We are only days away from the Final Table of the 2013 World Series of Poker Main Event! Picking up right where we left off last week, here is the latest hand-for-hand results of this week’s special double episode edition. The action begins with 18 players and it doesn’t end until the final table is set! Check out the highlights below to see who got lucky, who got scummed, and who made it onto the final table.

Highlights:

The action began with the announcement of a new ‘almond’ chip in play, worth 250,000. Online pro David Benefield raised it up with AQc and ran into Sylvain Loosli, who reraised with KK. Benefield called and flop came out KQ4, giving Benefield middle pair and Loosli top set! After both players checked the flop Loosli fired out 1.45M on the turn and Benefield called. Loosli bet out 2.5M on the river and Benefield made the reluctant call, immediately holding his head in his hands. With the win, Loosli increased his chip total to 26.4M. Benefield dropped down to 3.6M, the second shortest stack in the room.

On the secondary table, the shortest stack in the room Jan Nackladal 4-bet shoved all-in with Queens and had the unfortunate luck to run into Matthew Reed’s pocket Aces. Nackladal finished in 18th place, good for $357,655.

Pocket Kings were no help to Rep Porter as he was unlucky enough to run into Michiel Brummuelhuis and his (surprise) wired pair of Aces. Brummelhuis only smooth-called Porter’s raise preflop, which probably cost him the remainder of Porter’s stack as an Ace appeared on the flop. A bet on the river eventually forced Porter to fold, adding 2.5M to Michiel’s stack.

A three-way hand erupted on the final tables between JC Tran (AQ), Marc Etienne McLaughlin (AK), and Jay Farber’s (QQ). A King on the flop gave McLaughlin the lead but both players called the flop bet. A turn bet of 2.5M gave the pot to McLaughlin, who now sat in second place with nearly 20M.

David Benefield put his tournament life at stake when he shoved all-in with 33 for 3.36M. Bruno Kawauti decided to risk half his stack and made the call with AQ. A flop of J 3 10 gave Benefield a set but he still had to sweat a gutshot Broadway draw. An 8 on the turn gave Kawauti a double gutshot draw, but Benefield managed to escape the deathblow. Kawauti was reduced to merely 3.77M while Benefield doubled up to 7.2M.

Alex Livingston made the mistake of reraising all-in with AQh and ran smack dab into Ryan Reiss’ pocket Aces. Reiss double up to 7.87M while Livingston sat with only 13 big blinds.

One Phil Hellmuth interlude later, Michiel Brummelhuis (AQs) duked it out against Carlos Mortensen (QQ). Out of position with Ace-high, Brummelhuis called down Carlos’ flop bet. The turn was no better, and Brummelhuis folded.

JC Tran saw through Fabian Ortiz’s all-in bluff on the river, calling down the Argentinian with second pair. That is why he’s the man! Ortiz finished in 17th place for $357,655.

Mortensen raised it up with 107h and was called by Loosli with A6s. Loosli flopped top and bottom pair, but it was Carlos who bet out 600k. The turn had Carlos drawing dead, but again he bet out. Carlos seemed intent to bluff off a large portion of his stack as he bet out 2.5M on the river, and Loosli quickly called and bumped up his stack to nearly 34M. Mortensen lost 42% of his stack in the hand.

The super aggro Chris Lindh shoved all-in preflop for 3.37M with 109s. Usually his two cards would be live, but not against Marc Etienne McLaughlin’s A9os. The board brought no luck to Chris Lindh, who exited in 16th place.

JC Tran (77) saw a flop against Sergio Castellucio (AK). Despite being reraised on the turn, Tran once against sniffed out the bluff and made the call. Both players checked the river and Tran took down the pot. Players take note: Don’t try and push around JC Tran!

A battle between short stacks Porter (77) and Kawauti (1010) occurred next. Just when you thought Porter was on his way out, a 7 on the flop gave him more life! Kawauti was unable to improve his hand and exited in 15th place for $451,398. Porter jumped up to 7.8M.

Chip leader Loosli decided to try his 97os against the raise of Brummelhuis. The flop gave Brummelhuis top pair and Loosli middle pair. Although Michiel bet out the flop, he checked the turn and allowed Loosli to catch a third 7 on the river. He didn’t like the river but he “had to call” Loosli’s river bet of 1.2M.

