Running the Tahoe Table: WSOPC Day 2

It took an almost 12-hour day on the Harvey's felt to get there, but we have ourselves a dandy of a final table here at WSOPC Tahoe.

We started with 55 hopefuls Saturday, and it wouldn't take long before the stampede to the exits began.

Dupo Donkey Tim Vance was among the short stacks to shove early and exit, but he was followed up by a herd that included 2007 WSOPC final tablist Mark Bonsack.

WSOP Main Event finalist Aaron Kanter hit the bricks before long, and 2007 WSOP bracelet winner Robert Cheung was among the notables to go with him before the final table was even in sight.

Things began to really take shape as the 19th-place cash money bubble approached and two hours of street-for-street play began on the final three tables.

Unfortunately for a short-stacked Kathy "Purple Is My Best Color" Liebert, her nines were outdrawn by start-of-day chip leader Chris Dombrowski to make the bubble boy a bubble gal - the last one standing, for those of you keeping score at home.

Cooper pucked.

With 18 left, they hit the buffet, but returned to yet another stampede toward the door.

Short stacks Glenn Uchibori and Drew Marks said goodbye, and suddenly, after losing a big pot to Super Nit Allen Kessler, Dombrowski was all-in with jacks against Tahoe God Travis Erdman's A-K. A king in the window ended his Tahoe dreams.

Michael Cooper had a big stack partway through the day, but couldn't hold on, dropping out 15th.

Emilio Porcalla ran A-K into AA and found out that's not a good idea, taking 14th. Although he doubled through Scott Clements with pocket rockets, "Raiser" Rick Troendly spewed his chances away next.

Preston Derden gave away a huge chunk of chips to Michael Binger when Binger nailed an open-ender on the end and was gone soon after, sending it 11-handed.

Bigger than Jesus.

The poker gods took Jesus next, ending an impressive run in defense of his 2007 WSOPC Tahoe crown. It looked like Chris Ferguson needed to double to get through and shoved with A-J into the dominating A-Q held by Mike McClain.

The Team Full Tilt pro couldn't suck out on the way to breaking his own WSOPC title record with a fourth and they went down to one table.

Then it took just one hand 10-handed to set the final table, with Ty Stewart taking care of Jason Sanders in short order, hitting his kicker with a weak ace against Sanders' threes.

Just after 11:30 p.m. Tahoe time we had reached the final table and it's clearly a good one.

When things get rolling tomorrow Sunday after 1 p.m. PST, 2006 Main Event third-place finisher Binger will come in as the big stack on $403,500 looking to add to his $5.6 million  in career earnings thanks to that massive pot with Derden and a few well-played hands later on.

One serious boss.

The young gun about $100k behind him is Jake Solis, who has already final-tabled a WPT prelim in San Jose and cashed in a 2008 WSOP event in his short career.

WSOP Main Event junkies should be more than familiar with the man just $20k behind Jake. Mike McClain made the Main Event final table the year Greg Raymer won, finishing ninth, and has been featured prominently in the World Series promos, with Norman Chad blurting out something about the "agony of defeat" thereafter.

Ty Stewart went from zero to hero on the bubble, making at least one sick call with ace-high after sucking out a double-up, and he'll have $275k with which to try and get rich quick.

It's starting to seem like it wouldn't be a final table at the WSOPC Tahoe Main event without the newly nicknamed "Tahoe" Travis Erdman, considering he's made the last two. He'll start his incredible third straight final here, looking to better a fifth- and a ninth-place finish by finally getting it done with $224k.

No knitting needles required.

Next up, someone whose bad beat laments often fill the pages of PokerListings.com's Live Tournaments section along the tournament road, as the man with the tightest image in poker regularly airs them along media row.

This time it was different for Allen Kessler, though. This time it looked like he had enough chips to take the beats when they came after it appeared he'd suddenly loosened the range a little and played a few pots. But then just as suddenly, he found himself on the brink of disaster again.

He got his last $80k in pre-flop holding pocket kings against Dombrowsi's pocket eights on the bubble, and the kid flopped a set.

A second look gave The Chainsaw the redraw, with three spades out there and one of his cowboys looking very similar. The spade came, the river brought a fifth and Kessler was on his way to the final table. He'll bring $196,500 and a pair of knitting needles with him when it gets going.

In it to Nguyen it.

Then, of course, there's the required Nguyen. We can't really have a poker tournament without someone named Nguyen, and this time it'll be Tay. He'll have $132,000 with which to try and make a different name for himself.

Bill Bostick made the H.O.R.S.E. prelim final table here a few days ago and will come in on around $100k. Two-time WSOP Bracelet winner and 2007 WPT Niagara champ Scott Clements is the shortie, with 12 big blinds at $2,500/$5000 coming in.

A new WSOPC Tahoe champion will emerge from this bunch tomorrow, and PL.com will be around to document it all. Be here by 1 p.m. PST to catch it all. Last one here buys the beer.