Michael Gracz Out in 29th ($25,339); Vanessa Rousso vs. Luis Velador

Level 18: 5,000-10,000, 1,000 ante

Luis Velador raises under the gun to 29,000, Vanessa Rousso reraises from the cutoff to 90,000, and Michael Gracz moves all in from the small blind for 151,000. Velador calls, and Rousso tanks for a while before she calls. Any further betting will create a side pot between Velador and Rousso.

The flop comes 732, and Velador moves all in, covering Rousso. Rousso is visibly frustrated, and says, "This is the sickest flop ever. This makes it so hard. Why wouldn't you reraise?"

Velador says nothing, and Rousso remains in the tank. She looks around at the table and says, "Nobody envies my position right now. This is so hard."

Michael Gracz, who was all in preflop, casually stands behind his chair playing with a slinky-like toy wrapped around his finger like he doesn't have a care in the world. It's hard to tell if he's confident in his hand, or whether he's accepted his fate that he's an underdog based on all this post-flop maneuvering over a dry side pot.

Rousso tanks a little bit longer, and Velador takes a drink from his bottle of water. Rousso smiles and says, "Normally, when you sip your water, I'd instacall." It's clear that she's not doing that here.

It's only about three minutes of tank-time before Rousso tells the table, "Sorry. You guys can call the clock on me if you want." Ted Lawson says, "We're not gonna call time on you, darlin'." But as he says this, a player on the other side of the table calls for the clock.

After about 30 seconds of countdown, Rousso folds. Gracz says, "I hope you don't have aces," and he turns over KK. Velador shows QQ, and Rousso lets out a big sigh of relief. Lawson asks, "Jacks?" Rousso doesn't confirm it, but she smiles a bit at that suggestion.

The dealer completes the board, and it comes out 7329Q -- Velador rivers a set of queens to eliminate Michael Gracz in 29th place.

As Velador stacks the pot worth nearly half a million in chips, Rousso says to him, "You played that really well. Really well. You almost got my call." Lawson says, "I knew when you drank your water, it meant you had it." 

Velador just shrugs and says, "I got lucky."

Luis Velador  -  1,145,000
Vanessa Rousso  -  320,000
Michael Gracz  -  Out in 29th Place ($25,339)


Photo:  Doug Lee (center) watches as Vanessa Rousso (left) contemplates how to handle the preflop four-bet all in of Michael Gracz (right) and the flat call of Luis Velador (not pictured).