It was another fast paced day at the WPT 5 Diamond Championship.  Jack McClelland decided play would last five levels, or until only 18 players remained, whichever happened first.  It was only the middle of the 4th level when Daniel Donati was knocked out in19th place, and our Day Five field was set.

Among the 26 players who were eliminated today was Gus Hansen.  Hansen started the day third in chips, but stumbled late in the day.  Soon enough, the three-time WPT Champ was all in for his tournament life, only to be slighted by the river.  Today also marked the end for former WPT Champ Hoyt Corkins and 2006 Main Event winner Huck Seed.

I'm not sure that there is anyone who likes the WPT 5 Diamond more than Daniel Negreanu.  Negreanu finished third in the event last year, this after being crowned Champion in 2004.  Negreanu slowly creeped his way up the chip counts, before finishing with over two million and the chip lead.  Here is a complete rundown of the remaining players.

Former WPT Champions David "Devilfish" Ulliott, Erick Lindgren and Ryan Daut still pose a great obstacle to Negreanu and his quest for his 3rd WPT title.  One would also be foolish to overlook Todd Brunson, offspring of the tournament namesake.

Join us tomorrow at noon for continued live coverage of the WPT 5 Diamond Doyle Brunson World Poker Classic.

Danny Shiff has eliminated Daniel Donati in 19th place.

Donati was all in with A Q, up against the 7 7 of Shiff.  The 8 6 9 flop gave Shiff a straight draw to go with his pair, but the J gave Donati more outs in the form of a flush draw.  The dealer then threw out the 2 on the river, eliminating Donati and concluding play for the evening.

A Day Four summary and complete chip counts will be posted shortly.

Everyone in attendance seems to be getting a little antsy.  Media personnel and poker pros are now filling the tournament area, making it hard for the railbirds to keep an eye on the action.  Among those inside the ropes is Johnny Chan, who seems to be curious of chip counts.

Everyone was on their feet and sweating table 52.  Theodore Kearly was all in and possibly the last bust out of the day.  When the smoke cleared, Kearly had survived.  Players returned to their seats to play on.

Eric Hershler has been eliminated in 20th place.

Jack McClelland just made the anouncement to the fans that play will be suspended for the evening after one more elimination.  The 18 remaining players will return tomorrow and play down to the final six.  The final table will be held Tuesday at 4 pm.

Daniel Negreanu is now up to 2.7 million chips.  Bill Kontaratos holds on to the #2 spot with 1.8 million, followed by Matthew Casterella with 1.7 million.

Mikael Thuritz has been knocked out in 21st place.

Guaranteed prize money just jumped from $57,815 to $77,085.

If we see two more eliminations, play will be completed for the day.

	Daniel Negreanu

When play resumes, blinds will be 12K-24K and an ante of 3K.

Level 18 has ended and all 21 players have left the tournament area for their 15 minute break.

	Bill Kontaratos

Shiff made it 60,000 to Kontaratos preflop, only to be re-raised to 120,000.  After the flop of 8 4 9 Shiff checked to Kontaratos who bet out 160,000.  Shiff would make the call.  Shiff would check to Kontaratos after the turn fell J.  "Bet all of it," said Shiff.  Kontaratos wouldn't go that far, but did push in 240,000.  Shiff went into the tank, before ulitimately folding.  Kontaratos showed Shiff his A Q for ace high.  Shiff slammed the table in disgust after being bluffed by the chip leader. 

Kontaratos seems to be harnessing some big stack power thanks to the Fossil Man shades.

We are down to 21 players, thanks to a couple big names being eliminated.

Gus Hansen was knocked out in 22nd place by Ryan Daut.  Huck Seed's WPT hopes were shattered after coming out on the short end of a race with Mark Muchnik.  Seed finished in 24th place.

Also eliminated were Gary Haglund in 25th and Phil Curtis in 23rd.

Here's a quick look at the top ten as of break time.

Bill Kontaratos - 1.97 million

Jordan Rich - 1.62 mil

Matthew Casterella - 1.6 mil

Daniel Negreanu - 1.5 mil

John Monette - 1.45 mil

Ryan Daut - 1.3 mil

Raymond Davis - 1.25 mil

Gus Hansen - 850,000

Danny Shiff - 820,000

Kenneth Rosen - 820,000

Players have returned from break.  New blinds are 10K-20K with an ante of 3K.

Erick Lindgren is crippled at the hands of chip leader Bill Kontaratos.

The board read Q 9 4 3 and Kontaratos would watch Lindgren lead out for 80,000.  Kontaratos decided to bump it up to 200,000 and Lindgren would make the call.  After the J fell on the river, Lindgren would check to Kontaratos, who pushed another 200,000 into the pot.  Lindgren would make the call and Kontaratos showed him the bad news.  Kontaratos had flopped a set of fours and Lindgren mucked his hand.  Kontaratos is pushing 2 million chips.  Lindgren is down to 220,000.

The level has ended and the remaining 25 players have left for break.

Kenneth Cruz bowed out in 27th place, while Vivek Rajkumar would finish 26th.

John Monette has taken a big pot from Gus Hansen.

Hansen made it 55K to go preflop.  Monette made the call.  Both players checked the K J 7 flop.  Hansen bet out 88K after seeing the 10 on the turn and was insta-called by Monette.  Both players checked the 3 river and Hasen informed Monette, "if you got a pair, you win."  Monette showed Hansen big slick and pulled in the 350K pot.

Some recent eliminations; Alexander Kamberis - 30th, Quinn Do - 29th and Max Pescatori - 28th.

Two more quick eliminations put the field at 27 players which means.... another redraw.  We have reached the final three tables.

