Dwell of the day so far courtesy of Anestis Pantazidis, who gave Ramin Hajiyev a run through the all-in wringer with what turned out to be the same hand. They weren't to know this at the business-end of the flop, though, when Hajiyev bet out 17,000 on seeing fall and found Pantazidis making it 37k. He started to ask, "How much," before apparently abruptly changing his mind and announcing, "All in."
The total bet was now around 70k, just under Pantazidis' whole stack, and it was five minutes if it was a second before he finally pressed the Call button.
This is the decision being asked widely around the tournament rooms now as the shorter (and even average) stacks have started to exert the big all-in bet pressure on their fellow players pre and post flop, being able then to sit back and if not relax exactly, at least rest a bit while their opponents have to make the big call or big fold.
Just now the button raised to 6,200 and Team Pokerstars Pro Nacho Barbero upped it to 18k in the small blind. Over to big blind Balazs Botond who out of the blue moved his 135k stack all in preflop. The button was no longer interested but Barbero had a good long think about it, before finally passing. The amiable Barbero has under 200k now and is pictured.
Elsewhere it was Jason Wheeler who'd moved in for 80k+ into a pot of around 45k on a flop of . He favoured the head-down approach, resting his face on his crossed arms and waiting patiently for his opponent to fold or call (he folded). No reads on a hat, I imagine.
Table 13 may not be everyone's personal pick to take a seat, especially if you are superstitious. Two people who are feeling very comfortable with the table number 13 are team Pokerstars Pro Martin Hruby and Panama's Jose Severino.
One person who will be bemoaning the table 13 curse is Thomas Tiroch as this hand demonstrates. We join the hand on the flop. The board is and there is 15,000 splattered across the table. Severino is in the Small Blind and Tiroch is in the Big Blind. To cut a long story slightly shorter so I can get back out there doing more reporting for you - they ended up in a raising war and Tiroch was put all in.
Tiroch had for two pair and Severino for one pair. Tiroch was a 72% favourite to win the hand. But what does that matter! Turn and Tiroch was now a 79.5% favourite to double up and then river was the and Severino found his extra 20% to take down the hand at the final whistle with the same two pair as Tiroch but with the King kicker.
Toni Judet opened for 5,300 in early position - in violation of the usual etiquette, the whole sum was in an irritating mix of very small denomination chips - and it folded right around to Alexia Portal in the big blind, who eyed him up and made the call.
Both players checked the flop and come the turn Portal bet out 7,200. Judet flat-called and they saw the river - the . This time Portal checked and Judet bet 10,500 - but he had misjudged the timing, as Portal called and her had pipped Judet's at the last.
Just the merest hint of a smile played on Portal's face as she increased her stack to 130,000.
Andrey Gulyy is sat just to the right of Martin Hruby, and may think twice about trying to push the 350k-stacked Czech Pokerstars Pro off his big blind next orbit. He fired a couple of times, making it 6,300 to go from the small blind when it conveniently folded round to him, then betting out 7,400 on the flop. Hruby called this quickly, and it also took him less time to call Gulyy's 16,100 on the than it did Gulyy to make it.
The river was the and there was a general give-up, with both players checking and Gulyy showing beaten by Hruby's ace-high.
Players are headed once more out to the freezing balcony, as always forgetting to close the door behind them.
By the by, it has been decided that we will be playing either six levels today or down to the money, whichever comes first. With 111 players remaining and the money at 80, it's going to be a pretty close call.
Luke Schwartz walked away from the table, and the board was dealt in his absence - - ensuring his double up to 90,000. "I won it, yah?" he called over; after confirmation, he returned to his seat.
"Dealer saved me there," he said, uncharacteristically cheerfully. "I ran up the stairs from the toilet. I got back just in time to get under-the-gun queens."
Across the table, EPT Barcelona finalist Kapalas looked rather weary as his stack was bisected.