Event 29, Seven Card Razz - Live Updates

This heads-up match is over and Team PokerStars member Katja Thater is champion! Holding a decisive chip lead for the entirety of the heads-up match, she played a tight game, waiting for one hand to get all St. Jean's chips in the middle.

That hand came when Katja bet out showing the 9♦. Larry made the call with the T♣ and both players saw the next street. This time St. Jean took the lead, betting out after receiving the 5♠. Katja made the call holding the 3♦.

Katja bet out after getting the 5♣ on fifth street. St. Jean called with the 7♣. Katja led out again when she got the 3♥ on sixth street and was raised by St Jean who had been dealt the 8♣. She made the call after a bit of thought and both players saw the river. Katja bet out once again and St. Jean called for the rest of his chips.

Katja turned over her hole cards for a final board of (8♥ 2♠ 4♥)-9♦ 3♦ 5♣ 3♥, making 2-3-4-5-8. St. jean rolled his holdings and showed (2-4-5)-T♣ 5♠ 7♣ 8♣, making a worse (higher) eight low of 2-4-5-7-8.

With that hand Katja Thater has taken down her first bracelet and $132,653 while Larry St. Jean receives $73,311 for his runner-up finish.

So-Longson

O'Neil Longson doubled through Katja Thater only to be busted by the Razz viscountess a few hands later. O'Neil showed a 2, bet the coming 5-8 and called all-in with an 8, with Katja showing Q-4-7-5. 

O'Neil flipped up K-3 and was dealt a J; and Katja ended up with 3-2-K in the hole, to take O'Neil out in third place with $46,547. 

Eskimo Iced

Looking irritable, Paul Clark got all his chips in showing K-7-2-5 to Katja Thater's 5-Q-T-4. King-high wasn't quite good enough to take Thater, and Clark is out in fourth place with $31,186 to show for his trouble. Katja has a commanding lead.

Back to More Razzhands

We can never say Razzhands too many times. Oh, wait -- that was one too many; but it's back, and it proves to be show-stopping, as Katja Thater moves slowly toward the year's first lady's bracelet in a mixed event. 

Break Time

The Razz waits for no man -- but for Katja Thater, it's willing to take a little break. Back at 8:15, so don't be late. This girl is playig uber-Razz.

The Thater Show

In the last hand before break, Katja moved into the chip lead in a heads-up play with Paul Clark. Katja made an eight-low to best the Eskimo, to applause and cheers from the largely German crowd.

Jan von Halle has moved from standing by the rail to swinging his legs from it, shouting encouragements like "It's not over yet!" to his hard-working wife's laments on her roller-coaster ride so far.

Paul Clark received a brief and rather unrelaxing-looking massage from a man in a grey hoody with a tattoo. The ways of the Eskimo people are mysterious to us.

Axel Axed

Denny Axel is the kind of a player who leaves a lasting impression. Ask any one of the players, staff or spectators watching this event what happened to him and you receive blank stares; but the fact remains: Axel is out in fifth place with $24,204 to buy sequined shirts and platform shoes.

Vos Tossed

With chipstack dwindling -- or was it chapstick... no, definitely chipstack -- Mark Vos put his money in the middle in a three-way hand involving Paul Clark and O'Neal Longson. Mark got the worst of it and is out fifth with $24,204 worth of respect for his elders. 

Eskimo's Fortress of Solitude

Players decided to take a short break, and tournament staff are agreeable. A survey of the chips reveals Paul Clark has a fairly commanding lead, with around $360,000. The man is a Razz machine. With a crazyman beard.

It Went a Little Something Like...

Finally we have more than Katja Thater's questionable memory of events to go on -- her double-elimination of Men "The Master" Nguyen and Thomas Daubert went something like:

Katja holding (2-5)K-9-8-7(7), Men holding (A-2)4-9-J-T(K), Thomas with (A-8)7-8-6-9(A). Men completed, Daubert moved all-in, Katja re-raised and Men called with the rest of his chips. Darth Thater dispatched her foes like they were midget ewoks. Exactly like that.

Thomas took home $10,473 for his eighth-place finish, while Men banked $14,197.  

Kat Walk

Katja Thater just eliminated Men "The Master" Nguyen and Thomas Daubert in one fell swoop. Her husband, Jan von Halle, hanging over the rail to scrutinize the action, tried to get some details from her.

"You had what, a king high?"

"Ya, I think so."

"And something like, 5-2 in the hole?"

"... I believe so."

So there you have it -- exclusive details from those deep in the action. Katja takes herself up near the $200,000 mark with this move, making her a serious threat for first woman to take a mixed-gender event. We mean poker, potty-brain.

Chippy McChipperson Chips Up

That's right, our new -- and immediately scrapped -- mascot, scrappy Irish clay chip Chippy McChippserson chips up one last time, courtesy of the officials at www.worldseriesofpoker.com

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Razz Buries You

With action, starting now. The cards are everywhere, brows they are a-furrowed and the Razz, it is fantazz. And lo, on the 19th day they said: let there be Razz!

Final Table Time - The 29th event of the WSOP has been rescheduled to become a three-day event, after a combination of Eskimo Clark and lower attrition rates than normal resulted in a final table of eight souls not being established until early yesterday morning. The remaining survivors, including a battered but not broken Eskimo Clark, Men "The Master" Nguyen, Mark Vos and Katja Thater. Action resumes at 3 p.m. and PokerListings.com will have all the gory details. Stay tuned!