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888poker ambassador Bruno Politano in contention for first bracelet
After two days and 20 one-hour levels, the field of 1,058 entries in Event #25: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha has been whittled down to the last 11 hopefuls. All are guaranteed at least $10,129 for their efforts, however all eyes are set on the first-place payout of $179,126 and the gold bracelet that comes along with it.
Leading the finalists by a wide margin is Igor Sharaskin with 1,470,000, who holds more than two times as many chips as nearest challenger Casey Carroll (667,000), while Tyler Groth (577,000) completes the overnight podium. Sharaskin finished third in Event #18: $565 Pot-Limit Omaha for $102,045 out of a massive field of 3,186 players to reach back-to-back final tables in PLO events here in Las Vegas.
One of the 11 remaining players already knows how to lift a bracelet in the air for winner pictures: Allan Le won the $1,500 Mixed PLO/8; Omaha/8; and Big O in 2016 for $189,223 and sits in fourth place overall with 504,000. Other notables still in contention include UK's Darren Taylor (350,000), Jonathan Zarin (333,000) and 888 Ambassador Bruno "Foster" Politano (135,000). Zarin finished 21st for $7,443 in the very same $565 PLO Event as Sharaskin less than one week ago.
The action will resume at noon local time with blinds of 6,000/12,000 and spectators can watch over in the Brasilia room on the last two tables and feature table. The PokerNews live reporting team will be there to provide all the action from the floor until a winner is crowned.
Chinni's ride back up didn't last long as he lost all of his chips straight after scoring a double against Tyler Groth.
Chinni was sitting in the big blind, facing Darren Taylor in the small blind. They tangled on the turn, with on the felt. Taylor checked, then Chinni bet 40,000. Taylor responded with a huge check-raise. Chinni then said he was all in, causing some troubles to Taylor.
"Oh s$%t, I call," Taylor said. He wasn't convinced he had the best hand, but he did. Taylor held for a turned full house while Chinni showed , knowing he was drawing dead.
Taylor had Chinni slightly covered as he was left with about 250,000 on the turn while Chinni had only 238,000 remaining. The meaningless landed on the river, signaling an end to Chinni's run in the tournament. He departed in 11th place, earning $10,129.
Bruno Politano was in middle position and he raised pot, making it 70,000. Action folded to Jonathan Zarin in the big blind, who asked Politano about his chip stack. "One-hundred-and-fifty total," Politano replied.
Zarin called and landed on the flop. Zarin didn't wait and shoved all in and Politano called.
Bruno Politano:
Jonathan Zarin:
Politano's tournament life was on the line as Zarin had flopped a set of sevens. Politano's disappointment didn't last long, however, as the appeared on the turn.
"Jack is good!" shouted the Brazilian November Niner. The on the river brought another set for Zarin, but that didn't matter.
"We got it! Brazil here!" celebrated Politano with genuine excitement, adding other weird noises similar to something you can hear in the Amazon rainforest.
In a three-way limped pot on a flop, Tyler Groth in the small blind, Darren Taylor in the big blind, and Mark Zullo checked to see the on the turn. Groth checked, Taylor bet 26,000, and Zullo called before Groth also called. The on the river saw a bet of 100,000 by Groth and a fold by Taylor, who was shown for the straight flush by Groth.
The very next hand, Groth limped the button, and Taylor raised to 96,000 in the small blind. Groth called, and the flop fell . Taylor checked, Groth bet 216,000, and Taylor subsequently check-raised all in. Groth asked for a count, and Taylor was at risk for 594,000, which Groth called by tossing in a single chip.
Darren Taylor:
Tyler Groth:
"He got kings and the six. The guy is dead, let's fucking go," the British rail of Taylor said. Technically, Groth was not drawing dead but needed running treys for quads to avoid a huge setback. The turn locked things up for Taylor, and the river was a mere formality.
Coming back for the final day with the shortest stack, Bruno Politano fought bravely but his tally eventually couldn't last longer than until the unofficial final table.
Politano's final hand started with Allan Le's open from the lowjack. Le raised to 52,000 and Politano shoved all in from the button. He cut his chips so that everyone could make a quick count, and it was 179,000 total. Le didn't hesitate and called.
Bruno Politano:
Allan Le:
Politano had aces but Le held double suited one-gappers, seeking a drawy flop to have a chance for the knockout.
Le got more than that as the dealer rolled over the , hurting Politano's feelings. "He flopped a flush," Politano informed his fans in the rail, with a heart-broken voice.
The turn left Politano drawing that as he knew he was going to depart in 10th place before the landed on the river. The 888 Ambassador picked up $10,129 for his efforts and the tournament continues with the official nine-handed final table.
Right after the elimination of Bruno Politano, Casey Carroll raised the pot out of the small blind, and Tyler Groth reraised all in. Carroll called all in for slightly less.
