"Can we have another table draw?" Allen Kessler requested about an hour ago. "Can you make that happen?" he hoped. Table redraws are still far away and Kessler has to deal with the stars on his table.
As we reported earlier, Kessler knocked out his neighbor, two-time bracelet winner Brandon Shack-Harris. Well, an even more decorated player took the empty seat: four-time WSOP champ Max Pescatori.
From the other side, it's now Mike Watson rubbing shoulders with Kessler. Another high roller, Dan Smith, sits across the table. Isn't that enough? Add Frank Kassela too.
Hold on, there's yet another bracelet winner sitting on Table 727: the 2011 $2,500 Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better winner Owais Ahmed.
Joseph Couden completed with a two spots off the bring-in, Dan Smith called with a , and Andrew Yeh defended his bring-in with the . He got a pretty on fourth and took the lead, with both Couden and Smith calling, but Smith bet on fifth when Yeh caught paint.
Couden: / (folded on fifth street)
Smith: /
Yeh: /
At that point, Yeh fired in a raise, and Couden was looking at two bets with an active player behind him, so he mucked. Smith called, then called again on sixth before both checked seventh. Yeh showed for trips, and Smith couldn't beat it.
Jeff Madsen lost a pot against Ryan Hughes but he soon gained his chips back. The first hand saw Madsen raise on fourth street and Hughes bet-called. Hughes then bet both fifth and sixth streets, with Madsen calling on the former and folding on the latter when Hughes' board comprised of four low-cards.
Soon after that, Madsen tangled with Hughes again. Hughes bet on fourth and sixth (where he paired sixes) while Madsen bet on fifth. They both checked the river.
Ryan Hughes: / /
Jeff Madsen: / /
Madsen rolled over for fives up while Hughes' cards couldn't connect to his board, leaving him second.
Joshua Mammon was initially battling in the pot against Justin Bonomo and Mike Watson, but he stepped down on fourth street to leave the fight just to the accomplished high rollers.
Fifth street was checked through but Bonomo paired up threes on sixth while Watson spiked third low card. Bonomo check-called but led out himself on seventh. Watson thought for a bit and eventually called.
Bonomo: / /
Watson: / /
Bonomo announced, "Sixes up and no low," turning over . Watson had aces in a hole, in addition to a seven, and he scooped the pot with for two pairs.
Gennady Shimelfarb got all of his remaining chips in on fourth street against Ryan Hughes with / for four to a six-low. Hughes had a pair of fours and picked up a pair of fives to go with on seventh, while Shimelfarb paired his four also but had a better kicker with his ace until that river was exposed.
Shimelfarb needed to improve on his last card but turned over a useless .
The tournament is now only a few spots away from the money. Dzmitry Urbanovich and Valentin Vornicu are among the players who won't be featured in the final results.
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two spots off the bring-in, Dan Smith called with a 
, and Andrew Yeh defended his bring-in with the 
. He got a pretty 
on fourth and took the lead, with both Couden and Smith calling, but Smith bet on fifth when Yeh caught paint.
(folded on fifth street)
for trips, and Smith couldn't beat it.
/ 
/ 
for fives up while Hughes' cards couldn't connect to his board, leaving him second.
/ 
for two pairs.
