Event 67: $3,500 No-Limit Hold’em $3,000,000 Guarantee 

Level 22
Blinds: 6,000/12,000/2,000
Total Entrants: 1,032
Players Remaining: 35
Average Stack: 590,000

One of the best events of the full summer schedule in Las Vegas is ready to play down to a winner. An eclectic cast of 35 players returns for Day 3 of the $3,500 $3,000,000 guaranteed event with some of poker’s best among them. Javier Zarco and Muhammad Rahim are the two chip leaders, and the only players over 1,300,000. With over 20,000,000 chips in play, it is anyone’s game but Zarco and Rahim start as the two favorites.

The familiar names still in with a chance to win include EPT/WPT Champions, High Rollers, and Bracelet Winners like David Peters, Taylor Paur, Fabrice Soulier, Danny Fuhs, and Bob Bounahra.

Play is scheduled to play down to a winner today but there is a fourth day built into the schedule should it be necessary. There is a lot that needs to happen before that becomes a factor though. Day 3 starts deep with an average stack that touches 50 big blinds. All levels are an hour with a break every two levels.

Over $600,000 awaits the winner of this event and the Venetian Poker Room blog is here to cover it all as we play down to a champion.

Event 67: $3,500 No-Limit Hold’em $3,000,000 Guarantee 

Level 22
Blinds: 6,000/12,000/2,000
Total Entrants: 1,032
Players Remaining: 35
Average Stack: 590,000

Javier Zarco leads the 35 remaining players in Event 67 with 1,304,000. 

It was another exciting and crazy day of poker inside The Venetian and only 35 from the original 240 players (plus Day 2 entries) who started the day will return for tomorrow. There were some major pots that played out toward the end of the night and the largest one of them resulted in Javier Zarco becoming the chip leader.

Zarco got in with kings versus the queens of Georgios Karakousis in a 1,100,000 chip pot that went to Zarco. With the dust settled, Zarco has 1,304,000 waiting for him tomorrow when play starts. Right behind him is Muhammad Rahim, who won some big pots of his own and brings in 1,300,000. Rounding out the players with over 1,000,000 are Omar Zazay (1,236,000) and Bob Bounahra (1,046,000). Plenty of dangerous players join them for tomorrow with Jason Les, Taylor Paur, Jonathan Karamalikis, Danny Fuhs, and Fabrice Soulier rounding out the top group of notable pros still in.

Day 3 will start at 1:00 pm tomorrow with play scheduled to play down to a winner with a possible Day 4 available to play, if need be. Over $610,000 awaits the winner of this event in one of the largest prize pools in Las Vegas this summer. The Venetian Poker Room Blog will have full coverage of this event tomorrow once play starts as we move toward the crowning of the Event 67 Champion. The chip counts and seat draw for Day 3 are below.

Day 3 Redraw

Event 67: $3,500 No-Limit Hold’em $3,000,000 Guarantee 

Level 21
Blinds: 5,000/10,000/1,000
Total Entrants: 1,032
Players Remaining: 40
Average Stack: 516,000

Daniel Watson tanked hard but his correct call was undone by a bad river against Georgios Karakousis.

It has been a long day of poker inside the Venetian Poker Room and the last few minutes of the night have not failed for excitement as two major all-ins just played out resulting in one double and one elimination.

Georgios Karakousis gained back some of his lost chips through Daniel Watson with a quality river card playing a part. On a flop of J♠10♥8♣, Watson checked and Karakousis bet 50,000. Watson called and the turn came the 3♠. Watson checked again and Karakousis moved all-in for 270,000. Watson tanked for two minutes and called with Q♥J♣. Karakousis was live with A♥K♠ and spiked the Q♦ on the river to take the pot. Watson took the beat in stride but is down to 420,000. Karakousis is back to 900,000.

Muhammad Rahim is the proud owner of over 1,200,000 chips after making a hero call on the river against Jorge Rios. 

Jorge Rios opened to 22,000 on the button and Muhammad Rahim three-bet to 80,000 in the small blind. Rios called and Rahim continued for 110,000 on the 8♣5♠2♦ flop. Rios called and the 7♣ came on the turn. Rahim checked and Rios bet 120,000. Rahim called and the 8♠ completed the board. Rahim checked and Rios moved all-in for 327,000 total.

Rahim tanked to the point the clock was called but managed to call with K♥5♥. Rios’s K♣J♠ was no good and Rahim is back up to 1,230,000 with the bags set to come out.

The remaining players are set to complete play for the night and an end of day recap along with full chip counts will be posted shortly.

Event 67: $3,500 No-Limit Hold’em $3,000,000 Guarantee 

Level 21
Blinds: 5,000/10,000/1,000
Total Entrants: 1,032
Players Remaining: 46
Average Stack: 449,000

Omar Zazay made a tough river call against Eric Baldwin and was rewarded with 1,080,000 chips now in front of him. 

