John Racener Poker Tournament Updates

Level 27: Rodawig Leads Hellmuth Heads-up; Racener 3rd

Jun 21, '11

Ante: 20,000
Low Card: 20,000
Completion: 80,000
Limits: 160,000

Players Remaining: 2 out of 168

Average Chip Count: 2,520,000

Chip Counts:

1. Eric Rodawig – 3,700,000
2. Phill Hellmuth – 1,300,000

Eliminations:

3rd. John Racener – $171,122

John Racener Eliminated in 3rd Place ($171,122)

Eric Rodawig had previously scooped a big pot off John Racener with a flush and an 8 – 6 low. This hand left Racner crippled and with less than one big bet left. In his final hand of the night, John Racner was all in on third street and both Phil Hellmuth and Eric Rodawig checked the side pot to the river. Hellmuth bet on seventh street and Rodawig folded.

Hellmuth: A 2 2 8 Q Q 5
Racener: 10 3 2 6 7 7 K

Hellmuth made two pair ( queens and twos) and Racner was unable to catch up. He was eliminated in 3rd place ($171,122).

NOTE: With the elimination of John Racener in 3rd place, Eric Rodawig took the chip lead going into heads-up play with 3,700,000 to Hellmuth’s 1,300,000.

Be sure to check back hourly for level-by-level updates of this final table.

Player Tags: Phil Hellmuth,   John Racener,   Eric Rodawig

Level 23: Lellouche 9th; Final Table Now Underway

Jun 20, '11

NOTE: Play resumed today at 3:00pm with 18 players, and with the elimination of Anthony Lellouche in 9th place ($43,317), the official eight-handed final table is now underway.

Ante: 7,000
Low Card: 10,000
Completion: 30,000
Limits: 30,000-60,000

Players Remaining: 8 out of 168

Average Chip Count: 630,000

Chip Counts:

1. Eric Rodawig – 1,855,000
2. David benyamine – 918,000
3. Ted Forrest – 794,000
4. Phil Hellmuth – 444,000
5. Joe Tehan – 422,0000
6. John Racener – 333,000
7. Mikhail Savinov – 203,000
8. Ali Eslasmi – 63,000

Payouts:

1st. $442,183
2nd. $272,233
3rd. $171,12
4th. $123,904
5th. $96,836
6th. $77,222
7th. $62,710
8th. $51,750

Be sure to check back hourly for level-by-level updates of this final table.

Player Tags: Ted Forrest,   David Benyamine,   Phil Hellmuth,   Ali Eslami,   Joe Tehan,   John Racener,   Eric Rodawig,   Mikhail Savinov

Day 2 Begins at 3 p.m.

Jun 19, '11

Leading the way for today’s 3 p.m. restart is last year’s main event runner-up John Racener. He leads a star-studded field of 127 looking to capture the bracelet and the $442,000 first-place prize.

Here are the unofficial chip counts for day 2:

1. John Racener — 95,200
2. Akio Ishii — 90,400
3. Maxwell Troy — 88,000
4. David Benyamine — 82,200
5. Brandon Cantu — 80,000
6. Felipe Ramos — 80,000
7. Allen Kessler — 79,
8. Justin Smith — 73,400
9. Ted Forrest — 73,000
10. Bernard Lee — 61,000

Stay tuned to Card Player for more updates from the event.

Player Tags: John Racener

Level 27: Rodawig Leads Hellmuth Heads-up; Racener 3rd

Jun 21, '11

Ante: 20,000
Low Card: 20,000
Completion: 80,000
Limits: 160,000

Players Remaining: 2 out of 168

Average Chip Count: 2,520,000

Chip Counts:

1. Eric Rodawig – 3,700,000
2. Phill Hellmuth – 1,300,000

Eliminations:

3rd. John Racener – $171,122

John Racener Eliminated in 3rd Place ($171,122)

Eric Rodawig had previously scooped a big pot off John Racener with a flush and an 8 – 6 low. This hand left Racner crippled and with less than one big bet left. In his final hand of the night, John Racner was all in on third street and both Phil Hellmuth and Eric Rodawig checked the side pot to the river. Hellmuth bet on seventh street and Rodawig folded.

Hellmuth: A 2 2 8 Q Q 5
Racener: 10 3 2 6 7 7 K

Hellmuth made two pair ( queens and twos) and Racner was unable to catch up. He was eliminated in 3rd place ($171,122).

NOTE: With the elimination of John Racener in 3rd place, Eric Rodawig took the chip lead going into heads-up play with 3,700,000 to Hellmuth’s 1,300,000.

Be sure to check back hourly for level-by-level updates of this final table.

Player Tags: Phil Hellmuth,   John Racener,   Eric Rodawig

Level 23: Lellouche 9th; Final Table Now Underway

Jun 20, '11

NOTE: Play resumed today at 3:00pm with 18 players, and with the elimination of Anthony Lellouche in 9th place ($43,317), the official eight-handed final table is now underway.

Ante: 7,000
Low Card: 10,000
Completion: 30,000
Limits: 30,000-60,000

Players Remaining: 8 out of 168

Average Chip Count: 630,000

Chip Counts:

1. Eric Rodawig – 1,855,000
2. David benyamine – 918,000
3. Ted Forrest – 794,000
4. Phil Hellmuth – 444,000
5. Joe Tehan – 422,0000
6. John Racener – 333,000
7. Mikhail Savinov – 203,000
8. Ali Eslasmi – 63,000

Payouts:

1st. $442,183
2nd. $272,233
3rd. $171,12
4th. $123,904
5th. $96,836
6th. $77,222
7th. $62,710
8th. $51,750

Be sure to check back hourly for level-by-level updates of this final table.

Player Tags: Ted Forrest,   David Benyamine,   Phil Hellmuth,   Ali Eslami,   Joe Tehan,   John Racener,   Eric Rodawig,   Mikhail Savinov

Day 2 Begins at 3 p.m.

Jun 19, '11

Leading the way for today’s 3 p.m. restart is last year’s main event runner-up John Racener. He leads a star-studded field of 127 looking to capture the bracelet and the $442,000 first-place prize.

Here are the unofficial chip counts for day 2:

1. John Racener — 95,200
2. Akio Ishii — 90,400
3. Maxwell Troy — 88,000
4. David Benyamine — 82,200
5. Brandon Cantu — 80,000
6. Felipe Ramos — 80,000
7. Allen Kessler — 79,
8. Justin Smith — 73,400
9. Ted Forrest — 73,000
10. Bernard Lee — 61,000

Stay tuned to Card Player for more updates from the event.

Player Tags: John Racener

Level 24: Buchman Leads Final Six; Kornuth 7th, Racener 8th

Jun 15, '11

NOTE: Sixty minute levels with games changing every eight hands.

Limits: 20,000-40,000

Triple Draw 2-7 – Hold’em – Omaha 8:
Blinds: 10,000-20,000

Razz – Stud – Stud 8:
Ante: 5,000
Bring In: 5,000
Completion: 20,000

Players Remaining: 6 out of 489

Average Chip Count: 611,250

Chip Counts:

1. Eric Buchman – 1,015,000
2. Michele Limongi – 935,000
3. John Monnette – 825,000
4. John Juanda – 545,000
5. Desmond Portano – 155,000
6. Brent Hanks – 155,000

Eliminations:

7th. Adam Kornuth – $32,373
8th. John Racener – $24,797

Brent Hanks Doubles Through Eric Buchman

Brent Hanks completed with A, Eric Buchman raised with J, Hanks reraised and Buchman called.

Hanks: A 3 A 4 Q 4
Buchman: J 6 J 4 Q 10

Hanks got the rest of his chips in on fourth street with split aces against Buchman’s split jacks. Hanks double-paired on sixth street while Buchman failed to improve. Brent Hanks doubled up to over 200,000 to stay alive.

John Racener Eliminated in 8th Place ($24,797)
Stud 8

Racener: A 3 6 K K
Buchman: J 7 A 8 2

John Racener was all in on fifth street with a pair of kings against Erich Buchman’s flush draw. Buchman hit the flush on sixth street with the 5, and although Racener double-paired the 3 on sixth, he bricked the river and was the first to go, eliminated in 8th place ($24,797).

Adam Kornuth Eliminated in 7th Place ($32,373)

No-Limit Hold’em

Michele Limongi limped in before the flop, Adam Kornuth shoved for 265,000 from the small blind and Limongi called.

Kornuth turned over 8 8 but was behind Limongi’s 1010.

The board came 7 4 2 7 J, no help for Adam Kornuth wo was eliminated in 7th place ($32,373).

Be sure to check back hourly for level-by-level updates of this final table.

Player Tags: Eric Buchman,   Brent Hanks,   John Racener,   Michele Limongi,   Adam Kornuth

Level 23: Geyer Eliminated 9th, Final Table Now Underway

Jun 15, '11

NOTE: Play ended last night with 25 players in accordance with the ten-level rule and resumed at 3:00pm. With the elimination of Adam Geyer in 9th place ($19,268), the official eight-handed final table is now underway.

