Action folded to Jeffrey Bridge in the hijack seat. He limped in, then Jason Mercier raised to 3,100 on the button. Bridge made the call, and the dealer spread the flop. Bridge checked, Mercier bet 2,800, and Bridge check-raised to 6,600. Mercier called.
The turn was the , and Bridge bet 8,000. Mercier took his time, then folded, and Bridge won the pot. Mercier was knocked back to 16,000 in chips.
Action folded to Jeffrey Bridge on the button, and he limped in. Brian Payne raised to 3,000 from the small blind, then Jason Mercier reraised all in for 21,200 total. Bridge and Payne both thought for a little bit when the action fell on them, but each folded, and Mercier won the pot.
That's what we heard Ayaz Mahmood say as a good portion of his stack was shipped to an opponent. Unfortunately we didn't catch the hand, but it left Mahmood with around 85,000.
In the very next hand, Mahmood opened for 2,500 from early position only to have Andreas Eiler, who was to his direct left, three-bet to 7,000. The rest of the field folded, Mahmood called and it was heads-up action to the flop, which both players checked. When the turned, Mahmood led out for 11,500 and Eiler simply folded. "Good check," Mahmood said of the flop. "I was going to check-raise."
Pratyush Buddiga just eliminated Michael Guttmann. The two got all of the money in on a board of . Guttmann held pocket nines, but was drawing dead to Buddiga's pocket queens. The river bricked off and Guttmann was out the door.
Jens Kyllonen and Michael Kane were in action on the board. Kyllonen was first and bet 3,500, only to have Kane raised to 7,500. After some thought, Kyllonen clicked it back to 11,500. Kane went into the tank, but eventually found a fold, and Kyllonen won the pot.
From under the gun, Payne raised to 2,700. Mercier three-bet all in for 9,600 from the next seat, and action folded back to Payne. He made the call with the . Mercier had him dominated with the .
The flop came down to keep Mercier in the lead, but the on the turn gave Payne a flush draw that kept him still able to win the hand.
The river was the , though, and Mercier successfully doubled to back over 20,000 in chips.
We didn't catch all the action, but we do know that Jim Andreadis got his last 30,000 all in on a flop holding the and was dominated by Mitchell Oates, who had flopped the nuts with the .
Andreadis needed an ace just to chop, but he wouldn't find it as the appeared on the turn followed by the on the river.
A short-stacked Michael Guttmann moved all in from the cutoff for 13,000 and received a quick call from Pratyush Buddiga on the button. Both blinds folded and Buddiga tabled the , which dominated Guttmann's .
The flop was pretty dry for Guttmann and he stood to make his exit. The turn gave him pause though as it delivered a double belly-buster straight draw. Much to Buddiga's disgust, the river completed it. "Straight," Guttman exclaimed in delight as he sat back down in his chair.
Robert Fenner just raised under the gun to 2,500 and the action was folded to Brian Payne in the small blind. The overall Day 1 chip leader doesn't like folding and put in a three-bet to 6,000. Jason Mercier was next to act in the big blind and he four-bet to 16,500.
Fenner took a little time before deciding to move all in. Payne quickly folded his cards and Mercier called.
Mercier:
Fenner:
Mercier was in great shape for a big double up, but the flop brought . The one out Mercier needed to win this pot didn't come as the turn, the , and river, , brought mere blanks.
Mercier is really short now and he will be all in for his tournament life shortly.
flop. Bridge checked, Mercier bet 2,800, and Bridge check-raised to 6,600. Mercier called.
, and Bridge bet 8,000. Mercier took his time, then folded, and Bridge won the pot. Mercier was knocked back to 16,000 in chips.
flop, which both players checked. When the 
turned, Mahmood led out for 11,500 and Eiler simply folded. "Good check," Mahmood said of the flop. "I was going to check-raise."
.
to keep Mercier in the lead, but the 
on the turn gave Payne a flush draw that kept him still able to win the hand.
, though, and Mercier successfully doubled to back over 20,000 in chips.
flop holding the 
appeared on the turn followed by the 
on the river.
.
. The one out Mercier needed to win this pot didn't come as the turn, the 
