Matt Keikoan Wins Event No. 7 ($550,601)

Matt Keikoan started Level 24 (20,000-40,000 w/5,000) with a monster chip lead of 7:1 over Shannon Shorr, Keikoan at 5,600,000 to Shorr's 800,000. Matt Keikoan came out firing and set the tone right then and there by moving in against Shorr on the first three hands of Level 24. Shorr played cautiously for few minutes before reverting back to his old ways. Suddenly it turned into an all-in shove fest from the button, and for the next 16 hands, despite an accidental limp-check to a single flop, both Keikoan and Shorr took turns open-shoving from their button while the other player folded. It was madness I tell you, pure madness until Shannon Shorr moved all in from the button for the last time when Matt Keikoan decided to pick his spot with king-high and make the call.

Shorr: 106
Keikoan: K5
Board: K77QK

Keikoan flopped top pair with another pair on board, reducing Shorr to going runner-runner for a shot at this bracelet. No help on the turn and Shorr was drawing dead on the river. Shannon Shorr is eliminated in 2nd place ($349,141) while it is Matt Keikoan who gets the gold bracelet and the lion's share ($550,601) of the prizepool.

Blinds/Antes: 20,000-40,000 with a 5,000 ante (Level 23)

Players Left: 2

Chips Counts:
Matt Keikoan: 5,665,000
Shannon Shorr: 700,000

Big Hands:

Matt Keikoan and Shannon Shorr started heads-up play with 3,800,000 and 2,600,00, respectively.

Heads-up play thus far has been rather slow, Shannon Shorr still playing extremely aggressive from the short stack while Matt Keikoan seems to prefer more of a small-pot style of poker. There has been a lot of pre-flop raises and uncontested flops causing a relatively stagnant pace in respect to chips being thrown around.

Matt Keikoan Turns Up the Heat

Shannon Shorr completed from the small blind and Matt Keikoan checked his option. The flop came K42, and Keikoan checked to Shorr who bet 45,000. Keikoan raised to 270,000 and Shorr called. The turn was the 7, Keikoan bet 300,000 and Shorr thinks for a minute before folding. After that hand, Keikoan moved up to over 5,000,000 while Shorr dropped down to 1,200,000.

With almost a 5:1 chip lead over Shorr, Keikoan  quickly turned up the heat, putting Shorr to a decision for all of his chips on many occasions, focring Shorr to slow down and think twice before raising the pot.

Blinds/Antes: 15,000-30,000 with a 4,000 ante (Level 22)

Players Left: 2

Chip Counts:
Matt Keikoan: 3,800,000
Shannon Shorr: 2,600,000

Eliminations:
Carter Gill Eliminated in 3rd Place ($228,897)

Big Hands:

Matt Keikoan Doubles Through  Carter Gill

In a three-way limped pot, the flop came 963 and Matt Keikoan bet 75,000. Shannon Shorr made the call and Carter Gill raised to 225,000. Keikoan reraised to 475,000 and Shorr quickly threw his hand away. Gill came over the top for a second time and moved all in. Keikoan called all in, Gill had him covered. Gill turned over JJ for the overpair while Keiokan showed 66 for middle set. The turn and river brought the 4 and the Q, as Matt Keikoan doubled up and crippled one of his opponents at the same time.

Carter Gill Eliminated in 3rd Place ($228,897)

Carter Gill raised to 170,000 from the button and both Matt Keikoan and Shannon Shorr called from the blinds. At this point, Gill had less than one small blind behind his cards. The flop came KQ4, and Keikoan bet 100,000. Shorr called the bet while Gill called all in for his last 12,000. the dealer pushed 176,000 into the sidepot. The turn was the 2 and Keikoan bet 350,000, causing Shorr to fold his hand and winning the sidepot on the turn. The two remaining players turn up their hands.

Gill: 86
Keikoan: AK

Keikeon hit top pair on the flop  while Gill made a flush draw. Any heart and Carter Gill triples up, but the river was 4 , eliminating Carter Gill in 3rd place ($228,897).
 