NOTE: Sixty minute levels with games changing every eight hands.

Limits: 15,000-30,000

Triple Draw 2-7 – Hold’em – Omaha 8:
Blinds: 8,000-15,000

Razz – Stud – Stud 8:
Ante: 3,000
Bring In: 5,000
Completion: 15,000

Players Remaining: 8 out of 489

Average Chip Count: 458,437

Chip Counts:

1. Eric Buchman – 1,045,000
2. John Monnette – 990,000
3. John Racener – 380,000
4. Michele Limongi – 315,000
5. Desmond Portano – 310,000
6. Adam Kornuth – 245,000
7. John Juanda – 280,000
8. Brent Hanks – 190,000

Payouts:

1st. $278,144
2nd. $171,855
3rd. $109,245
4th. $78,774
5th. $57,692
6th. $42,897
7th. $32,373
8th. $24,797

Be sure to check back hourly for level-by-level updates of this final table.

Player Tags: John Juanda,   Desmond Portano,   Eric Buchman,   John Monnette,   Brent Hanks,   John Racener,   Michele Limongi,   Adam Kornuth

Chris Moneymaker Defeats John Racener

Mar 04, '11

John Racener moved in with top pair, only to run into the flopped straight of Chris Moneymaker.

The turn was a blank and Racener was officially drawing dead. Moneymaker will face Dan Cates in the next round.

Player Tags: Chris Moneymaker,   John Racener

John Racener Gets Some Back

Dec 19, '10

Ravi Raghaven raised to 400 and John Racener called from the small blind. The flop fell 763 and Raghaven continued with a bet of 600.

Racener called and both players checked the 6 on the turn. The river was the 9 and Racener bet 500. Raghaven frustratedly mucked, but still has a stack of 33,000. Racener is moving back towards even with 21,000.

Player Tags: John Racener,   Ravi Raghaven

John Racener Eliminated in Fourth Place ($232,271)

Dec 08, '10

John Racener moved all in from under the gun for his last 1,005,000 and Antonio Esfandiari made the call from the small blind.

Racener showed Q8, but was dominated by Esfandiari’s KQ. The board fell K6378 and Racener was eliminated, banking $232,271.

Check out the updated chip counts below.

Seat 1 — Antonio Esfandiari — 5,660,000
Seat 2 — Vanessa Rousso — 2,790,000
Seat 4 — John Racener — 4th Place ($232,271)
Seat 6 — Andrew Robl — 9,205,000

Player Tags: Antonio Esfandiari,   John Racener

Kia Mohajeri Eliminated in 7th Place ($97,131)

Dec 07, '10

Ted Lawson raised to 225,000 from the cutoff and Kia Mohajeri moved all in from the button. John Racener then moved all in to isolate from the small blind and Lawson folded.

Racener showed AK and was a dominant favorite over Mohajeri’s AQ. The board ran out 662910 and Mohajeri was eliminated.

Player Tags: Kianoosh Mohajeri,   John Racener

Ted Lawson Doubles Through John Racener

Dec 07, '10

Ted Lawson moved all in for his last 425,000 and John Racener made the call from the cutoff. Lawson showed pocket threes and was racing against Racener’s KQ.

The board ran out A921010 and Lawson doubled up to 950,000 in chips. Racener took a hit down to 1.2 million.

Player Tags: Ted Lawson,   John Racener

Vanessa Rousso Pads her Lead

Dec 07, '10

Andrew Lichtenberger raised to 100,000 from early position and John Racener made the call from middle position. Vanessa Rousso reraised to 420,000 from the small blind, which induced Lichtenberger to fold.

Racener made the call and the two saw a K 7 2 flop. Both players checked the flop and the K followed on the turn. Rousso checked and Racener bet 595,000. Rousso made the call and the river fell J.

Rousso bet 1 million and Racener went into the tank for quite some time. He eventually mucked his hand and conceded the pot. Rousso grew her chip lead to 5.24 million and Racner fell to 2 million.

Player Tags: Vanessa Rousso,   John Racener,   Andrew Lichtenberger

John Racener Eliminated in Fourth Place ($232,271)

Dec 08, '10

John Racener moved all in from under the gun for his last 1,005,000 and Antonio Esfandiari made the call from the small blind.

Racener showed Q8, but was dominated by Esfandiari’s KQ. The board fell K6378 and Racener was eliminated, banking $232,271.

Check out the updated chip counts below.

Seat 1 — Antonio Esfandiari — 5,660,000
Seat 2 — Vanessa Rousso — 2,790,000
Seat 4 — John Racener — 4th Place ($232,271)
Seat 6 — Andrew Robl — 9,205,000

Player Tags: Antonio Esfandiari,   John Racener

Kia Mohajeri Eliminated in 7th Place ($97,131)

Dec 07, '10

Ted Lawson raised to 225,000 from the cutoff and Kia Mohajeri moved all in from the button. John Racener then moved all in to isolate from the small blind and Lawson folded.

Racener showed AK and was a dominant favorite over Mohajeri’s AQ. The board ran out 662910 and Mohajeri was eliminated.

Player Tags: Kianoosh Mohajeri,   John Racener

Ted Lawson Doubles Through John Racener

Dec 07, '10

Ted Lawson moved all in for his last 425,000 and John Racener made the call from the cutoff. Lawson showed pocket threes and was racing against Racener’s KQ.

The board ran out A921010 and Lawson doubled up to 950,000 in chips. Racener took a hit down to 1.2 million.

Player Tags: Ted Lawson,   John Racener

Vanessa Rousso Pads her Lead

Dec 07, '10

Andrew Lichtenberger raised to 100,000 from early position and John Racener made the call from middle position. Vanessa Rousso reraised to 420,000 from the small blind, which induced Lichtenberger to fold.

Racener made the call and the two saw a K 7 2 flop. Both players checked the flop and the K followed on the turn. Rousso checked and Racener bet 595,000. Rousso made the call and the river fell J.

Rousso bet 1 million and Racener went into the tank for quite some time. He eventually mucked his hand and conceded the pot. Rousso grew her chip lead to 5.24 million and Racner fell to 2 million.

Player Tags: Vanessa Rousso,   John Racener,   Andrew Lichtenberger

Level 41: John Racener Eliminated, Jonathan Duhamel Wins!

Nov 08, '10

Blinds: 800,000-1,600,000 with a 200,000 ante

Players Remaining: 1 out of 7,319

Big Hands:

John Racener Doubles Up (8:58 p.m.)

Jonathan Duhamel shoved from the small blind and John Racener snap called for his last 18,250,000.

Racener showed QQ and Duhamel disgustedly tossed his K4 across the felt. The board ran out J8627 and Racener doubled up to nearly 37,000,000.

Racener Picks Up Decent Pot (9:05 p.m.)

Jonathan Duhamel limped in and John Racener checked his option. The flop fell K53 and Duhamel bet 1,700,000.

Racener called and the turn was the 10. Both players checked and the river was the 3. Racener bet 3,000,000 and Duhamel called, mucking when he saw Racener’s K4.

Jonathan Duhamel Gets Some Back (9:37 p.m.)

Racener limped and Duhamel checked his option. The flop came down J83 and Duhamel checked to Racener, who bet 2,000,000.

Duhamel called and the turn was the J. Both players checked to the river, which was the 4. Both players checked once again and Duhamel showed A3 to take the pot.

After the hand, Racener was back down too 31,100,000, which was pretty much were we started the night.

Time For A Break

Both players expressed interest in using the restroom, so tournament director Jack Effel announced a quick break.

Despite doubling up, Racener hasn’t gained any ground tonight and is still short with under 23,000,000 in chips.

John Racener Eliminated in Second Place — $5,545,855 (10:03 p.m.)

Duhamel open shoved from the button and after some thought, Racener called off his last 14,000,000.

Duhamel showed AJ and Racener was fortunate to have live cards with K8. The flop came out 944 and Duhamel remained in the lead.

The turn was the 6 and Racener was down to his final six outs. The dealer pushed out the 5 on the river and Racener was eliminated, earning $5,545,855.

Player Tags: Jonathan Duhamel,   John Racener

Level 40: Jonathan Duhamel Chips Away

Nov 08, '10

Blinds: 600,000-1,200,000 with a 200,000 ante

Players Remaining: 2 out of 7,319

Average Chip Count: 109,785,000

Chip Counts:

Jonathan Duhamel — 201,150,000
John Racener — 18,450,000

Big Hands:

John Racener Makes His First Push (8:39 p.m.)

It took three hands, but John Racener took his first stand, shoving over a button raise from Jonathan Duhamel to get back to where the players started tonight.

The First River Card, Pot Goes To Duhamel (8:45 p.m.)

John Racener completed and Jonathan Duhamel checked his option. The flop came AJJ and Racener bet 1,500,000.

