Julie Schneider raised from middle position, and Brad Libson made the call in the big blind. Both players would draw two cards on the first round with Libson betting and Schneider calling.
One card was good enough for both on the next round, and they both checked. Each needed one more card on the final round, and Libson check-called a bet this time. Schneider tabled 8-7-6-4-2, and Libson couldn't beat an eighty-seven.
The action has definitely slowed a bit from the early frenzy, but the lull shouldn't last too long. With the players playing limits of 10,000/20,000 at least two of them are dangerously short. John Juanda's 125,000 chips are worth just over six big bets, and Julie Schneider is working with about nine bets right now.
Chip leader Masayoshi Tanaka has about thirty big bets to work with.
Blair Rodman made the first raise under the gun, and Abe Mosseri reraised from the button. Rodman called the extra 10,000 and it was heads up the rest of the way.
Rodman took two one and led out into the pot. Mosseri drew two before raising, and Rodman called again. Mosseri would stand pat for the final two rounds and bet each time. Rodman drew one and called, then drew one and called again.
"Number two," said Mosseri. He tabled his hand to prove it, revealing 7-6-4-3-2. Rodman shook his head and mucked his cards.
Julie Schneider raised from the cutoff seat, and both Masayoshi Tanaka and John Juanda came along with her. Tanaka took two cards with his opponents each taking one. Juanda checked, Schneider bet, and both men called.
Tanaka and Juanda drew the same number of cards on the second round, but Schneider stood pat and bet again. Tanaka ducked out of the way, leaving just Juanda to make the call.
Schneider patted again, Juanda took one card, and they check-checked it. Schneider had the best hand with 8-7-6-3-2, earning her a much needed pot.
In his most recent pot just before the break, he was heads up with Blair Rodman, and both players put in three bets before the draw. Mosseri took two cards and Rodman one. Blair followed it up with another bet, and Abe called.
Rodman was done drawing, and Mosseri took two cards again before check-calling another bet. On the last round, Mosseri took just one card and bet out into the pot. Rodman called, and Mosseri said, "Number Two," again. He showed 7-6-4-3-2, and Rodman could only roll his eyes in disbelief as he mucked his hand.
The action is surprisingly slow and measured right now, despite the fact that the short stacks are getting quite short. Very few of the pots are making it past the first draw, and those that do are being played very passively. It'll be interesting to see how long this cat-and-mouse pushover game can continue.
Abe Mosseri raised from the cutoff seat, and Blair Rodman took the opportunity to tangle with his arch-rival, making the call from the big blind.
Mosseri would pat it all the way down with Rodman drawing one card twice. After the first and second draws, Rodman check-called a bet from Mosseri. On the last round, Rodman stood pat as well and called one more bet.
Once again, Mosseri had a strong hand, announcing, "Eight-seven perfect." This time though, Rodman had the goods to win the pot. He tabled 8-6-5-4-3, and his eighty-six finally takes a pot from Mosseri.