There will be no heads-up battle repeat in the $50k HORSE event as Chip Reese left early and Andy Bloch departed shortly before the dinner break. Amnon Filippi (2.34m) and Kenny Tran (1.96m) led the last twenty-one men from the Amazon Room as Day 3 concluded early.
Our prediction of rapid attrition from the HORSE event held true as thirty-one of the fifty-two players left on Day 3. Many of the favorites left quickly, including Phil Ivey, Scotty Nguyen, Annie Duke, and defending champion Chip Reese.
By mid-afternoon as play moved to Razz, there were thirty-three players remaining with a new chip leader in Freddy Deeb. The top ten in chips:
Freddy Deeb (610k)
Toto Leonidas (600k)
Tim Phan (540k)
Robert Mizrachi (510k)
Mike Matuswo (500k)
Daniel Negreanu (495k)
Max Pescatori (440k)
Eli Elezra (435k)
John Juanda (430k)
Barry Greenstein (420k)
With 3k antes, 5k bring-in, and 15k/30k, pots built quickly in the stud events. A monster pot emerged between Robert Mizrachi, Isabelle Mercier, and Freddy Deeb. Mizrachi completed with a 6, and Deeb called with a 9 and Mercier joined in with 8 up. The board of the three read:
Mizrachi 6-2-6-A
Mercier 8-7-3-K
Deeb 9-3-4-2
Mizrachi bet 4th street then checked 5th, with Deeb taking control of the betting from there. He bet on 5th, 6th, and 7th only losing Mercier on 6th street. His 7-5-4-3-2 squeeked past Mizrachi's 7-6-5-2-A for a 330k pot.
Allen Cunningham left during Razz, as did Sam Grizzle. Amnon Filippi moved over 1m and into the chip lead as play moved to Seven Card Stud. Gabe Kaplan joined Filippi over a million after a big hand with Toto Leonidas. Leonidas had just lost a big pot to Max Pescatori when he called with 
as Kaplan completed with 
. Kaplan checked 4th street with 
, and Leonidas bet 
, only to see Kaplan raise. He called then bet 5th and 6th with 
to Kaplan's 
. Leonidas then checked at the end, and Kaplan showed rolled up sevens for trips and the pot.
As play moved to Seven Card Stud Eight or Better, Andy Bloch led a group including Isabelle Mercier, John Juanda, and Steve Sung. The biggest swing occurred to Eli Elezra. He led for most of the event until the middle of Day 3, but his gambling style got the best of him. Blinds were 9k/18k in Hold-Em, and fittingly Elezra flopped a set of tens only to be rivered by Thor Hansen's straight to exit in 28th place. Tuan Le and Huck Seed quickly joined him. Kenny Tran won a big pot from Daniel Negreanu to head to the dinner break as the chip leader.
Top ten in chips with twenty-five players remaining:
Kenny Tran (1.64m)
Amnon Filippi (1.36m)
Tim Phan (1.07m)
Gabe Kaplan (1.06m)
Barry Greenstein (920k)
Max Pescatori (720k)
John Hanson (717k)
Mike Matusow (700k)
Freddy Deeb (690k)
Chris Reslock (659k)
Officials announced play would end when they were down to twenty one. When Mike Wattel busted in 25th, they redrew tables. For Phil Hellmuth, Rob Hollink, and Toto Leonidas, it was their final table as they went out 24th-22nd respectively.
Amnon Filippi, Kenny Tran, Bruno Fitoussi, John Hanson, and David Singer were over a million in chips, and Daniel Negreanu is on the short stack along with Max Pescatori. Chip counts for the final twenty-one men:
Amnon Filippi 2,343,000
Kenny Tran 1,959,000
Bruno Fitoussi 1,248,000
John Hanson 1,215,000
David Singer 1,017,000
Freddy Deeb 963,000
Tim Phan 889,000
Mike Matusow 696,000
Barry Greenstein 650,000
Gabe Kaplan 625,000
Thor Hansen 537,000
Chris Reslock 536,000
Greg Raymer 504,000
Mark Gregorich 386,000
Justin Bonomo 295,000
Steve Wolff 263,000
Dewey Tomko 248,000
Noah Jefferson 167,000
Daniel Negreanu 149,000
Pat Pezzin 102,000
Max Pescatori 81,000
ESPN Table
Bruno Fitoussi 1,248,000 1
Daniel Negreanu 149,000 2
Justin Bonomo 295,000 3
Greg Raymer 504,000 4
Amnon Filippi 2,343,000 5
Mike Matusow 696,000 6
Dewey Tomko 248,000 7
Table 68
Mark Gregorich 386,000 1
Pat Pezzin 102,000 2
Steve Wolff 263,000 3
Kenny Tran 1,959,000 4
Chris Reslock 536,000 5
David Singer 1,017,000 6
Max Pescatori 81,000 7
Table 71
Tim Phan 889,000 1
Noah Jefferson 167,000 2
Gabe Kaplan 625,000 3
Barry Greenstein 650,000 4
Freddy Deeb 963,000 5
Thor Hansen 537,000 6
John Hanson 1,215,000 7