Event #17: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em
Day 3 Started
2013 World Series of Poker
Event #17: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2013 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$1,500
Prize Pool
$2,841,750
Entries
2,105
Level
30
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
10,000
Day 3 of Event #17, $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em, Set for Star Studded Final Table
![[user253757]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
After two full days of play here at the Rio, another $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em event will conclude today, and the enormous field of 2,105 runners has been whittled to our last two tables. Day 1 felted nearly 1,800 players in a bloodbath of bustouts, and yesterday's Day 2 was the end of the line for experienced pros like James Dempsey (150th), Jake Cody (126th), Vanessa Selbst (60th), Matt Jarvis (37th), Jacob Balsiger, (31st), Joe Kuether (26th), and Amnon Filippi (18th).
Two days ago hundreds of amateurs lined up for their chance to compete with poker professionals, and while many of the lower buy-in events at the World Series of Poker are captured by recreational players, today's run to the final table will be dominated by some of the most recognizable names.
The chip leader entering play today is none other than David "Bakes" Baker (1,384,000), who is experiencing the run of his life here at the 2013 edition of the WSOP. The online legend has successfully translated his skills from the virtual felt to the live tournament floor, and with two final tables to his credit already this summer (Event # 9, $5K Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo & Event 13, $3K No Limit-Hold'em), he is looking to make a serious run at WSOP Player of the Year with yet another run at his third gold bracelet.
Joining Bakes will be Barry Greenstein (367,000), one of poker's sages and a truly respected figure in the poker world, along with 2009 Main Event Champion Joe Cada (540,000), who is looking to validate that tremendous accomplishment with a second bracelet win here today.
The only other million dollar men threatening Baker's chip leadership status are Athanasios Polychronopoulos (1,135,000) and Samuel Taylor (1,216,000), and with both starting today's action at the same table, there is a chance for fireworks before the final table is decided.
The table draw entering Day 3 competition can be found below, so keep it here with PokerNews throughout the day as we bring you continuous live coverage of today's thrilling run to crown the next WSOP champion.
| Table | Seat | Player | Chips |
|---|---|---|---|
| 446 | 1 | Thomas Nicotera | 398,000 |
| 446 | 2 | Samuel Taylor | 1,216,000 |
| 446 | 3 | Manuel Mutke | 619,000 |
| 446 | 4 | Paul Francoi Tedeschi | 850,000 |
| 446 | 5 | Athanasios Polychronopoulos | 1,135,000 |
| 446 | 6 | Brian Ray | 778,000 |
| 446 | 7 | Yi Wang | 192,000 |
| 446 | 8 | --empty-- | -- |
| 446 | 9 | Everett Carlton | 663,000 |
| 447 | 1 | Joe Cada | 540,000 |
| 447 | 2 | Michael Kurth | 402,000 |
| 447 | 3 | --empty-- | -- |
| 447 | 4 | --empty-- | -- |
| 447 | 5 | Barry Greenstein | 367,000 |
| 447 | 6 | Chad Chavez | 90,000 |
| 447 | 7 | David "Bakes" Baker | 1,384,000 |
| 447 | 8 | Joseph Michael | 278,000 |
| 447 | 9 | Joseph Ward | 669,000 |
Level: 22
Blinds: 8,000/16,000
Ante: 2,000
Joseph Michael Eliminated in 15th Place ($23,700)
Level 22
: 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
The action folded around to David "Bakes" Baker on the button, and he raised the action to 35,000. In the small blind, Joseph Michael decided to resteal and shipped his last 275,000 or so chips into the middle.
Unfortunately for Michael, Joseph Ward woke up with 
in the big blind, and he called instantly to put Michael at risk. Baker got out of the way, and Michael was disgusted at the turn of events, revealing a decent hand in 
, but one which was crushed nonetheless by Wards pocket rockets.