Duhamel called and both players checked the 9 on the turn. The river was the 10 and Duhamel bet 2,200,000, getting a muck from Racener.

Duhamel Wins With Two Pair (8:52 p.m.)

John Racener limped and Jonathan Duhamel checked his option. The flop came down J93 and Duhamel checked.

Racener bet 1,400,000 and Duhamel called. The turn was the 4 and both players checked.

The river was thee 10 and Duhamel bet 2,800,000. Racener raised to 6,900,000 and Duhamel took his time before making the call.

Duhamel showed J4, for two pair and took in the pot.

Player Tags: Jonathan Duhamel,   John Racener

Heads Up Play Begins Monday at 8:00 PST

Nov 08, '10

We’re down to our final two competitors. Who will take it down? Will it be Jonathan Duhamel, the massive chip leader who is looking to become the first Canadian to win the main event? Or will it be John Racener, who must now overcome a huge chip differential to pick up the title?

Be sure to check back on Monday at 8:00 PST to see who will leave the Rio $8,944,138 richer. Take a look at the heads up chip counts below.

Seat 4: Jonathan Duhamel — 188,450,000
Seat 7: John Racener — 30,750,000

Player Tags: Jonathan Duhamel,   John Racener

Heads Up Play Begins Monday at 8:00 PST

Nov 07, '10

We’re now down to our final two competitors. Who will take it down? Will it be Jonathan Duhamel, the massive chip leader who is looking to become the first Canadian to win the main event? Or will it be John Racener, who must now overcome a huge chip differential to pick up the title?

Be sure to check back on Monday at 8:00 PST to see who will leave the Rio $8,944,138 richer. Take a look at the heads up chip counts below.

Seat 4: Jonathan Duhamel — 188,450,000
Seat 7: John Racener — 30,750,000

Stay tuned for a complete recap of the day’s events.

Player Tags: Jonathan Duhamel,   John Racener

Level 40: The Grind Comes To An End, Candio Buried, Duhamel Surges, Cheong Blows Up

Nov 07, '10

Blinds: 600,000-1,200,000 with a 200,000 ante

Players Remaining: 2 out of 7,319

Average Chip Count: 109,785,000

Tournament Leaderboard:

Seat 2: Joseph Cheong — 3rd Place ($4,129,979)
Seat 4: Jonathan Duhamel — 200,100,000
Seat 5: Michael Mizrachi — 5th Place ($2,332,960)
Seat 7: John Racener — 29,200,000
Seat 8: Filippo Candio — 4th Place ($3,092,497)

Big Hands:

Jonathan Duhamel Wins Nice Pot (12:35 a.m.)

Michael Mizrachi raised to 3,100,000 from under the gun and was called by Jonathan Duhamel in the big blind.

The flop fell A52 and both players checked. The turn was the 7 and Duhamel bet 3,400,000. Mizrachi called and the river was the Q.

Duhamel then bet 5,750,000 and Mizrachi called, showing A8. Duhamel turned over AJ, however, and had him outkicked. Mizrachi absorbed the big hit, losing over 1/4 of his total stack.

Michael Mizrachi Eliminated in Fifth Place — $2,332,960 (1:00 a.m.)

Jonathan Duhamel completed from the small blind and Michael Mizrachi checked his option. The flop fell Q54 and Duhamel checked.

Mizrachi bet 2,000,000 and Duhamel raised. Mizrachi then moved all in and Duhamel instantly called with a slow played AA. Mizrachi showed Q8 for top pair and needed help to stay alive.

The turn was the J and the river was the K, offering no help to the Grinder who hit the rail. Duhamel is now riding high with over 91,000,000.

Filippo Candio Eliminated in Fourth Place — $3,092,497 (1:33 a.m.)

Filippo Candio moved all in from the small blind and Joseph Cheong made the call from the big blind.

Candio showed KQ, but was behind to Cheong’s A3. The board ran out A7254 and Cheong’s straight knocked Candio from the tournament. After the hand, Cheong took a slight chip lead over Duhamel, with Racener rounding out the bottom of the leader board.

Jonathan Duhamel Wins Huge Pot From Joseph Cheong (1:56 a.m.)

Jonathan Duhamel raised to 2,800,000 and Joseph Cheong called from the big blind. The flop fell 1066 and Duhamel continued with a bet of 2,750,000.

Cheong check-raised to 6,750,000 and Duhamel called. The turn was the 9 and Cheong bet 5,500,000. Duhamel called and the river was the K.

Cheong bet 13,500,000 and Duhamel called with AK. After seeing his hand, Cheong mucked and took a hit to under 80,000,000. Duhamel is now up to 110,000,000.

Joseph Cheong Gets Some Back (1:02 a.m.)

Keep in mind the time stamps have now gone back one hour due to daylight savings.

Joseph Cheong raised to 2,500,000 and Jonathan Duhamel reraised to 6,850,000. Cheong then reraised to 16,250,000 and Duhamel folded.

A Shy Set For Racener (1:20 a.m.)

Jonathan Duhamel raised too 2,500,000 and John Racener called from the small blind. Joseph Cheong called from the big blind and the flop came A43.

Everyone checked and the turn was the 2. Cheong bet 3,500,000 and Duhamel folded. Racener called and the river was the 9.

Cheong checked and Racener checked behind, showing 33 for a set. Cheong mucked and Racener chipped up to nearly 35,000,000.

Jonathan Duhamel Doubles Up Through Joseph Cheong (1:31 a.m.)

Joseph Cheong raised too 2,900,000 from the small blind and Jonathan Duhamel reraised to 6,750,000. Cheong four bet to 14,250,000 and Duhamel reraised once again to 22,750,000. Cheong thought it over for a bit before announcing all in and Duhamel snap called.

Cheong let out a moan and turned over A7, while Duhamel excitedly showed QQ.

The flop came down 932 and Duhamel remained in the lead. The turn was the 6s and Cheong was left looking for one of the last three aces.

The river was the 8 and Duhamel doubled up to take a monster chip lead. Cheong was left with about 8,000,000 in chips and crippled. According to tournament director Jack Effel, the pot was the largest ever in WSOP history.

Joseph Cheong Doubles Through Jonathan Duhamel (1:40 a.m.)

Jonathan Duhamel raised to 3,000,000 on the button and Joseph Cheong moved all in for 6,750,000 from the big blind.

Duhamel called with K9 and he was ahead of Cheong’s 73.

The board fell KJ33A, however, and Cheong doubled up to about 14,000,000.

Joseph Cheong Eliminated in Third Place — $4,129,979 (1:48 a.m.)

Joseph Cheong moved all in from the small blind holding Q10 and Jonathan Duhamel called from the big blind holding A2.

The board fell K9667 and Cheong was eliminated.

Player Tags: Michael Mizrachi,   Jonathan Duhamel,   John Racener,   Filippo Candio,   Joseph Cheong

Level 39: John Dolan Eliminated by Jonathan Duhamel

Nov 06, '10

Blinds: 500,000-1,000,000 with a 150,000 ante

Players Remaining: 5 out of 7,319

Average Chip Count: 43,914,000

Tournament Leaderboard:

Seat 2: Joseph Cheong — 67,750,000
Seat 3: John Dolan — 6th Place ($1,772,939)
Seat 4: Jonathan Duhamel — 56,550,000
Seat 5: Michael Mizrachi — 39,500,000
Seat 7: John Racener — 26,550,000
Seat 8: Filippo Candio — 29,950,000

Big Hands:

John Dolan Eliminated in Sixth Place — $1,772,939 (10:25 p.m.)

John Dolan moved all in from the small blind for his last 13,500,000 and Jonathan Duhamel called from the big blind.

Dolan showed Q5 and was happy to see Duhamel turn over 44 for a race situation.

The board rolled out J7693, giving Dolan some sweat but no help to send him to the rail.

John Racener Doubles Through Michael Mizrachi (10:47 p.m.)

Michael Mizrachi raised to 2,500,000 and John Racener moved all in behind him for 9,825,000.

Mizrachi didn’t like it, but he made the call, showing A8. Racener showed AK and had the Grinder dominated.

The board rolled out 1022KJ and Racener doubled up to over 21,000,000. Mizrachi is still strong with just under 60,000,000.

Joseph Cheong Pushes John Racener Around (11:05 p.m.)

Jonathan Duhamel raised to 2,300,000 from under the gun and John Racener raised too 6,200,000. Joseph Cheong then four-bet to 12,500,000 an Duhamel folded.

Racener thought it over for a bit, but ultimately decided on a fold.

John Racener Gets Lucky To Double Up (11:10 p.m.)

John Racener raised to 2,200,000 and Jonathan Duhamel moved all in from the big blind.

Racener took a few moments before calling all in, but he was in terrible shape holding AQ against Duhamel’s AK.

The board fell Q84J3, however, and Racener doubled up to nearly 40,000,000 in chips.

Jonathan Duhamel Doubles Through Michael Mizrachi (11:18 p.m.)

