While the ground the tournament area covers is gradually reeling in its borders a walk around the Amazon Room is a different experience every hour, the faces you pass disappearing behind ever increasing chip stacks, or disappearing altogether to start a new life on the other side of the...
While the ground the tournament area covers is gradually reeling in its borders a walk around the Amazon Room is a different experience every hour, the faces you pass disappearing behind ever increasing chip stacks, or disappearing altogether to start a new life on the other side of the rail.
Even now players are popping up in the crowds that we didn't even realise were playing. The same goes for players spotted earlier before disappearing into the masses and then emerging again with a smile on their face, chipped up and chirpy.
Brian Taylor isn't one of them. He's been easy to spot since the moment he sat down. He's not the guy with the full Native American battle dress and he's not the guy in the flower patterned shirt with matching visor either. Taylor instead where's a TV with the message "My mom doesn't want I play at poker... but I do it anyway!"
Brian Taylor - don't worry son, you're secret's safe with us
It's a similar story for several other PokerStars qualifiers, although they stand out for reasons other than fashion sense or an ability to yell the loudest.
You may remember Peter Kremenliev from earlier in the tournament. The Californian was racing ahead from the start, closing off day two with 281,800 and playing a supporting role in the memorable Brad Garrett exit hand in which he delivered the coup de grace, Garrett telling the youthful looking Kremenliev to "stay in school". Since then Kremenliev's career prospects have rocketed thanks to a burgeoning pile of orange chips that in our estimations amount to 500,000.
Peter Kremenliev
Behind Kremenliev is German PokerStars qualifier Peter Buermann on 350,000 while Team PokerStars Pro Dennis Phillips continues to roll into day three, sat opposite one of his imitators Brian Swift. Phillips has 265,000, up from 190,000 at the start of play.
Other notables include qualifier Adam York from Bristol, England, sitting with 265,000 while Vijayan Nagarajan, a long time EPT regular, has 240,000. Matt Wood from Ontario Canada is only slightly behind that on 220,000 with Wesley Ismay from Arizona behind him on 200,000.
Of course all that can change pretty fast in the time it takes to lose the 792 players we still need to send home before the money.
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STATISTIC OF THE HOUR
Number to which dealer's must count after an all-in before dealing: 10 (per ESPN request)
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QUOTE OF THE HOUR
"I made it to Day 3 of the World Series of Poker." -- Player in hallway who clearly was not going to make it to Day 4 of the World Series of Poker
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OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT ADMIN OF THE HOUR
Current chip average: 135,292
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CARD CAPPER OF THE HOUR
Lou Diamond Phillips' spinning top with President Barack Obama's face on it
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TWEET OF THE HOUR
"High point of 330k, at 260k now after folding second nut flush and a few other hands. I'm playing really sick today." Jimmy 'jvfricke' Fricke
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JOE GIRON'S PHOTO HOUR
Per Ummer (Nemo) on the right and Humberto Brenes (the
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