We're getting very close to the money. The big board is currently showing 80 left, which means just two more eliminations and we are there.
Angel Guillen memorably finished just two spots shy of the money at last year's WSOP Main Event, what some called the "true bubble" since the next player to be eliminated was awarded a buy-in to this year's ME. Guillen just now put himself at risk of suffering a similar fate here today when he pushed all in for his last 19,900 from UTG with and got one caller in Dan Smith from the cutoff who held .
The board came , pairing Guillen and allowing him to survive with a little more than 40,000. Smith, meanwhile, has just over 100,000.
A player under the gun raised to 4,300. Daniel Negreanu called from the button and Benjamin May called from the small blind.
The flop ran out and May bet 4,000. The player under the gun folded and Negreanu moved all in for over 100,000. May made the call to put himself at risk for elimination. Negreanu turned up and May turned up .
The hit on the turn and the hit on the river to send May to the rail.
Kevin "kice32" Iacofano opened for a standard raise in the cutoff, and Zachary Gruneberg moved all in from the blinds. Iacofano snapped it off, having Gruneberg crushed.
Iacofano:
Gruneberg:
Gruneberg did not improve as the board ran , and Iacofano was shipped a massive double. Gruneberg busted a few hands later, while Iacofano is up to 180,000 chips.
We picked up the following hand between Stanislav Barshak and Shane "Shaniac" Schleger on the turn with the board showing and a considerable number of chips in the middle. Schleger bet 21,000 and Barshak called, then the river brought the and a quick check from Schleger. Barshak hesitated as if he wanted to bet, then exhaled and tapped the felt as well.
"Queens, a set," said Schleger, turning over . Barshak briefly flashed his hand -- -- and pushed his cards to the dealer.
"What a bad river," said Schelger. Then, immediately catching himself, added "I'm not complaining!"
The table all laughed in response, and there ensued a bit of ribbing of Shaniac from Shaun Deeb, which Schleger smilingly accepted, saying it was deserved.
Schleger has about 175,000 at the moment, while Barshak slips to 105,000.
Manuel Bevand opened to 4,500 under the gun and Farak Jaka three-bet to 13,000 in the cutoff. Miller Dao shoved for about 55,000 from the small blind and Bevand folded.
Jaka insta-called with and was racing with Dao's . The board ran out , giving Jaka top two to score the elimination.
When we reached Table 361, David Olson was all in and at risk against Justin Filtz. The flop was already out - - and the hands looked like this:
Filtz:
Olson:
Olson needed a diamond for a flush, a six for a straight, or running cards to make a full house, but bricked out when the board ran , . Olson hit the rail, and a wave of chips was pushed Filtz's way.
Nicolas Chouity raised to 4,500 from under the gun and Daniel Alaei flat called from middle position. The player on the button called and Nenad Medic moved all in for over 27,000 from the big blind. Chouity called and the rest of the players folded.
Medic:
Chouity:
The board ran out and Medic doubled up to about 75,000.
Tommy Chen, recently moved to a new table, opened to 4,500 under the gun. Action folded to Grayson Ramage on the button and he three-bet to 11,200. Next to act was Jason Koon in the small blind and he four-bet, making it 25,500 to go.
Chen didn't appear to mind, five-betting to 42,000. Ramage, though, six-bet to 61,200, getting Koon to fold. Chen chuckled before tossing face up into the muck.
Ryan Fair opened with a raise from under the gun and ended up getting two callers from the blinds, including Isaac Haxton in the BB. The flop came and it checked to Fair who continued for 8,200. Only Haxton called. The turn was the , prompting checks from both Haxton and Fair.
The river was the , putting a second small pair on board. Haxton looked intently at the river card, then took about a minute to decide his course of action. Finally he set out a column of chips for a bet of 30,000. Fair looked at Haxton for several seconds, then let it go.
Haxton chips up to 128,000, while Fair still sits with about 174,000.