Blinds/Antes: 12,000-24,000 with a 3,000 ante (Level 21)

Players Left: 4

Chip Counts:
Shannon Shorr: 2,979,000
Carter Gill: 1,935,000
Matt Keikoan: 1,260,000

Eliminations:
Theo Tran Eliminated in 4th place ($191,231)

Big Hands:

Chop Pot (Tran and Keikoan) Tran Freerolling the Turn, Can't Get There

Depending on how this final table eventually plays out, this all in chopped pot between Theo Tran and Matt Keikoan could very well prove to be a pivotal moment in the tournament.

Shannon Shorr raised to 67,000 and both Matt Keikoan and Theo Tran called from the small blind and the big blind, respectively. The flop came A43, and all three players checked around. The turn was the 2 and Tran bet 80,000. Shorr called and Keikoan raised to 405,000. Tran moved all in, Shorr folded, and Keiokoan called. Tran turned over 75 for the wheel and Keikoan showed 75 for the same hand. Tran was however freerolling to a club flush on the turn, and with Keikoan all in and $2 million pot at stake, a club on the river could all but lock this thing up for Tran against a novice Carter Gill and a short stacked Shannon Shorr. The river was the 3 and Tran failed to eliminate Keikoan as both players chopped the pot.

Shannon Shorr Playing Aggressive From the Short Stack, It Pays Off

Shannon Shorr came back from the break with just about 450,000 in chips and immediately came out firing, winning four out of the first five hands with uncontested raises. Since then, Shorr has gone on to take down eleven of the next twenty-two hands for a Level 21 win ratio of 50%. His unbridled aggression has seemingly paid off, and since the break Shorr has doubled his chip stack from just under 450,000 to now just over 900,000, playing small pot poker, and winning almost every hand he's played.

Shannon Shorr Doubles Through Theo Tran

Shannon Shorr's aggressive behavior does not end with Level 21, in fact, Shorr went on to double up through chip leader Theo Tran in the first hand of Level 22 (15,000-30,000 with a 4,000 ante).

Theo Tran raised to 70,000 beofre the flop and Shannon Shorr made the call. The flop came K74, and both players checked. The turn was the 3 and Tran bet out 105,000. Shorr raised to 275,000 and Tran called. The river brought the J and Tran checked to the raiser. Shorr moved all in for roughly 900,000 and Tran tanked for what seemed like an eternity. Tran ultimately made the call and shipped almost a million chips over to Shorr's side of the table after Shorr turned up 77 for middle set.

Theo Tran Eliminated in 4th Place ($191,231)

Matt Keikoan raised to 75,000 and Theo Tran called from the button. Carter Gill raised to 380,000 from the big blind and Keikoan kicked it in. Tran tanked for a minute before moving all in. Gill called.

Tran: 77
Gill: JJ
Board: K42K5

With no help on the flop, Theo Tran, who held the chip lead for almost the entire event had his tournament life on the line with only two outs in the deck that could save him. No seven on the turn and river meant that Theo tran was eliminated in 4th place ($191,231).

Note: Players have just returned from break to Level 21 with increased blinds of 12,000-24,000 with a 3,000 ante.

Blinds/Antes: 10,000-20,000 with a 3,000 ante (Level 20)

Players Left: 4

Chip Counts:
Theo Tran: 2,807,000
Carter Gill: 1,395,000
Matt Keikoan: 1,085,000
Shannon Shorr: 446,000

Eliminations:
Chris Bjorin Eliminated in 6th Place ($123,141)
Mihai Manole Eliminated in 5th place ($155,013)

Big Hands:

Chris Bjorin Eliminated in 6th place ($123,141)

A desperately short stacked Chris Bjorin moved all in from under the gun for his last 61,000. Both Mihai Manole and Carter Gill made the call. The flop came Q105, and Manole and Gill check. The turn was the 9 and both players check once again. The river brought the 8 and still there is no action. With no side pot, all three players turned up their hands.

Bjorin: K9
Manole: 64
Gill: 76

Bjorin unknowingly held the lead going into the river where Carter Gill peeled off an eight for the inside straight. Gill raked the pot while Bjorin was sent home in 6th place, earning $123,141 for his efforts.

Mihai Manole Eliminated in 5th place ($155,013)

Theo Tran raised to 60,000 from under the gun and the action folded around to Mihai Manole who reraised to 160,000 from the small blind. Tran made the call and the flop came 853. Manole bet 150,000 and Tran raised to 350,000. Manole reraised all in and Tran made a quick call. Manole turned over A8 for  top pair, top kicker while Tran showed 55 for middle set. The turn brought the 10 and Manole was drawing dead to an inconsequential river card (Q). Mihai Manole was eliminated in 5th place ($155,013) while chip leader Theo Tran raked what was surely the biggest pot of the night thus far.

