Just had a large pot over on Table #3. Four-way action on this one, with David Baker, Dario Alioto, Ben Ponzio, and Alfons Kela betting and raising through each round.
Baker ended up taking the 40,000-chip pot with an 8-6-5-3-2. Baker is up over 70,000, and Ponzio is at 45,000. Just afterwards, Kela survived a hand in which he was all in against Alioto, so Kela is now at 19,500 and Alioto is down to 22,500.
Despite Brasilia #5's best efforts, David Sklansky remains in today's tournament. Three players came after him after Sklansky raised before the first draw: Greg Raymer, Steve Sung and John Phan. Each player drew two cards on the first draw, then called after Sklansky led the betting again.
On the second draw, everyone took two cards again, except Sklansky, who took only one. The action checked through. On the third draw, everyone drew one card, except for Phan, who took two. Sklansky moved his last 2,500 into the middle; Phan was the only caller.
Sklansky showed 9-8-6-5-3; Phan flashed a ten and mucked. With that pot, Sklansky's stack is back up to about 25,000 chips.
We just had two simultaneous bustouts, so we never had to go hand for hand. All 24 of the remaining players will cash. (Details on those bustouts coming shortly.)
Meanwhile, Greg Raymer just had a mini-celebration, announcing that prior to this one he'd played 23 straight WSOP tourneys without cashing.
Trung Ly is the bubble boy of today's tournament. Severely short-stacked, he tried to hang on until the bubble burst, even going so far as to fold his 800-chip small blind with only 1,000 chips behind. Thereafter, he managed one triple-up to about 3,000 after being dealt a pat nine. But finally, he ran out of time, luck, and chips. All in in the big blind again, he was forced to draw three, then one, then one against Claude Cohen. Cohen drew two, then one, then one. They both finished with jack-seven, but Cohen had jack-seven-five to Ly's jack-seven-six.
Ly is eliminated in 25th place, and with that elimination, all of the remaining players are in the money.
Dario Alioto is faring better in "extra time" than his footballing side, the Azzurri, did yesterday. Sitting in the big blind, Alioto called a raise from David Baker and drew one. "Yikes," said Baker as he passed in three cards.
After the draw was complete, Alioto bet. Baker quickly raised, and Alioto just as quickly reraised. Sighing, Baker made the call. Alioto stood pat while Baker took one. Again Alioto bet, and again Baker called. The third draw went the same as the second: Alioto pat; Baker one. One final bet and call, and Alioto showed an eight-seven. Baker peeked at his cards, then sent them in to the dealer.
It was a tale of two tournaments for Bill Chen: the best of times yeterday, the worst of times today. He got all of his chips in after the first draw against Chris Vitch, who stood pat to Chen's two. Vitch was pat the rest of the way; Chen took two cards each time. After the final draw, Vitch showed a nine-eight. Chen held 7-2-5. His first draw card was a three, giving him plenty of outs to improve to a hand that could beat Vitch. His final draw card, however, was a ten.
It's not all bad for Chen -- he leaves with an extra $5,274.
Mike Wattel raised from the button, Shun Uchida called from the small blind, and Billy Baxter also called from the big blind. Uchida drew two, and Baxter and Wattel each drew one. The blinds checked to Wattel who bet, and both called. This time all three stood pat.
Baxter led out on this round, Wattel raised, and Uchida got out. Both stood pat on the third draw, and this time Baxter check-called Wattel.
Wattel showed 7-6-4-3-2, and Baxter mucked. Wattel is up to 67,000, and Baxter is at 58,000.