Event #14: Super Saver $1M Invitational Day 1 | 2024 WSOP Paradise

12-18-2024 17:53 UTC-5

Cazac Calls to Put Mikolaitis At Risk

Chad Holloway

Level 11 : 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

Oleg Cazac raised to 5,000 from middle position and Dominykas Mikolaitis, who was next to act, responded by moving all in for 13,000. Action folded back to Cazac and he made the call.

Dominykas Mikolaitis: A♥10♣ All in
Oleg Cazac: K♠J♥

Mikolaitis was ahead but Cazac was drawing to two live cards. The Q♠J♦2♠ flop paired Cazac and he scored the knockout after the e8♥ was run out on the turn followed by the 8♠ on the river.

Player	Chips	Progress
Oleg Cazac	130,000 73,000	73,000
Dominykas Mikolaitis	Busted

Tags: Oleg Cazac Dominykas Mikolaitis

12-18-2024 17:58 UTC-5

Lawson Sends Out Song and Naski

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Tyler Foran

Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

Stephen Song jammed for his last 12,000 from middle position and Michele Lawson called in the cutoff before Aleksi Naski reshoved for 22,500 in the big blind. Lawson called and all three hands were tossed on their backs.

Stephen Song: A♣5♦ All in
Aleksi Naski: A♠8♥ All in
Michele Lawson: K♠J♥

Lawson was behind but that quickly changed as the dealer fanned the K♣10♠6♦ flop. The 4♦ landed on the turn and the 10♥ completed the board on the river, sending both players to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michele Lawson	141,000 55,500	55,500

Aleksi Naski	Busted
Stephen Song	Busted

Tags: Aleksi Naski Michele Lawson Stephen Song

12-18-2024 18:00 UTC-5

Yu Doubles Through Eyring And Both Bust Shortly Thereafter

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Chad Holloway

Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

Corey Eyring jammed his last 13 BB from the cutoff and Lei Yu called off for just a bit less from the small blind.

Lei Yu: K♦10♣ All in
Corey Eyring: 3x3x

It was a flip and Eyring was looking to hold to score the knockout. Unfortunately, that didn't happen as the 5♣10♥4♣ flop paired Yu. The A♠ turn gave Eyring a wheel draw, but he missed when the 9♣ bricked on the river.

Eyring was left with just 2,500 after the hand and went bust a short time later. Likewise, despite winning the hand above, Yu was eliminated from the tournament a few hands later.

Player	Chips	Progress
Corey Eyring	Busted
Lei Yu	Busted

Tags: Corey Eyring

Level: 12

Blinds: 1,500/3,000

Ante: 3,000

12-18-2024 18:08 UTC-5

Piatrushchanka Eliminates Lee

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Tyler Foran

Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Stephen Chidwick opened 6,000 in early position and Andrei Piatrushchanka three-bet 17,000 on the button. Waikiat Lee was in the small blind and jammed for 23,500, forcing Chidwick out of the pot and Piatrushchanka made the call.

Waikiat Lee: A♥J♥ All in
Andrei Piatrushchanka: A♦K♣

Lee was dominated and unable to catch up on the K♠7♠5♥J♣8♦ runout.

Player	Chips	Progress
Andrei Piatrushchanka	202,000 56,000	56,000
Stephen Chidwick	92,000 69,000	69,000

Waikiat Lee	Busted

Tags: Andrei Piatrushchanka Stephen Chidwick Waikiat Lee

12-18-2024 18:19 UTC-5

Cikinas Building a Stack

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Tyler Foran

Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Matas Cikinas opened 6,000 on the button, and Erik Von Buxhoeveden called in the small blind.

Both players checked to the Q♥9♥3♣A♥ turn, where Von Buxhoeveden check-folded to a bet of 9,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matas Cikinas	229,000 56,000	56,000
Erik Von Buxhoeveden	27,500 5,500	5,500

Tags: Cikinas Building Erik Von Buxhoeveden Matas Cikinas

12-18-2024 18:23 UTC-5

Rania Nasreddine and Erik Seidel Among Recent Bust Outs

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Tyler Foran

Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Dario Sammartino	Busted
Felix Neubauer	Busted
Monika Zukowicz	Busted
Stanislav Zegal	Busted

Mikhail Iakovlev	Busted
Rania Nasreddine	Busted
Corey Eyring	Busted
Kristen Foxen	Busted

Mark Ioli	Busted

Chris Brewer	Busted

Jamil Wakil	Busted
Matthew Wantman	Busted

Erik Seidel	Busted

Quan Zhou	Busted

12-18-2024 18:28 UTC-5

Cheong Keeps on Stacking; Sends Surdyka to the Rail

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Chad Holloway

Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Mark Surdyka got his short stack of what looked to be 25,000 or so all in preflop and was up against Joseph Cheong.

Mark Surdyka: 5♣5♥ All in
Joseph Cheong: Q♥Q♠

Surdyka was looking for a high five but he was left hanging as the board ran out clean to give Cheong the knockout.

Player	Chips	Progress
Joseph Cheong	170,000 128,000	128,000

Mark Surdyka	Busted

Tags: Joseph Cheong Mark Surdyka

12-18-2024 18:29 UTC-5

60-Minute Dinner Break

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Tyler Foran

Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

The 100 remaining players have been sent on a 60-minute dinner break. Play is set to resume at 7:29 p.m.

Registration will close at the start of Level 13, and the payouts will be announced shortly after.

12-18-2024 18:45 UTC-5

Music Icon & Bracelet Winner Steve Albini's Death Puts Fabled 20-Year Poker Home Game on Pause

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Kaelaine Minton

Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

The death of musician, recording engineer and poker player Steve Albini hit the music world with a force like that of the incendiary device aimed at Earth pictured on Big Black's 1986 debut album Atomizer. It may have hit one group of Chicago poker players the hardest.

Albini, a two-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner who recorded landmark works by bands like Nirvana and Pixies and who The New York Times described as "one of the most admired, and most divisive, figures in rock," was a key figure in a friend group that bonded, joked and supported one another over the poker table. For 20 years, they played in a weekly low-stakes Chicago home game often held in Electrical Audio that included bracelet winners like Jason Gola, Eric Rodawig and Brian Hastings. Now, the game is on hiatus after Albini's death in May as the group of poker pros, musicians and audio engineers adapts to a world without its figurehead.

PokerNews spoke with two of Albini's closest friends who were regulars in the game, Brandon Shack-Harris and Andrew Kosinski.