Aleksandr Denisov has the lead going into tomorrow.
Aleksander Denisov notched his first-ever World Series of Poker cash today, and he's a favorite to make it a big one. The Russian bagged 668,000 in chips to lead the final six players here in Event #34: $1,500 Seven-Card Stud.
Play ended for the night with just over 22 minutes remaining on the clock in Level 20, as the elimination of Mallory Smith stopped play, per WSOP rules.
We noted Denisov near the top of the chip counts a couple of hours into the day, and he stayed near the top of the counts after that. In a key pot late in the night, he made a wheel in a three-way affair where six big bets went in on sixth street. His allowed Denisov to retake the chip lead and stay there.
Other standouts set to make Day 3 appearances would be Eric Buchman ($4.1 million in live cashes), Alex Kravchenko ($4.1 million), and Bryn Kenney ($3.5 million). Kravchenko and Buchman both boast appearances at the WSOP Main Event final table, in 2007 and 2009, respectively.
Big names falling today included Alan Boston, C.K. Hua, Barry Greenstein, Stephen Chidwick, Phil Laak, John D'Agostino, Bryan Campanello, Sergey Rybachenko, Steve Sung, and Daniel Negreanu. Negreanu busted just short of the final table in 10th, continuing his very impressive 2014 WSOP.
Play resumes tomorrow at 2 p.m. PT, so be sure to come back to see if one of the aforementioned superstars takes down the title or we see a fresh face crowned.
Mallory Smith completed and William Thompson called before Smith bet 8,000 on fourth and Thompson raised enough to Smith all-in for an additional 1,000. Each player's board ran out as follows:
Smith: / /
Thompson: / /
With Thompson making a pair of queens, he sent Smith to the rail in 7th place while simultaneously ending the night's play.
On fifth street, David Prager fired his last bet and was called by both Nabih Helmi and William Thompson. Helmi then bet sixth street before both live players checked the end.
Prager: /
Helmi: /
Thompson: /
Nobody could top Thompson's two pair, and Prager exited in eighth.
In the last hand before the level changed, Bryn Kenney completed with the and got raised by Eric Buchman with the . William Thompson cold-called with , and Alex Kravchenko came in from the bring-in . Fourth street started with Kravchenko betting the , Kenney coming along with , and Buchman raising with the . Kravchenko made it three bets and got three callers. Kravchenko then called off his last 4,000 on fifth street when Buchman fired out after getting the high board. The other two players came along as well.
Thompson: /
Kravchenko: /
Kenney: /
Buchman: /
Buchman kept the lead on sixth, then everyone checked seventh.
Thompson: /
Kravchenko: /
Kenney: /
Buchman: /
Kravchenko had caught a flush on the river to drag the huge main pot, while Kenney and Buchman couldn't top the two pair of Thompson for the much smaller side pot.
Steve Sung completed and Aleksandr Denisov called before Eric Buchman raised. Nabih Helmi made it 18,000 and Sung moved all in for 22,500 before Buchman raised to 28,500 as Helmi called all in for his last 26,000 as each player's board ran out as follows:
Nabih Helmi bet into two opponents on sixth street.
Helmi: /
Aleksandr Denisov: /
William Thompson: /
Denisov raised it up, and Thompson cold-called behind. Helmi called as well, and Denisov kept the betting lead on the end, getting two more calls. He showed for a wheel. Thompson stared at for a bit before throwing it down on his board, while Helmi had a set of sixes with .
Left with just an ante, Daniel Negreanu was all in and Alex Kravchenko had the bring-in. Eric Buchman completed and Kravchenko folded as Negreanu and Buchman's board ran out as follows:
Negreanu: / /
Buchman: / /
Although Negreanu was drawing live until seventh, Buchman squeezed first and improved to trip sixes leaving Negreanu drawing dead as he collected $8,504 for his 10th place finish.
Frank Athey caught a pair of fours up on fourth street against two opponents and check-called a double bet from William Thompson. However, the move backfired, as Athey turned got it all in a few streets later with what turned out to be trip fours against the sixes full of jacks held by Thompson, who had caught up.
"I guess that's why you don't slowplay trips," Athey said before getting out of his seat to collect a payout ticket.
Aleksandr Denisov bet sixth street against two opponents, who both called.
Denisov: /
Sergey Rybachenko: /
David Prager: /
Everyone checked the river, and Rybachenko showed for a pair of fives. Denisov had it beat with for tens, and Prager mucked. Rybachenko was left with just 2,500, and he busted two hands later when he got it in on third street and Steve Sung ran him down by making a Broadway straight on the river.
Filippos Stavrakis sent all of his chips to former November Niner, Alex Kravchenko, in a pot that happened as Jean Maurice was busting out at the other table.
/ 
/ 
/ 
/ 
/
/
/
, and Alex Kravchenko came in from the bring-in 
. Fourth street started with Kravchenko betting the 
, Kenney coming along with 
. Kravchenko made it three bets and got three callers. Kravchenko then called off his last 4,000 on fifth street when Buchman fired out after getting the high board. The other two players came along as well.
/ 
(folded on third)
/ 
/ 
/ 
/ 
/ 
for tens, and Prager mucked. Rybachenko was left with just 2,500, and he busted two hands later when he got it in on third street and Steve Sung ran him down by making a Broadway straight on the river.
