Welcome back to PokerNews' third day of coverage of Event #61: $10,000 Seven-Card Stud Championship from the 2014 World Series of Poker.
Leading the final nine players into today's action is Todd Brunson, son of the legendary Doyle Brunson and a man chasing his second career gold bracelet. Brunson holds a very sizable lead on the field, with 980,000 in chips — 430,000 ahead of his closest competitor.
Sitting in third place in the leaderboard coming in will be none other than 13-time WSOP gold bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth. While the majority of Hellmuth's bracelets have come in hold'em (12), he'll be looking for his second non-hold'em piece of hardware here today. He'll enter with 404,000 in chips.
Also here is the 90-year-old Henry Orenstein, the creator of the hole-card camera, Holocaust survivor, bracelet winner, and holder of around 100 patents. This man is making a run for the ages, but he'll have some work to do as he enters Day 3 with the second-to-shortest stack of 112,000.
Jesse Martin is another notable at the final table looking to add a second WSOP bracelet to his trophy case, with Steve Landfish, Matt Grapentien, Ben Yu, James Obst, and Henrik Hecklen rounding out the field.
Play is scheduled to kickoff at 2 p.m. local time, so be sure to stay tuned for the action that will begin shortly.
Martin was all in on third street against Hellmuth. Hellmuth was ahead with a pair of sixes on third, and then he added a second pair of deuces on fourth street. Martin remained behind, but things got worse on sixth street when Hellmuth filled up with sixes full of twos and had Martin drawing dead.
For his run, Martin earned $26,299, and pushed himself over the $2 million mark for live tournament earnings.
After eliminating Jesse Martin in ninth place, Phil Hellmuth just sent Henry Orenstein to the rail in eighth.
Orenstein was all in on sixth street holding / against Hellmuth's / , and he needed a diamond on seventh street to double up.
Orenstein's final card was the , though, and Hellmuth finished with the . That meant Hellmuth's Broadway straight was the winner, and the living legend Orenstein would have to exit to the rail in eighth place worth $31,419.
Ben Yu: / /
Matt Grapenthien: / — fold
Todd Brunson: /
Grapenthien checked on fifth street, Brunson bet, and only Yu called. Brunson led out on sixth, Yu called, and Brunson opted to check on seventh. Yu bet.
"Wow," Brunson said instantly.
He eventually reached into his stack and tossed out a call, prompting Yu to rip over for a full house.
Obst brought it in, Yu completed, and both Landfish and Obst called. The action checked to Yu on fourth street, and he tossed out a bet. Landfish called, Obst check-raised, and both Yu and Landfish called.
"Go ahead," Landfish told Obst on fifth, and the Aussie tossed out a bet.
Yu and Landfish called, and the trio all checked on sixth. Landfish checked again on seventh, Obst bet, and Yu tanked for nearly two minutes before folding.
"Raise," Landfish said the second Yu's hand hit the muck, and Obst made the call.
Landfish turned over for a pair of sevens, and Obst revealed three queens; .
Henrick Hecklen: / /
Phil Hellmuth: / — fold
Matt Grapenthien: / — fold
Todd Brunson: / /
Hecklen was all in on third street for 8,000. Hellmuth called, Grapenthien completed to 15,000, Brunson raised, and then Hellmuth folded. On fourth street, Brunson bet, and Grapenthien folded.
This left Brunson and his pair of tens up against the at-risk Hecklen, who had just ace high at the time. Although Hecklen paired up with sevens on sixth street, he was unable to find anything to help him beat Brunson's pair of tens on seventh, and he was eliminated in seventh place for just over $38,000.
Brunson brought it in, Hellmuth completed, and the latter check-called a bet on fourth street. Hellmuth then check-raised Brunson on fifth, Brunson called, and Hellmuth checked again on sixth.
Brunson bet, Hellmuth called, and Hellmuth checked dark on seventh. Brunson bet dark, Hellmuth tank-called, and Brunson showed for a full house. Hellmuth flashed a red .
Hellmuth: / /
Matt Grapenthien: / — Folded
James Obst: / /
The very next hand, Hellmuth completed with the lowest card - the - and Grapenthien raised. Obst and Hellmuth called, and Hellmuth checked on fourth street. Grapenthien bet, Obst called, and Hellmuth called all in.
Grapenthien check-folded to a bet on fifth, and the hands were opened.
Hellmuth:
Obst:
Obst was in the lead with a pair of tens, and held up on sixth street. Hellmuth flipped over the on seventh, meaning he was drawing dead, and Obst revealed a meaningless .
"Good luck," Hellmuth said, getting up from the table. "Everybody played really well."
Picking up the action on fifth street, Landfish bet from there on in the hand. Each time, Grapenthien called. Landfish showed the for a pair of deuces, and Grapenthien showed the for a pair of fives.
"You've got to be kidding me," said Landfish as he was left with just 33,000 in chips.
Grapenthien: / /
Todd Brunson: / /
Landfish: / /
On the next hand after getting crippled, Landfish was all in on fourth street for his last 8,000. Both Grapenthien and Brunson called, and then those two checked it down from there as their boards were run out.
At the showdown, Grapenthien revealed the for a a pair of kings. Brunson mucked, and then Landfish showed a losing and was sent to the rail.
Grapenthien brought it in, Yu completed, and Grapenthien made it three bets. Yu called.
Yu led out on fourth street, Grapenthien raised, and Yu committed the remainder of his stack.
Yu:
Grapenthien:
Both players had a pair, but Yu's cowboys were superior to Grapenthien's tres.
"My intention is to double up!" Yu shouted to his rail, prompting his friends to laugh.
Both players were dealt a deuce on fifth street, and sixth missed both players as well, but Grapenthien made two pair with the on seventh. Yu revealed a meaningless , and was eliminated.
Yu said his goodbyes to the table and wished them luck, then once again turned to his rail.
"See!" he shouted. "Choice Center is a scam! It doesn't work!"
Matt Grapenthien: / /
Todd Brunson: / — fold
James Obst: / /
On third street, Grapenthien was the bring-in, Brunson completed, Obst raised, then Grapenthien reraised. That knocked Brunson out of the way, and then Obst called.
On fourth street, Obst check-called a bet from Grapenthien, and then Grapenthien led with a bet on fifth street after he picked up the best hand showing. On sixth street, Obst bet, Grapenthien raised, and Obst called.
On the final street, seventh street, Obst check-called a bet from Grapenthien.
"Quads," said Grapenthien as he tabled the for quad eights — the second time he has had quads today.
Obst was left with just 33,000 in chips.
Grapenthien: / — fold
Brunson: / /
Obst: / /
On the next hand after getting crippled down Grapenthien's quad eights, Obst was all in on third street against his two opponents. Grapenthien and Brunson checked down to sixth street, before Brunson fired a bet and Grapenthien folded.
Brunson showed the from his hand for three-of-a-kind fives, and Obst had the . Brunson made the on the end for a full house, and Obst finished with the . With that, Obst was eliminated in third place, and it was down to the final two.
![[user68268]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
/ 
/ 
/ 
/ 
/ 
against Hellmuth's 
/ 
, and he needed a diamond on seventh street to double up.
, though, and Hellmuth finished with the 
. That meant Hellmuth's Broadway straight was the winner, and the living legend Orenstein would have to exit to the rail in eighth place worth $31,419.
/ 
— fold
for a full house.
/ 
/ 
/ 
for a pair of deuces, and Grapenthien showed the 
and was sent to the rail.
on seventh. Yu revealed a meaningless 
