Tournament of Champions | 2022 World Series of Poker

07-20-2022 14:56 UTC-7

Eric Bensimhon Eliminated in 8th Place ($20,000)

Connor Richards

Level 24 : Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante

Eric Bensimhon open-shoved a stack of 400,000 from the hijack and Raul Garza reshoved from the small blind to get the hand heads-up.

Eric Bensimhon:
Raul Garza:

Bensimhon had run into aces and was eliminated in eighth place after the board ran out . Garza is running pure as of late and has over a third of the chips in play.

Player	Chips	Progress
Raul Garza	5,000,000 600,000	600,000
Eric Bensimhon	Busted

Tags: Eric Bensimhon Raul Garza

07-20-2022 15:04 UTC-7

More Small Pots to Follow

Christian Zetzsche

Level 24 : Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante

Raul Garza raised to 80,000 on the button and Robert Cowen defended the big blind. On a flop, Cowen checked and then let go when Garza bet 75,000.

Ali Eslami limped from under the gun and it folded to Yuliyan Kolev in the big blind, who checked his option. The flop and turn were checked before Kolev bet the river for 75,000 and won the pot right there.

Ryan Messick then raised from under the gun and Ali Eslami defended the big blind to see a flop of go check, check. On the turn, Eslami bet 75,000 and Messick folded.

Messick, however, recovered the chips soon after when he flat-called a raise by Raul Garza in the next hand. The flop was checked by Messick, who then called a bet worth 60,000 by Garza. Both checked the turn and Messick bet the river for 275,000 to win the pot uncontested.

Player	Chips	Progress
Raul Garza	4,750,000 -250,000	-250,000
Robert Cowen	2,800,000 475,000	475,000

Benjamin Kaupp	2,300,000 200,000	200,000

Ryan Messick	1,675,000 -100,000	-100,000
Ali Eslami	1,600,000

Gregory Wish	705,000 -45,000	-45,000
Yuliyan Kolev	620,000 -170,000	-170,000

Tags: Ali Eslami Raul Garza Robert Cowen Ryan Messick Yuliyan Kolev

07-20-2022 15:14 UTC-7

Cowen Forces Fold From Eslami

Christian Zetzsche

Level 24 : Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante

Robert Cowen made it 80,000 to go and Ali Eslami in the hijack then three-bet to 320,000. It folded all the way back to Cowen and he pondered about his next move for around 45 seconds. The Brit then pulled the trigger with a four-bet to 960,000 and Eslami folded within ten seconds.

"You had it?" Yuliyan Kolev in the one seat inquired and a somewhat befuddled Cowen asked back from the other side of the table. "What is ... it?"

Player	Chips	Progress
Robert Cowen	3,300,000 500,000	500,000

Ali Eslami	1,300,000 -300,000	-300,000

Tags: Ali Eslami Robert Cowen Yuliyan Kolev

07-20-2022 15:22 UTC-7

Break for the Final Seven Players

Christian Zetzsche

Level 24 : Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante

Upon completion of Level 24, the last seven players have been sent on a scheduled break and their stacks will now be moved to the Mothership where the main feature table is waiting.

Updated counts are to follow, the plans for the live streaming will be determined shortly as well.

07-20-2022 15:33 UTC-7

Updated Counts After Level 24

Christian Zetzsche

Level 24 : Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante

It appears that the final seven players will recommence on the Mothership and the action will then be paused at 4 p.m. local time, at which point the live streaming is then getting underway on a delay to air as of 5 p.m. local time.

Below are the updated counts and big blinds for the next level.

