Welcome back for Day 3 of Event #14: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em here at the 2013 World Series of Poker. With just 14 players left from the original 1,819 that began, today will be the culmination of a great event and the crowning of another gold bracelet winner.
Leading the way is Hiren "Sunny" Patel with 1.51 million in chips. The only other player joining him in the seven-figure club is Jonathan Taylor with 1.222 million. Another notables still remaining are Russell Crane, Blake Bohn and Chris Hunichen.
Each of the remaining 14 competitors is guaranteed $20,504 at minimum, but every single one of these players will be gunning for the big, bad $454,424 first-place prize that's up for grabs. Once play gets down to a 10-handed affair, the players will combine at one table.
The cards are set to be in the air at 1 p.m. local time in Las Vegas, so get ready for some action!
Benjamin Dobson has been eliminated in 14th place, and took home $20,504, but first let's tell you about a hand right before his elimination.
Action folded to Hiren "Sunny" Patel on the button. He raised to 32,000. Blake Bohn called from the small blind, and Patrick Kubat called from the big blind. On the flop, all three players checked before the paired the board on the turn. After Bohn checked, Kubat bet 40,000, and Patel made the call. Bohn folded. Then, the completed the board on the river, and both players checked. Kubat showed the for two pair, nines and fives, and Patel mucked his hand.
On the next hand, Benjamin Dobson raised all in from under the gun for around 200,000. Kubat re-shoved from the small blind, and everyone else folded. Kubat held the , which was dominating the for the at-risk Dobson.
The flop, turn and river ran out , and Dobson was sent packing in 14th place.
From under the gun + 1, Hunter Frey raised to 33,000. Action folded to Chris Hunichen who moved all in from the small blind. Action folded back to Frey who asked for a count, then made the call.
Hunichen:
Frey:
The dealer dealt the board of eliminating Hunichen in 13th place for $20,504. Hunichen can add that payday to his sixth place finish in "The Millionaire Maker," where he cashed for $229,575.
From under the gun, Hiren "Sunny" Patel raised to 32,000. Morgan Machina flatted out of the big blind, then moved all in on the flop for about 140,000, according to Patel. Patel called with the and was up against the for Machina. The turn was the to give Machina some extra outs, but the river bricked off with the and he was eliminated.
Jed Hoffman raised from under the gun to 45,000, and Daniel Paska reraised all in from the cutoff seat for around 200,000. Hoffman called, and his was dominating Paska's .
The flop, turn and river ran out , and Paska was eliminated. The final 10 players are now redrawing to form around one table, and we'll have the seating assignments for you shortly.
Poker can be a brutal game and not everything works out in your favor. Russell Crane can attest to just that after seeing his tournament life take a turn for the worse, and then completely die off in the matter of two hands.
On the first hand, action folded to Patrick Kubak on the button, and he raised all in for 411,000. Crane made the call from the big blind with the and was up against the for Kubak. The board ran out , and Kubak spiked a jack on the river to double up, while leaving Crane with about 175,000 in chips.
On the next hand, action folded to Crane in the small blind, and he raised all in. Blake Bohn called from the big blind with the . Crane held the . The board ran out , and Crane was eliminated.
With Crane's bustout, the official final table has been set.
Hand #23: Sunny Patel raised to 52,000 from under the gun. Patrick Kubat made the call from under the gun + 1. Action folded to Joseph Pergola who, with his short stack, called all in for less. Action folded around and Patel, Pergoal and Kubat went to the flop. The dealer dealt out the flop and Patel bet 46,000 and Kubat folded his face up.
Patel was holding and was ahead, but Pergola still had outs with his . The turn and river were no help though and Pergola was eliminated in ninth place.
Hand #38: Jonathan Taylor raised to 60,000 from the hijack seat, and Blake Bohn called from the cutoff seat. Short-stacked Dan Gannon called from the big blind, then checked the flop. Taylor bet 70,000, Bohn folded, and Gannon called all in.
Gannon:
Taylor:
The turn was the and river the . Taylor's hand was best, and Gannon busted in eighth place.
Hand #51: Jed Hoffman opened the betting action with a raise. Action folded to Blake Bohn on the who reraised to 320,000. Hoffman moved all in and Bohn quickly called.
Bohn:
Hoffman:
The dealer dealt out the flop of , keeping Hoffman in the lead. Unfortunately for him the on the turn moved Bohn into the lead and left Hoffman drawing to hit a two outer to stay alive. The on the river was not one of those two outs though and Hoffman was eliminated in seventh place.
Hand #67: Sunny Patel opened the pot to 90,000. Next to act Patrick Kubat moved all in for 290,000. Action folded back to Patel, who called.
Patel was holding the and needed to catch up to grab the elimination as Kubat was holding .
The flop came giving Patel a leading pair of tens, but he still needed to dodge a to secure the elimination. The turn came the though, not improving Kubat's hand. The hit the river improving Patel to a straight and sending Kubat to the payout desk with a healthy $75,879 for his sixth place finish.