Event #35: $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 6-Handed

Jason Mercier has hit quad tens (the second time at this final table tonight) to move back into the chip lead with more than 3.4 million now in his ever-growing stack.

Hans Winzeler raised from the button to 100,000 pre-flop; Steven Merrifield folded from the small blind and Jason Mercier called from the big blind before before both players checked after the flop of    .

Mercier then led out for 160,000 on the turn of the   and Winzeler called before doing the same after Mercier's bet of 285,000 on the river of the  . Mercier flipped up      for quad tens and took the pot down, much to Merrifield's disbelief.

"Holy cow," Merrifield exclaimed. "That was the same board that came out when I had quads!" Close, but it did come out the same way!

Jason Mercier	3,445,000	445,000
Hans Winzeler	2,750,000	-250,000
Steven Merrifield	1,205,000	-295,000

Steven Merrifield has had chunks taken out of him by both Jason Mercier and Hans Winzeler and as a result is down to less than 1.7 million as the final table of WSOP #35 continues.

Earlier, all three players limped in to see a flop of    ; which they all checked before Merrifield fired out 175,000 after the turn of the  . Mercier folded and Winzeler called from the button before Merrifield led out for 225,000 on the river of the  .

Winzeler quickly raised to 525,000 and Merrifield called, showing down      but mucked his hand after Winzeler tabled      for the nut straight.

Then in the very next hand, Merrifield raised to 125,000 from the button and only Mercier called from the small blind before both players checked the flop of    . Mercier then opened for 80,000 on the turn of the  ; Merrifield reraised to 200,000 and Mercier called before both players checked down the river of the  .

Mercier showed      for queens full and scooped the pot.

Hans Winzeler	3,250,000	750,000
Jason Mercier	2,300,000	0
Steven Merrifield	1,655,000	-1,245,000

Steven Merrifield, who has come to be called "Ball Game" here at the feature table, raised to 120,000 from the button and was called by Hans Winzeler in the big blind. It went check-bet 175,000-call on the     flop, which was followed by a check-bet 390,000-fold on the   turn. Ship the pot to Winzeler.

So far the action three-handed has been exceptionally lackluster. As always, it's only a matter of time before things pick up.

The cards are now back in the air!

Steven Merrifield raised to 90,000 on the button and was called by Hans Winzeler from the big blind. The flop came down     and Merrifield check-called a bet of 225,000. The same exact action occurred on the   turn, bringing about the   on the river.

This time both players checked and Merrifield showed the   for trips; however, Winzeler rolled over      for tens full and the win.

A short-stacked David Chiu raised from the cutoff and Jason Mercier obliged with a reraise from the big blind. Chiu had less than 300,000 and committed his entire stack to the pot.

Chiu:     
Mercier:     

This was one of those hands that was going to be determined by the flop, which ended up coming down    . Both players had hit two pair, but Mercier's was better. Add to the equation that Mercier held the nut-flush draw, and Chiu was in a pretty bad spot.

As the crowd took to its feet, the   blanked on the turn. Chiu's life came down to the river, though by that point he'd already begun to collect his things. The dealer burned once again and put out the  . Mercier improved to a flush to send Chiu to the rail in fourth place ($156,628).

Jason Mercier	2,900,000	360,000
David Chiu	0	-500,000

It's probably the worst thing in poker that you could possibly imagine. You get your money in good and then get busted in the worst way possible - your opponent hits the one-outer.

But that's exactly what happened to Joseph Ressler and as a result, he's our fourth-place finisher, collecting $105,967.

Ressler raised to 80,000 from under the gun and the action folded to Steven Merrifield who called from the small blind, as did Jason Mercier to go three ways to a flop of    . Merrifield and Mercier checked to Ressler who bet 150,000, only to see Merrifield check-raise to 425,000.

Mercier folded, Ressler snap-shoved and Merrifield insta-called.

Ressler:     
Merrifield:     

Both sides of the Mothership erupted - set over set! Not the best news for Merrifield's crew, but Ressler's supporters were thrilled and became even more vocal when the   bricked on the turn.

"One-outer for the ball game!" cried one of Merrifield's crew.

River:  

Bink.

The roar that went up from Merrifield's mob drowned out the PA system in the Amazon. Merrifield jumped down from the stage and his friends bum-rushed the rail, hugging, high-fiving and fist-bumping all around. Ressler and his supporters went catatonic - all them stood rigid in the same pose, frozen in disbelief, hands over their mouths as if they were going to puke.

All the sickness aside, Merrifield is now way out in front with more than 3.3 million in chips.

Joseph Ressler

0

-670,000

Just before the blinds ticked over into Level 26, Jason Mercier and Steven Merrifield both rocketed past two million in chips each.

Earlier, Joseph Ressler raised to 65,000 from the under the gun before the flop and found two callers in the form of David Chiu from the cutoff, as well as Mercier from the big blind to go three-handed to a flop that read    .

Mercier checked to Ressler who opened for 105,000. Chiu folded, but Mercier called, making it heads-up to the turn of the  , which they both checked. However, Mercier then check-called Ressler's bet of 225,00 on the river of the  , tabling      for kings full against Ressler's      to scoop the pot.

A short time later, Hans Winzeler raised pre-flop from the cutoff and Merrifield called from the button before both players checked the flop of    . Winzeler then bet 205,000 on the turn of the  ; Merrifield called and then both players checked the river  .

Merrifield showed down      and Winzeler flashed      before sending his hand into the muck. Merrifield is now close to 2.8 million while Mercier is a little under 2.02 million.