Jonathan Duhamel raised to 2,500,000 from the small blind and Michael Mizrachi moved all in from the big blind. Duhamel called and revealed A9, which were racing against Mizrachi’s 33.

The board came out K959J and all of a sudden Duhamel was back in second place. The Grinder meanwhile took a major hit to fall into last place.

Mizrachi Grinds Some Back From Racener (11:34 p.m.)

John Racener raised to 2,300,000 from under the gun and Michael Mizrachi called in the big blind. The flop came down K94 and Mizrachi checked.

Racener bet 2,800,000 and Mizrachi called. The turn was the 6 and both players checked. The river was the 9 and Mizrachi bet 5,000,000.

Racener stared Mizrachi down for two minutes before finally mucking his hand. Mizrachi is over the 35,000,000 mark and is slowly creeping back into contention.

Grinder Fights Back (12:03 a.m.)

Michael Mizrachi raised to 2,500,000 and Joseph Cheong called from the big blind. The flop hit 1092 and both players checked.

The turn was the Q and Cheong bet 2,525,000. Mizrachi called and the river was the 3. Both players checked and Mizrachi showed K10 for second pair to take the pot.

Player Tags: Michael Mizrachi,   Jonathan Duhamel,   John Racener,   John Dolan,   Filippo Candio,   Joseph Cheong

Level 38: Jason Senti Ousted By Joseph Cheong

Nov 06, '10

Blinds: 400,000-800,000 with a 100,000 ante

Players Remaining: 6 out of 7,319

Average Chip Count: 36,595,000

Tournament Leaderboard:

Seat 1: Jason Senti — 7th Place ($1,356,708)
Seat 2: Joseph Cheong — 46,325,000
Seat 3: John Dolan — 15,700,000
Seat 4: Jonathan Duhamel — 41,425,000
Seat 5: Michael Mizrachi — 65,375,000
Seat 7: John Racener — 21,175,000
Seat 8: Filippo Candio — 29,575,000

Big Hands:

Big Preflop Pot For The Grinder (5:57 p.m.)

John Dolan raised to 1,850,000 and Jonathan Duhamel reraised to 4,275,000.

Michael Mizrachi then reraised to over 10,000,000 and got both players to fold, boosting his stack to over 42 million.

John Racener Wins Big Pot (6:15 p.m.)

John Racener completed from the small blind and Filippo Candio checked his option from the big blind. The flop came down Q74 and both players checked.

The turn was the A and Racener bet 950,000. Candio called and the river was the 2. Racener bet 2,500,000 and Candio raised to 9,000,000.

Racener called and took the pot after showing QQ for a set of queens. For some reason, the dealer mucked both the cards and the board, but quickly corrected her mistake. It took awhile before Racener’s rail realized he had won the pot, but when they figured it out, they were nonetheless pleased.

Filippo Candio Makes Big All In Push (6:30 p.m.)

Jonathan Duhamel raised to 1,750,000 and Michael Mizrachi called on the button. Filippo Candio then moved all in for 21,675,000 and Duhamel folded.

Mizrachi went into the tank for a few minutes before folding and Candio flashed the 7.

John Racener Wins Nice Pot Before Dinner (6:44 p.m.)

John Racener raised to 1,950,000 and was called by both Joseph Cheong and Michael Mizrachi. The flop hit A107 and Racener continued with a bet of 2,400,000.

Cheong called and Mizrachi folded. The turn was the 3 and Racener moved all in. Cheong folded and Racener took the pot.

Dinner Break (6:45 p.m.)

Tournament officials have paused the level and the players will now be on a 90-minute dinner break.

Play Resumes (8:35 p.m.)

Just like every break we’ve encountered, the dinner break ran a little long. Jack Effel has finished pumping up the crowd and we are ready to start once again. Shuffle up and deal!

Candio Puts It In Again (8:37 p.m.)

Jonathan Duhamel raised to 1,750,000 from under the gun and Filippo Candio called. Joseph Cheong then reraised to 5,400,000 from the small blind and Duhamel folded.

Candio then moved all in for 22,015,000 and Cheong mucked rather quickly.

Mizrachi Continues To Chip Up (8:50 p.m.)

Michael Mizrachi raised to 2,125,000 and Joseph Cheong called from the big blind. The flop came down A54 and both players checked.

The turn was the K and both players checked once again. The river was the 10 and Mizrachi bet 2,000,000. Cheong called, but mucked his hand when Mizrachi showed A7.

Mizrachi Pushes Back Against Candio (9:03 p.m.)

Michael Mizrachi raised too 2,125,000 on the buttoon and Filippo Candio reraised too 5,300,000 from the big blind.

Mizrachi then four bet to 16,550,000 and Candio mucked. With that pot, Mizrachi has now retaken the lead from Jonathan Duhamel with about 56,000,000.

Filippo Candio Moves In Again (9:23 p.m.)

Jonathan Duhamel raised to 1,750,000 and John Racener made the call from the small blind. Filippo Candio also came along in the big blind and the flop fell QQ5.

Duhamel continued with a bet of 2,150,000 and Racener called. Candio then moved all in for 20,125,000 and Duhamel folded.

Racener tanked for several minutes before finally mucking his hand and Candio took the pot.

Jason Senti Eliminated in Seventh Place — $1,356,708 (9:35 p.m.)

This is gearing up to be one of the most exciting final tables ever televised.

Jason Senti raised on the button to 1,800,000 and Joseph Cheong reraised to 4,950,000 from the small blind. Senti then moved all in and Cheong snap called.

Cheong showed 1010 and was racing against Senti’s AK. Senti need to hit and he did so in a big way when the flop fell KKQ.

The turn, however, was the J, giving Cheong outs to the straight. The river was the 9 and the room erupted. Senti was eliminated and Cheong took a big pot to boost his stack to over 46,000,000.

After the hand, the players went on a short break.

Player Tags: Michael Mizrachi,   Jonathan Duhamel,   John Racener,   John Dolan,   Jason Senti,   Filippo Candio,   Joseph Cheong

Level 37: Matt Jarvis Eliminated By The Grinder

Nov 06, '10

Blinds: 300,000-600,000 with a 75,000 ante

Players Remaining: 7 out of 7,319

Average Chip Count: 31,367,142

Tournament Leaderboard:

Seat 1: Jason Senti — 20,575,000
Seat 2: Joseph Cheong — 39,350,000
Seat 3: John Dolan — 29,750,000
Seat 4: Jonathan Duhamel — 42,800,000
Seat 5: Michael Mizrachi — 38,575,000
Seat 6: Matt Jarvis — 8th Place ($1,045,738)
Seat 7: John Racener — 13,725,000
Seat 8: Filippo Candio — 35,325,000

Big Hands:

Filippo Candio Doubles Through Jonathan Duhamel (2:48 p.m.)

Filippo Candio raised too 1,325,000 from the hijack and Joseph Cheong called from the button. Jonathan Duhamel then reraised to 3,950,000 from the big blind.

Candio moved all in for 14,950,000 and Cheong mucked. Duhamel called and showed AK, but he was in terrible shape against Candio’s AA.

The board ran out 106394 and Candio doubled up to nearly 32,000,000. Duhamel drops closer to the pack with 50,475,000.

Joseph Cheong Bets The Nuts Against John Dolan (3:15 p.m.)

Matt Jarvis raised to 1,425,000 and Joseph Cheong reraised to 3,525,000. John Dolan then made the call and Jarvis folded.

The flop came 1093 and Dolan checked. Cheong checked and the turn was the Q.

Both players checked again and the river was the J. Dolan checked and Cheong bet 8,500,000. Dolan thought it over for about three minutes before finally calling with pocket jacks for a rivered set. Cheong showed A10 for the nut flush, however, and moved up to nearly 46,000,000. Dolan took a big hit down to under 25,000,000.

Matt Jarvis Eliminated in Eighth Place — $1,045,738 (3:35 p.m.)

In perhaps the most exciting hand of the tournament, Matt Jarvis has been eliminated.

Jonathan Duhamel raised to 1,400,000 and Michael Mizrachi made the call. Matt Jarvis then moved all in for his 14,300,000 stack.

Duhamel folded and Mizrachi took a few moments before making the call, showing AQ.

Jarvis showed 99 and the two were off to the races. The flop came out QQ8 and the Mizrachi contingent exploded into celebration.

The turn, however, was the 9, giving Jarvis a full house. All he needed to do was dodge seven cards and he’d double up, but the river was the A, giving Mizrachi a better full house. Mizrachi is now up to over 42 million in chips.

Joseph Cheong Takes The Chip Lead (4:08 p.m.)

Joseph Cheong raised to 1,325,000 and Jonathan Duhamel reraised to 3,100,000. Cheong called and the flop fell A104.

Duhamel continued with a bet of 3,250,000 and Cheong called. The turn was the 6 and both players checked.

