Jesse Martin raised to 6,000 from the cutoff and the button folded his cards. David Bakes Baker made it 18,000 to go from the small blind and it folded back to Martin. He tanked for a bit before finally dropping out a call.
Baker tapped the table to signify standing pat while Martin opted to draw one card. Baker checked post-draw and Martin rapped the table behind. Baker showed and then followed that with the rest of his hand - . Martin mucked his cards and Baker dragged in the pot. The 2010 champion of this event now has about 106,000 while Martin has fallen to 122,000.
Calvin Anderson raised to 4,400 in early position, Layne Flack called on the button, and Naoya Kihara called out of the big blind.
Player
Draw
Kihara
2
Anderson
1
Flack
1
The action checked to Flack, who cooly tossed out 11,000. Kihara, the only Japanese player to ever win a World Series of Poker gold bracelet, folded, and Anderson went into the tank.
"You were going to three-bet me pre," Anderson said after a few seconds.
Flack couldn't help but laugh.
"Alright," Anderson sighed, tossing the 11,000 in front of Flack.
Frank Kassela opened with a raise to an unknown amount from the cutoff and it folded around to Billy Baxter who shipped all in from the small blind for roughly 25,000 total. Kassela wasted no time calling and both players stood pat just as quickly.
Kassela fanned and Baxter dropped his hand into the muck. Since it was an all in situation, the dealer made Baxter show his cards to the table and though we did not catch what they were, the hand was not enough to beat Kassela's pat eight.
Kassela raked in the pot and is now up to about 95,000.
Justin Gardenhire opened for 4,000, and received two callers in Dario Alioto and Dan O'Brien. All three players discarded one, then the action checked to O'Brien, who fired out 10,400. Only Gardenhire called.
O'Brien fanned for an eighty-six, picking up the pot.
Benjamin Parker open-shipped all in for his last 13,200 from the cutoff and it folded around to Dario Alioto who slowly looked at his cards one at a time before announcing a call.
Player
Draw
Hand
Dario Alioto
1
Benjamin Parker
1
Alioto was the first to flip his card over and showed the - making a queen-nine low. Parker squeezed his out but slapped it down on the table when he realized it was the giving him a pair of threes and the losing hand. Alioto was able to drag in the pot and eliminate last year's fourth-place finisher in one fell swoop. Alioto now sits on about 105,000 in chips.
Brian Hastings opened to 5,500 on the button, Jesse Martin called out of the small blind, and David "Bakes" Baker moved all in for 82,000 in the big blind. Only Hastings looked him up.
Player
Hand
Draw
Hastings
1
Baker
Pat
"Don't sweat it, Stinger," Baker asked him.
Hastings didn't, ripping over a king, and Baker doubled.
At another table, Phil Ivey was all in before the draw as well. Jon Turner had him at risk.
Player
Hand
Draw
Ivey
1
Turner
Pat
Ivey received a six, making a ninety-seven to double.
We arrived at the table post-draw to find Dee Tiller move all in for his final 16,200 against Konstantin Puchkov and Frank Kassela. Puchkov slowly and deliberately counted out enough chips to call and dropped them in the middle. Kassela looked at his new hand after the draw and seemed to be shocked that he made a hand as well. Ultimately, Kassela opted to lay it down.
"Ninety-six!" said Tiller, spreading on the felt. Puchkov had him beat, though, as he fanned for an eight-low and the best hand. Tiller made his exit from the tournament area and Puchkov scooped up a pot that brings him to right around 100,000 in chips.