Event #62: $888 Crazy Eights No-Limit Hold'em 8-Handed - $888,888 Guaranteed 1st Place

Day 3 of Event #62: $888 Crazy Eights No-Limit Hold'em 8-Handed has come to an end after the ten scheduled levels were played and the USA's Galen Hall will be leading the returning three players when play resumes on Thursday, July 5th.

Hall bagged up 30,100,000 with Niels Herregodts (24,750,000) and Eduards Kudrjavcevs (16,400,000) his two remaining challengers for the $888,888 first-place prize.

The Final Three

As mentioned, there will be a break in play to give the three remaining players the opportunity to play the final WSOP Main Event Day 1 flight on Wednesday, 4 July.

Action of the Day

The day started with the remaining 29 players all sizing each other out, and within the first two hours of play, only five players had departed from the field. As the blinds increased and the pressure mounted there was suddenly a flurry of exits as the field was quickly reduced to 16 players.

Among the players to fall before the final two tables were redrawn was 888poker ambassador Chris Moorman. The Brit, who will captain the UK side in the 888poker Main Event Team challenge, departed after he called a three-bet shove from fellow Englishman Paul Vas Nunes and saw the bad news — his ace-queen was behind to pocket queens. Moorman got no help from the board, and his deep run in the Crazy Eights ended in 23rd place for $27,661.

Vas Nunes himself departed shortly after when his pocket nines couldn't hold against the ace-king of Kudrjavcevs, and he had to settle for $27,661 in 17th place.

Ohio firefighter Michael Barlow played in honor of his friend who was due to come to Vegas for the WSOP but fell ill shortly before and sadly passed away. Barlow was able to make an impressive run and ultimately finished in 16th place for $34,577.

Arthur Conan (15th - $34,577), Dara Taherpour (14th - $43,539), Fabrice Casano (13th - $43,539), Smith Collins (12th - $55,222), Shai Zurr (11th - $55,222), and Hunter Frey (10th - $70,546), were all eliminated before the unofficial final table of nine was set.

Final Table Results So Far

When the players sat down at the final table, it didn't take long for them to settle into the action with two early eliminations coming in back-to-back hands. Alexandre Novaes narrowly missed out on the official final table after his ace-king lost to Alexander Kuzmin's ace-queen after the queen-of-hearts appeared on the flop to send the Brazilian player out in ninth for a $90,888 payday.

The first casualty of the official final table came the very next hand when Philip Tom's five-bet all in with ace-queen was called by Kudrjavcevs, with the latter holding ace-king to reduce to the table to seven.

Martin Stausholm (7th $117,888), Jeremiah Miesen (6th - $153,888) and Alexander Kuzmin (5th - $201,888) all fell in quick succession beofre Galen Hall eliminated Andrey Zaichenko in 4th place for $266,888 after the former turned a flush with jack-three suited against Zaichenko's two pair.

When the play resumes for the extra day at 2pm on July 5th, the three remaining players will battle it out for the $888,888 first place prize and the coveted gold bracelet.

PokerNews will be back to bring you all the action on Thursday so join us then.

Hand #132: On a flop of    , Hall checked from the small blind. Herregodts, in the big blind, bet 1,600,000. Hall called. The turn was the  . Hall checked. Herregodts threw in a bet of 7,500,000. Hall folded.

Hand #133: Hall opened to 1,000,000 on the button. Kudrjavcevs raised to 3,000,000 in the big blind. Hall four-bet shoved for 19,250,000. Kudrjavcevs went deep into the tank for a few minutes and proceeded to call the clock on himself. He still did not act and his hand was dead.

Hand #134: Kudrjavcevs limped from the small blind. Hall raised to 1,700,000 from the big blind. Kudrjavcevs gave up his hand.

Hand #135: Kudrjavcevs opened to 1,000,000 on the button. Herregodts, in the big blind called.

A flop reading     was dealt and checked through to the   turn. Herregodts fired 5,000,000, enough to claim the pot.

