Willie Tann has arguably been the most successful player here this week - he has now made the final of both events played so far. Chris Bjorin did too, of course, but seeing as he's now busted, Tann is in with a chance of bettering Bjorin's third and ninth place finishes respectively. (Tann came sixth of six in the last one.)
Or he was in with a good chance - right now it's all looking a little more precarious for the "Dice Man".
Tann opened for 17,000 under the gun and John Racener called in the small blind. Both players checked the flop, and Racener bet out 28,000 on the turn, which Tann flat-called. The river was the and Racener bet pot, enough to put Tann all in. After a little while Tann folded, and is now firmly in the danger zone on just 50,000 or so.
The impressively-sized headphones permanently gracing the head of Joe Serock have had to come off - there's a no phone, no ipod, no headphones of any kind rule at the WSOP finals and they all have to abide by this policy. But he's clearly suffering from want of a head-nod and musical accompaniment to his play and just asked Jack Effel, "How far away from the table do you have to be to listen to music?"
The response: not at the table, in any circumstances. Getting up and moving away, though, probably OK.
"So can I just roll back?" Serock pondered (mainly to himself) - the finalists get comfy chairs on wheels which would make his mini journey easier.
It was a two-stage process which sent the Swedish legend to the rail, with the major damage and the finishing blow being dealt by Jeffrey Lisandro.
First off, Lisandro raised pot in early position (21k) and Bjorin called on the button. "Pot," said Lisandro again on the flop. Bjorin raised and a small shove thereafter was enough to get the full 132k in the middle from each of them (Lisandro's stack, barely covered).
Lisandro:
Bjorin:
Lisandro dodged all the club and straight type bullets on the turn and river to double through to 310k while Bjorin had just 11k left.
This went in two hands later preflop with and it was Lisandro whose hit the board better.
Andrew Miles (whom the TD has been calling Andre) raised pot under the gun. Willie Tann called behind, and Felipe Ramos in the small blind came along for the ride.
They saw a flop which Ramos checked. Miles moved in for his last 43,000 and Tann swiftly passed, but the action back around to Ramos and there was a long pause. He enquired as to the size of the pot (it was a cheeky 69,000) and then announced, "I have eight outs only." He made the call.
Miles:
Ramos:
Miles was ahead on the flop and stayed fine on the turn, but the on the river made Ramos trips and sent Miles to the rail as a cry of, "Vamos Ramos!" echoed from the balcony above.
If you're not a devoted follower of the UK poker scene, you might find the name Karl Mahrenholz somewhat unfamiliar - he hasn't really made the sort of impressive splash overseas that some other young British players - for instance, James Dempsey and Richard Ashby at this summer's WSOP - have.
Nevertheless, tallest man in the room (seriously - he's seven foot tall by our reckoning) "The Mantis" as they call him has been getting along very nicely in the world of professional poker. He took down a GUKPT title in 2009, and the same year he came 13th in this event, the WSOPE Pot Limit Omaha. 2010 has not been a very good year for Mahrenholz so far, but that could possibly change today if he can join the exclusive club of WSOPE bracelet winners.
Along with brothers Sunny and Chaz Chattha, and the rather more familiar two-time bracelet winner Praz Bansi and 2009 November Niner James Akenhead, Mahrenholz is a member of the fabled Hit Squad. Whatever happens to Mahrenholz, we fully expect the Saturday night railers to turn out in force.