Table 36 Loves 9-10 Offsuit

First, it was Dario Alioto who struck gold with that hand, insta-calling his opponent's 12,000 chip bet on the river when the board read {Q-Diamonds}

. As he flipped over {9-Spades}

, his opponent winced in the sort of excrutiating pain that indicated he had a queen in his hand as he flung his cards into the muck. The hand sent Alioto's steadily growing stack past the 45,000 mark.

On the very next deal Gus Hansen tangled with the man on his right, Britain's Marc Goodwin. With the board reading {J-Clubs}

on the turn, Goodwin checked, Hansen bet 800, Goodwin min-raised to 1,600 and Hansen called. The river was the innocuous {2-Diamonds}

. Goodwin fired out 2,200.

"You know, I have that same hand," said Hansen as he dribbled in two blue and two black chips, making the call.

Goodwin turned up {J-Spades}