Richard Ashby has just been sent to the rail at the hands of William Thorson who is now sitting behind a stack worth more than 31,000 in chips.
All the money was in the middle before the flop and we got there just as the cards were tabled:
Ashby: 
Thorson: 
Thorson improved to a straight draw on the flop of 
, but Ashby kept his lead when the 
appeared on the turn. It wasn't for long though - Ashby was ousted after the 
spiked on the river.
Level: 5
Blinds: 200/400
Ante: 0
We've got another two levels behind us, and it's time for a 15-minute break. Smoke 'em if you got 'em.
There are 29 players left.
Ben Vinson has charged up the chip counts after eliminating a player in one of the last hands before the break.
The player under the gun raised to 750 and Robert Williamson III called, along with Vinson and the player in the hijack position. The small blind also called, making it five-handed to a flop of 
, which they all checked.
On the turn of the 
, the action checked to Vinson who raised the pot. The small blind repotted all-in and the others got out of the way before Vinson called.
Vinson: 
(set of kings)
Small blind: 
(two pair)
The river didn't change the outcome and after the chips were cut down, the small blind player was deemed to be the shorter of the two stacks - but only just. Vinson is now up to 52,000 and change.
...for those recently departed. The newest batch of eliminations include JP Kelly and Benny Spindler who are both hanging around the rail chatting with mates now.
Carlos Mortensen raised to to 725 from early position, and he found calls from both blinds -- Sean Rafael and Jamie Pickering in the small and big, respectively.
The flop came out 
, and Rafael checked. Pickering took the betting lead with a wager of 1,500, and Mortensen mini-raised it to 3,000. That folded Rafael, but Pickering called to see another card.
It was the , and Pickering checked to the raiser. Mortensen made a rainbow bet of 5,625, and that was enough to get the job done this time as Pickering's cards quickly hit the muck.
Pickering - 17,500
Mortensen - 29,000
Richard Ashby has just lost a sizeable pot to Ronnie Kaiser, who is up to more than 58,500 in chips.
The action folded to raised to 600; Ashby called from the cutoff, as did Kaiser from the button, as well as the big blind, to make it four-handed to a flop that read 
, which they all checked.
On the turn of the , The big blind and hijack checked to Ashby who opened for 1,150. Kaiser called and the others got out of the way, making it heads-up to the river of the 
.
Ashby fired out 3,000 and Kaiser called, tabling 
for two pair and Ashby mucked.
It's officially official. This $5,000+300 PLO event has drawn 53 players (19 of whom were seated on time, by our count).
The staff is working on the payouts right now, and we should have the breakdown sometime in the next hour.
John Caridad has just been eliminated in a big multi-way pot. When we arrived at the table, Caridad and three other players were playing for a main pot of 18,300, and there was another 2,025 in the side for the three live players.
The flop came out 
, and Grant Trask led out with a pot-sized bet. Roberto Romanello took a long pause before announcing, "Pass," and the third player ducked out as well to lock up the side pot for Trask.
"Okay now just muck!" Caridad pleaded.
"I only got one pair," Trask responded, turning up 
. His pair of sixes was well in front, and Caridad flipped over his 
for his tournament life. He was unable to improve on the 
turn or river, and he has been cut down.
Trask, meanwhile, moves up to about 52,000 with that pot.
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