Last year's runner-up in this event, Russell Carson has been handed a lifeline from an unlikely source, Team PokerStars Pro Alexander Kravchenko.
Kravchenko raised first in on the button to 15,000 and when the small blind folded, Carson moved all in for a total of 76,500. Kravchenko counted out the chips required to call, then put them back into a single tower. He then counted them out again, put them back into the same tower but this time moved them into the middle of the table and made the call.
Kravchenko:
Carson:
Board:......
Kravchenko was drawing extremely thinly on the flop and dead by the turn. However, he still has circa 300,000 in his stack whilst Carson climbs to 170,000
Jack Powell called a 42,000 bet from Andreas Wiese on the turn of a board, before both players checked the river. Wiese turned over for a pair of fours but Powell's was the better hand, and the floppy-haired Brit moved up to a round 360,000. Wiese dropped to 245,000.
Giacomo Maisto raised to 13,500 UTG+1 and Leonid Yezik called in the cutoff before Dennis Murphy re-popped to 42,000 from the big blind. Maisto called, Yezik folded, and they went heads up to the flop.
The flop came down and Murphy bet out 57,000. Maisto spent a long time stacking up the call in red T1,000 chips before pushing it across the line.
At this point our attention was called over to a high-volume double up at another table - but a deafening cry of, "YESSS!!!" soon drew us back to Maisto's table. The turn and river had come down the and respectively, and Maisto was all in - by the sounds of it (evidence: Murphy giggling and announcing, "Instacall!") Murphy had put him in on the river and Maisto had snapped for 320,500.
Murphy: for a pair of jacks
Maisto: for runner-runner nuts
Maisto is now now up to a very hefty 860,000, Murphy down to a below-average 205,000.
Andrey Mitlyansky got it in good with against Marc Ladouceur's , but came a cropper on the board, leaving him with just 20,000 or so. Ladoucer meanwhile is rather more comfortable on 150,000.
The very last hand before the break saw Wim Boss take on Andreas Wiese in a battle of the blinds.
Wiese raised from the small blind to 15,000 and Bos called. The dealer put out the flop and it was met with a 21,000 bet from Wiese and a call from Bos. The on the turn was greeted with a check from Wiese, a bet of 30,000 from Bos and a call from Wiese.
The on the river saw both players check, though Bos was contemplating making a bet but failed to pull the trigger and just checked behind.
Wiese:
Bos:
It appears Bos' decision not to bet was the right one as it possibly saved him a lot of chips
Andrey Mitlyansky, crippled from earlier, has been knocked out. All-in for his last 14,000 against Thomas Kunter and Iulian Ruxandescu who then checked down the board.
Mitlyansky showed but no good against Mitlyansky's after Ruxandescu flashed .
...
...
board, before both players checked the 
river. Wiese turned over 
for a pair of fours but Powell's 
was the better hand, and the floppy-haired Brit moved up to a round 360,000. Wiese dropped to 245,000.
and Murphy bet out 57,000. Maisto spent a long time stacking up the call in red T1,000 chips before pushing it across the line.
respectively, and Maisto was all in - by the sounds of it (evidence: Murphy giggling and announcing, "Instacall!") Murphy had put him in on the river and Maisto had snapped for 320,500.
for a pair of jacks
for runner-runner nuts
board, leaving him with just 20,000 or so. Ladoucer meanwhile is rather more comfortable on 150,000.
make an appearance and this time both players opted to check.
flop and it was met with a 21,000 bet from Wiese and a call from Bos. The 
on the river saw both players check, though Bos was contemplating making a bet but failed to pull the trigger and just checked behind.
but no good against Mitlyansky's 
