The final nine players have combined to one table. The plan is to play until we lose one more, at which point we'll make the final table. Here's a look at how things currently stack up:
Sam Stein opened to 42,000 from the cutoff, Vladimir Troyanovskiy three-bet for the second consecutive hand, this time to 108,000 on the button, and Stein four-bet jammed for what looked like 430,000. Troyanovsy snap-called.
Stein:
Troyanovskiy:
The gave Troyanovskiy a flush draw, and he made his flush when the turned. Stein was already shaking hands by the time the fell on the river, and after the hand he was off to the cage to collect his winnings.
Troyanovskiy is now up to around 1.6 million chips, and we are redrawing for the unofficial nine-handed final table.
Action folded around to Mike Watson in the small blind and he opened for 35,000. Ole Schemion opted to three-bet to 116,000 from the big, Watson called, and the two players saw a flop of .
Watson proceeded to check-call a bet of 83,000 and then turned right around and led out for 180,000 on the turn. Schemion gave it some thought, but ultimately decided to concede the hand.
"Damn your squeeze," Shaun Deeb said to Schemion after the hand. "I'd have flopped the nuts."
Just before the level changed, Shaun Deeb and Mike Watson were heads up on a flop of . Deeb led out for 20,000 from the small blind, Watson raised to 55,000 on his direct left, and Deeb re-raised to 120,000. Watson called.
The turn was the , Deeb led out for 206,000, and Watson tank-called.
The completed the board, and Deeb tanked for 20 seconds or so before checking. Watson checked behind. Deeb turned over for a set, and Watson mucked.
Shawn Buchanan received one double after being crippled, but his bid at a comeback was cut short by Mike Watson.
It happened when Watson opened for 35,000 on the button and Buchanan moved all in from the small blind for 122,000. Watson thought for about 45 seconds before dropping in a call.
Buchanan:
Watson:
It was another flip, but the eights wouldn't hold for Buchanan as the flop delivered Watson a pair of jacks. Even so, Buchanan did pick up a diamond flush draw. Unfortunately for him, neither the turn nor river was what he was looking for and he was eliminated in 11th place, good for $89,960.
Matt Stout opened to 36,000 on the button, Micah Raskin three-bet to what looked like 115,000 from the big blind, and Stout four-bet jammed. Raskin quickly called.
Stout:
Raskin:
The dealer rapped the table, burned a card, then fanned . Stout took the lead with a pair of aces, and maintained his lead when the turned. Raskin only had two outs to eliminate Stout, but low and behold, the spiked on the river to give him a set.
"God!" Stout exclaimed at the sight of the card.
Stout is off to the cage to collect his winnings, while Raskin is up to 1.25 million chips.
Shawn Buchanan moved all in for 65,000 from the hijack and received an obligatory call from Shaun Deeb in the big blind.
Buchanan:
Deeb:
"I folded ," Vladimir Troyanovskiy said from the small blind. Deeb expressed his disappointment, but he perked up when the flop came down to give him a flush draw. The turn paired Buchanan, and that meant Deeb needed a spade on the river to win and eliminated a tough foe. The dealer burned and put out the .
Vladimir Troyanovskiy opened to 37,000 from the hijack, Mike Watson three-bet to 90,000 on the button, and Shawn Buchanan four-bet to 161,000 from the small blind. Troyanovskiy quickly folded, and Watson tanked for over a minute before moving all in for 574,000. Buchanan snapped it off.
Watson:
Buchanan:
The flop changed little, but the turned, giving Watson a set of queens. The bricked on the river, and Watson shipped a massive double to over 1.2 million chips.
Only two members of the PokerStars Team remained in the field, but now we're down to just one as Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Selbst has just eliminated Team Online's Mickey Petersen.
It happened when Petersen opened for 32,000 from the hijack only to have Selbst three-bet to 74,000 from the big blind. Petersen thought long and hard before moving all in, and Selbst snap-called.
Selbst:
Petersen:
The online pro got it in as a huge favorite, but Selbst pulled closer to even when the flop delivered her a flush draw. "That a good flop for you," Petersen said. No sooner had he completed the sentence then the dealer burned and turned the . Selbst had hit her flush to leave Petersen drawing dead.
"Nice hand," Petersen said as the dealer put out the meaningless on the river. "Good luck, guys."
Despite busting, Petersen immediately took to Twitter to express his excitement for 2013:
Busted 13th with AKs vs @VanessaSelbst AQs for 80k I think, gl to her and the other heroes still in. Great start to the year :) #firstofmanyJanuary 13 2013
![[user101598]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
gave Troyanovskiy a flush draw, and he made his flush when the 
turned. Stein was already shaking hands by the time the 
fell on the river, and after the hand he was off to the cage to collect his winnings.
.
turn. Schemion gave it some thought, but ultimately decided to concede the hand.
. Deeb led out for 20,000 from the small blind, Watson raised to 55,000 on his direct left, and Deeb re-raised to 120,000. Watson called.
, Deeb led out for 206,000, and Watson tank-called.
completed the board, and Deeb tanked for 20 seconds or so before checking. Watson checked behind. Deeb turned over 
flop delivered Watson a pair of jacks. Even so, Buchanan did pick up a diamond flush draw. Unfortunately for him, neither the 
turn nor 
. Stout took the lead with a pair of aces, and maintained his lead when the 
turned. Raskin only had two outs to eliminate Stout, but low and behold, the 
," Vladimir Troyanovskiy said from the small blind. Deeb expressed his disappointment, but he perked up when the flop came down 
turn paired Buchanan, and that meant Deeb needed a spade on the river to win and eliminated a tough foe. The dealer burned and put out the 
flop changed little, but the 
turned, giving Watson a set of queens. The 
. Selbst had hit her flush to leave Petersen drawing dead.
