Like Day 1, which saw the original field of 936 trimmed to 117 players in just 10 one-hour levels, Day 2 of Event 51, the $1,000 Ladies No-Limit Hold'em Championship also moved at a quick pace. After just eight levels plus another 18 minutes of Level 19, just nine players were left with chips, with Debbie Pechac of Phoenix, Arizona the leader heading into tomorrow's final day of play.
Among the first cashers on Day 2 were Amanda Wheeler (105th), Annie LePage (93rd), Felicia Johnico (88th), and PokerNews's own Sarah Grant (86th). As the afternoon wore on the field was cut down to less than 50 players, with Mandy Baker (76th), last year's ladies event champion Marsha Wolak (74th), Lisa Parsons (73rd), and J.J. Liu (45th) among those cashing early on.
Jana de la Cerra enjoyed the chip lead for part of the late afternoon, but found her ladies event run stopped short in 34th place after flopping a full house in a hand in which Yen Dang had made quads. She was followed shortly thereafter by Della Jones (33rd) who had also spent some time among the leaders earlier in the day.
The field was cut down to just 21 by the dinner break, with Erica Schoenberg (28th), Stacey Lynn Nutini (23rd), and Leo Margets (22nd) leaving us just before the end of Level 16. Coming back from the break, Jamie Kerstetter fell in 20th. And a couple of other players who had enjoyed the chip lead earlier in the tournament went out shortly thereafter, with Monica Hinojosa exiting in 18th and Gaelle Baumann in 15th.
Yan Deng was responsible for a number of knockouts today, and she picked up the last one, too, by eliminating Lisa Santy in 10th. She'll return to a healthy stack of tomorrow, good for third position behind Pechac and Candida Ross-Powers. Here's how the counts look for all nine players heading into Sunday's final day:
Position
Player
Chips
1
Debbie Pechac
630,000
2
Candida Ross-Powers
548,000
3
Yen Dang
483,000
4
Lesley Amos
352,000
5
Anna Lundholm
218,000
6
Rae Rocco
203,000
7
Angela Moed
145,000
8
Janet Howard
132,000
9
Freda Lawrence
99,000
Play resumes at 1 PM local time tomorrow. Thanks for following our coverage of the ladies event thus far, and be sure to come back to see who among the final nine emerges as the next World Series of Poker bracelet winner.
It didn't take very long after the final 10 players got situated in their new seats when a hand arose in which it folded around to Yen Dang in the small blind, and she raised to 24,000. Lisa Santy checked her cards, then announced she was reraising all in with the 140,000 or so she had in front of her. Dang made the call.
Dang:
Santy:
Santy stood by her chair to watch the dealer burn a card and spread the flop, a look of acceptance on her face. The turn was the and river the , and with a nod Santy said "good hand" and "nice job" to Dang before making her way to the cashier's desk.
With 42 minutes still left in Level 19, the tourney clock has been paused and the bags brought out. The final table is set!
Soon after returning from the break, Amber Chatwin was pushing her short stack of 93,000 with and getting a caller in Debbie Pechac who held . The board rolled out , meaning Pechac's jacks and kings were best and Chatwin was out in 11th.
The remaining 10 players are redrawing for seats around the not-quite-final final table. We'll get you those seat assignments and updated counts for all 10 in just a moment.
Debbie Pechac opened with a raise to 20,000 from under the gun, and it folded to Peg Ledman in the cutoff who reraised to 50,000. The action back on Pechac, she reraised all in and Ledman called for her entire stack of 155,000.
Pechac:
Ledman:
The flop came , pairing Pechac's queen though actually giving Ledman an extra out. But the turn was the and river the , and just a dozen players remain.
We're seeing a rush of eliminations here as Level 18 comes to a close, with the short stacks putting their chips at risk frequently.
Just now Mona Harb opened for 15,000 from under the gun, then Candida Ross-Powers reraised all in from the cutoff. It folded back to Harb who called right away, turning over . Ross-Powers had , and five cards later — — her sevens were still best.
Gaelle Baumann entered today as the chip leader with 117 players remaining, and managed to outlast more than 100 of her opponents before finally falling in a hand versus Angela Moed.
All in with versus Moed's , the community cards came , meaning Moed's eights were still best and Baumann was out in 15th.
Myra Thompson just committed her short stack before the flop with and was hoping to catch versus Peg Ledman's . The flop was good for Thompson, coming to give her the better pair between the two. The turn was fine for Thompson, too, coming .
But the river brought the to improve Ledman to trips, and Thompson is out in 16th.
Erika Weinstein found herself all in from middle position before the flop for her last 16,000 against three opponents — Yen Dang, Monica Hinojosa, and Peg Ledman.
The flop came . Dang was first to act and checked, then Hinojosa bet 35,000, forcing a fold from Ledman. Dang responded with a reraise-shove, and Hinojosa called with her remaining chips.
Dang:
Hinojosa:
Weinstein:
Weinstein had flopped trip eights and was ahead for the main pot, while Hinojosa had the current lead for the side pot with her aces. Meanwhile, Dang was looking for a non-pairing diamond to beat them both.
The turn was the . "Deuce of clubs!" requested Weinstein for a river card. Alas for her — and for Hinojosa — fifth street brought the , giving Dang the flush and a double-knockout.
Two more eliminations to report, both coming on the same hand.
Things began with Ayesha Carmody open-raising all in for 18,500 from under the gun, then Anna Lundholm called from the hijack seat. It folded to Debra O'Neill who reraise-shoved herself for a bit more than Carmody, and when it folded to Lundholm she called that raise as well. The cards were turned on their backs…
O'Neill:
Carmody:
Lundholm:
Lundholm had the preflop edge, and that edge became a lot greater following the flop. The turn was the and river the , and Lundholm claimed the pot and a couple of knockouts. O'Neill finishes a notch higher than Carmody thanks to starting the hand with more chips.
flop, a look of acceptance on her face. The turn was the 
and river the 
, and with a nod Santy said "good hand" and "nice job" to Dang before making her way to the cashier's desk.
. The board rolled out 
, meaning Pechac's jacks and kings were best and Chatwin was out in 11th.
. The flop came 
, pairing Dang, and after the 
turn the river 
was no matter.
, pairing Pechac's queen though actually giving Ledman an extra out. But the turn was the 
and river the 
, and just a dozen players remain.
versus Moed's 
, the community cards came 
, meaning Moed's eights were still best and Baumann was out in 15th.
to improve Ledman to trips, and Thompson is out in 16th.
, and Lundholm claimed the pot and a couple of knockouts. O'Neill finishes a notch higher than Carmody thanks to starting the hand with more chips.