Following the recent elimination of Chris Moneymaker, 1996 World Champion Huck Seed is the last remaining Main Event winner left in the field.
Although Seed is still a long way from firstly cashing, and then making a run at a second title, he currently sits with 210,000; good for a near-average chip stack.
After a series of bets and raises on a flop of , Chris Moneymaker was all in and at risk for 150,000 with for a set of eights. Raymond Ezzie had him at risk with for an ace-high flush draw, and the turn was the , giving him said flush.
Moneymaker needed the board to pair in order to survive, but it was not to be for the 2003 Main Event champion as the bricked off on the river.
"Good luck, everyone," Moneymaker said, walking away from the table.
Ezzie, who had Moneymaker covered by just 30,000 or so, dragged the pot and is now up to 340,000.
Huck Seed, who won in 1996, is now the only former champion standing.
The cutoff opened for 7,000 and was called by Raul Mestre on the button. The big blind came along as well, and the flop came , with action checking to Mestre. He bet 13,000, and only the big blind called. The big blind check-called another 25,000 on the turn, and Mestre shoved all in on the river, putting his opponent to the test for his last 44,000. The player rubbed his forehead and thought for about a minute before folding.
At another table, Hac Dang has vacated the seat to which he just got moved.
“Never Easy,” were the brief philosophical words from Dermot Blain’s lips as he sat nursing his reduced chip stack. Having been on the verge of elimination last night only to spin it up to a healthy amount he is now looking to do the same all over again.
Matthew Haugen opened to 7,500 from middle position and Griffin Benger called on the button to see a flop fall.
Haugen continued for 10,000 with Benger making the call as the landed on the turn and Haugen tossed in 20,000. Again Benger called, and when the river landed the , the action was checked over to him.
After a few moments, Benger bet out 45,000 and Haugen eventually tossed his cards to the muck while slipping below 900,000 as Benger climbed over 700,000 in chips.
One player at a particular table is taking a long time to act every hand and it is beginning to annoy the other players, but he is insisting he is within his rights to do so. “I’ve got two minutes, I play within the rules. I put up ten thousand dollars of my own money, I’m the short stack and I’ve got two minutes.”
He wouldn’t be persuaded that seeing more hands was beneficial to him as he had only 40,000 chips left. He refused to look at his cards before action was on him in case they got a read on him. When it was suggested that if he looked at his cards and found, “Eight three off suit.” he might fold a bit quicker he replied in an outraged voice, “Now they’re telling me what cards to play.”
The floor confirmed to his unhappy tablemates that he did indeed have two minutes to make his decision but also told the stalling player to, “Play cards.”
Arthur Morris bet 25,000 on the river on a board of , and his opponent made the call. Morris snap-showed and took the pot. He was hovering around 300,000 for awhile but must have hit a bad recent run as he was sighted shoving all in for around 50,000 in a recent pot. Morris said it was his first all in of the tournament, but he's grinding back to a solid stack.
Christopher Smith led out for 7,500 on a flop of , Harry "ugotabanana" Kaczka raised to 16,500, and Smith called. Both players checked on the turn (), the river was the , and Smith checked again.
Kaczka reached into his stack, firing out a bet of 43,000, and Smith tank-folded face up.
Over on Phil Ivey's table, we've just spotted Mehrdad Yousefzadeh with a monster stack! A close examination taught us that Yousefzadeh now sits on 1,050,000 chips and that means he's the first player up to over one million chips during this year's Main Event.
Mister Phil Ivey himself sits on around 370,000 chips, and with Yousefzadeh two seats to his left he will have his work cut out for him.