Drew Heller opened for 17,000 from under the gun and only Daniel Wach called him from the cutoff. The flop came and Heller checked. Wach bet 16,000, and Heller called. The turn brought the , and Heller checked again. This time Wach bet 33,000, and Heller called once more.
The river was the and Heller checked one more time. Wach fired again, this time for 65,000, and Heller decided to look him up.
Neither player's hand had paired the board, but Heller's beat Wach's and Heller claimed the pot.
Following a hijack raise to 16,000 by Chris Klodnicki, Ian Searing called from the small blind, then Daniel Wach reraised to 51,000 from the big blind. Klodnicki folded, but Searing stuck around.
The flop came and both players checked. The turn was the . Searing checked again, Wach bet 44,000, and Searing called. The river then brought the , putting a third diamond on the board. Searing bet 75,000 this time, and Wach made the call.
Searing showed , but Wach had for a set and took the pot.
William Tonking raised to 16,000 from the cutoff seat, then a short-stacked Vince Baldassano reraised to 42,000 from the button, leaving himself just a few chips behind. It folded to Coury Mascagni who reraised all in from the big blind, and Tonking folded.
Mascagni:
Baldassano:
The flop came perfectly for Baldassano, rolling out to deliver him the nut flush, and by the turn he'd sealed up the hand to survive.
It folded to Chris Klodnicki in the small blind who once again accepted the invitation to raise, this time to 20,000. Joseph Tracy — moved over to Table 30 to balance the tables — called from the big blind.
There was betting after the flop and a couple of checks after the turn, thus bringing the pair to the river which came the . Klodnicki checked again, Tracy bet 100,000, and Klodnicki called. Tracy then showed for a wheel, and Klodnicki mucked.
Compared to previous days, it's definitely a different atmosphere for Day 3 here in the back portion of the poker area of the Sands Casino, right in the middle of the casino.
Slot machines are ringing all around us, music plays amid the constant hum and chatter, and the dimness and noise all contrast sharply with the relative quiet of the bright conference room downstairs where Days 1a, 1b, and 2 of the tourney took place.
That said, the players appear comfortable and without too much in the way of distractions as the final two tables proceed. And there's a nice opportunity for passersby to rail the event by standing around the perimeter on the outside of poker area. Some are stopping out of curiosity, while a few are here supporting specific players.
John Chapman (hijack seat) and Coury Mascagni (cutoff) both limped in, then Edward Pham raised to 30,000 from the button. The blinds folded and Chapman got out as well, but Mascagni responded by pushing all in, and Pham called all in for 103,000.
Mascagni had and Pham . The flop came to pair Pham, and after the turn and river he'd survived.
Chris Klodnicki opened for 20,000 from the small blind, Joseph Tracy defended from a seat over with a call, and the two saw the flop come . Klodnicki bet 20,000, and Tracy called again. The turn was the and Klodnicki bet 45,000 this time, and Tracy called once more.
The river was the and this time Klodnicki checked. Tracy bet 90,000, and Klodnicki called, and when Tracy showed (two pair), Klodnicki mucked.
Tracy is not only sitting close to Klodnicki (on his left), he's edging closer to him on the leaderboard, too, having moved up into second position at present.
Drew Heller raised to 16,000 from the button, Richard Allen reraised to 42,000 from the small blind, and Heller called.
Both checked the flop and turn. The then fell on the river, prompting a 38,000 bet from Allen that Heller called. Allen showed for aces, and Heller mucked.
Vince Baldassano was down to just 13,000 after losing most of his stack in a hand versus John Chapman in which Baldassano's failed to hold up versus Chapman's .
He'd double up once through Coury Mascagni when Baldassano's bested Mascagni's after the board came to give Baldassano a winning straight. But soon he'd be all in and at risk again, and this time Baldassano's Main Event run finally came to an end.
In that final hand, Michael Schoultz raised to 16,000 from the cutoff, then Baldassano reraised all in for 34,000 from the small blind. Chapman responded with an all-in shove of his own from the big blind, and Schoultz got out.
Baldassano:
Chapman:
The flop came to give both players pairs, but Chapman the better one. The turn was the and river the , and Baldassano is out.
and Heller checked. Wach bet 16,000, and Heller called. The turn brought the 
, and Heller checked again. This time Wach bet 33,000, and Heller called once more.
and Heller checked one more time. Wach fired again, this time for 65,000, and Heller decided to look him up.
beat Wach's 
and Heller claimed the pot.
and both players checked. The turn was the 
. Searing checked again, Wach bet 44,000, and Searing called. The river then brought the 
turn he'd sealed up the hand to survive.
turn, thus bringing the pair to the river which came the 
to pair Pham, and after the 
river he'd survived.
and Klodnicki bet 45,000 this time, and Tracy called once more.
flop and 
turn. The 
for aces, and Heller mucked.
failed to hold up versus Chapman's 
.
, and Baldassano is out.