We've played another 120 minutes of after-dinner poker, and it's time for a twenty-minute break. It's come at just the right time; everyone needs a chance to exhale, we think.
The final 15 players filed back into the room two hours ago, each of them just six eliminations from a date with November's final table and all of the pomp and publicity that goes along with it. That dream has since been crushed for four of them.
Anyone with half a heart has to feel for Matt Affleck. After rushing to the chip lead in the middle stages of last year's Main Event, Affleck managed to make a remarkable follow-up run, pushing deep into this final day. Once again, though, his tournament has come to an abrupt end, and this time it was pocket aces that cost him his whole stack. Jonathan Duhamel had an open-ended straight draw when he got his money in with pocket jacks, and he found his card on the river to knock Affleck out in 15th place and skyrocket himself into the chip lead with about 51 million at the time.
Hasan Habib exited just minutes later, his tournament coming to a close after a remarkable two-day-long short-stacked predicament. Habib was rarely over 15 big blinds since Day 5, but he managed to keep his head above water until finally running out of outs on what would be his final hand. Habib's out-flopped John Racener's , but the latter re-improved on the river to KO Habib in 14th place, sent off by a warm round of applause. Habib final tabled the Main Event ten years ago, but his second trip to the sacred felt will have to wait for now.
Duy Le fell next after John Dolan's out-flopped his ace-queen. And finally, after having been worked down under 4 million, Adam "Roothlus" Levy was extinguished in 12th place to close out the level. Levy moved in with king-queen, but he ran smack into the pocket aces of the aforementioned Duhamel.
Speaking of Duhamel, he's still our commanding chip leader, sitting pretty with about 58 million as the level ticks down to zero. You've got twenty minutes of down time, but don't wander too far; we'll be back shortly to continue the hunt for the November Nine.
Soi Nguyen made his standard raise to 525,000 to open the pot, and Michael Mizrachi called next door to go heads up to the flop.
It came , and Nguyen continued out with a bet of 700,000. Without much delay, Mizrachi two-fisted a raise -- 2.070 million into the pot. Nguyen thought it over for just a half minute or so before making the call, and the was the next card off the deck. When Nguyen checked, Mizrachi instantly made a small bet of 1 million straight, one again using both hands to plunk in the towers of green chips. Nguyen tanked but was ultimately unable to call; an eruption of noise came from Camp Mizrachi the instant Nguyen's cards hit the muck.
"Let's go baby! Team Mizrachi!"
"All we do is win, win, win. No matter what!"
The cameras were rolling for a long while as the gallery went nuts, and it took maybe a minute for the commotion to die down and emcee Robbie to get a word in on the mic:
"As you might have figured out, The Grinder will win that pot." Another eruption of noise followed.
Grinder has been busy win, win, winning pots lately indeed. That latest one moves him back to about 8 million after being the short stack just a couple orbits ago.
One raise pre-flop. One bet on the flop or turn. That's been the story at the outer table this hour. Jonathan Duhamel opened each of the last two pots pre-flop, once from the button and once from the cutoff. Each time the small blind called -- first John Dolan, then Pascal LeFrancois. Dolan check-called a bet on a 6-high flop, immediately causing Duhamel to shut down on a turn and river. Dolan's took the pot.
LeFrancois took a different tack. He led into Duhamel on a flop of and immediately earned a fold from Duhamel.
It might just be Jonathan Duhamel's day. He was in the big blind and called a pre-flop raise to 560,000 made by small blind Filippo Candio. Candio led out for 1.35 million of a queen-high flop, , and was called by Duhamel. The turn was the exact opposite of a blank, and earned a check from both players. Things got even more connected when the river fell . After Candio checked. Duhamel bet 3,675,000. Candio called with a Broadway straight, but Duhamel had gone runner-runner for a bigger hand, a diamond flush, with .
Duhamel now has about 59.5 million. Candio is down to about 12.5 million.
Tight, tight, tight. We're still seeing flops at the outer table but one bet is taking down the pot. Joseph Cheong seems to be trying to use the bubble to his advantage. First he led into pre-flop raiser John Dolan on a board of and took down the pot. Then a few hands later Cheong raised the small blind and was called by big blind Filippo Candio. Both players checked the flop, but Cheong took down the pot on the turn with a bet of 625,000.
John Racener raised to open the pot, and Matthew Jarvis three-bet to 1.45 million next door. Racener made the call, and the two men went heads-up the rest of the way.
