After an excruciating money bubble last night, the total field of 230 entries in Event #42: $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed High Roller has been whittled down all the way to just 35 hopefuls, all guaranteed a portion of the massive $5,462,500 prize pool. A min-cash of $37,500 is locked up for all those that bagged up chips in the early morning hours, while the eventual champion on Saturday can look forward to a payday of $1,402,683 and the coveted gold bracelet.
In prime position to earn that prize is two-time WSOP bracelet winner Ben Yu, who ran very hot after the dinner break on Day 2 to bag 3,695,000.
The remaining top five stacks all belong to big names in Jason Koon (2,540,000), Ryan Tosoc (2,220,000), Shaun Deeb (2,120,000) and Scotty Nguyen (2,010,000). Koon may not have a bracelet to his name yet, but he is enjoying an excellent year thus far. The High Roller regular has earned six six-figure and three seven-figure scores already to boost his total cashes on the live circuit to more than $20 million.
Other notables still in contention in a field filled with some of the biggest names on the international poker circuit include the WSOP bracelet winners Jason Mercier (1,905,000), Luis Velador (1,045,000), David Prociak (1,020,000), Robert Mizrachi (1,005,000), Erik Seidel (725,000), defending champion James Calderaro (705,000), Mike Leah (660,000), Craig Varnell (625,000), Christopher Frank (565,000), David Benyamine (425,000), Sam Soverel (380,000), Paul Volpe (370,000), and Jarred Graham (300,000)..
A total of 10 levels of 60 minutes each are scheduled for the penultimate day of the tournament with a break every two levels and a 60-minute dinner break after the sixth level. The action is expected to shift into high gear right from the bat as several players have been left extremely short stacked by the prolonged bubble phase, Level 21 will resume with blinds of 15,000/30,000.
As always, the PokerNews live reporting team will be on hand to provide live updates on all of the action, and when three tables remain, the action will be live streamed on PokerGO.
Day 3 Seat Assignments
| Room | Table | Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|
| Amazon | 429 | 1 | Jeffrey Palarino | United States | 310,000 | 10 |
| Amazon | 429 | 2 | Christopher Santora | United States | 90,000 | 3 |
| Amazon | 429 | 3 | Chase Steely | United States | 145,000 | 5 |
| Amazon | 429 | 4 | Sam Soverel | United States | 380,000 | 13 |
| Amazon | 429 | 5 | Mike Leah | Canada | 660,000 | 22 |
| Amazon | 429 | 7 | Jarred Graham | Australia | 300,000 | 10 |
| Amazon | 429 | 8 | Grazvydas Kontautas | Lithuania | 405,000 | 14 |
| | | | | | | |
| Amazon | 430 | 1 | Ben Yu | United States | 3,695,000 | 123 |
| Amazon | 430 | 2 | Christopher Frank | Germany | 565,000 | 19 |
| Amazon | 430 | 3 | Bogdan Capitan | Romania | 510,000 | 17 |
| Amazon | 430 | 4 | Martin Kozlov | Australia | 375,000 | 13 |
| Amazon | 430 | 5 | Tom Marchese | United States | 440,000 | 15 |
| Amazon | 430 | 7 | Jason Mercier | United States | 1,905,000 | 64 |
| Amazon | 430 | 8 | Dominykas Karmazinas | Lithuania | 120,000 | 4 |
| | | | | | | |
| Amazon | 431 | 1 | Jason Koon | United States | 2,540,000 | 85 |
| Amazon | 431 | 2 | Shaun Deeb | United States | 2,120,000 | 71 |
| Amazon | 431 | 3 | Craig Varnell | United States | 625,000 | 21 |
| Amazon | 431 | 4 | David Benyamine | France | 425,000 | 14 |
| Amazon | 431 | 5 | George Wolff | United States | 535,000 | 18 |
| Amazon | 431 | 7 | Omar Zazay | United States | 415,000 | 14 |
| Amazon | 431 | 8 | Jacob Kalb | United States | 440,000 | 15 |
| | | | | | | |
| Amazon | 439 | 1 | Scotty Nguyen | United States | 2,010,000 | 67 |
| Amazon | 439 | 2 | Robert Mizrachi | United States | 1,005,000 | 34 |
| Amazon | 439 | 3 | Len Ashby | United States | 130,000 | 4 |
| Amazon | 439 | 4 | Adam Owen | United Kingdom | 85,000 | 3 |
| Amazon | 439 | 5 | Erik Seidel | United States | 725,000 | 24 |
| Amazon | 439 | 6 | Luis Velador | Mexico | 1,045,000 | 35 |
| Amazon | 439 | 8 | Paul Volpe | United States | 370,000 | 12 |
| | | | | | | |
| Amazon | 447 | 1 | Jonathan Depa | United States | 1,180,000 | 39 |
| Amazon | 447 | 2 | James Calderaro | United States | 705,000 | 24 |
| Amazon | 447 | 3 | Ryan Tosoc | United States | 2,220,000 | 74 |
| Amazon | 447 | 5 | Veselin Karakitukov | Bulgaria | 205,000 | 7 |
| Amazon | 447 | 6 | Michael Song | United States | 135,000 | 5 |
| Amazon | 447 | 7 | Konstantin Beylin | United States | 900,000 | 30 |
| Amazon | 447 | 8 | David Prociak | United States | 1,020,000 | 34 |
Tags:
Ben YuChristopher FrankCraig VarnellDavid BenyamineDavid ProciakErik SeidelJames CalderaroJarred GrahamJason KoonJason MercierLuis VeladorMike LeahPaul VolpeRobert MizrachiRyan TosocSam SoverelScotty NguyenShaun Deeb
flop.
on the turn improved Velador and the 
on the river kept him in front. Volpe was eliminated, and Velador moved up to 1.3 million.
![[user339872]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
on the turn gave Yu a pair and Capitan had a sweat on his hands. The river landed the 
and Yu whiffed on all his two pair draws as Capitan scored a double up.
. Wolff had the 
for the middle set and a gutshot, and the board completed with the 
turn and the 
river, which ended Kalb's run in 34th place.
and Santora checked, Steely moved all in for 75,000. Soverel folded with some consideration and Santora also let it go.
— before claiming the pot.
and Mercier picked up three pair while Karmazinas had top pair and a straight draw. The turn was the 
giving Karmazinas the straight but Mercier picked up a ton of outs with four pair and a flush draw. The river brought the 
