Event #64: $888 Crazy Eights No-Limit Hold'em
Day 3 Completed
2019 World Series of Poker
Event #64: $888 Crazy Eights No-Limit Hold'em
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2019 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$888
Prize Pool
$7,720,210
Entries
10,185
Level
45
Blinds
2,000,000 / 4,000,000
Ante
4,000,000
Saliba and Darie Highlight Crazy Eights Final 10 as Rusinovas Scoops Substantial Lead
Level 39
: 500,000/1,000,000, 1,000,000 ante
Only 10 players made it through three days of the action-packed Event #64: $888 Crazy Eights No-Limit Hold'em, leaving thousands of players behind as this year's edition drew a record-breaking field of 10,185 entries. The remaining group will return on Wednesday, July 3, at 12 p.m. local time to continue their quest for the $888,888 top-prize and the WSOP wristwear.
The lineup is led by Aleksandras Rusinovas who had a strong push during the final levels of Day 3. Rusinovas' rampaging run saw the Lithuanian vault to 114,625,000, more than a quarter of all chips in play and twice as much as his nearest competitor (Thomas Dravis with 58.6 million).
Rusinovas finished the day with a double knockout, bringing the field down to 10 in the dying minutes of the last level. The hand secured an $18,000 pay jump for those who avoided Rusinovas' razor-sharp.
While Rusinovas holds a commanding lead, Vivian Saliba and Vlad Darie boasted the loudest support from their railbirds today. 888poker ambassador Saliba doubled with kings against ace-king during the home stretch, climbing to 43,500,000 by the time for bagging.
She will return to the final day with the third-biggest stack, and if there is one thing that's guaranteed when it comes to deep stages of poker events held in the Amazon Room, it's that the Brazilians will be heard.
Darie, who has already been to the final table of this event — he finished 6th in 2017 — was aiming for the chip lead, but he was a victim of a few preflop all-in contests, particularly when his kings couldn't hold against Dravis' queens.
Darie is, however, an experienced pro with a strong online background, and he showed multiple times during this tournament that he is able to recover and grind his way back. He will start the final day with 26,750,000 (just over 20 big blinds), which puts him in seventh place on the leaderboard.
Add Mark Radoja and Patrick Clarke among the accomplished poker sharps featured in the remaining 10, and it becomes clear that whoever wins the title will have shown some serious poker prowess.
The next blinds will be 600,000/1,200,000 with a 1,200,000 big blind ante and considering the few shallow stacks in the field, it might be a question of no more than a few orbits to bring the tournament down to one table. Make sure to come back to PokerNews at noon for more live updates to keep up with the action.
| Room | Table | Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | 1 | 4 | Thomas Drivas | United States | 58,600,000 | 49 |
| Amazon | 1 | 5 | Keun Kwak | United States | 12,000,000 | 10 |
| Amazon | 1 | 6 | Vlad Darie | Romania | 26,750,000 | 22 |
| Amazon | 1 | 7 | Mark Radoja | Canada | 36,100,000 | 30 |
| Amazon | 1 | 8 | Mario Hofler | United States | 15,200,000 | 13 |
| Amazon | 2 | 1 | Vivian Saliba | Brazil | 43,500,000 | 36 |
| Amazon | 2 | 2 | Rick Alvarado | United States | 21,150,000 | 18 |
| Amazon | 2 | 3 | Aleksandras Rusinovas | Lithuania | 114,625,000 | 96 |
| Amazon | 2 | 6 | Patrick Clarke | Ireland | 36,000,000 | 30 |
| Amazon | 2 | 7 | Uselis Gediminas | United States | 43,400,000 | 36 |
End-of-Day 3 Chip Counts (full)
Level 39
: 500,000/1,000,000, 1,000,000 ante
The remaining 10 players will continue to play on Wednesday, July 3, at 12 p.m. PDT.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
114,625,000 | 625,000 |
|
58,600,000 | 1,700,000 |
|
43,500,000 | 2,700,000 |
|
43,400,000 | -5,500,000 |
|
36,100,000 | 9,600,000 |
|
36,000,000 | 400,000 |
|
26,750,000 | 5,500,000 |
|
21,150,000 | |
|
15,200,000 | -10,500,000 |
|
12,000,000 | -1,000,000 |
Play Has Halted for the Day
Level 39
: 500,000/1,000,000, 1,000,000 ante
The remaining 10 players have bagged for the night. End-of-day chip counts and a recap will follow shortly.
Arsenii Karmatckii Eliminated in 12th Place ($64,311); Ming Zhu Eliminated in 11th Place ($64,311)
Level 39
: 500,000/1,000,000, 1,000,000 ante
Aleksandras Rusinovas raised to 2,000,000 on the cutoff and Arsenii Karmatckii three-bet shoved for 5,000,000 on the button. Ming Zhu, in the big blind, reshoved for about 26,750,000. Rusinovas made the call.
Arsenii Karmatckii: 
Ming Zhu: 
Aleksandras Rusinovas: 
The board was 
and Rusinovas scooped the pot with his jacks sending Karmatckii to the rail in 12th place and Zhu in 11th place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
114,000,000 | 39,000,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted |
Alvarado Hits Ten to Double
Level 39
: 500,000/1,000,000, 1,000,000 ante
Rick Alvarado shoved his 9,575,000 from the cutoff and Arsenii Karmatckii reraised all in from the small blind.
Alvarado had a worse hand with 
against 
, but the 
runout helped him to pull ahead and double up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
21,150,000 | 11,650,000 |
|
|
5,125,000 | -26,875,000 |
Kwak Finds a Dub
Level 39
: 500,000/1,000,000, 1,000,000 ante
Uselis Gediminas minraised under the gun and Keun Kwak slid forward his last 5,250,000. Gediminas called but his 
trailed Kwak's .
The dealer spread out a board of 
and Kwak doubled up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
48,900,000 | -15,100,000 |
|
|
13,000,000 | 2,050,000 |
Lucky Turn Gives Drivas Big Double
Level 39
: 500,000/1,000,000, 1,000,000 ante
Thomas Drivas raised to 2,200,000 under the gun, Vlad Darie three-bet from the hijack, and Drivas four-bet shipped his 27,200,000. Darie had no problem to call as they met in a cooler.
Drivas: 
Darie: 
Darie could seize a huge chip lead, should his hand hold, but the 
board was a nasty one for Darie who had to watch the large pot, possibly worth six-figure equity, move to the other side of the felt.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
56,900,000 | 18,400,000 |
|
|
21,250,000 | -11,200,000 |
Jeanpierre Besancon Eliminated in 13th Place ($50,707)
Level 39
: 500,000/1,000,000, 1,000,000 ante
Aleksandras Rusinovas moved all in from the small blind and Jeanpierre Besancon snap-called for less from the big blind putting at risk about 10,000,000.
Jeanpierre Besancon:
Aleksandras Rusinovas: 
Besanco was ahead but the runout was 
and Rusinovas made two pair to win the pot, ending Besancon's run in 13th place for $50,707.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
75,000,000 | 21,000,000 |
|
Busted |
Saliba Coolers Alvarado
Level 39
: 500,000/1,000,000, 1,000,000 ante
Vivian Saliba raised to 2,000,000 from the button, Rick Alvarado three-bet on her left, and Saliba four-bet shoved for 19,400,000. Alvarado immediately called.
Saliba: 
Alvarado: 
Saliba faded an ace on the board of 
and vaulted over a 40-big blind stack while Alvarado dropped under 10 bigs.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
40,800,000 | 13,800,000 |
|
|
9,500,000 | -21,000,000 |