Lots of volatility as far as stack sizes go — as is expected in pot-limit Omaha hi-low split 8-or-better — but here's a fleeting snapshot of the counts with about 40 minutes left in Level 20. They will play out the level or stop at nine players, whichever comes first.
A short-stacked Mikhail Semin raised to 41,000 from the button only to have Kyle Carlston three-bet the pot from the big blind. Semin called off for 101,000 total and the cards were turned up:
Showdown
Semin:
Carlston:
The flop was kind to Carlston as it delivered him two pair, but all Semin needed was another low card that didn't pair the board to take half the pot. Unfortunately for the Russian, neither the turn nor river were what he needed and he exited late on Day 2 in 13th place.
Action folded to Anthony Kendall in the cutoff and he raised to 25,000. Cameron Mckinley was next to act on the button and slid out a big stack of orange T5,000 chips, constituting a pot-sized reraise. Kendall thought for a few moments and then said, "Alright, lets do it," before shipping in for about 120,000.
Showdown
Kendall:
Mckinley:
"How can I win?" Mckinley asked, but quieted down when the flop came down in his favor. The made things interesting by giving Kendall a big straight draw, but the river would not complete it. Kendall shook hands with his opponent and made a gracious exit in 12th place, good for $15,078.
Aside from Tony Kendall's elimination in 12th, play has slowed considerably here during the last part of Level 20. One interesting wrinkle has most of the big stacks gathered on Table 440, while the shorter stacks are battling on Table 441.
Most of the pots have been small, although the most tense hand threatened to balloon into something huge over on Table 440. In that one Sonu Sharma limped from the button, Charalampos Lappas called from the small blind, and Viatcheslav Ortynskiy checked from the big blind. The flop came , and it checked to Sharma who bet 30,000. Lappas took a minute to think, then raised to 90,000. Ortynskiy then tanked for a while before calling, and Sharma stepped aside.
The turn brought the , and again after a minute or so Lappas acted, this time declaring a pot-sized raise. Ortynskiy tanked for four or five minutes before finally letting his hand go.
After doubling Paul Taylor in the second-to-last hand and being left with just 36,000, Jonathan Hart was in the big blind and implored someone to give him action on the last hand so he wouldn't have to come back on an extreme short stack tomorrow.
He was in the big blind, and Kyle Carlston, who was under the gun, obliged by raising pot. The rest of the field got out of the way and Hart called off.
Showdown
Hart:
Carlston:
The board ran out to give Carlston two pair and the win. "Thank you," Hart said before exiting in 11th place. "This couldn't have worked out better."
While we were bust catching Jonathan Hart's elimination at one table, a big hand developed at the other in the last hand of the night. We didn't catch it all, but we do know that Charalampos Lappas and Viatcheslav Ortynskiy got all the chips in on a flop.
Showdown
Lappas:
Ortynskiy:
The turn was gin for Ortynskiy as it gave him a Broadway straight, but the spiked on the river to give Lappas a full house. Ortynskiy was left with just 27,000 after the hand while Lappas chipped up to 994,000.
flop, Noomis turned over 
for a set of queens but was in dire straits versus Loube's 
. The turn was the 
and river the 
, and Jones is out.
flop was kind to Carlston as it delivered him two pair, but all Semin needed was another low card that didn't pair the board to take half the pot. Unfortunately for the Russian, neither the 
turn nor 
river were what he needed and he exited late on Day 2 in 13th place.
river would not complete it. Kendall shook hands with his opponent and made a gracious exit in 12th place, good for $15,078.
, and it checked to Sharma who bet 30,000. Lappas took a minute to think, then raised to 90,000. Ortynskiy then tanked for a while before calling, and Sharma stepped aside.
, and again after a minute or so Lappas acted, this time declaring a pot-sized raise. Ortynskiy tanked for four or five minutes before finally letting his hand go.
to give Carlston two pair and the win. "Thank you," Hart said before exiting in 11th place. "This couldn't have worked out better."
turn was gin for Ortynskiy as it gave him a Broadway straight, but the