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One again, play commences at 12pm (8pm UK time).

Fred David -- 243,000
David Oppenheim -- 424,000
Noah Jefferson -- 170,500
Mark Gregorich -- 197,000
Ben Johnson -- 626,000
Patrik Antonius -- 38,000
Guy Laliberte -- 729,000
Sorel Mizzi -- 703,000
Adeeb Harb -- 424,000
Loi Pham -- 1,401,900
Mikael Thuritz -- 333,000
Jake Minter -- 535,000
Praz Bansi -- 219,000
Kirk Morrison -- 1,312,000
Lyle Berman -- 501,000
David Baker -- 499,000
Daniel Alaei -- 278,000
Jared Hamby -- 494,000
Timothy McCarthy -- 334,000
Paul Wasicka -- 558,000
Roland de Wolfe  -- 1,287,000
Carlos Mortensen -- 939,000
Ian Johns -- 862,000
Robert Wazelle -- 815,000
Ted Kearly -- 313,000
Eric Hershler -- 651,000
Thomas Schreiber -- 453,000
Can Hua -- 1,041,000
Tim Phan -- 646,000
Abraham Mosseri -- 646,000
Doron Malinasky -- 301,000
Grant Lang -- 623,000
Phil Hellmuth -- 1,827,000
Paul J. Lee -- 540,000
Scott Fischman -- 617,000
Tom Pniak -- 778,000
Jimmy Ngoc Tran -- 550,000
Raymond Davis -- 1,704,000
Justin Bonomo -- 625,000
Antonio Salorio -- 372,000
Tommy Vu -- 333,000
Phil Tom -- 252,000
Joe Grebanier -- 88,000
Tom Lee -- 251,000
Mike Wattel -- 935,000
Thomas Wahlroos -- 1,189,000
Justin Young -- 196,000
David Levi -- 360,000
Bill Gazes -- 510,000
Marc Goodwin -- 427,000
Elia Ahmadian -- 195,000
Bill Ferran -- 633,000
James Worth -- 230,000


A reminder of the prizes:

1st   $3,970,415*
2nd  $2,011,135
3rd   $1,082,920
4th    $696,220
5th    $464,110
6th    $309,405
7th    $278,465
8th    $247,525
9th    $216,585
10th   $185,645
11th-15th   $154,705
16th-20th   $123,760
21st-30th    $92,820
31st-40th    $77,350
41st-50th    $61,880
51st-100th  $46,410


Table 58:

(1) Bill Ferrand
(2) David Levi
(3) Fred David
(4) Ted Kearly
(5) Daniel Alaei
(6) Noah Jefferson
(7) Paul Lee
(8) David Oppenheim
(9) Phil Hellmuth

Table 59:

(1) Praz Bansi
(2) Kirk Morrison
(3) Tommy Vu
(4) Paul Wasicka
(5) Mikael Thuritz
(6) Jared Hamby
(7) Sorel Mizzi
(8) Grant Lang
(9) Can Hua

Table 60:

(1) Elia Ahmadian
(2) Loi Pham
(3) Roland de Wolfe
(4) Scott Fischman
(5) Ben Johnson
(6) Justin Young
(7) Tom Pniak
(8) Philip Tom
(9) Adeeb Harb

Table 58:

(1) Bill Ferrand
(2) David Levi
(3) Fred David
(4) Ted Kearly
(5) Daniel Alaei
(6) Noah Jefferson
(7) Paul Lee
(8) David Oppenheim
(9) Phil Hellmuth

Table 59:

(1) Praz Bansi
(2) Kirk Morrison
(3) Tommy Vu
(4) Paul Wasicka
(5) Mikael Thuritz
(6) Jared Hamby
(7) Sorel Mizzi
(8) Grant Lang
(9) Can Hua

Table 60:

(1) Elia Ahmadian
(2) Loi Pham
(3) Roland de Wolfe
(4) Scott Fischman
(5) Ben Johnson
(6) Justin Young
(7) Tom Pniak
(8) Philip Tom
(9) Adeeb Harb

Table 61:

