JC Alvarado has narrowly missed out on winning a WSOP bracelet like his fellow Team PokerStars Mexico Pro Angel Guillen. Alvarado made it to the last five in the $10,000 Pot Limit Hold'em, but despite a temporary comeback from the jaws of defeat, he fell in a huge coin flip with John Kabbaj.

Alvarado raised to 200,000, Kabbaj came over the top to 700,000, the Mexican moved all in for a total of 1,250,000 - call!

Alvarado: [ah][qs]
Kabbaj: [10c][10s]

The race was on, but the board ran dry for the PokerStars man- [7s][6d][jd][7d][jh] - busting him in fifth place for a $138,375 pay day.

JC Alvarado

He could and perhaps should have been out a little earlier, after falling to the felt when he doubled up Kabbaj leaving him with only 200,000. But he went on a terrific little run that, for a short time at least, threatened a remarkable comeback. On the next hand he was all-in with [kd][qc] against Davidi Kitai's [6h][4s], which held up getting the Mexican up to over 400,000.

Next hand he raised the pot to 350,000 and it was folded around. The next hand he raised the pot again - and again it was folded to his disgust, as he revealed pocket aces.

Finally on the next hand he raised again, got re-popped by Eric Baldwin, all in, call!

Alvarado: [10c][10d]
Baldwin: [as][kc]

The board ran [qd][7c][3d][jd][7h] and Alvarado found himself up at 1,400,000!

Then the fateful hand with a rejuvinated Kabbaj sealed his fate. Shortly after Davidi Kitai busted in fourth, leaving Kabbaj, Kirill Gerasimov and Eric Baldwin to fight for the bracelet and the $633,335 first prize.

You need your fair share of luck to win any tournament, and Team PokerStars Mexico Pro JC Alvarado is getting just the help he needs on the final table of the $10,000 Pot Limit Hold'em.

Twice he has been all-in, and twice he has been called by a better hand - but both times he came from behind to win the pot.

JC Alvarado

First he got it all in with [qs][js] and needed to catch a card to best Isaac Haxton's [ad][8h], and the board duly came out [jh][5d][4s][qc][3s] to take the Mexican up over a million.

But then he doubled up Jason Lester in a straightforward A-Q vs. A-K battle to send him down to below 500,000 again. Before long Alvarado was all-in again, this time with [kh][10c] against Davidi Kitai's [ah][jh], and again the poker gods were smiling when a king hit the flop, taking him back up to near one million in chips once more.

Meanwhile Haxton, crippled when he doubled Alvarado up, went out soon after in eighth place for $82,668. All remaining players are now guaranteed $93,085.

Latest chip counts:

Davidi Kitai, 1,850,000
John Kabbaj, 1,650,000
Eric Baldwin, 1,255,000
Kirill Gerasimov, 1,000,000
JC Alvarado, Team PokerStars Mexico Pro, 940,000
Eugene Todd, 910,000
Jason Lester, 880,000

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Meanwhile, in day two of the $2,500 Mixed event we have Team PokerStars Pros well in contention with just 28 players left. With the average at 140,000, Ylon Schwartz is on 245,000, Barry Greenstein on 210,000, and Gavin Griffin on 145,000. Daniel Negreanu busted in 37th for $5,757 - his sixth cash of the Series so far!

Daniel Negreanu and Barry Greenstein

Things had not been going so well for JC Alvarado on the $10,000 Pot Limit Hold'em final table. He had not really got into his stride and then he doubled up Jason Lester.

It was a battle of the blinds - and the two had history as when they were ten-handed they clashed in the exact same situation and Alvarado came out on top. This time it ended the other way.

JC Alvarado

The action was folded around to the Team PokerStars Mexico Pro, and he made it 120,000 from the small blind. Lester moved all in over the top for 175,000 more. Call!

Lester: [as][ah]
Alvarado: [9d][10h]

He was a mile behind and the board failed to bring the necessary help, running out [7d][4h][3s][kh][8h].

