The third and final scheduled day of play in Event #54: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed Championship begins Friday at 12 noon local time at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino when 39 of the most fearsome pot-limit Omaha players will battle it out for the top prize of $938,732 and a WSOP gold bracelet.
At the head of the pack is Scott Clements, who bagged 1,700,000 chips at the end of play on Day 2 in pursuit of his third bracelet. A longtime expert in the Omaha variants, Clements already has two bracelets to his name that he earned in a $3,000 Omaha Hi/Lo event in 2006 and a $1,500 pot-limit Omaha event in 2007. But with players such as Michail Karapanos (1,133,000), Ben Lamb (1,090,000), Ryan Miller (1,011,000) and John Racener (987,000) taking big stacks out of the bag as well, the road to victory won't be an easy one for anybody.
Other familiar faces returning to the felt for Day 3 include Chris Lee (803,000), Johnny Lodden (672,000), Jason DeWitt (657,000), Eoghan O'Dea (376,000), John Monnette (246,000), Mike Gorodinsky (228,000) and Bobby Oboodi (193,000).
This event is scheduled to play down to a winner on Day 3, but with 39 players still remaining in contention, it is likely that play will continue for a fourth day. When play resumes at 12, blinds will begin at Level 20 at 8,000/16,000. Be sure to check back here for all the updates in Event #54 and throughout the 2017 World Series of Poker from the PokerNews live reporting team.
With about 110,000 already in the middle and the board reading , Jason DeWitt bet 55,000 from the big blind and Johnny Lodden, who was under the gun, shoved for a total of 224,000. DeWitt went into the tank for around a minute before he ultimately called and the two players tabled their hands.
DeWitt:
Lodden:
DeWitt had an open-ended straight draw and pair of sixes but Lodden had the best of it with two pair, queens and fives. The on the turn gave Lodden a boat, leaving DeWitt in terrible shape, the river changed nothing and Lodden took the pot to double up.
With about 300,000 chips already in the middle and the board reading , Scott Clements checked from middle position to his lone opponent, Murat Tulek in the hijack, who checked behind.
The fell on the river and Clements bet 125,000. After a few moments of thought, Tulek raised to 277,000. Clements came over the top for 800,000 and Tulek quickly called.
Clements instantly flipped over for the jack-high straight flush. Tulek showed for the king-high flush and Clements took the pot to put himself firmly in the chip lead.
With 270,000 already in the middle and the board reading , Hani Mio checked from the big blind and Cyrus Partow bet the pot from under the gun. Mio quickly came back over the top and Partow called to put himself at risk.
Cyrus Partow:
Hani Mio:
Mio was way ahead with the flopped nut straight, and neither the turn nor river was enough to preserve Partow's tournament life.
Mike Gorodinsky got his stack of around 10 big blinds all in preflop and found a caller in Hani Mio.
Mike Gorodinsky:
Hani Mio:
The board came and the set of queens won the pot for Mio. "I would have had you beat," John Monnette said. "I had sixes and the nut diamonds," Monnette added.
Gorodinsky added another score to his 2017 WSOP résumé, but has to settle for 23rd place and a payday of $26,167.
Michael Kamran raised the pot and Johnny Lodden moved all in from one seat over for 216,000, which Kamran called with the superior stack.
Johnny Lodden:
Michael Kamran:
"We need clubs Ben," Kamran said to Ben Lamb one table over. Apparently, Kamran, Vivian Saliba and Lamb are in a last-longer competition. The board ran out and Lodden doubled to leave Kamran short.
Hand 2
Kamran got it in for his last 84,000 from early position and Miltiadis Kyriakides peeked at his cards. "Oh, that's a good one," he said and called immediately.
Michael Kamran:
Miltiadis Kyriakides:
The board came and Kyriakides rivered the better two pair to eliminate Kamran in 22nd place for $26,167.
Picking up the action on the flop, Brian Jordan got his last 120,000 in and Chris Lee snap-called.
Brian Jordan:
Chris Lee:
Lee had flopped a full house and Jordan needed one of the two remaining jacks in order to avoid elimination. Both the turn and the river were of no help and Jordan was eliminated in 21st place for $26,167.
Robert Cowen moved all in for his last 77,000 from the hijack and Sean Rafael reraised from the small blind to force out John Monnette in the big blind.
Cowen:
Rafael:
The board came and Cowen left the table with a "good luck guys," departing in 20th place for $26,167.
Johnny Lodden raised from the button and Eoghan O'Dea called from the big blind. The duo checked the flop of and the fell on the turn. O'Dea checked, Lodden bet, and then called all in for 265,000 when facing the check-raise of O'Dea.
Lodden was at risk with and O'Dea showed for a flopped straight. The river failed to improve Lodden and he was eliminated in 19th place for $26,167.