Good afternoon and welcome back to the 44th annual World Series of Poker. Only 16 players remain in Event #19: $5,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em, and your leader is Jesse Martin. Martin has yet to capture his first WSOP gold bracelet, but has a plethora of cashes and a few final table appearances, and enters the day as the only player with more than 400,000 chips.
Standing in his way are a host of notable players, however, including Eugene Katchalov, Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, John Hennigan, Dan Kelly, Davidi Kitai, Dimitar Danchev, Matt Marafioti, and Mark Herm. Kelly may be having the sickest summer thus far - it's either him or David "Bakes" Baker - and this is his fourth Day 3 appearance in 2013. If he is fortunate enough to make the official final table of nine, it would be his third in less than two weeks.
Also among the 16 survivors - and sitting third in chips - is Kristina Holst. If she wins, Holst would become only the seventh female to win an open event at the WSOP, joining the likes of Cyndy Violette, Kathy Liebert, Annie Duke, Katja Thater, Annette Obrestad, and Vanessa Selbst (2). Holst received a massive double at the end of Day 2 through Danchev, and will be looking to run it up on Day 3.
The cards will be in the air at 2 p.m. local time. We hope to see you then!
Cary Katz raised it from a middle position on a very short stack, and Matt Marafioti, in the big blind, got it all in with him preflop.
Marafioti:
Katz:
The board ran out , leaving Marafioti with only 28,000.
A few hands later, action folded to Marafioti in the cutoff, and he raised pot. Bertrand Grospellier reraised from the button, and the blinds got out of the way. Marafioti called off his last 4,000 and turned over . Grospellier's had him dominated however, and a board of did nothing for Marafioti.
Dario Minieri raised on the button, Dan Kelly three-bet to 33,000 out of the small blind, and John Hennigan re-raised the pot out of the big blind. Minieri folded, and Kelly tanked for a bit before moving all in for an extra 20,000 or so. Hennigan called.
Kelly:
Hennigan:
The flop didn't change anything, and the on the turn was a blank as well, but the spiked on the river to give Kelly a winning pair of aces. At the site of the ace, Hennigan threw his hands in the air in disgust, then exited the tournament area to collect his $12,601 in winnings.
Kevin Vandersmissen reraised pot from the blinds after Steven Kelly opened for a raise in middle position. Kelly went all in, and Vandersmissen called.
Kelly:
Vandersmissen:
"I can't lose two all ins in a row can I?" Vandersmissen asked.
The board came , however, and that's exactly what he did.
Davidi Kitai opened to 16,000 out of the cutoff, Jesse Martin three-bet on the button, and the action folded back to Kitai, who moved all in for 150,000. Martin called.
Kitai:
Martin:
Kitai had Martin crushed, and flopped quads when the dealer fanned . Martin wasn't drawing dead though, and when the turned, giving him one out to make a royal flush, Mark Herm gasped.
The river was paint, however, and the secured Kitai's double. He now sits with over 300,000 chips, while Martin slipped to 295,000.
A short-stacked Mark Herm limped in on the button, leaving 25,000 or so behind, and Chris Johnson checked in the big blind. The flop came , Johnson checked, and Herm fired out a min-bet. Johnson moved all in, and Herm called.
Herm:
Johnson:
Johnson flopped a pair and multiple draws, and made two pair when the turned. The bricked on the river, and Herm was eliminated in 13th place, earning
Dario Minieri raised to 16,000 from under the gun, Dan Kelly re-raised the pot on his direct left, making it 46,000 to go, and Cary Katz re-potted out of the big blind. Minieri folded, and Kelly called all-in for less.
Kelly:
Katz:
Katz held as the board came , and Kelly was eliminated in 12th place.
Steven Kelly raised to pot from middle position, and everyone folded to Eugene Katchalov in the big blind. He seemed to ponder for awhile before gently placing a stack of pink T5,000 chips in the center. Kelly called off the other half of his chips.
Katchalov:
Kelly:
A flop of meant Kelly had a lot of cards to dodge. He was unable to do so on the turn, when the fell. He got out of his seat in anticipation of elimination, and sure enough, the river was a .
Players have redrawn to an unofficial final table of 10.
Davidi Kitai opened to 22,000 from middle position, and Dario Minieri three-bet to 49,000 from his immediate left. Kitai made the call after everyone else folded.
Kitai checked the flop, and Minieri bet 50,000. Kitai called. The turn came , and both players checked. An arrived on the river, and Kitai checked once more. Minieri fired 160,000.
Kitai went deep into the tank, alternately staring at the board and then at MInieri, who never wavered his gaze from Kitai. After about three minutes, Minieri patted the table and said "time." About 10 seconds later, Kitai slid out a tower of pink chips to call.
"You win," Minieri said. "Ten-high."
Kitai turned over and dragged the massive pot with third pair.
![[user101598]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
, leaving Marafioti with only 28,000.
. Grospellier's 
had him dominated however, and a board of 
did nothing for Marafioti.
flop didn't change anything, and the 
completed the board, Katz knuckled a third and final table, and Kelly slid forward 40,000.
for trip sixes.
secured Kitai's double. He now sits with over 300,000 chips, while Martin slipped to 295,000.
