Action was picked up on fourth street with David Steicke, Mike Matusow, and Brendan Taylor in the hand. Steicke bet, and Matusow took some time before calling. Taylor flicked in a chip as well.
Steicke led out on fifth street, and Matusow shoved for 2,000 more. Taylor folded, and Steicke committed the two extra chips. Matusow tabled for the draw to the seven-low, and Steicke revealed for a made eighty-six.
Both players paired up on sixth street and got their last card dealt face-down. Steicke showed the , giving him an unbeatable sixty-five.
"Oh wow. I can't win," Matusow said with a hint of sadness in his voice.
Matusow flashed the meaningless , stood up, and shook everyone's hand. "The Mouth" just missed out on his fourth final table of the series; he finished in 11th place and banked $12,723.
"Might as well jump in the $10K Stud Hi-Lo," Matusow said before giving his exit interview.
Alex Livingston tangled with Ryan Hughes in a pot that would eventually become Livingston's last in the tournament. Livingston completed with the and Hughes raised it up with the lying in front of him. Livingston called and then led out on fourth street. Hughes called and third heart hit his board on fifth. Hughes bet and then called Livingston's all in worth 71,000 total. Livingston saw devastating showdown.
Alex Livingston: /
Ryan Hughes: /
Livingston was drawing for a flush while Hughes already had one, ace-jack high. That reduced Livingston's outs to just the figure spades. Livingston could still hope for a runner-runner low or a boat, and the on sixth street indeed improved his chances for a full house.
Livingston eventually made his flush, but the on the river wasn't high enough to top Hughes' made hand.
Following Livingston's exit, Mike Matosow moved to Table 700 in order to keep the tables balanced.
It's been a one-man show in the $3k H.O.R.S.E., and the show will carry on. Mike Matusow just doubled up.
Limit Hold'em
Matusow was in the big blind, and he called a raise from Matthew Schreiber. Matusow then check-raised on the flop, earning a call. The hit the queen and Matusow bet again. Schreiber asked how much Matusow had behind, and it was 39,000. He moved all in, and Matusow called off.
Schreiber showed for turned top pair, but Matusow had the goods. "That's behind, my friend," he informed Schreiber, rolling over his .
The river didn't hurt "The Mouth," securing the double for the four-time bracelet winner.
"I know Matt was gonna double me! You gotta know who was gonna double you! If I win one more pot, y'all can't win!"
Matusow demonstrated his boxing moves, fighting with the air. "I got the maximum from Matt," he sang. "I got the fuuuuull double-up. Not just three-quarters!"
Matusow then finished his speech: "Make poker fun again, boys!"
If anyone tries to make poker fun again, it's undoubtedly Mike Matusow.
Valentin Vornicu brought it in with the , Mike Matusow completed with the , Dmitry Chop called with the , and Vornicu called, as well. Matusow caught bad on fourth street and checked. Chop bet, and Vornicu called, bringing the action to "The Mouth." The four-time WSOP bracelet winner squirmed in his seat and gave it 20 seconds of thought before flicking in a T25,000 chip.
"I've got a feeling," Matusow said softly.
The feeling turned out to be correct, as Matusow caught the on fifth street.
"I've got a feeling I'm gonna triple up right now!" Matusow sang loudly.
With the betting lead, Matusow bet, and both Chop and Vornicu called. Matusow shoved 31,000 total on sixth street, Chop raised to 81,000, and Vornicu reluctantly gave up his hand.
Matusow showed for a pair of aces, and Chop tabled for an eighty-five low. Chop was looking for a deuce to scoop the pot but rivered the instead. Matusow received the , and they chopped up the pot.
"Told you I had a feeling," Matusow told his neighbor afterwards.
Marcus Mizzi was down to his last 56,000 and was all in preflop against Ryan Hughes. After all the cards were dealt, Mizzi's one pair wasn't enough against Hughes, who's now up to over a million in chips.
"They can only hope to contain me, ladies and gentlemen," Mike Matusow said.
Omaha Hi-Lo
Matusow followed his speech by showing after taking down a three-way pot against Gabe Paul and Valentin Vornicu.
"The Mouth" flatted from small blind into Gabe Paul's raise and Valentin Vornicu's call. He led out on the flop, receiving two calls. Matusow continued on the turn and both of his opponents gave up.
"Once I get down to the nub, off we go!" Matusow warned the remaining field. He's been talking about breaking Phil Ivey's record for final tables made at the World Series. He has another notch on the horizon with 14 players left in the H.O.R.S.E. event.
On a board with David Steicke in the big blind and Don Zewin in the cutoff, it was Steicke who checked. Zewin bet 40,000, Steicke check-raised to 80,000, and Zewin wanted to move all in for 10,000 more. However, the dealer ruled it a string raise and Zewin was left with 10,000 behind.
