Monday, July 12, 2010 9:33 PM Local Time
He's won the WSOP Main Event twice already. Back-to-back, in fact, in 1987 and 1988. And darned near won it in again in 1989, finishing runner-up to Phil Hellmuth.
And now, more than 20 years later, he's back making another Main Event run, having enjoyed the chip lead for much of Day 3. The Orient Express, charging from the past into the WSOP headlines today. Johnny Friggin' Chan.
A number of different storylines wound their way through the Day 3 chapter of our ongoing chronicle of the 2010 WSOP Main Event. The 2,557 players who'd made it to today were swiftly narrowed to less than half that figure -- about 1,240 as the last hands were dealt -- with numerous notables hitting the rail while others began to build those gaudy, passers-by-stopping, eye-popping, jaw-dropping stacks of chips.
Among the first to go today were Scott Seiver, Phil Laak, Jennifer Harman, Chris Moneymaker, David Williams, and Erik Seidel. They were followed by Kara Scott, Bill Chen, Daniel Negreanu, Vanessa Rousso, Joe Cada, Billy Kopp, Eugene Katchalov, John Hennigan, and Archie Karas.
Meanwhile, we saw Alexander Kostritsyn, Kevin Gates, Ricardo Fasanaro, Paul Kristofferson, Chris Tipper, Jeffrey Ross, Nicholas Rainey, Andrew Brown, and James Carroll all taking turns swapping the chip lead back and forth as stacks surged past the 500,000-chip mark.
There was one other interesting subplot from today that all will be watching when play resumes tomorrow. That of the four Mizrachi brothers -- Robert, Eric, Danny, and Michael -- all of whom made it through today. How far will they go?
It looks as though James Carroll will be returning to the biggest stack tomorrow, having snuck past the 800,000-chip mark late in the day, with Imari Love, Gerasimos Deres, Max Casal, Josh Brikis, and Johnny Lodden all not too far behind.
However, much of the talk will be about Chan -- also there near the leaders -- and whether or not he can sustain his performance of the first three days. Adding to the excitement will be the bursting of the cash bubble, which most anticipate will happen later in the day on Day 4.
Thanks for following our coverage of Day 3, and be sure to come back tomorrow at noon local time for the next chapter of the 2010 Main Event saga!
Monday, July 12, 2010 9:27 PM Local Time
On one of the last hands of the evening, four players created a pot of about 28,000 and saw a flop of . Tony Korfman moved all in from the small blind for 57,200 and the big blind folded. The player in Seat 5 called as the cutoff got out of the way.
Korfman:
Seat 5:
Korfman put his tournament life on the line with a flush draw and it paid off as the appeared on the turn. The river was a useless and Korfman doubled to around 145,000.
Monday, July 12, 2010 9:21 PM Local Time
A huge pot at Robert Mizrachi's table brought the ESPN cameras and several media members scurrying over to Red 350. Lauren Kling was tangling with the eldest Mizrachi brother. With 100,000 chips already in the pot, Kling checked and then called his 33,500-chip bet with the board showing on the turn. When the river fell Kling, who had first action, moved all in for about 200,000 total. Mizrachi tanked for several minutes before finally shaking his head in disgust and mucking his cards.
Mizrachi now has about 347,000. Kling is up to about 395,000.
Monday, July 12, 2010 9:18 PM Local Time
Over in the orange section, the biggest stack appears to be Imari Love. He has more chips than the Lay's factory with just under 650,000.
Monday, July 12, 2010 9:18 PM Local Time
The clock has been paused at the ten-minute mark, and we'll play five more hands at each of the ~140 remaining tables before we bag and tag for the night.
Monday, July 12, 2010 9:16 PM Local Time
Marc Bariller was down to about 62,000 when he shoved his before the flop. Unfortunately, he ran them right into Jean-Robert Bellande's .
There would be no ten on board for Bariller, but he found a way regardless. The flop was a big swing and a miss, but the turn gave him a myriad of straight and flush outs with one card to come.
River: !
'Bink' as they say in the parlance of our times. That's what the kids call a Royal Flush, and that saves Bariller from an eleventh-hour elimination. He's doubled his way up over 125,000, and that puts Bellande down around the same mark; we count him at 116,000 after that ugly board.
Monday, July 12, 2010 9:13 PM Local Time
Dan Harrington has taken a small hit - although the number of TV personnel around the table rather suggested the pot was somewhat larger. Anyway, we arrived at the table to see Harrington and his short-stacked opponent turn their cards over.
Harrington:
Mr. Short Stack:
"He's got me covered suit-wise," noted Harrington.
Flop:
Turn: - "Oh-ho! Close," said Harrington, "Just one notch below the ten..."
River:
"Very good," Harrington told his opponent as he doubled up. Harrington himself is at 146,000, a little below average.
Monday, July 12, 2010 9:09 PM Local Time
Jimmy Tran was all in for 66,200 before the flop, and he found calling action from a player across the table from him. It was pair vs. pair as the cards were turned up:
Tran:
Opponent:
There wasn't much to sweat on the board that ran . Aces full notch a double up for Tran, and he's back to 138,400 as the night winds to a close.
