Event #29: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em
Day 3 Completed
2017 World Series of Poker
Event #29: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2017 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$2,500
Prize Pool
$2,443,500
Entries
1,086
Level
33
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
30,000
James Calvo and Gaurav Raina to Battle for Bracelet in Event #29
Level 30
: 50,000/100,000, 10,000 ante
Day 3 of the 2017 World Series of Poker Event #29: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em has come to a conclusion and two players out of a 1,086-entry field remain in contention for the gold bracelet and first-place payout of $456,822 that comes along with it.
James Calvo (9,600,000) and Gaurav Raina (4,000,000) are set to return at 1 p.m. local time on Sunday to determine the champion. The action will resume with 30 minutes left in level 31 at blinds of 60,000/120,000 and a running ante of 15,000.
Who are the two contenders for their respective maiden bracelet?
James “Jim” Calvo is from Quincy, Illinois and now lives in Naperville. Calvo is 51 years old, has four children and works as an attorney and real estate investor. He has two WSOP cashes so far for $17,099 in total.
Gaurav “Gary” Raina, born in Livingston, New Jersey, and currently resides in Athens, Georgia, is a 33-year-old poker pro who previously worked in sales. Thus far, Raina has two WSOP cashes for a combined total of $9,749.
They have something else in common: Calvo and Raina outlasted two former WSOP bracelet winners on this final table with Eddy Sabat bowing out in fourth place and Asi Moshe following in third place.
| Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Calvo | United States | 9,600,000 | 80 |
| Gaurav Raina | United States | 4,000,000 | 33 |
A total of 30 players returned for Day 3 and three early casualties set up the last three tables. Among those to bust thereafter were Jonathan Abdellatif (27th), Curt Kohlberg (26th), Federico Butteroni (24th), John Dolan (22nd) and Day 1 chip leader Pablo Fernandez (19th) for $13,186 each.
Former Asian Player of the Year Pete Chen fell in 15th place after a roller coaster day that ultimately saw him run with ace-king into pocket aces. Chi Zhang followed in 13th place when his ace-jack found no help against the pocket tens of Asi Moshe on a nine-high board.
Fewer than 10 minutes later, the field was reduced to the last 10 hopefuls. Jamie Armstrong had a kicker problem with ace-four against ace-king and Tom Thomas ran with king-ten suited into the pocket aces of Griffin Abel. Thomas flopped a flush draw and turned a king, but a blank jack on the river was of no help. These quick elimination set up the following unofficial final table:
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asi Moshe | Israel | 2,295,000 | 77 |
| 2 | Sadan Turker | United Kingdom | 740,000 | 25 |
| 3 | Griffin Abel | United States | 1,285,000 | 43 |
| 4 | Eric Cloutier | Canada | 875,000 | 29 |
| 5 | Giuseppe Pantaleo | Germany | 1,850,000 | 62 |
| 6 | [Removed:153] | Sweden | 1,025,000 | 34 |
| 7 | James Calvo | United States | 1,275,000 | 43 |
| 8 | Scott Margereson | United Kingdom | 755,000 | 25 |
| 9 | Gaurav Raina | United States | 1,040,000 | 35 |
| 10 | Eddy Sabat | United States | 2,445,000 | 82 |
Final Table Action So Far
Eddy Sabat and Asi Moshe were at the top of the counts, but the duo was soon separated when Moshe rivered trip jacks with ace-jack and took a big pot off Sabat. Moshe followed that up with another big pot with two pair versus inferior two pair, and suddenly Sabat dropped into the middle of the pack.
Sadan Turker lost the vast majority of his stack when paying off the rivered nut flush by Giuseppe Pantaleo and would soon after join the rail. Down to just over two big blinds, Turker pushed all in with pocket sixes and [Removed:153] reshoved with pocket sevens from middle position. The board ran out king-high and Turker had to settle for a payday of $25,728.
Scott Margereson became the first casualty on the official final table. He previously lost most of his chips with king-queen suited against ace-jack and lost a flip with pocket queens against the ace-king of Eric Cloutier when two aces appeared on the flop.
In hand #22 of the final table, second-placed Giuseppe Pantaleo clashed with chip leader Asi Moshe and got his stack in with jack-ten suited for the nut straight on the flop. Moshe looked him up with ace-seven suited for the bottom pair and nut flush draw. Pantaleo walked away from the table, fearing the worst, and the kind of diamonds immediately left him drawing dead.
[Removed:153] was the next to fall. He three-bet all in with pocket kings and Eric Cloutier as initial raiser called with ace-queen suited to flop an ace and send the Swede to the rail in 7th place. Cloutier's fortune would not last long, as he lost half of his stack in a three-way all in with pocket queens against the ace-king of Griffin Abel and the pocket nines of Eddy Sabat. A nine on the flop and king on the river let Sabat triple up, while Abel was left very short and busted the very next hand.
