Webjoker
Kenny Hallaert, the November Niner last year cashes for a 3rd year in a row
Day 3 of the Main Event wrapped late last night, right after the money bubble burst, leaving 1,084 players with at least $15,000 to show for their efforts so far.
While some were able to accumulate chips during the bubble period, others were left with crumbs heading into the fourth day of action. The payout line will grow quickly when play resumes at 11 a.m. today, as short stacks look to get their chips in and rebuild or go home.
Patrick Lavecchia leads the 1,084 survivors into Day 4, followed by Pawel Brzeski and former November Niner, Antoine Saout. All bagged well over a million, along with two more former Main Event finalists: Kenny Hallaert and Ben Lamb.
Other notables in the hunt for the $8.15 million top prize are Sofia Lövgren, Charlie Carrel, Dominik Nitsche, Tony Gregg, Christoph Vogelsang, Max Silver, Marvin Rettenmaier, Davidi Kitai, Allen Cunningham and Liv Boeree.
Again, five levels are scheduled for today with a 20-minute break after each level and a 60-minute dinner break after Level 19, which should be around 8:20 p.m. The first level of the day, Level 16 (3,000/6,000, 1,000-ante), still has 80 minutes left. After that level, play will continue without a break into Level 17 (4,000/8,000, 1,000-ante). Halfway through that level, the first 20-minute break will commence (around 1:20 p.m.). Play should be wrapping up around 11:20 p.m.
Level
Duration
Small Blind
Big Blind
Ante
16
80 minutes
3,000
6,000
1,000
17
60 minutes
4,000
8,000
1,000
20 minutes break (around 1:20 p.m.)
17
60 minutes
4,000
8,000
1,000
18
60 minutes
5,000
10,000
1,000
20 minutes break (around 3:40 p.m.)
18
60 minutes
5,000
10,000
1,000
19
60 minutes
6,000
12,000
2,000
20 minutes break (around 6:00 p.m.)
19
60 minutes
6,000
12,000
2,000
20
60 minutes
8,000
16,000
2,000
60 minutes break (around 8:20 p.m.)
20
60 minutes
8,000
16,000
2,000
21
60 minutes
10,000
20,000
3,000
You can follow along with the live updates via PokerNews.com all day. On top of that, you can watch the live stream via PokerGO and ESPN2:
Charlie Godwin was headed to the payout desk and explained how she was eliminated in a set-over-set situation.
Godwin defended her big blind and managed to get her stack in the middle on a board reading . Godwin held a couple of deuces for bottom set, and two other players were all in also. Her opponents held pocket threes for a bigger set, and pocket fives for a straight draw and the potential to hit a bigger set.
We aren't sure about the run out, but Godwin lost the hand and is collecting her payout for a min-cash. On the positive side, Godwin is playing in her first Main Event and is clearly thrilled just to be here.
After eliminating two opponents in quick succession, Jeff Lisandro got into a little spat with the staff about the dealer being unsure about Lisandro's action and Lisandro told the dealer how he felt about the inquiry.
With Lisandro seemingly already on edge, World Series of Poker VP and Tournament Director, Jack Effel asked to speak to Lisandro off the table about a separate issue. Lisandro immediately was unhappy with the request and made sure Effel was well aware.
Effel told Lisandro that the video production team was missing some of Lisandro's cards and Effel asked Lisandro to make sure he was displaying his cards properly.
This seemed to set Lisandro off, saying he was showing his cards and as Lisandro moved back to the table, his voice started to rise, "I'm showing my cards, leave me alone!" Lisandro yelled at Effel.
"Come over here," Effel demanded. "You're on penalty," Effel stated as Lisandro walked away from the table again. "You are completely worked up. I'm trying to get you to calm down."
Lisandro continued to argue his case and asked Effel to tell the video production team what he thought of them.
"Listen to me. You are taking this too far," Effel said trying to get Lisandro off the edge.
"You are aggravating me," Lisandro replied.
"You are aggravating yourself," Effel said as he let Lisandro go back to the table. "We're going to stop it and not talk about this anymore."
Lisandro has since returned to the table and seems to have calmed down a bit.
Carlos Mortensen came into Day 4 very short but did manage to pick up a double up. A couple hands later though, Mortensen put himself at risk again.
Mortensen moved all in with and was called by a player with .
Mortensen nailed the flop, making trip queens but poker is cruel and running hearts with the on the turn and on the river gave his opponent a flush and sent Mortensen to the payout desk.
The board read and the action was checked to Natasha Mercier who bet 33,000. Her opponent, David Fong, called from the big blind and the completed the board.
Fong checked again and Mercier shoved all-in for her remaining 166,000. Fong went into the tank for a couple minutes but eventually found a call. Mercier showed and Fong tabled to eliminate Mercier.
Mickey Craft has a ton of chips and keeps adding to his stack.
Craft just bet 700,000 on the river with the board reading and his opponent, Greg Dyer, was in the tank.
According to Danielle Andersen, who is sitting next to Craft, the action to this point went like this:
Craft checked the flop and Dyer bet 50,000. Yordan Petrov called and Craft called. On the turn, , Craft checked again and Dyer bet 155,000. Petrov called and Craft said raise, but put out less than a raise and was forced to min-raise. Dyer called the 360,000 and Petrov folded.
The river was the and Craft bet 700,000. Dyer tanked for a little and then called. Craft showed for a seven-high straight and won the pot, bringing his stack to roughly 2,800,000.
The very next hand, Michael Addamo shoved all in for 100,000 and Alessandro Borsa called. Craft called from the big blind as well.
The flop came and both Borsa and Craft checked. The turn was the and Craft bet 50,000. Borsa called. The river was the and Craft bet 200,000. Borsa tanked for close to a minute and called for his tournament life. He showed for ace-high and was good to win the side pot from Craft. Craft showed .
Dominik Nitsche has mostly been recognized for his online poker skills. Nitsche started out playing online in 2006 and amassed over $3 million in earnings doing so. In 2009, Nitsche took to the felt for the first time, winning an LAPT event for $381,000. Since then, Nitsche has gone on to win three WSOP bracelets and accumulated over $6.7 million in live tournament winnings.
We caught up with Nitsche in the middle of a hand with the board reading . There was around 130,000 in the pot and the action had been checked to Nitsche who bet 150,000. His opponent slid forward a stack of chips for a call and the showed up on the river.
Both players checked the river and Nitsche tabled for the best hand. Nitsche scooped a decent-sized pot and has built him a stack to sit among the chip leaders.
Sarah Herring caught up with him and Sofia Lovgren on the break.
. Godwin held a couple of deuces for bottom set, and two other players were all in also. Her opponents held pocket threes for a bigger set, and pocket fives for a straight draw and the potential to hit a bigger set. 
and was outkicked by Ruijs' 
.
and was called by a player with 
. 
flop, making trip queens but poker is cruel and running hearts with the 
on the turn and 
on the river gave his opponent a flush and sent Mortensen to the payout desk.
completed the board.
and Fong tabled 
for a seven-high straight and won the pot, bringing his stack to roughly 2,800,000. 
and both Borsa and Craft checked. The turn was the 
and Craft bet 200,000. Borsa tanked for close to a minute and called for his tournament life. He showed 
, eliminating Smith.
. There was around 130,000 in the pot and the action had been checked to Nitsche who bet 150,000. His opponent slid forward a stack of chips for a call and the 
for the best hand. Nitsche scooped a decent-sized pot and has built him a stack to sit among the chip leaders.
