The 8-Max is complete and after a couple of years away from the live felt, Kyle Hartree reminded the Canadian poker world that he's still got the skills. Hartree has more than $350k in lifetime earnings from live poker and this is his 6th win on the live felt in his first Hendon Mob result since 2020.

He ran Pure in the final few hands, getting two quick doubles after they got heads-up to take the lead. In the first of two pivotal hands, his ace-three held over king-queen for runner-up Colin Armstrong. Then shortly after, both players hit a ten on an ace-ten-ace flop with Hartree holding the best kicker.

That gave Hartree a huge lead and it all ended when his ace-ten held against ace-nine for Armstrong in the final hand.

It was a rough end to the game for Collin Armstrong. He was in the lead until he ran king-queen into ace-three against Kyle Hartree. Hartree held to take a big lead and shortly after, the rest went in on a flopped cooler.

The flop was and both players were playing the ten, but Hatree's kicker was best and held for the win.

Kyle Hartree picked up a double right before the break when his ace-three held against king-queen for Collin Armstrong.

It came down to a race for his life when Collin Armstrong raised to 150k, then called off when Thomas Taylor shoved the small blind.

Thomas Taylor:
Collin Armstrong:

The board missed both players and pair held giving Armstrong the lead going into heads up.

Kyle Hartree raised the button to 100k and Collin Armstrong called from the small blind. He checked the flop, then raised to 400k after Hartree bet 105k and Hartree got out of the way pretty quickly.

Thomas Taylor has had a rough couple of hands since sending Justin Pennell to the cage. He just doubled Kyle Hartree up after shoving the small blind with a bit of a four-deuce bluff and getting caught by the ace-ten from Hartree. Hartree spiked his ace and held, sending Taylor from first to worst stack in just a couple of hands.

Collin Armstrong raised the button to 90k and Thomas Taylor shoved the big stack from the small blind. Armstrong made the call with pocket jacks and he was ahead of the for Taylor. Armstrong flopped a jack and turned another one for quads.

"Gonna be hard to win this one," Taylor said dryly when the turn hit.

It was a brutal hand blind on blind. Justin Pennell limped the small blind, then hit the tank when Thomas Taylor shoved with more from the big. "I was trapping," he said, "but not to that extent."

It took a few more seconds but he made the call only to find his king-jack dominated by king-queen for Taylor. Pennell hit his jack on the flop and looked good to survive, but Taylor turned a queen and took down the hand along with the chip lead.

There are four players left in the 8-Max now after Mal Hagan, who has been nursing a short stack for a while now, ended his day in 5th place for $4,760.

In the final hand of the previous level, Collin Armstrong shoved the small blind and Justin Pennell called with more from the big. Pennell was on but ran into pocket jacks. He couldn't find an ace, and Armstrong spiked a jack on the river for an unnecessary set.

Thomas Taylor raised the cutoff to 60k and Kyle Hartree called from the button before Mal Hagan shoved the small blind for 240k. Taylor got out of the way, but Hartree hit the tank hard before putting in the call.

Hartree was dominated with ace-seven into ace-queen and Hagan flopped a queen and rivered an ace for the double.

The players have taken a quick impromptu break with Kyle Hartree leading and the only player with more then a million now.

Thomas Taylor just doubled through Justin Pennell when his flopped an ace and held against for Pennell.

I missed the action, but they are down to five left now after Ki Lee was felted in 6th place for a prize of $3,860.

Andrew Taylor was nearly felted a few minutes ago after doubling up Ki Lee, but he managed to survive a bit longer with a couple of doubles. His day just came to an end in a bit of an odd hand where he was dealt a flashed card. Lee said he saw the which wasn't exactly correct, but the flash was close enough and the card was fully exposed and Taylor got another card face down.

Justin Pennell raised to 90k once the dealing was done, then called when Taylor went all in. It was a race with ace-queen in Pennell's hand, and pocket sixes, including the for Taylor. He was initially dealt and when the 7 was exposed he found a for his trouble.

None of that mattered in the end, however, and Pennell turned his ace for the win and Taylor hit the rail in 7th place.

Andrew Taylor shoved the middle, and it folded around to Ki Lee in the big blind, who called. He was dominated with ace-queen into ace-king for Taylor, but the flop changed all that. on the turn and river didn't change anything, and Lee got the double, leaving Taylor very short.

The aces and kings are coming fats and furious lately as Cameron Phillips just hit the rail when his cowboys couldn't crack the aces of Justin Pennell.

