Michael Binger opened to 95,000 from the middle seat, and Joe Tehan called on the button. Both Al Grimes and Christopher DeMaci came along from the blinds, and we had ourselves a four-way flop.
It came suited , and the table checked to Tehan. He put out a bet of 200,000, and Grimes tanked for a while before folding. DeMaci's cards chased his into the muck, and the action came to Binger. After just a minute, he announced a check-raise all in, and Tehan tanked and folded to let Binger have it.
In a battle of the blinds, Jason Mercier opened to 97,000, and Jacob Toole called from the big to see a flop. It came out , and Mercier continued out with 111,000. Toole didn't waste too much time calling, and Mercier checked to him on the turn. Toole bet 220,000, and Mercier gave it a cursory look before folding.
On the next hand, Anh Van Nguyen opened to 100,000 under the gun, and Jason Mercier called from the button. In the big blind, Jimmie Guinther squeezed in a raise all in for 1.057 million. Van Nguyen folded instantly, but Mercier spent a while in the tank as the all in was counted down. It took a couple minutes before he made up his mind to fold, returning his cards to the dealer 100,000 chips lighter.
Action folded to Jacob Toole on the button and he raised to 80,000. The small blind folded and Anh Van Nguyen shipped his stack of 735,000. Toole snap-called and showed , which was ahead of Nguyen's .
Nguyen was at risk and needed help. The flop did not provide it and neither did the on the turn. Nguyen needed a king or jack on the river and sure enough, the hit. Nguyen doubled on the hand to 1.55 million while Toole dropped to 1.8 million.
With about 250,000 in the pot and a flop of , Jason Mercier checked to Jacob Toole, who bet 100,000. Mercier then check-raised 167,000 more and Toole called.
It went check, bet 275,000, call when the hit the turn, and the fell on the river. Once again Mercier checked and Toole bet 585,000! Mercier called and flipped . Toole revealed . It was a chop.
After Chris DeMaci raised the button to 70,000, Joseph Melancon reraised all in from the small blind for about 575,000. Ray Henson was in the big blind. He made the call and DeMaci folded. Henson tabled the to have Melancon on the ropes for his tournament life with the .
The flop came down and Melancon couldn't find much. The turn was the and gave him a lot more outs, but he couldn't hit any of them when the fell on the river. He was eliminated in 11th place for $37,000. Henson moved up to 2.46 million in chips.
"Service!" Joseph Melancon half-yelled to get the attention of a food server who was walking away. She turned around to take his order. "Can I have a banana, please? Yes, just one banana."
Joe Tehan chimed in too: "I'll have a banana too, please. And a water."
"You know what?" Melancon was still deciding. "Bump me up to a banana and a water too."
"It's like you bet a banana and he raised you a water," someone said. "Watch out for that strawberry check-raise on the river."
With the action folded around to the blinds, Joe Tehan opened to 80,000, and George Lind moved all in as a response. Tehan snapped him off, and the news was not good for Lind:
Tehan:
Lind:
There was nothing for Lind to sweat as the board ran out . Unable to find his outs to stay alive, the Team PokerStars Online pro has been sent off in 12th place, leaving Jason Mercier and Anh Van Nguyen as the two host-sponsored players left.
![[user66118]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
, and the table checked to Tehan. He put out a bet of 200,000, and Grimes tanked for a while before folding. DeMaci's cards chased his into the muck, and the action came to Binger. After just a minute, he announced a check-raise all in, and Tehan tanked and folded to let Binger have it.
, and Mercier continued out with 111,000. Toole didn't waste too much time calling, and Mercier checked to him on the 
turn. Toole bet 220,000, and Mercier gave it a cursory look before folding.
, which was ahead of Nguyen's 
.
on the turn. Nguyen needed a king or jack on the river and sure enough, the 
hit. Nguyen doubled on the hand to 1.55 million while Toole dropped to 1.8 million.
, Jason Mercier checked to Jacob Toole, who bet 100,000. Mercier then check-raised 167,000 more and Toole called.
fell on the river. Once again Mercier checked and Toole bet 585,000! Mercier called and flipped 
. Toole revealed 
to have Melancon on the ropes for his tournament life with the 
and Melancon couldn't find much. The turn was the 
and gave him a lot more outs, but he couldn't hit any of them when the 
