Eric Rodawig looks to capture the title once again.
There are many questions entering the third and final day of the 2013 World Series of Poker Event #13: $5,000 Seven-Card Stud Hi-Low 8-or-Better. Will chip leader Yuval Bronshtein win his long-overdue first gold bracelet? Can Eric Rodawig repeat his success from two years ago when he this event for $442,183 by defeating Phil Hellmuth in heads-up play? Or will a fan favorite like Gavin Smith, Eli Elezra or Mike "The Mouth" Matusow take it down?
Of course those aren't the only story lines to follow. Tony Cousineau looks to break his infamous streak of 54 cashes (now 55) without a bracelet, though he'll have to do it as one of the short stacks. Similarly, respect Las Vegas cash-game player "Crazy" Marco Johnson is looking for his first gold bracelet, something that would no doubt establish him as more than adept at both cash games and tournaments. The same can be said for online pro Brian Hastings.
Just how well these players do, and how much they take home, remains to be seen.
The final 20 players will return to action at 2 p.m. PDT, which is about an hour from now. We'll be on hand to bring you all the action and eliminations on the way to crowning a Event #13: $5,000 Seven-Card Stud Hi-Low 8-or-Better champion and awarding the $266,503 first-place prize, so be sure to join us then.
The chips are flying with each and every hand, and no one's stack has went up and down more than Timothy Finne's. Unfortunately it just went down for the last time courtesy of Yuval Bronshtein.
It happened when the duo engaged in a raising war on third that resulted in Finne getting the last of his chips in. The cards were run out, and in the end, Finne ended up with jacks and eights, which were no good against Bronshtein's queens and nines.
We caught the action on fourth when betting was capped and Joe Tehan was all in for his last 52,000.
Tehan:
Baker:
Tehan got it in with jacks, but he needed some help as Baker had him with a pair of aces. Neither fourth nor sixth helped Tehan, which meant he needed to catch on seventh to stay alive. Baker looked first and revealed the , meaning the aces and eights he hit on sixth were the best hand. Tehan could still win with either a diamond or jack on the river, but he must not have received either as he squeezed out his card and then sent his hand to the muck.
With that, we're down to the final 16, which means it's time for the two-table redraw.
Eli Elezra - 15th Place; Brian Hastings - 16th Place
Eli Elezra: / /
Yuval Bronshtein: / /
Brian Hastings: / /
Gavin Smith: / /
We caught the action on fourth when Eli Elezra bet and received three calls. Both Elezra and a short-stacked Brian Hastings got all in on fifth, meaning there was side action between Yuval Bronshtein and Gavin Smith headed to sixth. The latter ended up calling a bet from the former, and then Bronshtein check-called a bet of seventh.
Elezra:
Smith:
Bronshtein:
Hastings: Muck
Smith made a straight on seventh to claim the high, and Bronshtein's seven-six was good for the low. Both Elezra and Hastings were eliminated on the hand, and since the latter was the shorter stack he was awarded 16th place while the former took 15th.
Ryan Miller: / /
David "Bakes" Baker: / /
Matthew Ashton: / /
Ryan Miller completed and received calls from David "Bakes" Baker and Matthew Ashton. Miller, who was short, got his remaining 8,500 in on fifth and the other two players created a side pot. Ashton proceeded to check-call bets on both fifth and sixth before leading out on seventh. Baker made the call but mucked when Ashton indicated he had a flush and tabled the .
Miller took one last look at his down cards () and then sent them to the muck before taking his leave in 14th place for $13,877.
Vladimir Shchemelev completed with the and then called when Marco Johnson raised showing the . Shchemelev took the lead on fourth and promptly bet, and then did the same on fifth after Johnson called. The man known as "Crazy Marco" called off his last 19,000 on fifth and had the high with a pair of jacks. Unfortunately for him, Shchemelev had a low locked up and took the high lead when he paired his ace on sixth.
Seventh was no help to Johnson and he was eliminated in 13th place for $13,877.
Mike Matusow: / /
Richard Chiovari: / /
Yuval Bronshtein: / Fold
Mike "The Mouth" Matusow limped after another player had brought it in, and Richard Chiovari completed with the showing. Yuval Bronshtein made the call, as did Matusow, and three players went to fourth street.
Bronshtein was first to act and checked, opening the door for Matusow to bet. Chiovari responded with a raise, Bronshtein folded and Matusow made the call. "The Mouth" then checked fifth, Chiovari bet and Matusow raise. Chiovari only had 4,000 behind and called off.
Chiovari got it in good as far as the low was concerned, but sixth street reversed it as it gave Matusow a better low and Chiovari the high with a pair of fives. Chiovari failed to improve on seventh, while Matusow caught a five to make a wheel and eliminated his opponent.
"I made a wheel and he had two fives in his hand," a smiling Matusow boasted about his good luck.
We caught the action on fourth street when Jose-Luis Velador and Matthew Ashton both checked. The latter then checked fifth, Velador bet and Ashton woke up with a check-raise. Velador called and then watch Ashton fire out a bet on sixth. Velador raised his last 17,000 and Ashton called.
Ashton:
Velador:
Ashton was ahead with his pair of queens, and that's what he ended up with when the failed to improve him on seventh.
"That what I needed," Velador said knowing that card would have given him a straight and a low. Instead he got the useless . Velador, from Corona, California, was sent to the rail in 11th place for $17,025.
Eric Rodawig's dream of capturing this title for the second time in three years came to an end in the last hand before the break courtesy of Mike Leah.
It happened when Leah completed showing the and Rodawig raised. Leah made the call and then bet when he paired that seven on fourth. Rodawig called off his last 17,000 and showed , which gave him a good shot at a low. Leah showed the .
After the board ran out, Leah received the on seventh to make an eight-seven low to go with his pair of sevens, but it wasn't needed as Rodawig somehow missed everything and ended with king high after receiving the on seventh. Rodawig exited in tenth place for $21,190, which is a far cry from the $442,183 he won two years ago in this event when Phil Hellmuth in heads-up play.
Tuan Vo completed with the showing only to have Gavin Smith raise with the up. David "Bakes" Baker called, as did Vo, and it was three-way action to fourth street.
Smith checked his paired eights, Baker bet and Vo called. Smith made the call as well and then checked for a second time on fifth. This time Baker checked behind and Vo took the initiative with a bet. Smith called, Baker woke up with a check-raise and Vo reraise all in. Smith got out of the way and Baker made the call.
Vo showed two pair, but it was behind Baker's set of aces. Unfortunately for Vo, both sixth and seventh street missed him and he was eliminated in ninth place for $21,190. An impressive showing for the man from Pleasantville, New Jersey, who finished 16th in this very event last year for $11,637.
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, which gave him a good shot at a low. Leah showed the 
on seventh. Rodawig exited in tenth place for $21,190, which is a far cry from the $442,183 he won two years ago in 
