We're halfway through Level 15, and exactly 100 players remain with chips.
2012 World Series of Poker
Chip leader Jeremy Halaska opened with a raise from middle position and it folded around to a player in the big blind who reraised all in for 26,200 more. Halaska sat with his sunglasses proppped up on his forehead and thought for a while, looking over the 40-chip high stacks in front of him as he did.
Finally he shook his head "no" and let his hand go. "You have an ace?" he asked his opponent across the table. "Two," came the reply, and Halaska's eyes widened before he settled his shades back down.
Despite that small hit, Halaska is nearing 400,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
386,000
56,000
|
56,000 |
We caught up with the action on a 

flop in a heads-up pot. Blair Hinkle checked from the big blind to his opponent in the hijack position, who flung an orange 5,000 denomination chip into the middle. Hinkle responded by putting 9,800 into the middle, to which some tablemates said he had to make it 10,000. Hinkle obliged and made it 10,000 to go. Undeterred, his opponent re-popped it to 22,000 and Hinkle folded.
"I guess I saved some money," Hinkle said. "I meant to make it 13,000."
In any case, Hinkle is currently sitting on 120,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
120,000
6,000
|
6,000 |
|
|
||
Level: 15
Blinds: 1,200/2,400
Ante: 400
In what would be his last hand, Joe Cada opened to 4,200 from under-the-gun and was called by Tony Welds in middle position and Kevin Elia in the big blind for a three-way pot.
The flop came 

and Elia led out for 9,200. Cada responded by pushing all in for his last 56,000 and Welds got out of the way. Elia made the call and Cada was at risk.
Cada: 
for an open-ended straight draw.
Elia: 
for a pair of sevens.
The
turn and
river kept Elia in the lead and Cada was sent to the rail.
Elia is now up to 270,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
270,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
|
Busted | |
|
|
||
Jude Ainsworth continues to have a tough time of it at his table. After than hand with Khoury, Ainsworth opened with a raise to 4,000 from the cutoff, and it folded around to Blair Hinkle in the big blind who reraised to 9,800. Ainsworth thought a few moments, then set out a column of chips indicating a four-bet to 23,600 total.
Hinkle thought about a half-minute, then announced he was all in, and Ainsworth instantly mucked his cards.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
114,000
28,000
|
28,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
46,000
47,000
|
47,000 |
|
|
||
Mazin Khoury joined a tough table that includes Jude Ainsworth, Blair Hinkle and Travell Thomas after the break. But Khoury has been thriving since he took his new seat.
In a recent hand, Khoury opened with a raise to 4,000 from early position and Ainsworth three-bet to 10,300 from the button. The small blind then went into the tank before opting to move all in for around 30,000. Action folded back to Khoury, who asked for a count on Ainsworth's stack.
"About 75 behind."
That was enough information for Khoury to toss out a pile of T5,000 chips, effectively putting Ainsworth all in. He elected to fold, and the two hands were revealed:
Khoury: 

Small Blind: 

The 



gave Khoury a bit of a sweat but he faded danger to scoop a nice pot. He's sitting behind around 280,000, putting him near the top of the leaderboard.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
280,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
|
75,000
18,000
|
18,000 |
|
|
||
We caught up with the action on a 


board, where Nguyen had roughly a 7,000 bet in front of him from middle position. His lone opponent on the button went all in for about 56,000 total and Nguyen fell deep into the tank.
"Want me to call you?" Nguyen asked.
No reply.
After deliberating for a couple minutes, Nguyen said, "Alright, I call," and his opponent tabled 
for top two pair.
Nguyen dejectedly flipped over 
for an inferior two pair.
The
river kept Nguyen's opponent in the lead and Nguyen's stack was chopped down to just 25,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
25,000
83,000
|
83,000 |
Mickey Petersen just found himself among two other players vying for a pot preflop, and when the raising concluded it was just himself and another short-stacked player left. Petersen held 
and his opponent 
, and when the board ran out 



, yet another player hit the rail.
Petersen bumps up a little with that one but still sits with a below average stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
22,000
8,500
|
8,500 |
|
|
||
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
165,000
88,000
|
88,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
90,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
70,200
9,600
|
9,600 |
|
|
65,000
29,600
|
29,600 |
|
|
63,000
30,000
|
30,000 |
|
|
62,000
7,000
|
7,000 |