Friday, May 30, 2014 4:21 PM Local Time
Updated Chip Counts
| Brandon Shack-Harris | 2,380,000 | 190,000  |
| Morgan Popham | 670,000 | 170,000 |
| Iori Yogo | 320,000 | -380,000  |
Friday, May 30, 2014 4:21 PM Local Time
Popham Betters Yogo
Hand 107: Iori Yogo received a walk in the big blind.
Hand 108: Brandon Shack-Harris raised the button to 50,000 and collected the blinds.
Hand 109: Iori Yogo opened to 50,000 and Brandon Shack-Harris defended his big blind to see a flop fall. Shack-Harris checked and Yogo bet out 50,000. Shack-Harris announced a bet of pot to 262,000 and Yogo quickly mucked.
Hand 110: From the small blind Brandon Shack-Harris raised to 80,000 and Iori Yogo quickly called from the big.
The flop fell and Shack-Harris slid out a stack of 100,000 to prompt an insta-muck from Yogo.
Hand 111: Iori Yogo limped the small blind and Morgan Popham checked his option to see a flop fall. Both players checked, then the landed on the turn. Yogo bet out 25,000 with Popham calling. The river then brought the .
Yogo pushed out 55,000 and Popham called, tabling his to better Yogo's .
Hand 112: Iori Yogo announced a raise of pot to 84,000 and picked up the blinds.
Friday, May 30, 2014 4:12 PM Local Time
Popham Check-Pots Against Harris
Hand 98: Morgan Popham opened to 50,000 on the button and got potted by Brandon Shack-Harris to 170,000. Iori Yogo folded, and Popham thought for about a minute before folding.
Hand 99: Shack-Harris won with a raise from the button.
Hand 100: Yogo opened to 50,000 on the button, and he took it down.
Hand 101: Popham min-raised the button, and Yogo defended his big. A relatively dry flop hit the felt, and Yogo check-folded.
Hand 102: Shack-Harris raised to 50,000 on the button and was called by Yogo in the small blind. Yogo checked the flop, and he folded to Shack-Harris' 60,000.
Hand 103: Popham raised it up to 50,000 from the small blind, and Shack-Harris defended. Popham checked the flop, and Shack-Harris fired 50,000. Popham potted to 265,000, and Shack-Harris quickly folded.
Hand 104: Yogo got a walk.
Hand 105: Shack-Harris raised the button to 50,000 and took the pot down.
Hand 106: Shack-Harris got a walk.
Friday, May 30, 2014 4:11 PM Local Time
Final Table Interview: Brandon Shack-Harris
Brandon Shack-Harris is a mixed game player with plenty of PLO experience. In fact, all of his WSOP cashes have come in events other than no-limit hold'em. With the elimination of Steve Billirakis in fourth place, Shack-Harris is at least guaranteed to tie his best finish, which was third place in the 2012 WSOP $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Event.
We caught up with Shack-Harris during the break.
How did you feel about playing down to six last night instead of stopping at nine?
I think it's great. I like keeping the momentum of the game going instead of starting cold. It's helpful for me at least. It works well with my mindset.
How did the rest of the table take the news?
No one said anything. I think everyone liked it. I can't speak for the people that busted — maybe they would have wanted a little more attention or something like that — but I think a lot of us just want to get it done.
I want to late reg razz and because we came back with six, this should be over before late reg closes. It might be bad for amateur or recreational players, though. They should probably get their time in the sun. That's something to think about.
Did you make any adjustments to your game overnight?
There was a hand that kind of bothered me. It played out weird. I had a lot of options. I had one or two plays and then I decided that a third option was probably better. I was just to trying to get some closure. We have a poker house with 13 of us. There are eight of us right now and everyone is really good.
I talked to everybody about that hand and listened to what everyone had to say. Otherwise, I went home and did a little homework.
You have the chip lead going into break. How does that change things if at all?
It allows me to put pressure on the other players obviously. I'm kind of going about it selectively.
Is PLO is your best game?
