Sorel Mizzi has just doubled up through Ashton Griffin to climb back close to his starting stack. We missed how the action went down, but Griffin's pocket eights flopped top set on the . The lead would not last, however, as the turn gave Mizzi and his the nuts. He needed to fade a board pair to double up, and the was safe and sound.
Mizzi's back up to 244,000 now, while Griffin has been knocked all the way down around 82,000.
One of the most famous poker players in the world and Team PokerStars Pro is Daniel Negreanu. Viktor Blom is an up-and-coming superstar in the game who has been speculated as being the man behind the mask of new Team PokerStars Pro "Isildur1". Whether or not that's true, we don't know (but the identity of "Isildur1" will be revealed January 8 here at PCA). What we do know is that Blom just took a lot of chips from Mr. Negreanu.
Negreanu fired 12,500 with the flop reading . Blom made the call and the turn card came the . Negreanu checked and Blom bet 35,000. Negreanu made the call.
The river completed the board with the and Negreanu checked again. Blom fired 87,500. After a little bit, Negreanu said that he wished he knew if Blom watched poker on TV. Negreanu then tanked for a bit more before making the call.
Blom tabled the for two pair and Negreanu shook his head, sending his cards into the muck.
On the flop of , Jason Somerville fired 16,500. Sandor Demjan folded before Shawn Buchanan made the call.
Fourth street brought the to the board and Somerville checked. Buchanan fired 25,000 and Somerville made the call.
The river completed the board with the and Somerville checked. Buchanan fired out 110,000 and that sent Somerville into the tank for a couple minutes. He eventually mucked his hand and Buchanan won the pot, moving up to 443,000 in chips. Somerville slipped back to 190,000.
The 38 players that came out for this event created a prizepool worth $3,743,000. nearly half of that, $1.5 million, goes to the winner with the top five places being paid out. Here's the payout breakdown.
Antonio Esfandiari raised to 5,500 from the button, and Eugene Katchalov three-bet to 20,000 straight from the big blind. Not to be outdone, Esfandiari four-bet right back to 55,500, and Katchalov flatted this time to see some community cards.
The board ran with six uneventful checks leading to a cheap showdown. Katchalov showed his first, and it was good. Esfandiari mucked with a frown, dropping right back to his starting stack with about 251,000.
Masa Kagawa was down close to just 10,000 chips when he flipped for the double up with Bryn Kenney. It was Kenney's a slight favorite to eliminate his opponent's .
The flop meant Kagawa was looking for a jack to stay alive. He'd find one on the river, but not before another peeled off on the turn. Kagawa was already drawing dead to Kenney's full house before he made his meaningless Broadway straight, and his day is done.
We picked up the heads-up action as the dealer ran out a flop of . Tobias Reinkemeier led out with 6,000 chips, and Sandor Demjan raised to 21,000 straight. Reinkemeier called, and the two would check it down after the turn and river.
Neither player wanted to be the first to show their cards, and the floor had to be called to decide that it was Reinkemeier who was first to showdown. He tabled , and a frustrated Demjan flashed his and began chatting in his native language with his friend on the rail as he mucked.
Perhaps he shouldn't be too frustrated as that missed flush has likely allowed him to hang on to his 102,000 remaining chips for a little while longer.
From under the gun, Bryn Kenney raised to 7,000. Phil Laak flat-called and then Masa Kagawa reraised to 29,000 from the cutoff seat. This was the second hand in a row at this table that Kagawa had three-bet after a player opened and another flatted. Action folded back around to Kenney, the original raiser. He four-bet to 67,000. That knocked Laak out of the way. Kagawa didn't go so easily. In fact, he ramped things up with an all-in bet, covering Kenney. Kenney doubled checked his hand quickly and made the call, tabling the . Kagawa held the .
The flop came down and Kenney added a set to really take control of the hand. Kagawa needed runner-runner jacks or straight cards to win the hand.
The turn brought the and paired the board to give Kenney an unbeatable full house. The river completed the board with the .
Kenney was all in for 250,200 and now has over 510,000 in chips. Kagawa was left with 11,400.
James Obst raised to 6,500 from under the gun and was flatted by Phil Laak in the cutoff seat. Masa Kagawa was on the button and reraised to 26,000. Obst folded and Laak followed suit to give Kagawa the pot.
On another table, Antonio Esfandiari raised to 10,000 and Shawn Buchanan reraised to 26,000. Esfandiari was in the hijack seat and Buchanan in the cutoff. Jason Somerville was in the big blind and four-bet to 66,000. Everyone folded and Somerville won the pot.
![[user66118]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
. The lead would not last, however, as the 
turn gave Mizzi and his 
the nuts. He needed to fade a board pair to double up, and the 
was safe and sound.
. Blom made the call and the turn card came the 
. Negreanu checked and Blom bet 35,000. Negreanu made the call.
and Negreanu checked again. Blom fired 87,500. After a little bit, Negreanu said that he wished he knew if Blom watched poker on TV. Negreanu then tanked for a bit more before making the call.
for two pair and Negreanu shook his head, sending his cards into the muck.
fell on the turn and Mercier check-folded to a bet of 21,000 from Obst. Mercier slipped back to 130,000 while Obst improved to 450,000.
to the board and Somerville checked. Buchanan fired 25,000 and Somerville made the call.
and Somerville checked. Buchanan fired out 110,000 and that sent Somerville into the tank for a couple minutes. He eventually mucked his hand and Buchanan won the pot, moving up to 443,000 in chips. Somerville slipped back to 190,000.
with six uneventful checks leading to a cheap showdown. Katchalov showed his 
first, and it was good. Esfandiari mucked with a frown, dropping right back to his starting stack with about 251,000.
.
. Tobias Reinkemeier led out with 6,000 chips, and Sandor Demjan raised to 21,000 straight. Reinkemeier called, and the two would check it down after the 
and began chatting in his native language with his friend on the rail as he mucked.
.
and Kenney added a set to really take control of the hand. Kagawa needed runner-runner jacks or straight cards to win the hand.
.