Event #29: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em

Gaurav Raina has emerged victorious in Event #29: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em after winning the heads-up battle against James Calvo as the tournament continued through to an unscheduled Day 4.

"We had a joke with my friends. I said I was going to win three bracelets this summer, and we were all laughing. None of us thought that anyone of us is actually gonna win a bracelet. But we were like 'we've been preppin', we're beasts.'"

Raina now has accomplished one-third of his plan. "We're gonna go hard, it's gonna be awesome," he said.

The interrupted heads-up match gave Raina an opportunity to rest and set up a game plan designed specifically for play against Calvo, who showed some unorthodox patterns during the duel.

"I definitely spent some good time with friends discussing what the hell is this guy doing. I haven't seen many of his hands the entire day, the only hands he turned over were big hands, which is crazy, because his frequencies are super high," Raina said. "I was trying to figure out what his bet-sizing patterns were," he added.

Knowing he was coming back with a shorter stack, Raina wanted to make sure he'd do absolutely everything to scoop the bracelet. "I couldn't sleep much. I was thinking about the chip disadvantage, the bracelet, the huge pay jump. I got like four hours of sleep and I was just like walking around in circles. Trying to figure out what to do to not lose this match."

"It definitely couldn't hurt me to get rest and to come back. I was just amped up and wanted to finish, but other than that, it makes no real difference. It's a little suspenseful."

It couldn't start much better for Raina as he doubled in the fifth hand of the day (146th of the final table) when his flopped two pairs held against Calvo's flush draw. Raina vaulted to a slight lead and the players then changed chips back and forth.

Calvo, who took a lot of time to make every decision, was pulling out some big raises and check-raises to frustrate Raina. "Unfortunately, I never had a hand. I was airballing most of the time. His timing was very good. He managed to somehow check-raise when I didn't have much."

Raina had to adjust to his opponent's style and tempo. "I started limping the button because I figured he would be bombing, making big three-bets. Eventually, when I do get the right hand, I need to not let him stop bluffing."

Raina did eventually catch Calvo when he flopped a set of jacks, letting his opponent move all in on the turn where Raina's hand improved to a full house. Calvo still had a chance to win as he had queens up, hoping for another queen to land on the river. Raina faded the two-outer and then finally enjoyed the moment of joy after the 212th hand of the final table.

Originally From New Jersey, Raina and his girlfriend are moving to San Diego after the summer. Until then, there are still plenty of bracelets to chase for the Event #29 champion.

Event #29: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em Final Table Results:

Hand #207: Gaurav Raina received a walk in the big blind.

Hand #208: Raina raised to 400,000 from the button before James Calvo bumped it up to 1,200,000 from the big blind. Raina mucked his hand and Calvo took down the pot.

Hand #209: Calvo opened to 700,000 from the button and took down the blinds and antes after Raina mucked his hand.

Hand #210: Raina raised to 400,000 from the button and was called by Calvo in the big blind.

The flop came     and Calvo bet out 700,000. Raina looked over Calvo's stack before announcing all in for over six million. Calvo mucked.

Hand #211: Raina received another walk in the big blind.

Gaurav Raina	8,300,000	2,300,000
James Calvo	5,300,000	-2,275,000

Hand #206: There were two minutes left in the level and the tournament supervisor informed players about an upcoming break. "Thank god, I'm so tired," said James Calvo in relief. Then the last hand before the break started as Gaurav Raina made it 320,000 to go and Calvo accepted.

Calvo checked on the    , letting Raina fire a 300,000 continuation bet. Calvo then cut out a pile of the most valuable chips and check-raised to 900,000. Raina called.

The turn   and river   were checked through and Calvo revealed his    for air on the flop and rivered pair. Raina had flopped a ten, and the eight also hit him. Despite four clubs on the board, Raina's    for two pairs was good and he regained the lead before they headed for a 15-minute break.

Hand #194: Gaurav Raina raised to 320,000 but James Calvo pumped it to 1,000,000, forcing Raina's fold.

Hand #195: Calvo limped and Raina checked. Raina also checked on the     flop and Calvo scooped the pot with his 500,000 bet.

Hand #196: Calvo received a walk.

Hand #197: Calvo returned the walk to Raina.

Hand #198: Raina raised to 320,000 and Calvo mucked.

Hand #199: Calvo opened to 500,000 and Raina folded.

Hand #200: Raina won another pot uncontested, earning Calvo's big blind after min-raising.

Hand 187: A raise-and-take for James Calvo who made it 500,000 from the button.

Hand 188: Gaurav Raina raised to 320,000 and Calvo three-bet. "How much is it this time?" Raina asked with a smile on his face, and the dealer confirmed it was one million. Raina folded.

Hand 189: Raina got a walk.

Hand 190: Raina raised to 320,000 and Calvo matched the price. They checked the     but Calvo check-folded to Raina's 300,000 bet on the   turn.

Hand 191: Calvo limped but Raina raised to 500,000. Calvo called.

