Lipkin, Sekularac and McCormick Eliminated on the Bubble

Action for this hand, played shortly before the hand-for-hand portion of the evening, was joined with 23,000 in the pot and a flop of on the table. Robert Lipkin, in the hijack, moved nearly all in, keeping himself a single 1,000 chip behind. His opponent, in the cutoff, put in a raise to force Lipkin all in. After some time in the tank, he made the laydown, likely a wise one, as his opponent flashed .

Lipkin was still holding onto that chip by the time the tournament reached the hand-for-hand portion. Shortly after, Lipkin found himself in the big blind, forced to move all in before a card had been dealt. A middle position player put in a raise to 18,000 but received no callers, giving a heads-up showdown with Lipkin's tournament life at stake. Once the tournament director had given the go-ahead, the two tabled their hands.

Robert Lipkin:
Opponent:

Lipkin's elimination seemed inevitable until the appeared in the window on the flop, improving him to a pair. The turn and river helped nobody, and Lipkin secured the pot, increasing his stack from 1,000 to 3,000. Unfortunately for Lipkin, he was the small blind on the next hand and was once again forced to go all in before any cards hit the felt.

After a limp from middle position, the hijack raised 38,000 and received no callers, meaning Lipkin was once again in a heads-up showdown for his tournament life.

Robert Lipkin:
Hijack:

Lipkin was in poor shape and failed to improve on the runout, eliminating him from the tournament. Elsewhere in the field, there were two other eliminations and two double ups as the bubble officially burst.

*****

The second player eliminated was Ognjen Sekularac.

Action started on the flop with a board of . Ian Armstrong checked to Ognjen Sekularac, who bet 50,000 into the pot. Armstrong check-raised all in for about 420,000 effective. Sekularac made the call.

Ognjen Sekularac:
Ian Armstrong:

With the whole tournament rooting for a flush draw to come in, the turn brought the to leave Sekularac drawing to a full house to stay alive. The river was the to seal the deal and give Sekularac a split of the bubble.

*****

The last player to depart was Tom McCormick, who was forced all-in from the big blind for 8,000 and 3,000 as big blind ante, while Vladimir Geshkenbein had limped in from the small blind.

Tom McCormick:
Vladimir Geshkenbein:

The board ran out and Geshkenbein earned the chips and a signed book copy of McCormick, who has been handing them out for each elimination in the last few years at the WSOP.