Day of Event #54: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Low is set to kickoff here at 2 p.m. local time, and Jonathan Depa tops the chip counts with 442,000 after 18 levels. Shiva Dudani sits in second as the only other player above 400,000 with 405,000.
The real headliner here, however, may be Fabrice Soulier. The Frenchman has amassed a long and successful tournament resume dating to 2000, featuring more than $5.5 million in cashes. He already has one bracelet and is looking for his second after a near-miss in last year's World Series of Poker Europe Main Event, when he took second for more than $800,000.
Florian Langmann (265,000), Ted Lawson (199,000), Lee Markholt (136,000), Eoghan O'Dea (96,000), and Paul Volpe (50,000) also bring chips into Day 3.
Cards will be in the air at 2 p.m. and we may see a winner crowned, though the potential for an unscheduled fourth day remains due to a late start on Day 1 thanks to the unprecedented Monster Stack field.
Jonathan Depa raised to 16,000 in the cutoff, and Shiva Dudani called from the button. Eoghan O'Dean put his last 41,000 in from the small blind, and both opponents called after the big blind folded. Dudani bet 54,000 on the flop, and Depa got out of the way.
Dudani:
Eoghan O'Dea:
O'Dea was out front for the moment with with queens, but he had a lot of cards to dodge since Dudani had a pair and the nut low draw. A turn gave Dudani trips, and the river was a , no help to the Irishman.
Zach Freeman raised to 25,000 on the button, and he was called by both blinds. On the flop, Brad Ruben check-raised to pot after Freeman bet 50,000, and Freeman called to put Ruben at risk.
Ruben:
Freeman:
Freeman had a set, while Ruben had flopped a strong low draw and a straight draw. High cards came though ( and ), eliminating Ruben.
Gary Bolden bet 20,000 on a flop, and TJ Eisenman raised to 57,000. Bolden shoved all in for 195,000, and Eisenman called.
Eisenman:
Bolden:
Bolden had a big nut wrap, but Eisenman had a nut low draw with a nut flush draw. The gave each player the nuts one way, but a mean Eisenman had the nut flush with an ace-four low to take both halves and bust Bolden.
Fabrice Soulier raised to 35,000 in late position and called a three-bet to 70,000 from TJ Eisenman. Soulier then open-shipped the flop for 97,000, and Eisenman called.
Eisenman:
Soulier:
Soulier was in good shape with a better pair and a better low draw, but Eisenman ran a wheel when it came turn, river.
Dylan Wilkerson raised to 20,000 from late position, and Richard Armstrong pushed his last 57,000 into the pot. Antony Lellouche reshipped out of the blinds, and Wilkerson mucked.
Lellouche:
Armstrong:
Lellouche had a boat on the turn on the board, and he scored the knockout.
From the big blind, Volpe bet 77,000 on a flop, and Florian Langmann potted to put him all in for about 50,000 more. Volpe called after Jonathan Depa folded.
Langmann:
Volpe:
Volpe was in rough shape as he was behind for both halves, with Langman having the nut low draw and the nut flush draw, and nobody having a pair. The turn gave Volpe a straight draw, but only half of it was any good, and the wasn't the card he needed, since it gave Langmann a higher straight.
Florian Langmann raised pot to about 150,000 after a wager from Joe Lu on a flop. Lu threw his hands up before pushing forward all of his chips, and Langmann called.
Lu:
Langmann:
Langmann was playing two pairs with a third for a better full house draw, and Lu had nut flush draw with a nut straight draw. The turn left Lu dead, and he pointed at his opponent in submission.
On a flop, Ted Lawson bet 35,000 from a middle position and Woody Deck check-raised to pot from the small blind. Lawson moved in for 314,000, and Deck called.
Deck:
Lawson:
Lawson had flopped a boat, and he needed to fade Deck pairing on of his other cards. A turn gave Deck a nut low, and a river gave him sixes full for high, scooping Lawson and sending him out of the tournament.
Florian Langmann raised to 35,000 from middle position, and Toby Hausen defended his big blind. Hausen check-shipped on his fellow German on the flop, and Langmann obliged.
Langmann:
Hausen:
Hausen was in excellent shape with top two and the nut low draw, but a grim turn arrived: giving Langmann a lock for the high end. Hausen's only hope was a low card to chop, and a baby did hit but it paired him with the .