Sunday, June 17, 2012 4:15 PM Local Time
The chip counts are as close as they will probably ever get after Larry Wright just won two pots in a row.
On the first hand Larry Wright raised on the button to 18,000 and Andrew Lichtenberger defended his big blind.
Both players drew one card.
Lichtenberger lead out for 40,000 and Wright made the call. He showed and that was enough to take down the pot.
On the next hand Brandon Cantu raised the button to 12,000, and Wright defended his big blind.
Both players drew one card.
Wright check-called and showed in order to take down yet another pot.
"I'm coming after you. It's war now," Cantu said after the hand as all three players still have equal chances at winning the WSOP gold bracelet!
| Larry Wright | 440,000 | 110,000  |
| Brandon Cantu | 427,000 | -73,000  |
| Andrew Lichtenberger | 415,000 | -65,000 |
Sunday, June 17, 2012 4:06 PM Local Time
From the small blind Larry Wright raised to 24,000, and Brandon Cantu defended his big blind.
Wright took two cards, Cantu only needed one.
Wright checked to Cantu who put out a big 70,000 chip bet. Wright gave it some thought and made the call.
Cantu turned over , and Wright tossed his cards into the muck. Cantu is now back in the lead.
| Brandon Cantu | 500,000 | 100,000 |
| Larry Wright | 330,000 | -102,000 |
Sunday, June 17, 2012 4:01 PM Local Time
Larry Wright's two double-ups not long ago have done as much for his confidence and they have for his stack.
He's come in for a lot of raises and just three-bet to 36,000 from the big blind after a Brandon Cantu button raise to 12,000, and an Andrew Lichtenberger call from the small blind.
Cantu folded but Lichtenberger called before both drew one, and then checked.
Wright took the pot with a jack-ten as Lichtenberger said he had an ace.
| Andrew Lichtenberger | 480,000 | 30,000 |
| Larry Wright | 432,000 | 72,000 |
| Brandon Cantu | 400,000 | -90,000 |
Sunday, June 17, 2012 3:51 PM Local Time
After the players got back from their break we have seen only some small pots. The chip counts are drawing closer and closer to each other, and we could be looking at a very tough battle from now on!
Sunday, June 17, 2012 3:43 PM Local Time
The cards are back in the air.
Sunday, June 17, 2012 3:33 PM Local Time
We will be back in five minutes as two players run off to the bathroom.
Sunday, June 17, 2012 3:33 PM Local Time
Larry Wright was all but out the door during three-handed action, but he just won another pot bringing him close to his two opponents.
From the button Andrew Lichtenberger raised to 15,000 and Wright three-bet from the small blind to 63,000. Cantu folded, and after some tanking Lichtenberger made the call.
"I'm pat!" Lichtenberger announced with enthusiasm while Lichtenberger needed one card.
Wright bet 60,000 and Lichtenberger tossed his cards into the muck. Besides this pot Wright also won a couple of smaller pots bringing his stack up to 320,000 chips.
| Andrew Lichtenberger | 480,000 | -100,000 |
| Larry Wright | 320,000 | 105,000 |
Sunday, June 17, 2012 3:31 PM Local Time
Larry Wright has doubled two hands in a row to give himself a fighting chance.
In the first hand Brandon Cantu opened to 8,00 and both blinds called. All three drew one and Andrew Lichtenberger led for 30,000 from the small blind. Wright called all-in with . Lichtenberger said he had a pair and mucked.
The next hand saw Lichtenberger raise to 10,000 from the button, Wright call from the small blind, and Cantu re-raise to 45,000 from the big blind. Lichtenberger called but Wright moved all-in for 84,000.
Cantu successfully isolated Wright by shoving in behind, and drew one as Wright stood pat.
Cantu opened and a drew a . He was drawing dead though as Wright had a seventy-six perfect and scooped.
| Andrew Lichtenberger | 580,000 | -100,000 |
| Brandon Cantu | 500,000 | -95,000 |
| Larry Wright | 215,000 | 150,000 |
Sunday, June 17, 2012 3:21 PM Local Time
Level: 18
Blinds: 3000/6000
Ante: 1500
Sunday, June 17, 2012 3:18 PM Local Time
He was chip leader for a very long time in this tournament, but unfortunately for him the final table didn't play out as he had expected. He started the day really strong, but just crashed in fourth place taking home $28,198. The final hand played out like this.
Brandon Cantu raised it up to 8,000, and Mizrachi moved all in for his final 63,000 chips. Cantu made the call.
Both players drew one card.
| Michael Mizrachi | |
| Brandon Cantu | |
Cantu showed a , and that gave Mizrachi plenty of outs to stay alive. He needed to hit a jack, ten, nine, eight or seven in order to stay live, but he came up short. Mizrachi turned over a , and got himself a nice round of applaus as he exited the final table stage.
| Brandon Cantu | 595,000 | 75,000 |
| Michael Mizrachi | 0 | -65,000 |
Sunday, June 17, 2012 3:11 PM Local Time
Michael Mizrachi, so dominant a short while ago, is now the short stack along with Larry Wright.
He opened to 10,000 and then four-bet to 70,000 when Andrew Lichtenberger three-bet to 40,000. Lichtenberger tank-called and drew one. Grinder stood pat and then bet 60,000 when checked to him.
