Justin Pechie raises to $36,000 preflop and is joined in the pot by Cory Carroll before David "The Dragon" Pham moves all-in for his last $35,000. The flop comes J 9 2 and Pechie moves all-in. Carroll thinks things through before laying his hand down, and Pechie shows K K to the Dragon's A 2. The board finishes out 4 K and that's the end of David Pham, who hits the bricks in sixth place for $81,840.

We have now eliminated our three biggest name pros from this event, leaving a motley collection behind to contest for the half-million dollar first prize.

David Pham makes it $34,000 to go from under the gun and Eric Davis makes the call in the small blind. The flop comes J 8 2 and both players check to see the turn card come the 4. Davis bets out $95,000 and the Dragon makes the call. The river is the 9 and Davis bets out a cool $200,000. Pham tanks for about five minutes but makes the call, and Davis shows pocket jacks for a set. Pham mucks his cards and Davis celebrates with an exuberance matched only by the flamboyance of his Dolce shades. Pham is down to his last $37,000.

The break is over and the cards are back in the air from the tournament room at Caesars Palace. Stay tuned for more live updates.

We've reached the end of the first level of play and will take a fifteen minute break to regroup. We strongly suggest you do the same.

In a shocking turn of events, Steve Wong has been eliminated from the final table. His final hand sees him get into a dust-up with Vasile Buboi that begins when Buboi raises to $31,000 under the gun and Wong re-raises to $91,000 from the button, leaving himself with $171,000 behind. The flop comes J 7 6 and Buboi checks to Wong, who immediately moves all-in for his last $171,000. Buboi insta-calls with the bigger stack and shows pocket tens to Wong's A K. The board finishes out Q 7, and Steve Wong has been eliminated in seventh place. He'll take home $65,184, no doubt a disappointing finish for the man who came into the day second in chips.

Cory Carroll raises to $26,000 and Michelle Law bumps it to $66,000. Carroll moves all-in and Law calls with the shorter stack, showing A T to Carroll's pocket nines. The board comes 7 3 2 8 3 and Michelle Law has been eliminated in eighth place. She'll take home $48,888.

Eric Davis limps in from the hijack and Steve Wong bumps it to $68,000 from the cut-off. Davis makes the call and the flop comes T 8 3. Davis checks to Wong, who bets out $68,000. After a moment's pause, Davis, visibly shaking, raises to $140,000, leaving himself with only $53,000 behind. Wong simply calls and the turn is the 8, prompting an immediate all-in shove from Davis and a call from Wong, who turns up K Q for king-high compared to Davis' monster 3 3 for threes-full. Wong is drawing dead, but the river is an emphatic 3 to give Davis quads and double him through Steve Wong.

We have our first elimination of the day and it's Chad Brown heading to the rails in ninth place. Chad raised to $25,000 from under the gun plus one and was re-raised to $75,000 by Vasile Buboi who was next to act. It was folded back around to Brown and after a bit of thought he moves all-in.

It's only about $23,000 back to Buboi and he quickly calls. Pocket eights for Chad are way behind Vasile's pocket nines going to the flop. The dealer turns over 8 5 K, giving Chad the set and putting him in the lead, but the 9 on the turn puts them right back where they started. The river is the A and Chad is out, taking $32,592 with him.

Cory Carroll raises to $26,000 from middle position and is called by David "The Dragon" Pham in the small blind. The flop comes 6 5 3 and the Dragon checks to Carroll, who bets $52,000. Pham makes the call and the turn is the 8. Again the Dragon checks, and Carroll makes it $72,000 to go. Pham flat-calls again and the river is the 9, prompting a $52,000 wager from the Dragon and, after a few minutes of thought, a call from Carroll. "Two tens," says Pham, showing T T, but Carroll has A 7 for the straight and he takes the pot.

Justin Pechie raises to $22,000 from the hijack and Halifax, Nova Scotia's Cory Carroll makes it $62,000 from the cut-off. Action folds back around to Pechie and he lays it down, giving the chipleader a few more chips to stack.