Perica Bukara raised to 7,200 before Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi reraised to 25,000, about a quarter of his remaining stack. Bukara then slid out a tall stack of red chips to put Mizrachi all in and he called it off.
Mizrachi held the for the best hand at the moment, up against the for Bukara. The flop contained one of the few cards Mizrachi didn't want to see when the fell. The turn brought the and the river the .
Mizrachi failed to win the coin flip and was sent to the rail a few spots short of the final table. Bukara now has 483,000 chips with 13 players remaining.
This hand saw two first-time WSOP gold bracelet winners from this past summer go to battle in Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi and Carter Phillips. The two played a big, all-in pot earlier that saw Phillips spike a three-outer to stay alive and double up against Mizrachi. This time around there was no three-outer, but instead a massive pot with a great river call.
Mizrachi started off the action by raising from under the gun to 7,000. Phillips was slotted in the next position and reraised to 20,000 after peeling back his hole cards. Action folded around to Mizrachi and he tossed in the chips to make the call.
The heads-up flop came down and Mizrachi checked. Phillips fired out a bet of 27,000, about 60% of the pot. Mizrachi slid out the call and off to a turn they went.
Fourth street saw the hit the felt and Mizrachi checked again. Phillips didn't slow down and bet 44,000. Mizrachi thought for a tiny bit and then made the call.
The river rounded out the board with the and completed a backdoor flush draw. Mizrachi leaned over and checked on Phillips' remaining stack. He then slid out a tall stack of blue T5,000 chips totaling 95,000. Phillips immediately looked disgusted. He thought for a bit while counting down his stack, figuring out how much he'd have left if he made the call and lost. Phillips then snapped out a pump fake and tried to get a reaction from Mizrachi, who didn't give off anything. Phillips then called a little bit later.
Mizrachi had a look of surrender on his face and didn't turn his hand up. Phillips revealed the knowing by Mizrachi's reaction that it was the correct call. Mizrachi then double checked his hand before tossing it into the muck.
That pot, worth over 375,000 chips, put Phillips up to 467,000 and firmly in second place with 14 players left in the field. Mizrachi was knocked back to about 112,000, which is still over 46 big blinds and plenty to work with.
Bassel Moussa has just been eliminated by Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi. All of the money went in preflop in the classic race situation that is witnessed so often in poker. It was Mizrachi's pocket queens up against the for Moussa.
The board ran out and Moussa sent 45,000 chips or so over to Mizrachi, who is now back at 300,000.
Since the November Nine has become a staple of the WSOP Main Event, it seems every year that a few of the lucky nine that make it to the final table seem to continue on a heater for the months to follow.
Look back to 2008, the year the November Nine was introduced. Ivan Demidov went on to take third in the WSOP-Europe Main Event for £334,850 before returning to get second in the WSOP Main Event back in Vegas. Chino Rheem wound up finishing seventh at the 2008 WSOP final table and then went on to win the $15,000 Doyle Brunson Classic for over $1.5 million. The champion of that final table was Peter Eastgate and he only had to wait until January of the following year to taste victory again, taking down a side event at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure for $343,000.
Things were much more of the same in 2009. James Akenhead and Antoine Saout both final tabled the WSOP Main Event and during their break before November also maneuvered their way to the WSOP-Europe final table, taking ninth and seventh respectively. Phil Ivey went on to take second in the A$ 100,000 Challenge at the Aussie Millions for A$ 600,000 as well.
Looking at this year, we've got Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi and John Dolan still very alive in this $25,000 High Roller Freeze-Out here in Cyprus. Both have above-average chips stacks and will be looking to be the guys on this year's heater. Mizrachi doesn't seem to have used up all his run good after having an amazing WSOP during the summer, although he did have a bit misfortune just a little while ago to the tune of a three-outer. Dolan is currently sitting second in chips even despite getting a very late start to action on Day 1. If either of these two make it down to the final five and get paid, it could mean big things for them in the near future.
From under the gun, Perica Bukara raised to 5,500 and Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi called from the next seat. Sam Trickett was in the hijack seat and reraised to 16,200. AFter action folded back to to Bukara, he called right away. Mizrachi then took a few moments before putting in a raise to 50,000. Trickett mucked his hand and then Bukara followed suit, allowing Mizrachi to pick up the pot and move to 240,000 in chips.
Perica Bukara raised on the button and Sam Trickett defended his big blind. The flop came down and Trickett led out for 8,000.
Bukara popped it to 22,000 and Trickett shoved, having his man covered. Bukara called all in with , looking to dodge diamonds as Trickett tabled . The turn and river were no help to Trickett.
Bukara: Up to about 380,000
Trickett: Down to about 340,000
From middle position, Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi raised to 5,000. Carter Phillips reraised to 14,500 from the hijack seat and Mizrachi called.
The two players took a flop of and Mizrachi checked. Phillips fired 21,500 which was followed by a raise from Mizachi to 43,000. Phillips didn't back down and made it 64,500, the minimum raise. Mizrachi came back with a min-raise himself and made it 86,000. Phillips then moved all in for 148,000 total and Mizrachi went into the tank. Eventually, he made the call holding the . Phillips held a worse and would need some help on the turn or river if he were to survive.
The turn brought the and just like that, Phillips catapulted to the lead in the hand, hitting a three-outer for two pair. The river could still give Mizrachi a resuck victory, but after the fell, the chips were pushed Phillips' way.
Phillips now has over 330,000 in chips, storming his way up the leader board. Mizrachi isn't done yet though. In fact, he still has a very solid, playable stack to work with at 242,000.
for the best hand at the moment, up against the 
for Bukara. The flop contained one of the few cards Mizrachi didn't want to see when the 
fell. The turn brought the 
and the river the 
.
and completed a backdoor flush draw. Mizrachi leaned over and checked on Phillips' remaining stack. He then slid out a tall stack of blue T5,000 chips totaling 95,000. Phillips immediately looked disgusted. He thought for a bit while counting down his stack, figuring out how much he'd have left if he made the call and lost. Phillips then snapped out a pump fake and tried to get a reaction from Mizrachi, who didn't give off anything. Phillips then called a little bit later.
for Moussa.
and Moussa sent 45,000 chips or so over to Mizrachi, who is now back at 300,000.
and Trickett led out for 8,000.
, looking to dodge diamonds as Trickett tabled 
. The 
turn and 
. Phillips held a worse 
and would need some help on the turn or river if he were to survive.