Event #11: No-Limit Hold'em Main Event

After three long days of poker here at Harvey's Lake Tahoe, Cary Marshall is the winner of the latest World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event. Marshall entered the final day with the chip lead, and didn't necessarily go wire-to-wire, but when it was all said and done, he was the last man standing.

The day began with 13 players, but we reached a final table in less than an hour. The first player to bust was Sam McGrath. McGrath, who was crippled during one of the last hands on Day 2, three-bet jammed over an open from Derrick Yamada holding ace-king. Yamada called with ace-five and spiked a five on the flop, eliminating McGrath in 13th place.

The next player eliminated was Will Chao. Chao open-shoved around 12 big blind with    and Marshall looked him up with   . Chao flopped a flush draw, but the turn and river both bricked, and he was eliminated.

We were two eliminations away from the official final table, and both of them came in the same hand. Prabhakar Thonduru open-shoved his last 235,000 from under the gun, and Narunat Pansuntorn called on the button. Jesse Rockowitz iso-shoved from the big blind, having Pansuntorn well covered, and Pansuntorn called.

Thonduru:   
Pansuntorn:   
Rockowitz:   

The     flop gave Rockowitz a decisive lead, and the turn and river came  ,  , eliminating both Pansuntorn and Thonduru from the tournament.

Yadama was the chip leader entering the final table, and he registered the first knockout. John Deng opened to 42,000 in middle position, Shawn Van Asdale three-bet jammed for on his direct left for 353,000, and Derrick Yamda four-bet jammed from the blinds. Deng folded, and the hands were opened.

Yamada:   
Van Asdale:   

The board ran out      , and Van Asdale was eliminated in 9th place.

In the next few orbits, Clint Baskin doubled up twice. In the second hand, he opened in early position, Yamada called on his direct left, and the rest of the players folded. The flop came    , Baskin led for 80,000, and Yamada called.

The turn was the  , Baskin led again - this time for 225,000 - and Yamada moved all in for effectively 885,000. Baskin snap-called.

Yamada:   
Baskin:   

Baskin flopped a set of sixes, and after the   completed the board, he successfully doubled.

The next player out the door was Dick Hanley. Rockowitz opened to 60,000 from early position, Ping Liu three-bet jammed on the button, and Hanley called all in from the big blind. Rockowitz quickly folded, and the hands were tabled.

Liu:   
Hanley:   

The flop fell    , giving Hanley a backdoor flush draw, and the   on the turn kept that draw alive.

It was not to be however as the   completed the board, giving Liu a full house for kicks and giggles, and eliminating Hanley from the Main Event.

John Song exited soon after Hanley. Liu moved all in from the small blind, Song called all-in for around ten big blinds, and the hands were opened:

Liu   
Song:   

The board ran out      , and Song was eliminated in 7th place.

Rockowitz, who entered the final table second in chips, couldn't get anything going. When six-handed play began, he was near the bottom of the counts, and then found himself in dead last. Eventually. Marshall opened to 90,000 from under the gun, Rockowitz three-bet jammed on the button, the action folded back to Marshall, who called.

Marshall:   
Rockowitz:   

Marshall held as the board ran out      , and Rockowitz was eliminated in 6th place.

A few hands later, Liu was eliminated in 5th place. Yamada raised all in from the small blind, and Ping Liu tanked for nearly two minutes, then called.

Yamada:   
Liu:   

Yamada held, and actually made a straight as the board ran out      , eliminating Liu.

Marshall started to pull away during four-handed play, becoming the first player to cross the four million-chip mark. He then crossed the five million-chip mark when he eliminated Baskin, the 2006 WSOP-C Lake Tahoe Champion. Baskin opened to 315,000 from first position, Marshall called from the small blind, and the flop came    . Marshall checked, Baskin moved all in, and Marshall called.

Baskin:   
Marshall:   

The turn was the  , which was no help to Baskin, and neither was the   on the river.

Baskin was eliminated in 4th place, while Marshall padded his chip lead.

Deng cruised along all day with very few altercations, but could not reach heads-up play. Marshall raised to 120,000 on the button, Deng three-bet to 320,000 from the small blind, and after Derrick Yamada folded, Marshall quickly called.

The flop came    , Deng moved all in, and Marshall called.

Marshall:   
Deng:   

Marshall was ahead, and held as the turn and river came  ,   respectively. Deng was eliminated in 3rd place.

Marshall began heads-up play with a decisive lead, but Yamada chipped away nicely. In one particular hand, Yamada opened to 160,000 with the button, and Marshall defended his big blind. The flop fell    , Marshall checked, and Yamada continued for 230,000. Marshall called.

