Hand #1: Lee Goldman raised from the button and won the blinds.
Hand #2: Timo Pfutzenreuter opened for 90,000 from the small blind and Joseph Leung folded from a seat over.
Hand #3: Pfutzenreuter raised to 65,000 from the button and both blinds called — Leung (SB) and Nader Arfai (BB). All three checked the 
flop. The turn brought the 
and a leading bet of 100,000 from Leung, enough to force the other two to fold.
The final table has been set. Here's a brief introduction to the last six players, each of whom seeks his first WSOP bracelet.
Timo Pfutzenreuter (Seat 1) is a 21-year-old student from Vienna, Austria with one cash thus far in the 2013 WSOP in Event #35: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha. He has earned over $85,000 in tourney winnings prior to this event.
Joseph Leung (Seat 2) is a 24-year-old from Vancouver, Canada who is making his first ever WSOP cash and hopes to keep the incredible run of Canadian success at this year's Series going.
Nader Arfai (Seat 3) is a 54-year-old originally from Iran who lives in California. He is playing in his first ever WSOP event.
Steve Gross (Seat 4) is a 27-year-old from Florida who now lives in New Jersey. This marks the 14th WSOP cash for the online star and his second career WSOP final table. Having won millions online, his previous best live score was for $304,000 for a fifth-place finish in the 2011 WPT L.A. Poker Classic.
Lee Goldman (Seat 5) is a 30-year-old with a culinary degree who is making his sixth WSOP cash.
Salman Behbehani (Seat 6) is a 25-year-old business owner and former teacher from California presently living in Kuwait who has collected over $200,000 in WSOP and WSOP Circuit winnings. This is his second WSOP final table this summer, having finished eighth in Event #36: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,970,000
490,000
|
490,000 |
|
1,185,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
|
855,000
104,000
|
104,000 |
|
745,000
-35,000
|
-35,000 |
|
660,000 | |
|
590,000
8,000
|
8,000 |
|
||
On the very first hand after the dinner break, Timo Pfutzenreuter open-raised to 60,000 from under the gun and it folded around to Yevgeniy Timoshenko who reraised to 210,000 from the small blind. Pfutzenreuter called the reraise, and when the flop came 
, Timonshenko pushed all in for 265,000 and Pfutzenreuter called.
Timoshenko had 
while Pfutzenreuter had flopped Broadway with his 
. The turn and river both brought sevens, coming 
, then 
, improving Pfutzenreuter to a full house and knocking Timoshenko out in seventh.
There will be a brief delay as the chips are counted and other preparations are made for the official final table to begin.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |
The seven remaining players are back in their seats and cards are in the air. One more elimination and they'll reach the official final table.
Level: 25
Blinds: 15,000/30,000
Ante:
It was a very slow half-hour of small pots and minimal conflict to conclude Level 24, and now the final seven players are taking the scheduled one-hour dinner break.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,480,000
70,000
|
70,000 |
|
|
1,160,000
-70,000
|
-70,000 |
|
|
780,000
272,000
|
272,000 |
|
|
751,000
21,000
|
21,000 |
|
|
660,000
-100,000
|
-100,000 |
|
|
582,000
72,000
|
72,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
465,000
-425,000
|
-425,000 |
Nader Arfai limped from the button, Steve Gross called from the small blind, then Lee Goldman raised to 94,000 from the big blind. Arfai called and Gross folded.
Both remaining players checked the 
flop. The turn then brought the and another check from Goldman, and when Nader bet the pot — 214,000 — Goldman folded. As he's frequently done, Arfai showed two of his cards — 
— before gathering the chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,230,000
-140,000
|
-140,000 |
|
|
760,000
243,000
|
243,000 |
The action has slowed down once again as the seven remaining players are trading small pots here in Level 24. In another half-hour they'll reach the end of the level and the dinner break.
One recent hand saw Timo Pfutzenreuter open-raise to 68,000 from the small blind and Joseph Leung called from the next seat. The flop came 
and Pfutzenreuter checked. Leung bet 72,000, and Pfutzenreuter called. Both then checked the turn, then the 
fell on fifth street. Pfutzenreuter checked again, and when Leung fired 180,000, Pfutzenreuter folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,410,000
-208,000
|
-208,000 |
|
|
730,000
109,000
|
109,000 |
The final seven have assembled around the last table of the tournament. As they were positioning themselves in their seats, the tournament director was assuring them they didn't need to move the chairs around from where they were positioned.
"What if someone else wants to sit in?" cracked Nader Arfai, and the others chuckled.
| Seat | Player | Chips |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Timo Pfutzenreuter | 1,618,000 |
| 2 | Joseph Leung | 621,000 |
| 3 | Nader Arfai | 517,000 |
| 4 | Yevgeniy Timoshenko | 890,000 |
| 5 | Lee Goldman | 1,370,000 |
| 6 | Steve Gross | 510,000 |
| 7 | Salman Behbehani | 508,000 |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,618,000
-162,000
|
-162,000 |
|
|
1,370,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
|
890,000
535,000
|
535,000 |
|
|
621,000
291,000
|
291,000 |
|
|
517,000
27,000
|
27,000 |
|
|
510,000
-330,000
|
-330,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
508,000
-382,000
|
-382,000 |