The river was the J and Cheong bet 8,250,000. Duhamel tanked for about a minute before calling, but mucked his hand as soon as he saw Cheong show 64 for two pair.

With that pot, Cheong is now the chip leader with over 60,000,000. Duhamel falls back into third place with nearly 36,000,000.

Jonathan Duhamel Gets Some Back From Joseph Cheong (4:22 p.m.)

Joseph Cheong raised to 1,325,000 and Jonathan Duhamel reraised to 4,150,000 from the big blind. Cheong called and the flop came down AJJ.

Both players checked and the K hit the turn. Duhamel then bet 7,200,000 and Cheong folded.

Filippo Candio Bluffs Michael Mizrachi (4:34 p.m.)

Jason Senti raised to 1,350,000 and Michael Mizrachi called behind him. Filippo Candio then made the call from the big blind.

The flop came down 542 and Candio checked. Senti checked and Mizrachi checked behind. The turn was the K and Candio bet 2,900,000.

Senti folded quickly and Mizrachi called. The river was the 3 and Candio bet 4,450,000. Mizrachi reluctantly folded and Candio excitedly slaws Q10 down on the table for a busted flush draw.

Jason Senti Doubles Through Joseph Cheong (5:05 p.m.)

Jason Senti moved all in for his last 10,500,000 and Joseph Cheong immediately made the call with A9.

Senti was behind with K7 and needed some help. The flop came down J63 and Cheong remained in the lead.

The turn was the A and the room exploded with excitement. Cheong had paired his ace, but Senti picked up the nut flush draw.

The river was the 10 and Senti hit his flush to double up to over 20,000,000. After the hand, the players were sent on a 20-minute break.

Player Tags: Michael Mizrachi,   Jonathan Duhamel,   John Racener,   John Dolan,   Matt Jarvis,   Jason Senti,   Filippo Candio,   Joseph Cheong

Level 36: Soi Nguyen Hits The Rail

Nov 06, '10

Blinds: 250,000-500,000 with a 50,000 ante

Players Remaining: 8 out of 7,319

Average Chip Count: 27,446,250

Tournament Leaderboard:

Seat 1: Jason Senti — 17,500,000
Seat 2: Joseph Cheong — 20,225,000
Seat 3: John Dolan — 39,575,000
Seat 4: Jonathan Duhamel — 65,525,000
Seat 5: Michael Mizrachi — 18,100,000
Seat 6: Matt Jarvis — 10,225,000
Seat 7: John Racener — 24,225,000
Seat 8: Filippo Candio — 15,100,000
Seat 9: Soi Nguyen — 9th Place ($811,823)

Big Hands:

Jason Senti Moves All In (12:40 p.m.)

Jason Senti moved all in from the button and both Joseph Cheong and John Dolan folded their blinds.

Joseph Cheong Applies All In Pressure (12:47 p.m.)

Matt Jarvis raised to 1,175,000 in early position and Joseph Cheong reraised to 2,675,000 behind him. Jarvis called and the flop came down 1052.

Jarvis checked and Cheong checked behind. The turn was the 7 and Jarvis bet 3,000,000. Cheong called and the river was the 8. Jarvis bet 4,275,000 and Cheong took a few second before moving all in.

Jarvis winced and then let out a small smile before folding his hand, leaving himself with just under 8 million. Cheong is now up to nearly 34 million.

Jason Senti Moves All In Again (12:49 p.m.)

Jason Senti moved all in for his last 8,350,000 and John Dolan thought about it for a bit before folding.

Jason Senti All In For The Third Time (12:55 p.m.)

Jason Senti moved all in from the cutoff and everyone folded.

Jason Senti All In For The Fourth Time (1:05 p.m.)

John Racener raised to 1,300,000 from under the gun and Jason Senti moved all in for his last 9,525,000. Racener thought it over for a few minutes before eventually folding. Senti has now been all in four times in the first 14 hands and has yet to be called.

Matt Jarvis Moves All In (1:20 p.m.)

After losing much of his stack to Joseph Cheong, Matt Jarvis got a little back with an all in move.

Cheong raised to 1,025,000 from under the gun and Jarvis moved in from the hijack for 6,750,000. Cheong folded and Jarvis got a little breathing room.

John Racener Makes A Good Call (1:30 p.m.)

John Racener raised to 1,300,000 from middle position and John Dolan made the call from the small blind. The flop came out Q107 and Dolan checked.

Racener checked behind and the turn was the 9. Dolan bet 1,775,000 and Racener called. The river was the 2 and Dolan bet 3,550,000.

Racener called and Dolan showed K-Q for top pair. Racener showed pocket kings and they were good enough to take the pot.

Michael Mizrachi Shows Some Strength (1:35 p.m.)

Jason Senti raised to 1,125,000 and John Dolan reraised to 2,525,000. Michael Mizrachi then four-bet from the big blind to 8,525,000.

Senti immediately folded, but Dolan took his time. Eventually, he slid his cards into the muck and Mizrachi took a nice preflop pot.

Matt Jarvis Makes Another All In Move (1:40 p.m.)

Jonathan Duhamel raised to 1,250,000 and Matt Jarvis moved all in from the big blind for another 7,525,000. Duhamel quickly mucked and Jarvis picked up another pot.

Soi Nguyen Eliminated in Ninth Place — $811,823 (1:56 p.m.)

Soi Nguyen moved all in from the button for his last 7,600,000. Jason Senti then reraised from the small blind to isolate and Cheong folded in the big blind.

Nguyen showed AK, but he was racing against the QQ of Senti. The board rolled out Q1039K and Nguyen was eliminated. After the hand, the players took their 20-minute break.

Player Tags: Michael Mizrachi,   Jonathan Duhamel,   John Racener,   John Dolan,   Matt Jarvis,   Jason Senti,   Filippo Candio,   Joseph Cheong,   Soi Nguyen

Final-Table Seating Chart with Chip Counts

Jul 18, '10

The November Nine is set for 2010! Jonathan Duhamel ended the night with the chip lead after eliminating the November Nine bubble boy Brandon Steven in 10th place. Duhamel holds 65,975,000.

Michael Mizrachi has provided drama at both ends of the 41st WSOP. He won the $50,000 Players Championship during the first week and now he has finished the summer by making the November Nine in seventh chip-position with 14,450,000. Joining Mizrachi as a headliner at the final table in November will be John Racener, who holds 19,050,000.

The inclusion of the Grinder at the final table leaves the winner of the WSOP Player of the Year award in question for a few months. Mizrachi can steal the title from 2010 double-bracelet winner Frank Kassela, but only if he becomes the first professional in the post-poker boom era to claim the title of world champion.

In addition to the title of world champion there is also the $8,944,138 top prize to chase after, and that will be the ultimate goal for every man listed below. We will learn the stories for each of these contenders that have stormed into the poker spotlight in the months ahead.

The wait now begins for November, until then, here is the seating chart and chip counts for the final table:

Seat 1: Jason Senti — 7,625,000
Seat 2: Joseph Cheong — 23,525,000
Seat 3: John Dolan — 46,250,000
Seat 4: Jonathan Duhamel — 65,975,000
Seat 5: Michael Mizrachi — 14,450,000
Seat 6: Matthew Jarvis — 16,700,000
Seat 7: John Racener — 19,050,000
Seat 8: Filippo Candio — 16,400,000
Seat 9: Soi Nguyen — 9,650,000

Player Tags: Michael Mizrachi,   Jonathan Duhamel,   John Racener

Level 41: John Racener Eliminated, Jonathan Duhamel Wins!

Nov 08, '10

Blinds: 800,000-1,600,000 with a 200,000 ante

Players Remaining: 1 out of 7,319

Big Hands:

John Racener Doubles Up (8:58 p.m.)

Jonathan Duhamel shoved from the small blind and John Racener snap called for his last 18,250,000.

Racener showed QQ and Duhamel disgustedly tossed his K4 across the felt. The board ran out J8627 and Racener doubled up to nearly 37,000,000.

Racener Picks Up Decent Pot (9:05 p.m.)

Jonathan Duhamel limped in and John Racener checked his option. The flop fell K53 and Duhamel bet 1,700,000.

Racener called and the turn was the 10. Both players checked and the river was the 3. Racener bet 3,000,000 and Duhamel called, mucking when he saw Racener’s K4.

Jonathan Duhamel Gets Some Back (9:37 p.m.)

Racener limped and Duhamel checked his option. The flop came down J83 and Duhamel checked to Racener, who bet 2,000,000.

Duhamel called and the turn was the J. Both players checked to the river, which was the 4. Both players checked once again and Duhamel showed A3 to take the pot.

After the hand, Racener was back down too 31,100,000, which was pretty much were we started the night.

Time For A Break

Both players expressed interest in using the restroom, so tournament director Jack Effel announced a quick break.

Despite doubling up, Racener hasn’t gained any ground tonight and is still short with under 23,000,000 in chips.

John Racener Eliminated in Second Place — $5,545,855 (10:03 p.m.)

