Level 13 (1500/3000/500)
Entrants: 423
Players remaining: 70
Average chips: 120,857
On the last hand of Level 13, Justin Gardenhire opens from middle position to 7,000 and gets three callers, Charles Aron in the hijack, Alan Tillman on the button, and Joe Walters in the big blind.
The flop comes Q♠8♠8♣ and the action checks around. The turn brings the 3♦. Walters and Gardenhire check and Aron bets 7,000. Tillman calls and Walters folds.
Gardenhire cuts out chips and check-raises to 25,000. Aron folds and Tillman calls.
The river is the 3♥, and Gardenhire immediately checks. Tillman grabs a stack of blue 1,000-chips, studies his remaining stack, and moves all in. Gardenhire asks, "How much is it?" The answer comes back as 40,000.
Gardenhire studies his opponent and cuts out calling chips, then moves them across the betting line. Tillman turns over 8♥8♦ for flopped quads and Gardenhire mucks.
Gardenhire was eliminated a few hands later in a classic race when his AK couldn't improve against his opponent's QQ.
Alan Tillman - 166,000
Justing Gardenhire - Out