Event #13: $5,000 Seven-Card Stud Hi-Low 8-or-Better Day 2 | 2013 World Series of Poker

06-07-2013 02:32 UTC-7

Bronshtein Leads Final 20; Rodawig Seeks Second Title in Three Years

Chad Holloway

Level 17 : 4,000/8,000, 1,000 ante

What started with 130 players here on Day 2—the remnants of a 210-player field—is now down to the final 20. The man best positioned to capture the World Series of Poker gold bracelet and accompanying $266,503 first-place prize is none other than Yuval Bronshtein, who finished as the chip leader with 433,000. With that said, players like Eric Rodawig (323,000) and David "Bakes" Baker (226,000) are looking to claim the Event #13: $5,000 Seven-Card Stud Hi-Low 8-or-Better title for themselves.

Actually, Rodawig is seeking to capture the title for a second time. Two years ago he won Event #33: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better Championship by defeating Phil Hellmuth in heads-up play. Not only did he deny the great Hellmuth his then 12th bracelet, he also took down his first piece of gold and the accompanying $442,183 prize.

Rodawig did not return to defend his title in 2012 due to a friend's wedding, and this marks the first time he's played a Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better tournament since 2011. If he could capture the title again, it'd be a truly remarkable feat. As the second biggest stack remaining he's got a legitimate shot of making that happen.

Day 2 began with a flurry of eliminations including those of Mike Noori, Hellmuth, Artie Cobb, Mike Sexton, Jason Mercier, Barry Greenstein, Daniel Negreanu and the defending champ, Adam Friedman.

With 25 players remaining, the money bubble was in effect, and it didn't take long to burst. Here's the hand that burst it.

Naseem Salem: / /
Eric Rodawig: / /

Salem completed, Rodawig raised, and Salem called. Rodawig bet-called on fourth, then the action was fast and furious on fifth and sixth, but in the end Salem was all in with two pair queens and eights. Rodawig hit an ace on seventh, so his hand was , and Salem bricked on his full house draw, exiting on the stone bubble.

Over the course of the next hour or so four more players hit the rail including Sam Feinberg (24th), Tom Schneider (23rd), Eugene Katchalov (22nd) and Francis Mariani (21st), each taking home $9,583.

While many notable fell, there are still quite a few still in contention including Gavin Smith (204,500), Mike "The Mouth" Matusow (156,000), Joe Tehan (145,000), Timothy Finne (137,000), Mike Leah (120,000), Eli Elezra (88,000), Tony Cousineau (59,000) and Brian Hastings (55,500).

The third and final day will kick off at 2 p.m. PDT on Friday. Join us then as we look to crown the Event #13: $5,000 Seven-Card Stud Hi-Low 8-or-Better champion!

For now, we'll leave you with Kristy Arnett who has the highlights from across the Rio today:

Tags: Eric Rodawig Yuval Bronshtein

06-07-2013 02:12 UTC-7

Elezra Crippled; Then Doubles

[user101598]

Level 17 : 4,000/8,000, 1,000 ante

Marco Johnson: / /
Eli Elezra: / /

We caught the action on fifth street, where Johnson called a bet from Elezra. Both players checked on sixth, and Elezra led out on seventh. Johnson called, showing for kings up, and Elezra mucked, leaving himself with 13,000 chips.

Johnson: / /
Elezra: / /
Matthew Ashton: / (FOLD)

A few hands later, after Elezra chopped a three-way pot, Johnson brought it in, Elezra completed, and Ashton and Johnson called. The action checked to Elezra, who bet, and only Johnson called. Elezra bet enough to put himself all in. Johnson called.

Johnson:
Elezra:

Both players bricked on sixth, and Elezra caught the on seventh, to make a seventy-five. Johnson made a useless pair of fours with , and Elezra doubled

Player	Chips	Progress
Matthew Ashton	200,500 -14,500	-14,500

Marco Johnson	156,000 -44,000	-44,000

Eli Elezra	70,000 -15,000	-15,000

Tags: Eli Elezra Marco Johnson Matthew Ashton

06-07-2013 02:05 UTC-7

Eugene Katchalov Eliminated in 22nd Place ($9,583)

Chad Holloway

Level 17 : 4,000/8,000, 1,000 ante

Eric Rodawig: / /
Timothy Finne: / /
Eugene Katchalov: / /

After Jose-Luis Velador brought it in with the , Eric Rodawig completed with the . Timothy Finne then raised and Eugene Katchlov reraised all in for 14,500. Velador got out of the way, Rodawig and Finne called, and it was off to fourth street.

