Photo Recap: Day 3 of WPT Southern Poker Championship

Level 18: 3,000-6,000, 1,000 ante

By BJ Nemeth

Note: Action begins today at 1:00 pm CT, due to the late finish last night.

Day 3 began with 66 players, and two former WPT Southern Poker Championship winners in the field -- Hoyt Corkins and Allen Carter. Day 3 ended with 19 players, including Corkins and Carter. No player has ever won the same WPT event twice. Could this be the tournament to end that streak?

With 19 players remaining, here are the top five in chips:

1. Ryan Hughes - 1,014,000 (169 bb)
2. Alexander Kuzmin - 780,500 (130 bb)
3. Shannon Shorr - 593,000 (98 bb)
4. Allen Carter - 530,000 (88 bb)
5. Otis Wright - 476,000 (79 bb)

And now, a photographic look back at Day 3 of the WPT Southern Poker Championship:



As soon as play got underway for Day 3, Gavin Smith (foreground, left) started drafting players with Kyle Bowker (not pictured). They drafted ten players each, with a side bet of $500 if either of them makes the final table themselves. When making one of his picks, Gavin Smith said, "I'm going with my heart. I'm going with Downtown Chad Brown." Brown, pictured on Gavin's left, said, "Wise decision." (So far, it has been, because Brown is still alive heading into Day 4.)



Jonathan Little (left) was eliminated in the first level of the day when he found himself the short stack in a three-way preflop all-in situation against Michael Benvenuti (center) and Lyle Vincent. Little's AQ never caught up to Benvenuti's KK or Vincent's 99.



Royal Flush Girls Melyssa Grace, Melanie Iglesias, and Sunisa Kim check out the early action as Lee Markholt plays a hand shortly after Markholt eliminated two players (including Jason Mercier) in a three-way pot. At this point, Markholt was neck-and-neck for the chip lead with about 260,000 in chips.



Lisa Yap (left) was the mid-day chipleader when she played this hand to the river against Michael Benvenuti (right). Yap check-called the flop and turn, and folded to Benvenuti's river bet on a board of Q63J9. Benvenuti asked, "Did you have spades?" Yap replied, "Yeah, ace high."



At 4:00 pm, when the field was down to the final five tables (45 players), Gavin Smith and Lee Markholt were discussing how long it would take for the field to burst the money bubble and reach 27 players. Tournament Director Johnny Grooms predicted sometime after 11:00 pm (accounting for the 75-minute dinner break), while Gavin and Markholt thought it would happen much earlier.



With the board showing J85A on the turn, Rusty Moorer (foreground right) check-raised all in against Chad Brown (foreground left). Brown asked if Moorer had ace-king, and then folded his own AK face up. Moorer said nothing as he pulled in the pot.



Kyle Bowker (right) was short-stacked and all in preflop with AQ against the QQ of Hoyt Corkins (center). The board came 983104, and since neither player had a diamond, Corkins took the pot with his pocket queens to eliminate Bowker from the tournament.



With the board showing 8873 on the turn and about 90,000 already in the pot, Leif Force (right) moved all in for 70,800 more, looking very confident. Vitor Coelho (left) tanked for about five minutes before he folded.



After winning the hand against Vitor Coelho, Leif Force jokes around with Gavin Smith, who was in a fun mood for most of the day. Unfortunately, Gavin's good times ran out when he was eliminated after the dinner break, a few spots away from the money.



The players took their dinner break with 33 players left, six spots away from the money. At that point, Alexander Kuzmin was the chip leader with 550,000.



During hand-for-hand play on the money bubble, Pat Mahoney (left) faces an all-in bet from defending champion Hoyt Corkins on a board of QJ66A. Mahoney tanked for a bit, saying, "I don't believe you have it," but he eventually folded.



Players gather around one of the tables for an all-in situation during hand-for-hand play. Alistair Melville (seated, bottom left) had the shortest stack for most of the money bubble, but whenever he got it all in for a couple of big blinds, he would find a way to double up. Melville would eventually survive into the money, finishing in 24th place for $18,868.



Hand-for-hand play had been going for more than an hour when WPT Producer Mandy Glogow (left) showed Ali Eslami (who busted earlier in the day) how to handle one of the cameras.



Makeshift player-turned-cameraman Ali Eslami puts his new skills to the test as he records action at one of the final four tables on the money bubble.



The money bubble had lasted for more than two hours when David Diaz (left, standing in the red hat) was all in preflop with AJ against the 109 of Ryan Hughes (center right, in the striped white shirt). The board came 994Q4, and Hughes won the pot with a full house, nines full of fours. Diaz busted in 28th place, while the other 27 players were guaranteed at least $18,868. Hughes definitely prospered on the money bubble, more than doubling his stack to take the chip lead with 920,000.

For the record, the bubble burst around 11:30 pm, in line with the predictions of TD Johnny Grooms.



Ryan Hughes finished Day 3 as the chipleader with 1,014,000 -- triple the average stack of 338,000. The next closest stack belongs to Alexander Kuzmin (780,500).



