The eliminations are coming fast here in Level 20, with Lesley Amos the latest to fall.
After Yen Dang opened for 23,000 from the button, Amos reraised the minimum to 46,000 from the small blind, and Dang called.
The flop brought three picture cards — — and an all-in shove for 220,000 from Amos. Dang quickly called, tabling for a flopped straight. Meanwhile, Amos had flopped two pair with .
The turn was the and river the , and Amos was eliminated. That big pot pushes Dang up into the chip lead.
It folded to Candida Ross-Powers in middle position who raised to 40,000, and each player tossed her cards away in succession until the action reached Rosemary Lawrence in the big blind. Lawrence checked hers, then declared she was all in for 118,000 total. Ross-Powers called.
Lawrence:
Ross-Powers:
The flop came to pair Ross-Powers, but Lawrence still had a gutshot to Broadway. But the turn was the and river the , and Lawrence hits the rail in eighth.
Ida Lundholm of Sweden open-raised all in from early position for her last 82,000, and it folded to Angela Prada-Moed in the cutoff who then reraised over the top all in herself. Everyone else got out, and Lundholm turned over , needing help against Prada-Moed's .
The board came , making both players flushes, but Prada-Moed's the better one, and Lundholm is our first elimination of the final table.
It folded around to Ida Lundholm in the small blind who open-raised all in for 29,000 and Rae Rocco called from a seat over. Lundholm had picked up a big hand — — while Rocco had . The board rolled out , and Lundholm survived.
Down to just 68,000 after that hand with Rae Rocco, Jan Howard watched as Debbie Pechac raised to 30,000 from the button, then pushed all in from the small blind. Pechac called the raise, tabling to Howard's .
The board came , giving Howard a flush and a double-up.
Soon after Howard was raising to 40,000 from the button, Ida Lundholm pushed all in over the top from the big blind, and Howard called with the rest of her chips. Lundholm had and Howard , and when the community cards came , Howard had doubled again.
Rae Rocco has been very active during the early going, and now with a short stack, she's frequently on the lookout for spots to push her short stack.
Just now she raised to 18,000 from middle position and got a single caller in Jan Howard in the big blind. The flop came and Howard led for 20,000, with Rocco calling. The turn brought the and a check from Howard, and Rocco responded by pushing all in again. Howard looked at her own short stack for a moment, then let her hand go.
Candida Ross-Powers opened for 16,000 from the hijack seat and got a single caller in Rae Rocco from the button. Both checked the flop. The turn brought the and a bet of 50,000 from Ross-Powers, and Rocco quickly called.
The river was the . This time Ross-Powers carved out a bet of 60,000, and after thinking a few moments Rocco called again. Ross-Powers tabled for tens, and Rocco mucked.
The nine players making it to today's final table have already beaten the odds by surviving a field of more than 900. If you're curious, here are the odds for winning the event for each of the players as listed over in the Rio Race and Sports Book:
Debbie Pechac — 3/2
Candida Ross-Powers — 8/5
Yen Dang — 2/1
Lesley Amos — 3/1
Ida Lundholm — 6/1
Rae Rocco — 13/2
Angela Prada-Moed — 19/2
Jan Howard — 10/1
Rosemary Lawrence — 14/1
— and an all-in shove for 220,000 from Amos. Dang quickly called, tabling 
for a flopped straight. Meanwhile, Amos had flopped two pair with 
.
and river the 
, and Amos was eliminated. That big pot pushes Dang up into the chip lead.
to pair Ross-Powers, but Lawrence still had a gutshot to Broadway. But the turn was the 
and river the 
, and Lawrence hits the rail in eighth.
, needing help against Prada-Moed's 
.
, making both players flushes, but Prada-Moed's the better one, and Lundholm is our first elimination of the final table.
. The board rolled out 
, and Lundholm survived.
to Howard's 
.
and Howard 
. This time Ross-Powers carved out a bet of 60,000, and after thinking a few moments Rocco called again. Ross-Powers tabled 
and a check from Amos. Rocco responded with an all-in shove, and Amos tossed her cards.