It was bad timing for Craig Bergeron when he ran his into Elliot Smith's . Following a series of raises preflop both players eventually got their stacks in with the board running out to see Bergeron eliminated and Smith close in on 100,000 chips.
Some players would tell you there's never a bad time for aces, but really the best time for aces is when an opponent is dealt a nearly-as strong hand that never improves. Like pocket jacks. Warwick Mirzikinian was dealt on the button and called a raise to 2,000 of a late position opponent. The flop was as non-threatening as could be, . Mirzikinian's opponent bet 4,000, then moved all in after Mirzikinian raised to 8,000. Mirzikinian made the call and was shown the of his opponent. The board blanked out . Mirzikinian sent his opponent to the rail and moved to 80,000 in chips.
Chris Barratt opened to 2,400 from late position and Jarred Graham bumped it to a further 7,500 with Barratt making the call.
On a flop of Barratt pushed 20,000 and Graham called the all in. Barratt tabled and Graham was in the lead with his . The turn however was a cruel locking the pot for Barratt, but when the landed on the river to bring about the chop, the luck was back on Graham's side.
With both players chopping it up Graham still sits with 18,000, while Barratt remains 39,000-chip strong.
Catching the action on the river with the board reading Ali Khalil led out for 10,000 and Daniel Kochan pushed all in for 28,500 more. Khalil made the call tabling for a flush, but Kochan had booked-up on the river with his .
After the hand Kochan sky-rocketed up to 85,000 as Khalil slumped way down to 8,500.
It was a pot that had been raised preflop. The participants were Larry Karambis, Antonis "Toothpick Tony" Kambouris and David Campbell. The flop came down super connected, . Kambouris and Campbell checked to Karambis, who opened for 5,700. Toothpick Tony then check-raised to 15,000, only to see Campbell double-check-raise all in. Neither Karambis nor Kambouris elected to dance with Campbell. He showed anyway and moved to 90,000 in chips.
We mentioned earlier that Peter Aristidou has encountered much resistance today. As Day 1a winds down, it's more of the same for Aristidou. He bet 2,500 on the turn of a board, then called after Antonis "Toothpick Tony" Kambouris raised to 6,000. The river was the . Aristidou thought it over before firing out for 9,000.
Kambouris made the call, then mucked his hand when Aristidou turned over for the rivered straight. It was a nice pot for Arisitidou, moving him to 70,000. Almost all of the work Toothpick Tony has done to accumulate chips today is practically wiped out; he's down to 23,000.
It was almost all over for Antonis "Toothpick Tony" Kambouris. On a flop of he checked to David Campbell. Campbell made it 1,200 to go and was faced with what was not an insignificant decision when Kambouris moved in for 15,650 total. Campbell had chips to burn and decided to make the call on a draw, showing . He was probably surprised when Kambouris turned over a worse draw, . That worse draw turned out to be the winner as the board came running nines, . Kambouris is up to 37,000 and Campbell is back to 70,000.