Bubble Burst!

$170 + $30 NLH 50,000 Guaranteed

When they reached 46 players, they went to hand-for-hand play on the bubble.

Play slowed to a crawl as the short-stacks were trying to survive.

Jay Johnson was all-in and behind holding AJ against AK. The flop was no help: T 6 5. Then a Queen hit the turn, giving Jay a gutshot to Broadway. A Jack would no longer help as it would give his opponent the Straight. The river delivered....a King! Jay made the straight to double-up to about 70k and avoid being today's bubble-boy.

Level 15 ended and they continued into level 16, blinds 3k/6k with 500 antes.

A couple of hands later, the short-stack on table one moved all-in on the button. Action was to Larry Klur in the big blind, who called the extra 10,800 in the dark. The short-stack was way ahead with pocket Queens. Larry rolled over 8♣2♥. The flop was a mixed-bag: Q♣ 4♣ 3♣. Now the short-stack had improved to a set of Queens, but Larry had picked up a club flush draw. The turn was the 7♦ and changed nothing.

As players crowded around, the table, the call for "club, Club, CLUB" got louder and louder. "Nothing personal" one of them told the short-stack, whose tournament life was on the line.

The dealer burned and rolled over the river card, which was the 9♣! Larry took the pot with the flush and the 46th place player reported to the rail as today's bubble-boy.

With 45 players remaining, they are all in the money. The sixth table was broken and we now have five 9-handed tables.