Welcome back to the third and final day of Event #50: $2,500 10-Game Mix (Six-Handed), where just 20 players will be returning from a starting field of 372 to battle their way through a rotation of no-limit hold'em, razz, limit hold'em, Badugi, stud, NL 2-7 draw, Omaha hi-low, pot-limit Omaha, 2-7 triple draw, and stud hi-low.
Scott Abrams had the most successful Day 2 yesterday, having negotiated the 10 games for 10 levels to end the day with 351,700. Sebastian Saffari is next in line with 294,300, with Philip Sternheimer, Brian Tate, and Robert Williamson III also returning today to stacks of more than 200,000.
A number of other talented players with below average chips returning today, too, including Daniel Makowsky, Mike Wattel, Greg Raymer, Bruno Fitoussi, and Konstantin Puchkov.
Cards go back in the air at 2 p.m. local time. Stick with PokerNews from start to finish today as we find out together who becomes the next WSOP bracelet winner.
Meanwhile, here's Sarah Grant with today's update on everything that is currently happening in the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino.
Konstantin Puchkov raised from middle position, Tony Hartmann three-bet from the button, and when the action returned to Puchkov he called all in with his remaining chips.
Puchkov took two cards on each of the first two draws while Hartmann took just one. The pair then each took a single card on the last draw, tabling their other four cards in order to squeeze the fifth.
Puchkov showed and needed a decent non-diamond fifth card to go with his hand, and he turned over the for a Q-low. Meanwhile Hartmann had , and when he tabled the for a J-low, Puchkov was eliminated.
Robert Williamson III has been eliminated after having lost the last of his short stack in two different hands coming in quick succession.
The first was a razz hand in which Tom McCormick was all in on third street versus Williamson with () / versus the () / of "RWIII." McCormick ended up drawing a 6-5-4-3-2 by fifth street while Williamson paired up on sixth and got a face-card brick on seventh.
Down to just 6,500, Williamson was soon all in automatically from the big blind before the flop in a limit hold'em hand versus both Thomas Kettel and Philip Sternheimer. The board came , and after Sternheimer bet Kettel out of the hand on the river he turned over for the ace-high flush. Williamson then looked at his hand for the first time — — and wished everyone good luck before departing.
Bruno Fitoussi found himself all in for his last 38,000 by third street in a stud hand versus Brandon Wong. Fitoussi held () / for a pair while Wong was starting with three spades with () / .
Fitoussi would end up drawing a couple of fours and kings on subsequent streets, ending () / / () for a final hand of kings and nines. But Wong would make his flush by fifth, ending () / / (), and Fitoussi was eliminated in 13th.
The final 12 players are now redrawing for seats around the last two tables.
2004 WSOP Main Event Champion Greg Raymer has finished 11th after losing his last chips to Brandon Wong in an Omaha-8 hand.
The hand began with Wong raising from the button and Raymer calling from the big blind. The flop came . Raymer checked, Wong bet, Raymer raised, Wong three-bet, and Raymer raised all in and Wong called.
Raymer:
Wong:
Wong had top pair of queens and a backdoor low draw while Raymer had several outs to a straight to win the high. The turn was the and river the , and Wong's two pair won the hand. Following his custom Raymer signed a fossil to Wong, wishing everyone luck as he left.
After losing most of his chips to Sebastian Saffari in a previous 2-7 triple draw hand, Mike Wattel was all in from under the gun for his last 16,000. It folded around to Saffari in the big blind who tossed out a call. Wattel drew one card while Saffari took two.
On the second draw Saffari stood pat and Wattel drew one. Saffari was still pat on the third draw and Wattel went into the tank for over a minute. Eventually he rapped the table back and announced that he had a ten-low.
Saffari fanned and Wattel slammed his hand on the table. He was eliminated in 10th place and will collect $14,877 in winnings.
Brian Tate opened the action by open-shipping all in from under the gun for 90,500. Action folded to Christopher George who called out of the small blind. The big blind folded and the hands were revealed to be racing for Tate's tournament life.
Tate:
George:
The board came down and George's queens full of eights sent Tate packing. Tate took home $14,877 in prize money for his 9th place finish.
The field is now one elimination away from combining to the unofficial final table of seven.
Thomas Kettel battled with a short stack for much of Level 21, but finally lost the last of his chips to Daniel Makowsky in a limit hold'em hand.
We arrived as the final cards were being dealt, with Kettel already all in with and Makowsky holding . The board ended up , the river card making a flush for Kettel but completing a full house for Makowsky.
The last seven players are now redrawing to be seated around the not-quite-final final table.
Daniel Makowsky opened with a raise from the button and Philip Sternheimer called from the big blind. Makowsky stood pat and Sternheimer took one card. Sternheimer checked and called a bet from Makowsky.
Sternheimer took one again while Makowsky stood pat. Sternheimer fired out a bet and Makowsky called for his last 8,000.
"I have the nuts," said Sternheimer immediately. He rolled over and Makowsky simply flipped his cards over and tossed them into the muck.
With Makowsky's elimination, the field is down to the final table of six. Official chip counts will be posted momentarily.
On the second hand of the final table, Loren Klein opened with a late position raise and it folded to Scott Abrams who three-bet from the small blind. Klein called with 2,000 behind and both players drew one. Abrams bet out and Klein called.
Abrams stood pat on the second draw and Klein drew one. He took one once more during the third draw.
Abrams fanned for an eighty-six.
"I'm dead," said Klein, flashing that he was drawing to a nine.
Kelin was eliminated in 6th place and will take home $27,792 in prize money. Abrams now has about 535,000 in chips.