Here we are, just hours away from crowning another World Series of Poker champion. Who will take home the gold bracelet, $791,398 and all the glory to go along with it?
It all started four days ago when 3,404 players dished out the $1,500 entry fee, all with a dream of making it here today. Unfortunately a huge majority of those players were left disappointed, as only nine players are still in contention.
Of those players it is Ryan Olisar who arguably has the best chance of taking down the victory. Regardless of how today goes down, this will be Olisar's biggest live tournament score to date. Olisar starts the day with 3,715,000 in chips - over 1 million more chips than his nearest competitor.
Speaking of nearest competitor, his name is Brian Rast and it is a name to be feared. Rast showed tremendous aggression to build his stack on Day 2 and it didn't stop on Day 3 as he will head into the final table with the second largest chip stack. Rast is probably best known for taking down the $50,000 Poker Player's Championship 8-Game event at last year's WSOP. We think that says enough about his skills on the felt.
The player right on Rast's heels is Amanda Musumeci and it's a name we are familiar with. Last year Musumeci burst onto the scene with a super deep run in the WSOP Main Event, finishing in 62nd place and picking up $130,997. Since then Musumeci has been picking up scores all around the WSOP Circuit and now her poker chops have been proven with a final table here.
He might not have as many chips as his competitors, but it is hard to rule out Greg Mueller. With more than $1.8 million in tournament scores to his name, including two gold bracelets, Mueller is going to be a tough competitor today.
Even though the above four aren't going to be easy to contend with, none of the other players at the final table should be forgotten. They have all worked hard to get here today and we are sure it's going to be a very exciting final table.
Final Table Lineup
Seat
Player
Chips
1
Amanda Musumeci
2,040,000
2
Benjamin Reinhart
1,800,000
3
Greg Mueller
820,000
4
Ashkan Razavi
985,000
5
Brian Rast
2,415,000
6
Derrick Huang
760,000
7
Ryan Olisar
3,715,000
8
Duy Ho
1,990,000
9
Dien Le
775,000
The PokerNews Live Reporting Team are going to be in the Rio all day long, bringing you all the action and all the excitement on our way to crowning another WSOP champion. It kicks off in just over half an hour at 1:00 PM, so don't miss it!
The end of Dien Le's tournament has come to a halt in dramatic fashion as he exits the door in 9th place. It took two back-to-back hands to silence Le and the first one started like this.
Derrick Huang was in middle position when he shoved all-in for 670,000. Dien Le was in the cut-off seat, where he also shoved all-in, with his stack worth 680,000. The play was then on Greg Mueller in the big blind and he immediately got out of his seat. He seemed sickened by what he was seeing.
"I'm allowed to talk about my hand right?" Mueller said. "I'm last to act, i can show my hand or just say what it is?"
He still looked quite unhappy with the decision he would have to make as he said, "I have ace-king in the big blind."
Eventually Mueller decided to lay it down, showing his as he did so. With Mueller out and two players all in, we would watch the dealer spread five cards on the felt.
Le:
Huang:
By the time the board had run out , Huang had even more outs and when the hit the river, he had made his straight to stay alive and prosper. Le however, was down to just 10,000 in chips.
The very next hand, half of Le's stack was all-in with the ante and it would end up being the last hand of his tournament. That hand started with Derrick Huang opening to 85,000. Dien Le then flicked in his last 5,000 and Ashkan Razavi made the call in the big blind.
On the flop, Razavi checked and Huang bet 105,000. It was enough to get Razavi out of the hand and the two remaining players would turn their hands over. Le's was in trouble against the of Huang and despite the on the turn giving Le some hope, the on the river would end his tournament life in 9th place.
Amanda Musumeci opened to 85,000 from middle position and on her immediate left, Benjmain Reinhart three-bet to 215,000. Action folded back to Amanda who grabbed a large stack of T25,000 chips and moved them to the middle, making it 405,000 to go. Reinhart replied by five-betting all in and Musumeci snap called.
Reinhart:
Musumeci:
The board ran out and Musumeci's aces were able to hold, sending Reinhart to the rail and vaulting her into the chip lead.
Action folded around to Greg "FBT" Mueller who moved all in for about 600,000. Derrick Huang peered down at his cards and called from the small blind. Ryan Olisar mucked from the big blind and Huang triumphantly tabled which was crushing the of Greg Mueller.
Mueller found a glimmer of hope on the flop, giving him backdoor diamond outs and a jack to make Broadway. The turn brought the , thus leaving Mueller looking for a jack on the river. Unfortunately for Mueller, the drilled the river and he became the latest casualty of this final table.
We have a new chip leader thanks to Amanda Musumeci recently taking a pot from Ryan Olisar. The hand in question was opened by Olisar to 80,000. Musumeci then three-bet to 210,000 on the button and Olisar made the call as some cards were dealt on the felt.
Flop:
On the flop, Olisar check-called a bet of 180,000 form Musumeci and a would hit the turn. This time both players would check and the would complete the board on the river.
