Welcome back to our coverage of the 2013 World Series of Poker! Excitement in the Amazon Room is growing as final preparations are being made for the final table of Event #4: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em (Six Handed). Yesterday's play saw 117 players return of the 1,069 total entrants. By the end of the day, the field was whittled down to the final seven with Mike Mustafa leading the pack.
While Mustafa is the biggest stack in the room, all eyes are on 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event champion Joe Cada. Cada has sported one of the biggest stacks in the room for a majority of this event and will be sitting down in the ESPN Mothership in fifth chip position.
Keven Stammen has also managed to rise above the field and will be appearing at today's final table. Stammen is a WSOP bracelet holder who won his title back in 2009 during a $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em event.
The money bubble burst quickly yesterday as play began just nine eliminations away from the money. After the bubble hit, a breadth of notable players soon hit the rail. The likes of Russell Thomas, Steve Zolotow, Humberto Brenes, Todd Terry, Bryan Piccioli, Craig McCorkell, Jonathan Duhamel, Calvin Anderson, and Matt Salsberg all saw the rail before the final table was reached.
Seat
Player
Chips
1
Eric Blair
685,000
2
John Beauprez
796,000
3
Joe Cada
671,000
4
Mike Mustafa
1,280,000
5
Zohar Spivack
393,000
6
Keven Stammen
201,000
7
Manig Loeser
931,000
Play will commence soon here in the Amazon Room. Be sure to stay tuned to PokerNews for all of the latest updates as we conclude the quest to crown the fourth bracelet winner of the summer.
Hand #13: John Beauprez raised to 26,000 from the hijack. The button folded and Zohar Spivack cut out a three-bet to 59,000. Action came back to Beauprez who four-bet to 92,000. Spivack five-bet to around 239,000 which prompted an announcement of "all in" from Beauprez. Spivack called for his tournament life which was about 270,000 total.
Beauprez showed which was ahead of Spivack's . The board came down and Beauprez's set of jacks was enough to send Spivack home in 7th place.
Spivack will collect $28,155 in tournament winnings. With his elimination, our official final table of six is officially set! Full chip counts will arrive momentarily.
Hand #3: Keven Stammen opened the cutoff to 27,000. It folded around to John Beauprez who three-bet to 61,000 from the big blind. Action was back on Stammen and he announced that he was all in for 308,000. The words barely left Stammen's lips before Beauprez announced call and jumped out of his chair.
Stammen:
Beauprez:
Beauprez's pocket aces were crushing Stammen and Stammen found no help on the run out. Stammen became the first casualty of this final table and will take home $39,325 in prize money.
PokerNews' own Chad Holloway won the first gold bracelet of the 2013 World Series of Poker, so naturally the crew breaks down the event and the amazing atmosphere in the Mothership. Holloway himself then joins the crew to talk about some key hands before heading to the ceremony to accept his bracelet.
Hand #12: John Beauprez was under the gun and he opened with a raise to 33,000. Mike Mustafa had the button and cut out a three-bet to 77,000. Action folded to Eric Blair in the big blind who announced an all in over the top for 420,000. Beauprez flung away his cards and Mustafa went into the tank.
Eventually Mustafa announced a a call and rolled over . He was racing with Blair's .
Blair jumped out into the lead on the flop and continued to improve his hand on the subsequent streets as the hit fourth and the came on fifth, allowing him to finish with a full house.
Hand #17: Mike Mustafa had the button. He raised to 35,000. Manig Loeser called from the small blind and Eric Blair came alive out from the big blind with a three-bet to 115,000. Mustafa would not be bullied, however, as he made it 205,000 to go. Loeser got out of the way and Blair shipped all in for roughly 830,000. Mustafa called and the hands were revealed:
Mustafa:
Blair:
The board fell and Blair was able to connect, pairing his ace and finishing with the best hand. Mustafa was forced to ship over double-up chips and is now crippled.
Hand #18: Mike Mustafa was all in for his last 57,000 before the flop. Manig Loeser called from the button and Eric Blair and John Beauprez followed suit from the small and big blinds respectively.
The flop was and all three players checked. The trio did the same after the hit fourth street and the finished off the board. Blair showed and was able to scoop up the pot, eliminating Mustafa in the process. Mustafa will take home $56,499 in tournament winnings.
Hand #31: Manig Loeser was first to act. He raised to 40,000. Eric Blair made it 98,000 from the next seat over the both blinds threw their cards to the muck. Loeser came back over the top with a four-bet to 202,000 which was met with more aggression from Blair. Blair cut out a five-bet to 348,000.
After some pondering, Loeser came right back with a six-bet shove for 1.17 million. Blair called and the entire rail stood up from their seats with excitement.
Loeser:
Blair:
The dealer rapped the table and produced a flop which read . Blair's rail squealed with excitement as their friend paired his queen and took the lead in the hand. This moment of jubilation was short-lived, however, as the drilled the turn and vaulted Loeser back into the lead.
The river was the and Loeser was able to secure a huge double up into the chip lead with about 2.395 million. Blair, on the other hand, has been crippled to about 390,000.
Hand #70: Action folded to Joe Cada in the small blind. He completed. Manig Loeser raised to 74,000 from the small blind and Cada replied by shipping all in for about 610,000. Loeser called and the hands were revealed:
Cada:
Loeser:
The board fell and Loeser was able to send Cada packing with a diamond flush. The 2009 WSOP Main Event champion will have to wait another day to earn his second career bracelet. He will, however, collect $83,558 in tournament winnings.
Hand #85: Eric Blair raised the button to 60,000 and John Beauprez three-bet from the small blind to 145,000. Blair flat called to see a flop.
The flop came down and Beauprez continued his aggression with a 170,000-chip bet. Blair announced that he was all in for 790,000 total and Beauprez snapped him off.
Beauprez:
Blair:
Beauprez was out in front and Blair needed to make something happen in order to stay alive at this final table. The on the turn was of no help, though, and neither was the on the river. Blair became our third-place finisher and will collect $127,300 in tournament winnings.
which was ahead of Spivack's 
. The board came down 
and Beauprez's set of jacks was enough to send Spivack home in 7th place.
run out. Stammen became the first casualty of this final table and will take home $39,325 in prize money.
![[user101598]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
. He was racing with Blair's 
.
flop and continued to improve his hand on the subsequent streets as the 
hit fourth and the 
and all three players checked. The trio did the same after the 
hit fourth street and the 
finished off the board. Blair showed 
and was able to scoop up the pot, eliminating Mustafa in the process. Mustafa will take home $56,499 in tournament winnings.
drilled the turn and vaulted Loeser back into the lead.
and Loeser was able to secure a huge double up into the chip lead with about 2.395 million. Blair, on the other hand, has been crippled to about 390,000.
and Beauprez continued his aggression with a 170,000-chip bet. Blair announced that he was all in for 790,000 total and Beauprez snapped him off.
on the river. Blair became our third-place finisher and will collect $127,300 in tournament winnings.