Welcome to Day 3 of Event #28: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em
Masayuki Nagata leads the final 16 players in the race for the bracelet and a cool $521,202 here at the World Series of Poker Event #28: No-Limit Hold'em. After bagging 1,742,000, he's got nearly 20 percent of the chips in play and is nearly 700,000 clear of his nearest competitor, Dan Martin.
Nagata's only recorded live cash is for $2,895 in a re-entry event at last year's WSOP, so he's surely excited about the forthcoming payday even if he somehow busts 16th, as all the remaining players are guaranteed $19,015.
Relative unknowns make up the majority of the remaining field, and if you're looking at the list of survivors, the name that most certainly jumps out at you is going to be TJ Cloutier. The 73-year-old legend is looking to add yet another final table to a WSOP resume that already includes 39 such accomplishments. With 335,000 chips, he's one of the shorter stacks, but remains a threat due to his experience and skill.
Cards will be in the air at 1 p.m., and we will be following the action closely and bringing you all the pertinent updates until a winner is crowned.