Event #61: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em MAIN EVENT - World Championship

Scott Abrams opened with a raise to 425,000 from under the gun and he'd get two callers — Steven Gee (small blind) and Jesse Sylvia (big blind). The flop came    , and it checked to Abrams who bet 750,000. Gee sat with his hand over his mouth for a moment then called the bet, and Sylvia stepped aside.

The   fell on the turn. Gee checked, and Abrams didn't wait too long before betting 1.25 million. Gee thought over a minute, then called.

The river brought the  . Gee checked relatively quickly, and Abrams sat with his arms folded for a few seconds, then slid out a stack of lavender chips — a bet of 1.8 million. Gee counted out chips to call and riffled them a bit, watching Abrams as he did. Then he grabbed some more and made a raise to 4.3 million total. Abrams called right away.

Gee turned over    for sevens full of tens, and Abrams looked at the cards for a moment before tossing his away face down.

Steven Gee	17,800,000	6,500,000
Scott Abrams	16,000,000	-6,900,000

Greg Merson opened to 400,000 from middle position, Michael Esposito called from the cutoff, and Wilfried Harig moved all in for 2.45 million on the button. The action folded back to Merson, who re-raised, and Esposito quickly folded. The hands were opened.

Merson:   
Harig:   

Merson's rail exploded when the flop fell    , giving him a pair of kings and a backdoor diamond draw.

"Diamond!" Tony Gregg yelled from the stands. "Diamond!"

The turn was not a diamond, but it was the  , giving Merson two pair. His rail erupted, then began screaming "Hold!!!"

Merson did hold as the   completed the board. Unbelievably, Merson cracked Harig's aces, eliminating him in 15th place.

Greg Merson	19,850,000	3,045,000
Wilfried Harig	0	-2,905,000

It folded to Jeremy Ausmus in the small blind who raised to 500,000, Russell Thomas then reraised to 1.3 million from the big blind, and Ausmus called.

The flop came     and Ausmus checked. Thomas set out a bet of 1.2 million, good enough to take it down.

Russell Thomas	16,800,000	1,450,000
Jeremy Ausmus	12,500,000	-1,300,000

Both tables are underway, with seven players on the secondary feature table and eight at the main feature table.

On the first hand back at the secondary table, Robert Salaburu raised to 425,000 from the button, then Steven Gee reraised to 1.2 million from the small blind, getting folds from Jesse Sylvia in the big blind and Salaburu.

On the next hand, Jeremy Ausmus opened things with a raise to 425,000 from middle position, and Scott Abrams called from the big blind. The flop came     and both checked. The turn was the  , and Abrams led for 525,000, getting a fold from Ausmus.

An open by Ausmus on the third hand was good enough to claim the blinds and antes.

Final Hand Details of WSOP Main Event

We just had a big, tense hand happen over at the secondary feature table, the last one before the dinner break.

Jacob Balsiger opened for 400,000 from the hijack seat, then Russell Thomas reraised from the button for 1,050,000. Both blinds folded, and Balsiger sat peering across the table, his eyes moving up and down from Thomas to his stack. Finally he made the call.

The flop came monotone —     — and Balsiger quickly checked. Thomas didn't wait too long before betting 1.2 million, and Balsiger thought a short while before carving out the chips to call.

The turn was the  , putting a fourth spade on the board. Balsiger checked again, and after about a half-minute pause Thomas bet 1.6 million. Balsiger sat motionless for two minutes, then raised to 3.2 million. A minute more passed, and Thomas called.

The river brought the  . Balsiger didn't wait too long before pushing out stacks of lavender chips for a bet of 3 million. After thinking a short while longer, Thomas pushed his cards to the dealer.

Jacob Balsiger	25,730,000	3,930,000
Russell Thomas	15,350,000	-5,550,000

Greg Merson raised to 400,000 from middle position only to have Wilfried Harig three-bet to 960,000 from the button. The blinds both got out of the way and Merson made the call.

Both players proceeded to check the     flop, bringing about the   turn. Merson led out for 1.05 million, Harig called, and the   peeled off on the river. Merson took a moment before announcing that he was all in for 8.385 million, and Harig snap-called.

Merson slapped down    for the nuts, and his cheering section erupted; meanwhile, a shell-shocked Harig revealed    for the inferior nine-high straight.

Greg Merson	21,330,000	11,680,000
Wilfried Harig	2,935,000	-10,845,000

Marc Ladouceur opened to 430,000 from early position, and Elisabeth Hille three-bet to 935,000 from the cutoff seat. The button and blinds released, and Ladouceur four-bet to 1.53 million. Hille moved all in, and Ladouceur quickly folded.

Marc Ladouceur	17,080,000	-2,395,000
Elisabeth Hille	8,830,000	1,980,000

After the elimination of David Balkin and then Robert Buckenmayer, Gaelle Baumann has been moved off the Secondary Feature Table to the ESPN Main Stage. Here's the current seat draw.