We began the day with 223 players, and just 16 survived today's 10 levels of play.
Masayuki Nagata bagged 1,742,000 chips to lead remaining players at the end of Day 2 here at Event #28: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em. He holds the chip lead by a wide margin over fellow big stack Dan Martin (1,050,000). Terik Brown (755,000), William Cogan (750,000) and Tommy Townsend (670,000) round out the top five.
Perhaps the biggest story coming out of today, however, is the survival of tournament legend TJ Cloutier. In an era when the game seems to be getting younger and younger, the 73-year-old defied the odds, and he's attempting to secure his seventh World Series of Poker bracelet. He bagged one of the shorter stacks, 335,000, but that hasn't been a hindrance to him thus far, as he mostly hung around with a stack near the tournament average.
Notable players eliminated today include Olivier Busquet (26th), James Woods (54th), Eric Baldwin (60th), Phil Collins (80th) and Men Nguyen (156th).
Play resumes tomorrow at 1 p.m., at which point the tournament will be played down to a winner, who will claim $521,202.
Barry Allen put his last 11,000 in the pot, and both blinds called. Dan Martin bet out when checked to on the flop, and small blind folded. Martin had flopped a pair of fours, and Allen's was way behind. He didn't improve his hand.
Frederick Li moved all in from under the gun. Action folded around to James Lee in the big blind who after some thought made the call. Li was behind and he needed to catch up with his . Lee had made the call with .
After the board ran out, both players had made a pair of aces, but Lee had the better kicker and he sent Li packing to the payout desk.
Austin Apicella pushed all in from the cutoff with , and Tommy Townsend called from the small blind with . The board ran out , and Apicella was out.
Meanwhile, Robert Lum pushed his short stack all in from the small blind after Dan Martin opened for a raise from late position. Makoto Yoshimichi went all in from the big blind, and Martin called.
Yoshimichi:
Lum:
Martin:
The flop came , and Martin took a hammerlock on the hand. The turn and river were and , and Martin took two scalps in one hand.
Back at Table 415, another all in was underway. Barry Allen had open shoved with , and Daniel Bishop called with . The tens held up to cripple Allen, as he slightly covered Bishop.
Finally, David Adler had limped his and ran into the nightmare scenario. Masayuki Nagata had flopped two pair with on a board and the two got it all in. The aces didn't improve, and Adler hit the rail.
Olivier Busquet got all in with against Eoghan O'Dea's . We're not sure when the chips went in, but we do know the board ran out , and Busquet's tens were inferior to O'Dea's queens.
Masayuki Nagata finished him off with against Busquet's .
We found TJ Cloutier counting out his stack with in front of him. His opponent had on a board of , so now it was only a question of who had more chips. Cloutier had his opponent slightly covered, and he's now above the average stack.
A player moved all in from middle position, and Eric Baldwin came over the top with his own all in from the small blind. The big blind made the call.
Baldwin:
Big blind:
Middle position:
The flop came , giving "basebaldy" a commanding lead. A turn gave the short stack hope with a gutshot, but another ace came on the river for good measure.
Phil Collins was facing a bet of 6,600 from an opponent after a flop of . He made the call. The turn was a , and Collins again checked. His opponent bet 15,800, and Collins took his time before calling. A river led two both players checking. Collins showed for aces up, and he extended his chip lead.
was way behind. He didn't improve his hand.
. Lee had made the call with 
.
, and Tommy Townsend called from the small blind with 
. The board ran out 
, and Martin took a hammerlock on the hand. The turn and river were 
and 
, and Martin took two scalps in one hand.
, and Daniel Bishop called with 
on a 
. We're not sure when the chips went in, but we do know the board ran out 
, and Busquet's tens were inferior to O'Dea's queens.
.
, eliminating Baldwin from the tournament.
, giving "basebaldy" a commanding lead. A 
