Vanessa Selbst limped in on the button, Al Decarolis checked, and the flop fell . Decarolis check-called a bet of 40,000, both players checked on the turn (), and the river was the .
Decarolis moved all in for effectively 440,000, and Selbst called. Decarolis tabled for a pair of fives, which was no good against Selbst's for a pair of queens.
JC Tran opened to 80,000 holding the button and Jason Mo came along to see a flop. After both players checked the ace-high board the materialized on the turn. Mo checked a second time, but quickly folded after a bet of 90,000 by Tran.
Hand #16
Mo's open to 90,000 from the button forced a fold by Tran.
Hand #17
Tran opened for his standard min-raise of 80,000 and Mo flatted to see the flop come . He quickly tapped the table and Tran obliged with a c-bet of 75,000. Mo deliberately counted out the calling chips before committing them, and the turn card came . A second check by Mo failed to induce any further betting on fourth street, and Tran knuckled the felt to bring the to the board on fifth.
Mo checked for a third time, before grimacing noticeably when Tran did the same. Flicking the over with disdain, Mo showed down a full house that failed to deliver any equity, while Tran only smiled at the sight of the trap he had just tiptoed around.
Hand #18
Tran opened to 90,000 from the button and Mo called to see a flop. Both players tapped the table and the came down on the turn. Tran checked once again, prompting a bet of 120,000 from Mo. Unimpressed, Tran simply heaped a stack forward for a raise to 265,000, and Mo immediately tossed his cards into the muck.
Hand #19
Tran opened to 80,000 on the button, but quickly folded after Mo three-bet to 250,000.
Hand #20
Mo opened to 90,000 from the button to take down the pot without a fight.
Hand #21
Tran opened to 80,000 on the button, Mo flatted, and the flop fell . Both players opted to take a card on the turn, and the dealer produced the . Mo then check-called a small bet of 50,000, but he check-folded to a bet of 110,000 on the river.
JC Tran raised to 80,000 from the button, Mo called, and the flop fell , which they both checked. When the appeared on the turn, Mo led out for 120,000 and Tran folded.
Hand #24
Mo opened for 90,000 on the button, Tran called, and the flop came down . Two checks brought about the turn, and Tran check-called a bet of 110,000. When the paired the board on the river, Tran led out for 190,000 and Mo made a reluctant call. Tran showed the , but it was no good as Mo held a better two pair with the .
The level increased after this hand.
Hand #25
Tran raised to 100,000 from the button then folded when Mo three-bet to 325,000.
Hand #26
Mo opened for 110,000 on the button and then called when Tran three-bet to 275,000, which brought about a flop of . Tran checked, Mo bet 350,000, and Tran folded.
Hand #27
Tran raised to 100,000 on the button and Mo called. When the flop came down , Mo checked and then folded to a bet of 85,000.
Hand #28
Mo opened for 110,000 form the button and was met by a three-bet to 275,000 from Tran. Mo paused for a moment before announcing that he was all in for 2.84 million. Tran called.
Tran:
Mo:
No one was surprised to see a classic race for what was essentially the match. If Tran held he would advance, but if Mo caught he would cripple his opponent. It didn't take long to find out which way the coin was going to come down either as the dealer put a king on the flop.
Mo's rail, which includes Ryan Fee and Doug Polk, cheered for their man while Tran watched helplessly as the blanked on the turn followed by the on the river.
Hand #29
Tran moved his last 170,000 all in from the button with the and Mo made a quick call with the . The flop wasn't much help to Tran, but the turn gave him the better flush draw. Wouldn't you know it, the spiked on the river to give him the flush and a double.
Hand #30
Mo moved all in from the button and Tran called off for 340,000.
Tran:
Mo:
Tran was well out in front, but not after the flop fell . Fee and Polk began to celebrate, but it proved premature as the running turn and river gave Tran yet another double. In two hands he went from 170,000 up to 680,000. He's not done yet.
JC Tran limped into the pot for 50,000 on the button, but his hand went into the muck rather quickly after Jason Mo moved all in for about 600,000 effective.
Hand #32
Mo open-shoved from the button, and once again Tran was forced to fold without seeing a flop.
Hand #33
Tran folded his button and Mo received a walk in the big blind.
Hand #34
Mo open-shoved for about 500,000 effective, and with just 10 big blinds with which to muster a comeback, Tran made the call while tabling . He was in great shape against Mo's , but the latter's live cards connected on the flop to put him two cards away from the finals. The turn came to leave Tran with just six outs in the deck, but the was not one of them.
Ever the professional, Tran stood to shake Mo's hand and offer a "good game," before making his way to the payout desk for a six-figure score in his first foray into the WSOP minefield.
Vanessa Selbst raised to 160,000 on the button, Al Decarolis called in the big blind, and the flop fell . Decarolis checked, Selbst continued for 110,000, and Decarolis check-raised to 260,000. Selbst called.
The turn was the , and Decarolis moved all in for effectively 1.42 million. Selbst went into the tank.
"You're really that tired?" Selbst asked after a minute or two. "You want to go home?"
"I'm always tired, Vanessa," Decarolis responded.
Selbst found a fold, and Decarolis pulled in the pot.
Selbst raised to 200,000, and Al Decarolis folded.
Hand #110
Decarolis limped in on the button, Selbst checked, and the flop was . Selbst checked, Decarolis fired out 100,000, and Selbst check-raised to 275,000. Decarolis folded.
Hand #111
Selbst called, Decarolis checked, and the two checked on the flop (), and the turn (). The river was the , Decarolis checked, and Selbst bet 100,000. Decarolis folded.
Hand #112
Decarolis raised to 200,000, Selbst moved all in, and Decarolis folded.
Decarolis raised to 225,000 on the button, Vanessa Selbst called, and the dealer fanned . Selbst check-called a bet of 250,000, and both players knuckled after the turn brought the .
Selbst checked a third and final table after the completed the board, Decarolis bet 450,000, and Selbst folded.
Al Decarolis limped in on the button, Vanessa Selbst checked, and the flop fell . Selbst led out for 120,000, and Decarolis folded.
Hand #119
Selbst raised to 200,000 on the button, and Decarolis folded.
Hand #120
Decarolis limped in on the button, Selbst raised to 250,000, and Decarolis called. The dealer fanned , Selbst led out for 190,000, and Decarolis folded.
Hand #121
Selbst limped in on the button, Decarolis checked, and the flop was . Both players checked, and they also checked on the turn (), and the river (). Selbst won the hand with for a pair of fours.
Al Decarolis raised to 250,000 on the button, Vanessa Selbst defended her big blind, and the flop fell . Selbst checked, Decarolis bet 275,000, Selbst moved all in for effectively 920,000 or so, and Decarolis called.
Decarolis:
Selbst:
Selbst flopped top pair, and remained ahead as the turn and river bricked , respectively. The two-time bracelet winner looked ecstatic after mounting the comeback, and is off to play Jason Mo in the final tomorrow.