This unique "Mixed-Max" event began with 125 players in the hunt, and after two days of play, that number now sits at just sixteen. Entering tomorrow's heads-up bracket, it's Brian Powell wielding the big stack, bagging up an impressive 484,000 to make himself the betting favorite at the halfway point.
Nearly everyone in this elite field would qualify as "notable", but a few particularly big names were among the early casualties. November Niner Ben Lamb started the day with just 8,100 chips (from a 30,000-chip starting stack), and he managed an early triple up before the bottom fell out. After working up to about 25,000, he promptly ran his pocket kings into Joseph Elpayaa's pocket aces, and Lamb was relegated to the rail within the first few minutes of the day. November's Matt Giannetti didn't fare much better, and he was very short on chips when his pocket tens fell to an opponent with ace-four.
Others to hit the rail on this brutal day included Phil Hellmuth, Jonathan Duhamel, and Carlos Mortensen, as well as France's own Bruno Fitoussi, David Benyamine, and Vanessa Rousso. And Olivier Busquet, who only sounds French.
The bubble was pretty brutal, but all 16 who survived this day are guaranteed to make some money this week. They'll return to the tables tomorrow at 3:00 P.M when the bracket will be drawn and we'll find out who plays who. We'll play the Rounds of 16 and 8 tomorrow, finishing up with our final four for the run to the bracelet.
That's all for now, but there's plenty more to come over the next two days. Until tomorrow, all that's left is goodnight.
Jonathan Aguiar raised to 10,000 and Kent Lundmark reraised to 20,000. Aguiar made the call and the flop came down . Aguiar checked and Lundmark bet 20,000. Aguiar check-raised all in for 127,000 and Lundmark called. Aguiar immediately looked dejected. He had to wait a couple of minutes before actually seeing his fate while another hand was being completed at another table, but Aguiar looked visibly sick to his stomach.
After the other hand was complete, Aguiar turned over the and was indeed behind the for Lundmark.
The turn brought the and the river the . Neither of those helped Aguiar and he was out the door in a flash.
With Aguiar's elimination, the remaining 16 players are in the money. We'll have chip counts and a recap coming shortly.
From the cutoff seat, Anatolii Ozhenilok moved all in for 33,000. Brian Hastings made the call from the big blind with the . He was dominated by Ozhenilok's .
From under the gun, Shawn Buchanan raised to 10,000. Action then folded to Matt Waxman in the big blind and he three-bet to 27,000. Buchanan called to see the flop.
The flop came down and Waxman checked. Buchanan bet 20,000 and Waxman check-raised all in for 92,500. Buchanan quickly called holding the for top set. Waxman looked dejected as he rolled over the for middle pair and a straight draw.
The turn was the to give Waxman the straight. He faded Buchanan's redraw to a full house or better when the fell and doubled up.
Noah Schwartz opened to 13,000 from middle position, and Dan Fleyshman defended his big blind to go heads up.
The two men took a flop, and Schwartz continued out with the same 13,000. Fleyshman check-called, and the landed on the turn. Now Fleyshman took the lead with a tiny bet of 11,000, and Schwartz took pause for a couple minutes before making the call.
On the river, the drew another bet from Fleyshman -- a healthier wager of 40,000 this time. Schwartz spent another few minutes in deliberation, but he eventually surrendered.
"All in and call!" was the cry from one of the tables. Dan Fleyshman was all in on the flop against Erik Seidel. Fleyshman held the and was at risk. He was behind the for Seidel.
The turn brought the to give Seidel a full house. The river smacked the board with the and Fleyshman spiked a higher full house to stay alive and double up.
Action folded to Roger Hairabedian on the button and he raised to 10,500. From the small blind, Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi reraised from the small blind to 26,500. Everyone folded and Mizrachi won the pot.
On the very next hand, Noah Schwartz opened with a raise to 13,000 from under the gun. Action folded around to Mizrachi on the button and he reraised to 31,000. Everyone folded and again, Mizrachi won the pot with a three-bet.
. Aguiar checked and Lundmark bet 20,000. Aguiar check-raised all in for 127,000 and Lundmark called. Aguiar immediately looked dejected. He had to wait a couple of minutes before actually seeing his fate while another hand was being completed at another table, but Aguiar looked visibly sick to his stomach.
and was indeed behind the 
for Lundmark.
and the river the 
. Neither of those helped Aguiar and he was out the door in a flash.
. He was dominated by Ozhenilok's 
.
and Ozhenilok doubled up.
and Waxman checked. Buchanan bet 20,000 and Waxman check-raised all in for 92,500. Buchanan quickly called holding the 
for middle pair and a straight draw.
to give Waxman the straight. He faded Buchanan's redraw to a full house or better when the 
fell and doubled up.
flop, and Schwartz continued out with the same 13,000. Fleyshman check-called, and the 
drew another bet from Fleyshman -- a healthier wager of 40,000 this time. Schwartz spent another few minutes in deliberation, but he eventually surrendered.
and Motorov doubled up.