The board rolled out 
and Michael didn't hit a piece, sending him home as our first elimination of the day. He will pocket over $23,000 for his run, however, so his summer is off to a good start.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
965,000 | 296,000 |
|
Busted |
Yi Wang Bangs a Double With Just Ace-High
Level 22
: 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
Holding the button, Brian Ray opened for 32,000, and called Yi Wang's all-in shove of 172,000. Ray's 
was hoping to hit against Wang's 
, but neither player connected on the 
board, and Wang's ace-high hand secured a much needed double early in Day 3 competition.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
580,000 | -138,000 |
|
376,000 | 184,000 |
Chad Chavez Only Needs a Chip and a Chair
Level 22
: 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
After sitting on his extremely short stack for much of Day 2's latter stages, climbing the payout ladder slowly but steadily while his fellow players went broke, Chad Chavez returned on Day 3 with only 90,000 chips, good for just 7.5 big blinds.
With another pay jump of over $6,000 looming if he can fade two more eliminations, Chavez just increased his odds with a double through Barry Greenstein.
First to act under the gun, Chavez shipped his last 68,000 with 
, and the grizzled tournament veteran called him down with . Although he was in the lead, Chavez would need to dodge paint cards to avoid an early exit.
Flop: 
The first three cards hit Chavez square in the face, and with trip eights he was poised to double through one of poker's all-time greats. The 
on the turn sealed the deal, and the on the river seemed to fall only as an ode to Greenstein's famous tome of poker knowledge.
We will let you know if Chavez makes it to the 12th Place pay jump, as he continues to ride his short stack to taller stacks of cash.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
275,000 | -92,000 |
|
|
158,000 | 68,000 |
Updated 2013 WSOP POY Leader Board (6-10-13)
Level 22
: 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
Current 2013 WSOP Player of the Year Standings
| Place | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daniel Negreanu | 427.15 |
| 2 | Benny Chen | 300.00 |
| 3 | Mark Radoja | 292.50 |
| 4 | Charles Sylvestre | 260.00 |
| 5 | Daniel Marton | 252.00 |
| 6 | Daniel Kelly | 250.20 |
| 7 | Matt Waxman | 242.00 |
| 8 | Matthew Ashton | 240.75 |
| 9 | Trevor Pope | 240.00 |
| 10 | Levi Berger | 237.50 |
Chad Chavez Eliminated in 14th Place ($23,700)
Level 22
: 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
Chad Chavez' short-stack has met its demise, and with that, the PokerNews curse is alive and well. Just moments after watching Chavez double through Barry Greenstein, and penning an optimistic post regarding his chances to secure a pay jump, Chavez was just victimized by a suckout and sent to the rail.
Chavez held the 
and moved his last 99,000 forward out of the big blind. Having already limped in for 16,000 on the button, and holding over a million chips already, Samuel Taylor had an easy call with a marginal holding in .
The flop was a bad one for Chavez, coming 
, as Taylor paired up to take the lead in the hand. When the arrived on the turn, Joe Cada offered a hopeful "that's a nice card for you there," to Chavez, but the 
on the river only improved Taylor's hand.
Chavez still made a few additonal thousand by grinding the short stack last night, and he will no doubt be ecstatic when that extra cash is in hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,350,000 | 134,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Joe Cada Doubles Through David "Bakes" Baker
Level 22
: 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
Joe Cada raised to 35,000 in the hijack and action folded to David "Bakes" Baker in the big blind. After a few moments, Baker three-bet to 102,000. Cada thought for about 30 seconds before four-betting all in. Baker called immediately.
Cada: 
Baker: 
The dealer fanned an action flop, with the window card being the . However, the rest of it followed to complete an flop, giving Baker top-two pair and Cada bottom set. The 
turn and 
river were no help to Baker, vaulting Cada into the chip lead. His all in was for 770,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,562,000 | 1,022,000 |
|
630,000 | -754,000 |
Polychronopoulos Pushes Ray Off the Pot
Level 22
: 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
After calling a previous raise of 32,000, Athanasios Polychronopoulos saw Brian Ray slide a stack of 100,000 forward for a three-bet out of the small blind.
The original raiser folded after about a minute of thought, and Polychronopoulos elected to call the bet, seeing a flop of 
arrive on board.
Ray continued with his aggressive line, firing a bet of 110,000 at the dangerous pro, but Polychronopoulos made the call once again, bringing the 
to the table.
The presence of a pair on board, and perhaps the death stare administered by Polychronopoulos, convinced Ray to slow down, and he tapped the table. This opening was all Polychronopoulos needed to take the large pot, and his 150,000 value bet forced Ray to fold.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,575,000 | 440,000 |
|
|
525,000 | -55,000 |