2018 Escalator Series (Week 4)
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed
Level 32: 75,000/150,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining: 5 of 1,108 | Structure | Payouts

Larry Klur open-shoved about 2,500,000 from middle position. It folded to Josh Rittenberg in the big blind and he called. The hands were put face up.

Rittenberg:
Klur:

Runout:

Rittenberg’s ace-king was best and Klur was left with just 450,000. They got in on the very next hand and Rittenberg finished the job picking up to best the of Klur. Klur was eliminated in sixth place.

Josh Rittenberg – 5,750,000
Larry Klur – Eliminated in 6th place ($24,653)

2018 Escalator Series (Week 4)
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed
Level 32: 75,000/150,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining: 6 of 1,108 | Structure | Payouts

Level 32 ups the action with no more 5,000 chips in play. The blinds are now 75,000/150,000 with a 25,000 ante. Here’s where the event stands:

Seat 1: — Empty —
Seat 2: Paul Balzano – 2,300,000
Seat 3: Josh Rittenberg – 1,850,000
Seat 4: — Empty —
Seat 5: — Empty —
Seat 6: Josh Beckley – 6,350,000
Seat 7: Larry Klur – 3,400,000
Seat 8: Edgar Varas – 4,000,000
Seat 9: GT Jack Sumner – 4,250,000

Per the structure sheet, when play reaches 3am players will have the option to continue to a winner. If anyone objects, those remaining will bag up and head home before returning tomorrow at 2pm to decide a champion. The 3 o’clock hour will hit right at the end of Level 32.

2018 Escalator Series (Week 4)
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed
Level 31: 60,000/120,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining: 6 of 1,108 | Structure | Payouts

Edgar Varas opened the button to 250,000 and GT Jack Sumner called from the small blind. It was on short stack Juan Mubarak in the big and he jammed. Varas got out of the way while Sumner called putting Mubarak at risk.

Mubarak:
Sumner:

Runout:

Sumner paired his nine and won the pot. Mubarak was eliminated in seventh place.

GT Jack Sumner – 3,275,000
Juan Mubarak – Eliminated in 7th place ($19,390)

2018 Escalator Series (Week 4)
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed
Level 30: 50,000/100,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining: 7 of 1,108 | Structure | Payouts

Larry Klur opened from early position to 300,000 and Paul Balzano shoved 920,000 total from the small blind. Klur called and Balzano was at risk with the worst of it.

Klur:
Balzano:

Runout:

Balzano nailed the flop pairing his jack to win the pot.

Paul Balzano – 2,095,000
Larry Klur – 3,000,000

2018 Escalator Series (Week 4)
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed
Level 30: 50,000/100,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining: 6 of 1,108 | Structure | Payouts

As requested by a player, here’s the present ICM breakdown followed by the natural payouts:

• Josh Beckley – 6,755,000 – $71,161
• Larry Klur – 4,045,000 – $57,118
• Josh Rittenberg – 3,275,000 – $52,131
• GT Jack Sumner – 2,655,000 – $47,636
• Paul Balzano – 2,395,000 – $45,591
• Edgar Varas – 2,045,000 – $42,636
• Juan Mubarak – 970,000 – $31,749

1st – $120,622 + $3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Seat
2nd – $72,020
3rd – $44,043
4th – $36,841
5th – $30,470
6th – $24,653
7th – $19,390

Chip leader Josh Beckley quickly let it be known he’d like to play and cards went back in the air.

2018 Escalator Series (Week 4)
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed
Level 29: 40,000/80,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 7 of 1,108 | Structure | Payouts

Song Kun O was in the hijack and raised to 375,000. Josh Beckley was on his direct left in the cutoff and called. The button and blinds released and there was heads-up action to the flop.

Flop: — Kun O C-bet 600,000. Beckley called.

Turn: — Kun O quickly jammed 2,130,000. Beckley had the all-in bet verified. It was confirmed at 2,130,000 and Beckley cut the sum out of his stack leaving himself about 800,000 behind. Beckley called and Kun O was at risk.

Beckley: for ace-queen high with flush and straight draws
Kun O: for king-10 high

River:

Beckley’s ace-queen high was good in the 6,400,000-chip pot. Kun O was eliminated while Beckley stacked a pile of chips.

“Good call,” Kun O managed.

“Thank you,” Beckley responded.

Beckley’s chip-leading stack amounted to about 30 percent of the chips in play.

Beckley – 7,200,000
Song Kun O – Eliminated in 8th place ($14,404)

2018 Escalator Series (Week 4)
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed
Level 29: 40,000/80,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 8 of 1,108 | Structure | Payouts

Juan Mubarak was in middle position and opened to 180,000. It was on Josh Rittenberg in the hijack and he three-bet all-in for 1,230,000. Next up was Gary Flur in the cutoff who shoved for less — roughly 950,000. The button and blinds folded and it was back on Mubarak. Having both players covered, he had a decision on his hands, but folded. Flur was at risk against Rittenberg.

Flur:
Rittenberg:

Runout:

The ace fell in the window giving Rittenberg a winning pair. Flur’s queens went bust and he was eliminated in ninth place earning $10,166.

Josh Rittenberg – 2,650,000
Gary Flur – Eliminated in 9th place ($10,166)

2018 Escalator Series (Week 4)
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed
Level 28: 30,000/60,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 of 1,108 | Structure | Payouts

Bienvenido was in middle position and opened to 260,000. Action mucked to Josh Beckley in the big blind and he moved all-in having Santiago easily covered. Santiago called off and was racing for his tournament life.

Beckley:
Bienvenido:

Runout:

Beckley’s pair faded the board and Bienvenido was eliminated in 10th place. Beckley grew his chip lead.

Josh Beckley – 4,650,000
Bienvenido Santiago – Eliminated in 10th place ($6,620)

2018 Escalator Series (Week 4)
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed
Level 27: 25,000/50,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 10 of 1,108 | Structure | Payouts

A total of eight busouts have occurred over the last roughly 30 minutes and the Escalator $560 is down to the final 10. Here’s a look at how they stand:

Seat 1: Bienvenido Santiago – 1,365,000
Seat 2: Paul Balzano – 2,700,000
Seat 3: Josh Rittenberg – 1,830,000
Seat 4: Gary Flur – 1,700,000
Seat 5: Song Kun O – 2,425,000
Seat 6: Josh Beckley – 3,360,000
Seat 7: Larry Klur – 2,240,000
Seat 8: Edgar Varas – 2,500,000
Seat 9: GT Jack Sumner – 2,400,000
Seat 10: Juan Mubarak – 1,750,000

1st – $120,622 + $3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Seat
2nd – $72,020
3rd – $44,043
4th – $36,841
5th – $30,470
6th – $24,653
7th – $19,390
8th – $14,404
9th – $10,166
10th – $6,620

2018 Escalator Series (Week 4)
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed
Level 27: 25,000/50,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 10 of 1,108 | Structure | Payouts

Steve Karp – Eliminated in 11th place ($6,620)

Mark Nahama – Eliminated in 12th place ($6,620)

Ivan Starostin – Eliminated in 13th place ($6,620)