This time when Olisar checked, Musumeci readied a big bet. She had over 500,000 ready to bet and started placing stacks of 100,000 out onto the felt. The tournament director classified the way she bet as a string bet and Musumeci was forced to bet 105,000 - the amount which the first small stack she put onto the felt was.
Olisar immediately called the small bet and then mucked his hand as Musumeci turned over . Musumeci then asked Olisar if he would have called a bigger bet. He didn't tell her the answer.
It was the last hand before the first 20-minute break of the day that would see Brian Rast eliminated in a gallant 6th place.
The hand in question saw cards fly into the muck from all directions before it was on Ashkan Razavi on the button. Razavi would raise it up to 100,000 and it was on Rast in the small blind. He shoved for his short stack and Razavi immediately made the call.
Razavi:
Rast:
The crowd went wild, especially Razavi's rail as they cried out for a king. The flop didn't house a king, but it was a good one for Razavi. The turn wasn't what Rast was looking for and the on the river would be the final bullet in Rast's tournament life.
With that hand, the remaining five players have been sent on a 20-minute break. We will have full chip counts for you shortly. The chip lead is going to be close between Razavi and Musumeci.
We've seen Duy Ho raise to some rather large amounts before the flop during this event and this hand proved to be no different. Ho opened to 300,000 and it folded to Ashkan Razavi who three-bet to 740,000 from the small blind. Ho replied by shipping all in for 3,700,000 and Razavi snap called, tabling which was far ahead of Ho's .
The flop fell and Razavi retained his lead with his pocket kings. Fourth street brought the and Ho was in need of one of the two remaining treys in order to stay alive in this tournament. The river did not oblige Ho and he was sent to the rail in fifth place.
Derrick Huang was the table short stack and started the action by moving all in for 825,000. Ryan Olisar peeked at his cards and announced that he was all in over the top. This brought the action to Amanda Musumeci who looked at her cards, then at her opponents, then back at her cards once again.
"I'm all in," said Musumeci, drawing several gasps from the rail.
The three hands were revealed to the table, only to find that Olisar and Musumeci had the same hand:
Olisar:
Musumeci:
Huang:
With Olisar and Musumeci sharing outs, Huang was hopeful for a triple up this hand. The poker gods must have heard Huang's request, as the flop fell , pairing Huang's queen. The gave Olisar and Musumeci outs to make a straight, but the that rivered did not help them. Huang was able to drag in a key triple up while giving hits to two of his three remaining opponents.
Ryan Olisar's tournament life has just come to an end over the course of two hands. The first hand saw Olisar open to 160,000 from under the gun, at which point Amanada Musumeci moved all in from the button. The blinds out of the way and Olisar made a quick call.
Olisar turned over and Musumeci tabled . It was off to the races, with Musumeci the one at risk. Well, she was at risk until had been dealt on the board and then Olisar was drawing dead and the meaningless river would change nothing.
Olisar was left with only 60,000 at this point and after the 10,000-chip ante, would be all in from the big blind the very next hand. All three players limped during this hand and then checked it down as the board was dealt out.
Olisar watched as Derrick Huang turned over , Musumeci tabled and Ashkan Razavi held , the best hand - a pair of fives. Now it was Olisar's turn to show his cards.
Olisar slowly looked at his cards and turned over the first. "I have a flush draw," he said before slowly peeling back his second card like it was baccarat. Unfortunately it was the and it was all over in 4th place for Olisar.
The play slowed down for several orbits, but that has all changed with the elimination of Derrick Huang in 3rd place. His last hand began when Ashkan Razavi opened the pot to 200,000 from the button. Huang was in the small blind and moved all in. Razavi instantly called and turned over .
Razavi's cards hitting the felt was enough to see Huang let out a sigh and give his head a slight shake as he turned over . Razavi's rail got on their feet and so did the two players in the hand as the dealer dealt out a board.
With that, Huang goes home in 3rd place for a $347,228 score, while we are down to heads-up play here in Event 9 of the World Series of Poker.
![[user162117]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
as he did so. With Mueller out and two players all in, we would watch the dealer spread five cards on the felt.
, Huang had even more outs and when the 
hit the river, he had made his straight to stay alive and prosper. Le however, was down to just 10,000 in chips.
flop, Razavi checked and Huang bet 105,000. It was enough to get Razavi out of the hand and the two remaining players would turn their hands over. Le's 
was in trouble against the 
on the turn giving Le some hope, the 
on the river would end his tournament life in 9th place.
and Musumeci's aces were able to hold, sending Reinhart to the rail and vaulting her into the chip lead.
which was crushing the 
of Greg Mueller.
flop, giving him backdoor diamond outs and a jack to make Broadway. The turn brought the 
, thus leaving Mueller looking for a jack on the river. Unfortunately for Mueller, the 
drilled the river and he became the latest casualty of this final table.
would complete the board on the river.
.
and Razavi retained his lead with his pocket kings. Fourth street brought the 
river did not oblige Ho and he was sent to the rail in fifth place.
, pairing Huang's queen. The 
gave Olisar and Musumeci outs to make a straight, but the 
. It was off to the races, with Musumeci the one at risk. Well, she was at risk until 
and Ashkan Razavi held 
and it was all over in 4th place for Olisar.
