Friday, May 29, 2015 4:56 PM Local Time
The chips have been racked up, and the players have moved over to the main stage. They've been given a 20-minute break while the table is prepared for action. Hand-for-hand updates will be posted here, and you can watch the live stream with hole cards on a 30-minute delay. Here's how they'll stack up when the cards go back in the air around 5:10 PM PDT.
Final Table
Seat 1: Long Nguyen - 1,554,000 (77 bb)
Seat 2: Joe Ebanks - 725,000 (36 bb)
Seat 3: Greg Merson - 2,066,000 (103 bb)
Seat 4: Amir Lehavot - 1,302,000 (65 bb)
Seat 5: Jason Wheeler - 814,000 (40 bb)
Seat 6: Byron Kaverman - 94,000 (4 bb)
Seat 7: Bryn Kenney - 1,824,000 (91 bb)
Seat 8: Artur Koren - 1,412,000 (70 bb)
Seat 9: Michael Wang - 764,000 (38 bb)
Friday, May 29, 2015 4:45 PM Local Time
On a flop, Amir Lehavot checks from the blinds. 3Bet Clothing Pro Doc Sands appears to have been the preflop aggressor, and he bets what looks like 49,000. Lehavot check-shoves, though, and Sands is faced with a decision for the 245,000 chips he has left in front of him. After a minute or two in the tank, he calls to put himself at risk.
Lehavot:
Sands:
Lehavot is in front with two pair, and the turn and river fail to save Sands' tournament life.
Amir Lehavot - 1,302,000 (65 bb)
Doc Sands - Eliminated
Friday, May 29, 2015 4:45 PM Local Time
Under the gun, Michael Wang opens to 43,000, and Jack Schanbacher three-bet shoves for 164,000. Wang tanks and calls, putting Schanbacher's tournament life at risk.
Wang:
Schanbacher:
There's a ten on the flop, and the board gives the pot to Wang. Schanbacher is out in 11th place, and the field is preparing to combine to one table. There's a hand in progress at the other table though...
Michael Wang - 765,000 (38bb)
Jack Schanbacher - Eliminated
Friday, May 29, 2015 4:45 PM Local Time
Carl Westcott, the chip leader entering Day 3, has been knocked out early in Level 23.
Under the gun, Bryn Kenney opens the action preflop with a raise to 45,000. Westcott and Jason Wheeler call and the three see a flop. Wheeler checks and Kenney raises to 67,000 before Westcott moves all in for 326,000.
Wheeler quickly folds and Kenney calls. Kenney tables and Westcott shows . The turn and river fail to help Westcott who is eliminated in 13th place in his first World Series of Poker event.
Bryn Kenney - 1,800,000 (90 bb)
Carl Westcott - Eliminated in 12th ($28,759)
Friday, May 29, 2015 4:38 PM Local Time
Nam Le has been knocked out in 13th by chip leader Greg Merson.
According to Merson, Le moved all in with pocket nines for about 180,000. Merson calls with and flops two pair on the flop. Neither the turn or river improve Le's holding and he heads to the rail and a $22,670 pay day.
Greg Merson - 1,950,000 (97 bb)
Nam Le - Eliminated
Friday, May 29, 2015 4:37 PM Local Time
Level: 23
Blinds: 10,000/20,000
Ante: 3,000
Friday, May 29, 2015 4:06 PM Local Time
The first break of Day 3 has come and 13 players remain in the tournament. Players will return in 20 minutes to play with blinds at 10,000/20,000 with a 3,000 ante.
Friday, May 29, 2015 4:06 PM Local Time
It's good to be Artur Koren right now. Not only did the Austrian begin the day with a big stack, but the two-table redraw put three extreme short stacks on his direct left. In response, Koren has really ratcheted up the pressure, raising and shoving with a high frequency in position.
In the most recent pot, Jack Schanbacher opens to 35,000 under the gun, and Michael Wang three-bets to 105,000 from middle position. Around on the button, Koren cold four-bets to 155,000, and both opponents quickly fold.
As a result of his aggression, Koren has seen his stack grow close to 1.5 million chips.
Friday, May 29, 2015 4:05 PM Local Time
Greg Merson and Michael Wang have battled in the blinds a few times today, but the latest hand sends more than 200,000 of Wang's chips over to Merson.
Once Merson calls in the small blind, Wang raises to 48,000 and receives a quick call from Merson. On the flop , Merson checks and Wang fires 63,000. Merson calls and the turn falls . Once again, Merson checks, and Wang bets 125,000 into the bigger stack. Merson calls and the pair see the river .
Both players check and Merson tables for a rivered straight. Wang flashes before mucking his cards.
Greg Merson - 1,730,000 (108 bb)
Michael Wang - 590,000 (36 bb)
Friday, May 29, 2015 3:53 PM Local Time
Barry Hutter is down around 300,000 chips when he gets his money in preflop holding . Greg Merson wakes up with , though, and his big stack puts Hutter at risk of elimination.
The board runs out , and despite flopping a flush draw, Hutter can improve no further. He's out in 14th place.