(1) Thomas Schreiber
(2)  Bill Gazes
(3)  Joseph Grebanier
(4)  Justin Bonomo
(5)  Thomas Wahlroos
(6)  Doron Malinasky
(7)  Tom Lee
(8)  Mark Gregorich
(9)  Eric Hershler

Table 62:

(1)  James Worth
(2)  Lyle Berman
(3)  Marc Goodwin
(4)  Richard Anthony
(5)  Thien Phan
(6)  Patrik Antonius
(7)  Antonio Salorio
(8)  Abraham Mosseri
(9)  Robert Wazelle

Table 63:

(1)  Carlos Mortensen
(2)  David Baker
(3)  Ian Poker
(4)  Guy Laliberte
(5)  Mike Wattel
(6)  Jake Minter
(7)  Jimmy Ngoc Tran
(8)  Raymond Davis
(9)  Timothy McCarthy

Blinds going up:  6k/12k ante 2k. 

Patrik Antonius' microstack has crossed the line a couple of times, but no callers, so still there, waiting for that first double up to get him over 10 big blinds...

Very slow and cautious beginning to the day, even for the big stacked aggressive ones.  Can't report much action, other than, for example, Carlos Mortensen raising to 30k under the gun, then passing to Mike Wattel's re-raise to 100k.  People were way more aggressive at the end of last night - they are probably just warming up like those little lizards which sit on hot rocks until they're supercharged and can then sprint...

The money, incidentally, goes up at 50th (in three eliminations' time) to $61,880...

Although Patrik Antonius was the shortest stack at the start of play, it is the young Joseph Grebanier, who impressed us all with his excellent skeleton hoody outfit, that has fallen first.

Meanwhile, Elia Ahmadian has doubled up after his Ks Qc Rivered a flush against A-4 off on a 5s 6d 6s 3s 4s board.

Well, maybe just didn't want to be the first, as Scanide superstar Patrik Antonius is now officially out, eliminated by James Worth with A-J vs. K-K, no help against the cowboys.

------------

James Young is OUT.

On his former table, Roland is complaining of dropping down to 800k after laying down some big hands, A-Q, 9-9 and J-J, the latter reported earlier.

Praz Bansi is OUT, at the hands of aggressive youngster Sorel Mizzi...

Drawn on Mizzi's table again, he had some experience of playing with him ("He raised my blind every time yesterday...") and picked a spot to shove over the top preflop.  I will call his hand Ahrt x because that's the only part of it he saw before pushing...
Sorel called him with 8c 8h.
The board came:  4c Th 2c 7h 7s, x didn't pair and the shortstacked Praz heads for the rail, probably slightly disappointed that the double up he was after didn't materialise, but calmly saying, "I'm not disappointed,"  and picking up his $50k which that succession of not-really-random coinflips in Manchester started him on his way towards.   

Another Brit down in Brummie Pimp Marc Goodwin who made the last call with Ad Qd on a Flop of 9d 6d 2c.

Although James Worth, who also took out Antonius, had a vulnerable set of Twos, Marc's fate was sealed when the Turn brought an emphatic and hope expiring 9h, followed by an academic Qs River.

Green-sporting genial player Timothy McCarthy is down to 165k after this confrontation with Jimmy Tran.  Tran called his preflop raise out of position and then check-raised Timothy's 84k flop bet when it came down 9h 6s 7s.  The raise was enough to set McCarthy in, and he agonised for a while, as is expected, before asking, "You gonna show, Jimmy?  I'll show you one later...Laying down a very big pair." 
He lays it down, Tran does show:  5d 8d - only the nuts.
"I wanted you to call preflop..." Well, I am sure Jimmy wanted you to call post-flop too...

(pictures on Interactive thread: http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=22861.msg467735#msg467735 (http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=22861.msg467735#msg467735))

Marc Goodwin -- out
Praz Bansi -- out
James Young -- out
Patrik Antonius -- out
Joseph Grabanier -- out
Guy Laliberte -- 680,000
Ian Johns -- 565,000
Ben Johnson -- 810,000
Timothy McCarthy -- 155,000
Antonio Salorio -- 455,000
Richard Anthony -- 540,000
Mike Wattel -- 875,000

James 'KrazyKanuck' Worth takes a chunk from Abraham Mosseri - he ponders their Ac Jc 9d flop, on which he's just been check-raised, to the tune of 150k.  That's about half his stack... he eventually whacks the whole lot in, and the 165k raise is enough to get an instapass from Mosseri, who gets shown the Aspades Ks for his attempt to push off the online star.

