The PokerListings Daily 3-Bet is an 11 pm reso, a private wine bar and a 10-course tasting menu that changes your outlook on afternoon poker news cuisine.
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Today in the 3-Bet we find the continued resurgence of Bertrand Grospellier, Phil misses a third One Drop final table and Andre Akkari has an epic day.
1) ElkY Crushing One Drop
There was a time during Bertrand 'ElkY' Grospellier's heyday from 2007-2009 where it felt like he was going to win every tournament he played - much like Fedor Holz now.
He didn't, of course, but he raked enough huge scores - including $2m in the PCA Main Event - to keep flush well into the next decade.
Fast forward to the now of that next decade and the revered PokerStars star hasn't won a major title since 2012 in Berlin.
He's still far away France's all-time money leader (by $4m over David Benyamine) but hasn't lifted a trophy in a while.
Deep runs at both PSC Monaco (12th) and PSC Sochi (13th) this year, though, were pretty great signs his game is locked in right now and he may just be on the brink of his greatest moment yet in the $111,111 WSOP One Drop High Roller.
Heading into the final 9 tomorrow ElkY has 16,825,000 in chips - twice as much as second-place Martin Jacobson (8,890,000).
With $3.68m up top it would be his biggest lifetime score and an emphatic statement that says he's still very worthy of that elite PokerStars patch.
His road isn't easy, of course, with Dario Sammartino, Doug Polk and Rainer Kempe, among others, in the way. But we believe. Watch it all happen on the PokerGO app starting at 2 pm today. Here's how they'll line-up.
1. Bertrand Grospellier 16,825,000
2. Martin Jacobson 8,890,000
3. Dario Sammartino 7,975,000
4. Chris Moore 7,600,000
5. Andrew Robl 6,670,000
6. Doug Polk 6,090,000
7. Rainer Kempe 5,760,000
8. Michael Kamran 3,470,000
9. Haralabos Voulgaris 2,865,000
2) Hellmuth Bubbles One Drop Final Table
Had things turned out differently in this hand on Day 1 of the $111k One Drop that first blurb may very well have been about Phil Hellmuth's new record as opposed to ElkY's dramatic surge.
What record is that? First player to make 3 One Drop final tables which, as Phil let his fans know, would have been history:
Had a chance to make some history. Played 4 @WSOP "One Drops" total, could have been first to make 3 final tables: needed 9th, finished 10th
— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) June 5, 2017After a long run near the top of the chip counts over the first two days Hellmuth finally hit the rail in 10th yesterday, his A4 running into the AK of Martin Jacobson to end his hopes for the record and bracelet #15 - at least for now.
His exodus was a little quieter than his Super High Roller Bowl demise but you can bet that #PHFlame is still burning hot under his trademark Aria hat.
Here's hoping for another deep run asap. The WSOP is just better with a Hellmuth bracelet chase.
3) Akkari Fills In at Oracle
While the Golden State Warriors' #1 poker-playing fan was tied up with trying to win bracelet #15, another famous poker pro was filling his seat at Oracle Arena (metaphorically, not literally).
Brazil's Andre Akkari had some nice seats of his own for Game 2 of the NBA finals last night and even doubled down on the celebrity dinner with pal Neymar Jr. and the Warriors' Draymond Green.
Dinner with legends neymarjr @money23green telgenovesi pedrovelasco29 @CrizinGuedes… https://t.co/R8drA2IaVu
— andre akkari (@aakkari) June 5, 2017PH, of course, would have dubbed it #PHNiceLife. Akkari put it a little differently:
Dia épico!
— andre akkari (@aakkari) June 5, 2017Visit www.pokerlistings.com