While this $10,000 Stud World Championship grinds inexorably on towards its final eight players (we're about to collapse to five tables now), there's another tournament going on a few tables away. The $1,000 "Stimulus Special" started last Friday, attracting 6,000-odd players. Today was supposed to be "Final Table Day", but because there were so many players they had to suspend play last night with 50 remaining.
Those 50 came back today and have played down to 12 left. They're also in Amazon Orange, with a huge crush of railbirds pressing around the last two tables, whooping and hollering at every all in. It's a surprising amount of pandemonium. No word on whether that tournament will go all the way tonight (unlikely) or adjourn for the evening once they reach the final 9.
You can follow all the coverage of that tournament by opening another tab and selecting Event 4 from the Event drop-down box on the right side of the screen.
Just before the level change, Johnny Chan was all in for his tournament life with just a pair of threes. Michael Ungurean would be his executioner on his final hand, running out a board of for the victorious two pair.
Chad Brown has just delivered the final blow to Shawn Sheikhan. The Sheik was all in on sixth street, with Brown holding queens and tens. Sheikhan had a pair of aces and failed to improve with his last card, spelling the end of his day.
Brown, meanwhile, has been on a tear over the last couple levels. He's all the way up to 175,000 now.
Todd Brunson is the next to go. He made his stand and finished with two pair, nines and sixes. Steven Landfish was one pip better, with tens and threes. He stacked up Brunson's chips (once combined with his own they were 120,000 total) while Brunson stalked out the door.
Brett Richey's not out of life yet. He just doubled through Vassilios Lazarou by making two pair, queens and threes. Lazarou didn't have a better hand and was bounced out of the tournament a few hands later.
Ray Dehkharghani completed the bring-in, and Brett Richey raised it up, getting just the one caller.
Dehkharghani: (X-X) / / (X)
Richey: (X-X) / / (X)
Dehkharghani led out on fourth street with his king-jack. Richey called, and then took the betting lead on fifth and sixth streets, with Dehkharghani doing the calling. On seventh, Richey bet again, Dehkharghani raised it up, and Richey put in the extra bet.
In the end, Dehkharghani showed , running down his winning straight on the last card. He's right at 200,000 chips now, leaving Richey with an agonizing 16,000. After the hand, Richey lamented that he was now at least 0-for-10 in hands against that particular foe.
Those pots that fold by fifth street may not seem like much, but win enough of those and you can steadily chip up -- especially the three-handed pots. Hasan Habib completed an and found two callers. Habib drew another heart on fourth street, bet, and was called by both opponents. When he hit a third heart on fifth street, both opponents folded to his bet.
Steve Billirakis completed the bring-in bet, drawing a raise from Eric Brooks. Chad Brown made another raise on top, and Billirakis made the call, putting himself all in in the process. Brooks called the extra bet as well.
Brooks check-called bets on fourth and fifth streets. On sixth, Brown bet his ace, and Brooks finally surrendered his cards. With the betting closed now, Brown turned over , and drew the on seventh, improving to three of a kind. Billirakis sweated his seventh card, but it was no use. He folded without showing, stood up, and headed for the exit sign.
Look out, stud world. WSOP bracelet winner Max Pescatori is on a rampage. He has stormed to the top of the counts with 420,000 after eliminating Chris Amaral. Amaral couldn't compete with the ten-high heart flush that the Italian Pirate showed down.
With that elimination, we're down to four tables. Half of the remaining field gets paid; half goes home with nothing.