Gavin Smith (during Event #50): sitting comfortably going back into Day 3!
It’s certainly been one of the more interesting Day 2 sessions we’ve witnessed here at the World Series of Poker, with chips flying across the felt in all directions at a ridiculously quick pace. From 463 players, we reached the bubble within two hours of play.
Amongst those to have made the money included Kenny Nguyen, David “The Dragon” Pham, Tom McEvoy, Simon Charette, Deborah Worley-Roberts, Randy Lew, Eddy Sabat, Brock Parker, Mikhail Shalamov and Noah Schwartz.
With the rate of attrition so high throughout the tournament, not even nine of the starting top 10 chip leaders were able to hold their own today. Benjamin Volpe, David Zemel, David Eldridge, Tyler Patterson, Brett Jungblut, Dan Kelly, Aleksandr Mozhnyakov, Brandon Meyers and Simon Lam – all busto.
However, the big highlight of today’s event was that of Gavin Smith. The one-time WSOP bracelet and WPT title winner is in prime position to score another major result, taking 864,000 in chips into Day 3. James Boyle is breathing down his neck with 860,000, while Ryan Go (838,000), Hasan Anter (719,000) and Jason Gravatt (580,000) round off the top five. In all, 42 players will be back tomorrow to finish this one off.
Naturally, PokerNews will be here, front and center from go to whoa, so be sure to join us here when play resumes in the Amazon Room from 2.30pm PST (GMT -7). Until then, may the flop be with you!
James Boyle has been frustrating players at his table during the the last couple of levels. It may have something to do with his heroic pace of downing beers. In a recent hand the board read and Boyles opponent bet 55,000 and Boyle raised to 125,000.
The other player went deep into the tank and while in that tank Boyle had a fresh beer delivered, downed it and ordered another one. The other players at the table warned Boyle's opponent that they were about to call the clock. Boyle's opponent folded and the table moved on.
An early position player raised the action to 22,000 and Gavin Smith immediately made the call. It folded around to the player in the small blind who shoved all in for 146,000. The original raiser folded and, after a brief conversation with a cocktail waitress, Smith tossed in a call.
Smith:
Opponent:
We were off to the races but Smith kept the lead as the flop fell . The turn brought the , giving his opponent four jacks as outs as well. Fortunately for Smith, the peeled off on the river, giving him a set and the winning hand.
With only 45 minutes to go until we wrap things up, the action has slowed down considerably, but Rayan Nathan has been hard at work building up his stack and as it stands, he's close to 600,000 in chips.
Our PokerNews field reporter caught up with the action on the turn between Nathan and an opponent on a board that read ; the player in the big blind checked to Nathan who bet 30,000. The big blind called, then check-called Nathan's bet of 35,000 after the river of the .
The small blind showed down for a pair of jacks and a busted flush draw, but Nathan's for top pair was good enough to take it down.
We've just learned that Benjamin Volpe, the starting chip leader from Day 2, is no more. Joining him on the rail are Sean Rice and Alexsandr Mozhnyakov. Only 50 players remain.
In one of the last hands before the break, Gavin Smith raised to 18,000 from under the gun and the action folded around to the player in the cutoff who called before the button re-raised all in for 142,000. Smith then four-bet shoved and the cutoff player laid his hand down.
Button:
Smith:
There was no change to either hand on the flop of , nor on the turn of the , but Smith spiked the on the river, knocking the button player out and is now on a stack that's worth almost 600,000!
and Boyles opponent bet 55,000 and Boyle raised to 125,000.
. The turn brought the 
, giving his opponent four jacks as outs as well. Fortunately for Smith, the 
peeled off on the river, giving him a set and the winning hand.
; the player in the big blind checked to Nathan who bet 30,000. The big blind called, then check-called Nathan's bet of 35,000 after the river of the 
.
for a pair of jacks and a busted flush draw, but Nathan's 
for top pair was good enough to take it down.
, nor on the turn of the 
on the river, knocking the button player out and is now on a stack that's worth almost 600,000!
