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Live: $25,000 WPT World Championship
Upcoming: $100,000 WPT Super High Roller
| Earnings | $2,902,441 |
| Cashes | 10 |
| Final Tables | 3 |
| Titles | 1 |
| Tournaments Played | 31 |
Est. Current Chipcount
Est. Average Chipcount
12,450,000
Current Chipleader
-
Day 1-B
50,000
Day 2
1,076,000
Day 3
4th
Level 21: 6,000-12,000, 2,000 ante
Steven Kelly raises to 26,000 on the button, Vivek Rajkumar calls in the small blind, and Ben Hamnett calls out of the big blind.
The flop comes down J
73
and action checks to Kelly, who bets 50,000. Rajkumar calls and Hamnett folds.
The turn is the 4 and Rajkumar checks. Kelly bets 115,000 and Rajkumar calls. The river is the 3
and Rajkumar checks a third time. Kelly bets 340,000 and Rajkumar thinks a while before mucking his cards.
Steven Kelly - 1,890,000 (158 BBs)
Vivek Rajkumar - 1,450,000 (121 BBs)
Level 20: 5,000-10,000, 1,000 ante
With the board showing Q10
9A on the turn, Kevin MacPhee bets 88,000 from the big blind, and Vivek Rajkumar calls from the cutoff. The river card is the 7, MacPhee bets 149,000, and Rajkumar says, "I call" before MacPhee finishes putting his chips out.
Rajkumar shows A7 for two pair, aces and sevens. MacPhee slowly turns over AK to show that he was ahead on the turn, and Rajkumar only beat him by catching a three-outer. Vivek Rajkumar wins the pot.
Vivek Rajkumar - 1,230,000 (123 BBs)
Kevin MacPhee - 1,250,000 (125 BBs)
Level 20: 5,000-10,000, 1,000 ante
Noah Lathrop shoves all-in for his last 150,000 o rso and Steven Kelly calls on the button. Lathrop shows Q7 and Kelly turns over K10. Rajkumar is seated next to Kelly and picks up his hole cards and gives them a good long look.
Rajkumar stares at them so long, in fact, that the dealer has to ask him to put them down so they can run out the board for the cameras. Shooting Star Kathy Liebert warns Lathrop that Rajkumar's intervention means trouble for him.
"You know you can't win after Vivek's touched those," she jokes. The flop comes down KJ7, giving Kelly top pair and Lathrop bottom pair.
Perhaps in an attempt to counterbalance the Rajkumar rungood Lathrop reaches out and touches Kelly's hand. He then picks up his hole cards and touches those to Kelly's hole cards, in case the luck is transferrable.
The 8 on the turn cuts down on Lathrop's outs, as it gives Kelly a heart draw. In an effort to help Lathrop out, Rajkumar makes a motion as if he is sprinkling something (fairy dust, maybe?) on the spot where the river card will fall.
The gesture is no help for Lathom, as it comes 8 and he is eliminated in 16th place.
Steven Kelly - 1,800,000
Noah Lathrop - eliminated in 16th place ($29,500)
Photo: Vivek Rajkumar (right) tries to sprinkle some luck on the river card for Noah Lathrop (left) as he faces elimination against Steven Kelly (center).
Level 19: 4,000-8,000, 1,000 ante
With around 110,000 in the pot and the board reading 664J, Vivek Rajkumar bets 78,000 from the small blind and Casey McCarrel calls out of the big blind.
The river is the 8 and Rajkumar checks. McCarrel bets 100,000 and Rajkumar thinks for a couple of minutes before mucking his hand.
Casey McCarrel - 815,000
Vivek Rajkumar - 875,000
Level 18: 3,000-6,000, 1,000 ante
Tuan Nguyen is all in preflop with K10 against Vivek Rajkumar's 55. The board comes J9486, and the pocket fives hold up for Rajkumar to win the pot. Nguyen is eliminated, and the field is one bustout away from ending for the night.
Vivek Rajkumar - 1,170,000
Tuan Nguyen - Out in 26th Place ($22,100)
Level 17: 2,500-5,000, 500 ante
With around 200,000 already in the pot and the board reading Q86108, Robert Thompson bets 105,000 from the big blind and Vivek Rajkumar goes in the tank.
After a while, Thompson calls the clock on Rajkumar.
Rajkumar is surprised. "How long have I been tanking?"
"About two minutes," tablemate Joris Springael tells him.
Rajkumar is surprised by that as well. "That's it?"
"It feels like a long time," Thompson says.
"Well, it is kind of a big bet," Rajkumar tells him. He thinks a little while longer and calls.
Thompson shows AQ for queens and eights with an ace kicker. Rajkumar opts to show just one card--the 3.
Robert Thompson - 685,000
Vivek Rajkumar - 500,000
Level 17: 2,500-5,000, 500 ante
Vivek Rajkumar raises from middle position and Shooting Star Jennifer Harman moves all-in on the button for around 80,000. Rajkumar calls wiht AK and Harman trails with A4.
The flop comes down K93 and Rajkumar tells the dealer to give Harman the 2 so she can pick up straight and flush draw.
The turn brings close to that, as it comes down 4, giving her a pair and a heart draw.
"I was joking!," Rajkumar says with a laugh. Though the turn gives here several more outs, Harman fails to improve with the 3 on the river though and she is eliminated in 43rd place, while Rajkumar collects his second bounty of the tournament.
Vivek Rajkumar - 950,000
Jennifer Harman - eliminatedin 43rd place ($15,000)
Level 14: 1,200-2,400, 400 ante
Vivek Rajkumar has taken a big lead with nearly 550,000 in chips. Rajkumar is fresh from a runner-up finish at our last stop on the tour, the WPT L.A. Poker Classic, and could make a serious run at the WPT Player of the Year title if he makes the final table. (The current POY points leader is Andy Frankenberger, who won the WPT Legends of Poker tournament back in August.)
Level 11: 600-1,200, 200 ante
Shooting Star Phil Hellmuth raises to 2,800 and Vivek Rajkumar reraises to 7,500 behind him. Action folds back around to Hellmuth and he moves all-in for around 45,000.
Rajkumar thinks about ninety seconds before calling with A10 and Hellmuth shows AK. The 1052 flop pairs up Rajkumar and gives him the lead in the hand. The 4 on the turn gives Hellmuth some chop outs with a wheel draw, but the 4 on the river gives the pot to Rajkumar, as well as Hellmuth's $5,000 bounty.
Hellmuth bites his tongue for the most part, only commenting, "it is such a dream scenarion," as he signs Rajkumar's t-shirt and poses for a photo.
Vivek Rajkumar - 110,000
Phil Hellmuth - eliminated
Level 9: 400-800, 100 ante
With quite a bit of chips already in the pot and the board reading 98382, Kyle Julius puts Vivek Rajkumar all-in and he tanks for several minutes before calling with A9.
Julius immediately mucks his hand, then grabs it to flash J7 for a missed gutshot and Rajkumar's eights and nines take the pot.
Vivek Rajkumar - 125,000
Kyle Julius - 118,000