Duhamel open shoved from the button and after some thought, Racener called off his last 14,000,000.

Duhamel showed AJ and Racener was fortunate to have live cards with K8. The flop came out 944 and Duhamel remained in the lead.

The turn was the 6 and Racener was down to his final six outs. The dealer pushed out the 5 on the river and Racener was eliminated, earning $5,545,855.

Player Tags: Jonathan Duhamel,   John Racener

Level 40: Jonathan Duhamel Chips Away

Nov 08, '10

Blinds: 600,000-1,200,000 with a 200,000 ante

Players Remaining: 2 out of 7,319

Average Chip Count: 109,785,000

Chip Counts:

Jonathan Duhamel — 201,150,000
John Racener — 18,450,000

Big Hands:

John Racener Makes His First Push (8:39 p.m.)

It took three hands, but John Racener took his first stand, shoving over a button raise from Jonathan Duhamel to get back to where the players started tonight.

The First River Card, Pot Goes To Duhamel (8:45 p.m.)

John Racener completed and Jonathan Duhamel checked his option. The flop came AJJ and Racener bet 1,500,000.

Duhamel called and both players checked the 9 on the turn. The river was the 10 and Duhamel bet 2,200,000, getting a muck from Racener.

Duhamel Wins With Two Pair (8:52 p.m.)

John Racener limped and Jonathan Duhamel checked his option. The flop came down J93 and Duhamel checked.

Racener bet 1,400,000 and Duhamel called. The turn was the 4 and both players checked.

The river was thee 10 and Duhamel bet 2,800,000. Racener raised to 6,900,000 and Duhamel took his time before making the call.

Duhamel showed J4, for two pair and took in the pot.

Player Tags: Jonathan Duhamel,   John Racener

Heads Up Play Begins Monday at 8:00 PST

Nov 08, '10

We’re down to our final two competitors. Who will take it down? Will it be Jonathan Duhamel, the massive chip leader who is looking to become the first Canadian to win the main event? Or will it be John Racener, who must now overcome a huge chip differential to pick up the title?

Be sure to check back on Monday at 8:00 PST to see who will leave the Rio $8,944,138 richer. Take a look at the heads up chip counts below.

Seat 4: Jonathan Duhamel — 188,450,000
Seat 7: John Racener — 30,750,000

Player Tags: Jonathan Duhamel,   John Racener

Heads Up Play Begins Monday at 8:00 PST

Nov 07, '10

We’re now down to our final two competitors. Who will take it down? Will it be Jonathan Duhamel, the massive chip leader who is looking to become the first Canadian to win the main event? Or will it be John Racener, who must now overcome a huge chip differential to pick up the title?

Be sure to check back on Monday at 8:00 PST to see who will leave the Rio $8,944,138 richer. Take a look at the heads up chip counts below.

Seat 4: Jonathan Duhamel — 188,450,000
Seat 7: John Racener — 30,750,000

Stay tuned for a complete recap of the day’s events.

Player Tags: Jonathan Duhamel,   John Racener

Level 40: The Grind Comes To An End, Candio Buried, Duhamel Surges, Cheong Blows Up

Nov 07, '10

Blinds: 600,000-1,200,000 with a 200,000 ante

Players Remaining: 2 out of 7,319

Average Chip Count: 109,785,000

Tournament Leaderboard:

Seat 2: Joseph Cheong — 3rd Place ($4,129,979)
Seat 4: Jonathan Duhamel — 200,100,000
Seat 5: Michael Mizrachi — 5th Place ($2,332,960)
Seat 7: John Racener — 29,200,000
Seat 8: Filippo Candio — 4th Place ($3,092,497)

Big Hands:

Jonathan Duhamel Wins Nice Pot (12:35 a.m.)

Michael Mizrachi raised to 3,100,000 from under the gun and was called by Jonathan Duhamel in the big blind.

The flop fell A52 and both players checked. The turn was the 7 and Duhamel bet 3,400,000. Mizrachi called and the river was the Q.

Duhamel then bet 5,750,000 and Mizrachi called, showing A8. Duhamel turned over AJ, however, and had him outkicked. Mizrachi absorbed the big hit, losing over 1/4 of his total stack.

Michael Mizrachi Eliminated in Fifth Place — $2,332,960 (1:00 a.m.)

Jonathan Duhamel completed from the small blind and Michael Mizrachi checked his option. The flop fell Q54 and Duhamel checked.

Mizrachi bet 2,000,000 and Duhamel raised. Mizrachi then moved all in and Duhamel instantly called with a slow played AA. Mizrachi showed Q8 for top pair and needed help to stay alive.

The turn was the J and the river was the K, offering no help to the Grinder who hit the rail. Duhamel is now riding high with over 91,000,000.

Filippo Candio Eliminated in Fourth Place — $3,092,497 (1:33 a.m.)

Filippo Candio moved all in from the small blind and Joseph Cheong made the call from the big blind.

Candio showed KQ, but was behind to Cheong’s A3. The board ran out A7254 and Cheong’s straight knocked Candio from the tournament. After the hand, Cheong took a slight chip lead over Duhamel, with Racener rounding out the bottom of the leader board.

Jonathan Duhamel Wins Huge Pot From Joseph Cheong (1:56 a.m.)

Jonathan Duhamel raised to 2,800,000 and Joseph Cheong called from the big blind. The flop fell 1066 and Duhamel continued with a bet of 2,750,000.

Cheong check-raised to 6,750,000 and Duhamel called. The turn was the 9 and Cheong bet 5,500,000. Duhamel called and the river was the K.

Cheong bet 13,500,000 and Duhamel called with AK. After seeing his hand, Cheong mucked and took a hit to under 80,000,000. Duhamel is now up to 110,000,000.

Joseph Cheong Gets Some Back (1:02 a.m.)

Keep in mind the time stamps have now gone back one hour due to daylight savings.

Joseph Cheong raised to 2,500,000 and Jonathan Duhamel reraised to 6,850,000. Cheong then reraised to 16,250,000 and Duhamel folded.

A Shy Set For Racener (1:20 a.m.)

Jonathan Duhamel raised too 2,500,000 and John Racener called from the small blind. Joseph Cheong called from the big blind and the flop came A43.

Everyone checked and the turn was the 2. Cheong bet 3,500,000 and Duhamel folded. Racener called and the river was the 9.

Cheong checked and Racener checked behind, showing 33 for a set. Cheong mucked and Racener chipped up to nearly 35,000,000.

Jonathan Duhamel Doubles Up Through Joseph Cheong (1:31 a.m.)

Joseph Cheong raised too 2,900,000 from the small blind and Jonathan Duhamel reraised to 6,750,000. Cheong four bet to 14,250,000 and Duhamel reraised once again to 22,750,000. Cheong thought it over for a bit before announcing all in and Duhamel snap called.

Cheong let out a moan and turned over A7, while Duhamel excitedly showed QQ.

The flop came down 932 and Duhamel remained in the lead. The turn was the 6s and Cheong was left looking for one of the last three aces.

The river was the 8 and Duhamel doubled up to take a monster chip lead. Cheong was left with about 8,000,000 in chips and crippled. According to tournament director Jack Effel, the pot was the largest ever in WSOP history.

Joseph Cheong Doubles Through Jonathan Duhamel (1:40 a.m.)

Jonathan Duhamel raised to 3,000,000 on the button and Joseph Cheong moved all in for 6,750,000 from the big blind.

Duhamel called with K9 and he was ahead of Cheong’s 73.

The board fell KJ33A, however, and Cheong doubled up to about 14,000,000.

Joseph Cheong Eliminated in Third Place — $4,129,979 (1:48 a.m.)

Joseph Cheong moved all in from the small blind holding Q10 and Jonathan Duhamel called from the big blind holding A2.

The board fell K9667 and Cheong was eliminated.

Player Tags: Michael Mizrachi,   Jonathan Duhamel,   John Racener,   Filippo Candio,   Joseph Cheong

Level 39: John Dolan Eliminated by Jonathan Duhamel

Nov 06, '10

Blinds: 500,000-1,000,000 with a 150,000 ante

Players Remaining: 5 out of 7,319

Average Chip Count: 43,914,000

Tournament Leaderboard:

Seat 2: Joseph Cheong — 67,750,000
Seat 3: John Dolan — 6th Place ($1,772,939)
Seat 4: Jonathan Duhamel — 56,550,000
Seat 5: Michael Mizrachi — 39,500,000
Seat 7: John Racener — 26,550,000
Seat 8: Filippo Candio — 29,950,000

Big Hands:

John Dolan Eliminated in Sixth Place — $1,772,939 (10:25 p.m.)

John Dolan moved all in from the small blind for his last 13,500,000 and Jonathan Duhamel called from the big blind.

Dolan showed Q5 and was happy to see Duhamel turn over 44 for a race situation.

The board rolled out J7693, giving Dolan some sweat but no help to send him to the rail.