Hand #136: Galan Hall opened to 1,000,000 on the button. Eduards Kudrjavcevs, in the big blind, called.

The dealer spread a flop of    . Kudrjavcevs checked. Hall bet 1,050,000.Kudrjavcevs called. The turn was the   and was checked through to the   river. Kudrjavcevs checked again. Hall bet 1,750,000. Kudrjavcevs made the call. Hall showed   . His opponent mucked.

Hand #137: Niels Herregodts opened to 1,400,000 on the button. Hall called from the big blind. The flop was     and was checked around to the   turn and the   river. Hall bet 1,550,000. Herregodts gave up his hand.

Hand #138: Kudrjavcevs opened to 1,000,000 on the button. He got no action.

Hand #121: Eduards Kudrjavcevs received a walk.

Hand #122: Niels Herregodts raised to 1.4m on the button and won the pot.

Hand #123: Kudrjavcevs raised to 1m on the button, and Herregodts called in the big blind. On the     flop, Kudrjavcevs bet 700,000 after he was checked to only to see Herregodts move all in. Kudrjavcevs thought for 10-seconds before he made the call.

Eduards Kudrjavcevs:   
Niels Herregodts:   

"Let's pair the board," said Kudrjavcevs, but he didn't need it as the   turn and   river bricked for Herregodts and Kudrjavcevs secured a full double-up.

Hand #124: Herregodts raised in the small blind and won the pot.

Hand #125: Herregodts raised and Hall defended his big blind. On the     flop Hall check-folded to a bet.

Hand #126: Herregodts raised the big blind to 1m after Hall had limped and the latter called, before check-folding to a bet on the     flop.

Eduards Kudrjavcevs	21,000,000	11,000,000
Niels Herregodts	13,000,000	0

Hand #112: Galen Hall opened to 1,000,000 on the cutoff. Andrey Zaichenko, in the big blind, called.

The dealer spread a flop of     that was checked through to the   turn. Zaichenko bet 1,500,000. Hall raised to 4,200,000. Zaichenko moved all in and Hall made the call.

Andrey Zaichenko:   
Galen Hall:   

The   river completed the board and Hall's flush was good enough to eliminate Zaichenko in 4th place for $266,888.

Galen Hall	31,100,000	10,200,000
Andrey Zaichenko	0	-15,125,000

Hand #91: Galen Hall opened to 900,000 on the button. Niels Herregodts, in the small blind, called, along with Eduards Kudrjavcevs in the big blind. The flop came    . Herregodts and Kudrjavcevs checked. Hall threw in a bet of 900,000. His opponents folded.

Hand #92: Galen Hall raised from the cutoff and won the pot.

Hand #93: Niels Herregodts raised to 1m in the cutoff and Hall called in the big blind. Both players checked on the     flop and on the   turn Hall bet 1.9m which Herregodts called. Hall checked the   river and folded to a 4m bet from Herregodts.

Hand #94: Herregodts got a walk in the big blind.

Hand #95: Hall raised the button, and Eduards Kudrjavcevs called in the big blind. Both players checked on the     flop and on the   turn Kudrjavcevs check-folded to a 525,000 bet.

Hand #96: Hall raised the cutoff to 900,000 and Herregodts raised to 2.5m on the button and Hall folded.

Hand #97: Herregodts raised from the cutoff and won the pot.

Hand #98: Hall called in the small blind, and Herregodts check his option in the big. Both players checked on the     flop and again on the   turn and   river. Herregodts showed    for a pair and Hall mucked king-high.

Hand #99: Kudrjavcevs received a walk in the big blind.

Hand #100: Herregodts raised on the button to 1m and won the pot.

Hand #101: Herregodts raised to 1m from the cutoff and both Andrey Zaichenko and Hall called in the blinds. The action was checked to Herregodts on the     flop and Herregodts bet 2m. Zaichenko folded, and Hall called to see a   turn.

