Friday, June 11, 2010 4:53 PM Local Time
George Danzer opened to 32,000 from early position and Eric Kesselman made the call from the big blind.
Kesselman drew two, while Danzer drew one and slid a stack of pink 5,000-denomination chips into the pot after a Kesselman check.
After a few moments of deliberation, Kesselman made the 100,000-chip call, only to muck at the sight of Danzer's as the German climbs over the 600,000-chip mark.
Friday, June 11, 2010 4:47 PM Local Time
Eric Cloutier has kick-starting this unofficial final table taking down the first two pots.
With the action folding round to him in the cutoff, he opened to 26,000 to take down the 39,000 in blinds and antes.
The following hand he made it 26,000 again - but this time from the hijack - and picked up another 39,000 in chips.
Friday, June 11, 2010 4:45 PM Local Time
That was a efficient bit of traveling over to the main stage. Well done, all.
Players have already unbagged their chips and seated themselves around this eight-handed, not-quite-the-final-but-it-is-the-last table, and the first hand is being dealt.
When we lose one more player, there will be a break while the official final tablists fill out bio sheets. A decent-sized crowd has begun to fill the bleachers here at the main stage, relishing the opportunity to see such an impressive collection of players edging closer to such a coveted bracelet.
Friday, June 11, 2010 4:35 PM Local Time
Seat 1 -- David Baker
Seat 2 -- John Juanda
Seat 3 -- Eric Kesselman
Seat 4 -- Daniel Negreanu
Seat 5 -- George Danzer
Seat 6 -- Eric Cloutier
Seat 7 -- Doug Booth
Seat 8 -- Erik Seidel
Friday, June 11, 2010 4:31 PM Local Time
The table folded to Eric Kesselman in the small blind who raised to 25,000, and Andy Bloch responded with an all-in shove from the big blind. Kesselman called instantly, tabling his cards. He'd been dealt a pat wheel -- .
Bloch wasn't drawing dead, however. After discarding a , he had and hopes for a seven and a chop. He drew a , however, making a useless straight and eliminating Bloch in ninth.
We have our final eight, and there will now be a redraw for seats around a single table. We'll be moving over to one of the feature tables here in the Amazon Room as well, so we'll have a bit of a pause here before action resumes.
Friday, June 11, 2010 4:21 PM Local Time
Andy Bloch has chipped up again, once more enjoying a double-up, this time at the expense of David Baker.
Bloch had open-pushed all in from the small blind for 130,000 and Baker called from the big blind. Bloch stood pat, and Baker discarded one.
Bloch showed . Baker had been dealt , but his fifth card was an unhelpful . Bloch now has 272,000, while Baker is at 360,000.
Friday, June 11, 2010 4:12 PM Local Time
Eric Kesselman -- 465,000
George Danzer -- 460,000
Eric Cloutier -- 430,000
David Baker -- 410,000
Doug Booth -- 365,000
John Juanda -- 245,000
Daniel Negreanu -- 210,000
Erik Seidel -- 200,000
Andy Bloch -- 175,000
Friday, June 11, 2010 4:06 PM Local Time
David Baker opened for 25,000 from middle position, then John Monnette pushed all in for his last 105,000 from the big blind. Baker called, drawing one card while Monnette stood pat.
Monnette showed , while Baker showed and the he drew. Monnette is out in 10th, while Baker moves back up to 410,000.
One more elimination, and the remaining eight will redraw for a single table.
Friday, June 11, 2010 3:58 PM Local Time
We have a change at the top of the leaderboard to report, following a big hand between chip leader David Baker and Eric Kesselman.
Baker began things with a raise to 25,000 from the button. Eric Cloutier folded from the small blind, then Kesselman pushed all in for 230,000 from the BB. Baker made the call and drew one card. Kesselman, meanwhile, indicated he was content to keep his original five.
Kesselman showed . Baker tabled ... and . The pair sunk Baker in that one, sending him down to 276,000 and making George Danzer our current chip leader. Meanwhile, Kesselman is now right behind Danzer with 425,000.
Friday, June 11, 2010 3:51 PM Local Time
The table folded around to Eric Kesselman in the small blind. He took a peek at Monnette's short stack in the big blind, then announced he was all in. Monnette called with his remaining 88,000.
Both stood pat. Kesselman asked for one card, showing his while Monnette tabled his . Kesselman squeezed, then turned over the -- a pair.
Monnette survives, chipping up to 185,000. Kesselman now has 215,000.
Friday, June 11, 2010 3:43 PM Local Time
Andy Bloch had slipped down to 75,000, and had found himself in need of some help PDQ. Or least ASAP.
Then came a hand in which John Monnette opened with a raise to 27,000 in front of him. Bloch reraised all in, the table folded back to Monnette who called.
