We're imagining that Carter Phillips made an opening raise from the cutoff and the 2,600 in front of the gentleman in the big blind represented a reraise. Whatever happened, Phillips now made it 6,000 to go.
The big blind gent thought about it for a long, long time, before going all in for around 32,000. Phillips sighed and made the call.
Big Blind Gentleman:
Phillips:
Board:
The big blind gentleman must have been extremely relieved to see Phillips' nines, and doubled to around 65,000. Phillips meanwhile was left with just 3,800 and after failing to rally any, was gone a few minutes later.
Kent Lundmark was facing a big old sweat when he got his stack in with on a flop against Bjorn Verbakel's . The turn was the and Lundmark began to get out of his seat in the hope that attempting to leave with give him the river he wanted.
The came and Lundmark got exactly what he need, doubling back up over the 30,000 mark while his fellow Pokerstars qualifier Verbakel is left counting the cost.
It's all starting to get rather interesting at table Obrestad. She opened to 600 from the cutoff, only for Jeff Sarwer to reraise to 1,600 from the button, but before Obrestad could even think about clicking it back or any of her other options, James Mitchell came in with a 4-bet to 4,500 from the big blind.
Obrestad gave it up after about 30 seconds but Sarwer thought longer, rechecking his stack before he too passed to allow Mitchell the pot without needing a flop.
There are only two women playing today, Annette Obrestad is, of course one, but the other is Pokerstars Qualifier Nelli Nufer. She's just picked up a big pot off Luca Pagano.
There looked to have been almost 9,000 already in the pot so it looked as though Pagano had 4-bet it preflop. The flop read and Nufer led for 7,000 to which Pagano slowly made the call. On the turn, Nufer now bet 10,000 and Pagano tanked for several minutes before eventually folding face up. Nufer reciprocated by showing him for the turned top set.
Pagano drops to around 42,000 while Nufer sits with about 38,000
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Our roving reporter Gloria Balding spent some quality time with Team PokerStars Pro Arnaud Mattern at the break, and ascertained that as far as cards go, he's had an excellent first half of the day - having been dealt aces twice and queens three times in just four levels, he can't really complain.
Cards on their own are no good though, and as far as action goes, Mattern has been rather less fortunate - he told Ms. Balding that he had not been paid off even once, not even a little bit.
Our lesson in Estonian numbers continues with the second break of the day. After this 15-minute pause and another two levels, it will be time for a 90-minute dinner break. Then players are only two short levels away from surviving Day 1.
Well over 10,000 in chips had amassed in the middle of the table by the river of the board when we joined the action. PokerStars Sponsored Player Martin Muursepp, one of only two Estonians playing today, and by the by a former NBA basketball player, bet 2,500. Young British up-and-comer Javed Abrahams thought about it before raising to 10,000 - and thus elicited an almost instantaneous fold from Muursepp, who dropped below his starting stack to 27,000. Abrahams conversely edged back above his starting stack, on a shade over 30,000.
button in Safari
on a 
flop against Bjorn Verbakel's 
came and Lundmark got exactly what he need, doubling back up over the 30,000 mark while his fellow Pokerstars qualifier Verbakel is left counting the cost.
and Nufer led for 7,000 to which Pagano slowly made the call. On the 
turn, Nufer now bet 10,000 and Pagano tanked for several minutes before eventually folding 
flop, only for Gerardo Wuro to make it 3,000 to go.