Jack McClelland has announced that play will continue until only 18 players remain, or five full levels, whichever comes first.

Shi Jia Liu has just been knocked out in 32nd, followed by David Baker in 31st.

Only 30 players remain and it looks like we could be on pace to reach 18 players long before we ever finish five levels.

The next ten players eliminated will receive a payout of $57,815.

Our 35th place finisher is Paul Kraus.

Kraus was crippled after his K K paid off David Baker and his rivered set of sixes.  A few hands later Kraus put his last 25,000 in the middle, only to run into the A A of Devilfish.  Kraus will take home $48,180.

Markus Gonsalves has left the tournament in 34th place, followed by Jason Su in 33rd.

	Hoyt Corkins

Corkins put his tournament on the line holding K Q.  Kenneth Rosen made the call of 150,000 from the small blind with pocket eights.  In the end Rosen's 8 8 held up sending Corkins, the 2003 WPT World Poker Finals Champion, home early in Day four.

Anh Van Nguyen was sent home in 38th place.

Nguyen was racing for his WPT life holding A K.  He was up against the pocket sixes of Gus Hansen.  Hansen hit a gutshot straight on the turn, making the river A meaningless.  Nguyen has busted early in Day Four.

Andreas Walnum's WPT 5 Diamond run would end with a 37th place finish.

Tournament Directors are conducting a redraw for the 36 remaining players.

Break is almost over, time for the players to stop schmoozing. 

Lindgren, Negreanu and Corkins spent the majority of the break posing for pictures with fans.  I counted no less than nine different fans getting pictures with Negreanu.  Only Jack McClelland announcing "shuffle up and deal," could pull Negreanu away from his people.

Play has now resumed.

Players are on a 15 minute break.  Play will resume in level 17 with 8K-16K blinds, plus 2K for an ante.

We are approaching the end of level 16.

A spectator just asked me if it was "the famous rapper Nelly playing on table 54."  He seemed disappointed when I told him it was just our chip leader Raymond Davis.

We are down to 38 players as Don Mullis and Justin Rosenal have been eliminated in 39th and 40th respectively.

	Ray Davis

Davis has about 1.26 million sitting in front of him.

Jordan Rich slides down to second with 1.2 million in chips.

Gus Hansen remains in third with a stack of 1.1 million.

Vivek "Psyduck" Rajkumar has doubled up through Devilfish in a battle of the blinds.

Rajkumar makes it 40,000 from the small blind, David "Devilfish" Ulliott calls.  The flop comes 2 4 7 and Rajkumar check-raises all in for his last 245K.  Ulliott makes the call with his 8 7, but is outkicked by the 7 10 of Rajkumar.  The turn and river miss Ulliott and he is crippled, left with only 16,000.  Rajkumar is now at 650,000 chips.

Devilfish was able to triple up on the next hand holding J 10, but still has work to do with only about 60,000.

Marcel Luske has been knocked out in 41st place.  Players are now guaranteed no less than $48,180.

We have had three quick eliminations.

Roy Winston was knocked out in 44th place, Daniel Alaei in 43rd and Jose Rosenkrantz in 42nd.

The next player to bust will take home $38,545.  We are on the bubble of a pay jump and players finishing 31st-40th will leave $48,180 richer.

Here are the seat assignments and chip counts to start the day.

TABLE 51

1.  Anh Van Nguyen  -  359,000

2.  Gary Haglund  -  186,000

3.  Jimmy Tran  -  341,000

4.  Roy Winston  -  333,000

5.  Todd Brunson  -  393,000

6.  Eugene Katchalov  -  834,000

7.  Jordan Rich  -  1,238,000

8.  Mark Muchnik  -  199,000

9.  Gus Hansen  -  1,128,000

TABLE 52

1.  Daniel Negreanu  -  844,000

2.  Paul Kraus  -  190,000

3.  Vivek Rajkumar  -  429,000

4.  David "Devilfish" Ulliott  -  240,000

5.  Bill Kontaratos  -  1,119,000

6.  Danny Shiff  -  424,000

7.  Kenneth Rosen  -  702,000

8.  David Baker  -  352,000

9.  Daniel Donati  -  340,000

TABLE 53

1.  Justin Rosenal  -  684,000

2.  Jason Su  -  427,000

3.  Mikael Thuritz  -  329,000

4.  Danny Alaei  -  77,000

5.  Peter Jetten  -  695,000

6.  Erick Lindgren  -  497,000

7.  Markus Gonsalves  -  324,000

8.  Ted Kearly  -  466,000

9.  Ryan Daut  -  271,000

TABLE 54

1.  Marcel Luske  -  275,000

2.  Don Mullis  -  610,000

3.  Phil Curtis  -  102,000

4.  Huckleberry Seed  -  127,000

5.  Jose Rosenkrantz  -  148,000

6.  Shi jia Liu  -  219,000

7.  Alex Kamberis  -  342,000

8.  Raymond Davis  -  1,014,000

9.  Rodeen Talebi  -  270,000

TABLE 55

1.  Quinn Do  -  139,000

2.  Kenneth Cruz  -  126,000

3.  Max Pescatori  -  85,000

4.  Eric Hershler  -  514,000

5.  Andreas Walnum  -  231,000

6.  Matthew Casterella  -  1,184,000

7.  Hoyt Corkins  -  453,000

8.  John Monnette  -  697,000

Play has begun.  We are in level 16, which means 6000-12000 blinds and a 2000 ante.

The final five tables are centered in the playing area, making sweating from the rail a little harder than it was during previous days.  This is evident in the decrease in fans on the far side of the tournament area.