Wednesday, June 30, 2010 8:46 PM Local Time
Erle Mankin made a standard raise preflop with , but ran into the of chip leader Taylor Larkin who put him all in for 505,000 total.
The flop increased Mankin's outs, especially as another player confessed to folding a jack, but it made little difference as the turn and river both bricked out to send him home.
Seven remain.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 8:29 PM Local Time
The action passed round to Taylor Larkin in the small blind.
He turned towards his fellow blind opponent Alexander Kuzmin and asked how much he had.
Kuzmin replied with something inaudible from our blogging station, but looked to be in the 400,000-chip mark.
Larkin deliberated for a little before announcing he was all in for inexcess of 2,500,000 to prompt a rather quick fold from Kuzmin.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 8:24 PM Local Time
Alexander Kuzmin moved all in from early position for 385,000 and Michael Linn made the call.
Kuzmin:
Linn:
The flop produced backdoor flushes, but both players (as well as a blood-thirsty rail) groaned as the turn brought an uneventful turn. The river was therefore academic, but did make a difference to Erle Mankin who claimed to have folded .
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 8:22 PM Local Time
As the action folded round to Tyler Cornell in the cutoff, he raised the action to 80,000 and found callers in both Justin Zaki and Chadwick Grimes from the blinds.
The flop was checked to Cornell who moved all in . . . for his last 5,000 with both Zaki and Grimes calling.
The was checked on the turn, as was the on the river.
"Nine?" announced and questioned Cornell as he hoped to remain alive in the tournament by tabling his .
Zaki mucked, but it would be Grimes' that would collect the pot and send Cornell to the rail in 9th place for a $45,247 payday.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 8:18 PM Local Time
Benjamin Smith opened to 95,000 from early position, and with the action on Tyler Cornell, he moved all in from the button.
Smith instantly called and we were off to our first showdown of the final table.
Cornell:
Smith:
The board ran out to see Cornell slip to 90,000, as Smith doubles through to 1,560,000 in chips.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 8:15 PM Local Time
Everyone folded around to Tyler Cornell in the small blind who raised to 110,000. Michael Linn made the call. On the flop, Linn called a bet of 160,000 from Cornell, but folded to a bet of 215,000 on the river.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 8:09 PM Local Time
So far the final table table has been fairly dull.
Since the blinds and antes increased, just a simple preflop raise has been enough to take down the pot uncontested.
The lucky recipients? Chadwick Grimes, Benjamin Smith and Justin Zaki.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 7:59 PM Local Time
The first player to three-bet on this final was Tyler Remain. He reraised Alexander Kuzmin's open of 60,000 to 160,000, which was enough to take the pot.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 7:54 PM Local Time
First blood went to Alexander Kuzmin who picked up the blinds and antes with a preflop raise to 60,000.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 7:50 PM Local Time
The Tournament Director has just finished announcing the player profiles, and the cards are back in the air with blinds at 15,000-30,000 and a 4,000-ante.
There will be seven minutes left in this level.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 6:37 PM Local Time
The final nine players have decided to take their one-hour dinner break now, even though seven minutes remain in the level.
Play will resume at 8:45 pm PST!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 6:37 PM Local Time
John Myung moved all in from early position for 185,000 and Mihai Manole made the call from the button.
Tyler Cornell talked to the Tournament Director about if he would receive more money (the ninth place $45,247) if he also busted on the same hand since he had more chips.
After being informed that he indeed would receive more, Cornell moved all in for 410,000 from the small blind. Manole asked for a count and deliberated for nearly two minutes before calling the additional 225,000 to put both players at risk.
Myung:
Manole:
Cornell:
The board ran out to see Myung eliminated in 10th place for a $35,051 as Cornell climbs to over a million in chips.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 6:28 PM Local Time
Although John Myung is a short, and players are mustard keen to get to that final table, they aren't losing their focus and calling with any two. With the blinds at 15,000/30,000 (4,000), Myung just pushed from late position for a total of 118,000. Everyone folded around to Manole in the big blind, who, although has chips to spare and must have felt the pressure of eight other players willing him to call, decided to allow Myung to fight another day.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 6:17 PM Local Time
John Myung opened to 80,000 from under the gun only to have Justin Zaki move all in for 464,000 from the big blind.
After some deliberation, Myung made the call to put Zaki at risk.
Myung:
Zaki:
The flop of left Myung drawing to only one out, and once the and fell on the turn and river, he was crippled to 176,000 as Zaki doubled through to over 950,000 in chips.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 6:10 PM Local Time
Progress is very slow at the moment. It would appear as though none of the players are willing to put themselves in a position that could make them vulnerable to finishing in 10th. We often talk about the prestige of the bracelet, but there's also an element of honor in making a WSOP final table, and I think that is evident here.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 6:01 PM Local Time
The action folded round to John Myung in the small blind and he raised it up to 68,000.
Chadwick Grimes made the call before being faced with a 85,000-chip bet from Myung on the flop.
Grimes mulled over a decision for a while before cutting out a very fumbly raise of 185,000.
Myung went deep into the tank before eventually finding a fold while slipping to 580,000, as Grimes collected the pot to move to 1,530,000 in chips.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 5:54 PM Local Time
So far on this unofficial final table, it has just been a simple raise being enough to pick up the blinds and antes.
Nothing too crazy so far, but it's still early!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 5:49 PM Local Time
On the first hand of 10-handed play, the action stopped on John Myung in the cut-off who made it 57,000 to go: Taylor Larkin defended his big blind.
After both players had checked the flop, Myung led for 67,000 on the turn and Larkin made the call. On the river, Myung once again fired a shell, this time to the tune of 120,000. Again, Larkin made the call before showing . Myung mucked his hand.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 5:37 PM Local Time
Here is the unofficial final table.
One more elimination and we will be at the Event #49 final table.
Seat 1: John Myung
Seat 2: Chadwick Grimes
Seat 3: Benjamin Smith
Seat 4: Taylor Larkin
Seat 5: Alexander Kuzmin
Seat 6: Mihai Manole
Seat 7: Erle Mankin
Seat 8: Tyler Cornell
Seat 9: Michael Linn
Seat 10: Justin Zaki
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 5:33 PM Local Time
John Myung raised to 56,000 from the cut-off (which is also UTG+1), only for Jonathan Spinks to move all in from the button for a total of 299,000. After a long dwell, Myung made the call.
Spinks:
Myung:
As the hands were revealed, I could sense the negativity in Spinks who just never got going today, and he was justified in his pessimism as the board came a blank to send him to the rail.
"I knew you weren't light," commented Myung as they shook hands.