The start of Level 21 has been explosive with two massive pots playing out on separate tables with Javier Zarco taking the chip lead as the result of one and Omar Zazay climbing over 1,000,000 from the other.

Georgios Karakousis is no longer the chip leader due to his loss to Zarco. Karakousis raised to 20,000 in middle position and Zarco three-bet to 120,000 in the big blind. Karakousis slid out a pile of 25,000 chips and Zarco moved all-in for 581,000 total. Karakousis called with Q♣Q♥ and Zarco’s K♦K♥ was officially at risk. The board ran clean for Zarco and he let out a subdued celebration. He is the new chip leader with 1,200,000 with Karakousis now down to 580,000.

On the other table, Zazay made a correct river call against Eric Baldwin to send out “Basebaldy.” Baldwin raised to 25,000 in early position and Zazay called from the big blind. Zazay check-called for 30,000 on the Q♦J♦10♠ flop and then 60,000 on the Q♥ turn. Zazay checked the 2♥ river and Baldwin shoved for 254,000.

Zazay thought for a few minutes before the clock got called on him. He eventually called for 40 percent of his stack with 9♠8♠ for a straight. Baldwin’s A♦5♦ went into the muck and Zazay is the now the only other player over 1,000,000.

Event 67: $3,500 No-Limit Hold’em $3,000,000 Guarantee 

Level 21
Blinds: 5,000/10,000/1,000
Total Entrants: 1,032
Players Remaining: 50
Average Stack: 413,000

The Event 67 field is down to 50 players as Level 21 arrives. At least a dozen of them will hit the rail before the bags come up and all surviving players book a ticket to Day 3. There is a lot of play still left with the average stack at 40 big blinds. Georgios Karakousis (1,300,000) is still the chip leader but the possibility remains open that someone might catch him before the end of the night. Should that happen, the Venetian Poker Room blog will the details and a full recap of the day once Level 21 finishes up.

Event 67: $3,500 No-Limit Hold’em $3,000,000 Guarantee 

Level 20
Blinds: 4,000/8,000/1,000
Total Entrants: 1,032
Players Remaining: 54
Average Stack: 382,000

David Peters found a needed double up through Muhammad Rahim and is back over the chip average heading into the last level of the night. 

David Peters rode a short stack for most of play in the $10,000 DSE III High Roller to a final table finish a few weeks ago. Fast forward to Event 67, and Peters has been, once again, grinding his way through play but now has some daylight after doubling up.

Muhammad Rahim opened to 18,000 under the gun and Peters called in the hijack. The J♣6♣5♠ flop went check-check and Rahim checked the Q♠ turn. Peters bet 23,000 and Rahim called. Rahim led for 80,000 on the Q♣ river and Peters shoved for 178,000 total. Rahim tanked for a minute and then called with A♣4♣. Peters had his flush bested with J♦J♠ and took in the pot to double up. Rahim falls to 450,000.

One of the best players left in the Event 67 field, Peters with chips is not something the field wants to see. A look at the updated counts for some of the more recognizable names still in is below.

Omar Zazay – 750,000
David Peters – 450,000
Jonathan Karamalikis – 440,000
Akin Tuna – 435,000
Eric Baldwin – 415,0000
Javier Zarco – 400,000
Jason Les – 400,000
Rick Alvarado – 275,000
Ray Qartomy – 220,000
John Moore – 215,000
John Dolan – 190,000
Thomas Muhlocker – 155,000

Event 67: $3,500 No-Limit Hold’em $3,000,000 Guarantee 

Level 20
Blinds: 4,000/8,000/1,000
Total Entrants: 1,032
Players Remaining: 58
Average Stack: 356,000

Eric Baldwin stared deep into the heart of the board against Steve Deustch but called incorrectly and sent a large percentage of his stack over to his opponent. 

With the average stack above 40 big blinds for the foreseeable future, plenty of post-flop hands are set to be played out before the end of the night. Making decisions deep in tournaments is hard and Eric Baldwin found out just how costly making a wrong one can be as he sent one-third of his stack over to Steve Deustch.

Deustch opened to 18,000 in early position and Baldwin three-bet to 57,000 from the big blind. Deustch called the flop came out K♦7♠3♠. Baldwin checked and Deustch bet 43,000. Both players checked the 9♣ turn and Baldwin checked the 5♣ river. Deustch bet 135,000 and Baldwin went deep into the tank.

After spending three minutes tanking, Baldwin pushed forward a call and Deustch showed 7♦7♥ for a flopped set. Baldwin said “nice hand” and paid off Deustch to drop to 430,000. Deustch is playing 565,000 and at his peak for the day.

Event 72: $1,100 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo $75,000 Guarantee 

Event: $1,100 Turbo
Guarantee: $75,000
Entries: 72
Prize Pool: $75,000
Places Paid: 8
1st Place: $25,500