Plucky Chris Bjorin, who's harder to remove than gum on your shoe, has just doubled up to 200,000 and looking more and more likely to creep onto that final table.
All in against Dustin Dirksen, Bjorin needed to avoid a king with against . The flop was a nice one, but the turn was even nicer, Dirksen drawing dead before the river.
Conor "Sealey" Tate raised to 27,000 from the button, and Blair Hinkle reraised to 80,000. Tate moved in instantly, and just as quickly, Hinkle called.
Tate:
Hinkle:
Board:
Hence Sealey has come unstuck, and has hit the rail.
Ricky Tang, also crippled by Lenoble in his three-way all-in bonanza, is now OUT. Lenoble raised all in with pocket nines on the cutoff, and small blind Tang called with 10-6 offsuit.
Indeed, Wheldon won the side pot in that monstrous hand -- which was an ante-sized 1,000. He did manage to double up to a whopping 2,000, but he got his last shrapnel in with 5-8 offsuit, didn't hit, and is now OUT.
Wow! This is more jam-packed with action than a Die Hard box set.
Three-way all-in.
Ricky Tang =
Graham Wheldon =
Rick Lenoble =
Board =
Tang takes yet another hit and is down to the felt, as is Wheldon, whilst Lenoble survives to win a monster pot and shoot up to circa 500,000 in chips.
Dustin Dirksen has doubled up to a Jeffreys-threatening 560,000 in chips.
The major hand involved neighbor Ricky Tang as the two players clashed in a battle of the blinds encounter.
Folded round to the small blind, Dirksen limped, only for Tang to make it 30,000 more from the big blind. Dirsken re-popped to 250,000 all in and Tang called.
Blair Hinkle raises to 26,000 from the cutoff, and Andrew Jeffreys calls in the big blind. They check all the way down the board, until Hinkle bets 30,000 on the river. Andrew calls. "Nice call," says Hinkle. "I have an ace..." ventures Jeffreys, turning over . Hinkle mucks.