One Former Champ Bubbles, Another Ranks Second After Day 3 of the PPC
The $50,000 Poker Players Championship hit moving day on Day 3, as the final 44 players took seats to begin the day and just 15 are now left. Those 15 are guaranteed at least $77,320 after the money bubble burst on an extended level deep into the night.
As the clock neared 3 a.m. local time, with hand-for-hand play having been going for about 45 minutes, Michael Mizrachi's final rally of the night fell short.
"The Grinder," a two-time PPC champion, danced with death a number of times throughout Day 3. For instance, in the middle of the penultimate level of the night, Mizrachi was one card from elimination in pot-limit Omaha. He had gotten it in with top pair against an open-ender and a pair, and Matthew Ashton turned a straight. However, that same card gave Mizrachi a set and he hit a boat on the river as he walked away, not realizing he was even drawing live.
Mizrachi doubled again in stud with 18 players left but found himself short again after Anthony Zinno and Mike Wattel soft bubbled. The key hand came up in razz, when Ashton wouldn't go away despite having some paint on board and ran down Mizrachi by making a better nine than Mizrachi's nine-eight.
Mizrachi found one double in PLO with a flopped boat all in preflop but then lost it all to Isaac Haxton in limit hold'em.
While one former champ found himself with a heartbreaking finish, another is looking like a strong threat to take another title. Ashton, who won this event in 2013, sits in second place with 3,220,000, just a hair behind Haxton (3,268,000). Ashton led this event after Day 1.
Rounding out the top five is Shaun Deeb (2,442,000), Paul Volpe (2,315,000) and Daniel Negreanu (2,223,000). Negreanu also found himself short a number of times but kept doubling or tripling up to survive.
The remaining players are scheduled to get back to the action at 2 p.m. Wednesday, and all of the coverage will once again be here on PokerNews.
. Facing a river bet for his remaining chips, Mizrachi opted to fold and preserve for one last gasp.
, and Mizrachi helplessly tabled 
. While the two waited for action at the other tables, they discussed the previous hand.
, ending Mizrachi's run on the bubble and prompting the rest of the tables to bag up.
- fold
/ 
/ 
— Folded
flop. Ashton potted, and Mizrachi stuck his stack in, which turned out to be 231,000.
hit, and Mizrachi exited his seat in disgust and started to walk away. He didn't realize he had a set, and he filled up on the 
river to double.
and Richey bet his remaining 33,000. Seiver called.
turn, but the 
river officially ended his tournament.
though and that didn't improve either player. The river was the 
