Louis Lee limps-in and Adam Gerber pops it to $125,000. Lee makes the call and the flop comes 6 6 5. Gerber checks and Lee bets $200,000. Gerber immediately pops to $500,000 and Lee makes the call. The turn is the 6 and Gerber moves all-in, putting Lee to a decision for his tournament life.

Lee tanks for a good five minutes, standing and pacing and trying to figure out his move. After an agonizing deliberation he makes the call, shoving his stack into the middle and turning up 5 3 for the boat. Gerber has a better boat, however, with 8 8 and Lee is drawing dead. After the K hits the river it's official; Adam Gerber is USPC Champ!

For the win, Gerber takes home the $606,095 first prize, as well as a gold bracelet and a Rolex watch. Louis Lee earns $318,180 for second place. Congratulations to both finalists!

Adam Gerber raises to $165,000 and Lee calls to see the flop come K Q 4. Gerber bets out $220,000 and Lee flat-calls. The turn is the J and both players check. The river is the 5 and Gerber checks to Lee, who reaches for chips. Gerber folds instantly and Lee takes down the pot.

With no deal apparently having been brokered, the cards are back in the air as these two combatants square off for the $606,095 first prize, as well as a gold bracelet and a Rolex watch. Stay tuned to PokerListings.com for the thrilling conclusion!

With heads-up play looming, we've taken a quick break to get set up and for the two finalists to discuss a chop. Here are the chip counts as we await the resumption of play:

Adam Gerber	$3,310,000
Louis Lee	$1,625,000

 

Louis Lee limps from the button and Adam Gerber joins him in the pot from the small blind before Matt Glantz comes over the top all-in for his last $519,000 from the big blind. Lee gets out of the way and Gerber goes into the tank again, deliberating and talking himself through the hand before finally deciding to call.

Glantz turns up A Q and is racing against Gerber's 6 6, and after the flop comes T 6 2 the pro-Gerber audience lets out a roar of approval. The turn is the A and the river the 6, giving Gerber kwads and sending Glantz home in third for $159,080.

Adam Gerber limps in and Matt Glantz raises all-in for his last $485,000. Gerber goes into the tank for five minutes but eventually lays down the hand, giving Glantz the pot.

Louis Lee raises to $120,000 from the button and the action folds around to Matt Glantz, who ups it to $225,000 to go. After some deliberation, Lee announces all-in, putting Glantz to a decision for his tournament life. Glantz lays the hand down and Lee takes the pot.

Adam Gerber and Louis Lee see a flop come 9 7 6 and Gerber checks blind. Lee bets out $90,000 and Gerber adds $240,000 to the wager. Lee re-pops to $635,000 and Gerber goes into the tank, giving the matter serious thought before folding while telling Lee, "You played that hand perfectly."

 Matt Glantz limps-in and Louis Lee checks his option. Both players check the flop and the turn as the board comes J T 4 4 K. On the river, Glantz bets out $40,000 and Lee raises to $135,000. Glantz makes the call and Lee shows J 4 for the boat. Glantz mucks and Lee takes the pot.

The latest chip counts:

Adam Gerber	$2,540,000
Louis Lee	$1,500,000
Matt Glantz	$895,000

 

The cards are back in the air and the blinds are moving up once again. Stay tuned for more hot poker action!

We've reached the end of the level and players will take a 10-minute break before returning to action.

Adam Gerber raises to $90,000 and is called by Louis Lee in the big blind. The flop comes Q 5 2 and both players check. The turn is the 4 and Gerber bets out $120,000. Lee ups it to $325,000 and Gerber pauses, mulling things over before laying it down.

Adam Gerber limps-in from the small blind and Matt Glantz checks his option. The flop comes J 7 7 and Gerber checks to Glantz, who bets $40,000. Gerber raises to $120,000 and the turn is the 7. Gerber again checks and Glantz again fires, making it $180,000 to go. After some thought, Gerber lays it down and Glantz takes the pot.

Louis Lee raises to $90,000 from the small blind and Adam Gerber makes the call in the big blind. The flop comes 6 5 4 and Lee checks to Gerber, who bets out $120,000. Lee makes the call and the turn is the 6. Both players check and the river is the 4, prompting a $275,000 bet from Lee and a call from Gerber, who shows A T to Lee's A Q. Both players have two pair with an ace kicker and the pot is chopped.

Here are the latest chip counts from the place to be at the USPC:

Adam Gerber	$2,875,000
Louis Lee	$1,430,000
Matt Glantz	$630,000

 

Edward Brogdon open-shoves all-in for his last $210,000 from the button and Adam Gerber and Matt Glantz both call in the blinds. The flop comes 7 6 2 and both live players check. The turn is the 9 and Gerber checks to Glantz, who moves all-in. Gerber calls and turns up A 9 to Glantz's A 9 and Brogdon's A 4. The river card is the K and Gerber and Glantz split the pot while Brogdon is consigned to the rail, busted in fourth place for $95,448.

With Brogdon's elimination, the final three players are guaranteed at least $159,080.

Among the collection of fans and family gathered on the rail are such poker faces as the recently eliminated Victor Ramdin, as well as Vincent Procopio, Michael Sukonik and Joe Simmons. Something tells us they're not just there for love of the game.

Adam Gerber limps pre-flop and Ed Brogdon checks his option in the big blind. The flop comes J 6 6 and both players check. The turn is the 8 and Brogdon leads out for $125,000. Gerber flat-calls and the river is the 8. Brogdon bets $260,000 and Gerber calls him again, showing A-4 for eights and sixes with an ace kicker which is good to take down the pot.