This year's WPT final is showing no signs of slowing down chewing on Daniel Alaei and Eric Hershler and spitting them both out onto the rail.

Soon after, we lost Elia Ahmadian to Scott Fischman, Ahrt Qh vs. Ac Ks all-in pre-flop, nasty Queen on the Flop of a 6s 8d Qd Jc Jd board.

Abraham Mosseri is OUT - This is a good one for the audience:

James Worth raised to 40k in early position, called by neighbour Lyle Berman.  It gets repopped by Mosseri in the small blind - no messing, all in for 320k.  Suddenly big blind Robert Wazelle (pictured) moves in too, for a lot more than that.  It gets back to James who takes his time, clearly unhappy not with Mosseri's push but with the bigger stack against him.  Eventually, he makes what is clearly a painful fold, saying, "Somebody show me Aces!"
Wazelle shows: Qs Qh
Mosseri shows: 5c 7c  ("I didn't really want that," he admits, of the re-raise behind him...)

Now KrazyKanuck does a very good impression of someone who has passed Kings preflop - he's either a very good actor or approaching genuine tilt, especially as the board came out 9c 9h Th Kh 7s and he shouts, "I just made Kings full!"

Meanwhile Mosseri is halfway out the door before getting his money.  "I'll be right back..."

Table 63:

Tom Pniak -- 800,000
Sorel Mizzi -- 9,600
Phil Tom -- 295,000
Antonio Salorio -- 185,000
Guy Laliberte -- 690,000
David Oppenheim -- 475,000
Ben Johnson -- 610,000
James Worth -- 935,000
David Levi -- 260,000

Table 62:

Kirk Morrison -- 1,380,000
Raymond Davis -- 1,675,000
David Baker -- 640,000
Noah Jefferson -- 170,000
Mark Gregorich -- 230,000
Justin Bonomo -- 390,000
Richard Anthony -- 495,000
Dorn Malinasky -- 265,000
Mikael Thuritz -- 255,000

Table 61:

Fred David -- 235,000
Mike Wattel -- 1,320,000
Grant Lang -- 705,000
Robert Wazelle -- 880,000
Thomas Schreiber -- 430,000
Lyle Berman -- 725,000
Scott Fischman -- 840,000
Adeeb Harb -- 890,000
Phil Hellmuth -- 1,865,000

The 45 player redraw is a sign of things to come...it looks like they shuffle around after every nine players drop.

New Table 59:

Tommy Vu           350,000
Jake Minter           775,000
Thomas Wahlroos  1,660,000
Paul Wasicka        480,000
Can Hua              1,320,000
Ted Kearly            230,000
Carlos Mortensen   764,000
Jimmy Tran           450,000
Bill Gazes               850,000

Huge hand for Paul Lee changes the dynamic on his new table right off the bat... on a Jack high flop he made one of those big overbets, announcing all-in for 600k or though after a bit of a consider of the flop, and opponent Loi Phan.  Phan covered him, and eventually made the call with A-J, only to be shown J-J for the flopped set.  Drawing dead on the turn, we have a new big stack and a depleted former leader.
_________________

And mid count, Jared Hamby raises all-in on an Aspades 3s 6s flop, and his opponent Tim Phan calls.  A wince from Jared who knows that's not good, and it isn't - while Hamby clearly would rather bury his hand in a hole a mile from the Bellagio (A-Q), Tim has only flopped the nuts - Ks Js.  The turn and river are no help to the young player who immediately berates himself - a little over-harshly in my opinion - "I thought he had A-T, maybe one spade..."

So - Table 60:

Timothy McCarthy   280,000
Tim Phan               820,000
Tom Lee               120,000
Paul Lee               1,900,000
Ian Johns                880,000
Roland de Wolfe      890,000
Bill Ferrand              670,000
Loi Phan                 361,000

You'll notice two big changes from this table, one in David Wattel's stack (which has increased) and the other in Robert Wazelle's (decrease).

