Monday, June 18, 2012 11:56 PM Local Time
Level: 31
Blinds: 60000/120000
Ante: 15000
Monday, June 18, 2012 11:56 PM Local Time
The past few pots have been taken down before the flop. Either a raise to 200,000 from the button takes it down, or if that fails the three-bet to 500,000 has been the other method for victory. These two bet sizes have become the standard in this match and it's been six hands since we've seen a flop.
Monday, June 18, 2012 11:49 PM Local Time
Joe Cada had the button and raised to 200,000. Carter Phillips three-bet from the big blind to 500,000 and Cada replied by moving all in. Phillips called and the hands were tabled:
Cada:
Phillips:
Phillips paired his queen on the flop and Cada was hunting for a king to end it here. Fourth street was the and fifth the , scoring a double up for Carter Phillips.
Phillips is now our chip leader with 7,730,000 to Cada's 4,870,000.
| Carter Phillips | 7,730,000 | 3,630,000  |
| Joe Cada | 4,870,000 | -3,630,000  |
Monday, June 18, 2012 11:46 PM Local Time
Joe Cada raised to 200,000 on the button and Carter Phillips called. The flop was and Phillips checked. Cada pushed 200,000 into the middle and Phillips raised to 500,000. Cada mucked and Phillips took down the pot.
In the next hand, Phillips raised to 200,000 from the button. Cada three-bet to 500,000 and Phillips responded by moving all in. Cada mucked and Phillips took it down.
| Joe Cada | 8,500,000 | -1,000,000 |
| Carter Phillips | 4,100,000 | 1,000,000 |
Monday, June 18, 2012 11:41 PM Local Time
Joe Cada had the button and raised to 200,000. Carter Phillips called and the flop came down .
Both players checked the flop and did the same on the turn of . The board completed with the and Phillips fired 165,000. Cada called and showed . Phillips mucked his hand and Cada grabbed it.
| Joe Cada | 9,500,000 | 600,000 |
| Carter Phillips | 3,100,000 | -600,000 |
Monday, June 18, 2012 11:37 PM Local Time
Only two players remain here in Event 31: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em. Holding the big stack is 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event winner Joe Cada.
His opponent also holds one bracelet, winning Event #16: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em / Six Handed at the 2010 WSOP.
This is not the first time these two have tangled on the felt, either. Back in 2010 both players made a deep run in the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure $25,000 High Roller event. Joe Cada was able to win a race and eliminate Carter Phillips in 12th place. Cada went on to finish 11th in this event.
This is truly a clash of the titans as both players vie for their second WSOP bracelet. If Cada can grasp a win here he will be the first Main Event champion to add a second bracelet to his wrist since Carlos Mortensen. Phillips on the other hand would love to add to his poker resume that he defeated a WSOP Main Event champion heads up for his second bracelet.
| Joe Cada | 8,900,000 | 0 |
| Carter Phillips | 3,700,000 | 0 |
Monday, June 18, 2012 11:29 PM Local Time
Carter Phillips raised to 200,000 on the button and Tom Chambers moved all in from the small blind. Joe Cada peered down at his hand and re-shipped over the top from the big blind. Phillips mucked and the hands were shown to the crowd:
Cada:
Chambers:
Cada was in a huge lead with his kings and Chambers was in need of an eight or a miracle flop to give him the outs necessary to stay alive. The flop came and was of no help to Chambers. The rolled off on the turn and the completed the board sending Tom Chambers home in 3rd place.
| Joe Cada | 8,900,000 | 1,700,000 |
| Tom Chambers | 0 | -1,345,000 |
Monday, June 18, 2012 11:25 PM Local Time
Joe Cada opened to 205,000 from the cutoff. Cherish Andrews shipped all in for about 1,900,000 from the button and it folded back to Cada who snap called.
Andrews:
Cada:
Andrews kept her lead on the flop. Cada was still searching for an ace or a king but instead the turn was the , giving him four more outs to make the wheel.
The dealer pounded the table. The tension in the room was almost tangible as the dealer grabbed the top card in the deck and flipped it over.
The .
Cada's rail absolutely exploded with shouts of elation while Andrew's friends merely hung their heads. Andrews will collect $210,083 in winnings. This hand propelled Cada into a massive chip lead.
| Joe Cada | 7,200,000 | 2,240,000 |
| Cherish Andrews | 0 | -2,100,000 |
Monday, June 18, 2012 11:20 PM Local Time
Carter Phillips raised to 200,000 from the button and Joe Cada called from the big blind. The flop was and Cada check-called a bet of 190,000. They both checked the turn of and the completed the board. Cada checked and Phillips pushed out 310,000. Cada made it 1,000,000 and Phillips folded.
| Joe Cada | 4,960,000 | 660,000 |
| Carter Phillips | 4,000,000 | -1,000,000 |
Monday, June 18, 2012 11:13 PM Local Time
Carter Phillips opened to 200,000 from the button and Tom Chambers moved all in for 435,000 total. Joe Cada raised to 675,000 from the big blind and Phillips responded by moving 1,375,000 into the pot. Cada folded and the hands were turned up:
Phillips:
Chambers:
The board fell and Chambers was able to win the pot and triple up.
