Apparently, 6:50 is 7:00 as near as makes any difference. Ten minutes premature, the tournament clock has been paused, and the players have been dismissed for their 75-minute dinner break.
Roving reporter James Hartigan has brought us news of a huge hand from the feature table. Team PokerStars Pros Andre Akkari and Matthias De Meulder clashed in a 900k-plus pot that saw the Brazilian unluckily eliminated.
Akkari shoved with pocket tens and was called by the Belgian with Pocket nines. The board ran out to make De Meulder a full house.
Action folded to Jose Angel Latorre Marina in the small blind and he raised to 23,000. Eugene Katchalov was the player in the big blind and he made the call to see the flop.
The flop came down and Marina bet 25,000. Katchalov called to see the turn, which was the . Marina stayed on the gas and fired 59,000. Again, Katchalov called.
The river completed the board with the and Marina bet an even 100,000. Katchalov tanked for a couple minutes, but eventually folded his hand and relinquished the pot.
From under the gun plus one, Alex Kravchenko raised to 22,000. Manuel Sadornil called from the small blind and the flop came down . After Sadornil checked, Kravchenko bet 21,000. Sadornil called.
The turn was he and both players checked to see the pair the board on the river. Both checked again.
From early position, Koen De Visscher raised to 20,000. Jose Angel Latorre Marina was the only caller from the big blind and the flop produced the . After Marina checked, De Visscher bet 22,000. Marina called and the turn brought the . Marina checked again and De Visscher bet 46,000. Marina mucked his hand and De Visscher won the pot to chip up to 282,000 in chips.
Vytautas Milvydas was down to 95,000 when he stuck his stack into the pot preflop. Juan Navarrete Azon made the call with and a big stack, and Milvydas' was behind but drawing live, at least.
The flop essentially changed nothing except to waste one of the Lithuanian's outs. It was no matter, though. The dropped off the deck on fourth street, and that pulled Milvydas into the lead with his two pair. Now he needed to fade the aces, kings, and sixes left in the deck to double, and the river fit those criteria rather nicely.
Team PokerStars Pro Eugene Katchalov is up to 645,000 after a big pot against Walid Bou-Habib that saw the qualifier eliminated.
Bou-Habib raised to 17,000 from under-the-gun and was both blinds (Katchalov and Craig Hopkins) defended to see a flop.
Bou-Habib continued for 21,000 when the action was checked to him. Hopkins folded after Katchalov check-raised to 70,000. Bou-Habib called though and then faced a 150,000 bet on the turn. His response was to move all-in for another 70,000; a bet that the Ukrainian called.
Bou-Habib: for the nut straight
Katchalov: for second pair and royal flush draw.
The river didn't bring the royal flush but it still brought a flush with it being the .
We've crossed right over into Level 20 without so much as a pause to look both ways. We've got dinner coming up at 7:00 PM (35 minutes from now), so we're going to play on until then.
and Marina bet 25,000. Katchalov called to see the turn, which was the 
. Marina stayed on the gas and fired 59,000. Again, Katchalov called.
and Marina bet an even 100,000. Katchalov tanked for a couple minutes, but eventually folded his hand and relinquished the pot.
. After Sadornil checked, Kravchenko bet 21,000. Sadornil called.
and both players checked to see the 
pair the board on the river. Both checked again.
. After Marina checked, De Visscher bet 22,000. Marina called and the turn brought the 
. Marina checked again and De Visscher bet 46,000. Marina mucked his hand and De Visscher won the pot to chip up to 282,000 in chips.
and a big stack, and Milvydas' 
was behind but drawing live, at least.
flop essentially changed nothing except to waste one of the Lithuanian's outs. It was no matter, though. The 
dropped off the deck on fourth street, and that pulled Milvydas into the lead with his two pair. Now he needed to fade the aces, kings, and sixes left in the deck to double, and the river 
fit those criteria rather nicely.
flop.
turn. His response was to move all-in for another 70,000; a bet that the Ukrainian called.
.