Day 2 of Event #54: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em has finally come to a close and there was plenty of action to report for the day. Matt Weber rose to the top of the chip counts only to fall short of the final three tables which is very similar to what happened to Matt Salsberg who also rose to the top of the chip counts and was eliminated just after dinner break. Three women took their shot and made it within the final two tables. Two women, Dana Castaneda and Molissa Farber, still remain and are both looking for a World Series of Poker bracelet to add to their collection of jewelry.
The day started rather stagnant but we lost plenty of pros and unknowns alike, while others climbed the leaderboard and started to make a name for themselves here on Day 2 of the tournament. Towards the beginning of the day Erik Seidel, J.C. Tran, Kathy Liebert, and Russel Crane were all eliminated. As the day progressed we saw more and more familiar faces fall such as Matt Salsberg, Amanda Musumeci, Warwick Mirzikinian, Jesse Sylvia, and Gabriel Nassif.
Hutter was one of the main benefactors from Weber's explosion and he will come into Day 3 as the chip leader of the final 14 players. Behind him looking for gold are Joseph Wertz and Michael Zucchet who finished second and third in the chip counts. We'll be around all day tomorrow with updates as we go from 14 players down to one here in Event #54. Be sure to stay tuned into PokerNews.com all day for all the updates.
With the Final Table of Event #53 Being Held Nearby, the Remaining 18 Players Can See the Finish Line
After a flurry of bustouts saw nine players hit the rail in just over thirty minutes, the final 18 players have hit the brakes, perhaps sensing that they are on the verge of reaching the final table at the World Series of Poker.
With raucous cheers being let loose from the brightly lit Mothership stage, each on signalling the success or failure of the final tablists playing in Event #53: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em, those remaining in Event #54 are beginning to envision themselves under the same spotlight.
There are just 46 minutes left to play in the evening, and as the rapid fire declarations of "all in... and a call!" have been curtailed for the time being, there is a good chance the race to the final table will carry over into Day 3 tomorrow.
The end of Marcus Aurelius imperial reign over this event occurred when he flopped an ace holding . Unfortunately for Aurelius, the flop of hit Barry Hutter even harder, as he held the , and when Aurelius moved all in on the turn for more than 400,000, Hutter snap-called with his trip eights.
Turn:
River:
Fourth and fifth street failed to deliver Aurelius the ace he needed to survive, and he was eliminated in 19th place, earning $12,999 for his efforts.
The last of Gabriel Nassif's chips were put at risk when the Frenchman found the , but Marcus Aurelius got it in with to put him at risk.
The flop spelled doom for Nassif, coming , and when the turn () and river () failed to deliver a saving ace, he was eliminated in 23rd place. Nassif earned $12,999 for his finish here in this event.
We heard Dana Castaneda announce a call and watched her table , before she stood and walked away from the table.
Matt Weber had moved all in for his big stack, and with he was put in an unenviable position after Castaneda snapped him off.
"Give me a sweat at least," pleaded Weber, knowing he would need a miracle overcome the pocket rockets.
When the flop came , Weber got his wish, and he was now drawing to a ten, but the turn () and river () left him lacking.
Castaneda circled the table the whole time, unable to look at the board cards being delivered. When the hand was won, she exhaled in relief, saying "I just don't want to go home." With her huge stack late on Day 2, she most likely won't be going home until tomorrow at the very latest.
In an unknown hand at another table, Jonathan Therme was eliminated by Thomas Hall who is on a massive heater and now owns the second biggest stack in the room.
We missed the preflop action but according to another player at the table, Matt Weber opened with a raise and he was called by Barry Hutter. After a check call from Weber on the flop of we caught up to the action.
The turn came down the and Weber checked again. Hutter reached for a stack of chips and put out a bet of 94,000. Weber thought about it briefly then called.
The river dropped the and Weber checked again. Hutter grabbed two giant stacks of chips and put out a bet of 172,000.
"Wow," Weber said. After about 15 seconds he threw in the call, but he wasn't pleased to see Hutter's for a flopped full house.
"Nice hand," Weber said mucking his cards. "Run better."
With that, a giant pot was shipped over to Barry Hutter which has put him over the 1,000,000 chip mark.
Action began with a raise from Matt Weber. He made it 12,000 and got three callers.
All four players checked all the way down until the board read . From there, the player in the big blind made a bet of 39,000. Weber folded. Barry Hutter next to act made the call.
There was one player left to act on the button. "I think I might have you both beat," he said before folding his hand.
The player in the big blind mucked, but Rutter was forced to show his to take down the pot.
"I think you might've been good," Matt Salsberg prodded to the player on the button.
We didn't see Amanda Musumeci's bustout hand, but her seat is now empty and all her chips are gone. One player at the table was kind enough to inform us what happened to her.
Apparently, Musumeci moved all in with and was called by another player at the table who had . The board ran out but gave no improvement to Musumeci and with that, she was eliminated from the tournament. The player said that Musumeci was sitting around 145,000 to start the hand, and now she has none.
We didn't catch all the action but Michael Katz was kind enough to inform us how Warwick Mirzikinian was eliminated just before break. Apparently Mirzikinian got it all in against another play on a flop of with against the other players . The board bricked out and the other player had a covering stack on Mirzikinian, eliminating him from the tournament.
The other player's name is Matthias Bednarek. After that massive hand, he has advanced to the top of the chip counts, while Mirzikinian was just left with a payout slip.
against Michael Zucchet's 
, and Zucchet caught a king on the river to bust Weber from the tournament.![[user253757]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
. Unfortunately for Aurelius, the flop of 
hit Barry Hutter even harder, as he held the 
, and when Aurelius moved all in on the turn for more than 400,000, Hutter snap-called with his trip eights.
, but Marcus Aurelius got it in with 
to put him at risk.
) and river (
) failed to deliver a saving ace, he was eliminated in 23rd place. Nassif earned $12,999 for his finish here in this event.
, before she stood and walked away from the table.
, Weber got his wish, and he was now drawing to a ten, but the turn (
) and river (
and Weber checked again. Hutter grabbed two giant stacks of chips and put out a bet of 172,000.
. From there, the player in the big blind made a bet of 39,000. Weber folded. Barry Hutter next to act made the call.
and was called by another player at the table who had 
. The board ran out but gave no improvement to Musumeci and with that, she was eliminated from the tournament. The player said that Musumeci was sitting around 145,000 to start the hand, and now she has none.
with 
