Cliff Josephy hasn't had trouble getting chips today.
We found Cliff Josephy, on the button, raising up a bet of 4,000 from the cutoff to 13,000. The board read . A third player, who had checked from the blinds, cold-called the bet. The original bettor called as well after a few minutes of tanking. The river brought a , completing the four-straight, and the first two players checked to Josephy.
"I'm afraid," he said as he checked. The first player showed for top pair and a missed flush draw.
"I've got that beat," Josephy said. The cutoff seemed reluctant to table his hand, so Josephy announced that he had a straight, turning over . The cutoff mucked, and Josephy dragged the pot.
Another one of the players knocked out in this level was last year’s 10th place finisher Gaelle Baumann. Baumann ended the Day 2a/b last year as the chip leader, but she won’t be able to do that this year, as her couldn't beat the of her opponent.
Greg Merson has continued to build up a huge stack in his title defense here today, as he is up to over 220,000. He got a good portion of that when he knocked out Wilfried Harig, who he also knocked out of the Main Event last year in 15th place.
Lastly, the chip lead has been traded back and forth between Raj Vohra and Sergio Castelluccio throughout the level. Vohra took it earlier when his tens knocked out a player who had ace-queen, then Castelluccio took it right back a few hands later. At the moment, it looks like Vohra has the lead as we go to dinner, as he is sitting on 355,000.
Play will resume at 8:15 p.m. local time, and while you wait, check out the WAG Diaries video below with Sam Trickett and Natasha Sandhu.
The players are back in their seats, and they are ready to get started again! They are playing Level 9, which means the blinds are 500-1000 with a 100 ante.
Kevin Pollak — who finished 134th in the WSOP Main Event a year ago — has returned from the dinner break along with everyone else and was ready to get involved as soon as cards went back in the air.
After watching a player in early position raise to 2,000, Pollak called the bet as did the big blind, and all three watched the dealer spread a . It checked around, then after the turn it checked to Pollak who fired 4,500 and the other two players quickly folded.
The comedian and actor currently sits with about 42,000, up considerably from the 16,725 with which he began the day.
Tony Dunst opened for 2,000 from under the gun and a player called in middle position before Darren Elias three-bet the cutoff to 6,600. Dunst responded by making it 14,500 to force the middle position player out before Elias came along.
The dealer dropped a flop and Dunst led for 13,500 with Elias making the call as the on the turn, and the on the river was checked through by both players.
Dunst rolled over his , but it would be Elias' that would see him capture the pot to move to 95,000 as Dunst slipped to 135,000 in chips.
Mikhail Shalamov raised to 2,200 in early position, Dominik Nitsche three-bet to 5,200 on his direct left, and the action folded back to the Russian, who called. The flop fell , Shalamov checked, and Nitsche fired out 6,500. Shalamov called.
The turn was a repeat nine - the - and Shalamov checked again. Nitsche quickly tossed out 15,500, and Shalamov called.
The completed the board, both players checked, and Shalamov rolled over for queens and nines. Nitsche mucked.
On one of the first hands of Level 9, Sergio Castellucio opened with a raise from middle position, then Luca Pagano put in a three-bet behind him and the table folded back to Pagano's fellow countryman. Castellucio considered for about a half-minute, then let his hand go, at which Pagano flipped over his briefly before tossing the cards high in the air as he delivered them back to the dealer.
Pagano then gestured to Castellucio as though pushing in his chips, communicating what he'd wished Castellucio had done rather than fold.
We caught up with the action on the flop, which came down . We saw Liu check call a bet of 2,500 from her lone opponent, and the turn brought the . Both players checked, and the hit the river. Liu thought for only a few moments before tossing out a bet of 5,100, and her opponent quickly tossed out chips for the call.
Liu showed for top two pair, and her opponent flashed the before mucking his hand. After taking that pot down, Liu is now up to 124,000.
We arrived at the table to see the flop showing and 10,000 chips in the pot.
The player in the big blind checked over to Shane Warne, who bet out 3,300 from under the gun. There was a third player in the hand, but he folded his hand. The fell on the turn, and a quick check was met with another bet of 4,400, which was called.
The completed the board, before the player on the big blind announced he had a queen, before tabling his . Warne was taken back momentarily, before mucking his hand.
. A third player, who had checked from the blinds, cold-called the bet. The original bettor called as well after a few minutes of tanking. The river brought a 
, completing the four-straight, and the first two players checked to Josephy.
for top pair and a missed flush draw.
. The cutoff mucked, and Josephy dragged the pot.
wasn’t able to catch up with the 
of Brian Pinkus, making Greenstein one of the many Day 2 causalities.
couldn't beat the 
of her opponent.
. It checked around, then after the 
turn it checked to Pollak who fired 4,500 and the other two players quickly folded.
flop and Dunst led for 13,500 with Elias making the call as the 
on the river was checked through by both players.
, but it would be Elias' 
that would see him capture the pot to move to 95,000 as Dunst slipped to 135,000 in chips.
, Shalamov checked, and Nitsche fired out 6,500. Shalamov called.
- and Shalamov checked again. Nitsche quickly tossed out 15,500, and Shalamov called.
completed the board, both players checked, and Shalamov rolled over 
. We saw Liu check call a bet of 2,500 from her lone opponent, and the turn brought the 
. Both players checked, and the 
for top two pair, and her opponent flashed the 
and 10,000 chips in the pot.
