Danny Le Has Held the Chip Lead After Both Days of Play Here at Event #48 ($2,500 Limit Hold'em Six-Handed)
After ten grueling levels of Six-Handed Limit Hold'em action, Event #48 has played down to the final two tables, and tomorrow's final day will certainly be a star-studded affair. Professionals Maria Ho (291,000), Juha Helppi (200,000), and David "Bakes" Baker (178,000) will all be returning for their shot at that coveted World Series of Poker bracelet.
Throughout the day we lost a number of other notable names, including defending champion Ronnie Bardah, the "Italian Pirate" Max Pescatori, Jon "PearlJammer" Turner (32nd), former WSOP Player of the Year Jeffrey Lisandro (30th), and inspirational story Hal Lubarsky (23rd place). The action was fast and furious from the first level onward, with the limits escalating every hour and players applying maximum pressure on every street.
The money bubble was reached midway through Day 2, and with the six-handed format, the bustouts occurred regularly and rapidly to bring 36 players into the money. Once the bubble burst, play accelerated rapidly and the night ended with only 12 runners remaining.
Tomorrow play will resume at 2 p.m. local time, and the newest WSOP champion will be crowned. David Baker will be seeking his fifth final table of the summer, and the third gold bracelet of his young career, while Maria Ho is in the running for the most important piece of jewelry she will ever wear. Paul Mattioda is on the verge of making the transition from circuit grinder to WSOP champion, while Juha Helppi will try to add an American title to his long list of European triumphs.
Check back with PokerNews tomorrow at 2 p.m. to follow all of the Limit Hold'em action live from the floor of the Rio, as the WSOP's latest champion is crowned!
Four final tables, seven cashes, and a beastly run through the WSOP later, and "Bakes" is hot on the heels of "Kid Poker."
With a 6th place finish here in the $2,500 Limit Hold'em Six-Handed event, which would mark Baker's fifth final table in as many weeks on poker's premier stage, the wunderkind would likely surpass Negreanu's point total.
Baker has been focused throughout this two day run, and with his stack far above the average at the moment, there is little doubt "Bakes" is capable of catching Negreanu by the time the series comes to a close.
Hal Lubarsky, Along With His Hand Reading Assistant, Here on Day 2
Fabrice Soulier moved his last few chips in from under the gun, and three players called, including Hal Lubarsky and Danny Le.
On the flop, an unknown player in the cutoff bet out, Lubarsky flatted, and Le made it two bets to play. The raise forced the cutoff to fold, but Lubarsky came along and the turn came .
Lubarsky fired away with another bet, and Le released his hand, leaving Soulier and Lubarsky to showdown. Unfortunately for Soulier, he was drawing to a chop with his , as Lubarsky revealed the for the nut straight on the turn. After the river came , Lubarsky notched the elimination and padded his stack in the process.
Lubarsky, who is legally blind, plays alongside special assistant Arnie Miller, who helps to read his hand, convey the board cards, and to relay information on bet sizes. After making his WSOP debut in 2007, Lubarsky achieved a certain level of fame on the ESPN broadcasts of the 2008 Main Event.
Todd Witteles and Maria Ho went to the flop along with two other players in a pot that was capped pre flop. The dealer fanned the across the felt and Witteles led out for a bet on the flop. The unknown player called, as did Ho.
On the turn, Witteles slowed down and checked, and when Ho bet out the move folded the third player. Witteles hung around, however, and called to see the fall on the river.
Once again Witteles check-called a bet by Ho, but his was second-best to Ho's .
With the loss, Witteles was crippled, while Ho chipped up significantly. Witteles was eliminated shortly after this clash of premium hands.
On the flop, Max "The Italian Pirate" Pescatori check-called a bet by Jon Seaman. The action repeated itself on the turn (), and both players checked the river ().
Pescatori rolled over the for a lowly pair, and this was enough to drag the pot.
With the flop reading , Hal Lubarsky checked to a player in the big blind, who tapped the table as well. Rep Porter fired out a bet, and both Lubarksy and the other player came along.
On the , Lubarsky checked once again, as did the other player, and Porter continued with a big bet. Lubarsky flatted, the big blind folded, and the dealer dropped the on the river.
Both players checked down, and Lubarksy rolled over for a busted flush draw. Porter took the pot down with his for just jack-high.
David "Bakes" Baker is Building a Stack Here on Day 2
With the flop reading , Jeffrey Lisandro bet into fellow pro David "Bakes" Baker, who called to see the fall on the turn.
Lisandro, the 2009 WSOP Player of the Year, then slowed down with a check, and the poker phenom gunning for his own Player of the Year honors here in 2013 fired away with a bet. After Lisandro called, the river came , and the action repeated.
Baker tabled the for top two pair on the flop, and his hand was the winner. Don't look now, but the man they call "Bakes" has built an above average stack, and with his world-class ability in all poker variants, we would not be surprised at if he added a Limit Hold'em final table to the four he has already reached this summer.
![[user253757]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
, Goldman check-raised Baker's bet, and Baker called to see the 
hit on the turn.
.
, and he was ahead of the 
tabled by his opponent.
.
, as Lubarsky revealed the 
for the nut straight on the turn. After the river came 
, Lubarsky notched the elimination and padded his stack in the process.
across the felt and Witteles led out for a bet on the flop. The unknown player called, as did Ho.
fall on the river.
flop, Max "The Italian Pirate" Pescatori check-called a bet by Jon Seaman. The action repeated itself on the turn (
).
, Hal Lubarsky checked to a player in the big blind, who tapped the table as well. Rep Porter fired out a bet, and both Lubarksy and the other player came along.
for a busted flush draw. Porter took the pot down with his 
for just jack-high.
, Jeffrey Lisandro bet into fellow pro David "Bakes" Baker, who called to see the 
fall on the turn.