Saturday, July 8, 2017 4:39 PM Local Time
Faraz Jaka Slips
With about 2,800 already in the middle on a flop of , Faraz Jaka checked from the small blind, a player in early position bet 1,300, a player in middle position folded, and Jaka called.
The turn brought the and Jaka check-called a bet of 2,600 from his opponent.
The fell on the river and Jaka checked. His opponent bet 5,100, sending Jaka into the tank. He rechecked his hole cards a time or two and asked his opponent if he'd show him one card if he folded before he ultimately called. His opponent tabled and Jaka mucked.
Saturday, July 8, 2017 4:36 PM Local Time
Grafton Picking on Hermiz Again
Sam Grafton raised to 800 and the cutoff. Austin Hermiz in the small blind and the big blind both called. On the flop, the action was checked through and Hermiz bet the turn for 900. Grafton was the only caller and Hermiz also bet the river for 1,000. Grafton splashed out a raise to 30,000, more than enough to cover Hermiz' remaining stack, and that forced a quick fold.
| Sam Grafton | 124,000 | 12,000  |
| Austin Hermiz | 14,000 | 14,000 |
Saturday, July 8, 2017 4:36 PM Local Time
Two Pair Outdrawn for Mike Schneider
Mike Schneider led into a field of three opponents in what appeared to be a limped pot from the small blind. His 1,000 was called by a player in middle position after two folds on the flop. Both players checked the and , and the Minnesotan tabled for jacks up.
However, his opponent had hit a straight with .
| Mike Schneider | 46,500 | -300  |
Saturday, July 8, 2017 4:34 PM Local Time
Updated Counts Amazon
| Andrew Graham | 140,000 | 5,000 |
| Rifat Palevic | 120,000 | 25,000 |
| Sam Chartier | 115,000 | 4,900 |
| Frank Crivello | 110,000 | 110,000 |
| Nikita Nikolaev | 100,000 | 20,000 |
| Anatoly Filatov | 98,000 | 15,600 |
| Pratyush Buddiga | 90,000 | 11,000 |
| Kenneth Rawlinson | 90,000 | 90,000 |
| Abou Sy | 80,000 | 80,000 |
| Jessica Dawley | 51,000 | 500 |
| Anthony Spinella | 40,000 | 11,000 |
| Lauren Monosson | 40,000 | 40,000 |
| Brock Parker | 38,000 | -22,000 |
| Martin Jacobson | 11,000 | -8,900 |
| Leon Tsoukernik | 4,000 | 1,600 |
Saturday, July 8, 2017 4:33 PM Local Time
Updated Counts from Brasilia
Jon Turner and Stefan Jedlicka were among the most recent additions to the field and have taken their seats in Brasilia.
| David Vedral | 130,000 | 20,000 |
| Chris Hunichen | 64,000 | 4,000 |
| Alan Smurfit | 63,000 | 11,000 |
| Donnacha O'Dea | 58,000 | 16,000 |
| Matthew Kelly | 55,000 | 8,000 |
| Jon Turner | 50,000 | |
| Patrick Leonard | 48,000 | -7,000 |
| Pierre Merlin | 47,000 | -8,000 |
| Emil Ekvardt | 47,000 | -5,000 |
| Stefan Jedlicka | 37,000 | |
| Fred Goff III | 19,000 | -22,500 |
| Dan Shak | 5,000 | -8,000 |
Saturday, July 8, 2017 4:33 PM Local Time
"I Can't Show the Nuts Every Time"
Mike Matusow bet 4,000 from the small blind on a completed board of . An opponent in late position thought things over for about 30 seconds and mucked. Tom Schneider tried cajoling Matusow into showing.
"I can't show the nuts every time," Matusow said. "Otherwise I'd never be able to rob you guys. I thought I was getting called by two tens there."
| Mike Matusow | 44,300 | -5,000 |
Saturday, July 8, 2017 4:29 PM Local Time
Savage Runs Into a Cooler; The Comeback Begins
With the board reading , Matt Savage and his opponent got all of their chips in the middle and Savage was feeling great about it. Savage tabled for the best full house. However, his opponent revealed the only hand better, for quads. The on the river completed the board and Savage was left with just 7,000 after running into the four sixes.
A couple hands later, the flop came with three players in the hand. The big blind checked and Savage bet 1,200 from under the gun. The player in middle position called along with the big blind. The turn was the and the action was checked to Savage. He bet 2,400 and both of his opponents called again. The river landed the and all three players checked. Savage tabled and both of his opponents mucked their cards.
| Matt Savage | 18,000 | -35,500 |
Saturday, July 8, 2017 4:24 PM Local Time
Paul Vang Catches a Bluff . . . With a Boat
The player under the gun raised to 825 and Paul "Pong" Vang quickly three-bet to 2,400 from the hijack. His opponent called.
The flop came and the under-the-gun player checked. Vang bet 3,000 and his opponent called.
The turn was the and both players checked to the on the river. The under-the-gun player bet 4,200 and Vang just called. His opponent slowly turned over the first and then the . Vang turned over for tens full of kings to rake in the pot.
| Paul Vang | 67,000 | 67,000 |
Saturday, July 8, 2017 4:21 PM Local Time
Swanson Slips
David "Dave" Swanson raised to 700 from middle position, Jame Sanford Hitchcock called from the hijack, and the big blind called as well.
