It's not going that well for the short stacks. Most of the hands that are taking place are bust-outs. The few short stacks who did manage to double up were so short that they soon busted anyway. Add Ralph Bamblett's name to the list. He moved in for 26,000 preflop with . David Docherty squeezed out and made the call.
Bamblett was in the clear after the flop came down . Disaster came on the turn, however, when the dealer pulled the out of the deck to make a pair for Docherty. That left Bamblett looking for a river ten that he didn't get. The river came to send him to the rail.
Manny Stavropoulos has been eliminated in 56th place after tangling with Brett Daphne.
On a flop of Stavropoulos moved the last of his chips in on a bluff with and got a call from Brett Daphne with . Daphne would stay in front and eliminate Stavropoulos with the board running out .
Daphne moves up to 125,000. Manny Stavropoulos earns AU$15,000.
A massive pot on the far side of the room has resulted in the stunning elimination of Karl Bullock. Rajkumar Ramakrishnan was the player who went to a flop of with Bullock. Ramakrishnan checked it over to Bullock, then called a bet of 40,000.
On the turn Ramakrishnan checked again. Bullock mulled things over for about 30 seconds, then moved all in for 190,000. Ramakrishnan called in a shot, turning over the nut flush, . Bullock was drawing dead with and beat a hasty exit out of the tournament area. His exit was so swift that tournament staff are looking for him to sign the necessary paperwork so he can collect his winnings.
Nali Kaselias had just doubled the hand previously from 9,000 to around 20,500. On his elimination hand, Kaselias moved all in over the top of a preflop raise from Zach Gruneberg. Gruneberg made a committed call with to leave Kaselias' in excellent shape.
The flop was all clear for Kaselias and with the turn he looked set to double up. However, the river would make Gruneberg a pair and send "Iraqi Nick" to the rail.
We got to Joel Dodds' table just in time to see him move his last 43,000 chips into the pot from the small blind. Joe Cassidy was in the big blind with and made the call. He probably expected Dodds to open aces, as Dodds is well-known for having a range of exactly one hand. Instead Dodds showed two live cards, . Each player made a pair on a flop of . The board ran out , which was no help to Dodds. He's out in 59th place.
Australian Chris Chronis is still in the Main Event flying the flag for the "home team." Most recently, Chronis doubled through South African Raymond Rahme.
On the flop of , Chronis check-raised all in over a bet and call. Rahme, who had already flat-called the original raise of Joe Cassidy, now called Chronis' all-in, after Cassidy folded.
Rahme tabled to be well behind Chronis' for trip sevens. The turn and river ensured the double-up for Chronis.
Chronis moves up to around 200,000. Rahme is down to about 230,000.
Another of Sweden's hopes is no longer in the tournament. Stefan Mattsson opened for 7,500 chips. Zach Gruneberg put in a small raise of his own to 14,500, prompting Mattsson to move all in for 50,000. Gruneberg made the call with a monster, . Mattsson's pocket sixes were drawing slim. There was no help to be found anywhere on the board. Mattsson reported to the cage to collect his AU$15,000 while Gruneberg stacked his chips.
Clonie Gowen was all in yesterday, needing catch up after the flop had already come down. She's been firing on all cylinders since then. She just sent Matthew Vengrin to the rail in 61st place. Gowen opened for 8,000 preflop, then called after Vengrin moved all in for 32,000. Gowen's had the edge on Vengrin's . Neither improved by the time the river came down.
Vengrin will receive AU$15,000 for his performance over the last several days.
The locals will be unhappy. One of their own, Antonis "Toothpick Tony" Kambouris, has been eliminated. Tom Pongrass opened from middle position with a raise to 8,500. Kambouris looked down at in the small blind and decided to move in for the remainder of his short stack. Pongrass snap-called with and took down the pot on a very non-threatening board of .
Kambouris goes home with AU$15,000 in prize money.
Jarred Solomon has been eliminated holding after he got the last of his chips all in with middle pair on a flop of . Clonie Gowen made the call with her , middle pair with a bigger kicker and the turn and river were not enough to keep Solomon in the Main Event.