As we were getting a chip count on a very short-stacked Danny Kalpakis, he told us "I'm gonna win the whole thing!" After Andre Boyer was eliminated, Kalpakis looked around the table and asked, "Who else has less chips that can get knocked off before me?"
It was a quick day for Andre Boyer. Short-stacked from the get-go, Boyer did everything he could to chip up and finally was eliminated by Al Barbieri when Barbieri made trip fours on fifth street after Boyer was all in. Boyer was unable to catch up, and leaves with $16,642 in prize money.
Danny Kalpakis completed the bring in of Jeffrey Siegal, and Al Barbieri and Max Troy both called. When it came back to Siegal, he added another bet to the pot, and Barbieri and Troy followed along.
Siegal: x-x / / x
Troy: x-x / / x
On fourth street, the short-stacked Siegal bet out, Barbieri folded his , and Troy called. On fifth, Siegal led again, but this time Troy raised him. Siegal took a minute before making the call. On sixth, Siegal bet out all in for his remaining few chips, and Troy quickly called, as the hands were turned up.
Siegal: / /
Troy: / /
Siegal started with hidden aces, but Troy was rolling in sevens. His hand held up, and he eliminated Siegal from the field.
For his work over the last three days, Jeffrey Siegal will pick up a check for more than $14,000. Not too shabby.
Giacomo D'Agostino completed his door card and found two callers, in the forms of Levon Torosyan and Max Troy. D'Agostino led the betting on all streets, despite being raised by Torosyan on fourth street (a raise that folded Troy). Down the river, both players checked:
D'Agostino: x-x / / x
Torosyan: x-x / / x
"Aces", D'Agostino announced. But that wasn't enough when Torosyan called two pair and turned over in the hole for sixes and threes.
Giacomo D'Agostino raised the bring in with the up, and Danny Kalpakis raised it once more, showing the . D'Agostino called.
D'Agostino: x-x / / x
Kalpakis: x-x / / x
Kalpakis bet on fourth and fifth streets, the last one putting him all in and at risk. When he turned over his cards at the end, he held , making him a winning two pair. He doubled up to around 64,000.
Max Troy is the second player to double up at today's final table. After Al Barbieri completed the , Troy raised his . Barbieri was the only caller. The two traded bets back and forth to sixth street, when Troy led out for all his remaining chips with a board of . Barbieri, with a board of , gave the matter some thought for about a minute before making the call.
Troy showed in the hole for a pair of sixes. Barbieri showed in the hole for ace-high. Barbieri squeezed his river first, drawing the to make a pair of kings. Troy needed to improve to stay alive, and did when he squeezed the to make two pair, tens and sixes.
Al "Sugar Bear" Barbieri, second in chips when the day began, continues to pick up chips. After Levon Torosyan brought it in with the , Barbieri completed his . Max Troy called with a , as did Torosyan.
Barbieri led the betting on all streets, drawing into a board of . Torosyan dropped on fifth street, but Troy went all the way to the river with a board of . On the river, Barbieri bet and again Troy called. Barbieri opened in the hole, for two pair, aces and jacks. Troy nodded and mucked his hand.
Although the players at today's final table are playing for a first prize of over $135,000, a WSOP gold bracelet, and a spot in history, you wouldn't know it by the number of spectators on the rail. In total, about fifteen people are spaced out around Green #10, watching the proceedings. Stud just doesn't have the seem appeal as hold'em to today's generation of poker players.