The flop came and the big blind checked. Swanson bet 1,000, Hitchcock folded, and the big blind called.
The turn brought the and both players checked. The river was the and they both checked again. The big blind tabled for aces and queens with a jack, which was good enough to win the pot. Swanson sighed "of course" as he tossed his cards into the muck.
| David Swanson | 25,000 | -7,800 |
Saturday, July 8, 2017 4:18 PM Local Time
Tsoukernik Back Down to Dust
Leon Tsoukernik's double-up has already been distributed back to his opponents, leaving him with just 2,400 again. He lost a decent chunk recently when he saw a flop of after raising to 1,300 on the button, getting action from a player who limped early. They checked there and then did the same on the turn, bringing a river. The early player bet 2,000.
"I would love to pay you, but I can't," Tsoukernik said. "I have nice cards, but I can't."
He flicked into the middle.
| Leon Tsoukernik | 2,400 | 500 |
Saturday, July 8, 2017 4:14 PM Local Time
Eldridge Stacking Heaps
David Eldridge just passed the 120,000 mark with a bet of 3,200 on a board, getting a fold from an opponent. Eldridge has just over $750,000 in live tournament cashes but is still looking for that first major win. He has a ninth-place finish at PCA and a second-place finish in a WPT event within the past year and a half.
| David Eldridge | 125,000 | 80,000 |
Saturday, July 8, 2017 3:57 PM Local Time
Buddiga Gets a River Fold from Matusow
With about 8,000 chips already in the middle and the completed board reading , Pratyush Buddiga bet 6,500 from the hijack and Mike Matusow, who was in the cutoff, took a few moments to think before he folded. Buddiga took the pot to further bolster a stack that's been steadily climbing thus far today.
| Pratyush Buddiga | 79,000 | 19,000 |
| Mike Matusow | 49,300 | 100 |
Saturday, July 8, 2017 3:50 PM Local Time
Updated Counts from Amazon Gold
| Jesper Hougaard | 84,000 | 20,000 |
| Anatoly Filatov | 82,400 | 32,400 |
| Nick Jivkov | 57,000 | 7,000 |
| Steven Gee | 54,600 | 4,600 |
| Matt Savage | 53,500 | -500 |
| Benoit Lam | 52,300 | 2,300 |
| Jessica Dawley | 50,500 | 500 |
| Michael Wolf | 47,000 | -3,000 |
| Austin Buchanan | 45,000 | -5,000 |
| James Akenhead | 29,000 | -21,000 |
| Jen Shahade | 29,000 | -9,600 |
Saturday, July 8, 2017 3:47 PM Local Time
Level 3 started
Level: 3
Blinds: 150/300
Ante: 25
Saturday, July 8, 2017 3:29 PM Local Time
Break Time
Players are on break for 20 minutes.
Saturday, July 8, 2017 3:29 PM Local Time
Tsoukernik Doubles
Short on chips, Leon Tsoukernik put his last 2,625 in the hand after he moved in and got no callers. A player in the small blind called with and was leading Tsoukernik's .
Things looked grim for the King's Casino owner after an flop, but the runout gave him a winning straight.
Saturday, July 8, 2017 3:29 PM Local Time
Matusow Takes One
On a board of , Pratyush Buddiga checked from the small blind, Mike Matusow did the same from the big blind, and a player in middle position bet 600. Buddiga folded and Matusow called.
The river brought the and both players checked. Matusow tabled , having paired his six on the flop, and it was good enough to win the pot.
| Mike Matusow | 49,200 | 1,500 |
Saturday, July 8, 2017 3:28 PM Local Time
"I Got You"
The last hand of the level provided some action on the table of Barny Boatman and he got involved in a pot with the player under the gun. By the river, there was 9,500 in the middle and Boatman bet 6,000.
"What do you have?" his opponent asked.
Boatman replied, "I got you. I might have a nine in my hand, but either way I got you."
Ultimately, Boatman's opponent called and the Brit rolled over for the straight while his opponent mucked face up.
"That's what happens when you run good," he added while the duo headed into the break.
| Barny Boatman | 150,000 | 5,000 |
Saturday, July 8, 2017 3:26 PM Local Time
Buddiga Finds a Nice Turn
Pratyush Buddiga and Mike Matusow each put in 1,200 on the flop, though we didn't see who the aggressor was. On the turn, Buddiga check-called 1,500 from "The Mouth". Both players checked the .
"Nine," Matusow announced.
Buddiga turned over for a pair of kings.
Matusow grumbled that he had a flush draw too and showed .
| Pratyush Buddiga | 60,000 | -2,300 |
| Mike Matusow | 47,700 | -7,300 |
Saturday, July 8, 2017 3:25 PM Local Time
Van Zadelhoff Wins Aces Versus Kings
Steven van Zadelhoff was preflop all in against Loc Phu. Van Zadelhoff held against Phu's . There was no sweat for van Zadelhoff on , and he doubled up.
| Steven van Zadelhoff | 118,000 | 0 |