Chad HollowayGreg Hobson starts Day 2 as the chip leader!
On Friday, 1,069 players packed the Brasilia Room here at the Rio for the 2013 World Series of Poker Event #4 $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em /Six Handed, which created a prize pool of $1,443,150 that will be distributed to the top 108 players. That means we need to lose just nine players here today before the money is reach as 117 players will return for Day 2 action with Greg Hobson and his stack of 160,500 leading the way. A little further behind is 2009 WSOP Main Event champ Joe Cada, who holds 127,000 and is seeking his second gold bracelet.
You see, on Day 1 Ormson, a successful business owner from Elroy, Wisconsin who is transitioning into the poker world, was down to just 175 in chips in Level 3, which was just one big and small blind. Incredibly Ormson was able to work that back up to 17,000 in just six hands! While he’s not one of the big stacks, Ormson is primed for a cash and could easily make a run at the title. If he does, it’d know doubt be one of the most captivating stories from the opening week of the 2013 WSOP.
Action will recommence in Level 11 and is scheduled to either play ten levels or down to a final table—whatever may come first. We’re guessing it’ll be the former, so settle in for a long day of play. Action is set to kick off at 1 p.m. PST, which is about an hour from now. Join us then as we bring you the latest and greatest from Event #4 $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em /Six Handed.
"Seat open Table 4-4-2," a dealer yelled. As we made our way over Jon Turner exiting and the dealer had swiped the cards. Even so, Rex Clinkscales and Keven Stammen were kind enough to fill us in on the details.
According to them, Stammen opened preflop and Turner flatted, bringing about a with two diamonds. Stammen, who held , bet, Turner raised, Stammen three-bet and Turner jammed. Stammen called with the best hand but Turner's was very much alive... that is until a turned. Stammen filled up, and after the meaningless completed the board on the river, Turner exited the tournament.
After the hijack opened for 5,500, five-time World Series of Poker Circuit ring winner Mark "Pegasus" Smith moved all in for 35,000 from the button. Keven Stammen then flatted fromt he small blind and the original raiser got out of the way.
Smith:
Stammen:
Smith was on his feet and asked the dealer for a nine to strengthen his position, but the opposite would happen as the flop made Stammen a huge favorite. Smith was still looking for a nine, that is until the turned to leave him drawing dead. The ever-humble Smith wished his opponents luck and then took his leave after the was put out on the river to complete the hand.
Rex Clinkscales opened the action with a raise to 6,200 only to be three-bet by William Chao from the next seat over. Chao's raise was for around 15,000. Clinkscales came right back over the top with a four-bet to 31,000 and Chao announced a five-bet all in. Clinkscales snapped him off for his own tournament life.
Clinkscales:
Chao:
The board ran and Clinkscales was able to secure a huge double up. He's now sitting on about 260,000 in chips.
The flop read when we found Calvin Anderson all in and at risk for his final 42,000. Ami Alibay called and the hands were tabled.
Anderson:
Alibay:
"You've got some of my outs, there," remarked Anderson.
Anderson was looking to make his straight or pair his six to take the lead, but could not do it as the hit the turn and the came on the river. Anderson was sent to the rail while Alibay has increased his stack to around 425,000.
A couple of big hands has resulted in Ukrainian Aleksandr Gnatenko coming out of nowhere to take over the chip lead.
In the first, action folded to Gnatenkor in the small blind and he raised to 8,000. Zohar Spivack, who was in the big blind, then three-bet to 20,000, Gnatenko called and the flop came down . Gnatenko checked, Spivack bet 26,500 and the Ukrainian woke up with a check-raise to 55,000. Spivack put in the extra chips and then called when Gnatenko shipped the turn.
Gnatenko:
Spivack:
Spivack had pocket rockets but Gnatenko had turned a flush. Spivack could still win with the right spade on the river, but it wasn't in the cards as the appeared.
Not long after that double, Gnatenko doubled through 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event champ Joe Cada. We caught the action with around 160,000 in the pot and a board reading . Cada had checked from the small blind and Gnatenko put out a big bet of 100,000 from the cutoff.
"So sick," Cada said as he stood up and put his knee on his chair. Cada took about 30 seconds before calling and Gnatenko tabled the . "So sick," Cada repeated before showing the .
With that, the young Gnatenko is now the chip leader.
On a flop of , Ville Sissonen checked over from the big blind to Joe Cada. Cada bet 19,000 and Sissonen replied with a raise all in for about 153,000. Cada called and the hands were shown.
Cada:
Sissonen:
Sissonen needed to improve but did not find help on fourth street () or fifth (). He was eliminated in 18th place and will pocket $12,122 in prize money.
A short-stacked Matthew Plecki shoved his last 68,000 or so holding only to run into the of Zohar Spivack. There was a queen-high flop to give Plecki a little hope, but the turn and river left him wanting. Plecki was eliminated in 17th place and took home $12,122 for his efforts.
Action folded to Eric Blair on the button and he put in a standard raise. The small blind got out of the way and Grant Hinkle opted to move all in from the big blind for roughly 135,000. Blair made the call and Hinkle discovered the bad news.
Blair:
Hinkle:
Hinkle was in need of some help, but the flop didn't provide much. The turn gave Hinkle a gutshot straight draw, but it also have Blair flush blockers. The dealer burned one last time and put out the , the last card Hinkle would see in Event #4: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em (Six Handed).
Action folded to Aleksandr Gnatenko's button where he put out a raise to 16,000. Manig Loeser peered at his hole cards from the small blind and cut out a three-bet to 42,000. The big blind folded and action came back around to Gnatenko. He decided to four-bet to 85,000.
Loeser announced "all in" which was actually a bet for Gnatenko's tournament life. Gnatenko snap called and the hands were tabled.
Gnatenko:
Loeser:
Gnatenko was in need of help going to the flop but found little of it when hit the felt.
"Come on!" Gnatenko yelled. "Ace!"
Instead it was the to fall on the turn. He pleaded once again for one of his outs on the river. Unfortunately for Gnatenko, the finished off the board and he became our 14th-place finisher.
Loeser, on the other hand, scooped up a massive pot and is now sitting on 1 million in chips.
with two diamonds. Stammen, who held 
was very much alive... that is until a 
completed the board on the river, Turner exited the tournament.
flop made Stammen a huge favorite. Smith was still looking for a nine, that is until the 
turned to leave him drawing dead. The ever-humble Smith wished his opponents luck and then took his leave after the 
was put out on the river to complete the hand.
and Clinkscales was able to secure a huge double up. He's now sitting on about 260,000 in chips.
when we found Calvin Anderson all in and at risk for his final 42,000. Ami Alibay called and the hands were tabled.
hit the turn and the 
came on the river. Anderson was sent to the rail while Alibay has increased his stack to around 425,000.
. Gnatenko checked, Spivack bet 26,500 and the Ukrainian woke up with a check-raise to 55,000. Spivack put in the extra chips and then called when Gnatenko shipped the 
turn.
appeared.
. "So sick," Cada repeated before showing the 
, Ville Sissonen checked over from the big blind to Joe Cada. Cada bet 19,000 and Sissonen replied with a raise all in for about 153,000. Cada called and the hands were shown.
) or fifth (
). He was eliminated in 18th place and will pocket $12,122 in prize money.
only to run into the 