John Racener Doubles Through Michael Mizrachi (10:47 p.m.)

Michael Mizrachi raised to 2,500,000 and John Racener moved all in behind him for 9,825,000.

Mizrachi didn’t like it, but he made the call, showing A8. Racener showed AK and had the Grinder dominated.

The board rolled out 1022KJ and Racener doubled up to over 21,000,000. Mizrachi is still strong with just under 60,000,000.

Joseph Cheong Pushes John Racener Around (11:05 p.m.)

Jonathan Duhamel raised to 2,300,000 from under the gun and John Racener raised too 6,200,000. Joseph Cheong then four-bet to 12,500,000 an Duhamel folded.

Racener thought it over for a bit, but ultimately decided on a fold.

John Racener Gets Lucky To Double Up (11:10 p.m.)

John Racener raised to 2,200,000 and Jonathan Duhamel moved all in from the big blind.

Racener took a few moments before calling all in, but he was in terrible shape holding AQ against Duhamel’s AK.

The board fell Q84J3, however, and Racener doubled up to nearly 40,000,000 in chips.

Jonathan Duhamel Doubles Through Michael Mizrachi (11:18 p.m.)

Jonathan Duhamel raised to 2,500,000 from the small blind and Michael Mizrachi moved all in from the big blind. Duhamel called and revealed A9, which were racing against Mizrachi’s 33.

The board came out K959J and all of a sudden Duhamel was back in second place. The Grinder meanwhile took a major hit to fall into last place.

Mizrachi Grinds Some Back From Racener (11:34 p.m.)

John Racener raised to 2,300,000 from under the gun and Michael Mizrachi called in the big blind. The flop came down K94 and Mizrachi checked.

Racener bet 2,800,000 and Mizrachi called. The turn was the 6 and both players checked. The river was the 9 and Mizrachi bet 5,000,000.

Racener stared Mizrachi down for two minutes before finally mucking his hand. Mizrachi is over the 35,000,000 mark and is slowly creeping back into contention.

Grinder Fights Back (12:03 a.m.)

Michael Mizrachi raised to 2,500,000 and Joseph Cheong called from the big blind. The flop hit 1092 and both players checked.

The turn was the Q and Cheong bet 2,525,000. Mizrachi called and the river was the 3. Both players checked and Mizrachi showed K10 for second pair to take the pot.

Player Tags: Michael Mizrachi,   Jonathan Duhamel,   John Racener,   John Dolan,   Filippo Candio,   Joseph Cheong

Level 38: Jason Senti Ousted By Joseph Cheong

Nov 06, '10

Blinds: 400,000-800,000 with a 100,000 ante

Players Remaining: 6 out of 7,319

Average Chip Count: 36,595,000

Tournament Leaderboard:

Seat 1: Jason Senti — 7th Place ($1,356,708)
Seat 2: Joseph Cheong — 46,325,000
Seat 3: John Dolan — 15,700,000
Seat 4: Jonathan Duhamel — 41,425,000
Seat 5: Michael Mizrachi — 65,375,000
Seat 7: John Racener — 21,175,000
Seat 8: Filippo Candio — 29,575,000

Big Hands:

Big Preflop Pot For The Grinder (5:57 p.m.)

John Dolan raised to 1,850,000 and Jonathan Duhamel reraised to 4,275,000.

Michael Mizrachi then reraised to over 10,000,000 and got both players to fold, boosting his stack to over 42 million.

John Racener Wins Big Pot (6:15 p.m.)

John Racener completed from the small blind and Filippo Candio checked his option from the big blind. The flop came down Q74 and both players checked.

The turn was the A and Racener bet 950,000. Candio called and the river was the 2. Racener bet 2,500,000 and Candio raised to 9,000,000.

Racener called and took the pot after showing QQ for a set of queens. For some reason, the dealer mucked both the cards and the board, but quickly corrected her mistake. It took awhile before Racener’s rail realized he had won the pot, but when they figured it out, they were nonetheless pleased.

Filippo Candio Makes Big All In Push (6:30 p.m.)

Jonathan Duhamel raised to 1,750,000 and Michael Mizrachi called on the button. Filippo Candio then moved all in for 21,675,000 and Duhamel folded.

Mizrachi went into the tank for a few minutes before folding and Candio flashed the 7.

John Racener Wins Nice Pot Before Dinner (6:44 p.m.)

John Racener raised to 1,950,000 and was called by both Joseph Cheong and Michael Mizrachi. The flop hit A107 and Racener continued with a bet of 2,400,000.

Cheong called and Mizrachi folded. The turn was the 3 and Racener moved all in. Cheong folded and Racener took the pot.

Dinner Break (6:45 p.m.)

Tournament officials have paused the level and the players will now be on a 90-minute dinner break.

Play Resumes (8:35 p.m.)

Just like every break we’ve encountered, the dinner break ran a little long. Jack Effel has finished pumping up the crowd and we are ready to start once again. Shuffle up and deal!

Candio Puts It In Again (8:37 p.m.)

Jonathan Duhamel raised to 1,750,000 from under the gun and Filippo Candio called. Joseph Cheong then reraised to 5,400,000 from the small blind and Duhamel folded.

Candio then moved all in for 22,015,000 and Cheong mucked rather quickly.

Mizrachi Continues To Chip Up (8:50 p.m.)

Michael Mizrachi raised to 2,125,000 and Joseph Cheong called from the big blind. The flop came down A54 and both players checked.

The turn was the K and both players checked once again. The river was the 10 and Mizrachi bet 2,000,000. Cheong called, but mucked his hand when Mizrachi showed A7.

Mizrachi Pushes Back Against Candio (9:03 p.m.)

Michael Mizrachi raised too 2,125,000 on the buttoon and Filippo Candio reraised too 5,300,000 from the big blind.

Mizrachi then four bet to 16,550,000 and Candio mucked. With that pot, Mizrachi has now retaken the lead from Jonathan Duhamel with about 56,000,000.

Filippo Candio Moves In Again (9:23 p.m.)

Jonathan Duhamel raised to 1,750,000 and John Racener made the call from the small blind. Filippo Candio also came along in the big blind and the flop fell QQ5.

Duhamel continued with a bet of 2,150,000 and Racener called. Candio then moved all in for 20,125,000 and Duhamel folded.

Racener tanked for several minutes before finally mucking his hand and Candio took the pot.

Jason Senti Eliminated in Seventh Place — $1,356,708 (9:35 p.m.)

This is gearing up to be one of the most exciting final tables ever televised.

Jason Senti raised on the button to 1,800,000 and Joseph Cheong reraised to 4,950,000 from the small blind. Senti then moved all in and Cheong snap called.

Cheong showed 1010 and was racing against Senti’s AK. Senti need to hit and he did so in a big way when the flop fell KKQ.

The turn, however, was the J, giving Cheong outs to the straight. The river was the 9 and the room erupted. Senti was eliminated and Cheong took a big pot to boost his stack to over 46,000,000.

After the hand, the players went on a short break.

Player Tags: Michael Mizrachi,   Jonathan Duhamel,   John Racener,   John Dolan,   Jason Senti,   Filippo Candio,   Joseph Cheong

Level 37: Matt Jarvis Eliminated By The Grinder

Nov 06, '10

Blinds: 300,000-600,000 with a 75,000 ante

Players Remaining: 7 out of 7,319

Average Chip Count: 31,367,142

Tournament Leaderboard:

Seat 1: Jason Senti — 20,575,000
Seat 2: Joseph Cheong — 39,350,000
Seat 3: John Dolan — 29,750,000
Seat 4: Jonathan Duhamel — 42,800,000
Seat 5: Michael Mizrachi — 38,575,000
Seat 6: Matt Jarvis — 8th Place ($1,045,738)
Seat 7: John Racener — 13,725,000
Seat 8: Filippo Candio — 35,325,000

Big Hands:

Filippo Candio Doubles Through Jonathan Duhamel (2:48 p.m.)

Filippo Candio raised too 1,325,000 from the hijack and Joseph Cheong called from the button. Jonathan Duhamel then reraised to 3,950,000 from the big blind.

Candio moved all in for 14,950,000 and Cheong mucked. Duhamel called and showed AK, but he was in terrible shape against Candio’s AA.

The board ran out 106394 and Candio doubled up to nearly 32,000,000. Duhamel drops closer to the pack with 50,475,000.

Joseph Cheong Bets The Nuts Against John Dolan (3:15 p.m.)

Matt Jarvis raised to 1,425,000 and Joseph Cheong reraised to 3,525,000. John Dolan then made the call and Jarvis folded.

The flop came 1093 and Dolan checked. Cheong checked and the turn was the Q.

Both players checked again and the river was the J. Dolan checked and Cheong bet 8,500,000. Dolan thought it over for about three minutes before finally calling with pocket jacks for a rivered set. Cheong showed A10 for the nut flush, however, and moved up to nearly 46,000,000. Dolan took a big hit down to under 25,000,000.