The turn was the  , Marshall checked again, and Yamada slid out 600,000. Marshall tanked for two minutes, then called.

The   completed the board, and Marshall checked a third time. Yamada reached for all of his chips, began to push them all forward, and Marshall blurted, "Don't bother."

He folded, and Yamada raked in the massive pot.

Despite that win, and other wins, Yamada never overtook the chip lead during the match. Marshall increased his lead as Level 33 began, but it took a cooler to end the tournament.

Yamada opened to 200,000, Marshall defended, and the flop was    . Marshall check-called a bet, and the turn was the  .

Marshall checked, Yamada slid out 500,000, and Marshall quickly called.

The river was the  , and Marshall instantly went all in. Yamada went deep into the tank, examining his stack, and finally called.

Marshall tabled    for a rivered straight, and Yamada shook his head. Marshall raised his hands in victory, and Derrick showed    for a turned set of jacks!

For the win, Marshall earned $139,260, his first WSOP-C gold ring, and a seat in the Southern Comfort 100 Proof National Championship. After winning, he told ESPN's Bernard Lee that he's, "Ready to play in more circuit events."

Here are all of the payouts from Day 3:

The next stop on the WSOP-C begins on November 29th at Harrah's Atlantic City. It will conclude with another Main Event on December 8th, and PokerNews will be on hand to provide all of your up-to-the-minute updates.

Until then, good night from Lake Tahoe!

Cary Marshall limped in, Derrick Yamada checked, and the flop fell    . Both players checked.

The turn was the  , Yamada led for 150,000, and Marshall called.

The   completed the board, and Yamada checked. Marshall fired 275,000, and Yamada tank-called. Marshall showed    for four-high, and Yamada showed    for a pair of sixes.

The players are now on a ten-minute break.

Derrick Yamada had the button and opened to 160,000. Cary Marshall called, the flop was    , and Marshall check-called 110,000 from Yamada.

The turn was the  , Marshall led for 275,000, and Yamada called.

The   completed the board, Marshall led for 500,000, Yamada raised to 1 million, and Marshall folded.

Cary Marshall	4,455,000	-185,000
Derrick Yamada	3,995,000	185,000

Cary Marshall limped in, Derrick Yamada checked, and the flop was    . Yamada checked, and Marshall fired 130,000. Yamada called.

The turn was the  , Yamada check-called 200,000 from Marshall, and the river was the  . Both players checked.

Yamada showed    for a pair of eights, but Marshall had him beat with    for a pair of jacks.

Cary Marshall	5,370,000	390,000
Derrick Yamada	3,080,000	-390,000

Derrick Yamada opened to 160,000 with the button, and Cary Marshall defended his big blind. The flop fell    , Marshall checked, and Yamada continued for 230,000. Marshall called.

The turn was the  , Marshall checked again, and Yamada slid out 600,000. Marshall tanked for two minutes, then called.

The   completed the board, and Marshall checked a third time. Yamada reached for all of his chips, began to push them all forward, and Marshall blurted, "Don't bother."

He folded, and Yamada raked in the massive pot.

Cary Marshall	4,650,000	-1,000,000
Derrick Yamada	3,800,000	1,000,000

Derrick Yamada raised to 160,000 with the button. Cary Marshall called, and the flop fell    . Marshall checked, Yamada continued for 130,000, and Marshall called.

The turn was another seven - the   - and Marshall checked again. Yamada checked behind.

The river brought the  . Marshall led out for 225,000, and Yamada immediately called.

Marshall showed    for a pair of tens, but Yamada had him beat with    for a pair of kings.

Cary Marshall	6,205,000	-525,000
Derrick Yamada	2,245,000	525,000

Derrick Yamada limped in on the button, Cary Marshall checked his option, and the flop fell    . Both players checked.

The turn was the  , Marshall checked again, and Yamada fired 90,000. Marshall called.

The river was a second eight - the   - and Marshall led for 250,000. Yamada raised to 700,00, and Marshall immediately folded.

Cary Marshall	6,040,000	-320,000
Derrick Yamada	2,410,000	315,000

The players are now on a ten-minute break.

Derrick Yamada had the button and raised to 120,000. Cary Marshall called.

The flop came    , Marshall checked, and Yamada continued for 90,000. Marshall called.

The   turned, Marshall led out for 200,000, and Yamada called.

The river was the  , Marshall checked, and Yamada tossed out 130,000. Marshall check-raised to 400,000, and Yamada folded.

Cary Marshall	6,040,000	320,000
Derrick Yamada	2,410,000	-320,000