Among those eliminations were Rick “rplrpl” Lowe and Tracy “Fatcats” Scala. Lowe got all his chips in preflop with the AsKs against another player’s QhQc. The board ran out 8d5h2cJs9h and Lowe couldn’t improve and was sent to the rail in 438th place good for $27,020.
Scala started the day with a healthy 368k in chips and had maintained his stack well through a good portion of the day until the following hand occurred. We missed the pre-flop action but Scala check-called on every street of a board reading QsTc4dTh5d and found that his pocket kings were no good against the other players pocket queens that flopped a set. Scala finished in 335th place for $32,166.
Two players who were still alive after level three were Garrett “Gfcukingbecks” Beckman and the legendary Phil Hellmuth.
The spectators in the room have been flocking to any rail near Phil’s table for the entire day including the stadium style seating around the ESPN Featured Table at the beginning of the day. It wasn’t an easy day for Phil though. In one hand, the board showing Ah5h2sAd, another player bet 25k, and Phil raised to 55k. The other player made the call and they saw the river bring the 6c. Both players checked and Phil showed the KhTh for a busted flush draw while his opponent held the 7h5d for a pair of fives. Phil was not happy. He couldn’t believe that the other player had called his raise with 7-5 and Phil’s stack dwindled to around 200k after the hand. He wasn’t worried though, he claimed that he would have a million in his stack by the end of the day.
Phil did manage to get some of his chips back in a hand where the board read Th9c5d5s and there was already 125k in the pot. Phil pushed all in for his last 135k and was called by one player whose KcTc for two pair was behind Phil’s Ac5h for trip fives. The river brought a harmless Qs and Phil doubled up to around 320k.
While he didn’t end the day with the million that he wanted, he did build his stack up to 570k near the end of the night and is poised to do well in day 5.
Garrett Beckman started the day with 192k and has managed to build his stack up to 700k at one point in the day.
The first big hand he was involved in put his tournament life at risk when he was all-in pre-flop with the AdKd against another player’s QsQc. Beckman flopped the flush but a queen on the turn gave his opponent outs to a full house. The river didn’t pair the board and Beckman was sitting at around 450k after the hand.
A little while later Beckman’s table was moved to the ESPN featured table and he got involved in another huge pot. On a flop of Qd6d6h his opponent bet out, and he raised, but then the other player push all-in. Beckman quickly made the call with his KhKc and was ahead of the other players AhQd. The other player had Beckman covered so his tournament life was again at stake. The turn was a harmless 9s and the river was the 8h allowing Beckman to double yet again to around 700k. Beckman lost a little ground and ended the day with 515k.
Play ended with 39 minutes left in level 19 and 189 players left in the field. The players will return at noon and both Hellmuth and Beckman are doing well and will hopefully be able make day five even better than day four!
