Event #19: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em Freezeout Day 2 | 2023 World Series of Poker

06-08-2023 14:53 UTC-8

Reknar Soars to the Top With Metalidi Elimination

Christian Zetzsche

Level 21 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

On a heads-up flop of A♣J♦7♣ in a three-bet pot, Girish Reknar check-raised from 90,000 to 350,000 to send Artem Metalidi into the think tank. The big stack heading into the day then pushed all-in and Reknar snap-called with the covering stack.

Artem Metalidi: A♠J♥
Girish Reknar: J♣J♠

Metalidi needed an ace to stay in contention but bricked the 3♣ turn and 4♥ river, allowing Reknar to skyrocket to the top of the leaderboard.

Player	Chips	Progress
Girish Reknar	2,250,000 1,350,000	1,350,000
Joseph Cheong	Busted

Aaron Frei	Busted
Artem Metalidi	Busted

Tags: Artem Metalidi Girish Reknar

06-08-2023 14:14 UTC-8

Kneale Knocked Out by Turner

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 20 : Blinds 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante

With a medium-sized pot until the 10♠8♥3♦6♥ turn, Dann Turner pushed all-in with the covering stack and Kristofer Kneale snap-called.

Kristofer Kneale: A♣A♠
Dann Turner: 10♦9♦

"You got around 420k there?" Turner inquired and was ready to move forward the chips to pay off the double. Moments later, the 7♠ hit on the river and that knocked out Kneale.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dann Turner	1,200,000 1,029,000	1,029,000

Kristofer Kneale	Busted

Tags: Dann Turner Kristofer Kneale

06-08-2023 13:49 UTC-8

Zerjav Doubles Through Qi

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 20 : Blinds 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante

In a preflop raising war, the chips went into the middle of the table between China's Xuming Qi and Slovenia's Blaz Zerjav with near even stack sizes involved.

Blaz Zerjav: A♥A♣
Xuming Qi: A♠K♥

Zerjav had the best of it and very little to fear on a board of 8♠4♥3♦6♦5♦. Both stacks were counted and Zerjav doubled for 610,000 to leave his table neighbour on fumes.

Player	Chips	Progress
Blaz Zerjav	1,250,000 670,000	670,000

Xuming Qi	65,000 635,000	635,000

Tags: Xuming Qi Blaz Zerjav

06-08-2023 13:00 UTC-8

Korn Awarded Massive Pot, Doubles Up through Alt

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Herbie Teope

Level 19 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Dinesh Alt’s hot run hit an roadblock in Level 19.

PokerNews walked up to Alt’s table as the dealer was counting out Andres Korn’s stack, who was all in and called by Alt.

The board was obscured with chips, but Alt explained the action to PokerNews that there was an open raise, two flats, and then it was on Alt, who moved all-in with A♠Q♣ before being called by Korn, who held 7x7x.

Korn further explained to PokerNews that the player to his right opened, he flatted, a player to his left flatted before Korn shoved. Of the three players, Korn was the only to call and put his remaining 437,000 at risk against the chip leader.

But Korn won the race, as Alt couldn’t improve his hand.

“You can’t win every hand,” a player was overhead jokingly saying to Alt, who appeared to take the loss in stride.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dinesh Alt	1,474,000 276,000	276,000

Andres Korn	980,000 530,000	530,000

Tags: Andres Korn Dinesh Alt

06-08-2023 12:46 UTC-8

Petkov Eliminated by Konakchiev

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 19 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

In a battle of two poker players from Bulgaria, Lachezar Petkov was at risk versus Valentino Konakchiev and had the inferior hand at his disposal as well.

Lachezar Petkov: A♥J♣
Valentino Konakchiev: Q♦Q♣

The board ran out 7♣4♣2♥3♥4♥ and the chips were pushed over to Konakchiev.

Player	Chips	Progress
Valentino Konakchiev	900,000 320,000	320,000

Lachezar Petkov	Busted

Tags: Lachezar Petkov Valentino Konakchiev

06-08-2023 12:44 UTC-8

Brenes Heating Up

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Herbie Teope

Level 19 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Two-time WSOP bracelet winner Humberto Brenes entered Day 2 with 74,000, but what a difference a level and half can make in a tournament.

Midway through Level 19, Brenes looked comfortable with more than 400,000 in front of him. Brenes added to his stack when he called fellow WSOP bracelet winner Michael Gagliano, who moved all in on the button as a short stack after Brenes raise at the cutoff. Brenes immediately called.

Brenes: A♣K♥
Gagliano: K♦10♣

The dealer placed 5♣3♠A♥7♣Q♦ on the board, giving Brenes top pair, which sent Gagliano to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Humberto Brenes	530,000 80,000	80,000

Michael Gagliano	Busted

Tags: Humberto Brenes Michael Gagliano

06-08-2023 12:37 UTC-8

Liang Flipped Out by O'Hara

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 19 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Patrick Liang three-bet jammed for 144,000 with the 9♥9♠ and the red-hot running Ian O'Hara looked him up with the K♥Q♣.

O'Hara's streak continued when he paired up on the Q♠6♥4♠ flop, with the A♥ turn and 2♣ river both bricking to eliminate Liang.

Player	Chips	Progress
Patrick Liang	Busted

Tags: Ian O'Hara Patrick Liang

06-08-2023 12:12 UTC-8

Bond Eliminated by O'Hara

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 19 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

The action started with a raise to 26,000 by Nicholas Bond in the cutoff and Ian O'Hara three-bet to 60,000 on the button. The four-bet shove for around 350,000 by Bond followed and O'Hara snapped it off.

Nicholas Bond: A♣Q♠
Ian O'Hara: A♦K♠

"Again?!" another player at the table remarked. O'Hara stayed ahead on the 10♣10♠2♠10♦7♠ board and jumped to a seven-figure stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ian O'Hara	1,025,000 399,000	399,000

Nicholas Bond	Busted

Tags: Ian O'Hara Nicholas Bond

06-08-2023 11:57 UTC-8

Rosen Eliminated by Ahuja

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 18 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

In three way action to the 10♥6♣2♣, Ferenc Doner bet 25,000 and Ankit Ahuja raised to 75,000. Steve Rosen called all-in for 58,000 in the cutoff and Doner folded.

Steve Rosen: K♦10♦
Ankit Ahuja: J♥J♣

The overpair of Ahuja was ahead and that remained to be the case throughout the 3♦ turn and Q♠ river runout. Right after the hand, the table broke as the field was already down to just 100 hopefuls.