Welcome back to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino and the 2013 World Series of Poker for the final day of the Event #40: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em!
Just three days 2,161 players took to the felt to see if they could etch their names in the WSOP record books, but after 21 hours of poker, only 21 players remain with their hands reaching skywards to the gold bracelet and $525,272 in prizemoney.
Nicolas Fierro bagged the most chips in the early hours of the morning with 965,000 but has Matt Berkey - fresh off a 3rd place in Event 21 - snapping on his heels with 886,000. Joao Dorneles Neto (788,000), Richard Dubini (759,000) and five-time WSOP bracelet holder Allen Cunningham (697,000) all round out the top five. Griffen Benger (610,000), Garry Gates (489,000), David Nicholson (409,000), Kara Scott (314,000) and Jared Hamby (204,000) are also well-place in their quests for capturing their first bracelet.
Table
Seat
Player
Chip Count
409
1
Joao Dorneles Neto
788,000
409
2
empty
--
409
3
Richard Dubini
759,000
409
4
Chad Eveslage
507,000
409
5
Matt Berkey
886,000
409
6
Gonzalo Ramirez
155,000
409
7
Griffen Benger
610,000
409
8
Jared Hamby
204,000
409
9
empty
--
410
1
David Nicholson
409,000
410
2
Jorge Breda
371,000
410
3
empty
--
410
4
Nicolas Fierro
965,000
410
5
Kara Scott
314,000
410
6
empty
--
410
7
Peter Hengsakul
272,000
410
8
Jeffrey Izes
172,000
410
9
David Mcmann
309,000
415
1
empty
--
415
2
empty
--
415
3
Alex Maturi
253,000
415
4
Fred Berger
523,000
415
5
Garry Gates
489,000
415
6
David Tran
534,000
415
7
John Alexander
220,000
415
8
Allan Vrooman
279,000
415
9
Allen Cunningham
697,000
The PokerNews live reporting team will be on hand from 1:00 p.m. local time providing continuous live updates as the final 21 players play down until just one remains. Stay tuned for every flopped set, turned straight and rivered flush live from Event #40 and the 2013 World Series of Poker!
Joao Dorneles Neto raised to 33,000 in early position, and Matt Berkey called on the button. Gonzalo Ramirez then moved all in 120,000, and both players made the call. The flop came , and Dorneles Neto fired out 120,000. Berkey made the call, and the turn was the . Both players checked, and the same happened when the hit the river. Berkey rolled over , and it appeared that Dorneles Neto was starting to muck his hand. However, he then rolled over for a better ace. Ramirez mucked his hand, and Dorneles Neto took down the bounty, and the huge pot to go with it, while Berkey simply commented "man slowest slowroll ever."
Allan Vrooman opened to 39,000 only to have Alex Maturi three-bet all in for 277,000. Vrooman went into the tank for close to two minutes before making the call to put Maturi at risk.
Maturi:
Vrooman:
With Maturi racing to stay alive, the flop would render him drawing virtually dead to a running queen and jack, and when the and landed on the turn and river, Maturi was out the door in 20th place for a $15,024 payday.
Kara Scott opened the action to 35,000 only to have David McMann move all in for over 325,000 from the cutoff. With the action on David Nicholson on the button, he moved all in for 249,000 to put the action back to Scott.
Taking close to two minutes to deliberate over her decision, she eventually made the call putting both players at risk.
Scott:
McMann:
Nicholson:
With Nicholson holding two overs, the flop gave him the lead, and when the and filled out the board on the turn and river, McMann was bounced in 19th place while Nicholson tripled and Scott sat with a little less then what she began the hand with.
Griffin Benger raised it up under the gun, and it folded around to John Alexander in the small blind. He moved all in for his last 230,000, and when it got to Benger, he made the call.
Benger:
Alexander:
The was in the window, but it would prove to be part of an action flop of . Benger had picked up the nut flush draw, and the on the turn gave him that flush. Alexander could still win if the board paired, but it didn't, as the hit the river.
After collecting that pot, Berger is now up to 820,000.
Allen Cunningham opened the pot to 35,000 from middle position only to have Kara Scott three-bet shove for her last 135,000 from the button. Cunningham made the call and the cards were tabled.
Cunningham:
Scott:
The board ran out and Scott was sent to the rail in 17th place for a $18,700 payday as Cunningham moves to 670,000 in chips.
Richard Dubini opened to 40,000 from middle position only to have Jeffrey Izes move all in for 171,000 from the button. The blinds passed and Dubini instantly made the call.
Dubini:
Izes:
The board ran out to see Izes eliminated in 16th place for $18,700 as Dubini moves to over 1.1 million in chips.
Griffin Benger entered the pot with a raise to 41,000 only to have Chad Eveslage three-bet all in for roughly 500,000. From the big blind, Peter Hengsakul moved all in for 610,000, and after a few moments of deliberation, Benger flashed before mucking it.
Eveslage:
Hengsakul:
The board wouldn't connect for Eveslage as he was bounced out in 15th place for a $23,513 payday while Hengsakul moved to 1,120,000 in chips.
We just saw a pot that had about 25% of the chips in play on the line, and saw Griffin Benger eliminated in absolutely brutal fashion. Richard Dubini raised it to 44,000 from under the gun, and it folded around to Peter Hengsakul. As he has done several times today, he over bet the pot, moving all in for 1.2 million. It folded around to Griffin Benger in the big blind, and he announced call! Dubini quickly folded, and the cards were tabled.
Benger:
Hengsakul:
Benger was in prime position to take a massive chip lead in the tournament, and the flop was safe for him, coming . The came on the turn, and Benger was still out in front. Well, you can probably guess what happened on the river.
River:
Benger understandably yelled in agony at the site of the card, saying "no F***!" He looked up at the ceiling in absolute shock as the 5% shot came through on the river. The stacks were counted down, and Hengsakul had Benger covered by 100,000, ending his day in unbelievable fashion.
After winning that hand, Hengsakul is now the commanding chip leader with 2.4 million.
Allan Vrooman opened to 55,000 and Matt Berkey made the call before David Tran moved all in for roughly 330,000 from the small blind. Vrooman called but Berkey folded his hand to see the cards tabled.
Vrooman:
Tran:
The board ran out to see Tran out in 13th place as Vrooman rockets to over 1.7 million.
![[user80015]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
, and Dorneles Neto fired out 120,000. Berkey made the call, and the turn was the 
. Both players checked, and the same happened when the 
hit the river. Berkey rolled over 
, and it appeared that Dorneles Neto was starting to muck his hand. However, he then rolled over 
for a better ace. Ramirez mucked his hand, and Dorneles Neto took down the bounty, and the huge pot to go with it, while Berkey simply commented "man slowest slowroll ever."
flop would render him drawing virtually dead to a running queen and jack, and when the 
and 
landed on the turn and river, Maturi was out the door in 20th place for a $15,024 payday.
flop gave him the lead, and when the 
and 
filled out the board on the turn and river, McMann was bounced in 19th place while Nicholson tripled and Scott sat with a little less then what she began the hand with.
was in the window, but it would prove to be part of an action flop of 
on the turn gave him that flush. Alexander could still win if the board paired, but it didn't, as the 
hit the river.
before mucking it.
board wouldn't connect for Eveslage as he was bounced out in 15th place for a $23,513 payday while Hengsakul moved to 1,120,000 in chips.