Both players checked, and on the   river, Hall checked, Herregodts moved all in, and Hall folded.

Hand#86: Alexander Kuzmin opened to 900,000 on the cutoff. Eduards Kudrjavcevs, on the cutoff, called. The flop came    . Kudrjavcevs checked. Kuzmin bet 600,000. Kudrjavcevs called. The turn brought the   and was checked around to the   river. Kudrjavcevs bet 1,100,000. His opponent folded.

Hand #87: Kuzmin opened to 800,000 under the gun. Andrey Zaichenko, in the big blind, called.

A flop of     was dealt and checked around to the   turn. Zaichenko bet 1,500,000. Kuzmin gave up his hand.

Hand #88: Niels Herregodts opened to 1,000,000 on the cutoff. He got no action.

Hand #89: Zaichenko opened to 900,000 on the button. Galen Hall, in the big blind, called. The flop came    . Hall checked. Zaichenko threw in a bet of 1,100,000 that was enough to take down the pot.

Hand #76: Andrey Zichenko opened to 1,000,000 under the gun. Eduards Kudrjavcevs, in the big blind, called.

The flop came    . Kudrjavcevs checked. Zichenko bet 1,100,000. Kudrjavcevs gave up his hand.

Hand #77: Galen Hall opened to 900,000 on the cutoff. He got no action.

Hand #78: Kudrjavcevs opened to 800,000 on the button. Everyone folded.

Hand #79: Kudrjavcevs opened to 800,000 from the cutoff. Zichenko, on the button, called. Hall three-bet to 3,000,000. Kudrjavcevs folded. Zichenko stuck around with a call.

A flop reading     was dealt and checked through to the   turn and to the   river. Again, both players checked. Hall tabled    to win the pot and Zichenko sent his hand to the muck.

Hand #80: Alexander Kuzmin opened to 900,000 on the button. Niels Herregodts, in the big blind, called. The flop came    . Herregodts checked. Kuzmin fired 600,000. Herregodts check-raised to 2,500,000. Kuzmin gave up his hand.

Hand #66: Alexander Kuzmin opened to 600,000 from the hijack. Eduards Kudrjavcevs, in the big blind, called.

The flop came     and was checked through to the   turn and to the   river. Again, the players opted to check it down. Kudrjavcevs showed    and Kuzmin revealed    before mucking his hand.

Hand #67: Kudrjavcevs opened to 900,000 from the small blind. Andrey Zaichenko, in the big blind, called.

A flop reading     was dealt. Kudrjavcevs bet 700,000. Zaichenko three-bet to 2,300,000. Kudrjavcevs folded.

Hand #68: Kudrjavcevs opened to 600,000 on the button. He got no action.

Hand #69: Kudrjavcevs opened to 600,000 on the cutoff. Everyone folded.

Hand #70: Zaichenko raised to 800,000 on the cutoff. Galen Hall, in the small blind, and Niels Herregodts, in the big blind called.

Players saw a flop of    . Hall and Herregodts checked. Zaichenko bet 1,100,000. Hall called. Herregodts folded. The turn brought the   and was checked around. The   river completed the board and Hall bet 1,350,000. Zaichenko responded by moving all in for around 9,000,000. His opponent went deep into the tank but proceeded to fold.

Hand #71: Kuzmin raised to 600,000 on the cutoff. Herregodts called from the small blind along with Kudrjavcevs from the big blind.

The flop was     and was checked through to the   turn. Herregodts checked again. Kudrjavcevs fired 725,000. Kuzmin folded and Herregodts stuck around with a call. The   filled up the river and was checked down by both players. Herregodts tabled    to win the pot. His opponent sent his hand to the muck.

Eduards Kudrjavcevs	21,478,000	-1,522,000
Andrey Zaichenko	15,125,000	7,225,000
Alexander Kuzmin	13,650,000	-1,850,000
Niels Herregodts	11,225,000	-775,000
Galen Hall	6,825,000	-2,375,000