Matt Jarvis Eliminated in Eighth Place — $1,045,738 (3:35 p.m.)

In perhaps the most exciting hand of the tournament, Matt Jarvis has been eliminated.

Jonathan Duhamel raised to 1,400,000 and Michael Mizrachi made the call. Matt Jarvis then moved all in for his 14,300,000 stack.

Duhamel folded and Mizrachi took a few moments before making the call, showing AQ.

Jarvis showed 99 and the two were off to the races. The flop came out QQ8 and the Mizrachi contingent exploded into celebration.

The turn, however, was the 9, giving Jarvis a full house. All he needed to do was dodge seven cards and he’d double up, but the river was the A, giving Mizrachi a better full house. Mizrachi is now up to over 42 million in chips.

Joseph Cheong Takes The Chip Lead (4:08 p.m.)

Joseph Cheong raised to 1,325,000 and Jonathan Duhamel reraised to 3,100,000. Cheong called and the flop fell A104.

Duhamel continued with a bet of 3,250,000 and Cheong called. The turn was the 6 and both players checked.

The river was the J and Cheong bet 8,250,000. Duhamel tanked for about a minute before calling, but mucked his hand as soon as he saw Cheong show 64 for two pair.

With that pot, Cheong is now the chip leader with over 60,000,000. Duhamel falls back into third place with nearly 36,000,000.

Jonathan Duhamel Gets Some Back From Joseph Cheong (4:22 p.m.)

Joseph Cheong raised to 1,325,000 and Jonathan Duhamel reraised to 4,150,000 from the big blind. Cheong called and the flop came down AJJ.

Both players checked and the K hit the turn. Duhamel then bet 7,200,000 and Cheong folded.

Filippo Candio Bluffs Michael Mizrachi (4:34 p.m.)

Jason Senti raised to 1,350,000 and Michael Mizrachi called behind him. Filippo Candio then made the call from the big blind.

The flop came down 542 and Candio checked. Senti checked and Mizrachi checked behind. The turn was the K and Candio bet 2,900,000.

Senti folded quickly and Mizrachi called. The river was the 3 and Candio bet 4,450,000. Mizrachi reluctantly folded and Candio excitedly slaws Q10 down on the table for a busted flush draw.

Jason Senti Doubles Through Joseph Cheong (5:05 p.m.)

Jason Senti moved all in for his last 10,500,000 and Joseph Cheong immediately made the call with A9.

Senti was behind with K7 and needed some help. The flop came down J63 and Cheong remained in the lead.

The turn was the A and the room exploded with excitement. Cheong had paired his ace, but Senti picked up the nut flush draw.

The river was the 10 and Senti hit his flush to double up to over 20,000,000. After the hand, the players were sent on a 20-minute break.

Player Tags: Michael Mizrachi,   Jonathan Duhamel,   John Racener,   John Dolan,   Matt Jarvis,   Jason Senti,   Filippo Candio,   Joseph Cheong

Level 36: Soi Nguyen Hits The Rail

Nov 06, '10

Blinds: 250,000-500,000 with a 50,000 ante

Players Remaining: 8 out of 7,319

Average Chip Count: 27,446,250

Tournament Leaderboard:

Seat 1: Jason Senti — 17,500,000
Seat 2: Joseph Cheong — 20,225,000
Seat 3: John Dolan — 39,575,000
Seat 4: Jonathan Duhamel — 65,525,000
Seat 5: Michael Mizrachi — 18,100,000
Seat 6: Matt Jarvis — 10,225,000
Seat 7: John Racener — 24,225,000
Seat 8: Filippo Candio — 15,100,000
Seat 9: Soi Nguyen — 9th Place ($811,823)

Big Hands:

Jason Senti Moves All In (12:40 p.m.)

Jason Senti moved all in from the button and both Joseph Cheong and John Dolan folded their blinds.

Joseph Cheong Applies All In Pressure (12:47 p.m.)

Matt Jarvis raised to 1,175,000 in early position and Joseph Cheong reraised to 2,675,000 behind him. Jarvis called and the flop came down 1052.

Jarvis checked and Cheong checked behind. The turn was the 7 and Jarvis bet 3,000,000. Cheong called and the river was the 8. Jarvis bet 4,275,000 and Cheong took a few second before moving all in.

Jarvis winced and then let out a small smile before folding his hand, leaving himself with just under 8 million. Cheong is now up to nearly 34 million.

Jason Senti Moves All In Again (12:49 p.m.)

Jason Senti moved all in for his last 8,350,000 and John Dolan thought about it for a bit before folding.

Jason Senti All In For The Third Time (12:55 p.m.)

Jason Senti moved all in from the cutoff and everyone folded.

Jason Senti All In For The Fourth Time (1:05 p.m.)

John Racener raised to 1,300,000 from under the gun and Jason Senti moved all in for his last 9,525,000. Racener thought it over for a few minutes before eventually folding. Senti has now been all in four times in the first 14 hands and has yet to be called.

Matt Jarvis Moves All In (1:20 p.m.)

After losing much of his stack to Joseph Cheong, Matt Jarvis got a little back with an all in move.

Cheong raised to 1,025,000 from under the gun and Jarvis moved in from the hijack for 6,750,000. Cheong folded and Jarvis got a little breathing room.

John Racener Makes A Good Call (1:30 p.m.)

John Racener raised to 1,300,000 from middle position and John Dolan made the call from the small blind. The flop came out Q107 and Dolan checked.

Racener checked behind and the turn was the 9. Dolan bet 1,775,000 and Racener called. The river was the 2 and Dolan bet 3,550,000.

Racener called and Dolan showed K-Q for top pair. Racener showed pocket kings and they were good enough to take the pot.

Michael Mizrachi Shows Some Strength (1:35 p.m.)

Jason Senti raised to 1,125,000 and John Dolan reraised to 2,525,000. Michael Mizrachi then four-bet from the big blind to 8,525,000.

Senti immediately folded, but Dolan took his time. Eventually, he slid his cards into the muck and Mizrachi took a nice preflop pot.

Matt Jarvis Makes Another All In Move (1:40 p.m.)

Jonathan Duhamel raised to 1,250,000 and Matt Jarvis moved all in from the big blind for another 7,525,000. Duhamel quickly mucked and Jarvis picked up another pot.

Soi Nguyen Eliminated in Ninth Place — $811,823 (1:56 p.m.)

Soi Nguyen moved all in from the button for his last 7,600,000. Jason Senti then reraised from the small blind to isolate and Cheong folded in the big blind.

Nguyen showed AK, but he was racing against the QQ of Senti. The board rolled out Q1039K and Nguyen was eliminated. After the hand, the players took their 20-minute break.

Player Tags: Michael Mizrachi,   Jonathan Duhamel,   John Racener,   John Dolan,   Matt Jarvis,   Jason Senti,   Filippo Candio,   Joseph Cheong,   Soi Nguyen

Final-Table Seating Chart with Chip Counts

Jul 18, '10

The November Nine is set for 2010! Jonathan Duhamel ended the night with the chip lead after eliminating the November Nine bubble boy Brandon Steven in 10th place. Duhamel holds 65,975,000.

Michael Mizrachi has provided drama at both ends of the 41st WSOP. He won the $50,000 Players Championship during the first week and now he has finished the summer by making the November Nine in seventh chip-position with 14,450,000. Joining Mizrachi as a headliner at the final table in November will be John Racener, who holds 19,050,000.

The inclusion of the Grinder at the final table leaves the winner of the WSOP Player of the Year award in question for a few months. Mizrachi can steal the title from 2010 double-bracelet winner Frank Kassela, but only if he becomes the first professional in the post-poker boom era to claim the title of world champion.

In addition to the title of world champion there is also the $8,944,138 top prize to chase after, and that will be the ultimate goal for every man listed below. We will learn the stories for each of these contenders that have stormed into the poker spotlight in the months ahead.

The wait now begins for November, until then, here is the seating chart and chip counts for the final table:

Seat 1: Jason Senti — 7,625,000
Seat 2: Joseph Cheong — 23,525,000
Seat 3: John Dolan — 46,250,000
Seat 4: Jonathan Duhamel — 65,975,000
Seat 5: Michael Mizrachi — 14,450,000
Seat 6: Matthew Jarvis — 16,700,000
Seat 7: John Racener — 19,050,000
Seat 8: Filippo Candio — 16,400,000
Seat 9: Soi Nguyen — 9,650,000

Player Tags: Michael Mizrachi,   Jonathan Duhamel,   John Racener

November Niner on Life Support

Sep 29, '10

Short stack John Racener bet 1,050 from late position and Friend of PokerStars and serial qualifier Pierre Neuville calls from the big blind. The flop is 8 6 4 and Neuville checks. Racener bets 1,850 and Neuville folds. Neuville has 51,500 however, while Racener needs every chip he can get. He has 9,000 remaining.

Player Tags: John Racener