The flop     saw Raina continue for 550,000 but Calvo cut out chips for a raise and eventually slid forward 1,500,000.

"I really don't know how this is possible. This is insane," Raina said to his railbirds, showing frustration.

James Calvo	7,575,000	1,175,000
Gaurav Raina	6,000,000	-1,175,000

Hand #177: Gaurav Raina received a walk.

Hand #178: Raina raised to 320,000 and James Calvo called from the big blind. The flop     was checked back by Raina, and Calvo checked the   turn again. Raina, however, fired 375,000 this time and Calvo folded.

Hand #179: Calvo opened to 500,000 and Raina mucked his hand.

Hand #180: Raina made it 320,000 again and Calvo defended to continue on the flop    . Calvo checked to Raina who opted for a continuation bet worth 300,000. Calvo, however, woke up with a 900,000 check-raise. Raina folded instantly.

Hand #181: Raina received another walk.

Hand #167: James Calvo called from the button and Gaurav Raina checked. Both players checked the flop     and so did they on the   turn. Raina peeled for 300,000 on the   river, ending the hand.

Hand #168: Raina limped but Calvo bumped the price to 560,000 which was too much for Reina as he mucked.

Hand #169: Raina got a walk.

Hand #170: Raina raised to 320,000 and Calvo defended his big blind. The     flop remained checked through and Raina took down the pot with a delayed 350,000 continuation-bet on the  , forcing a check-fold from Calvo.

Hand #161: Gaurav Raina got a walk in the big blind.

Hand #162: Raina raised to 240,000 from the button and was called by James Calvo in the big blind.

The flop came     and Calvo checked. Raina threw out a continuation bet worth 250,000 and took down the pot after Calvo mucked his hand.

Hand #163: Calvo raised to 460,000 from the button which was enough to take down the pot.

Hand #164: Raina once again raised to 240,000 from the button. Calvo thought for a minute before sliding out a raise to 935,000. Raina asked for a count, then mucked his hand.

Hand #165: Calvo reached for his chips and placed out 460,000. Raina mucked immediately and Calvo took down another pot.

Hand #166: Raina limped from the button and Calvo agreed to see the flop     for cheap. Calvo, however, led out 250,000 on the flop and Raina wasn't willing to pay.

Hand #147: Gaurav Raina got a walk in the big blind.

Hand #148: Raina limped on the button and James Calvo checked the big blind.

The flop came     and Calvo bet 275,000. Raina folded.

Hand #149: Calvo raised to 460,000 from the button. Raina mucked, and Calvo took down the blinds and antes.

Hand #150: Raina tossed out a raise totaling 240,000. Calvo mucked, relinquishing the pot.

Hand #151: Raina got a walk in the big blind.

Hand #152: Calvo enjoyed a walk straight back.

Hand #153: Raina received the third walk in a row.

Hand #154: Raina called from the button. Calvo checked.

The flop came     and Calvo bet out 275,000. Raina thought for a moment then bumped it up to 900,000.

Calvo asked for a count but opted to muck shortly after.

An extra day has been called for Event #29 as James Calvo and Gaurav Raina remain the last two players standing after 141 hands of the final table. Calvo and Raina both chase their first WSOP bracelet along with the $456,822 first-place prize and an eternal legacy of membership in the World Series of Poker champions club.

While Calvo and Raina are both already set to pick up their career-best prizes with $282,276 locked, there's still a $175,000 pay jump and the fame to fight for.

Calvo is in better shape with 9,600,000 in chips, good for 80 big blinds. Raina is coming back with 4,000,000 (33 big blinds). Play resumes Sunday 1 p.m. local time with 30 minutes left in Level 31: 60,000/120,000 and an ante of 15,000.

Yesterday's heads-up action lasted just over 70 hands. Calvo entered the final duel with nearly a three-to-one chip lead but Raina doubled in the second hand to earn a slight lead. So far, the most dramatic part of the heads up has emerged in hands #115 and #116 of the final table which saw the chips flying from side to side. The first one went Calvo's way as he triple-barrelled queens on a jack-high board, scoring a huge double against Raina's ace-jack.

Calvo wasted no time and tried to finish Raina off in the following hand when they got it in preflop in a fair race. Calvo held pocket sevens and Raina was hoping with ace-queen. Calvo remained ahead through the flop and turn, but a queen on the river came to Raina's rescue as he narrowed Calvo's lead to two-to-one. The next 25 hands didn't bring any significant change and the top two finishers then bagged their chips, pausing their battle until Sunday.

Raina has racked up nearly five times as much as Calvo in live tournament cashes but this will be his first reported top-two finish. Calvo had already played a tournament heads up, albeit only in small events in Las Vegas.

Neither of the players had experienced heads-up play on such level as the World Series of Poker until yesterday and their epic battle has been stretched to two days. There's only one obstacle on the way to glory as Calvo and Raina face off again Sunday at 1 p.m. PDT. Follow PokerNews hand-by-hand coverage to see the full details of the action as Event #29 crowns its champion today afternoon.