As the field dwindles with every elimination, Miles Austin moves one step closer to adding another accomplishment to an already stacked résumé:
2× Pro Bowl (2009, 2010)
NFC receiving yards leader (2009)
PFWA Most Improved Player of the Year (2009)
Dallas Cowboys single-game receiving record (250)
WPT World Championship cash?
Austin currently sits with just over 60,000, and he will need to haul in a Hail Mary or two to move his stack back to the average. But after witnessing Austin play his way through the a stacked field of feared poker pros to reach Day 3, we wouldn't be surprised if he finds a way to cross the goal line.
It's official: Mukul Pahuja is the Season XII WPT Player of the Year! He sits down to talk about that award, his plans for the summer, and receiving an "at mention" on Twitter from Haralabos Voulgaris.
Phil Hellmuth entered play today with only 54,000 in chips. He's since tripled that with a nice chunk of change coming in a recent pot with Scott Seiver when he rivered a set of fives with on a board and Seiver paid off his 20,000 bet. Time will tell if Hellmuth can keep it up, but not many play a short stack like Hellmuth does. Just ask Maurice Hawkins.
A short-stacked Tony Cousineau moved all in from the small blind with the and was called by Jeff Madsen from the big blind. Madsen held and we were off to the races.
The dealer put out a flop of leading Cousineau to say "wait a minute, wait a minute, let's discuss this."
The dealer looked at him with a puzzled look on her face.
"That's a bad flop for my hand," smiled Cousineau. "Go ahead."
She did, putting out the on the turn. "That's a good card," said Cousineau.
The river wasn't a good card, however, as it was the pairing Madsen's Jack. "Ahhhh, I knew I couldn't fade it," said Cousineau as his tournament came to an end.
A short-stacked Matt Waxman moved all in for slightly less than 50,000 and Cathy Dever called from the cutoff. Dever had Waxman slightly covered but this was essentially for both players tournament lives.
Dever held while Waxman was behind with his .
The board would run out and Dever's hand would hold to send Waxman on his way.
Scott Matte open-jammed for his last 66,000 sitting in early position, and Brian Yoon came over the top from middle position for the isolation three-bet. This folded the table and the two showed down.
Matte: ,
Yoon:
Matte's cowboys had Yoon's pocket pair crushed, and the flop fell safely for him coming , but the turn was a disaster when the hit the board. The river came to finish things off and Matte headed for the exits with a two-out tale to tell.
Vimy Ha limped in from the cutoff and Tony Dunst raised it to 15,000 from the button. It was folded back to Ha who made the call.
The flop came and Ha checked to Dunst who made it 18,000 to go. Ha check-raised to 43,000 and after a few moments of contemplation, Dunst announced that he was all in. Ha quickly folded and Dunst is off to a good start early on here in Day Three.
Eric Afriat used his overwhelming chip lead to make a 10,000 open from the hijack, only to see Simon Lam three-bet shove for his last 68,000.
Afriat quickly made the call after action folded around, tabling to find himself with live cards against Lam's .
The final board rolled out and with a queen caught on the river Afriat picked up right where he left off yesterday, crushing souls and claiming stacks.