Only a few hands later, Eric Cloutier shoved with the ace-eight off suit and Asi Moshe quickly called with ace-king off suit out of the big blind. Cloutier picked up a gutshot on the turn, but his kicker ended up second-best to eliminate the Canadian in 5th place.
Eddy Sabat lost a big all in with ace-queen suited against the ace-ten of Gaurav Raina and the latter finished him off soon after. Raina pushed from the small blind with king-queen. Sabat called for his last 11 big blinds with king-nine and failed to get there.
Until then, Asi Moshe was cruising at the top of the counts but this changed in a matter of few hands. He first lost a few pots to James Calvo and called the five-bet shove of Calvo with ace-jack versus ace-queen to lose the vast majority of his stack. The very next hand, Moshe shoved from the button with nine-eight suited. Gaurav Raina called with ace-king in the big blind and the board ran out king-high.
What followed was more than 70 hands of heads-up play and it could have been over only two hands in, but Raina doubled. Calvo doubled back into the lead and had his foe at risk in hand #116 with pocket sevens versus ace-queen. A queen appeared on the river and Raina stayed in contention to see both bag up after ten full hours of play.
Final Table Results at a Glance
| Place | Winner | Country | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $456,822 | ||
| 2 | $282,276 | ||
| 3 | Asi Moshe | Israel | $199,718 |
| 4 | Eddy Sabat | United States | $143,148 |
| 5 | Eric Cloutier | Canada | $103,957 |
| 6 | Griffin Abel | United States | $76,506 |
| 7 | [Removed:153] | Sweden | $57,068 |
| 8 | Giuseppe Pantaleo | Germany | $43,154 |
| 9 | Scott Margereson | United Kingdom | $33,087 |
The PokerNews live reporting team will be back on the floor to provide hand-for-hand coverage until a winner is crowned, so make sure to tune back in when the heads-up recommences.
Hands #134-141: A Little More for Calvo; Play Concludes
Level 30
: 50,000/100,000, 10,000 ante
Hand #134: Gaurav Raina limped on the button, and James Calvo made it 520,000 in the big blind. Raina folded.
Hand #135: Calvo raised to 460,000 on the button, and Raina folded.
Hand #136: Raina limped on the button, and Calvo raised. Raina folded.
Hand #137: Raina got a walk.
Hand #138: Calvo got a walk.
Hand #139: Calvo raised to 435,000 on the button, and Raina folded.
Hand #140: Raina limped on the button, and Calvo checked. The flop came 
, and they both checked. The turn was the 
, and Calvo checked. Raina bet 120,000, and Calvo folded.
Hand #141: In the last hand of the night before bagging, Calvo made it 460,000 on the button, and Raina called. On the 
flop, Raina checked, Calvo bet 900,000, and Calvo folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
9,600,000 | 800,000 |
|
4,000,000 | -800,000 |
Hands #123-133: More Small Pots Without Drama
Level 30
: 50,000/100,000, 10,000 ante
Hand #123: James Calvo raised to 400,000, and Gaurav Raina called. On the 
flop and the 
turn, both players checked. After the 
river, Raina bet 550,000 and claimed the pot uncontested.
Hand #124: Raina limped in, and Calvo checked his option. The 
flop saw two checks. After the 
turn, Calvo bet 200,000, and Raina called before the 
triggered a bet of 500,000 by Calvo and a fold by Raina.
Hand #125: Calvo limped, and Raina checked. The 
flop was checked. On the 
turn, Raina bet 120,000, and Calvo folded.
Hand #126: Raina limped. On the 
flop, Calvo checked and folded to a min-bet from Raina.
Hand #127: Calvo limped in, and Raina checked. The flop fell 
, and Raina bet 120,000, Calvo folded.
Hand #128: A limp by Raina was followed by a check from Calvo. On the 
flop, Calvo check-raised from 120,000 to 360,000, and Raina folded.
Hand #129: Raina received a walk.
Hand #130: Raina limped in, and Calvo checked his option. The flop was 
, which was checked by both players. On the turn, there was no betting action either, and the 
river completed the board. Calvo bet 300,000, and Raina folded.
Hand #131: Raina received a walk.
Hand #132: Raina limped in, and Calvo checked. After two checks on the 
flop, Calvo checked the 
turn and folded to Raina's bet of 120,000.
Hand #133: Calvo raised to 460,000, and Raina folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
8,800,000 | -250,000 |
|
|
4,800,000 | 250,000 |
Hands #117-122: Back and Forth
Level 30
: 50,000/100,000, 10,000 ante
Hand #117: James Calvo raised to 350,000 on the button, and Gaurav Raina called in the big blind. The flop came 
, and Raina check-folded to Calvo's bet of 500,000.
Hand #118: Raina limped on the button, and Calvo checked his option. On the 
flop, Calvo checked, Raina bet 125,000, and Calvo folded.
Hand #119: Calvo limped on the button, and Raina checked. They both checked the 
flop and the turn. The river was the , and Raina checked. Calvo bet 240,000, and Raina called.
