After 28 hours of poker over three long days, the dreams of minimum payout of $21,000, and a shot at the $8.5 million first prize, remain alive for four members of TeamAPL.

Day three started with seven TeamAPL players shooting for the stars, but the flame was extinguished for Shane Brown, Ross Parsonson and Parry Lee.

The APL community knows how well Charlie Elias is playing, but the rest of the world is yet to catch up. Elias is yet to make an appearance on the official WSOP chip count, but he’s been inside the top 10 per cent of stacks for much of the past two days.

Elias capitalised on the winning combination of skill and a dash of luck to remain above 500,000 for much of day three, eventually finishing on 550,000.

TeamAPL captain Craig Ivey is the type of leader who prefers action to words, and displayed the grit and determination that has characterised is many of our sporting leaders over the decades. After dispatching well know pro Liz Lieu and taking down a big pot against 2009 November Nine member Dennis Phillips (third in last year’s main Event), Ivey chipped up above 300,000 and bagged a total of 290,000 after the final hand of the day.

Emma Grace has already secured the title of the highest placed Australian female in the field, but like Charlie and Craig, has her eyes on a much bigger goal. As was the case on days 1D and 2B, Grace stayed under the radar, picked her spots and, with Elias watching on from the seat to her immediate right, she takes a stack of 240,000 into day four.

But the real hero of Day 3 was Jonathan Wertheim who battled through 10 hours of poker adversity, pushing all in for just 11,000 at one stage but managing to rebuild throughout the day to an admirable 76,000.

Seven hours into day three, Jonathan was finally dealt a hand worth pushing with – A-Q suited. Much to his distress, he was called by a player holding pocket queens, but hit an ace on the flop to save his tournament life and double up. “I’ve just been hanging on. I’m still here – that’s what matters,” he said after the final hand for the night.

After the field of 2044 had been slashed to approximately 800 (just 150 players short of the money bubble), it promises to be a fascinating start to day four with the bubble so close.

The unofficial chip count (with thanks to www.worldseriesofpoker.com) had Frenchman Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier leading on 1.385 million ahead of compatriot Ludovic Lacay (925,000), 2009 Aussie Millions Opening Event winner Christian Heich (870,000), Adam Bilzerian (830,000), Jordan Morgan (785,000), Saar Wilf (765,000), Gabe Walls (715,000), James Akenhead (698,000), Brennan Hanson (685,000) and Tony Cavezza (670,000). We’ll be back from noon tomorrow for day four of the 2009 WSOP Main Event

Team APL chip count (at the end of day 3)

Charlie Elias (Sydney) 550,000
Craig Ivey (Adelaide) 290,000
Emma Grace (Gold Coast) 240,000
Jonathan Wertheim (Sydney) 76,000
Shane Brown (Sydney) Out
Ross Parsonson (Sydney) Out
Parry Lee (Sydney) Out

Posted by Chris Wheeler, 1am, 11/7/09

With less than two hours of play remaining on day three of the 2009 WSOP Main Event, TeamAPL is poised to have as many as four players reach day four and the cusp of the bubble.

With blinds at 1500/3000 and an ante of 400 and an average chip count of just under 210,000, Charlie Elias has amassed an impressive stack of 576,000, Craig Ivey is 284,000, Emma Grace holds 201,000 and Jonathan Wertheim is grimly hanging to his tournament life with 41,000.

But Elias (currently seated next to Grace) continues to command all the attention as he continues to occupy a spot firmly within the top five per cent of stacks in the Amazon Ballroom.

He smashed through the 500,000 ceiling in a remarkable hand where held pocket 10s and flopped a set on a board of 6c-Tc-9h. The turn came 9c, which gave Charlie's opponent the nut flush but filled his full-house.

“I had to leave the room after (that hand), it was just too good. It was just too perfect – I needed to take some time out. I flopped my set of 10s and I knew he was chasing that flush so I tried to bet out enough to build the pot but not too much, so he didn’t have to think about calling,” Elias said.

