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The rail is getting fidgety.
T.D. Nikki: "Do not touch the clock or I will move the rail back!"
She stormed over to the rail and turned the clock monitor back around to face the table, giving a stern look to a few mischievous spectators.
We've played another two levels of poker, and it's time for a twenty-minute break. We'll be back for more shortly.
James Calderaro 2,425,000
Valdemar Kwaysser 2,325,000
Konstantin Bucherl 1,620,000
Dani Stern 900,000
Matt Marafioti 760,000
Level: 27
Blinds: 30,000/60,000
Ante: 0
The table folded around to the blinds, and Konstantin Bucherl raised to 150,000 from the small. Matt Marafioti was in the big, and he sat statue still in the tank for several minutes. It was long enough that someone, quite possibly Bucherl, called the clock on him. A few seconds later, Marafioti surrendered his hand, and Bucherl steals his big, flashing the 
as he does.
It's not very exciting, but it's the most that's happened this level. Other than that, lots of folding, and every now and then a random loud bark from LuckyChewy on the rail.
Dani Stern opened for 130,000 and the action folded around to Valdemar Kwaysser, who three-bet to 300,000. Stern moved all-in and Kwaysser called.
Stern 
Kwaysser 
Kwaysser's supporters began screeching for an ace, which in their native tongue sounds more like a three-letter synonym for "donkey." The dealer complied, spreading out an 
flop. Stern needed a ten to survive, his own rail rallying behind him. Dan Smith even climbed up on a friend's shoulders (he was also wearing a red sequined hat with a black feather, but that's another story) and held his arms out, trying to conjure up a ten for his buddy.
The turn, however, was the 
and the river the 
. Stern headed to the rail in fifth place and was trailed out of the Amazon Room by his sizable cheering squad.
Kwaysser has a commanding chip lead with 3,730,000.
1. The Germans have a bullhorn. They use it to start chants and sing songs. We don't know what any of them mean but they're... festive. Or at least they were two hours ago.
2. As we noted in the previous post, Dan Smith was sweating Dani Stern while wearing a red sequined hat accented with a tall black feather and a Full Tilt patch. Not sure what the lost prop bet was there.
3. James Calderaro has placed a second chair behind his own to hold all his stuff. This includes an empty bottle of Sobe Life Water, a Starbucks cup, a pack of gum, a bottle of Purell, a pack of Marlboro Ultra Lights, a small bottle of aromatherapy oil, and seven or eight sugar packets.
4. Valdemar Kwaysser has requested that the tournament director announcing the action call him "Luigi." True story.
First to go, Konstantin Bucherl opened the pot to 75,000, and big blind Valdemar Kwaysser reraised to 240,000 total. After a quick sideways glance, Bucherl called to see a flop.
It came 
, and Bucherl faced a continuation bet of 360,000. Bucherl thought it over carefully, and he eventually slid the calling chips from his stack and into the pot.
That brought them to the raggy 
turn. Not slowing down now, Kwaysser grabbed two full stacks of greens and carefully slid out a bet of 1 million straight. That sent Bucherl deep into the tank, and he counted down his remaining chips. Our eyeballs counted 1.135 million in his stacks, so he was faced with a big all-or-nothing proposition. He stared at the board and slid the hoodie off his head to get a better look. After maybe four minutes, Kwaysser called the clock. It seemed just a tad quick by our internal timer, and Bucherl didn't seem to like it either as he eyed up the floor man, then stared at Kwaysser out of the corner of his eye. When the click ticked down to zero, Bucherl shook his head, uncapped his cards, and mucked them.
Valdemar Kwaysser and James Calderaro had built themselves a little pot by the time we got the sense something was brewing on the 
flop. There was 800,000 in the middle going to the 
turn, and Calderaro bet that much with the word, "Pot." He cut the chips out of his stack, and Kwaysser just grinned and stared at them. After a minute or so, he said, "Okay, take it," and released his hand.
Calderaro flashed 
as he pulled in the pot, moving his way to the two-million chip mark or very close to it.
Matt Marafioti raised to 185,000 and the action folded around to Konstantin Bucherl in the big blind. Bucherl eyeballed Marafioti's stack before setting him all-in for 495,000. Marafioti called.
"Esperanza and Daniela!" Marafioti said to his supporters on the rail as he tabled pocket queens. Bucherl showed 
.
The board ran out 
and Marfioti doubled to just over 1 million.