They both checked the flop, and Racener took the lead on the turn. He made it 1.8 million to see a river card, and Jarvis obliged him with the call. The river filled out the board, and Racener wasn't slowing down now. He made one last bet of 3.7 million, and that sent his opponent deep into the tank. Racener sat still, shuffling a stack of chips over and over and over again as Jarvis sat deep in the tank for at least five minutes or more.
Jarvis eventually turned and glared at Racener, trying to pick up any useful tidbit of a tell. From what we could see, Racener was giving away nothing, and Jarvis eventually broke the deadlock and turned away with a smirk. He mumbled something at his opponent and then stood from his chair to lean over the rail and get a better look. He was clearly toying with a brutal decision, and after staring down at the board for another couple minutes, he finally surrendered.
With the tournament now just one elimination off of the "last" table of 10 players, and two eliminations off of the November Nine, play has become tight as a drum. Pascal LeFrancois limped into a recent pot from the small blind, then called a small raise from Joseph Cheong in the big blind. Both players checked an all-Broadway flop, . LeFrancois also checked the turn, then folded to a bet of 820,000 from Cheong.
That walk Adam Levy got a few minutes ago proved to be the last pot he'd win at the 2010 WSOP Main Event. From the under-the-gun position, Levy moved all in for 3,945,000. Chip leader Jonathan Duhamel was next to act and called. Show them down, gents!
Levy:
Duhamel:
Levy had assembled quite a following on the rail, and they were dismayed to see what bad shape their man was in. Levy had a look on his face that seemed to say, "Well that figures," as he waited for ESPN to give the ok for a flop. When the flop finally did come, it didn't make things any better for Levy. was about as bad as they could come.
The crowd started pleading for a heart, knowing that card would give Levy the best chance on the river. The turn instead came , giving Levy a pair of kings and one last shot at cracking Duhamel's aces. But when the river blanked , another fan favorite was off to get paid.
[user66118]
Mizrachi in the front, family in the back
Michael Mizrachi raised to 500,000 before the flop and John Racener came along to the flop.
It brought , and Mizrachi moved all in for what looked like about 2.02 million. Racener called, and Mizrachi was at risk once again! He was in front:
Mizrachi:
Racener:
Mizrachi's overpair had him in fine shape to double up with two cards to come. The turn was safe, and Racener was looking for a jack to spoil Mizrachi's run. The river was awfully scary paint -- at least to us -- but it was a safe and it signaled The Grinder's double. He's back over 5 million now and back in the game.
![[user66118]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
out-flopped John Racener's 
, but the latter re-improved on the river to KO Habib in 14th place, sent off by a warm round of applause. Habib final tabled the Main Event ten years ago, but his second trip to the sacred felt will have to wait for now.
out-flopped his ace-queen. And finally, after having been worked down under 4 million, Adam "Roothlus" Levy was extinguished in 12th place to close out the level. Levy moved in with king-queen, but he ran smack into the pocket aces of the aforementioned Duhamel.
, and Nguyen continued out with a bet of 700,000. Without much delay, Mizrachi two-fisted a raise -- 2.070 million into the pot. Nguyen thought it over for just a half minute or so before making the call, and the 
was the next card off the deck. When Nguyen checked, Mizrachi instantly made a small bet of 1 million straight, one again using both hands to plunk in the towers of green chips. Nguyen tanked but was ultimately unable to call; an eruption of noise came from Camp Mizrachi the instant Nguyen's cards hit the muck.
turn and 
took the pot.
and immediately earned a fold from Duhamel.
, and was called by Duhamel. The turn 
. After Candio checked. Duhamel bet 3,675,000. Candio called with a Broadway straight, but Duhamel had gone runner-runner for a bigger hand, a diamond flush, with 
.
and took down the pot. Then a few hands later Cheong raised the small blind and was called by big blind Filippo Candio. Both players checked the 
flop, but Cheong took down the pot on the 
flop, and Racener took the lead on the 
filled out the board, and Racener wasn't slowing down now. He made one last bet of 3.7 million, and that sent his opponent deep into the tank. Racener sat still, shuffling a stack of chips over and over and over again as Jarvis sat deep in the tank for at least five minutes or more.
was about as bad as they could come.
, another fan favorite was off to get paid.
and it signaled The Grinder's double. He's back over 5 million now and back in the game.