Rodawig ended up check-calling a bet before taking the lead on fifth and firing out a bet. Finne called but then folded when Rodawig bet sixth.

Rodawig tabled jacks, and Katchalov was disheartened to learn his pocket tens were no good. Rodawig failed to improve on seventh, but so did Katchalov. With that, Rodawig was pushed the pot while Katchalov made his way to the payout desk in 22nd place to collect $9,583.

Player	Chips	Progress
Eric Rodawig	320,000 20,000	20,000

Eugene Katchalov	Busted

Tags: Eric Rodawig Eugene Katchalov Timothy Finn

06-07-2013 01:34 UTC-7

Tom Schneider Eliminated in 23rd Place ($9,583)

[user101598]

Level 17 : 4,000/8,000, 1,000 ante

Tom Schneider: / /
Tuan Vo: / /
Francis Mariani: / /

We caught the action starting on fifth street, where Schneider was all in for 3,500. Vo raised, Mariani called, and Mariani check-called on sixth. Mariani moved all in for less than a big bet on seventh, and Vo called.

Schneider:
Vo:
Mariani:

Schneider missed his flush draw and was eliminated, while the other two players chopped the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Tuan Vo	130,000 20,000	20,000
Francis Mariani	38,000 8,000	8,000
Tom Schneider	Busted

Tags: Francis Mariani Tom Schneider Tuan Vo

06-06-2013 23:05 UTC-7

Time for Sightseeing

[user101598]

Level 16 : 3,000/6,000, 700 ante

Naseem Salem: / /
Cory Zeidman: / /
Tom Schneider: / /

When we arrived at the table, Zeidman was already all in. There was betting on the side on seventh, and then Salem and Schneider tabled their hands.

Schneider:
Salem:

Schneider had the high, Salem the low, and Zeidman angrily mucked his cards without us catching them.

Over on Table 430, Fu Wong was eliminated by Eugene Katchalov, who made aces up.

Here are complete counts from Table 428:

Player	Chips	Progress
Eli Elezra	200,000 30,000	30,000

Timothy Finne	130,000 75,000	75,000
Eric Rodawig	112,000 -60,000	-60,000

Naseem Salem	102,000 88,000	88,000
Tom Schneider	88,000 19,500	19,500

Owais Ahmed	26,400 -3,600	-3,600

Fu Wong	Busted
Cory Zeidman	Busted

Tags: Cory Zeidman Naseem Salem Fu Wong Tom Schneider

06-06-2013 22:38 UTC-7

No More Negreanu

[user101598]

Level 15 : 2,500/5,000, 500 ante

Nikolai Yakovenko: / /
Daniel Negreanu: / (FOLD)
Francis Mariani: / /

We caught the action starting on fourth street, where Mariani bet out and both Yakovenko and Negreanu called. Yakovenko caught a pair on fifth street, bet out, and only Mariani called. Yakovenko led out on sixth and seventh, Mariani called both bets, and Yakovenko showed for trip fours and a low. He scooped the pot.

Steve Sung: / (FOLD)
Negreanu: / /
Mike Leah: / /
Owais Ahmed: / (FOLD)

Ahmed brought it in, Sung and Negreanu both called, and Leah completed. Ahmed called, Sung called, and Negreanu made it three bets, going all in.

"How do you like that sneaky play!" Kid Poker exclaimed.

Leah raised again, and only Ahmed called.

Both players checked on fourth, Leah led out on fifth, and Ahmed folded.

Negreanu:
Leah:

Negreanu was excited to make two pair on sixth, but then Leah was dealt a second queen, giving him a better two pair. Leah turned over the on seventh, which was a blank, and Negreanu turned over his own brick - the .

