Less than 10 minutes ago Mike Watson was on the verge of elimination with just 1,500 in chips. Somehow he's managed to work that up to 43,000!
In the most recent hand, Brian Roberts opened for 5,000 only to have Watson three-bet to 18,000 from the cutoff. Roberts thought for about a minute before making the call, and then checked the flop. Watson moved all in for his last 6,000, and even though it wasn't that much, Roberts snap-folded his hand.
Daniel Negreanu opened the action with a raise to 4,000 and Richard Ashby, Nathan Pan as well as Vincent Wan in the big blind made the call. On the flop, Wan moved all in for his last 10,500 chips and only Ashby tossed in the chips for a call.
Wan:
Ashby:
The on the turn was a blank and the on the river even gave Wan a straight to double up.
A few minutes prior to this, Sam Higgs paid off a full house from Negreanu on the river of a when the Canadian showed pocket aces.
Last level Brian Roberts doubled through Mike Watson, a hand that left the latter with just 1,500 in chips. Amazingly Watson was able to work that stack back into contention, and in a fitting twist of fate, he just eliminated the man who had crippled him in the first place.
We missed the acton unfold, but we do know Roberts got his last 17,000 or so all in preflop against Watson.
Watson:
Roberts:
The flop delivered Roberts a flush draw, but he watched helplessly as the blanked on the turn followed by the on the river. Roberts took his leave in 14th place while Watson chipped up to 95,000.
Jonathan Duhamel opened with a raise from the button and Daniel Negreanu and Richard Ashby called from the small and big blinds respectively. The flop saw Negreanu lead out for 9,000, Ashby folded, and Duhamel called to see a turn.
Negreanu bet again, this time 24,000, and his fellow Canadian came along to see a completed the board on the river. Negreanu slowed down with a check, but called off when Duhamel shoved.
Negreanu showed for a rivered set, but it was no good as Duhamel had made a straight with .
Negreanu came close to some precious WSOP POY points, but not close enough. He immediately jumped into Event #6 AU$1,650 8-Game Dealer's Choice, which is taking place across the room.
After Richard Ashby was eliminated by Sam Higgs in unknown action, a big hand was brewing between 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event champ Jonathan Duhamel and German pro Ismael Bojang.
It began when Higgs limped under the gun and Duhamel raised to 9,500 from the button. Bojang then three-bet the size of the pot to 33,800, Higgs folded, and Duhamel thought for a bit before making the call. When the flop came down , Bojang bet 25,000 and Duhamel thought for about 60 seconds before releasing his hand.
A preflop raising war resulted in Mike Watson and Jason Gray getting all the chips in the middle. The latter, who finished runner-up to Jeff Lisandro yesterday in Event #2 AU$1,650 Pot-Limit Omaha, was te player at risk.
Gray:
Watson:
As we've seen so many times today it was an aces-versus-kings situation, and like in most of those cases, the aces held after the board ran out . Well actually both players made a flush, but of course Watson's ace-high flush was best.
Since returning from the break the final 10 players are playing things on the safe side. They're five-handed though, and the blinds just went up, so we're guessing something will give sooner than later. When it does, the final nine players will redraw to one table.