This change came about when the two players locked horns on 6h 4c Ac Th board, Wattel making a good call to Wazelle's 310k bet before checking the 9d River with his opponent.

Wazelle showed Sevens, but Wattel won with A-K, which received the official Hellmuth Seal of Approval.

"Nice hand, kid, now you're playing poker," observed the Poker Brat.

Shortstacker Tom Lee has doubled up to 200k off Tim Phan, Aspades 5s vs. Kc Qc and a 2h 6h Ahrt Jd 8d board.

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On the last hand before the break, we lost Scandinavian player Mikael Thuritz, who re-raised all-in for 160k with Ad Kc.

Doron Malinasky called in a flash and flipped over Jh Jc, which hit a crushing set on the Flop.

Board = 2d 8h Js Td Tc

Official bustouts:

44) Jared Hamby
45) Antonio Salorio
46) Abraham Mosseri
47) Elia Ahmadian
48) Eric Hershler
49) Marc Goodwin
50) Praz Bansi
51) Justin Young
52) Patrik Antonius
53) Daniel Alaei
54) Joseph Grebanier

Payouts around this region:
31st-40th    $77,350
41st-50th    $61,880
51st-100th  $46,410

Fred Davis is eliminated in 41st place:  All in preflop with Ahrt 2h, called by Scott Fischman with his Qh Qs.
Flop:  Jh 3h 4s (couldn't have asked for a larger glimmer of hope)
Turn:  7d
River:  4c

And the chips go to Scott Fischman, who's steadily increasing his already precariously uncountable stack.

Noah Jefferson is OUT.

All-in from early position for 110k, he was called by Kirk Morrison in the big bling, who took a shot with 7s 4s.

Noah had Ac Ks, but it wasn't enough as the board came Tc 6h 7d 8s 5s.

Two Very Shortstacks double up (although both still in trouble):

Tom Lee all in (again) with Aspades 7s against Ian Johns' Kd Qd.  Board:  Jh Js 3h Th 7h - up to 200k or so.

Ted Kearly all in with Ad Td, called preflop by Jimmy Tran with his Js Jc.  Ac on the flop, and Tran could say, "Jack!" until blue in the face, it wasn't to come and we still have 37 players remaining.

Redraw (sigh) at 36...

Carlos Mortensen has doubled up courtesy of Can Hua with Kings v Jacks, irrelevant Q-2-8-A-6 board.

A bigger stack doubles up now - David Baker raised it up preflop two hands in a row, cutoff, and the one next to the cutoff... on the second one, neighbour Bill Gazes put in a re-raise, only to find David moving all-in for 440k more.  With maybe 230k in the middle, Bill made a pretty big call with his 8c 8s.  David Baker had Ahrt Kc...
Flop:  Kh 7c 3h
Turn:  Th
River:  2c

And he's now up to the Seven Figures.  During the hand, both players were fixedly staring alternately at each other and at a point in the baize before the decision to call which brought the TD with the mic running to announce the outcome. 

Can Hua -- 1,210,000
Richard Anthony -- 720,000
Paul Wasicka -- 435,000
Ted Kearly -- 175,000
Tom Pniak -- 535,000
Tommy Vu -- 295,000
Bill Gazes -- 625,000
Raymond Davis -- 2,150,000
Guy Laliberte -- 950,000
Sorel Mizzi -- 895,000
Kirk Morrison -- 1,820,000
David Oppenheim -- 1,050,000
Doron Malinasky -- out
Ben Johnson -- 535,000
James Worth -- 990000
David Baker -- 1,100,000
David Levi -- 525,000
Mark Grekorich -- 110,000
Justin Bonomo -- 225,000
Jake Minter -- 670,000
Paul Lee -- 2,860,000
Tom Lee -- 210,000
Adeeb Harb -- 235,000
Bernam Lyle -- 585,000
Carlos Mortensen -- 1,260,000
Phil Tom -- 1,425,000
Mike Wattel -- 1,080,000
Roland de Wolfe -- 375,000
Ian Johns -- 790,000
Timothy McCarthy -- 530,000

