2013 WSOP Main Event Day 4: The Bubble Bursts, Brunson Falls & Merson Looks to Defend
The 2013 World Series of Poker $10,000 Main Event saw the remaining 666 players from a 6,352-player field return to the Amazon Room at the Rio All-Suite Casino in Las Vegas on Friday to play through the money and down to the final 239 players.
After five two-hours levels of play, Jon Lane of Menasha, Wisconsin emerged as the chip leader of the advancing 239 players with 2.839 million. Lane snatched the chip lead when he busted Nicholas Immekus in Level 20 after his A♦K♥ held against Immekus' A♣4♣.
Lane is followed by some other big stacks such as Sami Rustom (2,485,000), Grayson Ramage (2,438,000), Victor Cianelli (2,197,000), Seaver Kyaw (2,060,000) and Yann Dion (2,025,000).
Also still in contention is Greg Merson, who bagged up 635,000. Merson, who won last year's Main Event, is looking to do the unthinkable and make the final table for the second year in a row. The only other former champ remaining in the field is 2001 Main Event winner Carlos Mortensen, who bagged 302,000.
OFFICIAL TOP TEN END-OF-DAY 4 COUNTS
| Place | Name | Chips |
| 1 | Jon Lane | 2,839,000 |
| 2 | Sami Rustom | 2,485,000 |
| 3 | Grayson Ramage | 2,438,000 |
| 4 | Victor Cianelli | 2,197,000 |
| 5 | Seaver Kyaw | 2,060,000 |
| 6 | Yann Dion | 2,025,000 |
| 7 | Kevin Williams | 2,007,000 |
| 8 | Vincent Robert | 1,976,000 |
| 9 | Robert Sichelstiel | 1,920,000 |
| 10 | Ami Alibay | 1,890,000 |
Day 4 started with 666 players, meaning 18 had to his the rail before the money was reach. The day’s first elimination ended up being Age Ravn, and others who followed him out the door empty handed were Jarod Ludemann, Mark Nguyen, Iain Brassell, Sigurd Eskeland and Sidney Schipper, just to name a few.
Two away from the money, which occurred in Level 16 (2,500/5,000/500), Yuri Dzivielevski lost a big pot to German Marvin Rettenmaier and was eliminated in 650th place by Gaetano Preite shortly thereafter, bringing about the official money bubble.
Three players at different tables soon found themselves all in on the same hand. After Brian Kellogg and Tzu Yen survived their all-in confrontations, it was three-time bracelet winner Farzad Bonyadi's time.
Bonyadi began the day with just 27,600 but had managed to work that up to 241,000. The hand in question began when Nick Schwarmann raised to 12,000 preflop from middle position and Bonyadi called to see a flop of J♦5♠3♠. Schwarmann checked to Bonyadi, who tossed out 14,000. Schwarmann check-raised to 37,000, and Bonyadi called to see the 10♠ turn. Schwarmann fired out 54,000 and again Bonyadi called. When the K♥ completed the board on the river, Schwarmann, who had the bigger stack, moved all in and Bonyadi snap-called.
Play had to be halted for almost five minutes so that hands at all the other tables could finish. At that point Bonyadi showed A♠J♣ for a pair of jacks, but it was no good as Schwarmann showed A♣Q♥ for a rivered Broadway straight. With that, Bonyadi earned the title of 2013 Main Event bubble boy and was awarded a free seat into next year's Main Event.
From there the in-the-money eliminations came fast and furious. They included Michael Schurpf (642nd - $19,106), Jonathan Tamayo (613th - $19,106), Christian Harder (608th - $19,106), Mike Watson (589th - $19,106), Humberto Brenes (584th - $19,106), Micah Smith (571st - $21,495), Erik Seidel (560th - $21,495), Steve Zolotow (543rd - $21,495), Paul Wasicka (493rd - $24,480), Stephen Chidwick (479th - $24,480), Rupert Elder (478th - $24,480), Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi (473rd - $24,480), Bryn Kenney (463rd - $24,480) and Mark "P0ker H0" Kroon (458th - $24,480), who had finished as the chip leader on both Day 1 and Day 2.
