Masayuki Nagata leads the final 16 players in the race for the bracelet and a cool $521,202 here at the World Series of Poker Event #28: No-Limit Hold'em. After bagging 1,742,000, he's got nearly 20 percent of the chips in play and is nearly 700,000 clear of his nearest competitor, Dan Martin.
Nagata's only recorded live cash is for $2,895 in a re-entry event at last year's WSOP, so he's surely excited about the forthcoming payday even if he somehow busts 16th, as all the remaining players are guaranteed $19,015.
Relative unknowns make up the majority of the remaining field, and if you're looking at the list of survivors, the name that most certainly jumps out at you is going to be TJ Cloutier. The 73-year-old legend is looking to add yet another final table to a WSOP resume that already includes 39 such accomplishments. With 335,000 chips, he's one of the shorter stacks, but remains a threat due to his experience and skill.
Cards will be in the air at 1 p.m., and we will be following the action closely and bringing you all the pertinent updates until a winner is crowned.
Action folded around to Jason Bloom's small blind and he shipped all in for his last 31,000 total. Jason Duval looked at his hand in the big blind and looked less than pleased. Eventually, however, he called the all in.
Bloom:
Duval:
The flop brought and Bloom hung his head, not wanting to look at the board. He remained in the lead as the struck fourth street, but it all came crashing down when the peeled off on the river, giving Duval eights full of nines and eliminating Bloom in 16th place.
Terik Brown and Tim Stickradt got their nearly-identical stacks all in preflop.
Brown:
Stickradt:
The players were off to the races, and a flop of gave Brown naught but some backdoor draws. A turn narrowed his outs to jacks and aces, but the river was a , and he sent nearly all of his chips to Stickradt.
The next hand, Brown got his final few big blinds all in with against the of Jason Duval. The board came to finish Brown off.
At the other table, Dan Martin raised to under the gun, and James Lee made the call from middle position. Everyone else folded.
Martin checked the flop, and Lee bet 80,000. Martin moved all in, and Lee went into the tank for a good three minutes.
"Let's go," he finally announced, forcefully setting in a stack of chips to indicate a call.
Lee:
Martin:
The turn was a , and Lee took a hammerlock with kings. A came on the river, and Martin was forced to ship away more than half of his stack.
Dan Martin opened with a raise to 40,000 and action trickled around the table to William Cogan who shipped all in over the top for a little over 200,000. Martin called and the hands were turned over to find the two racing for Cogan's tournament life.
Cogan:
Martin:
Martin took the lead by pairing his queen on the flop. The turned and despite the falling on the river to give Cogan a set, Martin was able to scoop up the pot with his spade flush, eliminating Cogan in 14th place.
TJ Cloutier opened for 60,000 from the cutoff, and Tommy Townsend reraised to 150,000 from the button. Cloutier immediately moved all in after the blinds folded. Townsend leaned back in his seat before calling.
Townsend:
Cloutier:
The flop came , and Cloutier seemed to be due to lose this flip after winning his last one. Hope arrived on the turn in the form of the , giving him four additional outs. It wasn't to be, however, as the river was an , and the tournament legend was done in 13th place.
Majid Yahyaei opened to 45,000 under the gun, and Zach Humphrey, who has been quiet so far on Day 3, shipped it from the big blind for 333,000. Yahyaei tanked for a couple of minutes before making the call.
Yahyaei:
Humphrey:
Humphrey was behind, but he turned things around when a flop came. An arrived on the turn though, and Yahyaei pumped his fist as a friend on the rail began jumping up and down with excitement. He still had a card to fade though, and he did just that when the arrived on the river.
Tim Stickradt opened for 80,000 from the cutoff, and James Lee put him all in from the big blind. Stickradt made the call.
Stickradt:
Lee:
Stickradt was dominated by Lee's tens, and nothing changed on the flop. The turn came , and Stickradt needed to spike a two-outer to survive. The river was a though, and Stickradt was the unfortunate victim of the final table bubble.
Hand #6: James Lee opened with a raise to 70,000 from early position and Joseph Cappuccio three-bet all in from the next seat over for about 355,000. Tommy Townsend was next to act from the hijack and he announced an all in over the top for about 1.16 million. It folded back to Lee who looked distraught and finally folded his hand.
Cappuccio:
Townsend:
The flop brought and Townsend stayed in the lead.
"Put a ten out there!" shouted Matt Stout from Cappuccio's rail.
The dealer obliged, as the hit the turn. It wasn't enough, however, as the finished the board and Cappuccio was eliminated in 9th place.
Hand #7: Steve Bartlett raised to 60,000 from the button. Both blinds folded.
Hand #8: Dan Martin raised to 60,000 from the button. Daniel Bishop jammed from the small blind. Martin called with against . The flop came . The turn was . The river was , and Bishop was eliminated.
and Bloom hung his head, not wanting to look at the board. He remained in the lead as the 
struck fourth street, but it all came crashing down when the 
peeled off on the river, giving Duval eights full of nines and eliminating Bloom in 16th place.
turn narrowed his outs to jacks and aces, but the river was a 
, and he sent nearly all of his chips to Stickradt.
of Jason Duval. The board came 
to finish Brown off.
, and Lee took a hammerlock with kings. A 
came on the river, and Martin was forced to ship away more than half of his stack.
flop. The 
, and Cloutier seemed to be due to lose this flip after winning his last one. Hope arrived on the turn in the form of the 
, giving him four additional outs. It wasn't to be, however, as the river was an 
, and the tournament legend was done in 13th place.
and Martin's tens were able to hold, sending Nguyen packing in 12th place.
flop came. An 
arrived on the river.
and Townsend stayed in the lead.
, and Bishop was eliminated.