With registration now closed, prize pool and payout information has been determined for Event #59. A total of 282 entered the event, well up from the 228 who played this one last year. That group created a total prize pool of $641,550. The top 30 finishers will divide up the loot, with $173,236 of it scheduled to go to the winner.
We haven't caught Scott Seiver in a ton of big hands so far today, but he's been steadily chipping up, and tweeted this shortly after the dinner break.
There was a heads up pot brewing that involved Mohsin Charania, and we got to the table just in time to see each player draw one card on the second draw. They both checked, and again both drew one card. This time, Charania fired out, then his opponent laughed, shook his head, and tossed in a blue T500 chip for the call.
Charania fanned out for the fourth best possible hand, and his opponent chucked his hand in.
We came upon a three-way hand involving Mike Leah (small blind), David "Bakes" Baker (cutoff), and Bill Chen (button). They'd reached the second draw, with Leah and Baker each taking one card and Chen standing pat.
Ensuing betting ended with Chen contemplating whether or not to call two bets or perhaps raise all in with the little bit more he had left. Chen opted to call, leaving himself just 150 chips behind, then watched with some dismay as on the third draw Leah was now standing pat.
Baker took one card, then Chen decided to break his hand and draw one as well. Leah bet, Baker called, and after Chen called with his last chips, Leah quickly turned over a wheel — .
Baker mucked, then Chen showed he'd drawn to a number three — .
"Well, I played it perfectly," said Chen grinning. "I broke an !"
Still shaking his head, Chen wished Leah and the others good luck and departed. Meanwhile, Leah is now challenging for the early chip lead.
Pat Pezzin raised from the button and got two callers in the blinds, one of whom took two cards, the other three, while Pezzin drew two. He then bet again when checked to, and both of his opponents stuck around.
Both blinds players took one card on the second draw and Pezzin took two again. They both checked once more and Pezzin bet, and they both called again.
Pezzin's two opponents each took one card on the final draw, but this time Pezzin was standing pat. At showdown the small blind flashed a , then Pezzin tabled and the other two mucked.
Recent bracelet winner Daniel Idema raised it up from under the gun, and the next player to act was the lone caller. Idema drew one, and his opponent drew two. Idema bet out, then was called, and the same drawing action occurred. Idema bet dark, and after his opponent looked at his hand, he raised it up. Idema called, and drew one more card, while his opponent decided to stay pat.
Idema checked to see his opponent bet, and Idema let out a big sigh before kicking his hand in, dropping him to 5,200 in the process.
The field is shrinking fast here in Level 6, as the total number of players remaining has already been whittled down to 186, meaning nearly a hundred who started the tournament have already hit the rail.
Billy Baxter was one of the eliminated, as was late registrant John Juanda who didn't keep his seat for very long.
Shane Schleger raised from under the gun and picked up three callers — Phil Hellmuth playing from the button and both of the blinds.
On the first draw, the players in the blinds each drew two cards, Schleger one, and Hellmuth two. It checked to Schleger who bet, and all three of his opponents stuck around.
The four drew in the same fashion on the second draw — one for Schleger, two for everyone else — and again it checked to Schleger who bet. This time Hellmuth raised, which was enough to knock out both of the players in the blinds before Schleger called.
"Shaniac" then took one card on the last draw while Hellmuth stood pat, and Schleger quickly checked. Hellmuth fired a bet, and Schleger just as quickly check-raised. That caused Hellmuth to pause a beat before calling. Schleger promptly spread his hand on the table — — and Hellmuth mucked.
Mohsin Charania was heads up with another opponent, and we saw that they got four bets in before the first draw. Each player drew one, and Charania bet after his opponent checked. He was called, and once again, both players drew one. This time they both checked, then his opponent drew one more. Charania elected to stay pat, and undeterred this move, his opponent fired out.
Charania called, and was not happy to see his opponent roll over . Charania showed down what looked to be a before mucking his hand, and after losing that pot, he has just 1,500 left.
for the fourth best possible hand, and his opponent chucked his hand in.
, then Pezzin tabled 