Thomas Wahlroos just took another pot, this time from Raymond Davis who made it 52k preflop, call from Thomas Wahlroos.  On the 4h 8h Td flop, Raymond bet out 105k and the in-position, confidence-radiating relaxed Finn made it 250k, getting a quick pass.  Yes, 2.3 mil a better estimate.
_________________________________________

Meanwhile Tim Phan continues his relentless chip accumulation (and for the second time - he was nearly knocked out with those QQ vs. AA a day ago).  His early fluency with chip counting (can one be fluent in that - why not) saw Roland commenting, "Former dealer..." to which he replied, "I might be a future dealer, but not a former dealer."  Somehow I can't see him, with about a million in chips in the last 35 of the WPT Championship, applying for a job at the Vic any time soon...

Anyway, he just took a big pot off Paul Lee - after his 170k was called with the board standing 9d Td 3s 3d and a healthy pot already accumulated in the centre, he moved in for 420k on the Js river with no sign of wavering.  Pass from Lee. 

Tom Lee is OUT, raised it up to 40k with Nines, re-raised by Can Hua to 110k, pushed for 40k more.

Up against the bullets, failed to hit, 4-K-3-3-6 board.

----------

Bill Gazes is also OUT.

Made his move with Kd 6h, but ran into the American Airlines of Kirk Morrison, which held up on the 4-8-T-K-T rainbow Flop, although the Turn did offer Glazes a slight ray of light, but alas, to no avail.

Justin Bonomo is eliminated in 35th place ($77,350) - all in preflop with Kc Td he found Paul Lee with Aspades Ks ready to take him on... The flop brought the other two Aces - overkill - and Bonomo got a soft clap, seeing as they're getting down to the last few tables.

------------

Recent struggler Adeeb Harb has doubled through, finding Aces on the big blind with Kirk Morrison raising into him with Jacks from the cut-off.

A 3-2-5-7-2 board later and Kirk was left to pay 275k.

HUGE double through for Carlos Mortensen - he put his pretty decent stack and tournament life on the line on a 6c 7c Tc flop, against Raymond Davis, who had the magic Ac, but an offsuit 8h to go with it. 
The turn:  3s
The river:  Qs
The phrases, "Nice hand Carlos... you're back in the game..." come in from all sides.  Back in the game - and how - with 2,500,000 if his stacks are in even piles of twenty, for once...

Pretty much the next hand, Raymond Davis, suffering an averagey stack for the first time in days, takes on all-in short stack Mark Gregorich with his Kd Td vs. Mark's Ad Td...

Flop:  4c 4h 4s
Turn:  Kc  The announcer says, "Mark will now need an Ace to win..." at which point the usual half dozen cry, "Or a Four!"
River:  2d

So Mark Gregorich finishes in 32nd place, winning $77,350.

A dejected but now relatively affluent David Oppenheim is the next to bite the dust, his Pocket Nine's no match for Paul Lee's Threes on a 3-6-2 Flop, te Ten Turn and 5 River sealing the Candian's fate.

-------------

When I spot shitloads of chips in the middle, that's usually a sign that a big hand's taking place, and that was certainly the case on Table Mortensen, the Spaniard putting Ben Johnson to a decision for his tournament life on a board of Th Qc Tc 7s.

A fidgety Johnson, ummed and aared (heart on his sleeve time) before making a brave and ultimately top quality call with Qh Jc.

Mortensen showed Ac Js, which failed to improve come the 7s River.

He didn't holler or high five, but Johnson was clearly over the moon and couldn't help but jump out of his seat like a dog hearing the word 'walkies'. He went to take a sip on his drink, but struggled as the adnrenalin pumping around his body was making his hands shake. A few deep breaths later and he was back to normal, happy to stack (although probably still shakily) his newly acquired stack.

