Sitting on the Rail with Nam Le

Level 28: 25,000-50,000, 5,000 ante

Hands #1-4: Brandon Cantu Wins 17 Pots in a Row ... and Counting

Level 28: 25,000-50,000, 5,000 ante

There is more than an hour and a half left in Level 20, with blinds at 4,000-8,000 and a 1,000 ante. Hand 1: J.C. Tran raises from the button to 22,000, and Brandon Cantu calls from the big blind. The flop comes Q75, and both players check. The turn card pairs the board with the Q, Cantu bets 15,000, and Tran calls. The river card trips the board with the Q, Cantu bets 30,000, and Tran calls. Cantu shows 54 for a full house, queens full of fives, and Tran mucks. Brandon Cantu wins the pot. Brandon Cantu has won the last 14 pots in a row. Hand 2: J.C. Tran raises from the cutoff to 25,000, Brandon Cantu moves all in from the small blind, and Tran folds. Brandon Cantu takes the pot. Brandon Cantu has won the last 15 pots in a row. Hand 3: Brandon Cantu raises from the button to 30,000, winning the blinds and antes. Brandon Cantu has won the last 16 pots in a row. Hand 4: Brandon Cantu raises from the cutoff to 30,000, and Steve Sung calls from the button. The flop comes Q103, Cantu bets 50,000, and Sung folds. Brandon Cantu takes the pot. Brandon Cantu has won the last 17 pots in a row.

Final Seven Players

Level 28: 25,000-50,000, 5,000 ante

The final seven players consolidate at one table, and play will continue until one more player busts. 1. Noah Jefferson - 790,000 2. J.C. Tran - 269,000 3. John Phan - 420,000 4. Brandon Cantu - 2,679,000 5. Steve Sung - 565,000 6. Jen Harman - 737,000 7. Mike Baker - 2,060,000 Our hand-for-hand coverage will now reset with the first hand at this new table.

Table 1: Hands 108 - 113 - David Tran Eliminated in 8th Place ($68,000)

Level 28: 25,000-50,000, 5,000 ante

Brandon Cantu continues to dominate his table right now. He wins every hand in this post as well, and runs his streak of victorious hands to 13 in a row! Hand 108: Cantu raises to 30,000 and Sung reraises to 80,000. Cantu re-raises all in and Sung folds. Hand 109: Harman raises to 18,000, Cantu calls, and the flop rolls out Q52. Harman bets 32,000 and Cantu raises to 100,000. Harman folds. Hand 110: All four players limp and the flop brings 853. Harman bets 17,000 and Tran calls. Cantu raises to 103,000 and everyone folds. Hand 111: Cantu raises to 30,000 and everyone folds. Hand 112: Cantu raises to 30,000 again and everyone folds. Hand 113: Cantu and Tran limp to a flop of KJ9. Tran moves all in and Cantu makes the call. Cantu holds Q10 for a flopped straight to Tran's K6. The turn and river fall AQ. Tran is eliminated in 8th place, and he will take home $68,000. Cantu is now the chip leader heading into the final seven, and he has over 2.5 million.

Table 2: Hands #79-81

Level 28: 25,000-50,000, 5,000 ante

The blinds are still at 4,000-8,000, with a 1,000 ante. Hand 79: John Phan raises from the button to 21,000, and Mike Baker calls from the small blind. The flop comes K74, Baker checks, Phan bets 22,000, and Baker calls. The turn card is the A, Baker checks, Phan bets 50,000, and Baker folds. John Phan takes the pot. Hand 80: John Phan raises under the gun to 24,000, winning the blinds and antes. Hand 81: Mike Baker raises under the gun to 26,000, and John Phan calls from the big blind. The flop comes QJ7, Phan checks, Baker bets 50,000, and Phan calls. The turn card is the 9, and both players check. The river card is the 4, Phan bets 100,000, and Baker calls. Phan shows KQ for a pair of queens and a busted flush draw, and Baker shows Q9 for two pair, queens and nines. Mike Baker wins the pot.

Table 2: Hands #71-78

Level 28: 25,000-50,000, 5,000 ante

The blinds have increased to 4,000-8,000, with a 1,000 ante. Hand 71: John Phan raises from the button to 25,000, winning the blinds and antes. Hand 72: John Phan raises under the gun to 25,000, winning the blinds and antes. Hand 73: J.C. Tran completes from the small blind to 8,000, and John Phan checks his option in the big blind. The flop comes 984, J.C. Tran checks, Phan bets 8,000, and J.C. Tran calls. The turn card is the J, and both players check. The river card pairs the board with the 9, J.C. Tran bets 20,000, and Phan calls. J.C. Tran shows AJ for two pair, jacks and nines, and Phan mucks. J.C. Tran wins the pot. Hand 74: John Phan completes from the small blind to 8,000, and Mike Baker checks his option. They both check all the way down on a board of AK943. Baker shows 43 to win the pot with two pair, fours and threes, and Phan mucks. Hand 75: J.C. Tran raises under the gun to 23,000, John Phan calls from the button, and Mike Baker calls from the small blind. The flop comes QJ4, Baker checks, J.C. Tran bets 45,000, Phan folds, Baker raises to 145,000, and J.C. Tran folds. Mike Baker takes the pot. Hand 76: Noah Jefferson completes from the small blind to 8,000, and J.C. Tran checks his option in the big blind. The flop comes K82, Jefferson checks, J.C. Tran bets 10,000, and Jefferson folds. J.C. Tran takes the pot. Hand 77: Noah Jefferson raises from the button to 21,000, winning the blinds and antes. Hand 78: John Phan raises from the small blind to 24,000, winning the blinds and antes.

Table 1: Brandon Cantu Owns The Table in Hands 102-107

Level 28: 25,000-50,000, 5,000 ante

102. Brandon Cantu continues his dominance by raising to 30,000 and taking the blinds. 103. Again Cantu raises to 30,000 and everyone obediently folds. 104. Once more, with feeling, Cantu raises to 30,000 and takes the blinds and antes. 105. David Tran completes from the small blind and Cantu checks his option. The flop comes 655 and Cantu bets 15,000 to win yet again. 106. David Tran raises to 30,000 on the button and Cantu reraises to 100,000 which is good enough to win the pot... again. 107. David Tran raises to 30,000 and Cantu calls on the button. The flop comes Q53 and Tran bets 45,000. Cantu calls and the turn is the 8. Both players check to the river, which is the A. Tran bets 100,000 and Cantu quickly calls, turning over 65 for fourth pair. Tran takes a peek back at his K-7 off-suit and mucks his cards. Six hands in a row for Cantu, and he's creeping towards 3 million in chips.

Blinds Increase

Level 28: 25,000-50,000, 5,000 ante

The players return from break to Level 20, with increased blinds of 4,000-8,000 and a 1,000 ante.

Table 2: Official Chip Counts

Level 28: 25,000-50,000, 5,000 ante

Here are the official chip counts from the break for Table 2: TABLE 2 1. Noah Jefferson - 710,000 2. 3. 4. J.C. Tran - 289,000 5. John Phan - 593,000 6. Mike Baker - 1,897,000

Table 1: Official Chip Counts

Level 28: 25,000-50,000, 5,000 ante

Here are the official chip counts from the break for table 1: David Tran - 386,000 Brandon Cantu - 2,285,000 Steve Sung - 508,000 Jennifer Harman - 873,000