Sunday, May 31, 2009 5:49 PM Local Time
Isaac Haxton -- 7,960,000
Vitaly Lunkin -- 7,245,000
Greg Raymer -- 5,670,000
Dani Stern -- 4,790,000
There will be a brief pause before play starts back up again. The next hand will be the first one of Level 27 (blinds 60,000/120,000, antes 15,000). The plan -- subject to change -- is to play one more one-hour level and then take the dinner break.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 5:46 PM Local Time
Vitaly Lunkin has the button in Seat 9. Justin Bonomo opens for 250,000, Isaac Haxton calls from the small blind and Greg Raymer calls from the big blind.
The flop is
. Haxton leads out for 800,000, Raymer folds, and Bonomo moves all in for 2,775,000. Haxton calls.
Bonomo
Haxton
Only a jack or running straight cards will save Bonomo at this point. The turn is the
, the river is the
and Bonomo is eliminated in 5th place, earning $413,166.
Haxton is now up to nearly 8 million and has taken over the chip lead.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 5:41 PM Local Time
Dani Stern has the button in Seat 8. Vitaly Lunkin completes the small blind, Haxton raises to 275,000 from the big blind, Lunkin folds and Haxton wins the pot.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 5:39 PM Local Time
Justin Bonomo has the button in Seat 6. Isaac Haxton leads off the action with a raise to 225,000 and Vitaly Lunkin looks him up from the big blind.
The flop is
. Lunkin checks to Haxton, who bets 325,000. Lunkin folds and Haxton wins the pot.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 5:39 PM Local Time
Greg Raymer is asking around if anyone knows the status of that Champions Invitational event going on nearby. "Are they down to two tables yet?" he just inquired. Someone has walked over to check. He's interested in the event, though Raymer has a good excuse for not being there.
Clearly Raymer's glad to be playing over here. No matter where he finishes today, he will be earning his biggest WSOP cash since he earned $304,680 for finishing 25th in the WSOP Main Event in 2005.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 5:36 PM Local Time
Greg Raymer has the button in Seat 5. Isaac Haxton opens for 225,000, Raymer calls, and Dani Stern calls from the big blind.
The flop comes down
and the action is checked around. The turn falls the
and Stern leads out for 450,000. Haxton folds, Raymer folds, and Stern wins the pot.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 5:33 PM Local Time
Isaac Haxton has the button in Seat 4. Dani Stern raises to 250,000 and Justin Bonomo calls from the big blind.
The flop comes down
. Bonomo checks to Stern, who bets 350,000. Bonomo folds and Stern takes the pot.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 5:31 PM Local Time
Vitaly Lunkin has the button in Seat 9. Justin Bonomo opens for 250,000 from UTG, Greg Raymer reraises to 650,000 and Bonomo calls.
The flop is
and Raymer checks over to Bonomo, who checks behind. The
on the turn earns a 600,000 bet from Raymer, Bonomo insta-folds and Raymer wins the pot.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 5:30 PM Local Time
Here are the counts following that big pot Dani Stern just took from Greg Raymer:
Vitaly Lunkin -- 7,690,000
Greg Raymer -- 5,315,000
Isaac Haxton -- 4,605,000
Justin Bonomo -- 4,045,000
Dani Stern -- 4,010,000
Sunday, May 31, 2009 5:28 PM Local Time
Dani Stern has the button in Seat 8. Greg Raymer opens for 250,000 and wins the blinds and antes.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 5:27 PM Local Time
Justin Bonomo has the button in Seat 6. Greg Raymer opens with a min-raise to 200,000, Dani Stern moves all in from the small blind and Raymer makes the call.
Stern
Raymer
The flop comes down
, Raymer's sevens stil leading. The turn is the
, but the
spikes on the river to give Stern a double-up to just over 4 million.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 5:25 PM Local Time
Of our five remaining players, Vitaly Lunkin is the only player left at the table other than Greg Raymer to own a WSOP bracelet, having won a $1,500 no-limit hold'em event at last summer's series.
When play began today, Lunkin had 4.565 million chips (second behind Haxton). Through the first 68 hands of play today, Lunkin has steadily built his stack all afternoon, edging close to the 8 million-chip mark. Thus far, Lunkin has shown down exactly one hand out of the 68 -- that blind-vs.-blind battle with Alec Torelli (Hand #49) in which Lunkin called Torelli's river bluff with king-high to win the hand.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 5:22 PM Local Time
Greg Raymer has the button in Seat 5. Isaac Haxton limps in from the cutoff and Dani Stern checks from the big blind.
The flop is
. Stern checks to Haxton, who bets 200,000. Stern calls and the
lands on the turn. Stern checks again and Haxton checks behind. The river is the
and Stern checks a third time. Haxton bets 450,000. Stern lays it down and Haxton wins the pot.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 5:20 PM Local Time
Isaac Haxton has the button in Seat 4. He limps in, Greg Raymer completes the small blind, and Justin Bonomo checks from the big blind.
The flop is
. All three players check. The
hits the turn and Raymer checks. Bonomo bets 250,000, Haxton folds, and Raymer calls. Both players check the
on the river.
Raymer turns up
for two pair, Bonomo mucks and Raymer wins the pot.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 5:17 PM Local Time
Vitaly Lunkin has the button in Seat 9. Dani Stern raises to 200,000 from the cutoff, Lunkin three-bets to 600,000, Stern folds, and Lunkin picks up another pot with a reraise.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 5:15 PM Local Time
Dani Stern has the button in Seat 8. Justin Bonomo raises to 250,000, Vitaly Lunkin reraises to 700,000 from the small blind, Bonomo folds and Lunkin wins the pot.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 5:13 PM Local Time
Justin Bonomo has the button in Seat 6. Isaac Haxton raises to 225,000, Bonomo flat-calls, and Vitaly Lunkin calls from the big blind.
The flop is
and the action is checked around. The turn is the
and all three check again. The
falls on the river and Lunkin checks a third time. Haxton bets 550,000, Bonomo calls and Lunkin folds.
Haxton shows
, but Bonomo has him out-kicked with
and wins the pot.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 5:10 PM Local Time
Greg Raymer has the button in Seat 5. Dani Stern gets a walk in the big blind.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 5:10 PM Local Time
After taking that last pot from Dani Stern, Vitaly Lunkin sneaks past Greg Raymer into the chip lead, with 7.28 million. Raymer is second with 6.91 million.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 5:09 PM Local Time
Isaac Haxton has the button in Seat 4. Dani Stern opens for 250,000 from UTG, Vitaly Lunkin three-bets to 600,000, Stern gives it up and Lunkin wins the pot.