Blinds/Antes: 8,000-16,000 with a 2,000 ante (Level 19)

Players Left: 6

Chip Counts:
Theo Tran: 2,600,000
Matt Keikoan: 1,210,000
Mahai Manole: 830,000
Carter Gill: 810,000
Shannon Shorr: 299,000
Chris Bjorin: 130,000

Eliminations:
J.C. Tran Eliminated in 7th place ($94,166)

Big Hands:

Shannor Shorr Doubles Through Mihai Manole

Mihai Manole raised to 42,000 from early position and Matt Keikoan called from the button. Theo Tran also called from the small blind and Shannon Shorr went into the tank. Shorr eventually moved all in for just under 200,000, Keikoan and Tran fold, Manole made the call.

Shorr: KK
Manole: 77
Board: k94104

Shorr flopped top set, reducing Manole to catching two running sevens or a backdoor flush. Shorr's kings held up and he doubled to more than 400,000 this hand.

J.C. Tran Doubles Through Shannon Shorr

The very next hand after doubling through Mahai Manole, Shannon Shorr reraised to 143,000 from the small blind after J.C. Tran open-raised to 40,000 from late position. After a minute of deliberation, Tran moved all in for 222,000 and Shorr called.

Tran: KQ
Shorr: 65
Board: 9942Q

J.C. Tran made a pair of queens on the river to double up to slightly less than 500,000.

J.C. Tran Eliminated in 7th Place ($94,166)

J.C. Tran came in for a 55,000 raise from late position and Carter Gill reraised to 135,000 from the button. Tran came over the top and shoved all in for a total of just over 400,000. Gill called.

Tran: 1010
Gill: KK
Board: 87322

The board offered no help to either player as J.C. Tran was eliminated in 7th place ($94,166).



 

Blinds/Antes: 8,000-16,000 with a 2,000 ante (Level 19)

Players Left: 7

Chip Counts:
Theo Tran:  260,000
Matt keikoan: 1,290,000
Mihai Manole: 1,130,000
Carter Gill: 640,000
Shannon Shorr: 360,000
J.C. Tran: 275,000
Chris Bjorin: 165,000

Eliminations:
Mike Lisanti Eliminated in 9^th Place ($50,705)
Alex Bolotin Eliminated in 8th Place ($72,436) 

Big Hands:

J.C. Tran Doubles Through Alex Bolotin

Just over thirty minutes into the final table and we had our first big hand when J.C. Tran moved all in for just over 100,000 from middle position. Alex Bolotin came over the top to isolate for roughly 200,000, and everyone else folded.

Tran: Q9
Bolotin: AJ
Board: 75393

Tran paired his nine on the turn and doubled up to just over 250,000 including the blinds and antes.

Mike Lisanti Eliminated in 9th Place ($50,705)

Matt Keikoan raised to 41,000 from under the gun and Shannon Shorr called behind him. Mike Lisanti moved all in for a little more than 275,000 and Keikoan called while Shorr called.

Lisanti: AK
Keikoan: KK
Board: 984JJ

The board offered no help to Lisanti who was eliminated in 9th place ($50,705).





Alex Bolotin Eliminated in 8th Place ($72,436)

J.C. Tran raised to 42,000 from the cutoff position when Alex Bolotin moved all in from the button. Theo Tran made the call while and J.C. Tran folded.

Bolotin: 99
T. Tran: AJ
Board: AQ7J6

Theo Tran flopped top pair, trumping Bolotin's nines and sending him home in 8th place ($72,436).

 

The cards are finally in the air for the Event 7 ($2,000 NLHE) final table. Play has resumed with 8 minutes and 23 seconds left in Level 18 with blinds of 6,000-12,000 with a 1,000 ante. Be sure to check back with CardPlayer.com for hourly updates at the end of each level.

The final table for Event 7 ($2,000 NLHE) was scheduled to start at 2 p.m. this afternoon, but following in the same tradition as every other final table thus far,  we're looking a fairly late start here.  We'll be sure to update the status of this final table just as soon as the cards are in the air.