17:07:58
‘WPT WPO Championship’
Level 13: (1000/2000/300)
Total Entries: 1,312
Players Remaining: 374
Park thinks it through, while Burnitz, foreground, passes the time with a little Lord of the Rings on his tablet.
Experienced players are still a little superstitious – they don’t want to talk bout Day 3, never mind reaching the final table. Still, getting- and staying- above average is worth celebrating in the long middle period of a giant multi-table tournament.
“I’ve been at eight big blinds four times,” commented Mathew Burnitz on table 5.
He’d just finished taking out the creative Daniel Park, who was unfortunately short stacked.
Burnitz had opened under the gun to 3400 at 800/1600, and the action nearly all the way around to Park in the small. He took a lot of time. With just over 35,000, it would be a big shove, but a raise would also leave him in a very dicey spot. Park settled on a raise to 11,000 – if he felt he had anything, it would be go time, assuming Burnett found a call with his early position holding.
They did see a flop and it was not terribly favorable for any big aces – {7c}{5c}{6d}. Park checked, and Burnett bet 13,200. With 25,000 left, this was it for Park.
Interestingly, he folded, saving himself exactly a reshove stack – he had likely plotted this the moment he made the three bet.
In the next hand, Joey Weissman opened from late position, and Park took what he though was the spot. He gathered together his chips and put them in the center – all in, no re-entries left, with a suited ace rag.
Park was right about Weissman, who would fold his open, but once again Burnitz had him, waking up with queens in the big, flopping a set, and sending Park to the rail.
Two spots, but nothing doing for Daniel Park.
Then it was Weissman’s turn, finding a three bet against an under the gun Mark Bailey. The two saw a flop of {6d}{10h}{4h}. Bailey took a stand, check shoving over Weissman’s cbet. Joey snap-mucked and Bailey revealed a brave play with {8x}{8x}
Bailey and Weissman – his three bet in front of him – battle. That’s Jennifer So in between.
His great decision on the flop keeps Bailey in it.
All of the openings at this table had been to 3400, but in the next hand, Jennifer So chose a slightly larger 3600 – maybe that’s why she got the bet through and picked up needed blinds and antes.
Then, Burnitz struck again, three betting Weissman, who took a bit of the worst of it for this stretch of hand. Burnitz took it down.
Having been short so often, Burnitz is looking sharp at well over 100,000. So has 60,000, Weissman above average at 90,00, and Bailey treading water at 65,000.
Level 12 was good Burnitz, who did a lot of this.
After a short break, we resume.