“I just remember thinking that the ideal situation would be for the board to pair with a club. And then it did. The nine of clubs came down, and I knew everything was going to be alright.”

Although he’s yet to appear on the official WSOP chip count (wake up guys) Elias is sharing the limelight with the likes of overall chip leader and Bertrand 'ElkY' Grospellier (1,100,000), 2008 Aussie Millions champion Alexander Kostritsyn (632,000), Kenny Tran (590,000) and 11-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth (500,000). Soak it up Charlie.

With 930 players remaining at the start of the final level, it appears we fall short of the money bubble tonight, leaving a restless night’s sleep coming up for TeamAPL’s own Fantastic Four as they set their sets on the magical figure of 648.

Team APL chip count (at the start of level 12)

Charlie Elias (Sydney) 576,000
Craig Ivey (Adelaide) 284,000
Emma Grace (Gold Coast) 201,000
Jonathan Wertheim (Sydney) 41,000
Shane Brown (Sydney) Out
Ross Parsonson (Sydney) Out
Parry Lee (Sydney) Out

Posted by Chris Wheeler, 11pm, 10/7/09

And then there were four. Shane Brown and Ross Parsonson have been eliminated from the 209 WSOP Main Event, leaving a “fab four” of Charlie Elias, Jon Wertheim team captain Craig Ivey and Emma Grace to wave the flag for TeamAPL.

What a ride for Parsonson today – he shot from 109,000 to 240,000 within the first two levels of the day but took a massive blow to his stack just moments before the end of level 11 when his pocket eights ran into pocket 10s and failed to improve. He dropped down to 84,000 before being completely felted shortly after.

Shane Brown committed his short stack of 25,000 holding A-10 but found himself up against pocket kings. A 10 on the river wasn’t enough to save the 34-year-old, who won the May 2009 NSW Pro Open to qualify for TeamAPL.

Craig Ivey continues to build momentum. He just eliminated well known poker pro Liz Lieu is now sitting at more than 140,000 and is playing an opportunistic, taking chances where he sees value. Just minutes ago, he smashed up Dennis Phillips (third in last year's Main Event) to take his stack above 300,000.

Liz Lieu prepares to ship those chips to TeamAPL captain Craig Ivey

Jonathan Wertheim looks to have finally hit a hot streak. After his stack was reduced to just 11,000, he has doubled up three times within the past hour and now finds himself just shy of 100,000.

Emma Grace took a few hits early on after being moved tables, but has found her footing and almost doubled her stack from 75,000 to 140,000 when her K-Q paired a queen against an opponent holding pocket 10s. Emma is already the highest placed Australian female in the Main Event, and she hopes to become only the third Aussie to ever make the final table (after Mel Judah and Joe Hachem).

Charlie Elias remains the pacesetter, with a healthy stack of 295,000. Elias was floating around the 220k mark until he flopped a set of 10s against a set of nines to take down a monster pot.

Team APL chip count (at the start of level 12)

Craig Ivey (Adelaide) 310,000
Charlie Elias (Sydney) 295,000
Emma Grace (Gold Coast) 140,000
Jonathan Wertheim (Sydney) 100,000
Shane Brown (Sydney) Out
Ross Parsonson (Sydney) Out
Parry Lee (Sydney) Out

Posted by Chris Wheeler, 6.10pm, 10/7/09 

    

    

The sensational six (from top left): Ross Parsonson, Craig Ivey, Jonathan Wertheim, Emma Grace, Shane Brown and Charlie Elias

Back on day 1D, several members of TeamAPL found themselves on the same tables, much to their chagrin, Incredibly, four of the six TeamAPL players who remain in the 2009 WSOP Main Event are now seated at the same two tables.

Ross Parsonson has been the story of the day so far, taking his stack from just over 108,000 to more than 215,000. He’s now on the same table with Shane Brown, and won a big pot from his fellow APLer after Parsonson flopped trip aces.