Kroon's bust came in Level 17 (3,000/6,000/1,000) when an early position player raised it up and Aditya Agarwal called from late position. Kroon called from the big blind and it was three-way action to the J♦4♣9♠ flop. It was checked to Agarwal, who bet out 16,000. Kroon then check-raise to 36,000, the other player folded, and Agarwal three-bet to 86,000. Kroon moved all in for his last 320,000 and Agarwal made the call.
Agarwal: A♣J♣
Kroon: J♥10♠
The players had to wait for the cameras to get set up, and Kroon started joking with Agarwal. "I run good in these situations, just so you know. The ten of hearts always come." The cameras got set up, and the 3♣ hit the turn, giving Agarwal the nut flush draw, and taking one of Kroon's outs away. "Ten of hearts always comes on the river." The whole table laughed just before the river brought the J♠ making it so there was no more"P0ker H0."
Kroon was soon joined on the rail by the likes of Team PokerStars Online's Isaac Haxton (455th - $24,480), 2010 WSOP Europe Main Event champ James Bord (452nd - $24,480), WSOP Circuit regular Katherine Bowen (435th - $24,480) and ten-time bracelet winner and poker legend Doyle Brunson (409th - $28,063).
Brunson, who wasn't even going to play the Main Event until coerced by WSOP officials, found himself going deep and locked up his fifth consecutive decade with a Main Event cash. Then, in Level 18 (4,000/8,000/1,000), Brunson got mixed up in a big hand over at the feature table. It began when Tim Ulrich raised to 16,000 in early position and Sergei Stazhkov called from the hijack. Brunson then three-bet to 86,000 on the button, forcing folds from the blinds and from Ulrich. Stazhkov responded with an all-in four bet and Brunson called off for 204,000.
Stazhkov: 10♥10♣
Brunson: K♦10♠
The 7♥3♣2♣ flop was no help to Brunson, nor was the 9♥ turn. With only three outs, the two-time Main Event champion was unable to catch a king as the A♣ appeared on the river. Brunson waved to the crowd, which were giving the 79-year-old a standing ovation, and then exited the WSOP Main Event for perhaps the last time in his long and storied career.
As the night wore on players such as Jake Cody (400th - $28,063), Grant Hinkle (391st - $28,063), Lauren Kling (387th - $28,063), Brandon Meyers (383rd - $28,063), Eddy Sabat (375th - $28,063), Matt Affleck (370th - $28,063), Rob Salaburu (355th - $32,242), Shiva Dudani (342nd - $32,242), Allen Cunningham (331st - $32,242), Matt Marafioti (329th - $32,242), Melanie Weisner (301st - $32,242), Dick van Luijk (300th - $32,242), Jon Turner (299th - $32,242), Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier (295th - $32,242) and Ludovic Lacay (293rd - $32,242) all joined the "Godfather of Poker" on the rail.
For a look at all the Day 4 payouts, click here.
There were certainly a lot of big names among the 427 casualties on Day 4, but there are still plenty of notables remaining. They include Brett Richey (1,817,000), Amir Lehavot (1,783,000), David Benefield (1,675,000), Jackie Glazier (1,595,000), Max Steinberg (1,591,000), Yevgeniy Timoshenko (1,563,000), Simon Ravnsbaek (1,506,000), Byron Kaverman (1,475,000), Ashton Griffin (1,415,000), Annette Obrestad (1,186,000), JC Tran (1,141,000), Ramzi Jelassi (949,000), Ronnie Bardah (932,000), Kyle Julius (924,000), Vivek Rajkumar (858,000), Marvin Rettenmaier (809,000) and Brandon Steven (706,000), just to name a few.
Day 5 action will commence at 12 p.m. local time on Saturday. The remaining 239 players will play five more levels, and of course the PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be there to capture all the action. Join us then for all the latest and greatest from another day at the 2013 WSOP Main Event.
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PR & Media Manager for PokerNews, Podcast host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.
