Erik Seidel - Winner! - $538,835

Chad Brown raised to 250,000 from the button. By this point, Erik Seidel had actually taken the lead, and he just called the 250k. Seidel took two cards, and Brown took only one. Seidel bet out for 250,000, and Chad moved all-in for 600,000. Seidel called.

Chad Brown: 9-7-5-3-2
Erik Seidel: 8-7-6-5-3

Seidel wins! Erik Seidel wins his 8th World Series of Poker bracelet, and $538,835. He's now just two behind Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan, and only 3 away from Phil!

	Chad Brown

And it's a wrap... until tomorrow at 12pm. The main event kicks off, and we'll be here to provide the coverage.

Come back in ten hours!

Seidel has been on the ropes. Of the small number of big hands (those being hands other than mere blind steals, smaller pots), Brown has taken almost every one.

Seidel is not giving up, though, and just doubled up to about 800,000.

The last formal chip count puts Seidel at 1.125 Million, and Brown at 1.95. This means that Erik is at a disadvantage, but nothing that one hand can't come along and change dramatically and swiftly.

And for those of you curious about the number of entrants into the Main Event... not sure just now. I will say that the last number I had, which was over a week ago, put the entrants at around 2,100. For that matter, the line to the registration cage was pretty deep today. Not as deep as, say, the line for the first $1,500 NLHE event, but impressive nonetheless.

The Main Event starts today... 12pm Noon. I can't wait!!

Speaking of the main event, check out this new piece of satire by our own Michael Cheser. Then head to my blog and send me your thoughts on it!

After an intense day, Shawn Sheikhan has made his exit tonight. With Chad Brown on the button, Sheikhan announced he was all-in. Brown asked for a count, and called the 240,000. Sheikhan drew just one card, as did Chan Brown.

Brown: 9-7-5-4-2
Sheikhan: 10-8-7-4-2

Brown narrowly took the victory, and with that hand we are heads-up. Shawn Sheikhan finished in 3rd place, earning $206,676.

I must admit this is a very, very interesting game to watch. First of all, it's a draw game, something that is not very common these days. But what's more, there's a tremendous amount of skill necessary to play it that, I will admit, is a bit beyond me. There are no up-cards. How do you get your reads on the other players? Betting patterns? My sincerest congratulations to all the players that made the money or came close, especially Erik Seidel and Chad Brown, who are on a 15-minute break but will return to play heads-up for the bracelet.

Left short-stacked after our last update, Lamar Wilkinson had his work cut out for him. He picked his spot, on the button, moving in pre-draw for his final 170,000 in chips. Shawn Sheikhan, who was confident enough with his hand not to draw any cards, was the only one to call the bet. Lamar drew just one card. Shawn showed a 9-low, and Lamar Wilkinson mucked without showing his hand, finishing in fourth place to earn $162,389.

Down to just three players now, Chad Brown took a huge chunk off of Erik Seidel, doubling up in the process. Seidel moved all-in from the small blind, and Sheikhan called for his last 285,000. Brown, drawing one card, pulled a J-7 low and Seidel, who also drew one, threw his cards into the muck when he saw Brown's hand. After the hand, Chad Brown moved up to a respectable 600,000 in chips.

We're still at just three players...

(Oh, and contrary to the last-appearing chip count list... Gioi Long and BIll Edler did not make an appearance at this final table.)

	Andrew Black @ 2006 TOC

--

The players, having returned from dinner break, wasted no time at all getting the chips flying.

Freddy Deeb was our next player out, when he moved all-in for his remaining 45,000. Shawn Sheikhan re-rasied to 80,000, and Erik Seidel called, creating a side-pot. Sheikhan drew no cards, Seidel opted to take two, and Deeb needed only one. After the draw, Sheikhan found check-raised all-in after a 145k bet from Erik Seidel. Erik folded, Shawn took the sidepot, and it was time for the showdown between Freddy and Shawn. After Sheikhan showed 8-7-6-4-2, a very respectable hand, Deeb just mucked his cards without showing. Freddy Deeb finished in 6th place, earning $73,813.

	Freddy Deeb (2007 WSOP $50k HORSE)

Just four remain.... here are the update chip counts:

	Todd Brunson - 7th place - $51,669

Barry Greenstein was our bubble boy. Short-stacked with only 15,000, Barry pushed all-in under the gun. Erik Seidel offered him some protection and raised in late position to 60,000. The pot was heads-up, with Barry drawing two cards, and Seidel only drawing one. Greenstein managed only a 9-8 low, with Seidel pulling a 9-5 to eliminate Barry Greenstein in 8th place, earning $0.

