Although players were originally set to take a 15-minute break after Level 14, with hand-for-hand play ongoing, the tournament director has announced that the break will be delayed until after the bubble has burst.
Picking up the action on the draw, Mike Watson in middle position had Yufei Zhong from early position all-in and at risk. Zhong stood pat before turning over 10x8x6x4x3x while Watson took one holding 7x4x3x2x. Watson peeled the 4x on his last card to pair up and hand Zhong a crucial double on the bubble.
Larry Wright moved all in for his last 39,000 from middle position. Action folded around to Mark Dickstein who called from the small blind.
"I like you, but I'm rooting for me," said Dickstein.
Larry Wright: 7x6x4x2x
Mark Dickstein: 8x5x3x2x
Wright said he had thrown away a king and Dickstein a queen. Dickstein drew another queen, and Wright, with cash on the line, slid just underneath with a jack.
Matt Vengrin opened to 10,000 from early position, receiving calls from Ross Mallor in middle position and Ryan DePaulo on the button
Vengrin took two and DePaulo one while Mallor chose to stand pat. Action then checked to DePaulo who led out for 15,000. Vengrin got out of the way but Mallor made the call. DePaulo tabled 9x6x5x4x2x to take down the pot and gain some much needed chips on the bubble.
John Holley opened to 9,000 from middle position only to see a player in the cutoff three-bet to 32,000. Action folded back around to Holley, who made the call.
Both players took one card with action then going check-check. Holley showed down 9x8x7x5x2x to scoop the pot and add some more to his large chip stack.
After the conclusion of a hand in which Andrew Kelsall's ace-low won a battle of the blinds with Brian Hastings, talk turned to the assembled WSOP bracelets at the table.
Kelsall listed them off, "I've got one, Phil [Hellmuth] of course, you've got sixteen, Brian [Hastings] you've got six, and Brad [Ruben] you've got four. That's 27 at this table. Do you think we up that to 28 in this tournament?"
"I only know one thing, it won't be Jon [Turner]," joked Ruben.
"Who has a bracelet in 2-7?" asked Kelsall.
"I have a triple draw," replied Hastings.
"I have one," said Hellmuth. "And two seconds, and a fourth. I finished second to Billy Baxter in 1993. Smaller field, but 58 of the best players in the world. I laid down a pair of fives when I was short-stacked and it cost me the bracelet. TJ was in that, Doyle... It was the event for us."
