The final table members in Event #28: $1,500 2-7 Limit Lowball Triple Draw have bagged up for the night. They will return Friday and play for the $109,967 first prize and the WSOP gold bracelet.
Brendan Taylor (714,000) ended the day as the chip leader. He will lead the remaining players into the final table that restarts at 2 p.m. Taylor is the only player at the final table who has won a WSOP gold bracelet.
Right on his heels is Max Kruse. Kruse has become a fixture in the lowball fields at the WSOP with his best finish coming in 2014 when he finished third in the $1,500 No-limit 2-7 Lowball Draw tournament for $36,494. Four of Kruse’s six WSOP cashes have come in lowball games.
The former German football star will enter the day second in chips with 635,000 and a chance to jumpstart his already promising poker career with a WSOP bracelet.
So far it seems Kruse will have the loudest rail for Day 3. As play in Day 2 progressed a group of about 10 friends surrounded the final two tables and watched until the end of play, occasionally singing and chanting.
A potential wildcard in the field is Dean Kerl (190,000). He says he and his wife entered the tournament after a coin flip decided whether they would play Event #28 or cash games. So far it seems to have worked out, with Kerl recording his third WSOP cash and easily the biggest score of his WSOP career.
Jason Riesenberg (270,000), Rick Fuller (78,000), Brian Brubaker (549,000) round out the final table.
All the action from the final table of Event #28 will be right here on PokerNews.com.
Brian Brubaker raised in middle position and got calls from Max Kruse on his left and small blind Rob Mizrachi. Everyone took a pair of cards and checked. Mizrachi took one, while both Kruse and Brubaker drew two again, so Mizrachi bet. Brubaker folded but Kruse raised. Mizrachi put his remaining chips in and Kruse called.
Each player was pat and Kruse confidently announced an eight-six, rolling . Mizrachi simply winged his cards into the muck and headed for payouts, with the remaining players bagging for the final day and the official final table.
Rick Fuller raised first to act, and Kyle Miaso defended his big blind. Miaso took three and Fuller two. Miaso check-called. Miaso took two, Fuller one, and Miaso again check-called. Miaso took one card on the last draw, while Fuller was pat. Miaso verbalized a check, and Fuller bet. Miaso called off his last 10,000 or so.
Fuller rolled over , and Miaso mucked a nine-seven, wishing everyone good luck.
Oscar Johansson was eliminated after a series of hands that left him short and heads up against Dean Kerl.
He played a three-way hand against Brian Brubaker and Jason Riesenberg. Brubaker got dealt a pat eight and bet until the final draw, getting close to max value.
When Johansson was in the big blind, Kerl raised and he called. Johansson was drawing, but Kerl was pat the whole way.
Johansson drew three, then two, then one. Kerl showed a nine-six and Johansson was eliminated when he drew a pair of twos.
Mike Wattel got his last 11,000 in after losing a pot to Brendan Taylor where Taylor made a nine-perfect.
This hand Wattel was heads up and at risk against Max Kruse. Both players drew two on the first draw, one on the second draw, and one on the third draw.
Wattel was drawing with and paired his three. Kruse was drawing with and hit a queen to make .
Mark Roland bet after the second draw from the big blind, and Brendan Taylor raised from the button. Roland fired in another raise, and Taylor reraised to put him all in. Both players patted.
"I've got a number five," Roland said.
"I've got that beat," Taylor said with a slight shake of the head. He showed .
Roland fanned his eight-perfect on the felt and took his payout slip.
Helge Stjernvang (button), Brendan Taylor (small blind), and Jason Riesenberg (big blind) put in four bets apiece before the draw, and Taylor took two. Riesenberg took one and Stjernvang two. Riesenberg bet, Stjernvang called, and Taylor raised.
Two calls later, Taylor patted. Riesenberg took a card, and Stjernvang took two. Taylor bet, Riesenberg called, and Stjernvang called off his last few thousand. He was the only one drawing, as the other two were pat. Taylor bet, Riesenberg raised, and Taylor called but could not beat . Stjernvang had a chance, as he had . He turned over a , though, and the final 12 players will go to two tables now.
Ian Johns put his last 2,000 in from the cutoff, and the small blind called but folded to a raise from Mike Wattel.
Both players drew one on the first two, but Wattel made something, as he patted on the third. Johns broke a , and Wattel showed . Johns squeezed out what he said was a no-spotter, and it turned out to be an .