With the World Series of Poker Main Event playing down to the November Nine, Lee Davy gives you a blow-by-blow account of all the action of the final day level-by-level and here is Level 33.
Welcome to the round-up of the third level of Day 7. Blinds will be 150k/300k Ante 50k.
The second level saw two impressive specimens leave the contest. Mark Newhouse remains the only player to find his way back to the Nov Nine bosom after Kakwan Lau eliminated Antoine Saout in a three-way all-in that also saw Adam Krach hit the rail. And we also lost the eight-time World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) gold ring winner Valentin Vornicu.
22 players remain with Michael Ruane in charge.
Level 33
WSOP November Nine scriptwriters are doing an appalling job of making sure the heroes make the final table. We lost Antoine Saout. We lost Valentin Vornicu. And then this happened right at the start of play.
Fernando Pons opened to 700k from midfield, Jeff Hakim three-bet to 1.5m from the cutoff, and Pons made the call. The pair stared at a flop of AcAh8h; Pons checked, and Hakim did likewise. The turn was the 5d; Pons bet 1.5m, and Hakim made the call. The river was the Jh; Pons bet 5.125m, Hakim moved all-in for 1.15m more, and Pons made the call. Hakim showed ATo for trips, but Pons was holding KQhh for the rivered flush. Hakim exited in 22nd place, and Pons moved into the fourth spot with 26.3m.
James Obst moved all-in for 3.8m from under the gun and got no takers.
Andrew Christoforou opened to 650k in early position and Kakwan Lau called in the cutoff. The flop was AsKs8s; Christoforou checked, Lau bet 700k, and Christoforou moved all-in. Lau folded.
And then we had an all-in and call.
The action folded around to Michael Ruane on the button and after glancing at the stacks of Qui Nguyen and James Obst in the blinds he moved all-in. Obst folded in the small but Nguyen looked him up in the big. It was A4dd for Ruane and pocket Jacks for Nguyen. The flop of Ts9c7c gave Nguyen a gutshot to go with his top pair, and he would need it after the Ah on the turn meant unless he caught an eight or Jack he was going to leave the contest. The dealer pulled a rabbit out of the hat for Nguyen when the 8s fell on the fifth street. Nguyen moved up to 16.1m. It was a scratch to Ruane who had 38.4m.
Up until this point, it had been a day to forget for the man who started the day with the chip lead: Vojtech Ruzicka. His chips were being eaten alive, and then this happened.
Christoforou opened to 650k in the first position, John Cynn called in the cutoff, and Ruzicka squeezed to 2.1m from the small blind. Christoforou four-bet to 5.5m, Cynn moved out of the way; Ruzicka moved all-in for 10.4m, and Christoforou called. It was AK for Christoforou, but Ruzicka had him crushed with the rockets. Ruzicka moved up to 22.1m; Christoforou was down to 10m.
Then we lost one of the most underrated players at the final table.
Jared Bleznick opened to 750k from midfield, William Kassouf called in the cutoff, as did Matthew Moss from the big blind. The three of them shared a flop of 9h6c4s, and Moss moved all-in for a smidgen over 5m. Bleznick called; Kassouf folded, and Moss showed 8c7c for the open-ended straight draw with a backdoor flush draw. Bleznick held pocket aces. The 8d hit the turn to give Moss more outs, but none of them were the Qh on the river. Moss is a high stakes cash game player from the UK, who a lot of top pros thought would sneak under the radar and possibly win this thing. Instead, he will have to settle for 21st place. Bleznick moved up to 13.1m.
20 soon became 19 when Kakwan Lau open shoved for 3.75m and Vojtech Ruzicka made the call. It was pocket deuces for Lau and ATcc for Ruzicka. Two tens on the flop did the damage. Lau was out, and Ruzicka continued his rise with 26.85m chips.
And while all of this was going on James Obst kept shoving.
Nobody was calling.
Andrew Christoforou opened to 600k on the button, Jerry Wong three-bet to 1.5m from the small blind and Christoforou made the call. The flop was AsQh5h, Wong checked, Christoforou moved all-in for a little over 6m and Wong folded.
James Obst opened to 625k from the cutoff, and Thomas Miller called in the big blind. The flop was Qd9h6c, and both players checked. The turn was the 2h, Miller checked, Obst bet 500k and Miller called. The river was the 6h; Miller moved all-in for 2.7m and Obst folded. Miller with 5.45m after the hand; Obst had 5.95m.
Cliff Josephy took the chip lead after taking a chunk from Michael Niwinski’s stack. The action folded to Niwinsky in the small blind, and he called. Josephy raised to 900k; Niwinsky called. The flop was AsJd7c; Niwinsky check-called a 900k Josephy bet. The turn was the 4s; Niwinski check-called a 2.4m Josephy bet. The river was the Qd, both players checked, and Josephy showed Q8o for a pair of queens and Niwinski mucked his cards unseen. Josephy’s stack grew to 38.17m, and Niwinsky’s dwindled to 5.975m.
And the level ended with a fourth elimination and a double up.
Fernando Pons opened to 700k from the button. Thomas Miller moved all-in from the small blind for 5.85m, Tom Marchese also moved all-in from the big blind and Pons folded. Marchese, who had Miller covered showed AQ, and Miller showed KJ. The flop turned the hand upside down when it handed Miller a King, but an Ace on the turn restored order and Miller was out one card later. Marchese moved up to 19.25m
And here’s the double up.
William Kassouf opened to 650k from the cutoff, Michael Niwinski three-bet to 4.1m from the small blind, leaving 25k behind, and Kassouf made the call. The flop was Ah5c3s, the 25k went into the middle and Niwinski’s AQ was dominating the 98hh of the Brit. The deck didn’t alter anything. Niwinski doubled to 8.85m, and Kassouf saw his stack shorten to 22.52m.
Heading into the dinner break, Cliff Josephy had the chip lead with 18 players remaining. Play will resume shortly after 7 pm.
Level 33 Eliminations
22. Jeff Hakim – $269,430
21. Matthew Moss – $269,430
20. Kakwan Lau – $269,430
19. Thomas Miller – $269,430
Full Chip Counts
1. Cliff Josephy – 41,575,000
2. Michael Ruane – 35,170,000
3. Vojtech Ruzicka – 30,675,000
4. Fernando Pons – 27,500,000
5. Kenny Hallaert – 25,675,000
6. William Kassouf – 22,525,000
7. Jerry Wong – 22,425,000
8. Mike Shin – 21,220,000
9. Tom Marchese – 19,250,000
10. Qui Nguyen – 17,800,000
11. Griffin Benger – 17,425,000
12. John Cynn – 11,200,000
13. Joshua Weiss – 11,000,000
14. Michael Niwinski – 8,850,000
15. Andrew Christoforou – 8,075,000
16. Jared Bleznick – 6,800,000
17. Gordon Vayo – 6,475,00018.
18. James Obst – 5,150,000
18 players will begin Level 34.