Casey Carroll:
Tyler Groth:
"Oh my god," Groth sighed, but his emotions suddenly changed on the flop when he improved to a set. One ace remained in the deck, and Carroll also had a gutshot straight draw to avoid elimination. However, both the turn and river were blanks.
The stacks were counted, and Carroll had 174,000. Groth had that covered with 230,000, and Carroll was eliminated in ninth place for $13,026. All eight remaining players are guaranteed at least $16,986 for their efforts now.
Aces don't seem to be the winning hand on this final table. All players who have departed so far fell while holding the bullets in their hands. That also applied to the most recent casualty, Mark Zullo.
Zullo was in the third position and he raised pot, leaving himself only 13,000 behind. Igor Sharaskin called from the big blind and put his opponent at risk when the appeared in the middle of the table. Zullo had no option but call.
Mark Zullo:
Igor Sharaskin:
Zullo had flopped the top set but he needed to fade another club to stay ahead. The dealer was against that, though as he revealed the on the turn, completing Sharaskin's flush draw. Zullo now hoped for the board pairing, but the was a blank shot.
Mark Zullo walked away in the last hand before the break, taking $16,986 for eighth place. The remaining players are guaranteed at least $22,456.
Under the gun, Darren Taylor raised to 70,000. A streak of folds followed, but small blind Daniel Spencer was ready to go. He announced, "Pot," and as he had just under a pot-sized reraise left, he was all in for 225,000.
"How much is it for me to call?" asked Taylor, and when he was met with the numbers, he called.
Daniel Spencer:
Darren Taylor:
Spencer was dealt double-suited connectors, but one of his suits was out of play due Spencers bigger clubs.
The board was nothing but a blank, leaving Taylor's starting hand ahead.
"Ace-high wins," Adam Brown summed up the action as the table congratulated Spencer for his result. He was eliminated in seventh place, collecting $22,456 at the payout desk. The remaining players are locked into earning just over $30,000 apiece, at least.
Adam Brown raised the pot to 105,000 with 190,000 behind, and Igor Sharaskin called out of the big blind. On the flop, Sharaskin bet the pot, and Brown reluctantly called all in.
Adam Brown:
Igor Sharaskin:
Neither the turn nor the river improved Brown, and he tapped the table in defeat, said, "Nice hand," and grabbed his belongings. Brown collected $30,090 for his efforts, and the top five now have at least $40,862 apiece locked up.
Tyler Groth started gaining the ground, slowly conquering mediocre pots, increasing his lead. But a few moments ago, his chip stack increased very significantly as he scored a knockout, eliminating Igor Sharaskin in fifth place.
Allan Le started the hand with a cutoff raise to 85,000. Groth called on the button, inviting big blind Sharaskin to the flop.
Sharaskin led big on the flop, pushing 150,000 towards the middle. Le folded, but Groth matched the bid.
They saw the hit the felt, and Sharaskin paused for a moment before declaring all in for his remaining 430,000. Groth snap-called.
Igor Sharaskin:
Tyler Groth:
Sharaskin had a big draw, but his chances were nullified when Groth exposed his full house, eights full of fours. Sharaskin stated what had become evident: "I'm drawing dead," before shaking hands with the remaining players. The river had no meaning, as the Russian player already knew his fate at that point.
Following his third-place run in the $565 Pot-Limit Omaha Event, Sharaskin added another top-five finish to his name. He was rewarded with $40,862 today.
Meanwhile, Groth has now maneuvering more than a half of all chips in play as he soars over 3,000,000.
on the felt. Taylor checked, then Chinni bet 40,000. Taylor responded with a huge check-raise. Chinni then said he was all in, causing some troubles to Taylor.
for a turned full house while Chinni showed 
, knowing he was drawing dead.
landed on the river, signaling an end to Chinni's run in the tournament. He departed in 11th place, earning $10,129.
landed on the flop. Zarin didn't wait and shoved all in and Politano called.
flop, Tyler Groth in the small blind, Darren Taylor in the big blind, and Mark Zullo checked to see the 
on the turn. Groth checked, Taylor bet 26,000, and Zullo called before Groth also called. The 
for the straight flush by Groth.
. Taylor checked, Groth bet 216,000, and Taylor subsequently check-raised all in. Groth asked for a count, and Taylor was at risk for 594,000, which Groth called by tossing in a single chip.
, hurting Politano's feelings. "He flopped a flush," Politano informed his fans in the rail, with a heart-broken voice. 
left Politano drawing that as he knew he was going to depart in 10th place before the 
landed on the river. The 888 Ambassador picked up $10,129 for his efforts and the tournament continues with the official nine-handed final table.
on the turn, completing Sharaskin's flush draw. Zullo now hoped for the board pairing, but the 
turn nor the 