Andrew Taylor looked good for a double when Kyle Hartree made it 40k early and he shoved for 135k from his left. Hartree snapped him off but was a dog with pocket kings into pocket aces.

Hartree spiked his king on the flop and it looked like the aces might be cracked until Taylor respiked on the turn with his ace and held to stay alive. Hartree is still the leader.

There was actually no 9-handed FT tonight as Jan Rofuli hit the rail in the final hand before the clock was paused. That puts the field at 8 players remaining.

They are setting up for the 9-handed final table now after Fred Werezak hit the rail in 10th place for $1,130. I'll grab some pictures and chip counts shortly.

Ali Khani hit the rail recently in 14th place and shortly after, Saroar Parvez flopped a king and got his money in only to run into aces for Mal Hagan. Alex Polkovsky was next to go in 12th place and Eric Wasylenko followed them to the rail, though he managed to ladder up after being nearly felted a few minutes ago.

I missed the action, but Eric Wasylenko was left nearly felted after a confrontation with Collin Armstrong. Armstrong's ace-king was still showing, though Wasyenko's hand was mucked already.

They were nearly even stacked when the count was complete, and Wasy was left on about 20k. However, he managed to grab a double immediately after, so he's still alive.

Shawn Taghavi just ran into it against Kyle Hartree. Taghavi was strong with ace-king, but Hartree was stronger with aces. The board ran clean for the rockets and Hartree blasted Taghavi to the rail in 15th place.

The first elimination in the money happened quickly with Shane Cutinha hitting the rail in 16th place shortly after the bubble burst.

The bubble was quick tonight as it burst before they got hand for hand. They are down to 16 players left now. Below is a look at the cashing players tonight.

They are down to 17 players now, and action is hand for hand to the money. The soft bubble tonight was patch-girl Haven Taylor, but her hubby Thomas Taylor is among the players still in the mix tonight.

They are down to 18 players now, just two off the money spots and the final two tables.

They are now five players away from the money spots and the final two tables as Level 18 begins. The average stack right now is just under 20 big blinds.

They are down to 23 players on the final three tables now, seven players away from the money spots. Level 17 has about 15 minutes left and they are about 90 minutes away from their next break.

They are down to 25 players left in the 8-Max game now, one away from the final three tables and nine away from the money spots in the final 16.

There are 29 players left in the 8-Max game now with Level 16 about to start. They are now 13 players away from the money spots at the final two tables.

The prizes are in and the 8-Max field is confirmed at 163 entries for total prizes of $61,940. 16 players will share in the prizes later today with the winner set to pocket $15,920.

The 8-Max is now on dinner and when they return in 30 minutes, entries will be closed for this game. The prizes just pushed over $60k with 158 entries on the board and 68 players still alive.

They are up to 157 entries with about 10 minutes to play in Level 10 now. There are 72 players left in the game and entries are set to close in about 40 minutes.

The field for the 8-Max is up to 147 entries now for a total prize pool of just shy of $56k. There are still 84 players in action, and a bit more than an hour left in late entries.

Level 7 has just begun in the 8-Max and the field is up to 127 entries with 92 players at the felt.  That puts the prizes now at $48,260 with just over 2 hours left to enter the game.

The prize pool is up to $41,420 and climbing with 109 entries on the board and 97 players still alive. Entries are still open for a bit less than 3.5 hours, so it looks like this will be a big one. New players are currently being seated in the poker room as the Social is full, but buy-ins are still in Social.

Level 4 has just begun and the 8-Max is up to 100 entries already. There are still 94 live players in the game and new entries are being seated in the Pokewr room as Social is full to the rafters now.

Action is in Level 2 now with the field up to 86 entries and 84 players still alive. That puts the prize pool at $32,680 right now but there is still lots of time to get in.

There are still two tables in Social devoted to Day 2 of the Mystery, but the rest of the Social tables are now full and it seems likely they'll be spilling over into the poker room.

The 8-Max game is underway, playing out alongside Day 2 of the Mystery in the Social room.  There are 63 players in the game with about 10 minutes to play in the opening level for prizes closing in on $25k already.

Event #5: $450 8-Maz ($400 + $50)
Feb 18 - 2 pm
Blinds: 25 min
Starting Stack: 25,000
Entries: 10 Levels (~6:55 pm)

The first side event on Sunday is the 8-Max game. Kicking off at 2 pm, players sit down with 25k in chips to play 25-minute levels until a winner is decided. There are 10 levels for entry which should mean the final chance to buy in will come at about 6:55 pm this evening.

My eyes will be firmly on Day 2 of the Mystery Bounty until that game is decided, at which point I'll move over to finish this one.