Big Stax 1100 (Day 3): 5th Place - Pochedly ($22,925)

Level 28 (Blinds 40,000/80,000/10,000)
Total Entries: 428
Players Remaining: 4
Chip Average: 5,400,000

Ryan Pochedly (Bensalem, PA) - 5th Place ($22,925)

Ryan Pochedly (Bensalem, PA) would lose two critical hands to Steven Sarmiento that would seal his fate in finishing fifth at this final table.  About three hands ago, Sarmiento would river a set of sevens to put a bad beat on Pochedly (we are assuming that, because he called the river we three over cards to the river seven).

Then just moments ago, Sarmiento opened the pot for 160,000, with Pochedly pushing for 1,300,000 out of the small blind.  After the big blind folded, Sarmiento asked for a count and then decided to call:

Pochedly: A♥ 4♠

Sarmiento: 3♦ 3♣

Flop: 7♥ 6♣ 9♥

Turn: J♣

River: K♣

Pochedly couldn't ask for a better spot with the ace-rag off, holding two overs against Sarmiento's small pair.  The runout would not be kind at all to Ryan, who would brick his outs and bust the final table in fifth place ($22,925).  Ryan was one of the more accomplished players to return for Day 3, with over $114,000 in career earnings coming into today, including a deep run in the 2012 WSOP Main Event.