Liv Boeree has recently been eliminated from this year's Main Event, after several big hands.
In her last hand, she got all her chips in on a flop holding . Matt Stout had called with , and was able to river a flush when the board ran out the and .
Max Steinberg raised to 13,000 from early position and Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi defended his big blind.
The flop came down and Mizrachi check-called 13,000 from Steinberg before leading for 25,000 when the tun fell. Steinberg raised to 70,000, Mizrachi called, and the landed on the river. A check from Mizrachi led to bet of 120,000 from Steinberg, sending Mizrachi into the tank for about five minutes. With calling chips in his hands, Mizrachi stared down Steinberg who remained motionless. Finally, Mizrachi called.
Steinberg tabled for a king-high flush, Mizrachi mucked, and Steinberg collected the hefty pot.
Chris Johnson, shown here playing in the Mixed Max event.
Chris Johnson, in the big blind, check-called a bet of 9,200 after the turn on a board of . The river paired the board with the , and Johnson checked once more. His opponent bet 13,100, and Johnson asked for a count on his remaining chips. Shortly after getting it, Johnson put his opponent all in for his last 76,000.
The player went deep into the tank, seeming truly torn about the decision. He thought for a few minutes before he finally said "time" to the dealer.
"He called time on himself?" the dealer asked the player in Seat 9.
After the floor was called, the clock was started. With about 10 seconds left in the countdown, the player finally folded. Johnson turned over the as he mucked his cards, and the players next to him immediately began negotiating a side bet about what Johnson's mystery card was.
Victor Cianelli opened to 5,200 and Phil Hellmuth called in position to see a flop. Cianelli bet 10,200, Hellmuth clicked it back to 20,400, and Cianelli shoved with a covering stack. Hellmuth called all in for 56,500 total with , but was behind Cianelli's . The turn and river were no help to Hellmuth, ending his Main Event.
Dick van Luijk was the first player to hit the million-chip mark here in the 2013 WSOP Main Event. The Belgian player surged late in Level 12 and went to dinner with a huge lead over the rest of the field. Before he could sneak away, we caught up with him to discuss and his success and why he showed up late to register on Day 1.
What is your background in poker?
I just started playing poker about five years ago when I bought a house here in Las Vegas. I then started to play online tournaments and sometimes in the casinos. I once even qualified for a tournament in the Bahamas for the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. I have played in the WSOP twice before but I never have gone further than Day 1. It’s funny because I have put in so little hours this year playing poker but I think it’s going well.
Can you take us through your experience on Day 1, Day 2, and now Day 3?
It was last minute that I decided to enter the tournament because I was supposed to go to a wedding. I figured that I would never get past Day 1 so I thought that I might as well play. My wife was very upset that I didn’t make the wedding but she is very excited that I am playing and doing well. So I entered the Main Event in the third level because I looked for other tournaments but there wasn’t any running so I decided to play the Main. I ended up with almost 150,000 for that first day.
In the second day I ended with about 430,000. Today was going up and down between 400,000 and 500,000 but then I won a very big pot of about 300,000. That is what pushed me to the top.
Your initial thoughts were that you wouldn’t get past Day 1. At this point what are you hoping to achieve?
I look at it from day to day. I don’t actually know what the schedule is or how many days this tournament is. I understand there is a resting day, though and I am curious as to when that is. This is a lot of poker at one time. It is fun but it is long hours. I am surprised I’ve even got this far but I’m really excited and it is lots of fun.
You became the first player in the tournament to reach the million-chip mark. What are your thoughts on that achievement?
Well it really surprised me to hear that. It’s just for the moment in time. Anything can happen and that can change. There is no guarantee that my success will continue; although it is possible it is never certain.
Is there any player that you are perhaps having difficulty playing against?
Oh yes. There are two players that I don’t like playing against. I don’t know their names but I think they are professional players. They are very aggressive and very hard to tell what they are thinking. It seems as though I lose every pot against them. Although I have a good hand I lose the pot. So I will try to stay away from playing against them. They are very tough and very good.
Phil Ivey began the day by chipping up from 198,800 to 330,000 in Level 11. He appeared on the verge of jumping into the top five, but lost a sizable pot to fall back to about 180,000. After grinding his way to back up the counts to about 425,000, Ivey got his chips in again with a chance to command a top-five stack, but what appeared on the surface to be a golden opportunity was in fact the worst case scenario for him.
Ivey raised to 7,500 from under the gun and was called by Olaoluwa Okelola in the hijack, Max Steinberg in the cutoff, and Anthony Gregg in the big blind.
The flop came down and Gregg checked to Ivey who bet 16,000. Okelola raised to 41,000, Steinberg called, and Gregg folded. Ivey took a few moments before reraising all in for roughly 416,000. Okelola folded, but Steinberg called immediately and tabled . Ivey was left with one out in the deck as he showed .
