: 50,000 - 100,000 with a 10,000 ante

Players Left: 2 of 3,929

Chip Counts:

Big Hands and Storylines:

James Akenhead Doubles up through Jesus

Ferguson raised 350,000 preflop and James Akenhead made the call. The flop rolled out Q98 and Ferguson moved all in. Akenhead quickly called and the two players turned up their hands:

Akenhead: AA

Ferguson: J7

Turn and River: 23

Chris Ferguson Eliminated in 3rd Place ($388,287)

Ferguson moved all in preflop for 815,000 and Akenhead made the call. The two players exposed their hole cards:

Ferguson: K10

Akenhead: A10

Board: AQ845

Blinds/Antes: 50,000 - 100,000 with a 10,000 ante

Players Left: 3 of 3,929

Chip Counts:

Big Hands and Storylines:

Mike Ngo Eliminated in 5th Place ($268,154)

Grant Hinkle raised to 325,000 preflop and Mike Ngo reraised all in for 1.6 million. They then turned up their hands:

Hinkle: AJ

Ngo: AK

Board: Q538J

Ngo is eliminated in 5th place, and he will take home $268,154 in prize money. Hinkle added to his chip lead, and now holds 4.5 million.

Tran Doubles Up

Hinkle raised to 250,000 and Theo Tran moved all in behind him. Ferguson made the all-in call and Hinkle mucked. They then turned up their hands:

Tran: AK

Ferguson: 88

Board: J103K6

Tran doubled up on the hand, and Ferguson took a huge hit to his stack.

Theo Tran Eliminated in 4th Place ($327,148)

Hinkle raised preflop to 250,000 and Tran made the call. The flop rolled out AK4 and Tran checked. Hinkle raised 300,000 and Tran called. The turn rolled out the A and Tran checked again. Hinkle opened the action again, this time for 700,000, and Tran made the call. The 8 fell on the river and Tran checked for a third time. Hinkle moved all in and Tran made the call. They flipped up their hands and Tran revealed AQ. Hinkle showed A4 and he eliminated Tran with a full house. Tran took home $327,148 for his his fourth-place finish.

The Resurrection

Jesus Three Times

Chris Ferguson moved all in preflop for 430,000 and both Hinkle and James Akenhead made the call. The side pot was arranged and the two live players checked down a board of 1082Q6. Ferguson turned up his hand on the river to reveal KQ, which was good enough for him to triple up! The pre-Ferguson crowd erupted into cheers that echoed across the Amazon Room, momentarily drowning out the consant clatter and chirp of shuffling chips. Jesus was alive and kicking.

Jesus One More Time

Four hands after the crowd-rousing triple up Ferguson found himself facing an all-in decision once again. Hinkle moaved all in preflop and Ferguson made an all-in call. The two then turned up their hands:

Ferguson: A8

Hinkle: QJ

Board: K72103

Ferguson tempted fate once more, and survived to tell the tale.

Blinds/Antes: 40,000 - 80,000 with a 10,000 ante

Players Left: 5 of 3,929

Chip Counts:

Eliminations:

Big Hands and Storylines:

Grant Hinkle: The Silent Assassin

Grant Hinkle has continued to build a huge stack by taking down small pots. No pot he took down was overwhelming, but he keeps chipping away, and keeps inching away from the competition. Hinkle has quietly become the first player to hold over 3 million in the tournament.

Aaron Coulthard Eliminated in 6th Place ($211,842)

James Akenhead raised to 225,000 preflop and Aaron Coulthard reraised all in for 855,000. Akenhead called and they turned up their hands. Akenhead showed down AK and Coulthard turned up KJ. The board ran out 872Q9. Coulthard was eliminated in 6th place, and he took home $211,842 in prize money.

Blinds/Antes: 40,000 - 80,000 with a 10,000 ante

Players Left: 6 of 3,929

Chip Counts:

None

Big Hands and Storylines:

Call Me - I Dare You

During the 15 hands that transpired after a short break taken after Melvin Jones elimination, not too much went down. Two players did move all of their chips into the middle though. Chris Ferguson pushed for 975,000 and Aaron Coulthard shoved for 825,000, but in both cases no one called them down. Coulthard moved all in a second time about 20 hands into this stretch and once again found no one to tango with for his tournament life.

James Akenhead Good with a Straight and Good with Tens

James Akenhead managed to pick up two sizeable pots during this stretch.

Hand 1: Theo Tran raised to 170,000 preflop and both Akenhead and Mike Ngo made the call. The flop delivered AQ10 on the board and all three players checked. The turn was dealt 4 and Ngo bet 200,000. Tran mucked and Akenhead made the call. The river fell J and Ngo checked. Akenhead bet 475,000 and Ngo reluctantly made the call. Akenhead revealed AK and picked up a cool million on the hand.

