[user75032]
Not much in the way of action, but an interesting hand nonetheless:
Action passed to Roland de Wolfe, who opened all in for 144,500 total(18 big blinds). All folded to Justin Smith in the big blind, who squeezed his cards and asked for a count.
Smith then went into the tank for three solid minutes, checking the tournament clock a few times (looking at payouts?) before finally surrendering his hand. de Wolfe opened 8-7-4-3-2.
"I really thought I drew 8-6 at first," remarked Smith.
We have eleven players remaining. When we reach nine players, they will combine to a single table, the reasoning being that it isn't fair to have them play at one table of four and another of five, and playing two tables of four apiece when action is down to eight players would just be... too short-handed?
There's one major problem we can see with this nine-handed scenario. There are 52 cards in a deck. Each player receives five cards. So, before the draw, 45 of the 52 cards will already be dealt. Should multiple players draw multiple cards, well, they'll run out.
"Why don't we just make it 11-handed and deal four people out?" suggested Hertzel Zalewski, in jest.
David Benyamine also pointed out that this isn't exactly the first deuce-to-seven tournament the WSOP has held this year, and that whatever procedure was followed in last week's $2,500 event (won by Phil Ivey) should be followed in this one.
We'll keep you updated, but that's the plan as of now.
[user25067]
Max Pescatori - 12th Place
Max Pescatori moved all in for 42,500 from UTG and Hertzel Zalewski called from the big blind. Zalewski rapped pat and Pescatori drew one.
Pescatori made a 9-7-6-4-3 low, but Zalewski had the winner with 8-6-5-3-2, sending the Italian Pirate to the rail.
[user25067]
Dan Harmetz - 13th Place
Michael Binger raised to 18,000 from UTG, Dan Harmetz moved all in for 46,500 and Binger made the call. Binger stood pat while Harmetz drew one.
Harmetz's T-8-5-4-2 was no good in the face of Binger's T-6-5-4-3 and he hit the rail in 13th place.
[user25067]
There hasn't been a ton of chip movement since Jason Gray was eliminated nearly forty minutes ago, and with the blinds at 3,000-6,000, no player is below ten big blinds at the moment.
Reaching a final table of seven appears extremely unlikely. The safe money is on a 3 a.m. "Rule 96" finish with perhaps nine or ten players remaining.
[user75032]
Dan Harmetz is still in the tournament despite bricking his draw against Hertzel Zalewski. Harmetz's last 40,500 chips were in pre-draw, with each of Harmetz and Zalewski drawing one card. Harmetz drew a queen with his 6-5-3-2, but was saved by the fact that Zalewski paired deuces, 2-2-8-5-4
[user75032]
Jason Gray - 14th Place
We have our first in-the-money casualty. Down to just 12,000 chips, Jason Gray called all in from the big blind after Steve Sung opened to 16,000 and was called by Nick Schulman. Gray drew two while each of his opponents drew one.
Sung bet 20,000 after the draw, driving Schulman out of the pot. He then opened 9-8-5-3-2, a hand better than Gray's 10-8. Gray is out in 14th place, earning $17,885.
[user75032]
Max Pescatori was all in for less than 30,000 chips not too long ago. Now he's sitting behind 188,000 after crippling Dan Harmetz. Pescatori opened for 17,500 from the cutoff, then called all in for 87,000 after Harmetz raised all in from the small blind. Harmetz drew one card while Pescatori rapped pat.
With the draw complete, Pescatori opened 10-9-8-3-2; Harmetz had a huge draw to knock Pescatori out holding 8-7-6-2, but picked up a king. He has been crippled to 20,000 chips while Pescatori now has 188,000.
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