Steicke opted to check on the river and Zewin quickly checked behind. Steicke showed for a pair of kings and Zewin mucked face up.
Zewin had half a big blind left and tried to make a comeback with it. After winnings two hands in a row, Zewin was up to 70,000 again. In the next hand, Ryan Hughes raised from under the gun, Zewin three-bet, and Hughes got the rest in.
Hughes:
Zewin:
Zewin wasn't able to complete the miracle escape when the board ran out . He finished in 15th place and received $8,451.
Eighteen players will return at 2 p.m. local time for Day 3 and the final day of Event #44: $3,000 H.O.R.S.E.. They're all guaranteed at least $7,141 for making their way through a stacked field of 399 of the best mixed-game players. However, all eyes are on the first-place prize of $256,226 and the coveted gold WSOP bracelet that awaits the winner at the end of the night.
Tom Koral starts the day as the chip leader with 770,000 in chips. Koral has already racked up over $1.7 million in lifetime winnings, including three deep runs in the WSOP Main Event. However, a WSOP bracelet is still missing on his impressive poker résumé, and Koral will start from pole position to try and cross that one off his bucket list.
In the hunt are Phil Hui (516,000), Marcus Mizzi (485,000), Gabe Paul (485,000), and David Steicke (441,000). Multiple bracelet winners are left as well; two-time winner Ryan Hughes sits in 10th with 288,000, four-time champion Mike Matusow returns with 212,000 and is in 15th place.
After being severely short stacked on Day 2, Matusow was able to climb out of the hole and keep himself in contention. Brimming with confidence, Matusow said: "They couldn't bust me when I had 4,500, how the f*** are they gonna bust me now? I'm the best short-stack player in the world! I've got all the confidence in the world. You can't beat confidence."
It's been quite the summer for "The Mouth" who's looking to make his fourth final table of the 2017 series and a shot at another piece of hardware. The four-time bracelet winner has set his sights on breaking Phil Ivey's final table record set in 2010 [five] and needs to make just two more to tie.
The 18 remaining players will return as follows to Brasilia for the final day of the event.
Room
Table
Seat
Player
Country
Chip Count
Brasilia
700
1
Seamus Cahill
Ireland
287,000
Brasilia
700
3
Don Zewin
United States
155,000
Brasilia
700
4
Matthew Honig
United States
240,000
Brasilia
700
6
Nikolay Fal
Russia
222,000
Brasilia
700
7
Valentin Vornicu
United States
62,000
Brasilia
700
8
Matthew Schreiber
United States
388,000
Brasilia
701
1
Ryan Hughes
United States
288,000
Brasilia
701
2
Gabe Paul
United States
484,000
Brasilia
701
3
Ryan Himes
United States
219,000
Brasilia
701
5
Mike Matusow
United States
212,000
Brasilia
701
7
Alex Livingston
Canada
146,000
Brasilia
701
8
Richard Bai
United States
371,000
Brasilia
702
1
Marcus Mizzi
Canada
485,000
Brasilia
702
3
Dmitry Chop
Ukraine
346,000
Brasilia
702
4
Tom Koral
United States
770,000
Brasilia
702
5
Phillip Hui
United States
516,000
Brasilia
702
6
David Steicke
Hong Kong
441,000
Brasilia
702
7
Brendan Taylor
United States
312,000
Follow PokerNews throughout the day to follow all of the excitement as the $3,000 H.O.R.S.E. champion is crowned.
/ 
/ 
— Folded
for the draw to the seven-low, and Steicke revealed 
for a made eighty-six. 
, giving him an unbeatable sixty-five.
, stood up, and shook everyone's hand. "The Mouth" just missed out on his fourth final table of the series; he finished in 11th place and banked $12,723.
and Hughes raised it up with the 
lying in front of him. Livingston called and then led out on fourth street. Hughes called and third heart hit his board on fifth. Hughes bet and then called Livingston's all in worth 71,000 total. Livingston saw devastating showdown. 
/ 
on sixth street indeed improved his chances for a full house.
on the river wasn't high enough to top Hughes' made hand.
hit the queen and Matusow bet again. Schreiber asked how much Matusow had behind, and it was 39,000. He moved all in, and Matusow called off.
for turned top pair, but Matusow had the goods. "That's behind, my friend," he informed Schreiber, rolling over his 
. 
/ 
instead. Matusow received the 
, and they chopped up the pot.
/ 
/ 
turn and both of his opponents gave up. 
board with David Steicke in the big blind and Don Zewin in the cutoff, it was Steicke who checked. Zewin bet 40,000, Steicke check-raised to 80,000, and Zewin wanted to move all in for 10,000 more. However, the dealer ruled it a string raise and Zewin was left with 10,000 behind.
for a pair of kings and Zewin mucked 
face up.
