Donnie Peters
The remaining players in the field are surrounded by tons of spectators along the rail, two or three people deep. Media cameras and reporters are trying to gather information to cover the event in the aisles as other tournament players from the $1,500 event file in to take their seats at empty tables. Despite all of this, players in the pot-limit championship are staying focused and doing their best to play their A-game.
There also hasn't been much table talk recently. Everyone seems tense and studious as we grind out the levels here at the Rio. Occasionally, Humberto Brenes and Eli Elezra can be seen wondering over to one another to get an idea of how each other are stacking up to the rest of the field.
Donnie Peters
Jason DeWitt was facing a pot-sized bet of 95,000 from David Stroj on a board. After some long thought, DeWitt decided to put Stroj all in, as he had only a few thousand behind. Stroj quickly made the call.
Stroj showed and DeWitt showed . The river was the and Stroj doubled up to over 290,000. DeWitt has been crippled and now has under 8,000 chips remaining.
Alexander Kostritsyn completed the small blind and Phil Laak checked his option from the big blind. The flop was . Kostritsyn led out for 4,000 and Laak called. The turn was the and both players checked. The river was the . Kostritsyn bet 20,000 and Laak called.
Kostritsyn showed for the straight and Laak mucked. After the hand, Kostritsyn was up to 320,000 while Laak fell to 131,000.
Darryl Ronconi opened for 12,000, Dustin "Neverwin" Woolf reraised to 40,000 and Ronconi called all in.
Ronconi 6-6
Woolf Q-Q
Woolf hit a set when the flop came down Q-J-5, and the two kings on the turn and river boated him up. Ronconi was eliminated and Woolf dragged the pot, increasing his stack to 92,000.
With 43 players remaining, only seven more need to be eliminated before we reach the money. The 36 players who survive past the bubble are guaranteed at least a $23,162 payday.
I'm beautiful AND aggressive
Ryan Young limped in from middle position, Patrik Antonius completed the small blind and Joseph Sanders checked his option in the big blind. The flop was . Antonius led out for 9,000, Sanders called, and Young raised to 25,000. Antonius re-potted, Sanders folded, and after some deliberation, Young gave it up as well.
After the hand, Antonius was up to 380,000 while Young fell to 53,000.
Donnie Peters
James Gorham made it 10,000 to go under the gun. Nikolay Evdakov made the call, as did Jerri Thomas from late position. Three players saw a flop of . Gorham checked, Evdakov checked as well, and then Thomas moved all in.
Gorham folded and Evdakov asked for a count. The dealer announced it was 21,000 and Evdakov confirmed. He then made the call and showed . Thomas held a pair of eights, .
The turn came the and the river the to allow Thomas to double up and then some to over 75,000.
Shawn Keller
After several players limped, Shawn Keller raised from the cutoff. Eli Elezra reraised to 42,000 after it was folded back to him. Keller pushed his last 60,000 into the pot, and Elezra called, showing to Keller's . The two have been mixing it up a lot today, and when the flop came down Elezra said, "You can't have a hand every time". The on the turn and the on the river spelled the end of Keller's tournament and lifted Elezra's stack to 325,000.
, Nikolay Evdakov checked, Lyle Berman bet 30,000, Evdakov raised to 61,500 and Berman called all in. 
, the river was the 
, and Berman could not improve his hand. He hit the rail, while Evdakov increased his stack to 300,000.
board. After some long thought, DeWitt decided to put Stroj all in, as he had only a few thousand behind. Stroj quickly made the call.
and both players checked. The river was the 
. Kostritsyn bet 20,000 and Laak called. 
for the straight and Laak mucked. After the hand, Kostritsyn was up to 320,000 while Laak fell to 131,000.
. Antonius led out for 9,000, Sanders called, and Young raised to 25,000. Antonius re-potted, Sanders folded, and after some deliberation, Young gave it up as well. 
. Gorham checked, Evdakov checked as well, and then Thomas moved all in.
. Thomas held a pair of eights, 
and the river the 
to Keller's 
Elezra said, "You can't have a hand every time". The 
on the turn and the 
