A number of Team PokerStars Pros have been eliminated throughout the day including Greg Debora, Andre Akkari, Victor Ramdin, Jason Mercier, Anh Van Nguyen and Humberto Brenes.
The hopes of Team PokerStars aren't dashed, however, as Pat Pezzin, Bill Chen, Chad Brown and Marcel Luske are still alive.
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Blake "Balla-B13" Cahail is our first winner of the evening. We did not catch the hand, but one table is empty and he was standing at the front desk registering for tomorrow's restart.
The victory guarantees Cahail $4,135 and a shot at a final table run tomorrow.
Miami John Cernuto is heads up over at Table 296. He has his work cut out for him, however, as he is at about a 6-1 chip disadvantage.
Today's tournament attracted 548 players creating a prizepool of $739,800. The top 64 players (all the winner of today's tables) will be paid:
1st- $184,950
2nd- $114,484
3rd- $73,218
4th- $48,546
5th- $33,276
6th- $23,563
7th- $17,215
8th- $12,961
9th thru 64th- $4,135
Mike "goleafsgoeh" Leah, Al "Sugar Bear" Barbieri and our defending champion Greg "FBT" Mueller have all hit the rail since dinner break.
We will have a new Limit Hold'em Shootout champion!
With only four players remaining at the table, Phil Hellmuth raised to 600 from the button and both Jeff Madsen and the big blind called.
The flop came 
and action checked to Hellmuth who bet 300. Madsen folded and the big blind made the call. The big blind checked the 
on the turn and Hellmuth bet 600. The big blind check-rasied to 1,200 and Hellmuth immediately leapt from his chair and removed his sunglasses.
After thinking it through, Hellmuth folded announcing, "Never pay off the live one at the table, ever!" Hellmuth was left with a little over 5,000 after the hand.
Jason Mercier, Hal Lubarsky, David Sklansky, Michael Mizrachi, Adam Schoenfeld and Victor Ramdin are among the notables who've been recently eliminated.
Phil Hellmuth raised with the button and Jeff Madsen hesitantly called from the small blind.
"What?" Hellmuth blurted. "You have like the nine-ten off?"
A player in the big blind called as well and the flop fell 
. Both blinds checked to Hellmuth who continued and Madsen check-raised. The player in the big blind released, Hellmuth put in a third bet and Madsen called.
"Seven!" Madsen shouted.
The turn was not a seven, rather it was the 
. Madsen checked.
"I'm supposed to bet here," Hellmuth said with a grin.
"So you're checking?" Madsen poked. "That speech means you're checking, unless now you feel like you have to bet to prove me wrong."
Hellmuth opted to fire a bet which Madsen insta-called. Both players checked the 
on the river.
"Six," Madsen announced.
Hellmuth tabled 
for a rivered pair of nines however, winning him the pot. Madsen just rolled his eyes.
"Nice hand Phil," he offered.
Hellmuth was too busy thinking aloud about whether or not he should have bet the river to accept the compliment. Nonetheless he won the pot and is now a little bit closer to Madsen who is the chip leader at their four-handed table.
Level: 5
Blinds: 150/300
Ante: 0
Players are now on a one hour dinner break and so are we.
