As the excitement continued to build, Theo Jorgensen increased his stack twofold after an encounter of such high drama that it would have made an EastEnders cliffhanger look tame.
With Sorel Mizzi raising to 60,000 preflop, Jorgensen made it 180,00 and Mizzi called. On the flop, bedlam ensued, with both players shoving their stacks across the line and rising from their seats in anticipation.
As the crowd edged the rail forward and the salivating press closed in, the hands were revealed.
Mizzi =
Jorgensen =
"Low card!" screamed the Mizzilites.
Turn =
The Mizzilites went berserk.
River =
The Mizzilites stopped going berserk.
Jorgensen, meanwhile, leaped into the air as if launched out of a cannon and celebrated with fellow countryman Martin Vallo on the sidelines. Mizzi, on the other hand, could but slump back in his seat with the look of a child who'd just had his favorite toy snatched from his grasp.
On the very next hand after Mizzi's double-up, he led out for 108,000 on a flop of . Theo Jorgensen raised pot to 444,000, Mizzi moved all in and Jorgensen called.
Jorgensen:
Mizzi:
Mizzi and Jorgensen had both flopped seven-high straights. The on the turn, though gave Mizzi a flush draw, and his flock of baseball-cap wearing railbirds lunged toward the table and screamed for a heart on the river. The last card fell the , though, and Jorgensen breathed a sigh of relief as they chopped up the pot.
Sorel Mizzi raised to 42,000 and Theo Jorgensen called. The flop came down and both players checked. The turn was the . Jorgensen led out for 60,000 and Mizzi called. The river was the . Jorgensen slid out a tall stack of blue chips worth 120,000 and after checking and re-checking his cards with looks back at the board, Mizzi made the call.
Jorgensen turned up , but Mizzi had an eight-high straight with and won the pot.
Sorel Mizzi has sneaked in the first jab of heads-up play. He flat-called a preflop min-raise before taking the pot with a bet of 42,000 on the river of a checked board.
First blood to Mizzi, who looks nothing like Rambo.
With reveling cocktailers, clinking glasses, a rail full of rambunctious Mizzi and Jorgensen supporters and the ever-present thump of electronica spilling out from the upstairs nightclub, heads-up play has commenced at what might be the noisiest final table in WSOP history.
Jorgensen has nearly a 3-to-1 chip lead over Mizzi as they get down to business.
Sorel Mizzi opened for 49,000 from the button, Theo Jorgensen called from the small blind and Eric Dalby called from the big. The flop was . Jorgensen checked, Dalby bet 147,000, Mizzi got out of the way and Jorgensen called. The turn was the . Jorgensen led out for 270,000, Dalby re-potted all in and Jorgensen insta-called.
Jorgensen turned over for the nut straight, Dalby drawing dead with . The river was the and the affable Englishman was eliminated. He'll collect £ 84,562 for his finish here today.