Not too long after this report was filed, Strasser was eliminated from the tournament.

by Craig Cunningham

Jason Strasser came into today with $483k in chips and brimming with confidence. He's played just great poker, focused, patient, slowing things down as he's been working to do. He moved close to $700k, and with the blinds at $2.5k/5.0k and $500 antes, each pot was worth contesting. Jason raised $15k, just like he'd done the previous hand. Matt Wilson had reluctantly mucked from the big blind the last hand, and this time he raised to $75k. It folded back to Jason, and he lifted his hands from his temples, motioning all-in as he said those words as he reached around his stack of chips. Wilson thought for ten seconds, then called in obvious frustration for Jason's continued aggressiveness. He turned over As-Ks, but Jason flipped over pocket aces. It was a massive pot, around $900k, and ESPN cameras shoved others aside. The flop came 4s7dJc, and Jason sat motionless. The Qs hit the turn, and more people rushed over to see the action. The 6s hit on the river, and Wilson let out a scream of delight as he had doubled up with a big suckout. He was down to $225k, then moved to $203k at the break as they colored up the pink chips.

Jason Srasser in bigger days

An hour later, Jason was hardly on tilt. "I've got around $250k," he said. "I got it up to $260k, then had pocket 10's vs. 9's (a 9 hit the flop). That got me down to $90k, but I've chipped back up." He chatted with the 1s as the dealer dealt the next hand. Two brutal beats, but remember: Jason Strasser has seen this before, and if he can push through the day with chips, he will be a force to be reckoned with.