Gus Hansen, during the $100,000 Challenge
Gus Hansen was chatting away at a nearby table but ran back to his seat just in time to grab his cards before the dealer raked them into the muck. With a limp in the hijack position, Hansen limped in the cutoff with the big blind coming along to see a flop of .
Play checked to Hansen who fired 500. The big blind called as the hijack stepped aside. The turn was the and both players checked to see the free hit the river. The big blind threw out 1,100 and Hansen raised his eyebrows.
"Really? I gave you a free card? I thought I have myself a free card..." quipped Hansen before he made the call.
"Good call," said his opponent and Hansen tabled for two pair to take it down. Despite a late start today following his book signing session, Hansen has chipped up nicely to 35,000 chips.
Barry Greenstein has just dropped to 13,000 in chips after running pocket tens into Larry Karambis' pocket queens. Here's how the hand went down:
Action folded around the table to Greenstein on the button who made it 600 to go. The small blind folded sending it over to Karambis in the big blind who repopped it to 1,800. Barry then asked Larry how much he had left and when he got his answer, Barry moved all in putting Larry to a decision for all of his chips. Karambis made the call and tabled his queens.
Needing to spike a third ten, or a longshot four-flush or straight, Greenstein watched the board run out and Karambis' queens held up to win the pot.
Dan Harrington
After doubling up in the opening moments of the day, Dan Harrington has since dropped to 26,000 in chips, partly due to a recent pot he played against two unknown opponents:
With the board showing , action was checked to a player in seat three who led out with a 1,300 bet. Harrington called, as did an unknown in the one seat.
All three players checked when the rolled off on the turn, and the river brought the . Here, action was checked to Harrington and he fired a 1,500 bet. The player in seat three called and Harrington showed a pocket pair of kings, which were bested by his opponent's , good for a straight.
Ivey: doubles up
Phil Ivey raised to 650 preflop and Tom Dwan called to go heads-up to a flop that read .
Ivey check-called Dwan's bet of 900 and the dealer produced the on the turn. Ivey checked, Dwan fired out 2,350 and Ivey called before checking the river .
Dwan opened for 5,875, Ivey check-raised all in and Dwan called, but mucked when Ivey rolled up for trips!
Ivey is up to 37,500 in chips after that double-up while Dwan shrinks to 31,000.
Luke McLean
Luke McLean has just taken down a big pot to join the chip leaders and he was quick to tell our reporters the action.
McLean opened to 550 from middle position with pocket aces and found two callers; one of them Karl Krautschneider. They saw a flop of and the player in the big blind led out for 1,100. McLean popped it up to 3,300 to force a fold from Peter Aristidou and Krautschneider came along for the ride.
The turn was the and Krautschneider led out again, this time for 2,500, but McLean put in another raise, to 7,500 which again was called.
The river was the to put three diamonds on board, and Krautschneider moved all in for his last 10,000 chips. McLean wasn't deterred and called with his top set, and it was good as Krautschneider showed and hit the rails. McLean is up to 55,000.
David Saab
The Crown Poker Room is a whole lot quieter following the elimination of the boisterous David Saab.
The action was recalled to us by table mate Kenneth Damm who advised us that Manny Stavropoulos limped into the pot before Warwick Mirzikinian popped it to 700. Saab then re-raised to 2,000 with Mirzikinian the lone caller.
They saw a flop of and Mirzikinian checked to the aggressive Saab who fired 2,500. Mirzikinian then check-raised to 7,000. Saab deliberated and sighed, "I should be a man and fold..." but he didn't as he moved all in with Mirzikinian insta-calling.
Saab:
Mirzikinian:
Saab needed to improve but the turn and river missed him to send him to an early exit as Mirzikinian jumps up to 62,000 chips.
One of Australia's rising young guns Brendon Rubie has chipped up to 29,000 and looking strong. In a recent hand Rubie check-raised the river on a board of , making it 3,600 to go after his opponent originally bet 1,100. Rubie forced a fold and took it down.
button in Safari
.
and both players checked to see the free 
hit the river. The big blind threw out 1,100 and Hansen raised his eyebrows.
for two pair to take it down. Despite a late start today following his book signing session, Hansen has chipped up nicely to 35,000 chips.
and Karambis' queens held up to win the pot.
, action was checked to a player in seat three who led out with a 1,300 bet. Harrington called, as did an unknown in the one seat.
rolled off on the turn, and the river brought the 
, good for a straight.
on the turn. Ivey checked, Dwan fired out 2,350 and Ivey called before checking the river 
.
and hit the rails. McLean is up to 55,000.
and Mirzikinian checked to the aggressive Saab who fired 2,500. Mirzikinian then check-raised to 7,000. Saab deliberated and sighed, "I should be a man and fold..." but he didn't as he moved all in with Mirzikinian insta-calling.
, making it 3,600 to go after his opponent originally bet 1,100. Rubie forced a fold and took it down.
board and Sevian made the call holding a pocket pair of queens.
, 
giving Sevian a set to eliminate Chronis from the tournament.
for two pair. Brown mucked and headed straight to the rail.