No. It's a game I play a lot. I play a lot of mixed games. I like having the game change every eight hands. I like PLO a lot. I even played it on its own for a bit, but I prefer the mixed games in general. I like different games.
Do you have a favorite?
Razz was it. I have been really enjoying badacey, baduecy and deuce. I've got a lot of friends who like talking about little nuances of new games and that makes it a lot of fun. Right now PLO is my favorite game, though.
What's your summer schedule like — is it pretty packed?
Yeah. I think I have 20 events that are the best for me and I will add on accordingly. The PLO events coincide with the mixed events and that's bad for me. Just three no-limit events right now and PLO.
Friday, May 30, 2014 4:04 PM Local Time
Updated Chip Counts
| Brandon Shack-Harris | 2,190,000 | 720,000 |
| Iori Yogo | 700,000 | -40,000 |
| Morgan Popham | 500,000 | -122,000 |
Friday, May 30, 2014 4:02 PM Local Time
Steve Billirakis Eliminated in 4th Place ($57,785)
Hand 97: Steve Billirakis opened to 50,000 only to have Brandon Shack-Harris pot from the big blind to 162,000. After a few moments of deliberation, Billirakis made the call. The dealer fanned a flop and Shack-Harris announced a bet of pot totaling 336,000.
Billirakis went into the tank as he sat with just a big blind more than Shack-Harris' bet. After about two minutes Billarikis moved all in for 360,000 and Shack-Harris made the call.
Billirakis:
Shack-Harris:
With Billirakis holding an inside wrap, the turn then brought the to give him a plethora of outs for any eight, seven, six, four, or two for the win.
Unfortunately for the two-time WSOP bracelet winner, the river landed the and he was sent to the rail in 4th place for a $57,785 payday.
| Steve Billirakis | 0 | -545,000 |
Friday, May 30, 2014 3:58 PM Local Time
Some Aggression Getting Shown
Hand 93: Iori Yogo opened the button to 50,000 and Brandon Shack-Harris defended his big blind, then the dealer fanned a flop. Both players checked and the landed on the turn. Shack-Harris checked to Yogo who bet out 65,000 to prompt a fold from Shack-Harris.
Hand 94: Morgan Popham opened his button to 50,000 and Brandon Shack-Harris called from the small blind. The flop fell and Shack-Harris checked to Popham who followed suit.
The turn of the saw Shack-Harris lead for 75,000 which was enough to prompt a fold from Popham.
Hand 95: Brandon Shack-Harris raised his button to 48,000 and Iori Yogo called from the big blind to see a flop fall.
Both players checked as the landed on the turn and Yogo bet out 65,000 as Shack-Harris quickly mucked.
Hand 96: Brandon Shack-Harris raised to 50,000 from the cutoff only to have Steve Billirakis three-bet to 186,000 and force a fold from Shack-Harris.
Friday, May 30, 2014 3:45 PM Local Time
Hands 87-92
Hand 87: Brandon Shack-Harris opened for 50,000 and took down the pot.
Hand 88: Shack-Harris again raised to 50,000, and again he won the pot.
Hand 89: Iori Yogo's turn to raise to 50,000, but he got repopped to pot by Shack-Harris. Yogo folded.
Hand 90: Morgan Popham raised to 50,000 on the button, and Steve Billirakis called in the big blind. Both players checked the flop, and a emerged. Popham's 65,000 bet took the pot down after Billirakis checked.
Hand 91: Popham raised to 50,000 under the gun, and Yogo defended his big blind. Both players checked the flop to see the fall on the turn. Two more checks followed, and the completed the board. Yogo bet 80,000 and won the pot.
Hand 92: Shack-Harris raised to 50,000 and won the pot.
Friday, May 30, 2014 3:43 PM Local Time
Final Table Interview: Steve Billirakis
Steve Billirakis may not be a household name, but he is surely the most experienced player at the final table of the $1,000 PLO event. In 2007 he made WSOP history by winning the $5,000 World Championship Mix Hold'em Limit/No-Limit event after beating Canadian poker pro Greg Mueller heads-up. By doing so, he became the then-youngest WSOP bracelet winner in history, having won the event only 11 days after his 21st birthday.
