[user25067]
Yes, it's true. Phil Hellmuth's Lear Jet arrived safely at McCarran airport and he was whisked away to the Rio to take a seat behind his chip stack, which has been blinded down to about 22,000 over the last four hours.
Hellmuth and Matusow appeared out of what appeared to be the door to the "Secret Chinese Poker Room" where these two spend most of their breaks engaged in said game. The two chatted and power-walked into the Brasilia Room, where Hellmuth looked up at the clock and noticed there were still ten minutes remaining on the dinner break.
"I ran here and we're ten minutes early?" gasped Hellmuth as a fan on the rail pleaded for a photo.
[user75032]
If there's one thing that Nikolay Evdakov demonstrated during the 2008 WSOP, it was survival skill. He's going to need to draw on all of that skill after losing a big pot to Carlos Mortensen. Mortensen was all in before the draw, with Evdakov having him covered. Each player drew one card. After the draw, Mortensen showed 6-5-3-2-x, pulling an 8 as his draw card for 8-6. Evdakov showed a slightly better hand 6-4-3-2-x, but pulled a king.
Evdakov is now down to 9,500. Mortensen is back up to the starting stack of 30,000.
[user75032]
See you next year, baby.
On one of the final hands before the dinner break, Scotty Nguyen was unceremoniously bounced out of the tournament by Peter Gould. Nguyen opened the action; Gould re-reraised; Nguyen shoved and Gould called.
Nguyen had first action on the draw and elected to stand pat with a 10. Nothing he could have done would have made a difference; Gould stood pat and turned over Number One, 7-5-4-3-2.
[user75032]
The Mouth's been doing lots of talking.
Defending champion Mike Matusow is still doing well today. He recently called a raise to 1,100 made by Brian Powell before the small blind, Allan Silberstang, made it 4,000 to go. Powell responded by moving all in for 17,000, a bet that Matusow called! His call quickly chased Silberstang out of the pot.
On the draw, Powell took one. Matusow stood pat and turned over Number Two, 7-6-4-3-2. Powell didn't even look at his draw card; he mucked and left the tournament area.
[user25067]
I'm pretty sure this crowd has the bracelet on the brain more than the money, but nevertheless, here comes your prizepool and payout information.
96 players entered this event, creating a prizepool of $902,400. 14 places will be paid with first place receiving $279,742 along with a WSOP bracelet.
[user75032]
An interesting hand on the "Table of Death" -- Before the draw, Greg Raymer raised to 1,100 and was called by Gus Hansen and big blind Chino Rheem. Rheem took one card; Raymer took one card; and Hansen took three.
After the draw, Rheem checked to Raymer, who followed up his pre-draw raised with a post-draw bet of 2,000. Both opponents called; Rheem took down the pot with 10-9-8-4-2.
[user25067]
Tim Phan opened for 1,400, Tom Schneider three-bet to 5,200 on the button (leaving himself about 9,500 behind), the big blind flat-called, and Phan called as well. The big blind and Phan each drew one while Schneider was pat.
The big blind checked to Phan, who bet 10,000. Schneider tanked, then folded, the big blind folded, and Phan dragged the pot, taking his stack up to 54,000.
[user75032]
Gus Hansen stands up to John Hennigan
Looks like John Hennigan owes Phil Ivey $2,500. Hennigan opened a pot for 1,200 and was called in position by Chino Rheem before Gus Hansen reraised the small blind to 5,400. Both Hennigan and Rheem called.
On the draw, Hansen rapped pat while each other player took one card. Hansen immediately checked, prompting Hennigan to move all in for 17,775.
Chino Rheem pondered his decision for maybe fifteen seconds before Hennigan requested a clock. A floor was summoned to the table, prompting an immediate fold from Rheem. No sooner had Rheem folded, then Hennigan called the clock on Hansen!
The floor told Hennigan that Hansen had not had any time to act and therefore calling for a clock was inappropriate. Hennigan was irate, perhaps prompting Hansen to call with 10-9-7-x-x. Hennigan's hand was ace-high, bouncing him from the tournament.
Hennigan protested his case to the floor and to Andy Black after the hand was over. Both men's response was that a player must be allowed adequate time to make a decision before a clock is called. According to the 2009 WSOP Rules, they were both correct. Rule 50 states "Once a reasonable amount of time, which is no less than two minutes has passed and a clock is called, a player will be given one (1) minute to act."
[user75032]
Tom Dwan's day started two hours and fifteen minutes after everyone else's. It ended about five minutes ago. Dwan was eliminated from the tournament by Johnny Chan when his 9-8 couldn't stack up to Chan's 8-7.
[user25067]
Andy Bloch just twittered that he thought there were 30 bracelets on his table. Well, you're close, Andy. The players at your table have won a combined total of 29 WSOP bracelets.
Johnny Chan - 10
Doyle Brunson - 10
Phil Ivey - 6
David Grey - 2
Ville Wahlbeck - 1
![[user25067]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
