Things are going from bad to worse for Jonathan Spinks who is struggling to win a hand. After being check-raised off a flop by neighbor Ronald Chaves, Spinks raised it up to 35,000 from late position a couple of hands later and was called in the big blind by Taylor Larkin. Both players checked the flop, but Spinks folded to a lead of 60,000 on the turn to leave himself with 450,000.

Table 308

Seat 1: Joel Bidnick

Seat 2: Justin Zaki

Seat 3: Chadwick Grimes

Seat 4: Michael Linn

Seat 5: Erle Mankin

Seat 6: Benjamin Eilers

Seat 7: Mihai Manole

Seat 8: Alexander Kuzmin

Seat 9: Erie Mankin

Table 309

Seat 1: Benjamin Smith

Seat 2: Taylor Larkin

Seat 3: John Spinks

Seat 4: Karl Fenton

Seat 5: Tyler Cornell

Seat 6: Ronald Chaves

Seat 7: Jonathan Spinks

Seat 8: David Ventura

Seat 9: Manuel Cadilhe

The wonderfully named Clint Coffee raised under the gun to 40,000 and Ronald Chaves flat called from the button, only for Karl Fenton to moved all in from the small blind. Coffee also shoved and Chaves made the fold.

Fenton:

Coffee:

Board:

Fenton went off to the rail to be congratulated by a member of the rail, but in doing so, triggered a brief moment of confusion as the dealer began to push the pot the wrong way, but, in the end, the chips ended up in the right place and Fenton doubled through to 575,000. Coffee's stack, however, has been dissected in half; he's now back down to 240,000.

Roberto Stamerra opened to 115,000 from the button only to have Alexander Kuzmin make it 171,000 from the big blind.

Stamerra committed his last 50,000 and we were off to a showdown.

Stamerra:

Kuzmin:

The board ran out to see Stamerra eliminated in 19th place.

Mihai Manole has bust another player; Sean Prendiville was the recipient of his wrath and consequently departs in 20th. Manole, meanwhile, now boasts more chips than the Lay's factory with just over two million.

Jonathan Spinks opened from the cutoff for 35,000 and Manuel Cadilhe defended his big blind.

The flop fell down and following a Cadilhe check, Spinks fired out 55,000.

Cadilhe made the call before both players checked the on the turn and on the river to see Cadilhe table his to collect the pot and move to 590,000 as Spinks slips to 680,000.

We're witnessing more doubles than the Bad Beat Bar now as Justin Zaki emulates the success of fellow short stack David Ventura with a double up of his own. Michael Linn was once again the victim, his open from the cut-off reraised all in on the button by Zaki. Ventura made the call and the hole cards were revealed.

Zaki:

Linn:

Board:

Linn loses another pot and is down to 1,240,000, whilst Zaki increases his stack two-fold to 500,000.

With just 53,000, David Ventura was the shortest stack heading into the final day, but from the small acorns, mighty trees grow, and Ventura's stack is already showing sign of growth.

The opponent looking to deroot him from the tournament was the man who started the day as a giant redwood, Michael Linn. With Ventura pushing all in from late position with , Linn made the call in the big blind and flipped onto the felt.

The board, however, favored Ventura, the dealer laying out an board and awarding the short stack the pot with the turned straight. Consequently, Ventura is now up to 150,000, but still short.

Sean Prendiville opened to 36,000 only to have Taylor Larkin three-bet to 95,000 next to act. Prendiville then moved all in and Larkin made the call for his 537,000 total.

Prendiville:

Larkin:

The flop left Larkin in great shape to double, but when the landed on the turn, he would have to fade the board pairing to remain alive.

Fortunately for Larkin the river fell the to see him double through to just under 1,100,000 as Prendiville slips to just 73,000 in chips.

Players rising from their seat signified a big hand, and when we arrived it was cards on their back with a shorter stacked Elliott Harrah all in with on a flop versus the of Mihai Manole. The turn and river were both blanks and Harrah hit the rail. Manole, meanwhile, is now your new chip leader with 1,780,000.

Mihai Manole opened to 31,000 from the cutoff only to have Anthony Spinella three-bet to 100,000 from the button.

Manole made the call as the flop fell down and Manole checked it over to Spinella who fired out 100,000. Manole made the call to see the peel on the turn, an he check the action again.

After pausing for a few minutes to deliberate, Spinella moved all in for 205,000 and was double-fist-pump-snap called by Manole.

Spinella:

Manole:

"What the f**k!" screamed Spinella as he just left the table without waiting for his payout slip.

The meaningless landed on the river and Manole raked in the pot to move to 1,780,000 in chips.

Just spotted Jonathan Spinks mucking on the river of an board after being shown . The pot cost Spinks around 100,000. "Bad start," he mumbled to himself.

Unlike the 1993 Grand National, we're off and underway.

Welcome back to the Rio and the 2010 World Series of Poker for the final day of Event #49: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em!

The 2,543 starting field has been whittled down to just twenty-three as Michael Linn holds the overnight chip lead with an amassed 1,410,000 in chips. Snapping at his heels however is Mihai Minole (1,253,000) before daylight exists between the rest of the pack Jonathan Spinks (703,000) leads the secondary group of players.

Playing down to a winner tonight, one of these players will be walking home with $609,493 in first prize money, a coveted gold bracelet and title of champion!

PokerNews will again be providing continuous live updates of every rivered flush, turned straight and flopped set live from the floor of the Rio and the Event #49 final day!

(Table 331)

Seat 2: Elliott Harrah - 266000

Seat 3: Justin Zaki - 265000

Seat 4: Ronald Chaves - 442000

Seat 5: Karl Fenton - 368000

Seat 6: David Ventura - 53000

Seat 7: Erle Mankin - 442000

Seat 8: Clint Coffee - 449000

(Table 336)

Seat 1: Michael Linn - 1410000

Seat 2: Manuel Cadilhe - 447000

Seat 3: Benjamin Smith - 604000

Seat 5: Roberto Stamerra - 207000

Seat 6: Thomas Gruber - 167000

Seat 7: Jonathan Spinks - 703000

Seat 8: Alexander Kuzmin - 462000

Seat 9: Chadwick Grimes - 591000

(Table 337)

Seat 1: Anthony Spinella - 535000

Seat 2: Tyler Cornell - 423000

Seat 4: Joel Bidnick - 298000

Seat 5: John Myung - 386000

Seat 6: Sean Prendiville - 574000

Seat 7: Taylor Larkin - 570000

Seat 8: Benjamin Eilers - 560000

Seat 9: Mihai Manole - 1253000