Things seem to be turning pear-shaped for Brown after playing so solidly on days 1D and 2B. He cannot hit a flop today and although this has forced into a corner, Brown knows he’s under the pump with barely 26,000.

Charlie Elias continues to top the count of TeamAPL players, and has now been joined at the same table by Emma Grace. In her first hand at the new table, it was Elias versus Grace, with Charlie slicing 20,000 from the Queenslander but Emma’s still holding her own with more than 60,000.

Craig Ivey is playing a slow and steady game, and is still hovering around 55,000. He hasn’t seen many decent hands today but is far from bored with poker brat Phil Hellmuth attracting the attention of the ESPN cameras at an adjacent table.

A short-stacked Jonathan Wertheim pushed all in earlier for 11,700 whilst holding A-Q and was called by a deep stacked opponent who held 7s-9s. The flop fell Q-9-T-A-A to give Jonathan a full house and a much-needed double-up to almost 25,000.

Word we’re hearing is that there will five levels of play today, tomorrow, Sunday and Monday, then play will continue until the field is reduced to 27 on Tuesday, then the final nine will be decided on Wednesday.

Team APL chip count (at the start of level 11)

Charlie Elias (Sydney) 220,000
Ross Parsonson (Sydney) 215,000
Shane Brown (Sydney) 26,00
Emma Grace (Gold Coast) 60,000
Jonathan Wertheim (Sydney) 25,000
Craig Ivey (Adelaide) 55,000
Parry Lee (Sydney) Out

Posted by Chris Wheeler, 3.20pm, 10/7/09

 

The “Magnificent Seven” have returned, freshened up and fired up for a shot at an in-the-money finish in the 2009 WSOP Main Event.

Already, the remaining seven TeamAPL players from a starting total of 23, have outlasted more than 4100 players after two days of play – a staggering achievement.

But Charlie Elias, Ross Parsonson, Shane Brown, Emma Grace, Jonathan Wertheim and Craig Ivey have much bigger goals in mind, with the money bubble almost certain to break late today – all six hope to be there when the cheer goes up.

You may have noticed that we mentioned only six players – that’s right, the gallant run of Parry Lee has come to an end. After starting among the smaller stacks today, Parry wasted little time getting his chips back into the middle – the first time (holding A-10), there was no caller but on the second occasion, he moved in with A-Q, found a caller with pocket 10s but the luck finally ran out with the raggy board sending Parry to the rail.

The table draw has been kind to TeamAPL today, with the final six players not lined up against any superstars or huge stacks. Emma Grace was quick to test the mettle of her tablemates in one hand, and found herself dragging a nice pot when she made a set of sevens to climb to 75,000.|

However, Shane Brown has taken a couple of small blows early, twice having to release his cards after post-flop raises. That took him to 57,000. He then bet 12,000 on a fop of K-Q-10, but again folded when his opponent pushed all-in. That leaves him on 35,200 and looking to halt a concerning slide.

Even though he’s yet to crack the first Corona of the day, Ross Parsonson is steering his stack in the other direction after winning a big pot on the first orbit and has taken his stack to more than 125,000. We’re not sure how many levels will be played to day, but the structure will be:

Level 10: 600/1200 (ante 200)
Level 11: 800/1600 (ante 200)
Level 12: 1000/2000 (ante 300)
Level 13: 1200/2400 (ante 300)
Level 14: 1500/3000 (ante 400)
Level 15: 2000/4000 (ante 500)
Level 16: 2500/5000 (ante 500)

Team APL chip count (at the start of day 3)

Charlie Elias (Sydney) 176,600
Ross Parsonson (Sydney) 108,800
Shane Brown (Sydney) 67,800
Emma Grace (Gold Coast) 60,600
Jonathan Wertheim (Sydney) 50,800
Craig Ivey (Adelaide) 39,600
Parry Lee (Sydney) 21,900

Posted by Chris Wheeler, 1pm, 10/7/09