Level: 7
Blinds: 2,000/4,000
Ante: 0
Level: 7
Blinds: 2,000/4,000
Ante: 0
Half of each table is the leader, and half the short stack...
Howard Lederer (167,000) vs. Shawn Buchanan (73,000)
Phil Ivey (180,000) vs. Jani Sointula (60,000)
Neil Channing (146,000) vs. Chris Moorman (94,000)
Amit Makhija (128,000) vs. McLean Karr (112,000)
Andrew Robl (140,000) vs. Touko Takala (100,000)
Sondre Svanevik (125,000) vs. Daniel Steinberg (115,000)
After his big double-up into the break Howard Lederer has quickly dispatched Shawn Buchanan after the break. Lederer made it 10,000 to go from the button and snap-called when Buchanan moved in. Showdown:
Lederer:
Buchanan:
The board ran .
Lederer will be back at 7pm to face teammate Huck Seed.
Jani Sointula falls to Phil Ivey straight away after the break - losing a couple of 4k blinds was nothing to be sneezed at at this stage - and the final hand was an all in preflop confrontation with button Sointula moving in with but Phil Ivey also picking up an Ace, but with a suited higher kicker: .
The board brought the eight-time bracelet winner an emphatic flush: to bust Sointula and head into the money and towards a possible ninth.
This match was particularly fierce, with Andrew Robl having the worst of it early on and dropping considerably, before picking it up later on and squeaking ahead in the chip counts at the last break. Now a surprisingly big hand snowballed into a match ender as Touko Takala raised a flop and it was all-in/call in a heartbeat as Takala's was far behind Robl's flop-smacking . The flush held over the turn and river and the field of Round Three dwindles yet again.
We think the casino is pumping something soporific into the air over on the far side of the room, as we have just three matches still going in this first round, and they're all taking place over inthe corridor down the side of the stage: Amit Makhija vs. McLean Karr, Neil Channing vs. Chris Moorman and Daniel Steinberg vs. Sondre Svanevik.
Chris Moorman is still at a chip disadvantage, but fighting back. Just now he raised to 8,000 from the button and was called by Neil Channing, but took it down with a 9,000 bet to Channing's check on the flop.
As Channing said to passing EPT Deauville winner Jake Cody, "I've got more chips, but he's got more luck."
Level: 8
Blinds: 2,500/5,000
Ante: 0
Amit Makhija has been the chip leader in his match for most of the afternoon, but McLean Karr has just now snatched that lead away.
We caught up with Karr checking the turn of a board. Makhija bet 9,000, but Karr made it 22,700 to go. After a pause, Makhija called.
The turn was the and this time Karr gave it some thought - before betting out 38,800, with just 15,000 left behind. Makhija tanked up long and hard, and eventually folded, giving Karr the lead for we believe the first time in this match.
Karr - 150,000
Makhija - 90,000
Chris Moorman just put himself through the ringer coming to a decision against Neil Channing. Moorman made it 8,000 to go before Channing pushed. Moorman's decision was made way more difficult as he had Channing jabbering in his ear the whole time. Examples of the things said:
"I hope you're not going to nit-roll me again like earlier."
"He doesn't know how strong his had is. That'll be his inexperience!"
"I'm going to have to look at my hand again, I've forgotten what it is."
"He's probably only got nine-eight".
Eventually Moorman made the fold after lifting his head off the table rail and then he begged Channing not to show a card. He didn't.