Michael Guzzardi
Michael 'TheBigSiCkO' Guzzardi continues to roll in this tournament.
Most recently, Guzzardi held and called on Predrag Jovanovic's preflop all in bet of 2,600. Jovanovic's was in excellent shape on the flop, but a nasty spiked the turn and the river would be of no help.
"Your blessed, Guzzardi," jibed Julian Powell, who was railing the table. TheBigSiCkO dragged in the near-6,000 pot and continues to live up to his name.
Brandon Leeds has been pushing the aggression at his table, but it hasn't worked in his favor. Leeds open-shoved from the cutoff and was called by short-stacked Max Veenhuyzen from the button. We will resist the obvious pun and just say that Leeds tabled the best hand . Veenhuyzen showed and caught a ten on the flop. That held after the turn and river came running jacks, .
Veenhuyzen is up to 4,300, while Leeds is now quite short with just 800 chips.
The tournament is currently ten handed, but will now be moving to eight handed tables as players are eliminated. We will be eight handed for the remainder of the event, right up to and including the shootout tables.
Sam Khouiss
A flop of was contested between Ben Delaney and Sam Khouiss. Khouiss checked to Delaney, who bet 525 chips, and then called. Both players checked the turn. When the river came , Khouiss led out for 1,600. He induced a quick fold from Delaney.
"I was considering open-folding the turn," remarked Delaney after the hand.
"I knew I wasn't going to get another dollar out of you," replied Khouiss.
Eugene Portlen was crippled and then eliminated from the tournament in back-to-back hands. First, Portlen found his out-flopped by Michael Tran. Portlen couldn't redraw and would be left with only 75 chips.
In the small blind the very next hand, he was unable to beat out his opponent and was sent to the rail.
Warwick Mirzikinian streaked to the top of the chip counts in the first few levels today, but he's cooled off recently. In a limped pot, Mirzikinian check-called a bet of 1,000 from a late position opponent on a flop of . Both men checked the turn. When the river fell , Mirzikinian led out for 1,500. His opponent raised to 3,000 and tabled for a small full house after Mirzikinian called. Mirzikinian mucked what he later claimed was .
Brendon Rubie found a hand he liked in late position and opened for 400 chips. He was called in three spots. On a flop of , action checked all the way to the player on the button, who bet 400. Michael Guzzardi called that bet from early position before Rubie check-raised to 1,200. Only the button called.
Rubie chcked the turn to the button, who fired again for 1,200. Again Rubie check-raised, this time all in for 2,325. The button called with two pair, , and was drawing very slim against Rubie's . The river bricked out to double Rubie up to 10,000.
Liv Boeree chipping up
The lovely Liv Boeree has turned no shortage of heads in the Crown Poker Room today. She's also turned a fair amount of Bruno Portaro's chips into her own after they clashed in a hand recently.
With the board reading , Boeree's were all in against Portaro's .
With the river , Boeree doubled through to 14,800, while Portaro took a sizeable hit down to 5,600.