There has been a trend in recent years to raise nearly all in with leaving a chip or small amount of chips behind. Some of us call it the "euro jam." Stephen Tichsay would utilize it on the final table.
On blinds of 150,000/300,000/300,000, Stephen Tichsay opened to 1,000,000 from the lojack. Tichsay left himself with 275,000 behind, which is less than a big blind. The "euro jam" like this is supposed to represent strength and allow Tichsay to fold if action behind him gets out of hand. It would.
Matthew Higgins was also short-stacked in the cutoff. He went all in for 1,775,000 effective and Han Feng flatted Higgins' jam in the big blind.
Tichsay was in a weird spot. He could call and also be at risk or make the fold and hope that Feng eliminated Higgins. Tichsay made the fold.
Higgins: K♥Q♥
Feng: A♥K♠
Board: K♦Q♠2♠J♠6♦
The flop was brutal. Feng had Higgins dominated but Higgins found a lady on the flop and his two pair would hold. Higgins took a dent out of Feng's stack essentially equalizing their stacks.
Higgins: 3,225,000
Feng: 3,400,000
In the very next hand, Tichsay was UTG with 275,000. He went all in with J♣6♦. Multiple players were able to limp into the pot because Tichsay's all in was less than a big blind. Joe Firova limped in from the cutoff, Robert Dreyfuss came in from the button, and Rohit Jain checked his option in the big blind. Tichsay would need a lot of help.
The flop came K♣T♠8♣. Jain led out for 700,000. Firova called in the cutoff and Dreyfuss folded. Firova picked up the betting lead for 850,000 when Jain checked the 9♠ turn. Jain called and then checked the 5♦ river. Firova asked for another 800,000 but Jain made the fold. Firova tabled K♠T♥ for top two pair and eliminated Tichsay in seventh place for $39,540.
Firova: 14,450,000
Tichsay: 0
Event 11 Day Three Payouts (Final Table)
1st: $231,430
2nd: $162,700
3rd: $105,650
4th: $78,260
5th: $59,120
6th: $47,780
7th: $39,450
8th: $31,230
9th: $23,240