Neither the turn nor river saved Ivey, ending his Main Event.
The usually stoic Ivey exited through the back of the ESPN stage with his hat in his hand, slapping it as he made his way to the back hallways of the Rio.
Meanwhile, Steinberg now sits second in chips with just above 1 million after starting the day with a mere 39,000.
Carlos Mortensen saw a turn that cost him some chips.
Dan Owen raised to 6,000 from early position, and Carlos Mortensen reraised to 16,000 from the cutoff. The button came over the top with a cold four-bet to 36,000, and Owen got out of the way. Mortensen made the call, and the players watched the flop. Both players checked, and a fell on the turn. Mortensen checked once more, but this time his opponent bet 29,000. Mortensen called, and the dealer placed a as the river card. Mortensen checked again, staring at his opponent, who bet 62,000 on the end.
Mortensen called, and his opponent quickly tabled for the nut straight. Mortensen tossed his cards into the air towards the muck, and the came down face-up.
Olaoluwa Okelola opened to 8,000 under the gun and One Drop High Rollers No-Limit Hold'em champion Tony Gregg three-bet all in for 92,000 from the hijack. After about 60 seconds, Yuri Dzivielevski called from the cutoff. Action folded back to Okelola who folded.
Gregg:
Dzivielevski:
The board came down , bringing no help to Gregg, ending his Main Event.
Camera crews were swarmed around Annette Obrestad's table once again as Andy Frankenberger had moved all in over the top of Obrestad's opening raise and she had called.
Obrestad:
Frankenberger:
The board ran out which was clean for Obrestad and she was able to notch the knock out and send Frankenberger home from the tournament just before the last break of the night.
We've reached the final 20-minute break here on Day 3 of the 2013 WSOP Main Event. The board is showing that 792 players are still alive, and with only 648 players making the money, the bubble is rapidly approaching. We're expecting to reach the money early on Day 4.
After starting the day with just 39,000, Max Steinberg is the new leader with just under 1 million in chips after finishing on the better end of a nasty cooler against Phil Ivey on the ESPN Stage. On an flop, Ivey got his 416,000-chip stack in with bottom set, and Steinberg called with middle set. The board bricked out, and just like that Ivey was eliminated from the tournament.
Dick van Luijk was the leader at the dinner break, and despite taking a hit to his stack is still among the leaders. Joining him near the top of the leader board are Somar Al-Darwich, Matthew Huey, Umang Dattani, Nick Schwarmann, Vladimir Geshkenbein and Kyle Julius.
Former champion Erik Seidel managed to double up twice to stay alive, while another former winner, Carlos Mortensen lost a big pot to dip to 55,000.
Joining Ivey on the rail during the past level were Dan Cates, Erika Sands, Philipp Gruissem, Haralabos Voulgaris, Tom McEvoy, Shannon Shorr, Andy Frankenberger and Tony Gregg, who was also seated at the ESPN feature table with Ivey.
We're off to grab some chip counts. See you in 20!
flop holding 
, and was able to river a flush when the board ran out the 
and 
.
and Mizrachi check-called 13,000 from Steinberg before leading for 25,000 when the 
tun fell. Steinberg raised to 70,000, Mizrachi called, and the 
landed on the river. A check from Mizrachi led to bet of 120,000 from Steinberg, sending Mizrachi into the tank for about five minutes. With calling chips in his hands, Mizrachi stared down Steinberg who remained motionless. Finally, Mizrachi called.
for a king-high flush, Mizrachi mucked, and Steinberg collected the hefty pot.
, and Johnson checked once more. His opponent bet 13,100, and Johnson asked for a count on his remaining chips. Shortly after getting it, Johnson put his opponent all in for his last 76,000.
as he mucked his cards, and the players next to him immediately began negotiating a side bet about what Johnson's mystery card was.
flop. Cianelli bet 10,200, Hellmuth clicked it back to 20,400, and Cianelli shoved with a covering stack. Hellmuth called all in for 56,500 total with 
river were no help to Hellmuth, ending his Main Event.
and Gregg checked to Ivey who bet 16,000. Okelola raised to 41,000, Steinberg called, and Gregg folded. Ivey took a few moments before reraising all in for roughly 416,000. Okelola folded, but Steinberg called immediately and tabled 
. Ivey was left with one out in the deck as he showed 
turn nor 
river saved Ivey, ending his Main Event.
fell on the turn. Mortensen checked once more, but this time his opponent bet 29,000. Mortensen called, and the dealer placed a 
as the river card. Mortensen checked again, staring at his opponent, who bet 62,000 on the end.
for the nut straight. Mortensen tossed his cards into the air towards the muck, and the 
, bringing no help to Gregg, ending his Main Event.
