$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  40 of 1,541

Giovanni Fazio raised from the small blind to 150,000, and Nicholas Verderamo called from the big blind.

The flop came , Fazio bet 350,000, and Verderamo used one of his Time Chips tank for nearly a minute before he calls.

The turn card paired the board with the , Fazio bet 775,000, and Verderamo announced a raise to 1,900,000, which was most of his stack. Fazio quickly called, and when the bets were counted out, Verderamo was left with about 150K, and Fazio was left with just a single 5K chip.

The river card double-paired the board with the , Fazio bet his last 5,000, and Verderamo quickly called.

Fazio showed for the two pair on the board with his ace kicker, but Verderamo turned over to win the pot with a full house nines full of sixes. Fazio was eliminated in 41st place.

Nicholas Verderamo  –  5,000,000  (125 bb)
Giovanni Fazio  –  Eliminated in 41st Place  ($16,500)

With 40 players remaining from a field of 1,541, the average chip stack is around 1,925,000 (48 big blinds). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $19,300 each.

Action is scheduled to continue today until there are two tables remaining (16 players).

$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  43 of 1,541

Brock Wilson got it all in from the cutoff for 335,000 with , but he needed to improve to stay alive against the of Giovanni Fazio in the small blind.

The board came , and Wilson paired his queen on the flop to win the pot and double up in chips.

Brock Wilson  –  750,000  (19 bb)
Giovanni Fazio  –  2,380,000  (60 bb)

With 43 players remaining from a field of 1,541, the average chip stack is around 1,790,000 (45 big blinds). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $16,500 each.

Action is scheduled to continue today until there are two tables remaining (16 players).

$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  46 of 1,541

Michael Stashin raised from the hijack to 80,000, Anthony Zinno moved all in from the cutoff for 400,000, and Stashin called with .

Zinno turned over , and needed it to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and the pocket fours held up for Zinno to win the pot and double up in chips.

Anthony Zinno  –  900,000  (23 bb)
Michael Stashin  –  2,030,000  (51 bb)

With 46 players remaining from a field of 1,541, the average chip stack is around 1,675,000 (42 big blinds). Action is scheduled to continue today until there are two tables remaining (16 players).

$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  47 of 1,541

The players have returned from break to begin Level 23, with increased blinds of 20,000-40,000 with a 40,000 ante.

A scan of the field during the break turned up eight players with at least 2.45 million in chips, creating an unofficial leaderboard:

1.  Brian Altman  –  4,405,000  (110 bb)
2.  Denys Shafikov  –  3,650,000  (91 bb)
3.  Giovanni Fazio  –  3,405,000  (85 bb)
4.  Andrew Wilson  –  3,345,000  (84 bb)
5.  Jim Collopy  –  2,925,000  (73 bb)
6.  Aristoteles Neto  –  2,510,000  (63 bb)
7.  Kyle Merron  –  2,500,000  (63 bb)
8.  Jason Min  –  2,475,000  (62 bb)

With 47 players remaining from a field of 1,541, the average chip stack is around 1,640,000 (41 big blinds). Action is scheduled to continue today until there are two tables remaining (16 players).

$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining:  56 of 1,541

Another group of eight was sent to the payout desk before the first break. Among them was five-time Hollywood major champ David Shmuel, going deep in a two-card game instead of his Omaha specialty.

Everyone is now guaranteed at least $14,200.

57th: Marcos Exterkotter – $12,450
58th: Kevin Eyster – $12,450
59th: David Shmuel – $12,450
60th: Jonathan Akiba – $12,450
61st: Miguel Capriles Cannizzaro – $12,450
62nd: Joshua Reichard – $12,450
63rd: Constantinos Psallidas – $12,450
64th: Stewart Chantler – $12,450

$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining:  58 of 1,541

There are a lot of WPT Championships at Table 6, including Darren Elias (four wins) and Anthony Zinno (three) and the two played a hand against each other.

Elias opened to 95,000 from under the gun, leaving a single 5K chip behind. Zinno raised to 425,000 from the cutoff to get folds back to Elias. He used one time chip after another until he called.

Elias:
Zinno:

Elias had kicker issues against the bigger ace but that didn’t matter after the board. Both players made two pair jacks and five with an ace kicker to chop the pot.

Darren Elias – 140,000 (5 bb)
Anthony Zinno – 565,000 (19 bb)

$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining:  64 of 1,541

Flying right along in early Championship Day 3 action with another eight players sent to the rail. Stat hound Nate Silver was among those going deep but failing to make the end of the tournament.

Blinds are up to 15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante and the average stack is about 1,200,000 (40 bb). Level will increase to 90 minutes when 40 players remain.

65th: Jeremy Joseph – $11,000
66th: Nate Silver – $11,000
67th: Long Nguyen – $11,000
68th: Clemen Deng – $11,000
69th: Armand Matti – $11,000
70th: Aram Oganyan – $11,000
71st: Cangir Elcin – $11,000
72nd: Stephen Ticsay – $11,000

$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  15,000/25,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining:  66 of 1,541

Max Kingstone opened to 50,000 from middle position and Long Nguyen three-bet shipped for 290,000 from the cutoff. It folded back to Kingstone; he used one time-extension chip and called.

Kingstone:
Nguyen:

It was a race and Nguyen needed his tens to hold to double up. Kingstone took the lead on the flop with trip aces. The turn and river finished the board to send Nguyen out in 67th place.

Max Kingstone – 1,825,000 (73 bb)
Long Nguyen – Eliminated in 67th Place ($11,000)

$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  15,000/25,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining:  72 of 1,541

In just over half a level, the Championship lost eight players to drop the field to the last nine tables with 72 remaining. Igor Tretyakov and Tampa Pinktober Poker champ Matthew Leecy were among those to cash out early on Day 3.

Everyone is now guaranteed at least $11,000.

73rd: Cosmin Joldis – $9,800
74th: Matthew Leecy – $9,800
75th: Charles Kassin – $9,800
76th: Akash Seth – $9,800
77th: Rajai Wazwaz – $9,800
78th: Igor Tretyakov – $9,800
79th: Alejandro Gonzalez Olaechea – $9,800
80th: Marcello Del Grosso – $9,800

$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  15,000/25,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining:  80 of 1,541

We are back underway for Day 3 of the WPT RRPO Championship with 80 players remaining at ten tables and a ton of talent.