Event #54: 10,000 No-Limit Hold'em MAIN EVENT Championship

It was a tough spot for Mark Vos. Lisa Parsons opened the pot with a raise to 70,000. Vos looked down at     and reraised. Parsons quickly moved all in for a total of about 550,000. At that point, Vos was practically priced in to make the call, which he did. Parsons opened up    . Her pocket rockets held when the board came          . She doubles up to 1.2 million and Vos drops to 1.75 million.

Tim Taylor raised to 70,000 from early position and Brandon Cantu called on the button. Allen Kennedy reraised to 175,000 from the big blind and when Taylor called, Cantu moved in for over three million. Kennedy called, Taylor got out of the way, and Kennedy's     put him in good shape to double against Cantu's    . And that's just what Kennedy did, as the board ran out          . When the dealer put that final card on the felt Kennedy jumped up and yelled "Touchdown Georgia!!" and the man decked out in red and black and wearing a Bulldog baseball cap is now up to 2.78 million. Cantu fell to 2.5 million.

With just 99 players left, we're at another "pay jump" in which those still standing are guaranteed a slightly larger payday than they were a few moments ago. Let's have another look at how these players would fare if they all were to split the remaining prize pool right now. The next nine players eliminated will all take home $51,466, however an even chop between all remaining players would mean that they'd all walk away with $476,265, not bad considering that is a few thousand dollars more than 13th place money.

The first feeling that many of these players feel upon being eliminated from the Main Event is one of deep disappointment. Maybe they got their chips in good, maybe not, but the stark fact is that the dream of a deep run is over. It's not all bad news, of course. At this point of the tournament, a player who busts out is guaranteed $51,466. The floor who oversaw the all in radios the bustout to the central podium. A runner is then sent to the table, who directs the busted player to the central podium. At the podium, the recently departed gives in his or her TotalRewards card and photo ID. As one supervisor enters the information, including place of finish, into the computer, another announces the name and hometown of the busted player over the PA system in the Amazon Room. After this process is completed, the player receives a small slip of paper with his or her name and place of finish on it. The slip is initialled by one of the floor supervisors. The runner then takes the player out of the Amazon Room, across the hall, and down a side hallway to the payouts room. The payouts room feels like the waiting area inside of an unemployment center, with a front desk, several waiting chairs behind it (in case of a high volume of bustouts) and several computer terminals and printers behind that. The player gives in his "finish slip" and TotalRewards card again at the front desk, is asked for a taxpayer ID number, and then is directed to one of the computer terminals. Another Harrah's representative is waiting at each terminal. They provide various tax forms that have to be filled out and also create a tournament payout receipt showing the player's name, address, certain personal identifying information and the amount of money the player has won. Once all of those forms are completed, there's one more stop -- the payout cage, located inside the same room. There, at one of five barred windows, players can elect to receive their winnings in any combination of cash, chips, check, wire transfer and/or front money deposit at the Rio. It's a long process, but there is a certain comaraderie in the room. Everyone who is in there has arrived in the same condition -- busted out of the largest, richest poker tournament in the world. Once the initial feelings of disappointment evaporate, many swap stories with each other, congratulate each other, and begin the celebration of a five- or six-figure payday.

Adi Agarwal moved all in preflop for his last 234,000 and Cristian Dragomir made the call. Agarwal:    Dragomir:    The board ran out       and Agarwal spiked a jack on the flop to double up to about 480,000 in chips.

Vito Branciforte has become the latest player to join the ranks of the eliminated. Branciforte got all his chips in good with     against the     of Paul Snead but came up short when the board ran out          .

Mike Matusow has just played consecutive pots for the first time today. In the first hand he moved all in over the top of the opening raise from Cristian Dragomir, who laid down his hand. Matusow advertised pocket jacks. The next hand Matusow was the preflop raiser making it 60,000 to go. Phi Nguyen made the call. They saw a flop of     and Matusow takes down the pot with a continuation bet of 70,000. "Wow I won two pots in a row! That's scary!" said Matusow as he now sits behind about 650,000 in chips.

Vito Branciforte is down to just under 200,000. He just found himself all in on successive hands, both times against Santeri Valikoski, who has him well covered. On the first hand, Branciforte had    vs. Valikoski's   . The board came A-6-J-J-9, and they chopped. On the next one, Branciforte was again dominated preflop with    against Valikoski's   . This time the flop was    , giving Valikoski trips. But the   and   river gave both players Broadway and yet another chop. Branciforte hangs on with 197,000.

Scott Nguyen just made an appearance, checking out the action among the final dozen tables. His walking through the Amazon Room here on Day 5 brings to mind for many his deep run in last year's Main Event when he finished 11th. Nguyen won the WSOP Main Event in 1998. Nguyen stopped at Phil Hellmuth's table, and Hellmuth tipped his cap to him, saying "The H.O.R.S.E. champion, everyone." Nguyen responded by wishing good luck to Hellmuth, the lone WSOP Main Event winner left in the field.

From under the gun, Brian Tatum raised to 70,000. He was called by two players, including Suresh Prabhu. On a flop of      , Tatum bet 205,000. This time only Prabhu called. The turn came  , prompting Tatum to move all in for 350,000. Prabhu snap-called, only to find out his     was drawing dead to Tatum's    . The river was the  . Tatum doubled up to about 1.2 million, while Prabhu dropped to about 1.7 million.