Can Mike Sexton improve upon last year’s runner-up finish and capture his second WSOP bracelet? Will Xuan Liu become the first woman to win an open event since 2008? Can Chris Tryba, a stud master in his own right, lay claim to his first bracelet? These are just a few of the lingering questions as we enter the third and final day of Event #4 $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Low 8-or-Better.
Both Liu and Tryba are well positioned to make a push for the title as the top two chip counts, while Sexton has his work cut out as he is one of the short stacks. Joining them in pursuit of the $201,559 first-place prize are a plethora of pros including Cory Zeidman, who final tabled this event last year; the veteran Chris Bjorin; Poker Hall of Famer Linda Johnson; 2010 WSOP Player of the Year Frank Kassela; and the 2010 Poker Players Champion Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi.
As if that list isn’t stacked enough, Jimmy Fricke, David Singer, Adam Roberts, Frankie O’Dell, Marsha Waggoner, John Monnette, Todd Brunson and Owais Ahmed join them in Day 3 action. Needless to day, it is one of the most accomplished fields we’ve seen in quite some time.
Action is set to get underway at 2 p.m. PST, which is less than a half hour now. There’s no telling how long it will take, but the final 23 will play down to a winner today, crowning the fourth bracelet winner of the 2012 WSOP.
Amid the recent flurry of eliminations, we were hard pressed to capture all the hands. One that we missed was Owais Ahmed, though we do know he was eliminated by Yarron Bendor, who made a wheel on fifth with / / .
oerockets Owais AhmedBusted 17th. Ran kings up into trip 5s, then lost AAQ to A24 - he made a wheel in the first five cards, all in on 4th. On to the next one.May 31 2012
Meanwhile, a short-stacked David Singer was eliminated in 16th place, edging into the next pay jump.
Mike Sexton appeared to bring it in for the full 8,000 only to have Michael Mizrachi raise to 16,000. Sexton made a hesitant call and then check-called a bet on the turn. On fifth street, Mizrachi took the lead and led out, putting the pressure on Sexton and his stack of 23,500. The latter thought for a minute before committing himself, which Mizrachi called.
Mizrachi: / /
Sexton: / /
Sexton held a pair of sevens and needed help to overcome Mizrachi's jacks. Unfortunately for him, neither sixth nor seventh delivered salvation and he was eliminated in 15th place. Combined with his runner-up finish last year, Sexton has proven he is truly one of the best at Seven Card Stud Hi-Low 8-or-Better.
After the brought it in, Michael Mizrachi completed only to have Frank Kassela raise it up. The rest of the players got out of the way, Mizrachi put in a reraise and Kassela called off.
Mizrachi: / /
Kassela: / /
The two men who battled it our for the title of 2010 WSOP Player of the Year were at it again, but it was Kassela who was out in front. The turn wasn't very interesting, while fifth street gave Mizrachi a pair of queens and Kassela two pair. Much to the latter's dismay, sixth street demolished his hopes as Mizrachi spiked an ace for a bigger two pair.
"Are you kidding me?" Kassela asked in disbelief. Seventh street failed to change a thing and Kassela added, "You killed me today, Mike," before making his exit in 14th place.
We didn't catch all the action, but we do know that Poker Hall of Famer Linda Johnson was eliminated after Cory Zeidman hit the river to make two pair.
Johnson: / /
Johnson was very gracious in her exit and continued to demonstrate that she is truly one of the game's greatest ambassadors.
John Monnette is one unhappy camper right now. The dealer who was responsible for the blowup earlier just pushed back into the table, and Monnette was once again pretty upset. He and Chris Tryba asked the floor why the dealer was coming back, but the floor was having none of it.
"He did nothing wrong," the floor stood firm. "I just checked the tapes and saw the whole thing. He did nothing wrong."
We walked to the other table to count chips for just 45 seconds or so, and during that time, Monnette was eliminated by Xuan Liu. He's out in 12th place, and the pay bump up over $10,000 will likely be little consolation.
After doubling Marsha Waggoner, Chris Tryba was left with a stack of approximately 60k. He ended up having the bring in and made it the full 12,000, which Brandon Shack-Harris ended up raising. Tryba fired back and eventually all of his chips got in before the turn.
Tryba: | / (X)
Shack-Harris: / /
Shack-Harris ended up making a flush on sixth street which meant Tryba needed either a six or four on seventh to stay alive. He squeezed it out, but it was not meant to be as he flung it to the muck.
Well, we have just two ladies left. Aussie Marsha Waggoner has just been eliminated at the hands of Yarron Bendor.
Bendor: (x-x) / / (x)
Waggoner: (x-x) / / (x)
When Bendor bet fifth street, Waggoner raised. Bendor raised again, and the call put the lady all in. She was in trouble, as Bendor had started the hand rolled up.
Bendor: / / (x)
Waggoner: / / (x)
Bendor didn't fill up with his river , so Waggoner was drawing live to the heart flush. It was her only shot at staying alive, but the river was the wrong shade of red. The was no use, and she's been eliminated on the final table bubble.
The lady was doing the betting when we joined the action on fifth street. Call-call. On sixth, Mizrachi bet his pair, and that was called in both places, too. Mizrachi bet dark before seventh street. Rossi called all in for her last 20,000, and Zeidman called too. Neither of them would get any of this pot.
Mizrachi revealed / , and his set of deuces earned him the pot and the knockout.
Xuan Liu brought it in and cleared the field all the way around to Todd Brunson, who completed. Liu made the call and then bet out after Brunson checked the turn. The latter made the call before check-raising all in for just 3,000 more over Liu's fifth-street bet.
Brunson: | /
Liu: | /
Liu was ahead with her pocket pair of nines, and Brunson was looking for some help to keep his tournament hopes alive. Sixth street gave him a low draw, but seventh neither completed it nor gave him a high. Brunson took home $22,142 for his seventh-place finish.
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