Castelluccio shoved all-in with A5os and was immediately snap-called by Amir Lehavot’s Kings. The board failed to improve his hand and he was eliminated in 14th place for $451,398. Despite losing Sergio was all smiles. With the win Lehavot sat in first place with over 30M.

Loosli continued his hot streak, picking up AA, while short stack Alex Livingston once again picked the wrong time to play AQ. Livingston was eliminated in 13th place for $451,398.

The next episode began with JC Tran raising it up with AA. Jay Farber decided to get cute with 87h and McLaughlin also made the call as the small blind with 88. McLaughlin bet the flop and JC called. An Ace on the river also brought out a flush draw and McLaughlin wisely folded to Tran’s 2.65M bet. Tran picked up 2.87M in the hand.

Loosli picked up AJh and raised it. Brummelhuis made the loose call with J9os, which proved disastrous when the board came out J 6 10. Michiel was all-in and in dire straights but a miracle runner-runner straight kept him alive, doubling him up to 11M.

Soon after, Rep Porter pushed all-in for 21 big blinds (6.5M) with KJs. Ryan Reiss sat with 99, and after a moment of deliberation he made the call, risking 65% of his stack. The two-time bracelet winner was unable to catch a lucky card this time around, and he had to settle for his second top-15 Main Event finish. He finished in 12th place for $573,204.

Benefield (99) made a bad call on the river against Brummelhuis, who flopped top pair of Kings with KJ. The river call cost Benefield 2.25M. Brummelhuis added 4.25M to his stack.

Farber picked up AKd against JC Tran’s pocket 4s. The flop of 5s 2d 3d couldn’t have been more exciting as it gave Farber the nut flush draw and a gutshot straight draw and JC Tran an open-ended straight draw. Farber made a continuation bet of 2.35M and Tran called. A 7s on the turn was no help to either players, and they both checked. The river was also a blank, and both players checked it down. Tran took down 5.6M in the hand, making him the chip leader again.

Carlos Mortensen decided to play a little loose with J2h and got himself into trouble against Ryan Reiss’ Q9os. Both players flopped a pair, but it was Reiss who was ahead with Queens. Sometimes it pays to be lucky though, as Carlos snatched victory from the jaws of defeat when a Jack on the river gave him two pair. The 2001 Main Event champions bumped his stack up to nearly 13M.

Matthew Reed’s tournament came to and end when he shoved all-in with K4os and ran into (who else?) JC Tran and pocket Queens. Reed finished in 11th place and took home $573,204.

The bubble was here – only one elimination remained until the final table would be set. A redraw brought all players to one table.

Short stack Mark Newhouse (how did that happen?) shoved all-in with A6 for 2.15M and Loosli called with Q4os. Newhouse doubled up to 5M.

Reiss and McLaughlin butted horns with duplicate hands of AQ, guaranteeing a chop. Reiss was able to take down the pot on the turn using some well-timed aggression, adding 4.7M to his stack.

While both players held a pair of Queens, it was who Farber took down a massive pot against JC Tran thanks to a higher kicker. Farber added nearly 9M with the win.

Some time later, Mortensen smartly avoided a very bad situation when he folded AJs against the reraise of Reiss, who held pocket Kings. Unfortunately for Mortensen, it would be his old foil JC Tran who would send him home. Mortensen held second pair and the nut flush draw, but it was Tran who turned a straight. Carlos’ bid to win a second title would come up short, and he was eliminated on the final table bubble in 10th place for $573,204. It was a tough beat to say the least for The Matador.

With that elimination, the final table of the 2013 WSOP Main Event was set! 9 worthy souls remained to battle it out for the World Championship.

Leaderboard

1. JC Tran – 38,000,000
2. Amir Lehavot – 29,700,000
3. Marc Etienne McLaughlin – 26,525,000
4. Jay Farber – 25,975,000
5. Ryan Reiss – 25,875,000
6. Sylvain Loosli – 19,600,00
7. Michiel Brummelhuis – 11,275,000
8. Mark Newhouse – 7,350,000
9. David Benefield – 6,375,000

1st Place: $8,359,531

The Main Event Final Table will be played November 4-5, Live on ESPN.