Calvo showed 
for a runner-runner straight to the nine to win the pot.
Hand #120: Raina limped on the button, and Calvo raised to 520,000. Raina called, and the flop came 
. Calvo bet 600,000, and Raina called.
On the turn, Calvo checked, Raina bet 900,000, and Calvo folded.
Hand #121: Calvo limped on the button, and Raina checked. The flop was 
, and Raina bet 120,000. Calvo folded, and the pot went to Raina.
Hand #122: Raina limped on the button, and Calvo checked his option. The flop was , and Calvo check-called a bet of 120,000 from Raina.
The turn was the 
, and both players checked. On the river, Calvo bet 400,000, and Raina called.
Calvo tabled 
for a turned straight, good for the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
9,050,000 | 10,000 |
|
|
4,550,000 | -10,000 |
Hands #115-116: Raina and Calvo One Card Away from the Title
Level 30
: 50,000/100,000, 10,000 ante
Hand #115: Gaurav Raina limped in, and James Calvo raised to 500,000, which Raina called. On the flop, Calvo bet 600,000, and Raina called. The appeared on the turn, and Calvo bet 1,400,000. Raina called once more. After the river, Calvo moved all in, and Raina called.
Calvo showed and Raina mucked , then paid off his opponent for 3,150,000.
Hand #116: Calvo raised to 450,000, Raina moved all in, and Calvo called.
Gaurav Raina:
James Calvo:
"Hold, please," the rail of Calvo said while he paced around the table. The board ran out , and the river improved Raina, who doubled for 2,270,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
9,040,000 | 4,240,000 |
|
|
4,560,000 | -4,240,000 |
Hands #106-114: Trading Small Pots
Level 30
: 50,000/100,000, 10,000 ante
Hand #106: James Calvo raised to 350,000, and Gaurav Raina folded.
Hand #107: Raina limped in, Calvo raised to 450,000, and Raina called. On the 
flop, Calvo bet 500,000, and Raina called. The turn and river were checked through, and Calvo showed as the winning hand.
Hand #108: Calvo raised to 400,000, and Raina folded.
Hand #109: Calvo got a walk.
Hand #110: Raina got a walk.
Hand #111: Raina limped in, and Calvo checked. The flop saw a check from Calvo and a bet from Raina for 100,000 to claim the pot.
Hand #112: Raina got a walk.
Hand #113: Raina limped, and Calvo checked. The flop was checked, and Calvo check-folded the turn to a bet of 100,000.
Hand #114: Calvo limped in, and Raina checked his option. The flop saw Raina bet 100,000 and Calvo fold.
Hands #100-105: Gaurav Raina Extends Chip Lead
Level 30
: 50,000/100,000, 10,000 ante
Hand #100: Gaurav Raina got a walk.
Hand #101: Raina limped on the button, and James Calvo checked in the big blind. The flop came , and Calvo check-folded to Raina's bet of 125,000.
Hand #102: Raina got a walk.
Hand #103: Raina limped on the button, and Calvo checked. The flop was 
, and they both checked. They also checked the turn, and the river was the . Calvo bet out 200,000, and Raina folded.
Hand #104: Calvo raised to 450,000 on the button, and Raina made it 1,200,000 in the big blind. Calvo called.
The flop was and Rain led out 700,000. Calvo folded, and Raina took down the pot.
Hand #105: Raina limped on the button, and Calvo checked. They both checked the flop, and the turn was the . Calvo bet 225,000, and Raina called. On the river, Calvo checked, and Raina bet 575,000. Calvo folded, and the pot went to Raina.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
8,800,000 | 1,690,000 |
|
|
4,800,000 | -1,690,000 |
Hands #91-99: Many Limped Pots
Level 30
: 50,000/100,000, 10,000 ante
Hand #91: Gaurav Raina limped in, and James Calvo checked. On the 
flop, Calvo checked, and Raina bet 125,000 to win the pot.
Hand #92: Raina got a walk.
Hand #93: Raina limped in, and Calvo raised to 450,000, which Raina called. On the flop, the duo checked. After the turn, Calvo bet 600,000, and Raina folded.
Hand #94: Raina got a walk.
Hand #95: Raina limped in, and Calvo checked his option. The flop fell , and both players checked. They did so again on the turn and the river. Calvo showed , and Raina won the pot with .
Hand #96: Calvo raised to 400,000, and Raina let go.
Hand #97: Raina limped in, and Calvo checked. The flop of brought no betting action. On the turn, Calvo checked and folded to a bet of 100,000 by Raina.
Hand #98: Calvo raised to 450,000, and Raina folded.
Hand #99: Raina limped, Calvo made it 400,000, and that ended the hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
7,110,000 | -300,000 |
|
|
6,490,000 | 300,000 |
Heads-Up Play Has Resumed
Level 30
: 50,000/100,000, 10,000 ante
The players are back in their seats, and play has resumed with two left.