For the first time in a long time, Juha Helppi is not the chip leader here. In fact, Mike McDonald just sheriffed him up in a big pot to take over the lead.
The hand started with a raise from Helppi on the button to 400,000. McDonald called and the flop came . McDonald check-called a 450,000 Helppi bet.
The turn brought the scary and checks all around before the dealer revealed the even scarier river. McDonald checked again, and Helppi took the lead, making it 900,000.
After about a minute of scowling, McDonald tossed in a single black chip, indicating a call. Helppi turned over having completely missed. McDonald showed and raked in the pot.
Mike McDonald raised to 350,000 from the button and Juha Helppi defended from the big blind. Helppi check called bets of 400,000 on the flop and 1 million on the turn, but check-folded to McDonald's 2 million bet on the river. Their stacks are getting close to even now.
Mike McDonald made it 325,000 from the button and after Juha Helppi let it go, Nick Petrangelo looked down at the from the big blind and fired in his last 2.5 million.
McDonald snap-called with the , having Petrangelo dominated. Big slick held on a run out and with Petrangelo's exit in third, McDonald went into heads-up play with Helppi trailing by almost 2:1.
Mike McDonald picked up some steam pushing Juha Helppi off a pot when the board paired on the turn, then three-betting a Nick Petrangelo open preflop and forcing a fold.
The very next hand, Helppi made it 320,000 from the button and McDonald defended his big blind. The flop came and after a McDonald check, Helppi made it 400,000.
McDonald called and checked the turn. Helppi brought out the big guns at this point, tossing in ten black 100,000-denomination chips for a bet of 1,000,000.
The three players were interested in making a deal and the tournament director gave them the ICM numbers. Nick Petrangelo wanted to agree to the ICM numbers and be done with it, play for nothing, but Juha Helppi and Mike McDonald showed interest in setting some money aside to play for.
The three players negotiated a bit back and forth and for some time it looked like they settled to set �15,000 aside and chop up the rest according to ICM. Helppi wanted all three players to put in �5,000 for the �15,000 but Petrangelo wasn't too happy about that. Since he was the shorter stack he wanted to put in less.
Helppi then set a hard ultimatum; play or use ICM and all set aside �5,000. McDonald and Petrangelo then decided to just play because they found it somewhat unfair to all put in �5,000 while Helppi had way more chips. McDonald tried to make it �7,000 for Helppi and �4,000 for him and Petrangelo, but that didn't work out either.
The three agreed on playing it out, and the clock was started again.
Nick Petrangelo asked how much Jason Wheeler in the small blind was playing approximately, and he announced he had about 900,000 behind. Petrangelo then raised to 275,000 from the button and Wheeler shoved. McDonald folded his big blind, Petrangelo instantly called.
Nick Petrangelo:
Jason Wheeler:
The flop came about as bad as they could come for Wheeler: . The on the turn was even worse and Wheeler got up and gathered his stuff. The river was there just to make things official and Wheeler headed to the payout desk to collect his �178,580.
The remaining players are guaranteed �232,065 from here on out, but asked to pause the clock to negotiate a deal.
Nick Petrangelo limped in from the small blind and Jason Wheeler checked from the big. Petrangelo bet 140,000 on and Wheeler called.
Both players checked the on the turn and the appeared on the river. Petrangelo checked again, and called Wheeler's 330,000 bet. Wheeler showed and Petrangelo mucked.
![[user127999]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
. McDonald check-called a 450,000 Helppi bet.
and checks all around before the dealer revealed the even scarier 
river. McDonald checked again, and Helppi took the lead, making it 900,000.
having completely missed. McDonald showed 
and raked in the pot.
from the big blind and fired in his last 2.5 million.
, having Petrangelo dominated. Big slick held on a 
run out and with Petrangelo's exit in third, McDonald went into heads-up play with Helppi trailing by almost 2:1.
on the turn was even worse and Wheeler got up and gathered his stuff. The river 
in good shape versus Wheeler's 
board and it's Wheeler who is looking short now.
and Wheeler called.
and Petrangelo mucked.