Shortly after we made it down to the final seven players, Freddy Deeb pushed his entire stack in from the button and stood pat in the heads-up pot against Shawn Sheikhan. His J-10 low was good enough to best Shawn's pair of kings, and Freddy moved up to about 125,000, by my count. He's dropped a bit since then, but not by a whole lot.

A lot of ante-and-blind winning going on. All the final seven players were guaranteed $51,669.

Todd Brunson was our 7th place finisher, when, from the button, he called Lamar Wilkinson's 60,000 raise, Deeb following suit. Todd only had 51,000 of it, and drew one card. Wilkinson drew none, and Deeb also took one card. Both Lamar and Freddy checked, and Deeb made his exodus after flashing a pair of sevens. Brunson showed a 10 low, but, Wilkinson's draw proved to be the right move as he showed a 9 low of his own. Todd Brunson finished in 7th place, taking home that $51,669.

Here's a look at the remaining six players as of the time of this writing:

As you can see, Lamar Wilkinson has moved up in the world, and has pulled ahead of Chad Brown by a little more than 200k. Freddy Deeb, currently the short stack, is more than capable of coming back from a low stack, though, something he proved when he took home his World Series of Poker bracelet about a week ago.

Six left...

Okay, remember all that "calm before the storm" stuff I was saying earlier? It all went out the window quite promptly as the celebrities and professionals started making their way down the red carpet, bound for the tournament area and their seats in this $5,000 Ante Up for Africa event. I only mention it here, because Phil Hellmuth has been giving running commentary that can easily be heard throughout the entire Amazon Room. Some classic stuff, too, and you'll have to read my article tomorrow to get it.

I'm busy as all get-out today. This event, plus the celebrity event, and I was supposed to interview one of the bigwigs with BetFair.com but he hasn't gotten a hold of me just yet. That's an interview I was looking forward to, mainly because I've never before done an interview during which there was a strong possibility of the FBI storming in and taking down the whole scene. I have been put into custody in my day, but that's a story for another time entirely.

As for this event.... wow. The chip leader has changed hands numerous times. Here's a look at the way the board looks right now:

As you can see, we're at the final 8... and, again, this is no-limit, which means anything can happen and none of these players should be counted out at all.

Chris Ferguson has been ousted in 12th place. Chip Reese raised to 35,000 pre-draw, and Chris just called the bet. But, Parris Holmes moved all-in from the big blind for more than 100,000, Reese folded, and Ferguson put the rest of his chips in to make the call. Parris took one card, as did Ferguson. The best low Chris could pick up was a 10-7, not good enough to beat Holmes' 8-7, and Ferguson is out. We're pretty close to the money, now.

Freddy Deeb picked up a much-needed pot at the expense of Andrew Black, and is sitting on about 70,000.

And, for those of you who might happen to pass by the tournament area and notice a huge crowd gathered at the end of the hall and around a small section of the Amazon Room... no, they're not here trying to catch a glimpse of me. Rather, they're watching celebrities including Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Don Cheadle, Charles Barkley, Donnie Wahlberg, Montel Williams, and Hank Azaria show up for the Ante Up For Africa charity tournament about to get under way.

Numerous pros are in attendance as well, including Doyle Brunson, Jamie Gold, Phils Ivey and Gordon, Daniel Negreanu, Jen Harman, Annie Duke (who is in part responsible for organizing this shindig, along with Don Cheadle), and Robert Williamson, III.

With a $5,000 buy-in, participants in this event must agree to give at least 50% of their winnings to Enough, a project of the Center For American Progress and the International Crisis Group. The aim? To benefit Darfur, the area in the western Sudan that is in crisis. While the form the celebrities sign requires them to only donate 50%, I'd be surprised if any kept the cash to themselves.

	Barry Greenstein (in Event 46)

	Tom Schneider - 2007 WSOP Player of the Year

	Allen Cunningham and defending champion Daniel Alaei

Only 78 players showed up for the $5,000 No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball w/ rebuys but they were 78 of the best players in the world. Included in the field were the three bracelet leaders Phil Hellmuth, Doyle Brunson, and Johnny Chan. Hellmuth and Brunson were out early though. Others in the field included Daniel Negreanu, Allen Cunningham, H.O.R.S.E. winner Freddy Deeb and the runner up to him Bruno Fitoussi, and many more.

With 226 rebuys at 5K apiece first place will receive a hefty payday of $538,835. The top 7 will get paid. With it being No-Limit events can change quickly... the short stack can become the big stack and vice versa in a matter of no time at all. Play will resume at 2 p.m. and pokerpages.com will be there to bring you all the exciting changes all the way until we have a winner in the last event before the Main Event.