Level: 18
Blinds: 3,000/6,000
Ante: 500
Level: 18
Blinds: 3,000/6,000
Ante: 500
With the tournament set to commence in one minute, here are the updated counts for the remaining seven runners.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Lee Childs |
412,000
128,000
|
128,000 |
Joseph Stiers |
333,500
139,500
|
139,500 |
David Lackey |
207,000
-117,000
|
-117,000 |
Jim Boyd |
177,500
17,500
|
17,500 |
Mike Summers |
126,500
-29,500
|
-29,500 |
Mark Castaldo |
96,500
-82,500
|
-82,500 |
Brian Cavaliere |
87,000
-134,000
|
-134,000 |
The seven players left in contention have headed out in search of sustenance, as the 60-minute dinner break has arrived.
With her stack dwindling by the orbit, as the inexorable toll of blinds and antes whittled her down to just 4 big blinds, Michaelann Moser made her stand with an open-jam from the hijack.
Her last 22,500 went into the middle on the strength of an ace, but Moser's was in bad shape when Jim Boyd looked her up with . Although the most likely scenario in this spot was a chopped pot, Moser knew the sight of a six on board would spell disaster.
Flop:
Moser winced when the flop paired Boyd's hand and not her own, and while the turn was the best card in the deck for her (giving her outs to the remaining fours in the deck, as well as spade flush possibilities), the river card came to give both players two pair.
Showing the generosity of true gentlemen, the remaining seven players immediately ponied up $200 each in cash or chips, providing Moser with a parting gift to ease the pain of bubbling.
Boyd, meanwhile, continued his volatile ride, as his chip stack has fluctuated wildly during the last level.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Jim Boyd |
160,000
45,000
|
45,000 |
Michaelann Moser
|
Busted |
On a flop of Jim Boyd led out for 19,000 and Lee Childs flatted to take the on the turn.
Boyd slowed down with a tap of the table, and Childs pounced on the sign of weakness with a 32,000 wager.
Wanting to peel off one last card, Boyd called and then checked dark before the fell in on fifth street.
Before he checked in the dark, Boyd told tried to intimidate Childs just a bit, telling the 2007 WSOP Main Event final table member "If you have those kings again boy, watch out. Might not be good."
Childs checked back on the river and sure enough, he tabled for an overpair to the board.
"I knew it..." offered Boyd, flashing his to the table while acknowledging the obvious. 'Nice hand sir."
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Lee Childs |
284,000
53,000
|
53,000 |
Jim Boyd |
115,000
-53,000
|
-53,000 |
We saw a raising stack pushed forward in front of Jim Boyd's chip castle, and Mark Castaldo announce himself all in for his last 78,500.
Joseph Stiers had opened the action but he quickly got out of the way, and after a bit of deliberation Boyd decided to look Castaldo up.
"I'll gamble with ya..." said Boyd. "Let's go."
Boyd's enthusiasm was dampened significantly when he saw Castaldo's , and he announced "ahh, ya got me" while tabling his .
Needing an ace to catch up (along with a miraculous four-flush or straight), Boyd could only watch as the final board rolled out to send the pot in Castaldo's direction.
The bubble remained intact after Castaldo survived his brush with the brink, and eight-handed play continues with seven paydays waiting to be called.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Mark Castaldo |
179,000
89,000
|
89,000 |
Jim Boyd |
168,000
-95,000
|
-95,000 |
Minutes after uttering those titular words of wisdom, the boisterous Jim Boyd put his money where his mouth is.
After four players committed 9,000 before the flop (this hand occurred just before the blinds jumped to 2,500/5,000) - including Boyd and Joseph Stiers - the dealer fanned the across the felt.
Stiers was acting from under the gun, and he led out for a 11,000 feeler bet. Boyd decided to show that his earlier boast was not merely bravado, and he raised the action to 29,000. Stiers shot a look across the table and studied his man, eventually going toe to toe with Boyd by reraising to 45,000.
Without much hesitation at all, Boyd pushed his whole stack into the middle, and after Stiers asked for a count it turned out his wager was for 161,500.
Stiers had that amount covered, but only barely, meaning a call here would effectively put both players at risk of bubbling. Talking himself through the hand, Stiers mentioned a "set of sevens, ace-seven and ace-jack" as possible holdings he was up against.
"It's not a bluff board though..." said Stiers to himself, still trying to determine what the unpredictable Boyd was playing back at him with. "You could be bluffing, but it'd be crazy..."
Eventually, after a lengthy tank, Stiers surrendered the pot and slid his cards into the muck. Boyd just grinned and repeated his mantra, telling the table "scared money don't make no money boys!"
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Jim Boyd |
263,000
81,000
|
81,000 |
Level: 17
Blinds: 2,500/5,000
Ante: 500
After Lee Childs opened for the standard raise from the cutoff, Mark Castaldo three-bet holding the button, making it 25,000 to play.
Childs paused a beat before using both hands to heap four-bet forward, and the wager equated to 41,000 total. After asking for a count of the reraise, Castaldo elected to take a flop, and he flatted to see the fanned across the felt.
Without much hesitation, Childs announced himself all in for approximately 90,000 effective, and after tanking long and hard while talking himself through the hand, Castaldo asked a question we don't hear very often on the tournament floor:
"Will you fold if I show?," he asked Childs, obviously preparing to lay his holding down. "I think I'm losing here... I fold. Nice hand Lee."
With his father Bill standing by to sweat the action, Childs calmly dragged the pot his way without revealing his hand.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Lee Childs |
231,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
Mark Castaldo |
90,000
-41,000
|
-41,000 |
With the pressure of the money bubble affecting every player at the final table, Joseph Stiers opened the action for a 9,000 raise, hoping to scoop up another uncontested pot of blinds and antes.
Jim Boyd had other ideas though, and he flatted the bet from late position. With the action on him in the big blind, Day 1 chip leader Brian Cavaliere opted to put his opponents to the test with a three-bet to 20,000. Both Stiers and Boyd came along for the ride, bringing a flop of on board.
First to act, Cavaliere heaped a stack of 30,000 into the middle, continuing to represent the big hand his three-bet had alluded to. Stiers appeared to wince a bit at the bet, and commented about being in a "bad spot in the middle," with Boyd left to act. His cards were eventuallty slid toward the dealer, and Boyd did the same, sending a sizable pot to Cavaliere - a local boy who earned his Main Event seat through an earlier HPO Mega Satellite.
Cavaliere then flashed the to the table, confirming that he was not messing around by trying to play the bubble bully.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Brian Cavaliere |
221,000
48,000
|
48,000 |
Joseph Stiers |
194,000
-24,000
|
-24,000 |
Jim Boyd |
182,000
-24,000
|
-24,000 |