Richard Bai opened for 15,000 in early position and Matt Waxman moved all-in on the button for 125,000.
Bai called, and the duo was off to their draw.
Bai drew two, while Waxman took three.
Neither player improved on their initial holdings as Bai showed two kings, while Waxman showed a losing pair of queens to eliminate Waxman from the tournament.
At an adjacent table, Max Pescatori has also been eliminated.
NLFCD & NL 2-7 SD:
Ante 12000 Small Blind 4000 Big Blind 8000
PLO, PLO8, Big O, PL 2-7 TD:
Ante 6000 Small Blind 3000 Big Blind 6000
No-Limit Hold'em:
Ante 9000 Small Blind 3000 Big Blind 6000
Richard Bai opened the action with a raise to 15,000 from the button, which was met with a call by Amnon Filippi in the small blind, then a raise to 60,000 from John Racener in the big blind. Bai folded and Fiippi called.
On the first draw, Filippi took two cards, while Racener took one. Filippi then called a 140,000 chip bet from Racener, and they each drew one.
Following that draw, Filippi shoved all-in for Racener's final 97,000 chips, and Racener called.
Both players drew one and got the card they were looking for as each drew a .
The problem for Racener was that Filippi's slid into , giving him a wheel, while Racener could only make to eliminate him from the tournament.
Meanwhile, at other tables, Stuart Rutter and Dominik Baud were also eliminated, dropping the field to 22 players.
In 2005, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) relocated to the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. That year, Australia’s Joe Hachem topped a 5,619-entry field to win the $10,000 Main Event for $7.5 million, which sparked a poker boom in his home country.
Now, 16 years later in what’s rumored to be the WSOP’s last year at the Rio, 35-year-old Sean Ragozzini is seeking to follow in his fellow countryman’s footstep.
"I just learned with friends. I think it was after Moneymaker, especially in Australia after Hachem won it,” Ragozzini told PokerNews. “A lot of guys my age, I guess I was 18 or 19 at the time, got involved and started playing home games. I kind of had a knack for the strategy part of it. I enjoyed it and it was fun taking money off my friends.”
Ragozzini, who has dual citizenship in the United Kingdom, qualified for the 2021 WSOP Main Event online at GGPoker via a $1,000 satellite. With just two tables remaining in the tournament, Ragozzini is guaranteed a nice six-figure score with a good shot at millions.
Heater Continues
“Not a real job, just play a lot of poker,” Ragozzini told PokerNews when asked what he does. “I play a bit of both live and online.”
According to The Hendon Mob, Ragozzini had $576,448 in lifetime earnings before the 2021 WSOP. Back in May, he won the WPTDeepStacks Gold Coast A$5,000 Challenge for $108,790, and just a few days later he won the A$3,000 Quartetly Poker Championship Gold Coast for $53,769, which he chopped with his good friend Vincent Huang. Those scores came two years after he took down the 2019 Star Sydney Champs A$20,000 High Roller for a previous career-best $153,826.
“I’ve probably taken it more serious the last few years, have had some good results, can’t complain,” Ragozzini said when asked about his recent success.
If Ragozzini continues to make a run for the bracelet, he’ll be cheered on by both family and friends.
“I’ve got a few friends, about five or six guys, who are playing a lot as well. We kind of came together, it’s been good,” said Ragozzini, who said he is single but has half a dozen nieces and nephews.
Only time will tell if cheers of “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi!” ring throughout the Main Event once again, and if Australian victories can bookend the Rio era of the World Series of Poker.
Jordan Siegel limped in the small blind and got raised to 20,000 by Marcel Vonk. Siegel called and drew one, while Vonk took two cards.
After the draw, Siegel checked to Vonk, who bet 25,000. After some deliberation, Siegel called to see Vonk turn over for quad sevens to win the pot, and get over 200,000 chips after being very short-stacked on the bubble.
With a huge pot already built by the second draw, Yuri Dzivielevski patted and Anthony Riberio drew one.
Dzivielevski checked, and Ribeiro bet 90,000. Dzivielevski check-raised all-in for 300,000 more. After a few minutes of thought, Ribeiro called, and an almost 900,000 chip pot was about to be decided.
Both players stood pat, and Dzivielevski showed , which was pipped by Ribeiro's to win the massive pot and take the chip lead into the break.
NLFCD & NL 2-7 SD:
Ante 15000 Small Blind 5000 Big Blind 10000
PLO, PLO8, Big O, PL 2-7 TD:
Ante 8000 Small Blind 4000 Big Blind 8000
No-Limit Hold'em:
Ante 12000 Small Blind 4000 Big Blind 8000