The second day of Event #53: $1,500 Limit Hold'em Shootout saw 63 players take the felt. Yes, 64 players were originally supposed to play down to a final table of eight today, but there was a chip stack missing from seat four at table 315. Yueqi Zhu was disqualified from the tournament and you can read about it here.
So the 63 players were at eight tables of eight, except for the one table of seven. To advance to tomorrow a player would have to eliminate everyone at their table and be the last one standing. Chips traveled around the tables, from player to player. Some players got super short then found their chips again. After dinner, eliminations picked up and one by one, players including Marcel Luske, Theo Tran, Nam Le, and Jonathan Aguiar would not be making it into the next round of the competition.
Joseph Mcgowan was the first player to best his entire table and earn a seat at the final table. Following him were Sijbrand Maal, Brendan Taylor, Ben Yu, Michael Schneider, Jonathan Little, and Terrence Chan. Our last table was won by Brian Tate, completing the final table of eight.
Play begins at 3 p.m. tomorrow and once again, the winner of the event, will have to beat out his entire table to take home the coveted gold bracelet and $184,950 first place prize. Be sure to keep it locked here for all the action from the felt.
Brian Tate held a large chip lead over Feming Chan entering the final hand of the night, and Chan's last 29,000 chips were in the middle before the flop.
The flop read and Terrence Chan slid out a bet. Matthew Kelly made it two bets. Chan upped it to three, and Kelly made the call.
The turn brought the . Chan's bet was raised by Kelly, but like before Chan made it three bets, and like before, Kelly made the call.
The fell on the turn and this time, Kelly just called Chan's bet. Chan showed for a boat to take the pot, leaving Kelly with only one chip.
The very next hand, Kelly was all in with against Chan's . The board rolled out and there would be no chip and a chair story this time. Chan's pair of threes eliminated Kelly from the tournament.
Betting was capped preflop between Jonathan Little and Claudio Rinaldi and the dealer fanned .
Rinaldi got his last few bets in and the hands were turned over:
Showdown
Little:
Rinaldi:
Rinaldi was in a deep hole and could not improve with the on the turn or the on the river. Little won the match and will return tomorrow for the final table.
With the board reading , Brian Tate led out for a bet and Feming Chan called.
The turn was the and Tate led for another bet. This time Chan raised, and Tate called.
Tate led a third time after the rivered and Chan opted to just call. Tate opened for a flopped flush and Chan mucked his hand. Here how the counts look:
On the button, Jonathan Little raised it up. Claudio Rinaldi reraised. Little bumped it up one more time, and Rinaldi made the call.
The flop came down . Rinaldi checked to Little who bet. Rinaldi raised, only to see Little reraise. Rinaldi made the call and the two were on to the turn.
The turn brought the . Rinaldi bet and little made it two bets. Rinaldi called all in.
Rinaldi:
Little:
The river brought the and Rinaldi doubled with his pair of eights.
button in Safari
and Tate was victorious.
and Terrence Chan slid out a bet. Matthew Kelly made it two bets. Chan upped it to three, and Kelly made the call.
. Chan's bet was raised by Kelly, but like before Chan made it three bets, and like before, Kelly made the call.
fell on the turn and this time, Kelly just called Chan's bet. Chan showed 
for a boat to take the pot, leaving Kelly with only one chip.
against Chan's 
. The board rolled out 
.
, Brian Tate led out for a bet and Feming Chan called.
for a flopped flush and Chan mucked his hand. Here how the counts look:
. Rinaldi checked to Little who bet. Rinaldi raised, only to see Little reraise. Rinaldi made the call and the two were on to the turn.
. Rinaldi bet and little made it two bets. Rinaldi called all in.
, Theo Tran got his last few bets in against Mike Schneider and the hands were opened:
on the turn completed his flush. A meaningless 
on the river completed the hand and Tran hit the rail.
