Welcome to PokerNews' Day 3 coverage of Event #2: $25,000 Mixed-Max No-Limit Hold'em. The starting field of 131 players is down to just 16, each looking to capture a coveted World Series of Poker gold bracelet, as well as the $871,148 first-place prize. Leading the way into Day 3 is restaurateur Al Decarolis with 1,261,000. Rounding out the top four are JC Tran (1,251,000), Vanessa Selbst (1,224,000) and Jason Mo (1,214,000) as the only players with seven-figure stacks.
Yesterday's play saw the loss of dozens of notable name players on the quest to be a part of the final 16. Players like Tim West, Daniel Negreanu, Andrew Lichtenberger, Mark Radoja, Jason Mercier, David Benefield, Sam Trickett, Phil Hellmuth and Eugene Katchalov all fell before the money was reached. Phil Ivey was eliminated just shy of the money, falling in 18th place at the hands of Tran. Soon after, John Juanda became the official bubble boy when he was eliminated by Robert Tepper.
Play resumes today with four four-handed tables. The players will continue four-handed until the final four players are reached. As of now, the plan is to conclude play today at the final four with a chance that first round of heads-up matches might take place tonight. This is, of course, all dependent on how quickly the field plays down.
Play kicks off at 2 p.m. local time, so be sure to stay tuned to PokerNews for all of the latest from the Tan section of the Amazon Room.
Action folded around to Vanessa Selbst in the small blind and she moved forward a large stack of green T25,000 chips for a raise. Noah Schwartz called all in from the big blind for his tournament life of 130,000 and the hands were turned over.
Selbst:
Schwartz:
The board ran out , giving Selbst a flush and eliminating Schwartz in 16th place.
Barry Hutter raised to 27,000 from the cutoff and found calls from Al Decarolis on the button and Matt Giannetti in the big blind.
The trio took a flop of and both Giannetti and Hutter checked. Decarolis moved forward a bet of 110,000 and Giannetti quickly got out of the way. Hutter check-raised all in over the top for about 440,000 and Decarolis called. Hutter showed and was in the lead against Decarolis' for top pair and a diamond draw.
The turn bricked out for Decarolis with the , but river came through with the . Decarolis made his flush and eliminated Hutter in 15th place.
Darren Elias had the button and raised up to 33,000. Calvin Anderson was in the big blind and three-bet the action to 68,000. Elias called to see a flop.
The flop came down and Anderson came out swinging for 50,000. Elias came out with a raise to 125,000 only to have Anderson three-bet ship all in for about 380,000. Elias quickly called and the hands were revealed.
Elias:
Anderson:
Elias led with his pocket aces and retained that lead through the on the turn and the on the river. Anderson was eliminated in 14th place for $63,158. Elias meanwhile now sits with about 1.05 million in chips.
Aaron Jones moved all in from the button and it folded to Nick Schulman in the big blind who called for his tournament life for about 180,000. Jones tabled and was off to the races with Schulman's .
The flop came down , giving Jones a set of treys and a death grip on the hand. The hit the turn, giving Schulman outs to make a wheel on the river. Ultimately, nothing materialized for the two-time WSOP bracelet winner as the completed the board and gave Jones a winning full house.
Jones now has about 570,000 in chips while Schulman was sent to the rail in 13th place. Schulman's elimination prompted a full redraw for the final three tables. A seating chart will be made available momentarily.
Robert Tepper raised to 37,000 from the cutoff and it folded around to Kevin Song in the big blind who three-bet to 105,000. Tepper responded by moving all in and Song called for his last 215,000.
Tepper:
Song:
The two were racing for Song's tournament life heading to the community cards. The board fell down , counterfeiting Song's pocket deuces and allowing Tepper's sevens and fives with an ace-high to finish as the best hand. Song was eliminated in 12th place for $72,617.
2014 SCOOP Player of the Series Calvin Anderson joins the PokerNews Podcast to talk about going deep in the $25,000 buy-in Mixed-Max event, playing non-hold'em games and more. Rich and Donnie then discuss some of the robberies taking place at the Rio and a feature on Mike "The Mouth" Matusow.
Action folded around to Ryan Fee in the small blind and he announced an all-in bet. Brian Green looked down at his cards and announced a call for his tournament life of 107,000. Green rolled over and looked to improve against Fee's .
The flop came down , keeping Fee's pocket nines out in front. The fell on the turn and gave Green outs to make a straight on the river. He ultimately bricked out, though, as the finished off the board allowed Fee's nines to finish as the best hand.
Al Decarolis raised to 40,000 on the button, Darren Elias three-bet to 100,000 out of the small blind and Decarolis made the call.
The flop fell , both players checked and the turn was the . Elias led out for 175,000, Decarolis raised to 575,000 and Elias moved all in for around 955,000. Decarolis called.
Elias:
Decarolis:
Decarolis' trip deuces held up as the river bricked off and Elias hit the rail in ninth place.
, giving Selbst a flush and eliminating Schwartz in 16th place.
and both Giannetti and Hutter checked. Decarolis moved forward a bet of 110,000 and Giannetti quickly got out of the way. Hutter check-raised all in over the top for about 440,000 and Decarolis called. Hutter showed 
and was in the lead against Decarolis' 
for top pair and a diamond draw.
, but river came through with the 
. Decarolis made his flush and eliminated Hutter in 15th place.
and Anderson came out swinging for 50,000. Elias came out with a raise to 125,000 only to have Anderson three-bet ship all in for about 380,000. Elias quickly called and the hands were revealed.
on the turn and the 
on the river. Anderson was eliminated in 14th place for $63,158. Elias meanwhile now sits with about 1.05 million in chips.
and was off to the races with Schulman's 
.
, giving Jones a set of treys and a death grip on the hand. The 
hit the turn, giving Schulman outs to make a wheel on the river. Ultimately, nothing materialized for the two-time WSOP bracelet winner as the 
completed the board and gave Jones a winning full house.
![[user101598]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
river, fell to Fee's diamond flush.
and looked to improve against Fee's 
.
fell on the turn and gave Green outs to make a straight on the river. He ultimately bricked out, though, as the 
, both players checked and the turn was the 
. Elias led out for 175,000, Decarolis raised to 575,000 and Elias moved all in for around 955,000. Decarolis called.