Level: 27

Blinds: 30,000-60,000

Live Updates:

Nick Jivkov Wins Event no. 5 ($198,818)
Bryan Pellegrino Eliminated in 2nd Place ($117,199)

Momentum was starting to shift a little bit in Level 27 as the blinds increased and the average stack dropped down below 24 big blinds. While Nick Jivkov maintained a strong lead over Bryan Pellegrino throughout, Pellegrino became a little more aggressive with the short stack and managed to chip up here and there to stay alive .

Time eventually got the best of him and Bryan Pellegrino finally got the rest of his chips in the middle after three-betting all in over Jivkov’s pot-sized open.

Jivkov led before the flop with 1010 against Pellegrino’s J9.

The board came KQ872, offering no help to Bryan Pellegrino who was eliminated in 2nd place ($117,199). Nick Jivkov wins Event no. 5, taking home the $189,818 grand prize and the fifth gold bracelet of the 2012 WSOP.

Be sure to check back with Card Player for all of your final table action, current chip counts, and prize distributions for each gold bracelet event.

Level: 25

Blinds: 20,000-40,000

Players Remaining: 2 out of 639

Average Chip Count: 1,437,750

Chip Counts:

Seat no. 2 — Nick Jivkov — 2,100,000
Seat no. 3 — Bryan Pellegrino — 760,000

Players Eliminated:

Jonathan Aguiar — 3rd Place ($76,189)

Live Updates:

Short Stacks Battle; Only One Survives

Nick Jivkov began heads-up play with a dominating chip lead over the field, but short stacks Jonathan Aguiar and Bryan Pellegrino managed to move some chips around in Level 28. Aguiar chipped up early after taking a pot from chip leader Nick Jivkov with top pair against a missed straight draw that ended in a showdown. Pellegrino took a while to get going this level and was chopped down to just a few big blinds before finding a small double up through Aguair to stay alive.

Pellegrino didn’t wait long before getting it all in with Aguiar again, this time with the better hand. After sucking out on Aguiar with Q5 against KJ a few hands before, this time Pellegrino was all in with A8 against Aguiar’s QJ.The board bricked and this hand put Pellegrino in second place with about 660,000, leaving Aguiar on the short stack with just 250,000.

Jonathan Aguiar Eliminated in 3rd Place ($76,189)

Jonathan Aguiar was knocked down to the short stack after Bryan Pellegrino doubled through him twice, and he was the next player eliminated in 3rd place ($76,189).

Jonathan Aguiar made a pot-sized raise from the button, Nick Jivkov reraised the size of the pot from the small blid and Aguiar called all in.

Jivkov led before the flop with 99 against Aguiar’s AQ.

The board came K769A, giving Jivkov a set on the turn to win the pot and eliminate Jonathan Aguiar in 3rd place ($76,189).

With the elimination of Jonathan Aguiar in 3rd place, Nick Jivkov took the chip lead going into heads-up play with roughly 2.1 million to Pellegrino’s 800,000.

Be sure to check back with Card Player at the conclusion of each level for regular updates with all of the action, current chip counts, and prize distributions.

Level: 23

Blinds: 12,000-24,000

Players Remaining: 4 out of 639

Average Chip Count: 718,875

Chip Counts:

Seat no. 1 — Jonathan Aguiar — 375,000
Seat no. 2 — Nick Jivkov — 1,700,000
Seat no. 3 — Bryan Pellegrino — 250,000

Seat no. 6 — Tommy Vedes — 247,000

Players Eliminated:

Daniel Negreanu — 5th Place ($41,683)
Mike Allis — 6th Place ($31,452)

Live Updates:

Mike Allis Eliminated in 6th Place ($31,452)

Mike Allis came into the final table as the undisputed short stack with just 86,000, but managed to survive three other players and pay jumps to finish the event in 6th place ($31,452). Allis managed to double twice through Tommy Vedes in Level 22 to stay alive but entered Level 23 as the short stack and was eliminated shortly thereafter.

On his final hand, Nick Jivkov opened the cutoff for 55,000 and Mike Allis called from the big blind.

The flop came A97, Allis checked, Jivkov bet 65,000, Allis raised all in and Jovkov called.

Jivkov led on the flop with KK for a pair against Allis’ 43.

The turn and river were the 3 and the A, offering no help to Mike Allis who was eliminated in 6th place ($31,452).

Daniel Negreanu Eliminated in 5th Place ($41,683)

Daniel Negreanu opened the pot for 48,000, Nick Jovkov reraised to 112,000 from the small blind, Negreanu four-bet all in for 181,000 and Jivkov called.

Negreanu led before the flop with AQ against Jivkov’s AJ.

The board came Q1092K, giving Jovkov a straight on the river to eliminate Daniel Negreanu in 5th place ($41,683) and claim the chip lead form himself with just under 1 million.

Jivkov Takes Massive Chip Lead

Nick Jivkov button-raised to 55,000 and Tommy Vedes called from the big blind.

