Steve Billirakis is the favorite heading into Day 3.
Steve "MrSmokey1" Billirakis continues his march toward a third bracelet, as he bagged 961,000 to lead the final six runners here at Event #3: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha. A total of 106 players entered the day with stacks. Billirakis, who has north of $2.5 million in career live cashes as well as a slew of impressive finishes online under the aforementioned moniker, stayed among the top stacks for most of the day.
Trailing Billirakis in a second tier of tightly bunched stacks are Brandon Shack-Harris (695,000), Matt Ryan (604,000), and Iori Yogo (575,000). Bringing up the rear are Morgan Popham (303,000) and Robert Paddock (250,000). All are seeking their first bracelet, but outmaneuvering Billirakis, who was described as "an animal" by former chip leader and eventual seventh-place finisher Loren Klein, will not be easy.
The tournament will resume tomorrow at 1 p.m. local time, so be sure to tune back in to PokerNews to see who claims the $205,000 first-place prize and the gold bracelet.
Hand 22: Patrick Arena raised to 42,000 for pot size and two seats over, Brandon Shack-Harris reraised pot. Arena moved all in for just a few big blinds more and was snap called.
Showdown:
Arena:
Shack-Harris:
The board ran out and we have lost the third player on this final table within the first 22 hands.
Hand 14: Patrick Arena raised to 42,000 and all opponents behind him folded.
Hand 15: The was exposed while the hole cards were dealt. Loren Klein raised to 42,000 from under the gun and Steve Billirakis in the small blind reraised pot, the big blind folded. Klein called with only two big blinds behind and then called all in after the flop.
Billirakis:
Klein:
Both the turn and the river were blanks and the field was reduced to only seven.
Hand 3: Brandon Shack-Harris min-raised to 20,000 and Nick Guagenti moved all in from the button for six big blinds. The blinds folded but Shack-Harris called immediately.
Shack-Harris:
Guagenti:
Almost the same hands for both players, but the board gave the chip leader two pair.
Brandon Shack-Harris raised to 20,000 and one seat over, Peter Charalambous three-bet pot to 75,000. Shack-Harris called and then called off once Charalambous moved all in for another 60,000 on the flop. Showdown:
Shack-Harris:
Charalambous:
The Brit needed a heart to stay alive but turn and the river failed to improve his hand.
Action folded to a short-stacked John O'Shea on the button and he raised the pot. The small blind folded, and then Brandon Shack-Harris three-bet from the big. O'Shea called off for around 65,000 total and the cards were turned up.
Shack-Harris:
O'Shea:
The flop gave Shack-Harris a pair of kings, but O'Shea picked up a straight draw. The turn was no help to the Irishman, and neither was the river. O'Shea missed and had to settle for 12th place and $11,592.
O'Shea did mention that he would likely be back in action on Friday for the $1,500 Razz at 4 p.m. If so, we will see him then.
In the very first hand back from the break, Robert Paddock raised to 25,000. On the button, Curtis Krushelniski moved all in for less than six big blinds and the blinds threw their cards into the muck. Paddock quickly called and both players turned over their cards:
Krushelniski:
Paddock:
After the turn, the short stack could only chop the pot anymore with a queen, but the blank river completed the board.
On the flop, the action between Greg Merson and Brandon Shack-Harris escalated with both players being all in and Merson at risk with less chips. Showdown:
Merson:
Shack-Harris:
The turn and the river improved the hand of Shack-Harris to a full house and Merson headed to the payout desk.
Robert Paddock opened to 13,000 and there was a call from Jorg Perleberg, the small blind and Ioro Yogo checked his option in the big blind. On the flop, Yogo checked and Paddock made the continuation bet. Perleberg raised pot to 111,000 and only had about 20,000 chips behind. Yogo reraised pot and Paddock quickly folded, Perleberg called.
Perleberg:
Yogo:
Second nut flush against nut flush, kind of a deadly setup. The turn gave Perleberg some outs to survive but the river was none of them and he has been eliminated.
and we have lost the third player on this final table within the first 22 hands.
flop.
turn and the 
river were blanks and the field was reduced to only seven.
board gave the chip leader two pair.
turn and the 
river improved the hand of Shack-Harris to a full house and Merson headed to the payout desk.
turn gave Perleberg some outs to survive but the 