Day 4 begins tomorrow (Wednesday) at 1:00 pm CT. Return to WorldPokerTour.com for continuing live coverage, including hand updates, frequent chip counts, video interviews with Kimberly Lansing, and the daily recap show starring Jessica Welman and BJ Nemeth.

Day 4 Seating Assignments

Level 18: 3,000-6,000, 1,000 ante

Day 3 Ends with 19 Players; Day 4 Starts at 1pm Wednesday

Level 18: 3,000-6,000, 1,000 ante

The final 19 players have bagged and tagged their chips and Day 3 is in the books.  

Ryan Hughes ended the day with 1,014,000 and will have the chip lead when Day 4 begins.  He is the only player to cross the million-chip mark and there is a bit of distance between him and his next closest competitor, Alexander Kuzmin, who has 780,500.

Both Southern Poker Champions Allen Carter and Hoyt Corkins are both still alive and in the money.  Carter is above average with 530,000, while Corkins is sitting a little below average with 258,000.

Because play went a little later than scheduled tonight, the Day 4 start time has been pushed back to 1pm.  The final two tables will also be playing down to the televised final table in a different venue.  The event remains in the Beau Rivage Convention Center, but the action will take place in the Camillia B room, rather than the large tournament area.

All of the official chip counts have been updated on the chip count page.  Here are the top ten chip counts headed into Day 4 of play:

1. Ryan Hughes - 1,014,000
2. Alexander Kuzmin - 780,500
3. Shannon Shorr - 593,000
4. Allen Carter - 530,000
5. Otis Wright - 476,000
6. Bobby Keller - 432,000
7. Vitor Coelho - 338,000
8. Patrick Mahoney - 286,500
9. Dermot Blain - 283,500
10. Hilbert Shirey - 273,000

Yuval Bronshtein Eliminated in 21st Place; Andrew Batkin in 20th Place ($18,868)

Level 17: 2,500-5,000, 500 ante

Yuval Bronshtein was just eliminated in 21st place by Shannon Shorr and Andrew Batkin was eliminated in 20th place by Allen Carter when his 98 failed to improve against Carter's pocket tens.

Both players earn $18,868.

Shannon Shorr - 535,000
Allen Carter - 540,000

Yuval Bronshtein - Eliminated in 21st place ($18,868)
Andrew Batkin - Eliminated in 20th place  ($18,868)

Bobby Keller Doubles Thru Hoyt Corkins

Level 17: 2,500-5,000, 500 ante

A series of bets and raises result in Hoyt Corkins and Bobby Keller getting it all-in for Keller's 230,000-chip stack.  Corkins holds 88 for a pair and an open-ended straight draw, while Keller holds J9 for top pair.  

The turn is the 3 and the river the 4 and Keller's nine is enough to give him the pot and the double up.

Bobby Keller - 488,000 (98 BBs)
Hoyt Corkins - 372,000 (74 BBs)

Patrick Mahoney Doubles Thru Otis Wright

Level 17: 2,500-5,000, 500 ante

Patrick Mahoney raises to 11,000 from under the gun and Otis Wright calls out of the small blind.  The flop comes down KQ9 and the two proceed to get all the chips in the middle with Mahoney's tournament life at stake.

Mahoney shows 99 for a set of nines and Wright needs help with his AK for top pair.  The turn brings the 5 and the river the 3 and the three nines hold to double Mahoney up.

Patrick Mahoney - 280,000 (56 BBs)
Otis Wright - 520,000 (104 BBs)

Lee Markholt Eliminated in 22nd Place ($18,868)

Level 17: 2,500-5,000, 500 ante

Lee Markholt opens for 12,000 from middle position, BJ McBrayer moves all in for 150,500 from the big blind and Markholt calls all in (he is covered).

McBrayer has AK agsinst Markholt's 1010.

The board comes AQ9K4, giving McBrayer top two pair. Markholt is eliminated in 22nd place ($18,868) while McBrayer moves up to 292,000.

BJ McBrayer - 292,000
Lee Markholt - Eliminated in 22nd place ($18,868)

Ryan Hughes vs Yuval Bronshtein

Level 17: 2,500-5,000, 500 ante

After a flop of AJ2, Ryan Hughes checks from late position, Yuval Bronshtein bets 38,000 from the button, and Hughes calls. The turn card pairs the board with the A, and Hughes checks again. Bronshtein moves all in, and Hughes folds. Bronshtein takes the pot.

Yuval Bronshtein  -  250,000  (50 BBs)
Ryan Hughes  -  895,000  (179 BBs)

Patrick Mahoney's Not the Worst

Level 17: 2,500-5,000, 500 ante

Yuval Bronshtein Shoves

Level 17: 2,500-5,000, 500 ante

Shannon Shorr raises from under the gun and Yuval Bronshtein defends out of hte big blind.  Bronshtein checks the 874 flop and Shorr bets 16,000.

Bronshtein then check-raises all-in for an additional 101,500, which sends Shorr into the tank.  He thinks for a couple of minutes before folding, giving Bronshtein the pot.

Yuval Bronshtein - 155,000 (31 BBs)
Shannon Shorr - 317,500 (64 BBs)