Monday, July 12, 2010 9:07 PM Local Time
Alex Jacob has kept quiet for most of the day, letting his hair do the talking. He let his chips carry the conversation in this one.
Jacob bet 10,000 into a sizable pot on an flop, and his opponent in late position called. The river was the , and Jacob sat silently for a moment before mouthing "all in." The dealer repeated it, and the other player looked stricken and tossed his cards at the muck. Jacob moved up to 160,000 with the hand.
Monday, July 12, 2010 9:07 PM Local Time
A player raised to 8,000 and Tony Korfman reraised to 20,000. After a call, the flop came down . Korfman bet 18,000 only to have his opponent move all in for 138,600. Korfman made the call and turned over , which was far ahead of the other player's .
That all changed when the hit the turn, leaving Korfman drawing to one of the two remaining kings. Unfortunately for him, the river was the . Korfman has dropped all the way down to 66,000.
Monday, July 12, 2010 9:00 PM Local Time
Whilst others are flailing, JP Kelly is beginning to pick up pace and finish the day with a bang. A quick glance down at his stack (OK, I admit, I asked), unveiled a 350,000 stack.
Meanwhile, neighbor and fellow countryman Barny Boatman just hasn't got going today, his stack dipping down to around the 80,000 mark.
Monday, July 12, 2010 8:48 PM Local Time
Adam Junglen has doubled up, coming over the top from the big blind and being called by Jay Rosenkrantz in the hijack.
"You're good," commented Rosenkrantz as Junglen showed . Rosenkrantz had .
Board:
"72,200" was the debt.
Monday, July 12, 2010 8:48 PM Local Time
Dewey Tomko just eliminated a player and just about doubled up after the two got all the money in on a flop of . Tomko held the and his opponent the .
The turn and river were the and to ensure the win to Tomko. He now has about 120,000 in chips.
Monday, July 12, 2010 8:47 PM Local Time
Frank Kassela has been on a bit of a downward trend over the last level or two but he's just turned things around a little in the right direction after winning a recent pot.
Kassela opened with a raise from the button to 5,500 with just the big blind making the call. The flop landed and both player checked. The turn was the and again it was check, check. The river was the and for a third time the big blind checked to Kassela who finally tossed out a bet of 10,000. The big blind made the call.
"Two pair..." declared Kassela as he opened . His opponent flashed . Kassela is back up to 150,000.
Monday, July 12, 2010 8:47 PM Local Time
2010 bracelet winner Sigurd Eskeland was all in and at risk preflop moments ago. He was racing with against an opponent's .
The flop was quite fortuitous, and Eskeland was able to dodge a ten on both the turn ( } and the river ( ). Eskeland is alive and well, sitting with 175,000 chips.
Monday, July 12, 2010 8:44 PM Local Time
A pot between Tony Korfman in the cutoff and a player in the big blind was raised preflop to build a pot of about 12,000.
The flop came and the hijack bet 6,000 with Korfman calling. When the came on the turn the hijack bet 20,000 and called a raise to 45,000 from Korfman.
The river was the and the player in the hijack check-called a bet of 60,000 from Korfman who said "good hand" and mucked his cards even before the hijack showed for a straight.
Monday, July 12, 2010 8:44 PM Local Time
A player in early position raised it up to 7,200 and Dan Harrington defended his big blind. The flop was , and Harrington called a bet of 12,300 before checking down the turn. On the river, however, Harrington took the lead, firing out a bet of 18,000. His opponent called, only to be shown a triumphant for the rivered trips.
It's been a few years since Harrington made an impact in the Rio, but don't count him out - he's on 180,000.
Monday, July 12, 2010 8:41 PM Local Time
Andrew Brown just eliminated another player. The flop was and Brown had a set of threes. His opponent held top two pair. The turn and river were clean for Brown and he won the pot, sending the player to the rail.
Brown's now got 673,000 and looks to be the biggest stack in the room.
Monday, July 12, 2010 8:38 PM Local Time
It's official, I'm what our English readers might recognize as a "bokker". No sooner had I retold the story of John Shipley, and hinted that this could be his year, than he was busy moving more than half his stack across the felt.
I joined proceedings on the flop, where Shipley had check-raised David Benyamine's lead of 9,500 to 25,100. Benyamine called.
On the turn, Shipley once again checked putting the decision on Benyamine. The Frenchman thought for longer than Rodin's "The Thinker" before finally trickling 23,000 onto the felt. Shipley immediately slid in a stack of orange chips (signifying that he was putting his opponent all in), and Benyamine snap-called.
Benyamine:
Shipley:
A river changed nothing, and Shipley's stack had been decimated. He is now right back down to 70,000.
Monday, July 12, 2010 8:38 PM Local Time
We arrived at the table just as the dealer was pulling in chips from three players. One player was all in as Jason Somerville and another player made the call and were still active. The flop read at the time.
The turn brought the and Somerville moved all in, having the other player covered. He folded and Somerville showed the to go up against the all-in player's .
The river was the to give Somerville a flush and he scooped the pot to move back towards 400,000 in chips.