Welcome back to the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino and the 2017 World Series of Poker for Day 3 of Event #57: $2,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better/Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Mix!
A total of 405 players took to the felt two days ago to create a prizepool of $911,250 that would see players such as Chris Geroge (58th), Brian Brubaker (51st), Josh Arieh (48th), Shaun Deeb (45th), Yuval Bronshtein (40th), Jeffrey Lisandro (32nd), Lawrence Berg (31st), Kyle Bowker (27th), Matt Grapenthien (23rd), and Jesse Martin (19th) all reach the money but fall by day's end as just 14 players survive into today.
Leading those 14 players is Frenchman Alex Luneau who bagged an impressive 783,000 after scooping a big pot at the end of the play on Day 2. Luneau will looking to use this chip lead as a spring board to capturing his maiden WSOP bracelet. Right on his heels is another player looking to grab his first piece of WSOP gold as Jared Bleznick enters today second in chips with 679,000. The next group of players are all fairly even on the leaderboard and include Barry Greenstein, Jameson Painter, Mikhail Semi, Ester Taylor, and Naoya Kihara.
Play is set to begin at 2 p.m. (PDT) with the PokerNews Live Reporting Team providing continuous live updates of all the Event #57 action. So stay tuned right here to catch every scoop, quarter, and elimination as we look to crown the Event #57 winner, and next 2017 WSOP bracelet winner!
From the hijack, Esther Taylor raised to 30,000 and both Alex Luneau and Larry Tull called from the button and big blind, respectively.
The flop fell and the action checked to Taylor who bet 15,000. Luneau folded but Tull check-raised to 30,000 and Taylor called.
The turn landed the and Tull bet 30,000 before Taylor moved all in for her last 35,000 with Tull calling.
Taylor:
Tull;
The river landed the and, with Taylor unable to improve to a full house, she would be eliminated in 13th place for a $8,650 payday as Tull climbs to 820,000 in chips.
Alex Luneau had the bring-in and Chad Eveslage completed to 15,000. Larry Tull raised and Naoya Kihara called before Eveslage called all in for 21,000. Tull proceded to bet every street thereafter with Kihara calling him down.
Eveslage: / /
Tull: / /
Kihara: / /
On seventh after his bet was called, Tull revealed his and Kihara tabled his to see the side pot chopped.
Once Eveslage revealed his , he would be eliminated in 12th place for a $10,748 payday as Kihara and Tull chopped the main pot also.
Naoya Kihara lost a big pot to Jameson Painter on the previous hand where he folded fifth street to a Painter bet and would be left with just one big bet.
After Painter brought it in, Larry Tull completed to 20,000 before Naoya Kihara raised all in for his last 36,000. Painter called, as did Tull. Tull bet fourth and fifth streets with Painter calling once, and then folding fifth.
Painter: / (folded on fifth)
Tull: /
Kihara: /
On sixth, Tull caught the and Kihara the to be left drawing dead.
On seventh, Tull found the and Kihara the , and he would be eliminated in 10th place for a $13,662 payday.
Smith Sirisakorn had the bring-in and Alex Luneau completed. Sirisakorn called and then led on fourth street with Luneau calling.
On fifth, Luneau bet 40,000 and Sirisakorn called before both players checked sixth.
Sirisakorn: / /
Luneau: / /
On seventh, Luneau bet his final 10,000 and Sirisakorn called.
Luneau tabled his for a pair of aces, but it would Sirisakorn's for sevens up that would see him scoop the pot and eliminate the Frenchman in ninth place for a $13,662 payday.
What started with Smith Sirisakorn's limp from under the gun ended up in a massive clash in which Bonnie Rossi was eliminated. However, she acted only as a sparring partner in the hand, while Sirisakorn and Jared Bleznick went to war.
After Sirisakorn's limp, Rossi completed from the small blind, and Bleznick checked his option. The fireworks began on the flop. Rossi bet, Bleznick raised, and Sirisakorn three-bet. Rossi called off for 52,000 total anyway. Bleznick called, as well.
The fight for the side pot continued on the turn where Bleznick check-raised. Sirisakorn was ready for the next round and called.
The river was a brick, but Bleznick and Sirisakorn were still firing. Bleznick bet, Sirisakorn raised and Bleznick reraised. Sirisakorn sighed and called the three-bet.
Bonnie Rossi:
Smith Sirisakorn:
Jared Bleznick:
Rossi knew she had only a role of the nearest spectator, but the showdown between Sirisakorn and Bleznick was a sick one. Bleznick turned a straight flush while Sirisakorn spiked the ace-high flush.
The giant pot improved Bleznick to roughly 1.9 million as the play continued seven-handed.
Jared Bleznick raised from under the gun, earning a call from Jameson Painter. Barry Greenstein was in the big blind, calling off his last 36,000.
Bleznick checked the flop in the dark, and Painter wasn't interested in growing the side pot either. They continued toward the turn where Bleznick led out and Painter called. Bleznick then fired again on the river, and Painter paid the price again.
Barry Greenstein:
Jared Bleznick:
Jameson Painter:
Bleznick had a low with his deuce-four, while Painter held ace-ten for two pair. They chopped the side pot and also chopped Greenstein's chips, as the three-time bracelet winner couldn't catch up.
From the button, John Sorgen raised to 60,000, only to have Smith Sirisakorn three-bet the big blind. Sorgen called all in for his last 84,000, and the cards were tabled.
Sorgen:
Sirisakorn:
The board ran out , and Sorgen was eliminated by Sirisakorn's full house, finishing in sixth place for a $32,026 payday.
Jared Bleznick open-completed to 50,000, and Jameson Painter called. Bleznick bet fourth, fifth, and sixth streets, with Painter calling each time.
Bleznick: / /
Painter: / /
Both players checked seventh, and Bleznick signaled to his board meaning he had a pair of eights. Painter tabled for a pair of kings, and Bleznick mucked.
With that pot, Painter climbed over the two-million-chip mark as Bleznick dropped to 600,000.