It was a two-stage process which sent the Swedish legend to the rail, with the major damage and the finishing blow being dealt by Jeffrey Lisandro.
First off, Lisandro raised pot in early position (21k) and Bjorin called on the button. "Pot," said Lisandro again on the flop. Bjorin raised and a small shove thereafter was enough to get the full 132k in the middle from each of them (Lisandro's stack, barely covered).
Lisandro:
Bjorin:
Lisandro dodged all the club and straight type bullets on the turn and river to double through to 310k while Bjorin had just 11k left.
This went in two hands later preflop with and it was Lisandro whose hit the board better.
The impressively-sized headphones permanently gracing the head of Joe Serock have had to come off - there's a no phone, no ipod, no headphones of any kind rule at the WSOP finals and they all have to abide by this policy. But he's clearly suffering from want of a head-nod and musical accompaniment to his play and just asked Jack Effel, "How far away from the table do you have to be to listen to music?"
The response: not at the table, in any circumstances. Getting up and moving away, though, probably OK.
"So can I just roll back?" Serock pondered (mainly to himself) - the finalists get comfy chairs on wheels which would make his mini journey easier.
Willie Tann has arguably been the most successful player here this week - he has now made the final of both events played so far. Chris Bjorin did too, of course, but seeing as he's now busted, Tann is in with a chance of bettering Bjorin's third and ninth place finishes respectively. (Tann came sixth of six in the last one.)
Or he was in with a good chance - right now it's all looking a little more precarious for the "Dice Man".
Tann opened for 17,000 under the gun and John Racener called in the small blind. Both players checked the flop, and Racener bet out 28,000 on the turn, which Tann flat-called. The river was the and Racener bet pot, enough to put Tann all in. After a little while Tann folded, and is now firmly in the danger zone on just 50,000 or so.
While his rail starts in with a bit of supportive hollering... he just doubled up thusly: John Racener made it 14k to go preflop (as he often does) and Tann on the button could fit his whole 50k in as a re-raise. Back to Racener who called from his chip mountain with facing Tann's premium . The flop was safe for the all-in player: , while the turn provoked a mini cheer from his rail and the river another one. Back up to 109k.
John Racener (under the gun) and Jeff Kimber (under the gun + 1) both limped in before Jeffrey Lisandro raised pot from the hijack. Racener called without delay; Kimber squinted and paused and looked a little confused, before calling as well.
They saw a flop and Racener checked; Kimber, however, moved all in for around 70,000.
Over to Lisandro, who announced, "I'm all in."
Back to Racener, who asked, "How much?"
We were denied the pleasure of a three-way showdown, though, as Racener realised that Lisandro's 300,00 or so had him covered, and he folded.
On their backs, heads up.
Kimber (whom the TD insisted on calling Jeffrey Kimbler for some reason): for top pair and a gutshot draw
Lisandro: for a set of fives
Turn:
River:
While this was going on, Lisandro took delivery of a can of Red Bull from a waitress. Not that he needs it - on well over 400,000, he is chip leader by a country mile.
The unhappy Kimber, meanwhile, exits in the same place he finished in when he finalled this event last year - eighth.
And the winner is... John Racener. Very interesting hands sometimes start with a limp-check, and this was one of those. Jeffrey Lisandro and Felipe Ramos limped, and Racener checked his option. It looked like a check-round on the flop, but on the turn it got a bit more frisky, with Racener checking, Lisandro betting 10k, Ramos calling and Racener responding with a raise to 44k. Back to Lisandro who called quickly, while Ramos took a little bit more time to make the call on the button, too.
The river: You couldn't have asked for a more interesting card.
Racener checked, Lisandro fired 50k. Ramos gave it up after a bit of a dwell, but Racener finished his dwell with a raise to 165k! This sent Lisandro into a brow-furrowed self-counting tank, muttering what passed through everyone's mind at least once, "Six seven of spades?". It even sounded like he said, "Ace deuce of spades," as in that was the real monster he was deliberating over. Whether this was the case or not, we'll never really know as he eventually folded and Racener reissues his challenge for the chip lead.
Felipe Ramos has not quite dug himself out of his short-stacked hole, but he's clawed back a few chips at least courtesy of John Racener.
It folded around to Ramos who made it 18,000 from the button; Racener duly called in the big blind and they saw a flop. Racener checked to Ramos, who promptly bet 26,000 with just 75,000 back. Racener immediately picked up a handful of blue T5,000 chips, but riffled rather than raised. His hand jerked suddenly, as though he was tossing in a call - but the chips stayed in his hand, and he returned to riffling.
Eventually he folded, and Ramos moved up to 140,000 without a showdown.
Small pots in the last quarter hour only, perhaps influenced by the thought of returning refreshed from the dinner break which has been announced for 20 minutes from now. 37k did change hands back from John Racener to Jeff Lisandro, though, when the latter check-raised pot on a board. Racener got 19k back from Felipe Ramos, shortly thereafter, however, and play continues with just Willie Tann's stack in danger at the bottom of the counts.
Felipe Ramos limped in from the cutoff and Joe Serock limped behind on the button. Willie Tann, however, raised pot from the big blind; Ramos called, and Serock folded.
Two players to the flop.
Tann promptly shoved for his last 49,000, and after a few moments, Ramos made the call. Ramos had Tann covered, but only by 30,000 or so.
Tann: for aces
Ramos: for a pair of queens, a flush draw and a gutshot
Turn:
"Yeah, the best card!" said Tann.
River:
None of Ramos' outs came in, as it were, and a grinning Tann doubled to around 170,000. Ramos sat, mouth agape, staring into the tournament void. He's in some serious trouble now.
![[user46298]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
flop. Bjorin raised and a small shove thereafter was enough to get the full 132k in the middle from each of them (Lisandro's stack, barely covered).
turn and river to double through to 310k while Bjorin had just 11k left.
and it was Lisandro whose 
hit the 
board better.
and Racener bet pot, enough to put Tann all in. After a little while Tann folded, and is now firmly in the danger zone on just 50,000 or so.
. The flop was safe for the all-in player: 
, while the turn 
flop and Racener checked; Kimber, however, moved all in for around 70,000.
flop, but on the 
board. Racener got 19k back from Felipe Ramos, shortly thereafter, however, and play continues with just Willie Tann's stack in danger at the bottom of the counts.
flop.
for a pair of queens, a flush draw and a gutshot