$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool: $684,000 | Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  25,000/50,000 with a 50,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 304

In a battle of the blinds, Aaron Mederos was all in and at risk for about 1,300,000 in the small blind against James Kerr in the big.

Kerr:
Mederos:

A tough cooler for Mederos at the short-handed final table and he could not find a miracle on the board to go out in fourth place.

James Kerr – 5,170,000 (103 bb)
Aaron Mederos – Eliminated in 4th Place ($51,940)

$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool: $684,000 | Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  25,000/50,000 with a 50,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 304

Action folded to Shayne Mogilski in the small blind and he moved all in for 1,375,000. James Kerr slow-peeled his cards, called in the big, and Mogilski let out a tiny expletive.

Mogilski:
Kerr:

They were flipping and Kerr took the lead when he paired his ace on the flop. The board finished with the turn and river and Mogiliski was eliminated in fifth place.

$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool: $684,000 | Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  5 of 304

James Kerr opened to 90,000 from the button and Robert LeBeau three-bet to 320,000 from the small blind. Ya Yun Liu folded his big, Kerr announced all in, and LeBeau called at risk for 1,460,000.

Kerr:
LeBeau:

These two were racing again and LeBeau needed his jacks to hold to stick around. The flop was safe and so was the turn. LeBeau was displeased with the river which gave Kerr the pot and sent him out in sixth place.

James Kerr – 3,400,000 (85 bb)
Robert LeBeau – Eliminated in 6th Place ($29,500)

$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool: $684,000 | Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 304

Jeevan Nomula open-ripped for 230,000 from middle position and Joel Deutsch had him covered next to act.

Deutsch:
Nomula:

Nomula was ahead for a double up and faded the flop and turn. His bad news came on the river, Deutsch paired his queen and Nomula was eliminated in seventh place.

Joel Deutsch – 2,350,000 (59 bb)
Jeevan Nomula – Eliminated in 7th Place ($22,670)

$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool: $684,000 | Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 304

James Kerr opened the action from middle position, Glen Nortin moved all in for 645,000 and Kerr called to put him at risk.

Kerr:
Nortin:

It was a fair fight and Nortin saw an ace in the window but it was followed by a nine on the flop. Kerr was ahead with his set of nines and sent Nortin out after the turn and river.

James Kerr – 2,010,000 (50 bb)
Glen Nortin – Eliminated in 8th Place ($17,660)

$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool: $684,000 | Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  8 of 304

James Kerr opened to 90,000 from the button and Robert LeBeau three-bet to 400,000 from the big blind. Kerr dropped enough black and yellow 100K chips in the middle to cover LeBeau and he called at risk for 855,000 total.

LeBeau: qc]
Kerr:

LeBeau was in front for the double and his queens held on the board for a double up.

Robert LeBeau – 1,730,000 (43 bb)
James Kerr – 1,360,000 (34 bb)

$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool: $684,000 | Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  8 of 304

James McKinnon opened to 370,000 leaving 15K behind sitting on top of his hole cards. It folded to James Kerr and he moved all in from the button. Then, Glen Hortin live-misclicked from the small blind, saying “call” before starting to muck his cards.

Floor was called, the call stood, and McKinnon came along for his last 15,000.

McKinnon:
Kerr:
Hortin:

The table was still stunned at the preflop action and it got more interesting after the flop. Hortin was now drawing for a diamond flush and double knockout.

McKinnon improved when he paired his jack on the turn but Kerr took the entire pot when he hit the river.

McKinnon was sent out in ninth place while Kerr pulled a full double through Hortin.

James Kerr – 2,215,000 (55 bb)
Glen Hortin – 810,000 (20 bb)

$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool: $684,000 | Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  9 of 304

Seat 1: Aaron Mederos – 765,000 (19 bb)
Seat 2: Shayne Mogilski – 1,375,000 (34 bb)
Seat 3: James Kerr – 805,000 (20 bb)
Seat 4: Glen Hortin – 1,705,000 (43 bb)
Seat 5: Robert LeBeau – 995,000 (25 bb)
Seat 6: Ya Yun Liu – 3,720,000 (93 bb)
Seat 7: Jeevan Nomula – 530,000 (13 bb)
Seat 8: Joel Deutsch – 1,850,000 (46 bb)
Seat 9: James McKinnon – 385,000 (10 bb)

1st: $144,840 + SPS trophy
2nd: $96,370
3rd: $70,290
4th: $51,940
5th: $38,890
6th: $29,500
7th: $22,670
8th: $17,660
9th: $13,940

$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool: $684,000 | Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining:  9 of 304

Joel Deutsch opened to 75,000 from the button, Andrew Neiding moved all in for 675,000 from the big blind and Deutsch called with the bigger stack.

Deutsch:
Neiding:

Neiding needed a lot of help to stay in the Championship but missed the entire board to exit in tenth place.

Tournament staff paused the clock to redraw seats for the final table.

Joel Deutsch – 1,950,000 (65 bb)
Andrew Neiding – Eliminated in 10th Place ($13,940)

$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool: $684,000 | Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining:  10 of 304

James Kerr opened to 65,000 from under the gun and Joel Deutsch three-bet to 170,000 from the button. The blinds folded, Kerr confirmed how much Deutsch had behind, and moved all in.

Deutsch snapped in a call at risk for 710,000.

Deutsch:
Kerr:

“Why did you have to have an ace?” Deutsch asked at a table that’s been hitting a lot of single over cards.

But this time was different when Deutsch made a set on the flop and held after the turn and river.

Joel Deutsch – 1,495,000 (50 bb)
James Kerr – 1,300,000 (43 bb)