Greg Merson - 1,440,000 (90 bb)
Barry Hutter - Eliminated
Friday, May 29, 2015 3:45 PM Local Time
From early position, Michael Brenden moves all in with his short stack of 71,000. Action folds around to the blinds where a similarly short Jack Schanbacher faces a decision. After some debate, he makes the call to put Brenden at risk.
Brenden:
Schanbacher:
Schanbacher shakes his head at the news, but things will improve for him in a hurry. The flop puts Brenden two cards from the exit, and the turn and river seal his exit.
Jack Schanbacher - 255,000 (15 bb)
Michael Brenden - Eliminated
Friday, May 29, 2015 3:36 PM Local Time
Amir Lehavot is over the 800,000 chip mark after knocking Rong Li out in 16th place.
In middle position, Li opens to 36,000 before Lehavot three bets to 86,000. Carl Westcott calls Lehavot's raise from the button before Li calls, as well.
On the flop , Li moves all in and Lehavot moves all in over the top for 320,000. Westcott quickly folds and Li tables while Lehavot flips over .
The turn and river fail to help Li who is out in 16th with a $17,870 payday.
Amir Lehavot - 820,000
Friday, May 29, 2015 3:30 PM Local Time
Michael Wang opens to 35,000 in late position, and the action comes around to Nam Le in the big blind. After posting the blind, he has less than 75,000 chips in front of him. After some consideration, he calls to see the flop.
It comes , and Le moves all in for 54,000. Wang quickly calls.
Wang:
Le:
Wang flops top pair, and Le needs some help in a hurry to stay afloat. That's precisely what he gets, too, as the turn promptly brings the . The river secures Le's double, and he's back into contention.
Michael Wang - 925,000 (57 bb)
Nam Le - 202,000 (12 bb)
Friday, May 29, 2015 3:20 PM Local Time
Steve Merrifield ran into Bryn Kenney's and is out in 17th position.
Merrifield moves all in preflop for his last 145,000 and Kenney is the only caller.
The board runs and Kenney scores the knockout.
Bryn Kenney - 1,120,000 (70 bb)
Steve Merrifield - Eliminated in 17th ($17,870)
Friday, May 29, 2015 3:11 PM Local Time
Level: 22
Blinds: 8,000/16,000
Ante: 2,000
Friday, May 29, 2015 3:10 PM Local Time
Joe Ebanks open-shoves for 148,000 from early position, and Bryn Kenney reshoves a few seats over. The rest of the table folds, and Ebanks is at risk.
Ebanks:
Kenney:
The is in the window, and the board gives him the much-needed double up.
Joe Ebanks - 328,000 (27 bb)
Bryn Kenney - 1,075,000 (89 bb)
Friday, May 29, 2015 3:07 PM Local Time
Barry Hutter opens the hijack to 28,000, and Artur Koren three-bets to 63,000 from the cutoff. Hutter makes it 150,000 total, and Koren clicks it right back with a five-bet to 237,000. Hutter calls.
The flop comes , and Hutter checks. Koren makes a small bet of 83,000, and Hutter tanks for several long minutes before surrendering.
Artur Koren - 1,175,000 (97 bb)
Barry Hutter - 390,000 (32 bb)
Friday, May 29, 2015 2:48 PM Local Time
Artur Koren opens to 28,000 from middle position, and Jack Schanbacher calls in the small blind. In the big, Greg Merson squeezes in a reraise to 79,000, and only Koren calls to proceed.
The flop comes , and Merson check-calls another 63,000 from Koren. Both men check the turn. The river is the , and Merson leads out for 113,000. Koren calls.
Merson shows , and top pair is good. He's now moved ahead of Koren and up over the million-chip mark for the first time.
Greg Merson - 1,140,000 (95 bb)
Artur Koren - 955,000 (79 bb)
Friday, May 29, 2015 2:45 PM Local Time
First in from middle position, Alex Bolotin open-shoves for 161,000. Jason Wheeler re-shoves in the small blind, isolating himself against Bolotin and flipping for the knockout.
Bolotin:
Wheeler:
The board runs , and Bolotin can't find anything useful there. He's out in 18th place, earning a pay bump up to $17,870.
Jason Wheeler - 920,000 (76 bb)
Alex Bolotin - Eliminated
Friday, May 29, 2015 2:39 PM Local Time
Bryn Kenney is over one million chips after doubling through Carl Westcott, who entered Day 3 as the tournament chip leader.
Under the gun, Jason Wheeler raises for 30,000 before Kenney reraises to 60,000 in middle position. On the button, Westcott calls and after the blinds both fold, Wheeler calls, as well.
On the flop , Wheeler checks and Kenney bets 92,000. After some thought, Westcott calls and Wheeler quickly folds. With the turn, Kenney moves all in for his remaining 353,000. Westcott calls and flips . Kenney shows the and the river falls , keeping Kenney's hand in front.
Bryn Kenney - 1,050,000 (87 bb)
Carl Westcott - 830,000 (69 bb)