Lichtenberger called with [2x. Mizrachi was bluffing with three deuces in his hand.
| Andrew Lichtenberger | 680,000 | 180,000 |
| Brandon Cantu | 520,000 | 105,000 |
| Larry Wright | 65,000 | -84,000 |
| Michael Mizrachi | 65,000 | -130,000 |
Sunday, June 17, 2012 2:56 PM Local Time
The action hasn't slowed down for one moment here at the final table as we just lost our fifth place finisher, Erick Lindgren. From the hijack Brandon Cantu raised to 8,000 and Michael Mizrachi made the call from the cutoff.
Andrew Lichtenberger was on the button, and quickly threw in a three-bet to 42,000. Larry Wright gave up his small blind after which Erick Lindgren moved all in for a total of 70,000 from the big blind. Cantu and Mizrachi folded, Lichtenberger made the call.
Both players drew one card.
| Andrew Lichtenberger | |
| Erick Lindgren | |
"Will you show me if i'm live, 'Chewy'?" Lindgren asked his opponent who told the dealer to just deal his card face up.
Lichtenberger hit a , and that did it for Lindgren who could no longer win the hand. To wrap things up Lindgren hit an and walked out with a $19,676 payday.
| Andrew Lichtenberger | 500,000 | 85,000 |
| Erick Lindgren | 0 | -93,000 |
Sunday, June 17, 2012 2:55 PM Local Time
In two hands Michael Mizrachi just lost a decent amount of chips to Brandon Cantu. He's now in fifth place while Cantu jumps into second.
From the small blind Cantu raised to 12,000 and Mizrachi defended his big blind. Both players drew one card.
Cantu checked to Mizrachi who fired out 30,000, and he got snap-called. Mizrachi showed against Cantu's and took down this pot.
On the second hand Cantu raised from the cutoff to 8,000, and Mizrachi three-bet him to 20,000 from the button. Cantu called, and both players drew one card.
Cantu checked to Mizrachi who fired out 25,000 and once again the snap-call followed. Mizrachi announced he had a jack-seven, and that was no good against .
Mizrachi is losing chips fast while Cantu is climbing towards chip leader Andrew Lichtenberger.
| Brandon Cantu | 415,000 | 103,000 |
| Michael Mizrachi | 195,000 | -143,000 |
Sunday, June 17, 2012 2:54 PM Local Time
Andrew Lichtenberger is still in the chip lead and using his position at the table very well.
Twice in the last orbit Michael Mizrachi has three-bet the open of Brandon Cantu. Mizrachi knows that Cantu has a wide opening range so the three-bet is profitable play. The only problem for him is that Lichtenberger is exploiting that fact and four-betting to great effect. Both times he four-bet his opponents folded.
| Andrew Lichtenberger | 415,000 | 5,000 |
Sunday, June 17, 2012 2:39 PM Local Time
Erick Lindgren was just under the gun and moved all in for his final 41,000 chips. Brandon Cantu folded, after which Micheal Mizrachi made the call from the button. Both blinds released.
Both players mucked an ace face up, and drew one card.
| Michael Mizrachi | |
| Erick Lindgren | |
"You show first, so I know if i'm drawing live," Lindgren said who could be drawing dead if Mizrachi didn't pair up with a nine or lower. But, Mizrachi showed an keeping Lindgren's hopes alive. He turned over a and doubled up.
| Michael Mizrachi | 338,000 | -42,000 |
| Erick Lindgren | 93,000 | 39,000 |
Sunday, June 17, 2012 2:34 PM Local Time
For the first time at this final table Andrew Lichtenberger has the chip lead.
He three-bet to 36,00 after Michael Mizrachi opened to 10,000 from the cut-off. Mizrachi called and drew one as Lichtenberger stood pat.
Lichtenberger bet 44,000 when Mizrachi checked, and then called when check-raised up to 96,000.
Lichtenberger opened . Mizrachi opened and said he hadn't looked at his draw card yet. The whole table seated as Mizrachi flipped up a to pair.
| Andrew Lichtenberger | 410,000 | 140,000 |
| Michael Mizrachi | 380,000 | -131,000 |
Sunday, June 17, 2012 2:24 PM Local Time
With a big stack and good chance at winning a WSOP gold bracelet, you would expect Brandon Cantu to be at least a bit happy at the table. But that's not the case. He just slammed the table, after after missing a draw against Andrew Lichtenberger.
Cantu raised from the button to 8,000, Michael Mizrachi gave up his small blind, and Lichtenberger three-bet to 36,000 from the big. Cantu counted out the chips and made the call.
Both players drew one card.
Lichtenberger checked, after which Cantu double checked his cards. As if the dealer wouldn't notice a tap on the table Cantu slammed it hard, and some frustration was clearly visible. Lichtenberger showed and took down this pot.
| Brandon Cantu | 312,000 | -36,000 |
| Andrew Lichtenberger | 270,000 | 46,000 |
Sunday, June 17, 2012 2:16 PM Local Time
Level: 17
Blinds: 2000/4000
Ante: 1000
Sunday, June 17, 2012 2:10 PM Local Time
| Michael Mizrachi | 511,000 | 1,000 |
| Brandon Cantu | 348,000 | 2,000 |
| Andrew Lichtenberger | 224,000 | 4,000 |
| Larry Wright | 149,000 | -1,000 |
| Erick Lindgren | 54,000 | -26,000 |
Sunday, June 17, 2012 2:06 PM Local Time
There is a ten-minute break as the grey T100 chips are colored up and taken out of play.