The final 16 players from a total 1,056 entries in Event #64: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em/Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed Mix return today to Miranda at 2 p.m. to play down to a champion. Also on the line is the first-place prize of $268,555. All returners are guaranteed a payout of at least $9,998 for making it this far.
Bracelet winner Ryan Laplante is looking to add to his collection. After finishing Day 1 as the chip leader, Laplante comes into Day 3 back at the top of the counts with a stack of 1,105,000.
Joining Laplante in the top five stacks to start the final day of play include Esther Taylor (1,057,000), Khorchidian Nichan (895,000), Shannon Shorr (789,000) and Mark Radoja (710,000).
Other notables in the running for WSOP gold today are Sebastian Langrock (404,000), Connor Drinan (392,000), Fernando Brito (287,000), and Bernardo Dias (226,000).
Play will begin in Level 21 with blinds of 6,000/12,000 with a 2,000 ante.
Keep it here at PokerNews to see who among those left will become the Event #64 winner. The seat draw and chip counts at the start of Day 3 are as follows:
Bernardo Dias opened to 42,000 in middle position and Esther Taylor potted it from the big blind. Dias called all in for around 190,000 and they showed down.
Bernardo Dias:
Esther Taylor:
The flop gave Taylor top set and a commanding lead. The turn and the river couldn't save Dias and he was eliminated. Dias won $9,998 for his 16th-place finish.
Ryan Laplante opened the action and raised to 26,000 from under the gun. Rick Alvarado was in the small blind and three-bet to 90,000. Laplante called.
The flop came and Alvarado counted his remaining stack and moved all in for his last 105,000. Laplante tossed in a single chip to call, basically beating him into the pot.
Alvarado was at risk with for top set, and Laplante tabled for a flush.
The turn was the and the river was the . Alvarado was unable to fill up and was sent to the rail in 15th place for $9,998. Laplante continued to add to his mountain of chips and still sits as the chip leader.
Gabriele Digiuseppe went all in for 144,000 under the gun and action was on Mark Radoja in the small blind. After a long pause, Radoja put out a stack of T$25,000 chips to put Connor Drinan to an all-in decision in the big blind. Drinan folded face up and the other two went to showdown.
Digiuseppe:
Radoja:
The board ran out , and Radoja won with the best two pair, queens and nines. Digiuseppe was eliminated in 13th place for a payout of $12,461.
Esther Taylor raised to 35,000 under the gun and Connor Drinan potted it in the small blind for 121,000. Taylor repotted and Drinan called all in for around 320,000.
Taylor:
Drinan:
Both players had aces with one suit. The flop gave Taylor a flush draw, which she hit on the turn. The river couldn't save Drinan and he was eliminated.
Drinan takes home $15,749 for his 12th-place finish.
Shannon Shorr raised to 42,000 on the button and Ryan Laplante three-bet to 122,000 from the small blind. Khorchidian Nichan was in the big blind and four-bet shoved for his last 232,000. Action was back on Shorr, and after about a minute he moved all in for 797,000. Laplante weighed his options and eventually folded.
Nichan was at risk and well behind with , up against Shorr's .
"Oh. I need a six", said Nichan. Sure enough, the flop came and Nichan caught a six to improve. The turn was the but the river was the and Shorr improved to eliminate Nichan in 11th place for $15,749.
Mark Radoja raised to 45,000 on the button and Esther Taylor called in the big blind. On the flop, Taylor checked and Radoja bet 60,000. Taylor check-raised to 220,000 and Radoja counted down his chips. After several seconds, Radoja moved all in for 710,000 and Taylor called.
Radoja:
Taylor:
Radoja's set of fives was in the lead, but Taylor had several outs. She hit one of them on the turn, which gave her the nut flush. Radoja couldn't fill up on the river and he was the 10th-place finisher, taking home $20,181.
After the elimination of Mark Radoja in 10th place, the remaining nine players have come together to form the unofficial final table of nine.
Esther "Etay" Taylor leads the field with 1,800,000 in chips in search of her first WSOP gold bracelet. She's joined by notables Ryan Laplante, hunting for bracelet number two, and Shannon Shorr, who is also looking to earn his first bracelet.
Here is a look at the seating assignments and chip counts of the final players:
Shannon Shorr raised to 60,000 in middle position and Jagdeep Singh potted to 216,000 on the button. The blinds folded and Shorr moved all in. Singh called all in for 445,000 and was at risk.
Shorr:
Singh:
The board ran out , giving Singh top set. The turn changed nothing, but the river gave Shorr Broadway to eliminate Singh.
Singh is the ninth-place finisher, taking home a cash prize of $20,181.
Hand #26: Fernando Brito moved all in for 225,000 from the cutoff, and Sebastian Langrock moved all in over top for 255,000 on the button. Jerry Callahan tanked in the big blind but folded.
Brito was at risk with , flipping with Langrock's .
The flop came , and Langrock took the lead with a pair of kings, prompting Brito to stand up from his seat. The turn was the , and the river was the , sending Brito to the rail in eighth place for a payout worth $26,216.
flop gave Taylor top set and a commanding lead. The 
turn and the 
river couldn't save Dias and he was eliminated. Dias won $9,998 for his 16th-place finish.
and Alvarado counted his remaining stack and moved all in for his last 105,000. Laplante tossed in a single chip to call, basically beating him into the pot.
for top set, and Laplante tabled 
for a flush.
and the river was the 
. Alvarado was unable to fill up and was sent to the rail in 15th place for $9,998. Laplante continued to add to his mountain of chips and still sits as the chip leader.
face up and the other two went to showdown.
flop gave Taylor a flush draw, which she hit on the 
, up against Shorr's 
and Nichan caught a six to improve. The turn was the 
flop, Taylor checked and Radoja bet 60,000. Taylor check-raised to 220,000 and Radoja counted down his chips. After several seconds, Radoja moved all in for 710,000 and Taylor called. 
river and he was the 10th-place finisher, taking home $20,181.
river gave Shorr Broadway to eliminate Singh. 
, and the river was the