As play moved into the last level of the day the blinds increased to 200 / 400 with a 50 chip ante, making the pot just over 1k before anyone voluntarily puts a chip in the middle. With more out there to fight for, and each orbit eating away at the players stacks, the short stacks are finding their situation getting more dire.

Isaac “mr. menlo” Baron has been working with a short stack since his pocket queens lost earlier in the day to a player that had flopped middle pair with his 6-7 suited and ended up all in against Isaac. His opponent hit another 6 on the turn to stay alive and leave Baron with a shortstack of around 6k. Since then Isaac has fought his way back, working up to around 14k and then staying there for a level or so.

Recently Isaac moved all in for his last 12,850 over the top of a player preflop and was called. Baron made a comment along the lines of “I need to get lucky,” and turned over his A8. He did need some help, as he was dominated by his opponents pocket eights. The Q44 flop was no help and Baron was preparing himself to exit the tournament. The next card was the A though and Baron had hit a three outer to take the lead. With the 2 on the river Isaac doubled up to 27k and now has come chips to work with.

Ben Grundy (left) has chipped up to around 50k, recently picking up chips when he made a big hand from the big blind. On a board of 8-6-6-4-8 with 3 clubs Grundy led for 3,100 and was raised to 9k. Ben quickly called, tabling the T8 for a full house. His opponent mucked and while Grundy was stacking chips another player asked Ben why he didn’t raise, saying tongue in cheek “were you afraid of clubs?” Ben replied “I just can’t see the point in raising, what is he going to call me with.” And while it seems like Ben had a lock on the hand there were a few hands that could beat him. Pocket sixes for quads, though unlikely, could be out there and though the dealer raked the board before I could get all the suits exactly, with the cards that were out there a straight flush was possible had his opponent held the 75. Either way, Ben felt the only way he was getting called was if he was either chopping the pot to the case 8 or losing to one of the few hands that could beat him.

At the same table as Grundy, member of the November Nine Scott “R_A_Y” Montgomery (right) was also able to grab some chips. Scott was in middle position and bet 4k and change on the river of a 762TJ board and was called. Scott showed the T6 for two pair and raked the pot. Playing T6 suited from mid-early position? Maybe he is practicing running good for the WSOP Main Event Final Table, or just mixing it up to keep his opponents off balance.

Over in the main tournament area Peter “#1Pen” Neff and his table mates have been moved off the main feature table to another table in the area and Neff has been able to chip up to 30k, adding to his earlier double up. Another player opened for 1,200 and Neff raised to 3,325. He was called and on the T74 flop a continuation from Neff took the pot and pushed his stack to slightly over 30k.

Chip Counts:
Isaac Haxton - 68k
Chris “Moorman1″ Moorman - 62k
Ben Grundy - 50k
Scott “R_A_Y” Montgomery - 33k
Peter “#1Pen” Neff - 50k
Scott Fischman - 27k
Isaac “mr. menlo” Baron - 27k
Jonathan “FatalError” Aguiar - 27k
Tim “Tmay420″ West - 13k

• September 27, 2008 -- All Day For A Quarter, Day 1A Complete
• September 29, 2008 -- Finish Strong, Day 2 Complete
• September 27, 2008 -- Shuffling Tables
• September 30, 2008 -- Haxton Axed