That knocked Alvarado down to the chip count, but he got much of it back by busting Darryll Fish soon after. Again it was a battle of the blinds - this time Fish made it 120,000 from the small and Alvarado moved all in over the top. Fish called for his tournament life:

Alvarado: [7d][7h]
Fish: [as][8d]

The board ran [jh][9d][4c][qh][2s] and Fish busted for $77,136, while Alvarado recovered his stack to just under 500,000.

Current chip counts:

John Kabbaj, 1,840,000
Davidi Kitai, 1,665,000
Isaac Haxton, 1,215,000
Eric Baldwin, 1,125,000
JC Alvarado, Team PokerStars Mexico Pro, 710,000
Jason Lester, 610,000
Eugene Todd, 565,000
Kirill Gerasimov, 530,000

And here are the prize payouts they're still fighting for:

1 $633,335
2 $391,369
3 $259,534
4 $183,638
5 $138,375
6 $110,431
7 $93,085
8 $82,668

We started with 14 and now we are already down to our final table of nine in the $10,000 Pot Limit Hold'em. Among them is Team PokerStars Mexico Pro JC Alvarado, who survived a few early mishaps to take a place at his first WSOP final.

While still at two tables, he was nursing a 200,000 loss from his 900,000 starting stack. "I did not even have a showdown," he said. "It's just that I lost a few small pots and then a decent one when I raised and then he jammed it, so I had to let it go."

JC Alvarado

His buddy Angel Guillen has already made two final tables in this Series, and JC was there to rail him all the way. But today, Guillen is nowhere in sight. "Some friend he is," joked JC. "But I expect he is still asleep."

When they got ten-handed the two tables combined, and JC picked up the blinds a few times with pre-flop raises. Then, an interesting hand developed with Jason Lester.

With blinds up to 15,000-30,000, it was folded around to JC in the small blind. He raised it up to 60,000 and Lester called. The flop came [6s][7s][7c] - JC check-called Lester's 60,000. On the [9h] turn JC checked again, and this time Lester made it 110,000, leaving 180,000 behind.

JC tanked and then announced all-in - barely loud enough to hear, but the message was clear enough and Lester folded. JC showed one card - [3c].

Tenth-placed finisher, and the final table bubble boy, was Mohsin Charania, who collects $57,645, leaving everyone else a guaranteed $77,136 pay day.

Chip leader, still, is the UK's John Kabbaj on 1,867,000, but David Kitai, who eliminated Charania, is right behind with 1,737,000.

Final table chip counts:

John Kabbaj, 1,867,000
Davidi Kitai, 1,737,000
Isaac Haxton, 1,139,000
Eric Baldwin, 1,115,000
JC Alvarado, Team PokerStars Mexico Pro, 810,000
Kirill Gerasimov, 621,000
Jason Lester, 386,000
Eugene Todd, 341,000
Darryll Fish, 241,000

Whatever happens for the remainder of the WSOP, this year's Series will be remembered as a great one for Team PokerStars Mexico Pro. Angel Guillen became only the second Mexican ever to win a bracelet in the $2,000 No Limit Hold'em, and that coming just weeks after he finished runner-up in the $2,500 No Limit. Through both finals his team mate and good buddy JC Alvarado supported him from the rail.

Now it's JC who is closing in on a final table of his own. With just 14 players remaining, he's second in chips going into day three of the $10,000 Pot Limit Hold'em and looking for a strong finish.

JC Alvarado

Already guaranteed a $43,091 pay day, he is desperate to zero in on the $633,335 first prize, but first he and the rest of the field need to do something about runaway chip leader John Kabbaj from the UK.

JC was so close to being joined today by two more PokerStars players. Vanessa Rousso bust in 15th ($43,091) after a tremendous run, and will count herself very unlucky not to be back for day three. On a [5c][9d][4c] flop she and Eugene Todd got it all in - she had [10d][9s], he [9c][8d], meaning Vanessa was nicely ahead. But the [8c] on the turn gave the pot to Todd.

