Event #37: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em
Day 3 Started
2018 World Series of Poker
Event #37: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2018 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$1,500
Prize Pool
$1,795,500
Entries
1,330
Level
32
Blinds
60,000 / 120,000
Ante
20,000
Aaron Massey Looking for First Bracelet on Day 3 of Event #37: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em
Welcome to Day 3 of Event #37: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em being held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. There were a total of 1,330 entries to this event, creating a prize pool of $1,795,500. Going into today just 20 players remain to battle it out for the $319,580 first-place cash prize and a WSOP gold bracelet.
The chip leader going into today is Aaron Massey with a staggering 1,198,000 in chips. The cash prize is lucrative, but Massey will have his eyes more so on capturing his first World Series of Poker bracelet. That would add greatly to an already impressive tournament résumé that includes $3.4 million in live career earnings and two WSOP Circuit rings. He will be someone to watch as the day draws close to an end and a victor is about to be crowned.
There are many other notable faces in the mix and going into tomorrow with healthy stacks, including 2013 WSOP Main Event runner-up Jay Farber (1,093,000), Ian Steinman (1,080,000), Michael Finstein (938,000), Ryan Goindoo (654,000), and two-time bracelet winner JC Tran (480,000).
The tournament will kick off at 12 p.m. local time with the day not finishing until there is a winner. The blind levels will start at 5,000/10,000 with a 1,000 ante, each level being 60 minutes in duration. There will be a 15-minute break after every two levels of play, and a 60-minute dinner break after the sixth level.
The PokerNews live reporting team will be giving you full coverage of this and ever other WSOP event this summer.
Day Three Seating Chart and Full Chip Counts
| Room | Table | Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | 407 | 3 | Ryan Laplante | United States | 176,000 | 18 |
| Amazon | 407 | 4 | Geoffrey Lavinson | United States | 609,000 | 61 |
| Amazon | 407 | 6 | Robert Georato | United States | 250,000 | 25 |
| Amazon | 407 | 7 | [Removed:4] | Germany | 270,000 | 27 |
| Amazon | 407 | 8 | Ryan Goindoo | Trinidad and Tobago | 654,000 | 65 |
| Amazon | 407 | 9 | Jason Guarinello | United States | 511,000 | 51 |
| Amazon | 415 | 1 | Gilsoo Kim | United States | 377,000 | 38 |
| Amazon | 415 | 2 | Aaron Massey | United States | 1,198,000 | 120 |
| Amazon | 415 | 3 | Thomas Kurtz | United States | 120,000 | 12 |
| Amazon | 415 | 4 | Ian Steinman | United States | 1,080,000 | 108 |
| Amazon | 415 | 5 | Gene Harrill | United States | 287,000 | 29 |
| Amazon | 415 | 6 | Stephen Song | United States | 623,000 | 62 |
| Amazon | 415 | 8 | Zachary Humphrey | United States | 199,000 | 20 |
| Amazon | 423 | 1 | Jason Wheeler | United States | 430,000 | 43 |
| Amazon | 423 | 2 | Eric Baldwin | United States | 469,000 | 47 |
| Amazon | 423 | 3 | Mathew Moore | United States | 232,000 | 23 |
| Amazon | 423 | 5 | Kirk Banks | United States | 251,000 | 25 |
| Amazon | 423 | 6 | Jay Farber | United States | 1,093,000 | 109 |
| Amazon | 423 | 7 | Michael Finstein | United States | 938,000 | 94 |
| Amazon | 423 | 9 | JC Tran | United States | 480,000 | 48 |
Level: 21
Blinds: 5,000/10,000
Ante: 1,000
Kurtz Doubles on the First Hand of Play
Level 21
: 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante
From the cutoff, Thomas Kurtz moved all in for roughly 120,000. Action folded around to the big blind where Stephen Song called.
Stephen Song: 
Thomas Kurtz: 
The flop came down 
putting Kurtz in a big hole, but he picked up a few outs on the 
turn. The river was the 
and that completed Kurtz's straight, earning him a double-up on the first hand of play and knocking Song down to about 500,000 chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
500,000 | -123,000 |
|
240,000 | 120,000 |
Laplante Fades Everything to Double
Level 21
: 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante
Ryan Laplante moved all in from the cutoff and action folded around to the big blind where Ryan Goindoo asked for a count before dropping into the tank. He thought for a bit but eventually decided to put in the chips to call.
Ryan Laplante: 
Ryan Goindoo: 
The flop came down 
which gave Goindoo a multitude of outs as well as a backdoor flush draw, but Laplante was able to fade everything on the 
turn and the 
river to stay alive and double to over 300,000 chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
494,000 | -160,000 |
|
340,000 | 164,000 |
Massey Pays Off Song
Level 21
: 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante
There was about 50,000 in the pot on a flop of 
and Stephen Song checked over to Aaron Massey on the button. Massey put out a bet of 25,000 and Song called.
The turn was the 
and both players checked to see the 
drop on the river. There Song led out with a bet of 80,000 and Massey quickly called. Song showed his 
for a straight and it was good to take down the pot as Massey mucked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,010,000 | -188,000 |
|
|
620,000 | 120,000 |
Banks Doubles Through Finstein
Level 21
: 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante
The board read 
and Michael Feinstein bet 30,000. Kirk Banks made the call from the button and the river fell the 
.
Finstein led for 63,000, Banks thought for a moment and then moved all in for 256,000. Finstein made the call and Banks tabled for the nut straight. Finstein showed 
as he threw his cards into the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
621,000 | 370,000 |
|
555,000 | -383,000 |
Finstein Picks Off Wheeler
Level 21
: 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante
Action was on the turn with over 100,000 in the pot and the board showing 
and Jason Wheeler checked over to Michael Finstein on the button who checked behind.
On the river, Wheeler led out, putting out 90,000 and Finstein thought briefly before putting in the call. Wheeler turned up his 
for two pair, eights and fours, but Finstein had him beat with a better two pair 
for kings and eights.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
855,000 | 300,000 |
|
235,000 | -195,000 |
Rudelitz Triples While Goindoo and Lavinson Both Take Hits
Level 21
: 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante
Geoffrey Lavinson opened with a raise to 27,000 from the cutoff before [Removed:4] shoved all in from the small blind for 212,000. Goindoo called the shove then Lavinson thought for about 15 seconds before moving all in over the top. Goindoo called quickly.
Geoffrey Lavinson:
Ryan Goindoo:
[Removed:4]: 
The board ran out 
and that gave Rudelitz two pair and earned him a triple-up for the main pot. Goindoo caught an ace to stay alive and earn a side pot from Lavinson. Meanwhile Lavinson who started with the best hand preflop was forced to pay off two opponents, and he's now dropped to just under 400,000 chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
640,000 | 370,000 |
|
385,000 | -224,000 |
|
|
330,000 | -164,000 |
Gene Harrill Eliminated in 20th Place ($9,513)
Level 21
: 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante
The board showed 
and Ian Steinman bet 25,000 into a pot around 55,000. Gene Harrill then raised to 100,000 and Steinman quickly put his opponent all in.
Harrill called with his remaining 270,000 and the players revealed their hands. Harrill showed 
for a pair of aces with a flush draw and Steinman showed 
for a flopped set of nines.
The turn was the and Harrill picked up some more outs, but the on the river was not one of them as he was eliminated from the tournament.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,030,000 | -50,000 |
|
Busted |