Matt Salsberg is among the final 20 competing for a bracelet.
Two days ago, Event #29: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em of the 2014 World Series of Poker began with 1,165 players, which created a prize pool of $2,650,375. Today just 20 of them remain in contention for the gold bracelet and $536,768 first-place prize.
The man best positioned to make a run at the title is Jamie Armstrong, who ended Day 2 with a tournament-leading stack of 765,000. Hot on Armstrong’s heels was Barry Hutter, who has been among the chip leaders since this tournament started. Hutter will begin Day 3 with 731,000 chips.
Other big stacks and notables included Chris Johnson (665,000), Sam Cohen (654,000), Rep Porter (463,000), Matt Salsberg (447,000), David Benefield, (355,000), Justin Oliver (284,000), and William Reynolds (223,000).
Action is set to get underway at 1 p.m. local time, which about an hour from now. The plan is to play down to a winner, and of course the PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be there every step of the way to bring you all the action and eliminations. Stay tuned to see who will be crowned the next bracelet winner of the 2014 WSOP!
Jamie Armstrong opened for 20,000 under the gun and Richard Kirsch called him from the small blind. The big got out of the way and it was heads-up action to the flop. Kirsch was first to act and wasted little time in moving all in for right around 135,000. Armstrong called.
Kirsch:
Armstrong:
Kirsch flopped a flush draw and decided to play it strong. Unfortunately for him it did pan out as the blanked on the turn followed by the on the river. Kirsch became the day's first casualty and will take home $16,220 for his 20th-place finish.
William Reynolds opened with a raise from the under-the-gun position and Chris Johnson called from the big blind.
The flop saw Reynolds get his last 180,000 or so in the pot holding , but his top pair was no good as Johnson held the . Neither the turn nor river helped Reynolds and he was eliminated in 19th place for $16,220.
Rep Porter opened for 20,000 from middle position and Justin Oliver defended his big blind. Both players checked the flop, and then Oliver led out for 30,000 on the turn. Porter responded by moving all in for right around 215,000 and Oliver called.
Porter:
Oliver:
Porter had flopped the nuts, while Oliver held top pair with a flush draw. Porter was primed for the double if he could just dodge a diamond, but that proved easier said than done as the spiked on the river.
"Stupid play wins the pot," Oliver admitted after the hand. It was little consolation to Porter, who had to settle for 18th place and a $19,718 payday.
Barry Hutter opened for 26,000 under the gun and two seats over Joseph Brattole moved all in for roughly 140,000. Action folded back to Hutter and he made the call.
Brattole:
Hutter:
It was a race, but Brattole was a slight 52.75% favorite while Hutter would win 46.70% of the time.
The flop was disaster for Brattole as Hutter paired his queen to become a massive 91.21% favorite. The turn gave Hutter two pair, which meant Brattole needed a three on the river to stay alive — something that would come a mere 4.55% of the time. Unfortunately for Brattole, this was not one of those times as the blanked.
Brattole was eliminated in 17th place for $19,718 while Hutter chipped up to over a million.
Marius Pospiech opened for 25,000 from early position and Matt Salsberg, who was seated to his immediate left, three-bet to 57,000. Action folded back to Pospiech and he four-bet all in for roughly 220,000. Salsberg called and Pospiech found himself in dire straits.
Pospiech:
Salsberg:
It was the same situation Justin Kindred found himself in before falling in 16th place, and like that hand there would be no shenanigans as the board ran out a clean .
Action folded to a short-stacked Grayson Nichols on the button and he moved all in for 85,000. The small blind folded, but Jamie Armstrong, who had chips to spare, made the call from the big.
Nichols:
Armstrong:
Nichols got it in good, and he stayed in the lead on the flop. That's when disaster struck as the dealer burned and turned the to put two pair on the board. That gave both players jacks and tens, which meant Armstrong's ace kicker had him out in front. The river was of no consequence, and the counterfeit sent Nichols out the door in 14th place for $24,277.
Justin Oliver opened for 40,000 from early position and was met by an all-in three-bet to 327,000 by Scott Davies on the button. The blinds both folded and Oliver made the call.
Oliver:
Davies:
Davies had a decent pair, but Oliver had one slightly better. Davies was in desperate need of a ten, but he was left wanting after the board ran out a dry .
Chris Johnson had been fairly quiet on Day 3, and as a result his stack dwindled. In what would ultimately be his final hand, Johnson raised to 40,000 under the gun and was met by a three-bet to 250,000 from Andy Phan in the big blind. Johnson had 410,000 total and put it in. Phan called.
Johnson:
Phan:
Johnson's was in a bad spot with his pocket pair, and the dealer failed to deliver salvation as the board ran out a dry .
With that the final ten players will combine to a single table and move over to the ESPN main stage. Cards will be back in the air shortly.
It took awhile, but the final table bubble has finally burst.
It happened when Jamie Armstrong opened for 60,000 from the cutoff and David Benefield moved all in for 256,000 from the button. The blinds both folded and Armstrong made the call.
Benefield:
Armstrong:
Benefield had some major kicker issues and they never got resolved as the board ran out . Armstrong ended up with a flush to send Benefield to the rail in tenth place.
flop. Kirsch was first to act and wasted little time in moving all in for right around 135,000. Armstrong called.
blanked on the turn followed by the 
on the river. Kirsch became the day's first casualty and will take home $16,220 for his 20th-place finish.
flop saw Reynolds get his last 180,000 or so in the pot holding 
, but his top pair was no good as Johnson held the 
turn. Porter responded by moving all in for right around 215,000 and Oliver called.
spiked on the river.
to put two pair on the board. That gave both players jacks and tens, which meant Armstrong's ace kicker had him out in front. The 
river was of no consequence, and the counterfeit sent Nichols out the door in 14th place for $24,277.
.
.
. Armstrong ended up with a flush to send Benefield to the rail in tenth place.