"I folded ace-jack," remarked a dejected Joe Cada after the hand.
| Carter Phillips | 5,000,000 | -400,000 |
| Joe Cada | 4,300,000 | -700,000 |
| Tom Chambers | 1,345,000 | 790,000 |
Monday, June 18, 2012 11:06 PM Local Time
Tom Chambers opened in the cutoff to 225,000 and it folded to Carter Phillips who moved all in from the big blind for 2,440,000. Chambers called and showed . Phillips had and we were off to the races.
Phillips jumped into the lead on the flop by pairing his queen. It wouldn't be a race without a sweat, however, as the turn brought the giving Chambers outs to make a straight. The river bricked out though, bringing the .
This hand was a key double up for Phillips while crippling Chambers.
| Carter Phillips | 4,970,000 | 2,630,000 |
| Tom Chambers | 555,000 | -2,630,000 |
Monday, June 18, 2012 10:41 PM Local Time
| Joe Cada | 5,135,000 | 35,000 |
| Tom Chambers | 3,185,000 | 205,000 |
| Carter Phillips | 2,340,000 | -180,000 |
| Cherish Andrews | 1,990,000 | 190,000 |
Monday, June 18, 2012 10:40 PM Local Time
Level: 30
Blinds: 50000/100000
Ante: 10000
Monday, June 18, 2012 10:39 PM Local Time
The final four players are now on a 20-minute break.
Monday, June 18, 2012 10:39 PM Local Time
Carter Phillips opened to 160,000 from the button only to have Najib Kamand move all in for his last 1,350,000 from the small blind. Tom Chambers was in the big blind and also announced that he was all in. Phillips folded and the hands were shown:
Kamand:
Chambers:
Chambers was ahead with the tens and stayed the way when the dealer spread out a flop of . Fourth street brought the and Kamand was one card away from elimination.
The was of no help to Kamand and he was sent home in 5th place to find solace in his $153,578 in tournament winnings.
| Tom Chambers | 2,980,000 | 1,755,000 |
| Najib Kamand | 0 | -1,100,000 |
Monday, June 18, 2012 10:27 PM Local Time
Action folded to Carter Phillips' small blind and he completed his call. Najib Kamand checked his option from the big blind and the dealer put out a flop of .
Phillips fired out a min-bet of 80,000 and Kamand shot his hand to the muck.
| Carter Phillips | 2,850,000 | 150,000 |
| Najib Kamand | 1,100,000 | -300,000 |
Monday, June 18, 2012 10:20 PM Local Time
It's been a while since we've seen a hand go past the flop here. Carter Phillips is continuing to play the aggressor at the table, usually taking down a pot with the standard raise to 160,000 or folded when he gets three-bet.
| Joe Cada | 5,100,000 | 100,000 |
| Carter Phillips | 2,700,000 | 0 |
| Cherish Andrews | 2,050,000 | -150,000 |
| Najib Kamand | 1,400,000 | 0 |
| Tom Chambers | 1,225,000 | -5,000 |
Monday, June 18, 2012 10:02 PM Local Time
Carter Phillips has been the aggressor as of late, moving his way from the shortest stack at the table to second in chips over the past half hour.
| Joe Cada | 5,000,000 | 200,000 |
| Carter Phillips | 2,700,000 | 500,000 |
| Cherish Andrews | 2,200,000 | 100,000 |
| Najib Kamand | 1,400,000 | -300,000 |
| Tom Chambers | 1,230,000 | -370,000 |
Monday, June 18, 2012 9:59 PM Local Time
Carter Phillips limped before the flop and it folded to Cherish Andrews who checked her option in the big blind.
The dealer put a flop of in the middle of the table and Andrews check-called a bet of 155,000. The appeared on fourth street and Andrews checked for a second time. Phillips bet once again, this time making the magic number 350,000. Andrews called and we were off to the river.
The came on fifth and Andrews checked for a third time. Phillips announced that he was all in for his remaining 990,000 and Andrews folded after pondering for a moment.
Phillips is now sitting on a stack of about 2,200,000.
| Carter Phillips | 2,200,000 | 600,000 |
| Cherish Andrews | 2,100,000 | -550,000 |
Monday, June 18, 2012 9:39 PM Local Time
Level: 29
Blinds: 40000/80000
Ante: 10000