Event #44: $3,000 H.O.R.S.E.
Day 3 Started
2017 World Series of Poker
Event #44: $3,000 H.O.R.S.E.
Day: 3
Koral Leads Final Eighteen Players in Event #44: $3,000 H.O.R.S.E.; Matusow, Hughes in Contention
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.
Level: 21
Limits: 15,000/30,000
Ante: 3,000
Careful Start
Level 21
: 15,000/30,000, 3,000 ante
The first 10 minutes of the day haven't brought any major tangles. A few pots in stud looked to get interesting, but several players spiked an open pair on fourth or fifth street, and it shut further action in all cases so far.
Zewin Takes From Cahill
Level 21
: 15,000/30,000, 3,000 ante
Stud
Cahill: 
/ 
/
Zewin: / 
/
One of the first hands that went to showdown today was between Seamus Cahill and Don Zewin. Cahill raised on third street, Zewin put in two bets, and Cahill called. Cahill check-called a bet on fourth before both players checked fifth street.
Zewin hit a third heart on sixth street and bet again, which Cahill called. Both players checked on the river.
Zewin showed 
for a pair of nines. Cahill nodded and mucked his hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
350,000 | 63,000 |
|
220,000 | 65,000 |
Fal Misses Open-Ender
Level 21
: 15,000/30,000, 3,000 ante
Stud
Three-way to fifth street, Valentin Vornicu bet out to force a fold from Seamus Cahill and a call from Nikolay Fal. Vornicu then barreled on fifth, sixth, and seventh streets, earning two calls. Fall couldn't call on the river, showing a ten among his hole cards for an open-ended straight draw on fifth. However, Fal never got there and had to lay down on seventh.
Fal: / 
/ (folded on seventh street)
Vornicu: / 
/
Vornicu, in return, opened ace-seven for two pairs.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
215,000 | 153,000 |
|
150,000 | -72,000 |
Six in a Row for Hughes
Level 21
: 15,000/30,000, 3,000 ante
"This guy has won six hands in a row!" Matusow pointed to Hughes, who's been scooping up small pot after small pot in the early stages.
The two-time bracelet winner has more than doubled the stack he started with today and currently sits at 660,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
660,000 | 372,000 |
Honig Shortens Fal
Level 21
: 15,000/30,000, 3,000 ante
Stud Hi-Lo
Honig: / 
/
Fal: / 
/
With already quite some bets in front of them, Nikolay Fal bet fifth and sixth street and Matthew "Hanks" Honig called. Both players checked on seventh street.
Fal flashed 
for just a pair of tens and Honig tabled 
for two pairs. Frustrated, Fal flung his third card in the muck and was left short.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
280,000 | 40,000 |
|
|
50,000 | -100,000 |
Nikolay Fal Eliminated in 18th Place ($7,141)
Level 21
: 15,000/30,000, 3,000 ante
Following the previous events that saw Nikolay Fal drop below two big bets, the Russian player tried his luck to make his Matusow-like come back. However, it wasn't meant to be for Fal, who lost his remaining chips to Valentin Vornicu.
Stud Hi-Lo
It was still in stud hi-lo when Fal found jacks in the hole but Vornicu had queens. Neither the board nor the river helped Fal to improve. Fal was today's first casualty and the tournament is now one elimination away from another redraw.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
300,000 | 85,000 |
|
|
Busted |
"Aces No Good?"
Level 21
: 15,000/30,000, 3,000 ante
Omaha Hi-Lo
Mike Matusow and Gabe Paul saw a 
flop together, with Paul in the cutoff and Matusow in the small blind. Matusow check-called a bet from Paul, then led out on the turn.
Paul called the bet from Matusow to see the 
land on the river. Matusow bet again and Paul tank-called.
"Aces," said Matusow.
"No good," Paul responded.
"Aces no good?" Matusow said as he tabled his full holding of 
. Paul showed 
for two pairs and took it down.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
550,000 | 66,000 |
|
130,000 | -82,000 |