Nathanael Kogel raised to 1,500,000 in the hijack and Paul Fehlig jammed for 7,550,000 in the big blind. After debating for about three minutes Kogel asked, "Show if i show?" Fehlig agreed and Kogel tabled . Fehlig said, "Insanely good fold," As he tabled and the chips got sent his way.
On the Day 7 dinner break of the 2021 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, just 20 players remained from the 6,650-entry field. Each was guaranteed $241,800 in prize money, but each was aiming to claim the $8 million top prize and to etch their name in poker history.
Among the contenders was a trio of gold bracelet winners – Chance Kornuth, Mitchell Halverson, and Chase Bianchi. Of those, Bianchi found himself in the best position sitting fourth in chips with 28.7 million.
The 34-year-old married family man – he and his wife have two foster children aged five and seventeen months – previously won the 2016 WSOP Event #17: $1,000 NLH for $316,920, which comprises a big chunk of his $872,718 in lifetime earnings according to The Hendon Mob.
Main Event His Only Tournament
Bianchi currently lives just north of Boston but made the trip in Vegas to play just one tournament, this year’s $10,000 Main Event. No matter where he finishes, it will mark his first cash since December 2019.
Like many others, Bianchi is a product of the “Moneymaker Boom” when he learned to play with baseball teammates in the Seattle area.
“The junior varsity team,” Bianchi told PokerNews with a smile. “We’d get together and the moms would joke that I had a summer job because I’d always beat [the players] in their $5 and $10 buy-in poker games. This was the Chris Moneymaker era, like 2004.”
From there, Bianchi honed his game online. He still dabbles at the virtual felt, even doing some Twitch live streaming in the past, but nowadays he plays primarily live cash games when he can. His poker playing is limited these days after he got into software development.
For more on Bianchi, follow him on Twitter @Chase_Bianchi.
Zachary Donovan raised to 1,400,000 and both Lich Bui and David Moses came along in the blinds.
On the flop, Bui and Moses checked to Donovan and he continued for 1,500,000. Bui check-raised all-in for 9,000,000, forcing Moses out of the hand quickly and after some thought Donovan made the call.
Lich Bui:
Zachary Donovan:
Donovan was ahead with his queen-kicker and the was the turn, with nothing changing but the on the river gave both players a flush and Bui doubled through Donovan with the ace-high flush.
Joseph Liberta raised to 1,400,000 and the action folded around to Serhii Holodiuk and after about three minutes of tanking the clock was called. The floor gave him 30 seconds to act and as the clock hit one he made the call.
The flop came and Holodiuk checked to Liberta before he put in a bet of 3,000,000. Holodiuk went into the tank again, and after 30 seconds of thinking, the clock was called again. The floor ruled because it was for his tournament life he would get additional time. After another two minutes, he was counted down from 30 seconds once again. The clock struck zero and the hand was dead.
The floor made an announcement to the tournament that players will have to start acting in a more appropriate time maner.
The action folded around to Serhii Holodiuk in the hijack off and he put his last 700,000 in the middle. Timo Kamphues was next to act and ripped all-in, forcing the players to fold behind him.
Serhii Holodiuk:
Timo Kamphues:
Holodiuk had him dominated and the flop came , for neither player to improve. The on the turn gave Kamphues a straight and a flush draw and the made the nut flush. Holodiuk was eliminated in 13th place for $23,975.