We're into three figures now as the number on the board has ticked up to 112.
And we're expecting at least one more player. Phil Hellmuth is dead serious about chasing down Ben Lamb for WSOP Player of the Year, and there's no chance he misses this event. Registration is still open until the beginning of Level 5.
We just saw former November Niner and current Frenchman Antoine Saout making a hasty exit from the tournament area, and he's presumed busto unless we learn differently. The other five current and past November Niners are still alive, though, and they stack up thusly:
We picked up the action on the flop where Andrew Robl had check-raised Steven Kelly to 2,200 and Kelly had three-bet it to 4,450. Robly came back over the top with a reraise to 9,200 and then Kelly made it 18,400. Robl moved all in and Kelly called for less.
Kelly:
Robl:
Robl's set held up with the falling on the turn and hitting on the river and Kelly was eliminated.
Eugene Katchalov has just had his early chip boost erased (and then some) at the hands of his neighbor Jani Sointula.
We didn't pick up the action until the turn, walking up to see a board of out on the felt. Katchalov had checked, and Sointula put out a bet of 4,200 into a pot of just more than that. Katchalov spent a few minutes considering, and he eventually made the call to see the fill out the board. When he checked one last time, Sointula moved his last 14,350 into the middle on a pot-sized shove.
Katchalov hated the news, and he sunk in his chair a bit as he began to mumble to himself. He looked up at the ceiling and shook his head with a "Why me?" look on his face, but he couldn't get away from it. He made a reluctant call, and Sointula tabled . Katchalov threw his hands up, open-palmed, and it looked like he flashed ace-ten as he sent his cards into the muck.
After that exchange, Katchalov has been reduced to about three-quarters of his starting stack.
On the flop, 2,600 chips were in the middle between Davidi Kitai and Alexander Kostritsyn. Kitai checked and Kostritsyn bet 1,500. Kitai made the call.
The turn card was the to pair the board. Kitai checked and Kostritsyn bet 3,500. Kitai gave it up and Kostritsyn won the pot.
With about 2,800 in the middle, the flop was between Jason Mercier, Joao Barbosa and one other player. The first player bet 1,450 before Barbosa raised to 4,000. Mercier reraised to 8,300 and the first player folded. Barbosa then tanked for a bit. Eventually, he moved all in for approximately 23,000. Mercier quickly checked his hole cards and then called.
Mercier held the for middle set, which was bad news for Barbosa holding the for bottom set.
The turn brought the and the river the . Barbosa couldn't hit his one outer and was eliminated from the tournament.