Four days ago, the 2012 World Series of Poker $10,000 Main Event kicked off at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. After three stating days and subsequent Day 2s, the original field of 6,598 was reduced down to 1,738. For the first time, the entire field will play at the same time here on Day 3, each eager to make the top 666 and lock up a portion of the $62,021,200 prize pool, $8,527,982 of which is reserved for the eventual winner.
On Tuesday, Days 2a and 2b played out with a approximately combined 842 players advancing to Day 3. Among the notables returning to action from that field are overall chip leader Gaelle Baumann, Vanessa Selbst, Jason Somerville, Eugene Katchalov, Gavin Smith, Daniel Negreanu, Eric Baldwin, Brian Hastings, Sammy Farha, Peter Eastgate, Liv Boeree and Kevin Pollak, just to name a few. In addition, former champs Dan Harrington (1995), Robert Varkonyi (2002), Jerry Yang (2007) and Peter Eastgate (2008) will all be returning, as will the defending champ, Pius Heinz albeit on a short stack of 36,300.
Likewise Day 2c saw approximatley 911 players advance to Day 3 including that flights chip leader, Michael Hack, who bagged up 457,000. He was joined by Antonio Esfandiari, Ben Lamb, Johnny Chan, Jake Cody, Joseph Cheong, Ronnie Bardah and Sam Holden.
Here’s a look at the top ten chip counts headed into Day 3:
Start of Day 3 Top 10 Chips Counts
| Place | Player | Counts |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Gaelle Baumann | 505,800 |
| 2nd | Mark Demirdjian | 499,900 |
| 3rd | Michael Hack | 457,000 |
| 4th | Shaun Deeb | 460,900 |
| 5th | Marco Bognanni | 452,100 |
| 6th | Gerardo Lubas | 449,500 |
| 7th | Jonathan Fountain | 435,400 |
| 8th | Randy Haddox | 407,300 |
| 9th | John Leathart | 404,900 |
| 10th | Erik Hellman | 397,900 |
Action is set to kick of at Noon PST, which is about 45 minutes from now, so join us then as we look to put another five levels in the books here at the 2012 WSOP.
and Somerville's flopped full house eliminated two opponents. He quickly soared into the chip lead. While he was stacking his chips the dealer said something to the effect that he could just back home.
, Nghi Van Tran bet 5,100 only to have 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event winner Peter Eastgate raise to 12,500. Tran took a few moments before three-betting to around 21,000, which prompted Eastgate to four bet to 40,000. Tran, who had the bigger stack, thought for well over a minute before moving all in, and Eastgate made a quick call.
turn and 
river failed to improve him. "Good game, guys," Eastgate said before collecting his things and exiting the Brasilia Room.
. Boeree was in the small blind, and she put out a pot sized bet of 20,000. Her opponent, Eric Haddad, was on the button, and he thought for about 30 seconds before moving all in for about 65,000.
for sevens full. Haddad tabled 
for rivered trips which was no good. Haddad never declared himself all in, and after sliding his chips over to Boeree, he noticed that he had one T100 chip covering his cards. That chip went in on the next hand, and he was eliminated.
. This time Jejelowo's opponent bet 18,000, and Jejelowo responded with a raise to 48,000 which his opponent called.
. Jejelowo's opponent checked, and Jejelowo fired a bet of 85,000 which his opponent called. Jejelowo rolled over 
for the flopped wheel, and his opponent mucked.
. Toni Judet was on the button and made a quick call with 
wasn't one of them, and he hits the rail with about an hour to go before dinner. Meanwhile, Fernandez joins the half-million chip club.
on the turn, giving Mercier the flush. Leathart could still claim the bounty if a ten or two, but the river brought the 
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