Event 24: $3,000 Mix-Max No-Limit Hold’em resumed Saturday with 181 hopefuls gunning for the top prize of $372,387. Action shifted from nine-handed play to six-handed on Day 2, and the money bubble burst midway through the day with 68 players locking up a minimum cash of $4,694. The dynamic will shift again tomorrow when the remaining 32 players will face off in a heads up format until there is a winner.
The chip leader going into heads-up play was none other than Brandon Cantu, who bagged up 519,600. He was followed by Jeremy Ausmus with 471,400 and Isaac Hagerling with 453,500. Ausmus had the chip lead for much of the day despite only starting the day with 15,000. His rise to the top was propelled when he eliminated David Sands earlier in the day when he got his in against Sands' for a massive preflop pot. His kings held, and for the rest of the day he crushed everyone in his path.
Another big story was the emergence of Barry “Big Dog” Lang. He may have been an unknown coming into the day, but his relentless battling and big bark gave people a reason to remember him. He even tripled up with jack-deuce to keep him alive. He will enter Day 3 with 124,300.
Several notables fell short of advancing to the heads-up round, including Jason Mercier (63rd), Tommy Vedes (56th), Daniel Negreanu (49th), Martin Staszko (43rd), and Sean Jazayeri (33rd).
For a full look at tomorrow's heads-up bracket, check out the table below.
Play will resume at 1:00 p.m. PST tomorrow and they will play until at least the final four players. There is a lot of play left with many players still deepstacked. They will battle it out with 22:22 left in Level 15. Be sure to tune in to PokerNews to follow all the heads-up action in Event #27 as we get closer to crowing a champion.
Chris Johnson opened for a raise on the button, and Dominik Nitsche moved all in for 62,900 in the big blind. Johnson called.
Johnson:
Nitsche:
Nitsche took the lead when the dealer fanned to give him a pair of nines, and the German held as the turn and river bricked , respectively. Nitsche now has 130,000 chips, while Johnson slipped to
Tom Alner opened to 4,000 from the cut off and Brandon Cantu on the button made the call. Alexander Lakhov in the small blind called as well and Barry "Big Dog" Lang went for it and announced all in for 40,000 even. Tom Alner pushed his chips to the middle as well, Cantu folded and Lakhov called to have a three way all in.
Alexander Lakhov
Tom Alner
Barry "Big Dog" Lang
The flop was good for Lang who hit a deuce: . The on the turn and on the river didn't do him any harm anymore and he tripled up. Before we knew it Lang was doing some sort of dance and he was fist bumping Brandon Cantu and another player at the table. "As soon as I had him out", pointing at Cantu, "I was home free!" Lang shouted. "That's my revenge man!" he laughed. Tom Alner busted and Lakhov had to give 40,000 to Lang while receiving something back from the side pot.
Erick Lindgren opened to 4,000 from under the gun, Tom Alner three-bet to 9,200 from the cutoff, and Brandon Cantu cold four-bet to 24,000 on the button. Lindgren moved all in, Alner folded, and Cantu snap-called.
Lindgren:
Cantu:
Cantu's kings held as the board came , and Lindgren stood from his seat.
"I'm gunna flip the script on you one of these days," he told Cantu, as he headed towards the payout desk near the Blue Section of the Amazon Room, rather than the one right here in Tan.
"Erick!" a tournament director called to Lindgren. "Over here."
Lindgren quickly realized his mistake, and changed directions.
"Who needs those pennies, anyway?" he asked no one in particular. "Oh yeah, I do!"
Daniel Negreanu was all in and at risk with against the of Alexander Lakhov. Lakhov flopped an ace, and Negreanu was unable to make either a wheel or a set on the turn or the river. Kid Poker was eliminated, and is off to register for the the $5,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship.
Matt Waxman, a 2013 bracelet winner, raised to 4,000 from the hijack seat, Max Steinberg, a 2012 bracelet winner who finished runner-up in the 2013 National Championship, three-bet to 14,000 out of the big blind, and Waxman called. Steinberg led out for 16,500 when the flop fell , Waxman called, and the turn brought the .
Steinberg fired out another 32,000, and Waxman called.
The completed the board, and Steinberg moved all in for effectively 66,300. Waxman mucked, and Steinberg picked up the pot.
Jeremy Ausmus raised to 4,000 from under the gun, Ognjen Sekularac called on the button, and Sean Jazayeri defended his big blind. The flop fell , Jazayeri checked, and Ausmus made a continuation-bet of 3,500. Both Sekularac and Jazayeri called.
The turn was the , Jazayeri and Ausmus both checked, and Sekularac tossed out 8,800. Jazayeri folded, and Ausmus moved all in for effectively 62,800. Sekularac folded.
Daniel Negreanu raised to 3,500 from first position. Brandon Cantu called on the button, Tommy Vedes called out of the small blind, and Erick Lindgren min-three-bet to 5,400 from the big blind. All three players called.
The flop fell , Vedes open-shipped for 7,200, and the action folded to Cantu, who called.
Vedes:
Cantu:
The on the turn was a brick, Cantu was already open-ended, but the spiked on the river to give him Broadway. Vedes was eliminated, and here are counts from the table:
Matt Waxman opened to 3,200 out of the cutoff, Jason Mercier moved all in for 23,800 in the big blind, and Waxman called.
Waxman:
Mercier:
Waxman had Mercier dominated, and remained ahead when the flop fell . The turned, giving Waxman two pair, but Mercier could chop the pot if the river brought a ten, because both players would have aces and tens with a nine kicker. The on the river changed nothing though, and Mercier was eliminated.
"I've always wanted to knock Jason Mercier out of a tournament," Waxman said, grinning after the hand.
![[user153906]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
in against Sands' 
for a massive preflop pot. His kings held, and for the rest of the day he crushed everyone in his path.
to give him a pair of nines, and the German held as the turn and river bricked 
, 
respectively. Nitsche now has 130,000 chips, while Johnson slipped to
on the turn and 
on the river didn't do him any harm anymore and he tripled up. Before we knew it Lang was doing some sort of dance and he was fist bumping Brandon Cantu and another player at the table. "As soon as I had him out", pointing at Cantu, "I was home free!" Lang shouted. "That's my revenge man!" he laughed. Tom Alner busted and Lakhov had to give 40,000 to Lang while receiving something back from the side pot.
, and Lindgren stood from his seat.
turned, leaving Akkari drawing dead. A meaningless 
of Alexander Lakhov. Lakhov flopped an ace, and Negreanu was unable to make either a wheel or a set on the turn or the river. Kid Poker was eliminated, and is off to register for the the 
.
, Jazayeri and Ausmus both checked, and Sekularac tossed out 8,800. Jazayeri folded, and Ausmus moved all in for effectively 62,800. Sekularac folded.
, Vedes open-shipped for 7,200, and the action folded to Cantu, who called.
. The 
turned, giving Waxman two pair, but Mercier could chop the pot if the river brought a ten, because both players would have aces and tens with a nine kicker. The 