Seat	Player	Country	Chip Count	Big Blinds
1	Yuliyan Kolev	Bulgaria	660,000	13
2	Ali Eslami	United States	1,175,000	24
3	Ryan Messick	United States	1,505,000	30
4	Benjamin Kaupp	United States	2,060,000	41
5	Raul Garza	United States	4,760,000	95
6	Gregory Wish	United States	535,000	11
7	Robert Cowen	United Kingdom	3,700,000	74

Player	Chips	Progress
Raul Garza	4,760,000 10,000	10,000
Robert Cowen	3,700,000 400,000	400,000

Benjamin Kaupp	2,060,000 -240,000	-240,000

Ryan Messick	1,505,000 -170,000	-170,000
Ali Eslami	1,175,000 -125,000	-125,000

Yuliyan Kolev	660,000 40,000	40,000

Gregory Wish	535,000 -170,000	-170,000

Level: 25

Blinds: 25,000/50,000

Ante: 50,000

07-20-2022 15:45 UTC-7

Kolev Doubles Through Garza

Christian Zetzsche

Level 25 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

In the very first hand on the Mothership, Yuliyan Kolev raised to 400,000 from under the gun. Raul Garza then reraised to 1,00,000 on the button and Kolev called all-in for 660,000.

Yuliyan Kolev:
Raul Garza:

"Let's go, we need to hold," Kolev chanted and walked over to his rail before sitting back down. The flop kept him in the lead and he locked it up with the turn, making the river a formality.

Kolev then also won the next pot with a king when he made trips kings out of the big blind.

Player	Chips	Progress
Raul Garza	4,100,000 -660,000	-660,000
Yuliyan Kolev	1,675,000 1,015,000	1,015,000

Gregory Wish	635,000 100,000	100,000

Tags: Raul Garza Yuliyan Kolev

07-20-2022 15:51 UTC-7

Garza Recovers Previous Losses

Christian Zetzsche

Level 25 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Raul Garza opened the action with a raise to 100,000 from under the gun. Ali Eslami called on the button and Benjamin Kaupp then three-bet to 325,000 in the big blind. Garza opted to call and Eslami stuck around as well as the shortest stack of the trio.

All three players checked the flop and the followed on the turn. Kaupp checked once more and Garza now bet 350,000, which claimed the pot without resistance.

Player	Chips	Progress
Raul Garza	4,750,000 650,000	650,000
Benjamin Kaupp	1,650,000 -410,000	-410,000

Ali Eslami	875,000 -300,000	-300,000

Tags: Ali Eslami Benjamin Kaupp Raul Garza

07-20-2022 15:58 UTC-7

Kolev Cracks Kings to Again Double Through Garza

Connor Richards

Level 25 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Raul Garza opened from the cutoff and Yuliyan Kolev defended from the big blind.

Kolev checked on the flop of and Garza bet 100,000. Kolev check-raised to 300,000 and Garza moved all in with Garza covered. Garza snap-called with about 1,500,000.

Yuliyan Kolev:
Raul Garza:

Kolev had flopped a set to be far in front over the overpair of Garza and Kolev was screaming "HOLD" before the board ran out a safe to earn him another double through the no-longer chip leader.

Player	Chips	Progress
Raul Garza	3,400,000 -1,350,000	-1,350,000
Yuliyan Kolev	3,000,000 1,325,000	1,325,000

Tags: Raul Garza Yuliyan Kolev

07-20-2022 16:03 UTC-7

Messick Wins a Three-Way Pot

Christian Zetzsche

Level 25 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Raul Garza raised to 100,000 from an early position and was called by Yuliyan Kolev on the button and Ryan Messick in the big blind. The flop brought and all three players checked. Messick also checked the turn and Garza now bet 125,000, picking up two calls.

They checked again the on the river and Messick won the pot with the .

One hand later, Ali Eslami as one of the short stacks opened to 100,000 in the cutoff and Garza called out of the big blind. The flop was checked to Eslami, who bet 125,000 and Garza snap-folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Yuliyan Kolev	3,200,000 200,000	200,000

Raul Garza	2,750,000 -650,000	-650,000
Ryan Messick	1,800,000 295,000	295,000
Ali Eslami	875,000

Gregory Wish	510,000 -125,000	-125,000

Tags: Ali Eslami Raul Garza Ryan Messick Yuliyan Kolev