Monnette tapped the table, standing pat. Then Bloch said he was standing pat as well. Bloch tabled . Monnette showed -X-X-X, and Bloch more than doubles back to 170,000. Meanwhile, Monnette is now the short stack, having tumbled down to 90,000.
Friday, June 11, 2010 3:33 PM Local Time
The table folded around to Erik Seidel in the small blind, so he took the invitation to raise to 24,000. George Danzer called from the big blind. Seidel did something unexpected -- he drew three cards.
Danzer looked at Seidel with a grin of surprise. John Juanda piped up. "This is only the first draw," he said.
First and last, of course, as this is single draw, not triple draw. As the table laughed, Danzer took one card, then both players checked.
"A pair," said Seidel. "Which pair?" answered Danzer. Seidel showed , and Danzer tabled his . Danzer took the small pot.
The German pro continues to remain in second place behind David Baker with 430,000. Seidel has 335,000.
Friday, June 11, 2010 3:27 PM Local Time
The table folded around to John Monnette who raised to 220,000 from the small blind, and Eric Kesselman called from the big blind. Both stood pat. Monnette checked, Kesselman bet 60,000, and Monnette called the bet.
Monnette tabled . Kesselman showed two of his cards -- -- before tossing his hand into the muck. Monnette moves up to 275,000 and Kesselman down to 235,000.
Friday, June 11, 2010 3:22 PM Local Time
Eric Cloutier was just now tangling with opponents in a couple of hands, losing small pots in each.
In the first, John Monnette opened for 16,000 from middle position and Cloutier called from the BB. Both took one, and both checked. Monnette showed , which just barely beat Cloutier's .
In the second, Andy Bloch raised to 20,000 from middle position, and Cloutier called from the small blind. Again both players drew one card and both checked afterwards. Bloch showed , which bested Cloutier's pair of eights.
Cloutier is at 320,000 now, while Bloch has 175,000 and Monnette 254,000.
Friday, June 11, 2010 3:17 PM Local Time
Players were just informed that following our first two eliminations today, the remaining eight will be redrawing for seats around a single table.
This was news to some, and a couple -- including John Monnette -- objected to the decision. Andy Bloch noted how he, too, under normal circumstances would prefer they play two four-handed tables when the time comes. However, given his relatively short-stacked status, he admitted he doesn't mind going with an eight-handed table today so as to be able to deal with the blinds less frequently.
Friday, June 11, 2010 3:13 PM Local Time
An early confrontation between John Juanda (four-time WSOP bracelet winner) and Erik Seidel (eight-time WSOP bracelet winner) to share with you.
Juanda opened for 23,000 from the cutoff, and only Seidel in the SB called him. Seidel took one, and Juanda stood pat. Seidel then bet 30,000, and Juanda tanked for some time before making the call.
Seidel tabled , while Juanda showed his -X-X-X. Seidel grabs a few to move up to 350,000, while Juanda drops to 155,000.
Friday, June 11, 2010 3:06 PM Local Time
We're underway! Here's how our top ten are seated at the start of play on Day 3:
Table 341
Seat 1 - George Danzer
Seat 2 - Doug Booth
Seat 3 - John Juanda
Seat 4 - Daniel Negreanu
Seat 5 - Erik Seidel
Table 342
Seat 1 - Eric Cloutier
Seat 2 - Eric Kesselman
Seat 3 - John Monnette
Seat 4 - Andy Bloch
Seat 5 - David Baker
Friday, June 11, 2010 3:00 PM Local Time
We are just moments away from the restart of Event No. 19, the $10,000 Deuce-to-Seven Draw Lowball Championship (No-Limit). Our ten remaining players are gathering around two five-handed tables at the moment. With three more eliminations, we'll move over to one of the feature tables here in the Amazon Room to play out the final seven-handed table.
Back in a few!
Friday, June 11, 2010 12:57 PM Local Time
It was a late, late one last night as play continued until after 4 a.m. in Day 2 of the $10,000 Deuce-to-Seven Draw Lowball Championship (No-Limit). When the last level of the evening had finally completed, just ten remained from our starting field of 101, with David "Bakes" Baker our chip leader.
Following our first three eliminations today, we will have arrived at the final seven-handed table. And quite the final table it is shaping up to be!
Baker looks primed to be there, following up nicely the impressive feat of having final tabled Event No. 2, the $50,000 Player's Championship, where he finished sixth. But others are lurking not too far behind, including German pro George Danzer and Eric Cloutier, an early chip leader at last year's Main Event. And down the leaderboard a little further sit multiple bracelet winners Erik Seidel, John Juanda, and Daniel Negreanu, with a couple of players who've come close before -- John Monnette and Andy Bloch -- hoping to be there at the end as well.
Due to the lateness of play last night, we aren't scheduled to get going today until 4 p.m. Vegas time. Come back then to find out who ultimately comes out on top in the star-studded Event No. 19.