The flop came 654, Vedes checked, Jivkov bet 50,000 and Vedes called.

The turn was the 9, Vedes checked, Jovkov bet 65,0000 and Vedes called.

The river was the Q, Vedes checked, Jivkov bet 268,000 and Vedes called. Jivkov showed A2 for the four-card nut flush on the river and Vedes mucked. That hand gave Jivkov the clear chip lead with about 1.7 million while Vedes dropped down to just 250,000.

Be sure to check back with Card Player at the conclusion of each level for regular updates with all of the action, current chip counts, and prize distributions.

Level: 21

Blinds: 8,000-16,000

Players Remaining: 9 out of 639

Average Chip Count: 319,500

Chip Counts:

Seat no. 1 — Jonathan Aguiar — 700,000
Seat no. 2 — Nick Jivkov — 281,000
Seat no. 3 — Bryan Pellegrino — 440,000
Seat no. 4 — Brent Hale — 211,000
Seat no. 5 — Keanu Tabali — 122,000
Seat no. 6 — Tommy Vedes — 540,000
Seat no. 7 — Mike Allis — 130,000
Seat no. 8 — John Eames — 300,000
Seat no. 9 — Daniel Negreanu — 150,000

Live Updates:

John Eames Doubles Through Bryan Pellegrino

Bryan Pellegrino opened the pot for 40,000, John Eames reraised to 100,000 from the small blind, Pellegrino four-bet and Eames called all in for about 180,000.

Eames led before the flop with 99 against Pellegrino’s AK.

The board came A62K9, giving Pellegrino an ace on the flop to take the lead, but Eames spiked one of only two outs on the river to make a set of nines and double up.

John Eames ~370,000
Bryan pellegrino ~ 600,000

“Tommy Vedes is an Enigma”

Tommy Vedes came into the final table as one of the shorter stacks in the bottom half of the chip counts, but managed to win an early showdown against Daniel Negreanu after rivering a set of sixes. This Hand brought Vedes above 300,000 which gave him just under 19 big blinds while Negreanu slipped down to 150,000 (10 bbs).

Vedes then won another key pot this level against Keanu Tabali which put him in contention for the chip lead with just about 600,000. Both players flopped a king, but Vedes turned two pair and rivered the case king to fill up and get paid off in a showdown against Tabali’s trips. This hand knocked Tabali down to the 4 bb range which put him on the short stack.

According to Gavin Smith who was commentating live in the booth, “Tommy Vedes is an Enigma.”

Short Stacks Double Up

Mike Allis came into the final table as the short stack but managed to double up through Tommy Vedes with AQ after getting it all in before the flop against Vedes’ 76. Vedes flopped a straight draw but Allis rivered a queen to make top pair and double up. Allis doubled up to about 130,000 that hand while Vedes took a small hit to his stack.

Keanu Tabali was put on the short stack after losing a big pot to Tommy Vedes who filled up against Tabali’s trips, but he managed to find a double up towards the end of the level through John Eames to stay alive. Tabali got it in good before the flop with KK against Eames’ QQ. The board bricked and Tabali doubled up to just over 120,000 while Eames slid down to about 300,000.

Be sure to check back with Card Player at the conclusion of each level for regular updates with all of the action, current chip counts, and prize distributions.

Daniel Negreanu already has four World Series of Poker gold bracelets to his name, and will be looking to capture his fifth on Friday as he enters the final table of the WSOP $1,500 pot-limit hold’em event in sixth chip position. Negreanu won his first-ever gold bracelet in this very same discipline at the 2008 WSOP.

Negreanu also currently sits in 30th position in the 2012 Card Player Player of the Year race, but could move as high as sixth place in the rankings if he were to capture the title and the 840 POY points that come with it.

A total of 639 players posted the $1,500 buy-in, building a $862,650 prize pool and a top prize of $189,818.

Other notable players battling for the top prize and the bracelet include recent WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown champion Tommy Vedes, Jonathan Aguiar and Jonathan Eames.

A number of big names made it deep in this event but fell short of the final table, including Steve Brecher who finished 12th ($11,361), Nam Le who finished 16th ($7,254), and John Juanda who finished 18th ($7,254).

The chip leader heading into the final day is Bryan “PrimordialAA” Pellegrino with 790,000. Pellegrino nearly eliminated Negreanu from the event in 15th place with a massive cooler. The players got their chips in preflop with Pellegrino holding pocket aces against Negreanu’s pocket kings, putting Pellegrino in a great position to eliminate a tough opponent and take a massive chip lead. Negreanu hit a king on the turn however to double up.

Pellegrino did eventually take the chip lead again when he won a massive pot with top pair and the nut flush draw prevailing over the top pair, top kicker of 10th place finisher Thom Werthmann ($11,361).

Here is a look at the chip counts of the final table players:

Card Player TV caught up with Negreanu just after the final table was set. Check out the video below: