The action to start the new level is resembling that of the old. Tae Jun Noh opened the last pot to 50,000 from the button and was called by Hyoung Jin Nam out of the big blind. Both players checked the flop. On the turn , Nam checked to Noh, who took the pot down with a bet of 50,000.
We wish we could tell you that there's been a flurry of action here in Manila the last ten minutes. It's simply not the case. The last hand is fairly representative of how things have been proceeding for well over an hour now. Hyoung Jin Nam limped into the pot from the button, Tae Jun Noh completed the small blind, and Van Marcus checked. The flop came and brought a bet of 40,000 from Noh. Marcus raised that bet to 90,000, and everyone else quickly folded.
Maybe we can see about getting some Red Bull to the final table.
Tae Jun Noh
Tae Jun Noh raised to 50,000 on the button, Van Marcus folded the small blind but Hyoung Jin Nam made the call in the big blind.
The two Koreans saw a flop where Nam led out with a bet of 45,000. Noh insta-called.
The turn brought the and both players slowed down and checked. The river is the and both players checked again. Nam tabled for ace high as Noh showed for just a pair of deuces which was enough to collect the pot.
Van Marcus tried a raise to 65,000 from the button. Hyoung Jin Nam called before Tae Jun Noh reraised to 199,000. Neither of his opponents wanted to play for that much, allowing Noh to pick up 130,000 without a flop. He showed king-ten.
Hyoung Jin Nam completed from the small blind and Tae Jun Noh checked his option in the big blind.
The board of was checked through until the river where Noh took a 30,000 stab at the pot. Nam made the call but Noh simply tossed his cards into the muck to concede the hand. Nam then queried as to whether he had to show his hand. He did not have to, and chose to exercise that option as he collected the pot without a showdown.
The action sounded familiar, but the names were in different places. This time it was Tae Jun Noh opening for 60,000 from the button and Van Marcus calling from the small blind before Hyoung Jin Nam reraised to 174,000 from the big blind. The result was the same: both other players folded.
Media row is currently floating the idea of banning checks and calls. For the rest of this tournament, players would only be allowed to bet or raise. Unfortunately, it's not likely that TD Danny McDonagh will go for it.
Meanwhile, at the final table, another hand was limped between Van Marcus and Hyoung Jin Nam and then checked all the way to showdown. Marcus took down the pot with a rivered pair of nines.
The trophy and cash seem a long way away...
We're now entering our third hour of three-handed play with most of the play being very passive and conservative. Hyoung Jin Nam still holds a commanding lead and is slowly dwindling the stacks of his opponents. However it looks like he's getting anxious to finish the job after he recently commented in jest to TD Danny McDonagh about bumping the blinds up. At the moment the short stacks are not under any real pressure and seem content to sit back and wait for quality cards or spots.
Hyoung Jin Nam opened with a standard raise, before Tae Jun Noh bumped it up to 82,000. Van Marcus folded and Nam quickly announced he was all in. Noh thought for a few moments before folding face up.
flop. On the turn 
, Nam checked to Noh, who took the pot down with a bet of 50,000.
and Nam checked to Marcus who bet out 85,000 to take it down.
and brought a bet of 40,000 from Noh. Marcus raised that bet to 90,000, and everyone else quickly folded.
flop where Nam led out with a bet of 45,000. Noh insta-called.
and both players slowed down and checked. The river is the 
and both players checked again. Nam tabled 
for ace high as Noh showed 
was checked through until the river where Noh took a 30,000 stab at the pot. Nam made the call but Noh simply tossed his cards into the muck to concede the hand. Nam then queried as to whether he had to show his hand. He did not have to, and chose to exercise that option as he collected the pot without a showdown.
