Over the last few hands, most of which have ended on third street, Mike Wattel has extended his lead, and Chris Ferguson now has 750,000 chips left.
Wattel took down this hand recently:
Wattel: / /
Ferguson: / /
Wattel made it three bets on third street, and Ferguson called. Wattel bet fourth, and Ferguson called. Both players checked fifth and sixth, and Wattel bet again on seventh. Ferguson folded.
In what has become a recurring theme during this heads-up battle, Chris Ferguson, having gained momentum, has lost a key pot which might have gotten him even further back into this contest.
Mike Wattel brought-in, and Chris Ferguson completed. Wattel raised, and Ferguson called.
Ferguson check-called on fourth and fifth streets before betting on sixth street. Wattel called. Ferguson bet again on seventh street, and Wattel called, tabling for a flush and sending Ferguson's chip count tumbling once more.
Chris Ferguson has gradually worked his stack up to just over two million.
Here are a couple of the bigger hands from the last few minutes:
Ferguson: /
Mike Wattel: /
Ferguson was the bring-in with the , and Mike Wattel completed with the . Ferguson raised, and Wattel re-raised. Ferguson called. Ferguson paired his door card on fourth with the and double bet 160,000. Wattel folded.
Ferguson: /
Wattel: /
Wattel was the bring-in, and Ferguson completed. Wattel called. Ferguson had the lead on fourth street and bet. Wattel called. Ferguson had the lead on fifth, as well, and bet again. This time, Wattel folded.
Mike Wattel is currently leading the $10,000 Seven Card Stud final table and is heads-up against five-time WSOP bracelet winner Chris Ferguson.
Wattel won his first bracelet in 1999 in the $1,500 Omaha Eight or Better tournament. Since then, he has four second-place finihes and a third.
Earlier, Perry Friedman asked what the longest is that anyone has gone between winning bracelets? Friedman finished in third and won his first and only bracelet in 2002, so Wattel has waited three years longer. Wattel has over $2 million in WSOP earnings to date, with another $500,000 in winnings elsewhere.
Ferguson's last bracelet came in 2003 when he won a mixed Limit Hold'em/Seven Card Stud event.
Wattel brought in and Ferguson completed. Ferguson check-called on fourth street but check-folded on fifth street.
Wattel: 3,425,000
Ferguson: 975,000
Ferguson: /
Wattel: /
Wattel brought in and Ferguson completed. Wattel raised and Ferguson called. Both players checked fourth street. Ferguson bet fifth street and Wattel called. Ferguson bet again on sixth street and this time Wattel folded.
Wattel brought-in, and Ferguson completed. Wattel raised, and Ferguson called. Ferguson check-called on fourth street, and both players checked fifth street. Ferguson bet on sixth street, and Wattel folded.
Wattel: 3,000,000
Ferguson: 1,400,000
Ferguson: /
Wattel: /
Wattel brought-in, and Ferguson completed. Wattel called. Ferguson check-called bets on fourth and fifth streets but check-folded on sixth.
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for a flush and sending Ferguson's chip count tumbling once more.
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for two pair and took down the pot.
