The last of the late registering players including Hasan Habib, Sam Trickett, Christian Harder, Shawn Buchanan, Andrew Robl, John Juanda and Tim West are all being asked to come back after the next break at around 4:45 PST. A few of them tried to sit down and play a bit of the fourth level, but they are being turned away. They'll have the same starting stack as everyone but since 150/300 will be their first level, that starting stack will only be 50 big blinds.
We didn't catch the hand, but Jonathan Little just walked by our desk as the dealer from his former table shouted, "Seat open Table 21." Sure enough, Little's chair is empty and devoid of chips.
Over at Table 40 is where Chance Kornuth is sitting. As we've mentioned before, Kornuth won last year's $5,000 PLO event. While that was played nine handed and today's event is six handed, Kornuth is essentially the defending champ. Kornuth is currently seated at Table 40 along with a familiar face in Scott Madel. For those with a good memory, you might recall that Kornuth and Mandel have history together, notably that the former player eliminated the latter in fifth place on his way to victory. Here is a look back at that elimination hand as reported in our blog last year:
Chance Kornuth and Scott Mandel were heads up to a raised flop. It came , and Mandel checked. Kornuth checked behind to see the on the turn. This time, Mandel bet out 100,000. "How much do you have behind?" Chance asked him.
Kornuth moved his arm from in front of his stack in response. "It hasn't changed."
Chance potted, and they got it all in in under ten seconds. "One out," Mandel said when he saw the bad news.
Mandel: for a set of treys
Kornuth: for a set of eights
Earlier today, Danny Wong was eliminated from the $25k six-max tournament when his set of eights was rivered by an opponent whose set of threes rivered quads. Could it happen again here? The on the river said no, and Mandel was sent home in fifth place. Kornuth has even more chips now, with 3.3 million of the 6.9 million in play.
The action folded around to 2009 WSOP Player of the Year Jeff Lisandro, who raised to 600 from the button before the flop. He found one caller from the big blind, so they went heads-up to the flop of .
The big blind check-called Lisandro's bet of 1,300 after the flop and did the same after Lisandro's bet of 3,900 on the turn of the before both players checked the river of the . The big blind tabled and Lisandro kicked his hand into the muck.
Just before the level up, Scott Mandel bet 8,850 into a large pot with a board reading . Chance Kornuth then moved all in for 12,225 total and Mandel made the call.
Kornuth:
Mandel:
Both players had held a straight, but Kornuth's was higher. However, Mandel had a flush draw and was no doubt seeking revenge from last year when Kornuth eliminated him in fifth place. Unfortunately for Madel, revenge would have to wait as the river blanked and Kornuth doubled to 25,000.
"I was down to 3,200 not too long ago," Kornuth explained to a friend on the rail.
Reigning WSOP Main Event champion Joe Cada has just taken a massive hit to his stack and is now down to 14,000 in one of the early hands after the break.
After the hijack, cutoff and small blind limped in before the flop, Cada raised the pot from the big blind, making it another 1,200 to go. All the others called, so it was four-handed to the flop of .
The small blind checked to Cada, who led out for 3,000, forcing the hijack and the cutoff out of the way before the small-blind check-raised all-in. Cada snap-called.
Small Blind:
Cada:
Even though Cada improved to two pair after the dealer produced the turn and river of , , he failed to improve against the small blind's flopped straight and was resigned to cut out the double-up chips from his stack.
, and Mandel checked. Kornuth checked behind to see the 
on the turn. This time, Mandel bet out 100,000. "How much do you have behind?" Chance asked him.
for a set of treys
for a set of eights
on the river said no, and Mandel was sent home in fifth place. Kornuth has even more chips now, with 3.3 million of the 6.9 million in play.![[user135779]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
.
before both players checked the river of the 
. Chance Kornuth then moved all in for 12,225 total and Mandel made the call.