PokerNews' Pamela Maldonado spoke to Billirakis during the break of four-handed action moments ago.
How do you feel about playing down to six players instead of stopping at the final nine last night?
It doesn't matter to me. I was happy about it because I just want to play and get it over with as soon as possible. Starting with six or starting with nine doesn't affect me at all. I'm comfortable with a full table and with playing short-handed. Plus, I'm sure the WSOP had a good reason for breaking it the way they did.
Did the break give you time to reflect your play and adjust your strategy?
During my breaks I don't really think too much about my play. I try to relax and give myself those few minutes to clear my mind. Coming back from break though I'll continue to play tight, hopefully make some good hands and try to advance to heads-up. Getting lucky will help this late in the game.
Your last WSOP final table came in 2011 when you made two final tables, and you bubbled a third. Then you won in Europe that same year. How does it feel to be back?
It feels really good to be back. I took a year off last year and now I feel really good about my tournament game. I think it's strong and I'm playing really well. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
Friday, May 30, 2014 3:37 PM Local Time
Shack-Harris Surging
Hand 84: Steve Billirakis opened to 50,000 and won the blinds.
Hand 85: Steve Billirakis opened to 50,000 and Iori Yogo called from the button before Morgan Popham potted to 224,000 from the small blind. Billirakis and Yogo folded and Popham was pushed the pot.
Hand 86: Iori Yogo opened to 50,000 from under the gun and Brandon Shack-Harris called from the small blind after returning from break during the previous hand. Steve Billirakis also made the call, and the flop fell . The action was checked around before the was produced by the dealer on the turn.
Shack-Harris led for 80,000, Billirakis made the call, and Yogo passed. The river brought the and Shack-Harris bet out 250,000, putting Billirakis into the tank for several minutes before opting to fold and leave himself with just 545,000.
| Brandon Shack-Harris | 1,470,000 | 190,000 |
| Steve Billirakis | 545,000 | -150,000 |
Friday, May 30, 2014 3:28 PM Local Time
PokerNews Podcast Episode #219: Kabaragoya
The crew is back for another episode of the PokerNews Podcast from the 45th annual World Series of Poker. Jason Somerville talks about his 18th-place finish in the $1,000 buy-in pot-limit Omaha event, and the crew discusses the Jason Mo vs. Vanessa Selbst heads-up match along with Darren Elias' affinity for North Faces and the 2014 Scripps National Spelling Bee.
You can subscribe to the entire iBus Media Network on iTunes here, or you can access the RSS feed here. The PokerNews family of podcasts is now available on Stitcher.
Friday, May 30, 2014 3:25 PM Local Time
Play Resumes
The cards are now back in the air!
Currently Brandon Shack-Harris is still on break but play goes on!
Friday, May 30, 2014 3:24 PM Local Time
Level 23 started
Level: 23
Blinds: 12000/24000
Ante: 0
Friday, May 30, 2014 3:06 PM Local Time
Shack-Harris Leads at Break
Here are the counts as the players head for a 20-minute break.
| Brandon Shack-Harris | 1,280,000 | 200,000 |
| Iori Yogo | 740,000 | 70,000 |
| Steve Billirakis | 695,000 | -5,000 |
| Morgan Popham | 622,000 | -243,000 |
Friday, May 30, 2014 3:05 PM Local Time
Yogo Picking Up Steam
Hand 77: Iori Yogo opened to 40,000 and Brandon Shack-Harris called from the big blind to see a flop fall. Both players checked and the landed on the turn. Shack-Harris checked, and then folded to Yogo's 40,000-chip delayed continuation-bet.
Hand 78: Steve Billirakis received a walk.
Hand 79: Morgan Popham opened to 40,000 from the cutoff and collected the blinds.
Hand 80: Iori Yogo limped from the small blind only to have Morgan Popham raise to 50,000. Yogo made the call and then checked the flop before Popham pushed out 45,000.
