$10,300 Main Event
Day 3 Completed
2019 partypoker LIVE MILLIONS Vegas @ Aria
$10,300 Main Event
Day: 3
Level 28
: 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Words cannot begin to describe the actions of one man late on Day 3 of the $10,300 partypoker MILLIONS Vegas at Aria. Frank Stepuchin put on a show during the last few hours of the day, fuelled by beer and an insatiable desire to ingratiate himself with his tablemates.
Conor Beresford was a frequent adversary, with Stepuchin even going so far as to moon Fahredin Mustafov at the table. Dennis Blieden also caught his eye, and after a few prickly encounters with Freddy Deeb that Stepuchin nicknamed 'Frederick' the former real estate salesman blazed a trail to bagging 11,725,000 in chips.
His cause was helped no end with the elimination of long-time chip leader Blieden with less than twenty minutes to go in the day, with Stepuchin's pocket kings no match for Blieden's ace-queen. This moved him up to over ten million where he stayed for the rest of the night.
Just 13 players remain from the 83 that started the day but with the average sitting at more than 50 big blinds a long Day 4 - supposedly the final day of this tournament - is in store.
Behind Stepuchin there is a big gap to Tom Marchese (5,805,000) and Jeremy Ausmus (5,625,000) who are the only other players to bag over five million in chips.
Other big names still in with a shot of the $1,000,000 first place prize include Chris Moneymaker (4,105,000), Ana Marquez (4,085,000), Rainer Kempe (2,260,000) and Sergio Aido (1,705,000)
2019 partypoker LIVE MILLIONS Vegas @ Aria $10,300 Main Event Day 4 Seating Draw
| Table | Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Martin Mathis | United States | 1,180,000 | 17 |
| 1 | 2 | Chris Moneymaker | United States | 4,105,000 | 59 |
| 1 | 3 | Ana Marquez | Spain | 4,085,000 | 58 |
| 1 | 4 | Sergio Aido | Spain | 1,705,000 | 24 |
| 1 | 5 | Jeremy Ausmus | United States | 5,625,000 | 80 |
| 1 | 6 | Sergi Reixach | Spain | 2,240,000 | 32 |
| 2 | 1 | Conor Beresford | United Kingdom | 4,515,000 | 65 |
| 2 | 2 | Frank Stepuchin | United States | 11,725,000 | 168 |
| 2 | 3 | Tobias Duthweiler | Germany | 4,050,000 | 58 |
| 2 | 4 | Freddy Deeb | United States | 2,195,000 | 31 |
| 2 | 5 | Fahredin Mustafov | Bulgaria | 4,100,000 | 59 |
| 2 | 6 | Tom Marchese | United States | 5,805,000 | 83 |
| 2 | 7 | Rainer Kempe | Germany | 2,260,000 | 32 |
Day 3 Recap; Bubble Bursts and Big Stacks Grow
Play resumed on Day 3 just four eliminations away from the money. Brian Yoon and Mark Burford were among the unfortunate players to be eliminated before hand-for-hand was reached, with Joseph Kuether the eventual bubble boy busting against Govert Metaal after being forced all in from the big blind.
Start-of-day chip leader Jeremy Pekarek still lead during the early stages, but Conor Beresford and Thomas Boivin were also chipping up. But it was Dennis Blieden who emerged as the players headed on their dinner break with 36 players remaining.
When they resumed, Pekarek and Blieden resumed their battle at the top as players slowly made their way to the exit.
But Stepuchin was ready for a late surge. It began slowly, a four-bet jam here to pinch chips from Blieden followed by a flop raise against Amit Makhija. But the bullying took its toll and Stepuchin was eventually stacking towers after first beating Freddy Deeb for trip sixes and then sending Blieden to the rail. He held on to secure the chip lead with just 13 players remaining.
Stay tuned to PokerNews as we possibly play down to a winner on Day 4 here at the Aria Resort & Casino Las Vegas.
Level 28
: 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
11,725,000
1,175,000
|
1,175,000 |
|
||
|
5,805,000
-1,170,000
|
-1,170,000 |
|
5,625,000
1,035,000
|
1,035,000 |
|
||
|
4,515,000
115,000
|
115,000 |
|
4,105,000
-460,000
|
-460,000 |
|
||
|
4,100,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
|
4,085,000
85,000
|
85,000 |
|
4,050,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
2,260,000
-40,000
|
-40,000 |
|
2,240,000
-150,000
|
-150,000 |
|
2,195,000
195,000
|
195,000 |
|
||
|
1,705,000
-75,000
|
-75,000 |
|
|
||
|
1,180,000
-220,000
|
-220,000 |
Level 28
: 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Josip Simunic moved all in for 400,000. Jeremy Pekarek moved all in for 950,000 from the next position and Ana Marquez four-bet all in from the next position for over two million. The remaining players all folded.
