Welcome back to the third and final day of the 2012-13 World Series of Poker Circuit Horseshoe Council Bluffs. What began with 367 entrants is now down to the final ten, each competing for the $121,177, the championship gold ring, and a coveted seat into the National Championship.
We actually almost had a Hinkle final table, but Blair's brother, Grant, fell just shy in 11th place. While a family dynamic will be missing from the final table, there is another significant storyline to follow, that of Mark Bonsack, who won a ring in Event #6 $365 Limit Omaha Hi/Lo for $11,254 last week, is looking for his second win of the series and to lock up the Casino Championship title.
The third and final day is set to kick off at noon CST, which is about a half an hour from now, and PokerNews will be on hand to bring you all the live updates from that event.
It didn't take long for the first elimination of the day, less than a half an hour in fact. It happened on a flop when Phil Mader checked from the big blind and Sean Small bet 102,000. Mader moved all in for right around 300,000 and Small couldn't call fast enough.
Mader:
Small:
Small was ahead with pocket kings, but Mader was drawing very much alive to an open-ended straight draw. The turn gave him even more outs, but the river was not one of them. Mader exited in tenth place for $9,275 and the official final table was set.
Tim Hughes opened for 40,000 under the gun and Blair Hinkle called from the hijack. The rest of the players folded and it was heads up to the flop, which fell . Hughes bet 40,000, Hinkle called, and the turned. This time Hughes checked and Blair bet 85,000. Hughes woke up with a check-raise to 185,000, Hinkle called, and the completed the board on the river.
Hughes returned to checking and Hinkle took the opportunity to bet 210,000. Hughes quickly check-raised all in for 468,000 and Hinkle seemed shocked. "Jesus," he said. "I guess I have to call." He did just that and was glad he did as his straight easily downed Hughes . Hughes, a 48-year-old business owner from Fort Pierre, South Dakota, was eliminated in ninth place for $11,457.
Ben Smith went all in over the top of Hinkle's raise of 48,000 for a total of 274,000. Hinkle made the call and the cards were turned over:
Smith:
Hinkle:
It was a coin flip for Smith, but after the came on the flop his tournament life depended on a queen coming. No help would come on the turn as the hit the board, nor on the river . Smith departs in eighth place taking home $14,343.
A short-stacked Sterling Savill moved all in under the gun for his last 235,000 or so and cleared the field all the way to Cord Garcia in the big blind. Interestingly, the two have been roommates on their trip to Council Bluffs. Friendship aside, Cord made the call.
Garcia:
Savill:
The two friends joked a bit as the flop came out . Nothing for Savill. The turn opened up some chop options, and both players indicated that they'd be ok with that. Unfortunately for Savill, it wouldn't happen as the useless peeled off on the river.
The action folded around the table to Mark Bonsack in the small blind. Electing to raise to 80,000, Bonsack got reraised by Trevor Deeter's all in of 575,000. Bonsack snap-called and their cards were turned up:
Deeter:
Bonsack:
Bonsack's ace high was leading for the moment and the flop left Deeter needing to catch a king or eight. Deeter would not get lucky as the and peeled off on the turn and river.
Deeter, a 29-year-old native of Longhorne, PA, finished in sixth place for $23,448.
Facing the button raise of Mark Bonsack, Cord Garcia, with a short stack of 425,000, went all in on the big blind and got snapped called by Bonsack's . Garcia begrudgingly turned over his under pair of . Garcia, who was sporting a Run Good Gear hoodie, was in bad shape and with the flop, he needed runner-runner. The peeled off on the turn giving him a gutshot draw, but it was not Cord's time for the "one time" as the came on the river.
Garcia, a 23-year-old poker pro from Houston, TX, was eliminated in fifth place taking home $30,365.
There's no denying Mark Bonsack's poker prowess here at the Horseshoe Council Bluffs. Last year he final tabled this very event and ultimately finished in fifth place for $25,127. Not only did he follow that up by making the final table for a second consecutive year, he managed to win a ring in between. Unfortunately, he won't be making it two.
On the first hand of Level 30 (25,000/50,000/5,000), Blair Hinkle opened for 110,000 under the gun and Bonsack shoved for 580,000. The blinds folded and Hinkle made a quick call.
Hinkle:
Bonsack:
Bonsack was in big trouble and needed some help. According to the PokerNews Odds Calculator, Hinkle was a 70.61% favorite, and Bonsack had just a 28.97% chance of surviving the hand. The flop dropped Bonsack's chances to 16.46%, but the turn gave him some hope by delivering him a flush draw and bumping it up to 25%. The dealer burned one last time and put out the .
Bonsack missed his flush and was sent to the rail in fourth place for $40,627, but he also left with the consolation prize of being the Casino Champion, which locked him up a seat in the National Championship for the second year in a row.
After dwindling a bit, Sean Small moved all in under the gun for 800,000. Blair Hinkle folded the small blind, and then Brendan Waite squeezed out his cards in the big. "Call," he said as he rolled over the . Small's face dropped a bit and he tabled the inferior . Both players had a king, which meant Small's best chance of survival was a ten.
The flop was dry, though Small's supporters began calling for a diamond. "Three of diamonds," Small requested. The dealer put out a three, but it was not a diamond. Instead, the turned. Small began to rise in preparation for his exit, which he made in third place after the blanked on the river. Small earned $54,716 for his performance here in Council Bluffs.
A few hands into heads-up play a huge hand started to develop. It began with a min-raise and call preflop, but once the came on the flop, fireworks ensued. Waite check-raised Hinkle's 100,000 bet to 300,000. Hinkle took his time, but decided to fire out 600,000, and when Waite four-bet to 1,100,000, the room started to stand and gather around the table, in anticipation of a possible all-in situation. Hinkle eventually made the call and the peeled off on the turn. Waite checked and there was a long pause, now about ten minutes into this hand, before Hinkle checked behind. The came on the river and Waite put out a bet of 800,000 and Hinkle quickly called.
Waite:
Hinkle:
Hinkle had flopped trip sevens and took down the massive 3,800,000 pot.
flop when Phil Mader checked from the big blind and Sean Small bet 102,000. Mader moved all in for right around 300,000 and Small couldn't call fast enough.
turn gave him even more outs, but the 
river was not one of them. Mader exited in tenth place for $9,275 and the official final table was set.
. Hughes bet 40,000, Hinkle called, and the 
turned. This time Hughes checked and Blair bet 85,000. Hughes woke up with a check-raise to 185,000, Hinkle called, and the 
completed the board on the river.
![[user249964]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
hit the board, nor on the river 
. Smith departs in eighth place taking home $14,343.
turn opened up some chop options, and both players indicated that they'd be ok with that. Unfortunately for Savill, it wouldn't happen as the useless 
flop left Deeter needing to catch a king or eight. Deeter would not get lucky as the 
. Garcia begrudgingly turned over his under pair of 
. Garcia, who was sporting a Run Good Gear hoodie, was in bad shape and with the 
peeled off on the turn giving him a gutshot draw, but it was not Cord's time for the "one time" as the 
came on the river.
.
turned. Small began to rise in preparation for his exit, which he made in third place after the 
