With five eliminations in basically one level the final table of the WSOPC Harrah's New Orleans can only be described as action-packed. Who knows what will happen in Level 16, where the blinds are $8,000/$16,000 with $2,000 ante.

Here's a look at the chips stacks as we head into the level:

1. Nick Ceci	$1.14 million
2. TK Miles	$608,000
3. Gabe Costner	$536,000
4. Floyd Vanderford	$206,000

 

In the last hand of this level we've had yet another elimination. This time it's Jeff Tims who is making his way to the payout booth.

In the hand Jeff Tims bet $42,000 from the cutoff and Gabe Costner called from the button. The flop came Q-9-4 and Tims announced he was all-in. Costner thought for a couple minutes and then called flipping over 7 7 while Tims showed K-J.

Nice call by Costner considering the two overcards on the board.

The board finished 8 and then 3 which is enough for Costner to take the pot. Tims will receive $71,799 for coming in fifth.

Players are now on a 15-minute break.

Nick Ceci bet $30,000 and Lou Esposito, crippled in a previous hand against Jeff Tims, pushed all-in for $20,000. TK Miles was in the small blind and opted to re-raise to $120,000. Ceci thought for a minute then pushed all-in for $568,000. Action was on Miles who tanked for a long time.

Eventually Miles called and the players flipped over their cards:

Ceci: A-A

Miles: Q-Q

Esposito: 9 5

Suddenly Miles knew exactly how Marc Fratter and Ed Jatho must have felt running their big pocket pairs into aces.

There is over $1.3 million in the pot and whoever wins will be the new chip leader (except for Esposito).

The board came A-9-5-9-5 and despite Esposito making a full house he's beaten by Ceci's better boat.

Esposito is eliminated and will not repeat as champion of this event. He will, however, receive $59,833 for coming in sixth.

Nick Ceci bets $80,000 and Charles Kelley, who has been extremely quiet at the final, moves all-in for an extra $77,000.

Ceci makes the call and the players flip over their cards:

Kelley: A 8

Ceci: 8 7

The board comes K-7-6-Q-2 and the flopped seven is enough to take the pot. Former WPT Borgata runner-up Kelley will receive $47,866 for coming in seventh.

Despite some time away from poker Nick Ceci is showing that he still knows a thing or two about the game. In a recent hand Ceci got all-in with A-J on a flop of Q-8-6 and TK Miles made the call with A-10.

The board finished 7 and then 7 to give Ceci the checkmark. Ceci now has close to $500,000. 

Tim "TK" Miles and Costner just chopped a pot that Costner very well should have won. In the hand Miles raised his standard $30,000 but Costner shoved for close to the $166,000 he started the day with.

Miles called and flipped over K-6 but Costner had him surprisingly dominated with 6-6.

The board came Q-5-4-2-3 and both players rivered a straight which means they chop it up.

We've made it to Level 15, which means blinds of $6,000/$12,000 and a $2,000 ante. The big question is will anybody be able to keep Miles from running over the table with his million chip stack.

Floyd Vanderford is making the most of his final table experience. Despite the fact Vanderford was short-stacked with only $65,000 at the start of the day he's already doubled up twice.

The first time Vanderford doubled through Nick Ceci with A-6 versus 5-4 and the second time Vanderford found K-K versus Miles' J-J.

The New Orleans local, no doubt thrilled by the two bustouts on the first hand, could make it farther in this tournament than anybody thought possible. 

In what can only be described as one of the most incredible hands we've ever seen at PokerListings.com both Marc Fratter and Ed Jatho have been eliminated on the very first hand of play!

In the hand chip leader Tim "TK" Miles bet $20,000 from middle position and Ed Jatho re-raised to $45,000. Marc Fratter called from the button but Miles re-raised to $120,000.

Wasting no time, Jatho moved all-in and, amazingly, Fratter called and so did Miles. We had a three-way all-in on the very first hand of the final table. The players revealed their hands and it was indeed a bit of a cooler:

Jatho: J-J

Fratter: Q-Q

Miles: A-A

The board came 6 6 2 5 6 and the aces held up. Miles is suddenly our overwhelming chip leader with over $1.4 million while Jatho and Fratter look stunned as they head to the payout booth.

After some jazzy intro music and a presentation by Media Director Nolan Dalla, tournament organizers have told the dealer to shuffle up and deal. This is the real deal - nine players enter but only one player will leave with first place and $382,928.

Game on!