Event #2: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em 8-Handed

On Friday, 28 of the original 481 players returned for Day 3 of Event #2: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em (Eight Handed). After roughly six and a half levels of play, only eight players remain, and leading the official final table with nearly half of the chips in play is Trevor Pope. Pope bagged an astounding 3,420,000 chips (more than four times the average stack and more than five times his nearest competitor), and will be looking for his first career World Series of Poker bracelet on Saturday.

The first four players to bust, prompting a three-table redraw, were Garen Nichanian, Tony Gargano, Kai Chang, and David "Doc" Sands. Sands three-bet shoved with ace-deuce suited, only to be called by Rafal Michalowski, the original raiser. He had two red nines, and the hand held up.

David Diaz. Ben Yu, and Matthew Parry were the next three players to bust, and then Jamie Armstrong won a massive pot against Kristijonas Andrulis. Armstrong five-bet shoved with aces, Andrulis called with ace-king, and the aces were not cracked. Andrulis was left with just a single big blind, but proceeded to triple, then double, then double again.

While Andrulis was on his tear, we lost Keith Lehr, Peter Gould, Ben Hamnett, Mike DeGilio, and Joe Serock. Serock lost consecutive hands with ace-queen against ace-ten, and busted right before the two-table redraw.

Griffin Benger then exited in 16th place, followed by Chris DeMaci, Brian Rast, Markus Gonsalves, and Ismael Bojang. Bojang found himself all in and at risk with ace-king against the pocket aces of Pope. Pope held, increasing his stack to 1.7 million chips, while Bojang hit the rail.

Andrulis' run came to an end at that point, as he lost a race to Darryll Fish. He was all in with two red sevens against Fish's ace-jack of spades, and the turn was an ace. Andrulis couldn't make a set on the river, and exited in 11th place ($29,502).

Tom Marchese doubled up Gonsalves in Level 22, then lost a race for his tournament life in Level 23. After switching tables due to Andrulis' bust, he called a shove from Jamie Armstrong holding ace-king of diamonds. Armstrong tabled two eights, and held as the board produced blanks, sending Marchese home in 10th place.

Pope began nine-handed play with 1.7 million chips, and chipped up to well over two million. On the final hand of the day, he eliminated the start-of-day chip leader Rafal Michalowski to push his stack to over three million. Michalowski six-bet shoved for over 700,000 chips with queens, and Pope snapped it off with aces. The aces held, and Michalowski exited just short of the official final table.

Here's a look at the entire final table:

The eight remaining players will return tomorrow at 2 p.m. local time to play down to a winner. The final table will be streamed on a half hour delay with hole cards, and we will of course be bringing you all of the updates right here on PokerNews.

On the 48th hand of the unofficial final table, Rafal Michalowski opened to 52,000 in middle position. Trevor Pope three-bet to 112,000 on the button, Michalowski four-bet to 204,000, Pope five-bet to 313,000, and Michalowski moved all in for 710,000. Pope snap-called.

Michalowski:   
Pope:   

Michalowski was crushed, and received no help from the       board. He was eliminated in ninth place, earning him $37,391, while Pope will have roughly half of the chips in play entering the final table tomorrow.

Rafal Michalowski

0

-746,000

On the 41st hand at the unofficial final table, Trevor Pope raised to 50,000 in the hijack seat. Dan Kelly defended his big blind, then check-called a 47,000-chip bet on the     flop. Both players checked when the   turned, and Kelly led out for 115,000 after the   completed the board.

Pope raised to 257,000, Kelly called, and Pope showed    for tens and fours. Kelly mucked, and Pope now sits with 2.75 million chips. Kelly slipped to 690,000.

Trevor Pope	2,750,000	450,000
Dan Kelly	690,000	-290,000

On the 38th hand at the unofficial final table, Brendon Meyers raised to 48,000 in middle position, and David Peters moved all in on the button. Both blinds released, and so too did Meyers.

David Peters

543,000

176,000

The players are now on a 20-minute break.

On the 23rd hand at the unofficial final table, Brandon Meyers raised to 40,000 from under the gun, Trevor Pope three-bet to 100,000 from the hijack seat, and Meyers called. The two checked it down as the board came      , and both players showed ace-jack to chop.

Trevor Pope	1,910,000	-90,000
Brandon Meyers	1,100,000	55,000

On hand number 13 at the unofficial final table, David Peters opened to 40,000 in the cutoff, and Trevor Pope called in the cutoff. Both players checked when the flop fell    , and the turn brought the  . Peters checked, Pope fired out 45,000, and Peters called.

The river was the  , Peters checked, and Pope bet another 94,000. Peters folded, and Pope picked up another pot.

Trevor Pope	2,000,000	300,000
David Peters	420,000	-175,000

On the sixth hand of the unofficial final table, Darryll Fish opened to 35,000 from early position, Brandon Meyers called in the big blind, and the flop fell    . Both players checked.

The turn was the  , Meyers check-called 45,000 from Fish, and the   completed the board. Meyers checked, Fish fired another 105,000, and Meyers called.

Fish showed    for ten-high, which Meyers had beat with    for a pair of aces.

Brandon Meyers	940,000	205,000
Darryll Fish	520,000	-200,000

Brandon Meyers raised to 35,000 out of the hijack seat, Jamie Armstrong moved all in from the cutoff, and Tom Marchese called all in for 245,000 on the button. Meyers folded, and the hands were opened.

Armstrong:   
Marchese:   

Marchese flopped backdoor straight and flush draws to go along with his overs when the dealer fanned    , but the   on the turn ended those hopes. Marchese needed an ace or a king to survive, but it wasn't to be as the   completed the board.

He was eliminated in 10th place, earning $37,391, and the remaining nine players have redrawn to one table.

Jamie Armstrong	755,000	310,000
Tom Marchese	0	-379,000