"Good luck, everybody," Negreanu said before exiting.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mike Leah	125,000 -40,000	-40,000

Nikolai Yakovenko	105,000 37,000	37,000
Francis Mariani	64,000 -17,000	-17,000
Owais Ahmed	30,000 -18,000	-18,000

Daniel Negreanu	Busted

Tags: Daniel Negreanu Francis Mariani Mike Leah Nikolai Yakovenko Owais Ahmed Steve Sung

06-06-2013 22:17 UTC-7

Greenstein Flushed Away

[user101598]

Level 15 : 2,500/5,000, 500 ante

Barry Greenstein: / /
Mike Matusow: (FOLDED)
Gavin Smith: / /

Matusow brought it in, Smith called, and Greenstein completed. Only Smith called.

Greenstein bet out on fourth and fifth, Smith called both bets, and we're unsure of the action of the exact action on sixth and seventh. It look as if Greenstein bet out again on both streets, and on seventh he was all in. Regardless, all of the money went in on seventh, and the hands were open.

Greenstein:
Smith:

Smith made a flush on seventh, making Greenstein's aces and sixes no good and eliminating him from the tournament.

"You're a flush machine," Matusow said after the hand. "You've made more flushes today than I have all this year."

Player	Chips	Progress
Gavin Smith	130,000 58,000	58,000
Mike Matusow	45,000 6,000	6,000

Barry Greenstein	Busted

Tags: Barry Greenstein Gavin Smith Mike Matusow

06-06-2013 20:34 UTC-7

"Biggest Pot of the Tournament so Far"

Chad Holloway

Level 14 : 2,000/4,000, 500 ante

Eli Elezra got himself a piece of the pot.

Max Pescatori: / /
Eli Elezra: / /
Cory Zeidman: / /
Timothy Finne: / /

We just happened upon a massive four-way pot that was accurately described by Eli Elezra as, "The biggest pot of the tournament so far."

We didn't catch the action until after a raising war on sixth, after which Max Pescatori found himself all in. Both Elezra and Cory Zeidman checked dark headed to seventh, and Timothy Finne opted to bet dark. Upon receiving their last card, Elezra raised, Zeidman folded and Finne called.

Elezra:
Finne:
Pescatori:

Finne had the flush prior to seventh, while Elezra made the best low. Pescatori had trip kings, but it wasn't enough to get a portion of the pot. He was eliminated on the hand while Elezra and Finne chopped the pot that they estimated was around 120,000!

Player	Chips	Progress
Eli Elezra	155,000 37,000	37,000

Timothy Finne	90,000 60,000	60,000
Cory Zeidman	50,000 -9,000	-9,000

Max Pescatori	Busted

Tags: Timothy Finne Max Pescatori Cory Zeidman Eli Elezra

06-06-2013 19:11 UTC-7

Rodawig Looking for Second Title in Three Years

Chad Holloway

Level 13 : 1,500/3,000, 300 ante

Two years ago, Eric Rodawig won the 2011 World Series of Poker Event #33: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better Championship by defeating Phil Hellmuth in heads-up play. Not only did he deny the great Hellmuth his then 12th bracelet, he also took down his first piece of gold and the accompanying $442,183 prize.

Rodawig is still in contention with a big stack, and so is defending champ Adam Friedman. There's still a lot of play to be had, but one can't help but wonder if a former champ will capture the prestigious title once again.

Here's a look at a recent hand involving Rodawig.

Brian Hastings: / /
Eric Rodawig: / /

Brian Hastings brought it in with the and then made it two bets after Rodawig completed. A call was made and then Rodawig check-called a bet on fourth before both players checked fifth. It was back to check-calling on sixth and seventh before the cards were table.

Hastings:
Rodawig:

Hastings had the low locked up, which meant Rodawig's pair of kings took the high. Chopped pots are no fun, but it gave us the perfect excuse to update you on their chip counts.

Player	Chips	Progress
Eric Rodawig	120,000 88,000	88,000

Brian Hastings	87,000 -3,000	-3,000

Tags: Brian Hastings Eric Rodawig

06-06-2013 19:10 UTC-7

Matusow Flush With New Chips

[user101598]

Level 13 : 1,500/3,000, 300 ante

Mike Matusow: / /
Joe Tehan: / /

We caught up with the action on fifth street, where Tehan called a bet from Matusow. Matusow led out again on sixth and seventh, Tehan called both bets, and Matusow opened up for a flush. Tehan showed for a bricked flush, and we unfortunately missed his seventh card.

A few hands later, at the same table, Todd Ickow was eliminated with unknown action.