Just fifteen minutes ago we wrote that McDonald's tournament hadn't started all that well, and it hasn't gotten any better. We saw some people gather around his table and rushed over to see what had happened. On the table was the entire board already and McDonald was getting up, shaking hands with Ilan Suloman.
With on the table we were just in time to see McDonald's getting thrown in the muck. That full house was no good as his neighbor had for a slightly better hand. Former table mate Todd Terry confirmed the stacks went all in on the river as McDonalds exited the tournament area.
We happened upon the action on the river with around 10,000 in the pot and a board reading . Spain's Gustavo Lopez Garcia, who qualified for this event via a live satellite, had a bet of 5,075 out in front of him in the small blind and action was on Gaëlle Baumann.
The tenth-place finisher in the 2012 World Series of Poker Main Event decided to put out a raise to 20,000, which had Garcia covered. The Spaniard thought long and hard, shrugged, and then called off for 17,575 total.
Baumann just shook her head and flipped over her for a pair of fours. Garcia then tabled the for a bigger paid and extended his tournament life.
I just saw UKIPT Marbella and EPT10 London fourth place finisher Ludovich Geilich win a sizeable pot against Manuel Cortada Dominguez. It was a three-bet pre-flop pot and the two of them took a flop, Dominguez fired out a bet of 2,100 and Geilich smooth called. On the turn Dominguez slowed down and after he'd checked Geilich bet 4,275 and Dominguez folded.
Mike McDonald just sat down but hasn't started all that well. We saw him call a bet of about 2,000 on , but he wouldn't see a turn for that amount; the small blind check-raised to 6,800. The player that had bet the flop folded, but McDonald made the call. The fell on the turn and the small blind bet out 10,200. Mike McDonald, seated on the button, stared for minutes after asking him how the player had behind. It didn't look like the gentleman had much more to play with than what he already had invested in the pot. The death stare came to an end eventually, McDonald folded and continued his tournament with about 23,000.
EPT10 Barcelona High Roller champion Thomas Muhlocker just took a decent pot pre-flop and is up to 33,000 as a result. He opened to 800 from under-the-gun+1, next to act Pavel Meshkov flat called, Ankush Mandavia then three-bet to 2,200, Mihails Morozovs then flat called on the button and only then did it get back to Muhlocker.
He stood up so he could got eyes on Mandavia's chip stack and then four-bet to 6,400, that did the trick as one by one the other players folded
There are a fair number of stacks in the red zone at this stage of the day. One false move or unlucky card and your EPT dreams could be over. Team PokerStars Pro Liv Boeree is one of them but she is ready to fight to the death. Boeree opened for 600 in the Hi-Jack and got two callers, the button and the big blind. The flop was . It was checked to Boeree who continued for 1,000 and got one caller from the button. The on the turn and Boeree was now first to act with a stack of 3,500. She bet 1,800 and it convinced her opponent to fold. A welcome pot was slid her way.