Yogo called as the fell on the turn and he checked once again as Popham followed suit. The river brought the and a bet of 100,000 from Yogo would see him collect the pot once Popham folded.
Hand 81: Steve Billirakis opened to 40,000 and won the blinds.
Hand 82: Steve Billirakis received a walk in the big blind.
Hand 83: Morgan Popham opened to 45,000 and Brandon Shack-Harris made the call as the dealer spread a flop. Both players checked, then the landed on the turn. Both players checked again, then the completed the board on the river.
Popham bet out 50,000 and Shack-Harris swiftly mucked, then players headed to break.
Friday, May 30, 2014 2:55 PM Local Time
Shack-Harris' Flush Takes One
Hand 71: Brandon Shack-Harris fired up a min-raise on the button, but nobody wanted to play.
Hand 72: Steve BIllirakis raised to 45,000 on the button and won the pot.
Hand 73: Shack-Harris got a walk.
Hand 74: Iori Yogo opened for a raise and was called by both Shack-Harris and Billirakis in the small and big blinds, respectively. Everyone checked the flop, and a arrived on fourth street. Shack-Harris came out with 70,000, and Billirakis folded. Yogo thought briefly before following suit.
Hand 75: Shack-Harris won the pot with a raise on the button. He showed .
Hand 76: Shack-Harris raised to 40,000 and was called by Morgan Popham in the big blind. The flop prompted two checks, and a came out of the deck. Popham bet 55,000, and Shack-Harris called. On the river, Popham checked and watched his opponent bet 130,000. Popham slid a call forward.
"Flush," Shack-Harris.
"It's good."
Shack-Harris showed .
Friday, May 30, 2014 2:48 PM Local Time
Updated Chip Counts
| Brandon Shack-Harris | 1,080,000 | 120,000 |
| Morgan Popham | 865,000 | 220,000 |
| Steve Billirakis | 700,000 | -170,000 |
| Iori Yogo | 670,000 | 80,000 |
Friday, May 30, 2014 2:45 PM Local Time
Matthew Ryan Eliminated in 5th Place ($42,658)
Hand 70: Matthew Ryan opened the cutoff to 70,000 only to have Morgan Popham three-bet to 210,000 from the button. Ryan committed his 220,000 total and Popham called.
Ryan:
Popham:
The board of didn't help Ryan improve as he was sent to the rail in 5th place for a $42,658 cash.
| Matthew Ryan | 0 | -335,000 |
Friday, May 30, 2014 2:43 PM Local Time
Easy Goings
Hand 65: Steve Billirakis received a walk.
Hand 66: Brandon Shack-Harris opened the button to 40,000 and picked up the blinds.
Hand 67: From the button, Steve Billirakis opened to 45,000 and picked up the blinds.
Hand 68: Iori Yogo opened his button to 40,000 and picked up the blinds.
Hand 69: Iori Yogo raised to 40,000 from the cutoff and again won the blinds.
Friday, May 30, 2014 2:35 PM Local Time
Hands 58-64
Hand 58: Iori Yogo raised to 40,000 and took down the pot.
Hand 59: Steve Billirakis raised to 45,000 under the gun, and Morgan Popham potted out of the small blind to 155,000. Billirakis made the call. On the flop, Popham checked to his opponent, who checked it back. Popham came out betting with a stack of red T5,000 chips, about 90,000. Billirakis folded immediately.
Hand 60: Matt Ryan raised to 70,000 and took it down.
Hand 61: Ryan took down the pot again with a preflop raise.
Hand 62: Popham opened to 52,000 under the gun. Brandon Shack-Harris was the only caller, and the flopped. Popham came out with the same bet, and Shack-Harris called once more to see the turn. Popham slowed down with a check, and Shack-Harris bet 160,000 in position. After thinking it over for a couple of minutes, Popham let his hand go.
Hand 63: Steve Billirakis raised it up in the cutoff, and Iori Yogo called on the button. Billirakis check-folded on the flop.
Hand 64: Shack-Harris got a walk.