There was action on the very first hand of the final table, starting with an opening raise to 20,000 by Micah Raskin from early position. Timothy Chang called from Raskin's left, William Tonking called from the button, and Joseph Tracy came along as well from the small blind.
The flop brought three big cards — — and all four players checked. The turn was the , and when it checked to Raskin he bet 26,000. Chang called the bet, while the others folded.
The river was the . This time Raskin bet 43,000, and Chang let his hand go.
As Klodnicki points out, December has been a good month for him over recent years.
One year ago this week came Klodnicki's win in the Epic Poker League "Mix-Max" event, worth $801,680. The year before in December 2010, Klodnicki finished second in the WSOP Circuit Harrah's Atlantic City $10K NLHE Regional Championship, good for a $221,452 payday. And in December 2009 he won the WSOP-C Harrah's Atlantic City $4,900 Main Event, earning $215,915 for his finish.
Daniel Wach's Main Event run has come to an end one spot shy of the final table, the end arriving soon after a big hand saw Wach lose most of his stack to Richard Allen.
In that one Allen raised to 25,000 from the cutoff, Wach reraised to 55,000 from the button, Allen shoved all in for 323,000 total, and Wach called only having a little more than that behind.
Allen had and Wach , and when the flop came to pair Wach's ace, it looked as though Allen would be the one hitting the rail in 10th. But after the fell on the turn, the arrived on the river to give Allen a winning set and cripple Allen down to just 6,000.
Wach would manage to quadruple up on the following hand, but was all in immediately with and up against Chris Klodnicki's . The board came , and Wach is out in 10th. He bid the others good luck before leaving, and in fact also paid Klodnicki what he owed him for their last-longer bet, made way back at the start of Day 1a.
We just witnessed a significant chip swing over on Table 29 in a hand that saw Coury Mascagni all in and at risk, then surviving with a big double up.
The hand started with William Tonking raising to 21,000 from the button, then Mascagni making it 50,000 to go from the small blind. Raskin followed with another reraise to 100,000 from the big blind, chasing Tonking. Mascagni then reraised all in for 374,000 total and Raskin called.
Mascagni:
Raskin:
Mascagni was behind, and still needed help after the paired Raskin's king. Then the turn brought the and the straight for Mascagni, and after the river he'd won the chips to survive.
With 10 players left, hand-for-hand play is proceeding on two five-handed tables.
Over at Chris Klodnicki's table he just opened for 20,000 from the hijack seat, then Edward Pham responded with a reraise to 54,000 from the big blind. Klodnicki came back with an all-in push, and Pham let his hand go.
Klodnicki has pushed his stack back up over a million again, and he's currently back in first position.
The table folded around to Richard Allen in the small blind who raised to 20,000, and Ian Searing called from the big blind. The flop came , and Allen pushed out another bet of 20,000. Searing responded by setting his remaining stacks of gray and orange chips in front of him for an all-in reraise to about 180,000, and Allen called right away.
Allen turned over , and Searing winced as he showed his — two pair for both, but Allen had Searing outkicked.
Searing stood and put his arms over his head as the dealer delivered the remaining community cards. The turn was the and river the , and Searing is out.
Daniel Wach's Level 20 hasn't gotten off to such a great start, as he's lost a few pots during the first half-hour to slide downward a few spots in the counts.
Just now he watched Richard Allen open for 25,000 from the hijack seat, then came back with a reraise to 55,000 from the big blind. Allen responded with an all-in shove, and Wach let his hand go along with a few more chips.
, and Klodnicki bet 22,000. Chang called the bet, then both players checked the 
turn.
, and this time Klodnicki bet 50,000. Chang called once more, and when Klodnicki tabled 
, Chang mucked.
— and all four players checked. The turn was the 
, and when it checked to Raskin he bet 26,000. Chang called the bet, while the others folded.
. This time Raskin bet 43,000, and Chang let his hand go.
and Wach 
, and when the flop came 
to pair Wach's ace, it looked as though Allen would be the one hitting the rail in 10th. But after the 
fell on the turn, the 
arrived on the river to give Allen a winning set and cripple Allen down to just 6,000.
and up against Chris Klodnicki's 
. The board came 
paired Raskin's king. Then the turn brought the 
, and Searing winced as he showed his 
— two pair for both, but Allen had Searing outkicked.
and river the 
, and Searing is out.