Marc Rivera jammed the small blind for 820,000 and Fabian Niederreiter called in the big blind.
Marc Rivera: J♠4♠
Fabian Niederreiter: K♣2♦
Niederreiter was ahead with king-high and it stayed that way as the board ran out Q♠10♣8♥10♠Q♦ as Rivera could not improve on his way to the rail in 9th place as the first casualty of the final table.
Fabian Niederreiter raised to 400,000 in the hijack and was called by Jon Vallinas in the cutoff. Phil Hellmuth also came along from the big blind and checked in the dark heading to the 9♥8♥2♠ flop.
Niederreiter and Vallinas also checked and the 9♣ fell on the turn. Hellmuth then led out for 800,000 and only Vallinas called.
The river was the A♥ and Hellmuth moved all in for 2,500,000, sending Vallinas deep into the tank.
"I'll take this one, you take the next one," Hellmuth told him as Vallinas ripped off his sunglasses to study the board.
"Tens? Sevens? Eight? Ace on the river? I'll take this one, you take the next one. It's that simple," Hellmuth repeated as Vallinas continued to tank.
Vallinas eventually called to put Hellmuth at risk. "Good call," Hellmuth said, showing J♦10♦ for a missed straight draw. Vallinas turned over A♦J♣ for two pair.
"Wow, called 800 with ace-high. Played really well. What the f**k just happened?" Hellmuth lamented as his quest for bracelet No. 18 came to an end.
Jon Vallinas raised to 600,000 in the hijack and Rui Neves called in the big blind.
Both players checked to the river on a board of 7♣4♥8♠A♠9♥. Vallinas then bet 1,500,000 and Neves used a time bank before moving all in for 3,500,000. Vallinas snap-called.
Neves showed 9♦8♥ for two pair, but Vallinas had J♥10♦ for the nut straight to win the pot and send Neves to the rail in seventh place.
Jon Vallinas raised to 800,000 under the gun and Arthur Conan three-bet to 1,700,000 in the cutoff. Wookuk Lee then reraised to 3,400,000, leaving one chip behind, and Vallinas folded. Conan called and they saw a flop of A♣4♦9♠. Conan then bet and Lee tossed in his last chip.
Wookuk Lee: K♠K♦
Arthur Conan: A♦9♦
Lee's pocket kings had been outdrawn as Conan turned over top two pair. The rest of the board ran out 8♥6♥ and Lee was eliminated in fifth place.
Jon Vallinas moved all in from the small blind and Arthur Conan called for 10,000,000 in the big blind.
Arthur Conan: A♦7♦
Jon Vallinas: A♥8♠
Vallinas had Conan dominated as the flop came Q♥4♦2♦, giving Conan the nut flush draw. The 5♣ turn was no help to Conan, while the 4♠ river sealed his elimination in fourth place.
[Removed:554] jammed the small blind for 3,500,000 effective and Fabian Niederreiter called all in from the big blind.
Fabian Niederreiter: 10♦3♦
[Removed:554]: K♠9♥
Niederreiter was behind but had two live cards. The J♥10♥2♠ flop gave Niederreiter a pair and [Removed:555] a straight draw which came in on the Q♣ turn as Niederreiter was drawing dead to the A♦ river as he hit the rail in third.
Nivel 35
: Blinds 500,000/1,000,000, 1,000,000 ante
Jon Vallinas
Jon Vallinas limped in from the button and [Removed:554] raised to 4,000,000. Vallinas called and the flop came 8♥3♥2♣.
[Removed:555] then bet 3,500,000 and Vallinas moved all in for 19,000,000. [Removed:555] snap-called.
Jon Vallinas: 9♦8♠
[Removed:554]: K♥J♥
Vallinas had a pair of eights, while [Removed:555] had a flush draw to go with two overcards. The Q♥ on the turn gave [Removed:555] his flush and left Vallinas drawing dead going to the 4♠ river as [Removed:555] secured the title and his first WSOP bracelet.