As the field dwindles with every elimination, Miles Austin moves one step closer to adding another accomplishment to an already stacked résumé:
2× Pro Bowl (2009, 2010)
NFC receiving yards leader (2009)
PFWA Most Improved Player of the Year (2009)
Dallas Cowboys single-game receiving record (250)
WPT World Championship cash?
Austin currently sits with just over 60,000, and he will need to haul in a Hail Mary or two to move his stack back to the average. But after witnessing Austin play his way through the a stacked field of feared poker pros to reach Day 3, we wouldn't be surprised if he finds a way to cross the goal line.
After the action folded around to Athanasios Polychronopoulos in the small blind, he waited for 30 seconds or so before making his move. That move happened to be a limp into the pot, and Mike Leah exercised his big blind option by tapping the table, with his check preceded by a half minute of thought as well.
The flop came down and Polychronopoulos froze at the sight, waiting good and long before flicking out a 7,000 c-bet. Leah looked over at Polychronopoulos and stared him down, covering his own mouth with his hoodie and reflecting on the things one reflects over when faced with a bet of one big blind. Finally, he tossed out the requisite calling chips to see the fall on the turn.
Polychronopoulos studied the baby card board and stared into the ether, waiting for more than a minute before moving a 16,000 wager into the middle. Leah responded with his own tank job, sitting still as a stone and moving his gaze back and forth from the board to his opponent's eyes. Finally, he flatted and fifth street fell .
More than 35 seconds passed before a 35,000 bet was made, with Polychronopoulos firing his third barrel at Leah. Another minute or two later, the hand finally ended with a crying call by Leah, who even waited a while to muck his cards after Polychronopoulos tabled for a runner-runner flush catch.