Here are some counts from the tables upstairs. The biggest surprise was Kenna James, who vaulted toward the top of the chip counts and has his sights set on a third Aussie Millions Main Event final table.
We just caught Australian Ilir Beluli win another big pot which pushed him into the chiplead. The flop was as the older gentleman in the small blind bet 9,000. Beluli grabbed a handful of yellow 5,000 chips and threw them into the pot as fast as he could. The older gentleman called for his total stack of 40,000 and turned over . Beluli showed and the show began.
"Let's go!" Beluli shouted as the dealer burned a card. The turn was the and Beluli made a straight. "Nuts, ship it. Gimme the pot", Beluli shouted as the dealer turned over the river card which was the . The older gentleman quietly left the room as Beluli added chips to his massive stack.
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Vitaly Lunkin found a spot to get his chips in, and he manged to double up.
He told us that an he treated an opponent's 1,700 raise with a three-bet to 4,200. His opponent set him in with pocket sevens and the Russian double bracelet winner called all-in with . The board ran to make him a Broadway straight by the turn.
With about 10,000 in the pot and a board reading , Jeff Rossiter bet 6,700 from middle position and was raised to 17,000 by his opponent in the hijack. Rossiter then moved all in for about 30,000 total and the hijack made a reluctant call.
Showdown
Rossiter
Hijack
Rossiter, who finished third in the Main Event last year, had turned the king-high flush and needed to dodge a heart on the river to survive. Unfortunately for him, the spiked to put an end to his run with just 20 minutes remaining in the day.
It's very late in the day and the players, like us, are very tired. Some brains are frazzled but some are still able to make good decisions.
Tristan Wade has one of those brains. He three-bet to 7,200 only to see Lorinda four-bet all-in for 33,300 from the big blind. The action was back on the American and he seemed to have a hard decision.
He asked the nice lady from Perth, "Do you have the same hand that got cracked in the bounty, that you weren't happy about?"
"Maybe," came the response.
"Will I get to see?" he probed.
"Maybe," was the only response he got.
He eventually opened folded and Johnson showed her . "You did have the same hand!" laughed Wade.
"Only for you," said Johnson, opening up a bit more now. Johnson's husband came by my desk to make sure I was writing nice things about his wife and told me he really hopes she makes day two as last year she busted with pocket queens to jacks on day one. She in with a good chance now, Mr Johnson.
Tristan Wade lost two big hands in the last three hands to bust. The final nail in his coffin was dealt by Billy Argyros who limped with kings in the hope someone would ship in behind him. Wade obliged, with ace-queen and soon found out the bad news. He'll find it hard to sleep tonight.