Hellmuth had a massive day in the $10k HORSE Championship, pushing his way up to fourth on the leaderboard with just 15 players remaining.
He’ll make a run for bracelet #13 today but will have to chase John Monnette, who leads the way and is also looking for his second bracelet at the 2012 WSOP.
Meanwhile in the $1,500 No-Limit event, former world champ Cada has survived a massive field to lead with 19 players left.
Hellmuth in Position for #13 in $10k HORSE, Ivey Alive
Just 15 players remain in Event 28, the $10k HORSE Championship with the one and only Phil Hellmuth the most prominent name on a list of prominent names.
Making his record 90th career WSOP cash, Hellmuth bagged up 571,000 chips to sit just off the lead in fourth heading into the final day and primed for another deep run.
The field ahead and behind him, though, are as elite as it gets in poker.
Multiple-bracelet winner John Monnette leads the pack with 825,000 and is hunting his third career bracelet.
David “Gunslinger” Bach, former $50 HORSE champion, is right behind with 645,000 while David “Bakes” Baker is third with 574,000.
Also still alive are Matt Waxman, John Hennigan, Dan Kelly, Scott Clements and a guy named Phil Ivey.
Ivey is somewhat short-stacked at 102,000, but always a threat if he gets an early doubleup.
Play picks up again at 2 pm and will get down to a winner tonight.
Check the recap from yesterday and follow the action live today in our WSOP coverage section.
The top 10 and chip counts:
1. John Monnette 825,0002. David Bach 645,0003. David “Bakes” Baker 574,0004. Phil Hellmuth 571,0005. Brandon Shack-Harris 500,0006. Matt Waxman 458,0007. Abe Mosseri 384,0008. John Hennigan 344,0009. Dan Kelly 243,00010. Scott Clements 229,000Former Champ Cada Leads $1,500 No-Limit
2009 WSOP Main Event champion Joe Cada showed he hasm't lost his mastery of fading massive fields as he’s done it again in Event 31, $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em.
Starting off among 2,811 entrants, Cada’s already outlasted most of the field in the last 48 hours and will come into the final day with the chip lead.
With just 19 players remaining, Cada has 1,869,000 in chips to just hold the edge on Michael Aron at 1,745,000.
Also making their way through the minefield and into the top 10 were former HPT Hostess Cherish Andrews with 1,383,000 and Carter Phillips with 586,000.
JC Tran, Tom Chambers and Dwyte Pilgrim also managed to survive to see Day 3.
Notables busting out just shy of the final 19 included Terrance Chan (grabbing his 7th cash of the 2012 WSOP), Soi Nguyen, James Akenhead and Erika Moutinho.
Play resumes at 1 pm at the Rio in Las Vegas and will play down to a winner. A substantial $664,130 is on the line for first place.
The top 10 and chip counts:
1. Joe Cada 1,869,000 2. Micahel Aron 1,745,000 3. Valentyn Shabelnyk 1,391,000 4. Cherish Andrews 1,383,000 5. Maximilian Lehmanski 908,000 6. Adam Kornuth 892,000 7. Carter Phillips 586,000 8. John Nelson 550,000 9. Jonathan Poche 491,000 10. Jim Kasputis Jr 457,000
Dennis Phillips Leads Seniors, Wright Scoops 2-7 Bracelet
Speaking of former members of the November Nine, Dennis Phillips has done his best Joe Cada imitation and outlasted almost all of the largest Seniors Event field ever.
The 4,128 runners who started the event have been pared down to just four with Phillips, member of the original 2008 N9, on top at 5,335,000.
Play was scheduled to go down to a winner yesterday but was postponed at four by agreement of the players.
Also still alive are Allyn Jaffrey Shulman, of the famed Shulman CardPlayer clan, veteran pro Hoyt Corkins and Bob Phelps.
Action will pick up at noon today and play to a winner, who will collect $603,173.
In the one Event that did make it down to a winner yesterday, Texas rancher Larry Wright outlasted pros Brandon Cantu, Andrew Lichtenberger, Michael Mizrachi and Erick Lindgren to win $101,975 and a gold bracelet in Event 30, $1,500 2-7 Draw Lowball.
Wright beat a field of 285 players to scoop his first-ever bracelet; more about his plans to use his earnings to help the Sudan here.
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