There are 22 players returning to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino today for the final day of Event #35: $1,000 Super Seniors No-Limit Hold'Em. They will all be looking for the first-place prize of $259,230 and the WSOP gold bracelet.
Kerry Goldberg comes into the day as the chip leader with 1,224,000 and has separated himself from the rest of the field. Goldberg is looking for his first live tournament victory and there is no better place to do it than at the WSOP. Goldberg has just over $56,000 in career tournament earnings and is well on his way to adding a big number to that.
Earl Hirakawa sits quite a distance behind the leader in second position with 728,000, and Darrell Ticehurst rounds out the top three with 716,000. James Moore is the reigning champion of this event and he also bagged a healthy stack of 559,000 last night. He looks to become a repeat champion after topping a field of over 1,400 players last year.
When the action resumes at 11:00 a.m. PDT time, play will resume with Level 21 continuing for another 30 minutes with the blinds at 6,000/12,000 and a 2,000 ante. After that they will play 60-minute levels with a 20-minute break at the end of every two levels and a 60-minute dinner break after today's sixth level. The action will continue until a winner is crowned.
You can follow along with all of the live updates from this event right here with the PokerNews team.
Marcia Godinez was all in for her last 36,000 and was called by David Smith before the flop.
Godinez was at risk but ahead with , and Smith tabled .
The flop then came , meaning Smith had flopped a straight. "I felt it," he said. The turn was the and Godinez picked up a flush draw to possibly survive. But the river was the and Godinez was eliminated.
Alan Wheeler was all in before the flop and was called by Ken 'Teach' Aldridge.
Wheeler was the player at risk holding , while Aldridge held .
The flop came and Aldridge stayed ahead with two ladies. The turn was the , giving Wheeler a straight draw, but the dealer peeled the on the river and he was eliminated early in the day.
Aldridge already has a WSOP bracelet and is hunting for number two today. As the tournament is now down to 18 players, they are about to redraw for the final two tables.
Richard Phelps had less than three big blinds left and moved his short stack all in from early position. Peter Lockwood then shoved all in over the top from middle position and everyone else folded. Phelps tabled and Lockwood showed .
The board provided no help for Phelps and he was eliminated in 18th place.
The action was folded around to Steve Hohn on the button who moved all in for 220,000. Daniel Favreau was in the small blind and made the call. Hohn showed but was behind Favreau's .
The board ran out . Hohn was unable to catch a seven and was eliminated in 17th place.
Veronica Daly raised to 40,000 from late position and Ken Aldridge called on the button. Ernest Ruybalid was in the small blind and slid his stack of 197,000 in chips towards the middle, announcing he was all in. Daly thought for a moment and said, "All right. I'll call." Aldridge folded.
Ruybalid was at risk with and Daly was well behind with .
The flop came to give Ruybalid a set of queens, though also gave Daly a pair plus a straight draw. The turn was the , but the river was the and Daly made a straight to take down the pot and send Ruybalid to the rail.
John Isler raised to 75,000 from under the gun and Ken Aldridge three-bet to 200,000 on the button. Earl Hirakawa moved all in for his last 20,000 from the small blind, after losing most of his stack in a flip the very hand before. Isler moved all in and Aldridge snap-called.
Earl Hirakawa:
Ken Aldridge:
John Isler:
Aldridge had the best of it, but Isler had both players covered.
The board ran out and Hirakawa was eliminated, while Aldridge fully doubled through Isler.
Darrell Ticehurst raised to 50,000 from the cutoff and Federico 'Fred' Cuellar moved all in from the big blind for 122,000. Ticehurst called.
Cuellar was at risk with , well behind the of Ticehurst.
The flop came and Ticehurst remained ahead with king-queen high, requiring Cuellar to hit a jack or running cards to make a straight to survive. The turn was the and the river the . Ticehurst made a flush and Cuellar was eliminated in 13th place.
Joseph Aronesty limped in from the small blind, and Ken Aldridge raised to 70,000 from the big blind. Aronesty called.
The flop came and Aronesty got his remaining stack in the middle, getting a quick call from Aldridge.
Aronesty was at risk with , while Aldridge was well ahead with . The turn was the and the river was the , sending the pot to Aldridge and Aronesty to the rail in 12th place.
, and Smith tabled 
.
, meaning Smith had flopped a straight. "I felt it," he said. The turn was the 
and Godinez picked up a flush draw to possibly survive. But the river was the 
and Godinez was eliminated.
.
and Aldridge stayed ahead with two ladies. The turn was the 
, giving Wheeler a straight draw, but the dealer peeled the 
on the river and he was eliminated early in the day.
and Lockwood showed 
.
but was behind Favreau's 
. Hohn was unable to catch a seven and was eliminated in 17th place.
.
and Lockwood was sent to the rail in 15th place.
and Hirakawa was eliminated, while Aldridge fully doubled through Isler.
, well behind the 
and Ticehurst remained ahead with king-queen high, requiring Cuellar to hit a jack or running cards to make a straight to survive. The turn was the 
and the river the 
and Aronesty got his remaining stack in the middle, getting a quick call from Aldridge. 
, while Aldridge was well ahead with 
, sending the pot to Aldridge and Aronesty to the rail in 12th place.