Isle Open Event #11 (Day 3): Matt Smith Picking Up Steam, Eliminates Mark Kerness In 4th Place ($22,474)

2018 Isle Open | Event #11
$1,500 No Limit Hold'em Main Event ($300,000 GTD)
Level 25 (Blinds 20,000/40,000/40,000)
Event #11 Entries: 267
Event #11 Players Remaining: 3

Mark Kerness (Delray Beach, FL) earns his second largest tournament score with this result, which is also his second five-figure cash.

Heinz Schlüter raised to 80,000, with Ido Ashkenazi flatting the button, and both blinds coming along (our first family pot of the final table).  The dealer fanned out a J♠ 9♦ 6♦ flop, and after Matt Smith checked, Mark Kerness went all-in for just under 800,000.  Both Heinz and Ido folded, and after peering back at his cards, Smith made the call:

Kerness: J♣ 2♣
Smith: 9♣ 9♥

Turn: 2♦
River: 7♦

Smith was in dominating shape, having flopped middle set against Kerness's top pair, with Mark drawing dead on the turn.  The pot helps Smith close the gap on Ido, with updated chip counts to be posted in six minutes.