Adam Gerber raises to $80,000 from under the gun and Louis Lee re-raises to $805,000 from the small blind. Action folds back to Gerber, who gives the matter some heavy thought for a good few minutes before finally laying it down and giving the pot to Lee.

Here are the chip counts as the action resumes:

Adam Gerber	$1,960,000
Louis Lee	$1,430,000
Ed Brogdon	$985,000
Matt Glantz	$560,000

The blinds are up, way up. From $10,000/$20,000 with a $3,000 ante we are now up to $15,000/$30,000 with a $5,000 ante, increasing the pressure on these players as the action gets back underway.

Louis Lee raises to $68,000 from the button and Adam Gerber re-ups to $180,000 total from the big blind. Lee gives the matter some heavy thought before finally laying it down and Gerber shows A-K as he rakes the pot.

We're now on a 10-minute level break.

Ed Brogdon gets all-in pre-flop for his last $436,000 against Adam Gerber, who turns up A T to Brogdon's A K. The board comes 9 7 7 6 4 and Brogdon has doubled through Gerber to bring his stack to almost $1 million.

Louis Lee raises to $68,000 on the button and Victor Ramdin comes over the top all-in for another $205,000 from the small blind. Ed Brogdon gets out of the way in the big blind and the action's on Lee, who ruminates for a few minutes, saying, "This would be the sickest thing in the world if I called this."

It is the sickest thing in the world, because Lee calls with K 7 and is way behind Ramdin's A K. The flop is cruel, coming Q 7 6, and after the turn is the Q the river is the 9 and Victor Ramdin, who yesterday told Lee he'd take every last one of his chips before the tournament was over, has been eliminated at the hands of the man he'd trash-talked.

Ramdin is out in fifth place and will take home $71,586 to add to the coffers.

Matt Glantz raises to $70,000 from the button and Jared Okun moves all-in over the top for $242,000 total from the small blind. The action folds back around to Glantz, who makes the call and turns up J J to Okun's A Q. The board comes 9 5 2 3 T and Jared Okun is out in sixth place, earning $55,678 in a losing cause.

Louis Lee raises to $68,000 from early position and Svetlana Gromenkova re-pops all-in for another $302,000 from middle position. Adam Gerber calls on the button and Lee goes into the tank, giving the matter plenty of thought before finally laying it down.

Gerber turns up 7 7 and Gromenkova A Q while Lee is clearly disgusted with his fold, claiming he laid down the best hand. Regardless, the board comes T 3 2 K 5 and Gerber gets the check mark while Gromenkova gets the boot, out in seventh place for $39,770. 

Jared Okun has open-shoved the last two hands from the button and cut-off respectively for over $210,000 both times. Neither time has garnered him a caller and he's picked up $51,000 with each all-in move.

Tommy Wang open-shoves all-in for his last $103,000 from the button and Svetlana Gromenkova comes over the top all-in from the small blind to isolate. Ed Brogdon lays it down in the big blind and Gromenkova turns up A T to Wang's K Q. The board comes 6 5 4 9 6 and Tommy Wang has been eliminated in eighth place. He'll take home $31,818 for his finish.

Victor Ramdin and Tommy Wang see a flop come 9 4 2 and Ramdin bets out $20,000. Wang puts him all-in and Ramdin obliges, calling with T 9 for top pair to Wang's piddly 3 2. The board finishes out 8 K and Wang is forced to ship $125,000 to Ramdin, leaving himself with about $110,000 behind.

Ed Brogdon limps from the button and Adam Gerber pops it to $64,000 from the small blind. Brogdon comes over the top all-in for $167,000 more and Gerber makes the call, showing A 4 to Brogdon's A A. The board comes T 5 2 T 2 and Brogdon's rockets hold to double him through the chip leader.

In a battle of the blinds, Svetlana Gromenkova gets all-in for her last $150,000 and Ed Brogdon makes the call, showing Q Q to Gromenkova's K K. The board comes 9 5 3 K 8 and Gromenkova has doubled to over $300,000 while Brogdon is down to $260,000.

Jared Okun shoves all-in for his last $135,000 from the small blind and Louis Lee calls in the big blind, turning up A 7 to Okun's 9 3. The board comes T 5 3 K K and Okun is saved by a miracle trey, doubling him through Lee and keeping him alive.

The quick break is over and the cards are back in the air.

The first level of the day has come to an end after six minutes of play and we're taking a three-minute break before the action resumes.

The players have been introduced and the cards are in the air from the poker room at the Taj. We begin the day with six minutes left in Level 17 and we'll play down to a winner today. Stay tuned for updates as the action begins!

Here are the final-table seating positions and chip counts as we get closer to the start of play:

Seat 1	Adam Gerber	$1,939,000
Seat 2	Matt Glantz	$370,000
Seat 3	Jared Okun	$171,000
Seat 4	Louis Lee	$1,349,000
Seat 5	Victor Ramdin	$322,000
Seat 6	Tommy Wang	$276,000
Seat 7	Svetlana Gromenkova	$164,000
Seat 8	Ed Brogdon	$350,000

 

It's final-table time from the United States Poker Championship at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. The final eight players have returned to the tables for one last day to contest the winner of the glory, the $606,095 first place prize and the exclusive PokerListings.com interview.

Players are just getting unbagged and organized at the TV final table with action set to begin momentarily. Stay tuned as we bring you all of the action and excitement throughout the day.