Josip Simunic: 
Jeremy Pekarek: 
Ana Marquez: 
Kings held on the 
runout as Marquez sent both opponents to the rail.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,000,000
1,450,000
|
1,450,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
||
|
Busted | |
|
||
Level 28
: 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Amit Makhija had around a six big blind stack and he finally shoved all in for just under 350,000 from under the gun. He didn't want to wait for the big blind to hit him in the next hand but unfortunately, he ran into a buzzsaw of Frank Stepuchin.
Frank Stepuchin: 
Amit Makhija: 
The flop of 
gave Makhija a couple more outs with a pair of eights but the 
and 
runout ended his tournament life.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
10,550,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level 28
: 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
| Seat | Table 30 | Chip Count | Table 35 | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Martin Mathis | 1400000 | Amit Makhija | 350000 |
| 2 | Chris Moneymaker | 4565000 | Conor Beresford | 4400000 |
| 3 | Josip Simunic | 755000 | Frank Stepuchin | 10400000 |
| 4 | Jeremy Pekarek | 620000 | Tobias Duthweiler | 4000000 |
| 5 | Ana Marquez | 2550000 | Freddy Deeb | 2000000 |
| 6 | Sergio Aido | 1780000 | Fahredin Mustafov | 3900000 |
| 7 | Jeremy Ausmus | 4590000 | Tom Marchese | 6975000 |
| 8 | Sergi Reixach | 2390000 | Rainer Kempe | 2300000 |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
10,400,000
-500,000
|
-500,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
6,975,000
1,175,000
|
1,175,000 |
|
|
4,590,000
2,790,000
|
2,790,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
4,565,000
1,165,000
|
1,165,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
4,400,000
-770,000
|
-770,000 |
|
|
4,000,000
500,000
|
500,000 |
|
|
3,900,000
500,000
|
500,000 |
|
|
2,550,000
-780,000
|
-780,000 |
|
|
2,390,000
1,240,000
|
1,240,000 |
|
|
2,300,000
-400,000
|
-400,000 |
|
|
2,000,000
-100,000
|
-100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,780,000
-250,000
|
-250,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,400,000
-1,350,000
|
-1,350,000 |
|
|
755,000
-345,000
|
-345,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
620,000
-580,000
|
-580,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
350,000
-400,000
|
-400,000 |
Level 28
: 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Frank Stepuchin opened to 170,000 in the cutoff and Dennis Blieden just shoved all in for around 3,150,000 in the small blind. "Let's go Frank," he said before the chips went in the pot. Blieden held up his cards and pondered for his 30 seconds before making the call.
Frank Stepuchin: 
Dennis Blieden: 
The board ran out 
and Stepuchin's pocket kings held up to win a massive pot and eliminate Blieden. "That's a sick spot to pick up kings," Blieden said before exiting the tournament.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
10,900,000
3,100,000
|
3,100,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
|
|
||
Level 28
: 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Dennis Blieden raised it up from the cutoff and Frank Stepuchin defended from the big blind. The flop came 
and Stepuchin check-called a bet from Blieden. The paired the board on the turn and both players checked to the 
on the river.
Stepuchin said he was going to bet 520,000 and he arranged his chips in the shape of a question mark. Blieden said he was never folding so he quickly stuck in the chips to call. Stepuchin flipped over 
for two pair and Blieden was forced to send his in the muck.
Just a couple of hands later, a completed board of 
was spread across the felt and the action was on Stepuchin. "I think you got me Freddy," he said as he slid out a bet of 766,000. Freddy Deeb called and Stepuchin tabled 
to beat Deeb's 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
7,800,000
1,650,000
|
1,650,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,300,000
-1,400,000
|
-1,400,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
2,100,000
-1,650,000
|
-1,650,000 |
|
|
||
Level 28
: 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Markus Gonsalves held 
and would need to hold against the of Sergi Reixach.
Gonsalves was all in for 975,000 and was ahead, but there was an ace on the 
flop and he was eliminated with Reixach covering him by just 15,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,150,000 | |
|
Busted | |
|
|
||
Level 28
: 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
While his words are drowning out the table from constant banter, mostly to himself, Frank Stepuchin is making the right moves at the right time. Stepuchin limped in from the small blind and Markus Gonsalves checked his option. The flop came 
and Stepuchin check-called a bet of 160,000 from Gonsalves.
The turn was the and Stepuchin checked again. Gonsalves fired out another bet of 250,000 and Stepuchin stuck around for the 
on the river. Stepuchin counted out a bet of 1,400,000 this time, more than enough to cover Gonsalves' stack of 605,000. Gonsalves neared the end of his 30 seconds but elected to fold.
"You had me. I had a gut-shot but I missed," Stepuchin verbalized. "I needed a five," and his cards confirmed it when he showed 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,150,000
1,350,000
|
1,350,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,150,000
450,000
|
450,000 |
|
|
Busted | |
|
|
||