Hand 2: Tran raised to 200,000 preflop and Akenhead made the call. The flop rolled out J72 and both players checked. The turn brought the J and Tran fired out 200,000 again. Akenhead called and the river fell 3. Both players checked and Akenhead revealed pocket tens to take down the hand.

These pots took Akenhead above the 2-million mark.

Mike Ngo Doubles Up

Ngo exacted some revenge on Akenhead when he moved all in preflop and Akenhead had him covered for his tournament life. They turned up their hands and revealed:

Ngo: A10

Akenhead: KK

Board: A64Q6

Blinds/Antes: 30,000 - 60,000 with a 5,000 ante

Players Left: 6 of 3,929

Chip Counts:

Melvin Jones - 7th Place ($158,211)

Big Hands and Storylines:

Tran Says No to Ngo on the River

Mike Ngo raised to 180,000 preflop and Theo Tran made the call from the button. The flop rolled out 1063 and Ngo checked. Tran raised 180,000 and Ngo made the call. The turn brought the J and the same check, bet, call sequence repeated itself, but this time Tran made it 235,000 to go. The Q fell on the river and Ngo moved all in. Tran got up from the table and looked perturbed for a moment before he mucked his hand. Ngo picked up over 600,000 on the hand.

Aaron Coulthard Doubles Up

Aaron Coulthad moved all in preflop from middle position for 510,000 and Theo Tran made the call from the small blind. They then turned up their hands:

Tran: AA

Coulthard: 77

Board: 76322

Coulthard caught a miracle seven on the flop and drove the dagger home by improving to a full house.

Theo Tran Doubles Up

Two hands later it was Tran's turn to get all of his chips into the middle, and he pinned his hopes on two red queens. Melvin Jones called him down with AJ and the board ran out 108265. Tran doubled up to 1.5 million, while Jones was crippled with 400,000 left in front of him.

Melvin Jones Does not Double Up - Eliminated in 7th Place ($158,211)

On the very next hand Jones got the last of his chips into the middle preflop, and soon discovered that he had made a huge mistake when Tran called him down. Jones held Q10 and Tran revealed two red aces for the the second time in four hands. This time the board fell KQ685 and the aces held to deliver Tran some vindication for what had happened four hands earlier. Jones was eliminated in 7th place, and took home $158,211 in prize money.

Blinds/Antes: 20,000 - 40,000 with a 5,000 ante

Players Left: 7 of 3,929

Chip Counts:

David Bach - 8th Place ($117,988)

Big Hands and Storylines:

Grant Hinkle Scores a Nice Pot

Theo Tran and Grant Hinkle built a pot up to 300,000 on a board of Q4258 before Hinkle moved all in on the river for 700,000. Tran went into the tank for a moment and then mucked his hand.

David Bach Eliminated in 8th Place ($117,988)

David Bach raised all in preflop and both Theo Tran and Chris Ferguson made the call. The flop was dealt K95 and all three players checked. The 3 fell on the turn and Bach moved all in. Tran moved all in over the top of him and Ferguson got out of the way. They then turned up their hands:

Bach: 76

Tran: J9

Turn and River: 32

Bach was eliminated on the hand in 8th place, and he will take home $117,988 in prize money.

Note: There was a 5-minute pause in the action after the elimination of Bach.

James Akenhead Scores a Nice Pot

Chris Ferguson opened the action for 150,000 and James Akenhead raised to 450,000. Ferguson made the call and then both players checked a flop of K88. They also checked the 10 on the turn, and the river fell 2. Akenman bet 500,000 and Ferguson went into the tank for a while before folding.

Note: The players then went on a 30-minute break and should return at 10:20 p.m. Next post will be up at 11 p.m.

Blinds/Antes: 20,000 - 40,000 with a 5,000 ante

Players Left: 8 of 3,929

Chip Counts:

Eliminations: 

Joe Rutledge - 9th Place ($83,128)

Big Hands and Storylines:

A Decade of Silence

After the excitement of the first hand took place, a period of ten hands with little to no action followed. Many pots were decided by a walk or raise-and-take-it move.

Joe Rutledge Eliminated in 9th Place ($83,128)

Joe Rutledge moved all in preflop and Chris Ferguson thought for a moment before making the call. They then turned up their hands:

Rutledge: 66

Ferguson: A9

Board: A108Q7

Ferguson won the hand, and a large group of supporters screamed their approval. Rutledge was eliminated in ninth place, and he will take home $83,128 in prize money.