Event #17: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em

The buzz inside the walls of the Rio extends beyond just the tournaments on the 2013 World Series of Poker schedule. Online poker in Nevada is a very, very hot topic right now, and WSOP.com is making a lot of noise.

While the site has yet to launch, you can head to the Lambada Room of the Rio or look for one of the beautiful and friendly WSOP.com ladies walking the hallways to sign up for a free, personal WSOP.com online poker account. This is a great way to get a jump on the site's registration, and plenty of people have already taken this opportunity.

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Players 21 years of age and older who sign up for a WSOP.com account will automatically be entered into the "36-Seat Giveaway" where a randomly-selected winner will win a seat into the next day's first WSOP gold bracelet event. One of the events eligible in this promotion is the $111,111 One Drop High Roller No-Limit Hold'em tournament that is expected to feature a $10,000,000 prize pool and allow you to play poker with the biggest names in the game. In total, $182,333 in WSOP seats, including a seat to the WSOP Main Event, are being given away during this one-of-a-kind WSOP.com promotion.

In addition to the 36-Seat Giveaway, a "Hot Seat" promotion will allow any player who signs up for a WSOP.com online account and wears their WSOP.com patch on their chest at the table while playing an event to be randomly selected to receive 500 bonus dollars deposited directly into their WSOP.com online account once the site has received all regulatory approvals and launches.

With 62 WSOP gold bracelet events and three winners promised for the Main Event, this promotion includes $32,000 worth of value to those participating.

Hand #33: Taylor opened for 65,000 from the cutoff, and Carlton three-bet to 155,000 from the small blind, forcing Taylor off his hand.

Hand #34: Polychronopoulos opened for 70,000 from the cutoff, Carlton called on the button, and Baker shipped his last 490,000. Polychronopoulos got out of the way, but Carlton insta-called with his   . Baker was in very bad shape with his   , and although he found a four on the     flop, the turn ( ) and river ( ) both missed him, sending him to the payout desk in 8th place. With his third final table appearance in three WSOP tournaments this summer, Baker's amazing run here has come to an end, but he is sure to be a force at final tables to come for the foreseeable future.

Hand #29: Polychronopoulos opened for 50,000 from early position, and Kurth called out of the big blind. The dealer fanned a flop of     across the felt, and Kurth checked. Polychronopoulos then fired a bet of 75,000, but he quickly folded when Kurth came over the top with a raise to 200,000.

Hand #30: Baker made it 55,000 to go from early position, and he claimed the blinds and antes.

Hand #31: Kurth opened for 75,000 after action folded around to him on the button. Polychronopoulos called from the big blind, and the flop fell    . Polychronopoulos led out for 100,000, showing strength and snaking the pot from Kurth.

Hand #32: Under the gun, Baker raised to 55,000 and Mutke flatted from early position. Carlton tried the squeeze play, three-betting to 160,000 from the big blind. Holding the   , Mutke decided to make his stand with an all-in shove, but he was insta-called by Carlton and his   .

With the ultimate cooler having occurred here at the final table, Mutke was in bad shape, and a final runout of       left him with an inferior overpair to the board. Carlton doubled his stack to about 1.27 million, putting himself in great position as we head to the first break of the night.

Hand #21: Cada opened for 48,000 from the cutoff, Mutke called on the button, and Ward three-bet to 151,000 from the small blind. Cada and Mutke mucked their hands, and the pot was pushed to Ward.

Hand #22: Mutke opened for 50,000 when the action folded around to him in the cutoff, and Ward won another pot with a three-bet, this time for 135,000.

Hand #23: Ward went for three in a row, raising to 50,000 from the cutoff, but a three-bet of 140,000 by Taylor forced him off the hand.

Hand #24: Cada opened for 48,000 from early position, and Ward kept up his aggression, three-betting to 136,000 from the hijack. The trick worked this time, giving Ward his third pot in the last four hands.

Hand #25: Taylor raised to 55,000 from the cutoff, taking down the blinds and antes.

Hand #26: Mutke opened for a raise of 50,000 from under the gun, claiming a small uncontested pot.

Hand #27: Kurth took the blinds and antes with a preflop raise from early position.

Hand #28: Polychronopoulos made it 50,000 to go from early position, and Baker three-bet to 120,000 from the cutoff. Polychronopoulos called the raise to see a flop of    , and he checked the action to Baker, who tapped the table as well. On the   turn, Polychronopoulos led out for 160,000, and this was enough to force a fold from Baker.

Hand #16: Kurth opened for 60,000 from the cutoff, and Taylor three-bet to 160,000 holding the button. This was enough to force the fold, and the pot was pushed to Taylor.

