Dan Buzgon began the day with less than 20,000, but is having himself an excellent Day 2.
We caught him in a pot moments ago where he opened with a raise 4,500 from early position. He found two callers, one from middle position and one form the big blind, and they saw a flop. It was checked to Buzgon who bet 7,200, only getting called by the player in the big blind.
Both checked the turn and when the hit the river, the bet was a mere 5,500 to Buzgon. He called with and it was indeed good, giving him the pot.
Following a button raise to 4,500, Travell Thomas quickly called from the small blind and the big blind came along as well.
"Ace-four-deuce," said Thomas, delivering a very specific request to the dealer. The flop came , not quite what Thomas had ordered, but enough to inspire a quick bet of 8,200 from him. His opponents both folded, and Thomas claimed the pot.
With the board reading with roughly 45,000 in the middle, Roland Israelashvili was facing a decision for 28,500. He spent a good three minutes in the tank before sliding in calling chips.
His opponent acknowledged a good call on Israelashvili's part, who tabled a winning to win the pot and contend for the chip lead.
Yung Hwang started the day with a little under 65,000 chips, and through the first three-and-a-half-hours of play has managed to build his stack up considerably to more than three times that amount.
Just now he took another small pot in a blind-vs.-blind hand that saw he and his opponent check down the board, Hwang's opponent showed , then Hwang turned over to win the small pot.
"Running good," said a player from across the table.
Shortly thereafter, Hwang further proved the player's point after calling a short-stacked player's all-in bet with versus his opponent's . The board rolled out , that river jack making Hwang a straight to score the knockout and claim about a 50,000-chip pot.
Hwang now appears to have moved into the chip lead with about 180 players left.
With 616 entrants, the prize pool and payouts have finally been settled. With all of the re-entries along the way, the prize pool ended up totaling $915,838. Those riches will be divided among the top 63 finishers, with a cool $192,326 scheduled to go to the winner.
Here's how those payouts will break down for those making the money:
The early afternoon NFL games are all well underway, and some players' attentions are being taken up somewhat by the action being shown on the big screens around the tournament area. Several are sporting jerseys today, too, in fact. We've seen Colts, Eagles, Bills, Bears, and Redskins receiving support via players' fashion choices.
Lee Childs is wearing his Washington jersey as the Skins/Ravens game plays on the big screen near his table. But his attention was on his neighbor to the left just now who opened from the cutoff for 5,000. Childs reraised to 10,000 from the button, and after the blinds got out, Childs's opponent showed his before folding as well.
Subsequent discussion included questions of Childs what he had, with one player suggesting pocket kings. "That's how I would've played kings," said Childs cheekily.
"Ah, so we'd have three wise men over there," said a player from across the table, referring to the three kings in the players' hands (theoretically speaking).