Foxwoods Poker Classic Day 5

Day 5 at the Foxwoods Poker Classic featured just nine players who returned at noon EDT to play down to the final television table of six. Erik Seidel came in as the chip leader, and he was joined in the 2-million-chip club by up-and-coming Internet professional Adam Katz. Ted Forrest rounded out a strong top three who were looking to chip up during this warmup for the final battle tomorrow, while four stacks sat at under a million and hoped to survive. Here is a look the chip counts when they sat down:

Seat 1: Erik Seidel — 2,472,000
Seat 2: Frank Cieri — 577,000
Seat 3: Robert Richardson — 719,000
Seat 4: Michael Farris — 312,000
Seat 5: Natale Kuey — 525,000
Seat 6: Ted Forrest — 1,682,000
Seat 7: Andrew Barta — 1,433,000
Seat 8: Adam Katz — 2,190,000
Seat 9: Allen Bari — 530,000

The World Poker Tour camera crews hovered over the table from the beginning of play, and it definitely set a more measured, somber tone as just a hint of nerves set in for the players. Katz shed some light on this situation right after one of the WPT cameras turned on a bright light to shoot the action on the first hand. Katz joked, "Well, at least there's no pressure," and a few players shared a nervous laugh. Katz looked over at Allen Bari (who had made it 65,000 to go) and said, "Since the bright light is on me, I'm going to fold."

All eyes turned to the shortest stack on the table, held by Michael Farris, at the start of play. He prolonged his final stand 10 hands in, when a runner-runner six-high straight was dealt on the board, and it gave Farris a chop during his first all in of the day. Nine hands later, he was not so lucky — he moved all in from middle position for 224,000, and Robert Richardson called him with pocket sevens. Farris showed K 10, and the board came 9 6 4 9 2. Farris was eliminated in ninth place, earning $40,378.

After Farris took his leave, action continued, and the situation became dire for Allen Bari and Natale Kuey, who were each hovering at around 250,000. Bari was the first of these short stacks to fall when he picked an inopportune time to move all in for his last 357,000 against Andrew Barta, who held pocket kings. Bari flipped up A Q after Barta insta-called, and the board was dealt K 4 4 A 2. Bari was eliminated in eighth place by Barta’s boat, and he took home $48,450.

Kuey escaped a similar fate when he moved all in from the big blind for 144,000 a few hands later. Seidel moved all in over the top, and Frank Cieri folded his hand. Seidel showed down K 3, but he was dominated by Kuey's A 3. The board came 10 7 6 7 5, and Kuey won the pot with his ace kicker, doubling up to 386,000. This double-up was able to sustain Kuey for a little bit longer on day 5. During the last set of hands before the television-table bubble, Seidel was able to pick up one of the larger pots of the day (and the tournament) when he won 776,000 with a queen-high spade flush. A few hands after that, Kuey was all in again — this time with A K. He was covered by Forrest, who held pocket sixes. The cards were dealt Q 10 5 6 10, giving Forrest a set on the turn and a full house on the river, to clinch the pot and end the day. Kuey was eliminated in seventh place, and he will take $71,061.

The final table begins at 5 p.m. EDT today. Here is a look at the seating chart and chip stacks heading into tomorrow’s final battle:

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