[user75032]
Elliot Smith played his strong and it paid off. He raised all in from the button for a total of 230,000 after Zach Fellows opened for 32,000. Fellows tanked for several minutes before making the call with .
The flop came down , giving Fellows a pair of kings. Another four hit the turn, taking away Fellows' two-pair outs. He could win with only a king on the river. There was a flash of paint as the river came down, drawing a gasp from the crowd, but it not a king -- it was the . That made two pair, kings and queens, for Fellows, but he lost to Smith's aces and fours.
Smith doubled up to 530,000. Fellows is down to 840,000.
[user67765]
Frank Ellis - 17th Place
After first doubling up his short stack through Christian Heich, Frank Ellis was unable to repeat in a clash with Barny Boatman.
Ellis shoved from the cutoff for 180,000 and Boatman called in the big blind.
Ellis:
Boatman:
The board fell and Ellis hits the rail in 17th place, collecting AU$65,000. Boatman is now up to 720,000.
[user75032]
Things haven't been easy for Christian Heich. He moved in for 357,000 after Chris Chronis opened in late position for 35,000. Chronis thought things over for a few minutes before calling with . Heich showed him and the race was on. Heich emerged victorious, pairing his king on a flop of and then turning another, . The that hit the river was a safe card for Heich, allowing him to double to a shade more than 700,000. Chronis is down to roughly one million in chips.
[user67765]
Often in poker tournaments, as we creep deeper and deeper into the tournament, play will often "lull". The reason for this is that there are less players and tables in action, which in turn results in less action for us to report.
Also, as we approach major milestones during the tournament such as payout jumps, dinner breaks or the end of the day, it is a natural tendency for players to tighten up their play in order to reach the next milestone.
In a major tournament such as the World Series of Poker or the Aussie Millions, there is a huge jump between finishing in the top 20 and reaching the final table. All of the recognition is for the final table players, while we will soon forget those who fell short.
The play here is currently in this phase, as players start to think about reaching the glory of an Aussie Millions final table berth.
[user75032]
Tino Lechich has been trying to figure out Rajkumar Ramakrishnan all day. He was earlier flabbergasted at how Ramakrishnan seemed to have the goods every time he was in a pot, but this time Lechich caught Ramakrishnan and snapped off a bluff. The hand was raised preflop by Elliot Smith, and both Lechich and Ramakrishnan called. The players checked all the way to the river of a board, where Lechich and Smith checked to Ramakrishnan, who fired out for 120,000.
"Are you trying to steal my pot?" Lechich asked. He didn't wait for an answer before making the call. Once Smith folded, Ramakrishnan showed . Lechich tabled and collected the pot. He's close to 1.0 million in chips now. Ramakrishnan took the hit back to 1.7 million without breaking his stride.
[user67765]
Zach Fellows raised to 28,000 from the button and Sorel Mizzi made the call in the big blind.
The flop of was checked by both players. The peeled off on the turn and Mizzi led for 36,000. Fellows made the call. The river was the and Mizzi fired another 66,000 which Fellows called.
[user75032]
We watched Richard Ashby limp into a pot from under the gun. Nobody else was interested in playing except for the big blind, Zach Gruneberg, who got to see the flop without having to commit any more chips. It came down . Gruneberg checked; Ashby checked behind.
The turn was the . Gruneberg tried a bet of 20,000, but he couldn't shake Ashby. Ashby called to the river . Gruneberg checked it to Ashby, who checked behind. Gruneberg, as last aggressor, opened first, showing . He flopped a straight flush draw that missed.
And what did Ashby have? ! He collected the pot to the puzzlement of the players at the table and the spectators on the rail.
[user75032]
We're not sure who should be more disappointed about a recent hand between Elliot Smith and Peter Rho. Smith opened for 32,000 from middle position and was called by Rho on the button, and Tino Lechich in the big blind. On a flop of , action checked to Rho. He opted to bet two-third of the pot, coming in for 65,000. Only Smith called.
The turn fell , putting four to a straight on the board. Smith checked; Rho checked behind. The river put the whole straight on the board. Again both players checked. Rho had been dealt but was playing the board straight; Smith had been dealt , turned the straight, and then watched his straight be counterfeited by the board straight.
The two players chopped up Tino Lechich's 32,000 chips and went back to work.
[user67765]
Chris Chronis
Chris Chronis is starting to get active after taking down a couple of generous post-flop pots.
In the first hand, Chronis raised to 40,000 from the cutoff and Barny Boatman was the three-bettor, making it 115,000 to go from the button. Chronis called. The flop was and both checked. The turn was the and Chronis moved all in at the pot in a massive overbet. Boatman sighed and folded face up.
A few moments later, Chronis was raising again, this time to 35,000 from under the gun with Stewart Scott and Dixon Ruecker calling in the blinds. The flop was and Scott checked to Ruecker, who fired 120,000. Chronis called and Scott stepped aside. The turn was the , and both checked to see the fall on the river. Ruecker checked to Chronis, who fired a healthy 300,000 into the middle. Ruecker gave it up and Chronis collected another uncontested pot. He's now back up to around 1.08 million chips.
![[user75032]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
strong and it paid off. He raised all in from the button for a total of 230,000 after Zach Fellows opened for 32,000. Fellows tanked for several minutes before making the call with 
.
, giving Fellows a pair of kings. Another four hit the turn, taking away Fellows' two-pair outs. He could win with only a king on the river. There was a flash of paint as the river came down, drawing a gasp from the crowd, but it not a king -- it was the 
. That made two pair, kings and queens, for Fellows, but he lost to Smith's aces and fours.
and Ellis hits the rail in 17th place, collecting AU$65,000. Boatman is now up to 720,000.
. Heich showed him 
that hit the river was a safe card for Heich, allowing him to double to a shade more than 700,000. Chronis is down to roughly one million in chips.
board, where Lechich and Smith checked to Ramakrishnan, who fired out for 120,000.
and collected the pot. He's close to 1.0 million in chips now. Ramakrishnan took the hit back to 1.7 million without breaking his stride.
. Gruneberg tried a bet of 20,000, but he couldn't shake Ashby. Ashby called to the river 
. Gruneberg checked it to Ashby, who checked behind. Gruneberg, as last aggressor, opened first, showing 
and Heich checked to Ruecker, who fired 100,000. Heich then check-raised all in and Ruecker released his hand.
, action checked to Rho. He opted to bet two-third of the pot, coming in for 65,000. Only Smith called.
