Over on the feature table we've just received word that defending champion Brett Parise has just doubled up his short stack with an unlikely holding of . He managed to hit a straight on the river against an opponent holding .
Michael Mariakis summoned TD Danny McDonagh to the table and complained that he had called time on Melvin "The Miracle" Matibag two minutes prior. McDonagh gave Matibag another minute, but he elected not to use any of it and immediately called.
"I wanted you to call," said Mariakis as he turned over . Matibag showed and never improved on a board of . That loss knocked Matibag back to about 60,000 chips and doubled Mariakis to about 50,000.
James Obst is on life support after suffering a bad beat holding . He got all in for a total pot of almost 150,000 chips against an opponent who tabled . The board four-flushed in hearts to make a heart flush for Obst's opponent. Obst was left with just 4,000 chips as a result.
It was another extended break to work out issues at the feature table, but cards are now back in the air. 39 players remain. We're just seven eliminations from the money.
The pot of the tournment just went down at Table 6 between Anthony Phillips and Josh Pang Ang. Phillips made it 6,200 to go preflop and Ang called in position. The flop came big, . Phillips checked to Ang, who bet 8,800. Phillips quickly called.
The turn paired the board with the . Again Phillips checked, and again Ang bet, this time for 19,000.
"How much more are you playing?" Phillips asked.
"About 65,000," replied Ang. Phillips then called.
The river was the . Phillips checked a third time, causing Ang to move all in.
"Count it," Phillips instructed. The count came to 74,000. Phillips cut 74,000 from his own stack, leaving just 20,000 behind.
"He's pretty certain," Phillips muttered. "Two queens? Wow. This is pretty damn sick." Phillips then pushed his chips over the betting line and held his breath. Ang turned over . At first Phillips didn't realize that Ang had rivered a full house, and delightedly turned over his own . Then he understood what Ang had shown down.
"For f*ck's sake," Phillips wailed. "How did he river me?"
A player on Phillips' left was surprised by his call and asked Phillips how he could do so.
"What the f*ck do you mean? It's why you can't win a poker tournament for your life."
Ang is now the chip leader with approximately 220,000 chips.
Miss Earth 2004 has retired to the rail. She wasn't able to get much going today, never chipping up above her starting stack. She finally pushed the last of her stack with and was called by new chip leader Josh Pang Ang, who tabled . Neither player hit the board. As a result, Ang collected the pot and Meirelles was eliminated, just a few spots short of the money.