João Paulo Simão's head might be gone inside as he just bluffed off another half of his stack.
He was sat in the big blind and called a cut-off raise from Fraser Macintyre to see a flop where he led for 60,000. Macintyre called and then bet 76,000 when the Brazilian checked to him on the turn.
The river was and Simão came out firing again with a 225,000 bet. Macintyre called and Simão mucked. The Scotsman showed and mucked the other hand.
First in from the cutoff seat, Frederik Jensen opened to 40,000, and he found action in two places. João Paulo Simão (button) and Juan Navarrete (big blind) came along with him.
The flop brought , and Navarette would factor no further. Action checked to Simão who bet 56,000, but Jensen check-raised to 138,000 total. After a minute or so, Simão shoved in over the top, and Jensen snap-called for his last 599,000. Simão sunk in his chair.
Showdown
Jensen:
Simão:
The Brazilian was dead to a deuce, and he'd find none on the turn and river. Jensen ends up with three jacks when he only needed two, and he's doubled up in a big way. He and Simão essentially trade places, and Simão has dipped down below the chip average.
Mike McDonald made it 40,000 from the hijack and Ilan Boujenah three-bet to 92,000 in the big blind. McDonald called with about 560,000 back, easily covered by the Israeli, to see a flop of . Boujenah led out for 112,000 and 'Timex' made the call to see the on the turn.
Boujenah slowed down and checked with McDonald betting exactly 1,000 less than Boujenah's flop bet - 111,000. Boujenah took a while before he eventually decided to fold.
Ivan Tikhov raised to 34,000 preflop, Fraser Macintyre called behind him and João Paulo Simão called out of the big blind to see a dry looking flop. Simão checked, Tikhov bet 56,000 which Macintyre called but then, perhaps a little surprisingly, Simão check-raised to 135,000. Tikhov folded but Macintyre made a second call to see the on the turn.
Simão now fired out a bet of 215,000 which had Macintyre muttering, "You can't have a two..."
Despite this, Macintyre made the call once more and the river was the . Simão thought for a couple of minutes and then checked, but the second surprise (to the watching crowd) was that Macintyre did not check back but instead fired out a bet of 400,000.
Simão now was tanking and asked Macintyre if he would show, should the Brazilian fold, Macintyre responded in the negative.
After about two or three minutes (and five minutes into the break), Macintyre suddenly stated, "Come on, you're going to fold anyway. I was so sure you were raising with air on the flop."
Simão responded, "Thank you for saying that last bit, I was almost going to call..." and with that he mucked his hand and we went on break.
Juan Navarrete raised to 35,000 under the gun, and the action fold around to Jean-Pierre Petroli in the small blind. He only had 135,000 total, and he quickly slid them across the line. Navarette asked for the count, then made the call with a chance at the knockout. He was well in front.
Showdown
Navarrete:
Petroli:
The flop turned the tides in a big way. It came rolling out to send Navarrete spinning away from the table in frustration. Petroli's set of deuces put him right back in the match, and the turn and river locked up his double to move him just across the 300,000-chip mark. Navarrete was left with about 375,000.
Two hands later, though, the Spaniard got them all back. Petroli opened to 36,000, then called the shove from Navarrete. It was a big coin flip with Petroli's a small favorite against Navarrete's . The board was clean until the river, but the dropped off the deck to sent Petroli off to the cashier in 16th place.
Andrei Stoenescu needed to find a hand, a spot, or anything to get his tournament heading in the right direction, and he found all of it to more than double.
He opened to 32,000 from under the gun and was three-bet to 74,000 from Ivan Tikhov in mid position. Our friend, João Paulo Simão, wanted in on the action, and four-bet 153,000 from the small blind. He had to fold though when both opponents moved in behind.
Stoenescu:
Tikhov:
The board ran . The Romanian's aces held up.
Did anyone notice three clubs on the board? Simão certainly did!