Seoyong Chin opened the pot with a raise on the button, and he called a three-bet from big blind Jesse Haabak to put about 8,000 chips in the pot. Off the two men went to a flop of . Haabak continued out with a bet of 4,000 before Chin bumped it up to 11,000 straight. Both men were playing with stacks of about 40,000 chips, and it wasn't long before Haabak moved all in for that full amount. Chin snap-called to put the largest pot thus far up for grabs. He turned up , and Haabak sheepishly showed his semi-bluffy .
Not to worry, Mr. Haabak. As if on cue, the binked fourth street, and both men reacted as if they'd been hit by a blowdart. The hand was already over before the hit the river, and Haabak could only shake his head and grimace at what he seemed to know was an ugly beat. Chin gave one last long look at the table before he headed for the rail, and Haabak began the task of stacking up his ~88,000 chips, putting him at the top of the class for now.
Jessica Ngu raised from middle position to 1,200 and Samuel Aronov called from the next seat. Kai Paulsen called from the cutoff seat and Daren Yoon called from the button. All four of them saw the flop come down . Ngu checked and Aronov checked. Paulsen fired 3,600 before Yoon folded. Ngu made the call and then Aronov called as well.
The turn card put the on board. Ngu was first again and she checked. Aronov, a PokerStars qualifier, checked and then Paulsen fired 5,200. Ngu asked Paulsen how much he had left before she moved all in, having both remaining players in the hand covered. Paulsen had about 22,000 left after he bet the turn. Aronov was up and went into the tank for several minutes. The other players at the table, namely Celina Lin, Raymond Wu, Nathanael Seet and Daren Yoon, began commenting on how long the hand was taking. Then after several minutes of thought, Aronov called all-in for 12,500. Paulsen got out of the way and then the unexpected happened.
Instead of showing down their hands before seeing the river card, Ngu tossed her hand into the muck. Aronov looked at her and also didn't turn his hand over. The other players at the table began looking at each other wondering what was happening. The dealer put the deck down and fanned it out before starting to push the pot towards Aronov. He won the hand and didn't have to show, but elected to show his anyway to the table before raking in the pot.
We went over to check on Graeme "Kiwi G" Putt, but we couldn't find him. His chair is empty, his chips are gone, and we don't see the gregarious New Zealander anywhere.
We can't say what happened, but we can say definitively that Putt has been eliminated from Day 1a.
Celina Lin has had her table broken two or three times already today, and the latest table break was not in her favor. Check out this lineup she's been inserted into at her new Table 7:
Seat 3: Daren Yoon
Seat 4: Raymond Wu
Seat 5: Ms. Lin
Seat 6: Nathanael Seet
You'd be hard pressed to find a more dangerous row of four players in this event.
Russian PokerStars qualifier Mikhail Muzunin moved toward the top of the chip counts thanks to the latest brutal elimination. He bet 2,000 on a flop, and his opponent flat called. The turn brought the , and Muzunin bet out 3,500. This time, his opponent raised to 10,500. Muzunin swiftly moved all in for a total of 36,000. His opponent called all in with for top set. Muzunin showed and would need to hit a queen for Broadway or any diamond other than the to win the pot. The on the river met both of his needs, making his straight and flush and eliminating his opponent. After the hand, Muzunin was up to a healthy 60,000.
From middle position, Nathanael Seet raised to 1,500. Jessica Ngu was in the cutoff seat and reraised to 4,500. Seet made the call and the two took a flop of . Seet checked and Ngu checked behind.
The turn was the and Seet checked again. Ngu checked behind again. The river was the and both players checked one last time. Seet's was no good against Ngu's and she raked in the pot.
Vladimir Geshkenbein raised to 1,100 from the hijack seat and then Alex Loon called from the button. Marcel Luske also called from the small blind.
The flop was between the three players. Luske checked and Geshkenbein checked. Loon fired 2,500 and only Geshkenbein called.
The turn was the and both remaining players checked. The turn was the and Geshkenbein checked again. Loon checked behind. Geshkenbein tabled the and won the hand after Loon mucked.
A player under the gun raised to 1,300 before action folded around to the cutoff seat. There sat Marcel Luske. He fired in a three-bet to 4,200 and everyone folded, including the initial raiser. Luske has opened up his play much more today and seems to be three-betting players preflop more often. He's back up to 25,000 now.
An under-the-gun player raised to 2,000 before action folded over to Kai Paulsen on the button. He three-bet to 4,800. The two blinds folded and then the original raiser reraised to 12,500. Paulsen wasted little time in going all in for 27,225. His opponent called and the cards were turned over.
Paulsen held two queens with the against the of his opponent. After the board ran out , Paulsen moved his stack up to nearly 60,000 chips.
. Haabak continued out with a bet of 4,000 before Chin bumped it up to 11,000 straight. Both men were playing with stacks of about 40,000 chips, and it wasn't long before Haabak moved all in for that full amount. Chin snap-called to put the largest pot thus far up for grabs. He turned up 
, and Haabak sheepishly showed his semi-bluffy 
.
binked fourth street, and both men reacted as if they'd been hit by a blowdart. The hand was already over before the 
hit the river, and Haabak could only shake his head and grimace at what he seemed to know was an ugly beat. Chin gave one last long look at the table before he headed for the rail, and Haabak began the task of stacking up his ~88,000 chips, putting him at the top of the class for now.
on board. Ngu was first again and she checked. Aronov, a PokerStars qualifier, checked and then Paulsen fired 5,200. Ngu asked Paulsen how much he had left before she moved all in, having both remaining players in the hand covered. Paulsen had about 22,000 left after he bet the turn. Aronov was up and went into the tank for several minutes. The other players at the table, namely Celina Lin, Raymond Wu, Nathanael Seet and Daren Yoon, began commenting on how long the hand was taking. Then after several minutes of thought, Aronov called all-in for 12,500. Paulsen got out of the way and then the unexpected happened.
anyway to the table before raking in the pot.
flop, and his opponent flat called. The turn brought the 
, and Muzunin bet out 3,500. This time, his opponent raised to 10,500. Muzunin swiftly moved all in for a total of 36,000. His opponent called all in with 
for top set. Muzunin showed 
and would need to hit a queen for Broadway or any diamond other than the 
to win the pot. The 
on the river met both of his needs, making his straight and flush and eliminating his opponent. After the hand, Muzunin was up to a healthy 60,000.
. Seet checked and Ngu checked behind.
and Seet checked again. Ngu checked behind again. The river was the 
was no good against Ngu's 
between the three players. Luske checked and Geshkenbein checked. Loon fired 2,500 and only Geshkenbein called.
and both remaining players checked. The turn was the 
and Geshkenbein checked again. Loon checked behind. Geshkenbein tabled the 
and won the hand after Loon mucked.
against the 
of his opponent. After the board ran out 
, Paulsen moved his stack up to nearly 60,000 chips.
