Isaac Baron is showing signs of life after eliminating a shorter-stacked opponent a few moments ago. That player opened with a standard raise. The action passed to Baron on the button, who re-raised to 12,600. That second raise cleared out the blinds. Baron's opponent then moved all in for about 35,000 and Baron quickly called.
Baron:
Opponent:
Baron's opponent was drawing dead by the turn of a . Aces and kings gave Baron the pot and increased his count to about 125,000.
With about 36,000 in the pot on the turn on a board of , Kevin MacPhee led the betting for 20,000 with 2002 World Champion Robert Varkonyi making the call.
The river produced the and MacPhee released again, this time for 41,000. Varkonyi went into the tank but eventually mustered up a call.
MacPhee showed for a full house which was good as Varkonyi's cards hit the muck. MacPhee is up to 187,000 with Varkonyi back to 150,000.
With around 10,000 in the pot by the flop, John Shipley (small blind) checked to David Benyamine (mid position) who bet 6,500. Shipley now check-raised all in for 68,300, and after a moment or two, Benyamine made the call.
"You're in good shape," noted Benyamine as soon as the cards had been flipped.
Benyamine: for a flush draw and a gutshot
Shipley: for a higher flush draw
Turn: giving Shipley a pair of aces
River: a harmless
The man who finalled the Main Event in 2002 doubled up to around 150,000 to stay in the game on roughly average chips. Benyamine dropped back to a not-far-off 160,000.
Isaac Baron was down to about 70,000 not too long ago, but has worked his chip stack back to about 134,000.
He picked up a few chips after being involved in a hand against another player at his table where Baron bet 7,500 into a board reading , getting a call. When the arrived on the turn, Baron bet again, this time for 16,500. His opponent folded and Baron continued to build.
There was about 60,000 in the pot and a flop of when Pat Ricci was all in for around 50,000 against Robert Mizrachi.
Ricci:
Mizrachi:
The ESPN camera crew made their way over and watched as the hit the turn. The on the river gave Mizrachi the pot while increasing his stack to around 460,000. Ricci shook hands with Mizrachi and made a gracious exit from the tournament area.
We don't know when the money got in the middle, but when we arrived at Table 298 Thor Hansen was all in with against an opponent's and the flop had already fallen . The turn and river both bricked , respectively and Hansen was eliminated.
There was about 18,000 in the pot and a flop of when the big blind bet 12,000. Raymond Rahme made the call only to have the button raise to 43,300. The big blind folded and Rahme moved all in over the top. It was enough to take down the pot and Rahme brought his stack up to 220,000.
Poker's a game in which dreams are realized and legends made, but it's also one of near misses and close-but-no-cigar moments - sometimes the line between the two is thinner than we think.
John Shipley is often cited as falling into the final category and for a few years had a blemish on his otherwise spotless poker career that he found difficult to remove.
Back in 2002, Shipley was the chip leader heading into the Main Event final with more than double that of Russell Rosenblum in second. However, momentum soon switched, and Shipley's stack began hurtling towards the felt before he incredibly exited in a disappointing seventh place for $125,000.
Robert Varkonyi, meanwhile, went on to become the 2002 World Champion and have his picture hung up on the wall, predominately due to a huge double through with jacks versus the ace-jack of Shipley. Shipley had been the odds on favorite to etch his name into history, but that honor had evaded him.
Getting so close must have been painful, but Shipley battled on, and continued his life as a poker pro, finding the occasional score including an EPT win in the inaugural season.
Today, he's back in the Main Event in an effort to better his 2002 performance, and hopefully go that one step further. Of course, the environment is different, and the mountain is steeper, but I see a look of determination on his face that makes me think he could be a dark horse. With 145,000, he's by no means comfortable, but he's still alive and in with a shout if he can hit a good run of cards.
One of the more reserved players on the scene, you won't be hearing him shout and holler, or strive for the attention of the cameras, but he has a story to tell, and one that he hopes will have a happy ending. Perhaps 2010 will finally be Shipley's year and the closing chapter he's been searching for.
2007 Main Event 3rd-place finisher Raymond Rahme is sprinting up the counts since the dinner break. He re-raised pre-flop to 24,500 in a recent pot after the under-the-gun player opened to 5,000. Action folded to the small blind, who moved all in for about 80,000. That raise folded the under-the-gun player, but Rahme called with . He was racing and came out on top of a board. When his opponent's chips were added to his own Rahme's new chip count was approximately 345,000.
![[user75032]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
. Aces and kings gave Baron the pot and increased his count to about 125,000.
peeled off on the river.
.
, Kevin MacPhee led the betting for 20,000 with 2002 World Champion Robert Varkonyi making the call.
and MacPhee released again, this time for 41,000. Varkonyi went into the tank but eventually mustered up a call.
for a full house which was good as Varkonyi's cards hit the muck. MacPhee is up to 187,000 with Varkonyi back to 150,000.
flop, John Shipley (small blind) checked to David Benyamine (mid position) who bet 6,500. Shipley now check-raised all in for 68,300, and after a moment or two, Benyamine made the call.
, getting a call. When the 
arrived on the turn, Baron bet again, this time for 16,500. His opponent folded and Baron continued to build.
and the flop had already fallen 
, 
respectively and Hansen was eliminated.
. He was racing 
board. When his opponent's chips were added to his own Rahme's new chip count was approximately 345,000.