Welcome back to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino and the 2013 World Series of Poker for Day 3 of Event #53: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em!
Three days ago 2,816 players took to the felt spread throughout three rooms here in the Rio Convention Center, and now after 21 hours of intense poker action just 25 players remain all eyeing the $665,397 first prize. Although already guaranteed $19,046, people's goals will set firstly on making that elusive WSOP final table, and chip leader Jonathan Cohen is in the best shape to do so after bagging an impressive 1,378,000 in chips.
Snapping on his heels however is Sebastian Pauli (897,000) while notable pros Mike Watson (707,000), David Vamplew (697,000) and Tyron Krost (596,000) round out the top ten. Throw in the energetic Humberto Brenes (286,000) and the aggressive Kitty Kuo (308,000), and this will definitely be a fun day of poker.
The PokerNews live reporting team will be on hand for the entirety of the day providing continuous live updates of all the final day action as we play down from 25 to the Event 53 Champion! The action kicks off at 2 p.m. local Las Vegas time, so stay tuned for all the action live from the 2013 World Series of Poker!
Catching the action on the flop of we found Steve Bartlett checking over to Robert Hwang who bet out 45,000. Bartlett responded by check-raising to 100,000 only to have Hwang move all in for 215,000. Bartlett called and the cards were tabled.
Bartlett:
Hwang:
The turn and river landed the and to see Hwang sent to the rail in 24th place as Bartlett climbed to 690,000 in chips.
Peter Males opened to 41,000 from the small blind only to have Humberto Brenes three-bet jam all in. Males quickly called and the cards were tabled.
Brenes:
Males:
The board would see Brenes lose the race, and when each player's stack was broken down it was deemed that Brenes had 370,000 - roughly 25,000 less then Males - and would consequently be sent to the rail in 23rd place.
Joshua Schoonover moved all in for his last 33,000 from under the gun and both David Vamplew and Diego Zeiter made the call as the dealer fanned a flop.
Both players checked as the landed on the turn and Zeiter bet out 45,000 to force Vamplew to toss his cards into the muck.
Schoonover:
Zeiter:
With Schoonover drawing dead, the on the river sealed the deal and sent him out in 22nd place as Zeiter moved to 587,000 in chips.
Jeffrey Johnston limped in from middle position only to have Heath Mendelsohn three-bet to 62,000 from the cutoff. With the action on Mike Watson on the button he cold four-bet to 116,000 as the action passed back to Johnston.
Johnston paused for a few moments before making it 266,000 to force Mendelsohn out of the pot as Watson pushed all in for 678,000 and Johnston called.
Johnston:
Watson:
With Watson looking at a 1.4 million-chip pot, the board ensured he claimed the chip lead as Johnston was left crippled with less than a big blind.
Matias Ruzzi opened to 47,000 only to have Loni Harwood three-bet the cutoff to 105,000. With the action on Kitty Kuo on the button, she moved all in for 266,000 to force Ruzzi's cards into the muck before Harwood called.
Harwood:
Kuo:
It would be another flip here on Day 3, and when the dealer fanned out a board, Kuo was out in 17th place as Harwood stormed up the leaderboard.
Catching the action on the flop we found Mike Watson betting out 80,000 with Sean Wallace calling from the cutoff as the landed on the turn.
A deliberate Watson cut out a bet of 150,000 and Wallace again made the call as the completed the board on the river.
Watson announced he was all in and Wallace immediately called for roughly his last 900,000. Watson tabled his for a flopped top set, while Wallace flashed his for a rivered set and was forced to hit the rail in 16th place and Watson soars to an overwhelming chip lead with 2.7 million.
Pete Males opened to 50,000 only to have Vassilios Maniotis move all in from the small blind for 300,000 and Males called.
Males:
Maniotis:
The was a cooler flop giving Males a flopped straight and Maniotis top two pair. The turn of the and river of the couldn't see Maniotis improve and he was out in 15th place as Males moved to 1,750,000 in chips.
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to see Dempsey bounced in 25th place as Rabinowitz climbed to roughly 585,000 in chips.
we found Steve Bartlett checking over to Robert Hwang who bet out 45,000. Bartlett responded by check-raising to 100,000 only to have Hwang move all in for 215,000. Bartlett called and the cards were tabled.
and 
to see Hwang sent to the rail in 24th place as Bartlett climbed to 690,000 in chips.
board would see Brenes lose the race, and when each player's stack was broken down it was deemed that Brenes had 370,000 - roughly 25,000 less then Males - and would consequently be sent to the rail in 23rd place.
flop.
landed on the turn and Zeiter bet out 45,000 to force Vamplew to toss his cards into the muck.
on the river sealed the deal and sent him out in 22nd place as Zeiter moved to 587,000 in chips.
board ensured he claimed the chip lead as Johnston was left crippled with less than a big blind.
board to see Mendelsohn bumped out in 18th place for $23,760 as Vamplew climbs over the 1.1 million chip mark.
board, Kuo was out in 17th place as Harwood stormed up the leaderboard.
landed on the turn.
completed the board on the river.
and river of the 