Hand #17: Cada opened for 48,000 from under the gun, making the minimum raise. Taylor called from the cutoff, and the two went heads-up to the flop of    . Cada continued with a bet of 65,000 and Taylor called, bringing the   to the table on the turn. Cada led out once more, this time for 125,000, and Taylor came along for the ride. On the   river, Cada slowed down, perhaps preparing to check-call a bet with two tens on board, but Taylor tapped the table as well. Cada then revealed his   , and the rockets were best.

Hand #18: Ward opened for 50,000 from early position, and Kurth called from the next seat over. Carlton saw an opportunity to squeeze on the button, and his three-bet play moved both players off the hand.

Hand #19: The action folded around the table to Baker on the button, and despite his aggressive style, he elected to muck. Cada limped in out of the small blind, and Mutke checked his option, bringing us to to a flop of    . Cada led out for a bet of 55,000, and this was enough to take it down.

Hand #20: Baker opened for 60,000 in the cutoff, Cada folded his button, Mutke flatted from the small blind, and Ward defended his big blind. The flop came    , and Mutke and Ward both checked to Baker, who continued his line with a bet of 80,000. Mutke came along, Ward mucked, and the turn came  . Mutke tapped the table a second time, and Baker slowly cut out enough chips for a bet of 152,000. After a minute or so of contemplation, Mutke slid out a raise of 333,000, and Baker announced a call. On the   river, Mutke paused for over a minute while deep in thought, before quietly announcing himself all-in. Facing a bet for his tournament life, Baker stared at his opponent and the board, before ultmately deciding to fold and preserve his last 680,000 for another battle.

Hand #12: Taylor raised from early position, making it 55,000 to play, and Everett Carlton three-bet to 130,000 from the hijack. Taylor couldn't stand the heat, and his hand was slid towards the dealer.

Hand #13: With his gold WSOP Main Event bracelet dangling from his wrist, Joe Cada opened for 48,000 out of the cutoff. Kurth decided to play a pot with the champ, and made the call from the big blind. The flop fell     and Kurth led out with a wager of 53,000, a bet which Cada believed enough to muck his cards.

Hand #14: Mutke opened for 48,000 from the cutoff, and Taylor came along from the big blind to see the flop of    . Both players checked it down on the   turn and   river. Taylor opened up   , and his pair was the winner.

Hand #15: Baker opened for 60,000 in early position, and Mutke three-bet to 160,000 from the hijack. The man known as Bakes was not impressed, however, and his four-bet to 342,000 forced Mutke to muck

Hand #6: Joe Cada opened for 45,000 from middle position, and Samuel Taylor called to defend his big blind. The flop fell    , and Taylor check-called a bet of 50,000 to bring the   to the table. He then check-called another Cada bet, this time for 100,000, and the river fell  . Taylor checked for a third time, and called Cada's 225,000 third barrel.

Showdown:

Cada:   
Taylor:   

Taylor's two pair was good enough, and he dragged a sizable pot his way.

Hand #7: Joe Ward opened for 45,000 from the cutoff, Kurth called on the button, and the flop came    . Ward fired a bet of 55,000 into the middle, Kurth came along, and the   fell on the turn. Ward then slowed down, check-folding to a bet of 60,000.

Hand #8: Kurth opened for 55,000 from the cutoff, and Taylor three-bet to 135,000 holding the button. Kurth was convinced, and his hand went to the muck.

Hand #9: Ward opened for 45,000 from early position, scooping the blinds and antes.

Hand #10: Kurth limped in from early position, Taylor raised to 70,000 from the hijack, and Polychronopoulos put him to the test with a three-bet for 195,000. This power play worked to perfection, and Taylor released his hand in short order.

Hand #11: Polychronopoulos opened for 45,000 from the hijack, and Manuel Mutke called to defend his big blind. On the flop of    , Mutke checked to Polychronopoulos, who fired 65,000 into the middle. Mutke came along to see the   fall on the turn, and both players tapped the table to bring the   on board. Mutke then paused for a minute or so, before leading out with a bet of 130,000, and Polychronopoulos tanked for another minute until releasing his hand.

Hand #5: Athanasios Polychronopoulos raised to 45,000 from early position, Nicotera shoved all-in for 389,000, and Polychronopoulos quickly called him down with   . Nicotera was in bad shape with his   , but the flop of     gave him a few additional outs. The turn ( ) and river ( ) blanked off, however, and Nicotera was eliminated on the fifth hand of final table play.

Hand #1: Michael Kurth opened for 55,000 in middle position, taking the blinds and antes without a fight.

Hand #2: David "Bakes" Baker opened for 45,000 on the button, forcing the blinds to surrender.

Hand #3: Bakes opened for his standard 45,000 raise out of the cutoff, taking another pot chocked full of blinds and antes.

Hand #4: Bakes continued his aggressive start to this final table, raising once again to 45,000 from the hijack, Manuel Mutke called from the button, Joel Ward called from the small blind, and Thomas Nicotera came along to defend his big blind.

The first flop of our final table fell    , and Bakes took the pot with a c-bet of 80,000.