Out one place earlier in 16th was Team PokerStars Germany Pro Florian Langmann ($32,209), when his pocket sixes ran into Billy Kopp's pocket aces.

Here are the official chip counts going in to the final day's play:

John Kabbaj, 2,226,000
JC Alvarado, Team PokerStars Mexico Pro, 924,000
Billy Kopp, 772,000
Eric Baldwin, 713,000
Isaac Haxton, 660,000
Davidi Kitai, 581,000
Kirill Gerasimov, 550,000
Ken Lennaard, 467,000
Darryll Fish, 368,000
Eugene Todd, 351,000
Michael Kamran, 261,000
Jason Lester, 240,000
Mohsin Charania, 224,000
Thomas Pettersson, 121,000

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Team PokerStars Pro Barry Greenstein comes back to today's day two of the $2,500 Mixed Hold'em as chip leader with 177,000. With 67 players left and the chip average at 57,000, Daniel Negreanu (101,000) and Ylon Schwartz (63,900) are also in the running.

It's always good to be dealt pocket aces, but it's much better when you have an opponent willing to get in a pre-flop raising war with you.

Team PokerStars Mexico Pro JC Alvarado was in that happy position a few moments ago when Chino Rheem could not let go of his jacks pre-flop and all his money went in. The board ran dry, eliminating Rheem while the PokerStars man soared to 225,000.

JC Alvarado

Alvarado is enjoying his table. Not only is he now sitting in the top ten with 53 left, but he has struck up a bit of banter with David "The Dragon" Pham on his right which is keeping them both amused.

Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Rousso was up to more than 105,000 but then lost a big pot when she had [qd][9d] on a [qc][jd][7d] flop but could not overtake Alex Kamberis' [as][qc].

The last woman standing in this $10,000 Pot Limit Hold'em World Championship, she was looking for a double up, and re-raised Bryn Kenney all-in with [ah][qh], meaning a classic race with his [4s][4c]. An ace was the first card on the flop - and Rousso stayed ahead for the rest of the board. She's back up to 67,000 but still considered one of the shorter stacks.

ElkY is finding life tough on his table. He called a raise only for Isaac Haxton to come over the top, forcing the Frenchman and the original raiser to get out of the way. ElkY is looking a little frustrated, but he still has 110,000 to play with.

Over in the blue section (as opposed to the red, orange and green flavours also available in the Amazon room) a hooded figure riffles his chips. He clearly has a decision to make, as with around 6,000 in the pot, he has to call another 2,350 on the river.

Team PokerStars Mexico Pro JC Alvarado, hooded in black, looks at the aggressor through his dark glasses. He looked down at his chips, looks back at seat four's face, lets out a sigh, riffles again, then taps his chips noisily on one another. He leans back in his chair, puffs out his cheeks, and the lets out a grimace. Time to study the board once more: [jh][4d][3c][kc][6d]. One more stare, one more muffled "Aaargh" noise.... call.

[kd][jd] for seat four, and it's good. JC mucks.

But this aggressive young player, who won the recent PokerStars SCOOP $1,050 main event for $502,000, does not let setbacks like that deter him. He's hovering around his starting stack of 15,000 in this $5,000 No Limit Hold'em event and seemingly ducking and diving in most pots.

JC Alvarado

He's not just something of an online wizard, his live record is pretty good, too, having clocked up around $700,000 which includes a WSOP final table ($1,500 No Limit) in 2006.

This day one, 655-player field is a tough one as you'd expect. Team PokerStars Pros Vanessa Rousso, Peter Eastgate, Victor Ramdin, John Duthie, ElkY, Dario Minieri, Humberto Brenes and Hevad Khan have been spotted so far.

Rousso just picked up an extra 2,000 or so thanks to an extra pip. Her [ah][10h] good against [ac][9d] on a [qs][ad][5d][jd][6s] board. She was a little late in arriving today, having woken up just 15 minutes before play began, but it looks like the rest did her good... she's up to 24,000.