Richard Anthony  640k
Lyle Berman   314k
Sorel Mizzi     1.2 mil
David Baker    1.29 mil
Thomas Schreiber  360k
Phil Hellmuth   800k
David Levi       1.3 mil
Roland de Wolfe  360k

Phil Hellmuth raised preflop (blinds are now 10k/20k ante 3k)... Sorel Mizzi called in the big blind.
Flop:  Ad 9c 4s  Hellmuth is talking, someone's all in on the table behind, I missed who made the bet here, but they got to the Aspades turn with a medium pot going.  Sorel bet it solidly, and Hellmuth made a show of reluctance, "I'm going to need a Jack..." before calling.
River:  Jc (incredibly). Now Sorel moves all in for his remaining few hundred thousand (that's a funny phrase to write) and Hellmuth called characteristically quickly...
Sorel showed:  9d 9s for the boat, while Hellmuth flashed an Ace and mucked, chagrined.
Roland pipes up, "The Jack was probably the safest card in the deck."  But Sorel admits, "The Jack scared me, I'm not going to lie."

Roland de Wolfe doubles up to 700k - heard it over the mic - all in with a flush, no less, against Richard Anthony.

Ian Johns is OUT in 30th, his pre-flop all-in push being instacalled by Mike Wattel

Johns = Ad Kc

Wattel - 9h 9s

Board = 8h 2d Qd 7d 3c

Ian got excited on the Turn, but was visibly frustrated when he missed all 14 outs.

------------

Lyle Berman is also OUT.

All-in pre-flop against my pick of the day, Sorel Mizzi, with K-J vs. Aces.

Lyle eventually made three Jacks, but unfortunately for him, Sorel flopped a set.

Counts from Table Wahlroos:

Tom Pniak      350,000 (just doubled up with Ks Kd all-in against Jimmy Tran's Ad Ahrt - all in pre, but spiked a King on the flop to survive)
Kirk Morrison    1,700,000
Grant Lang      1,200,000
Can Hua          1,280,000
Adeeb Harb     740,000
Thomas Wahlroos  2,200,000
Guy Laliberte    1,440,000
Jimmy Tran       560,000

Jake Minter = Ahrt Kh

Raymond Davis = Kd 9d

Board = 9s Jh 8s 5s Jc

Double up for Minter.

Third Table Counts:

Raymond Davis    380,000
David Baker       1,034,000
Jake Minter        1,620,000
Loi Phan             450,000
Ben Johnson      1,490,000
Carlos Mortensen  2,140,000
Mike Wattel         1,630,000

The switch between Raymond Davis' and Jake Minter's stack sizes occurred just now when Jake somehow got it all in preflop with Kd 9d (I am sure there was an interesting preflop raise-re-raise tango but I missed it) against Davis' Ahrt Kh.  A big pot, and a pretty annoyed Raymond Davis when the flop came 9s Jh 8s and the turn and river didn't redraw the Ace.  Ow.

Thomas Schreiber is OUT in 28th.

Roland raised it up, Richard Anthony pushed all-in in for 314k and Thomas Schreiber followed suit for 250k.

Roland folded and the following hands were flipped over...

Schreiber = Ac Ks

Anthony = 9h 9d

Flop = 2d 5s Aspades

Turn = Js

River = 9c

A couple of objections from players when they reached the last-three-tables mark to carrying on play at all mean, apparently, that play is suspended until tomorrow after just 5 hours.  Personally I think this is a mistake - one more level played today might avoid a 4am finish tomorrow (the penultimate day).  But I'm always saying that, and the field is still working away at itself with fair speed...

End of Day Chip Counts...

Can Hua -- 760,000
Thomas Wahlroos -- 1,847,000
Guy Laliberte -- 1,232,000
Adeeb Harb -- 735,000
Kirk Morrison -- 2,980,000
Jimmy Tran -- 458,000
Grant Lang -- 1,201,000

Raymond Davis -- 274,000
David Baker -- 483,000
Jake Minter -- 1,568,000
Loi Phan -- 1,007,000
Ben Johnson -- 1,280,000
Carlos Mortensen -- 2,429,000
Mike Wattel -- 1,060,000

Tommy Vu -- 830,000
Paul Lee -- 3,740,000
Scott Fischman -- 1,268,000
Robert Wazelle -- 284,000
James Worth -- 556,000
Paul Wasicka -- 581,000
Thien Phan -- 1,273,000

Richard Anthony -- 755,000
Tom Pniak -- 270,000
Sorel Mizzi -- 2,256,000
Phil Hellmuth -- 738,000
Roland de Wolfe -- 460,000
David Levi -- 1,258,000