In just one short hour, Day 3 of Event #20: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em MILLIONAIRE MAKER at the 2017 World Series of Poker will begin. From a huge 7,761-entry field, just 136 players remain with a chance to win the title.
Leading the pack to start today is Senovio Ramirez III with an impressive mountain of chips worth 1,570,000. He won two big pots yesterday and used his stack to his advantage to hold onto his lead to finish the night strong. Just behind him is Lucas Blanco with 1,339,000, with Daniel Lee rounding out the top three stacks with 1,196,000 chips.
The tournament's prize pool of $10,477,350 is being divided among the top 1,165 finishers, with a staggering $1,221,407 for first. The remaining players are currently guaranteed a payout of $8,054, although the first-place prize and elusive WSOP gold bracelet are at the front of everyone's minds.
Blinds start today at 6,000/12,000 with a 2,000 ante and players will battle it out for 10 one-hour levels. There will be a 15-minute break every two levels, with a scheduled 60-minute dinner break after the sixth level of the day.
Keep following along as PokerNews brings all of the action at your fingertips for the duration of this event.
Action folded around to Jessica Dawley in the cutoff and she raised to 26,000. Kevin Schulz was in the small blind and asked how much she started with. Dawley confirmed she started with close to 500,000, and Schulz called. Bryan Piccioli was in the big blind and defended as well.
The flop came and action checked to Dawley. She bet 29,000 and Schulz called, while Piccioli quickly folded.
The turn was the and both players checked to the river, which was the . Schulz grabbed some chips and led out for 62,000. Dawley wasted no time and called.
"I have the nut low," said Schulz as he tabled . Dawley tabled and scooped the pot with nines and sixes.
David Hubbard was all in from the small blind for 45,000 preflop. He was called by Brian Rast in the big blind and Matt Affleck in middle position, meaning Affleck and Rast were heads up on the side.
The flop was and both players checked. The turn was the and Rast fired out a bet of 45,000 that was called by Affleck.
The river was the and Rast checked. Affleck quickly bet 60,000, sending Rast into the tank for a couple of minutes. Rast eventually called and Affleck tabled for a flush. Rast mucked his cards and Hubbard showed which couldn't beat Affleck's flush and Hubbard headed to the rail.
Maxim Semisoshenko moved all in for 233,000 from middle position, and Kenny Hallaert called from the cutoff. Joseph Hebert then moved all in from the small blind for 360,000 and Hallaert piled some more chips in to call.
Semisoshenko was the first player at risk with , Hebert tabled and Hallaert had both players covered holding .
The flop came and Hallaert was still ahead with two jacks. The on the turn sealed the deal, and the river was the insignificant , sending two players to the rail.
Ralph Perry moved his giant leading stack to the table that had been captained by former November Niners, Joe Cada and Kenny Hallaert.
It was Perry who kicked off a battle that featured all of the three aforementioned players. They are all grinding a very healthy stack and Perry's early open to 52,000 caused some serious fencing.
Hallaert, sitting in the lowjack, three-bet to 145,000 and the action stopped at Cada in the big blind. The 2009 WSOP Main Event champion paused and then cut out 385,000, waking up with a cold four-bet.
Now it was Perry's turn again, and he didn't give up without thinking about the spot for a minute. In the end, he mucked, leaving the decision to Hallaert. The Belgian player scanned Cada's chips but eventually released his hand, too.
Cada took this one but one can feel in the air that some more action is about to follow on that star-studded table.
Igor Zektser moved all in for 265,000 from late position and Jessica Dawley called from the big blind.
Zektser was at risk with and was well behind the of Dawley.
The flop came and Dawley was still well ahead with two kings. The turn was the , giving Zektser a straight draw, but the river was the and Zektser hit the rail.
Dawley has now peaked and sits on 1,200,000, almost double the chips she started the day with.
Bryan Piccioli raised to 75,000 from the hijack and, after analyzing the stacks in the blinds, Kevin O'Donnell moved all in on the button. Lisa Hamilton was in the small blind and called for her remaining 230,000 and Piccioli folded.
Hamilton was at risk with and was flipping against O'Donnell's .
The flop came , and it was looking grim for Hamilton. The turn, however, was the and she found one of the cards she was looking for to stay alive. The river was the and O'Donnell paid the double-up.
Bryan Piccioli was all in for about 490,000 and was called by Jonathan Gray.
Piccioli was at risk with , while Gray held .
The flop came and Piccioli needed to hit an ace to stay alive. The turn was the , giving him some more outs to survive. The river was the and Piccioli hit the rail.
Matt Affleck was in the hijack and moved all in for 425,000. Eric Rappaport was in the big blind and called with 465,000 total.
Affleck tabled and Rappaport showed .
The board ran out and Affleck hit trips to win the pot and leave Rappaport extremely short.
In the next hand Aharon Shabtay was on the button and limped in. Rappaport was in the small blind and moved all in for 35,000 total. Harvey Alegado checked his option in the big blind.
Alegado and Shabtay checked all the way through and the board read when the players turned over their hands.
Shabtay showed for a pair of jacks, Alegado mucked and Rappaport tabled for bottom pair, which wasn't enough to keep him in the tournament.
and action checked to Dawley. She bet 29,000 and Schulz called, while Piccioli quickly folded.
and both players checked to the river, which was the 
. Schulz grabbed some chips and led out for 62,000. Dawley wasted no time and called. 
. Dawley tabled 
and scooped the pot with nines and sixes.
and both players checked. The turn was the 
and Rast fired out a bet of 45,000 that was called by Affleck.
and Rast checked. Affleck quickly bet 60,000, sending Rast into the tank for a couple of minutes. Rast eventually called and Affleck tabled 
for a flush. Rast mucked his cards and Hubbard showed 
which couldn't beat Affleck's flush and Hubbard headed to the rail.
and Hallaert had both players covered holding 
.
and Hallaert was still ahead with two jacks. The 
on the turn sealed the deal, and the river was the insignificant 
, sending two players to the rail.
![[user340093]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
and was flipping against O'Donnell's 
.
and she found one of the cards she was looking for to stay alive. The river was the 
and O'Donnell paid the double-up.
and Piccioli hit the rail.
for bottom pair, which wasn't enough to keep him in the tournament.
