We picked up the action a little late, joining as the dealer put the turn card down on a board. Al Grimes was heads up, and he checked to Michael Binger who bet 75,000. Grimes took his time thinking before making the call, and the filled out the board on fifth street. When Grimes checked again, Binger fired a final bet of what looked like 230,000 (though it may have been 305,000 instead), and Grimes tanked for ages before calling.
It was a bad call. Binger tabled for the six-card nut straight, and we'd never get to see what Grimes held. He mucked, and that pot moves Binger even higher, all the way up over 2.1 million.
We picked up the action on the flop of in a hand between Team PokerStars Pro Anh Van Nguyen and Matt Affleck. Nguyen check-called a bet of 60,000 on the flop from Affleck to see the fall on the turn. Nguyen checked again. Affleck got a count on Nguyen's stack and then moved all in. Nguyen made the call and tabled the for a set of threes. Affleck held the for top pair. The river competed the board with the and Nguyen earned the double. He was all in for 356,000 on the turn and now has about 950,000 chips. Affleck dropped to 520,000.
Carlos Watanabe raised to 60,000 and then Matt Affleck reraised to 140,000. Action folded back around to Watanabe and he four-bet to 340,000. Affleck thought for a bit and then folded.
Anthony Nardi opened the pot to 46,000 from the button, and Al Grimes called from the big blind to go heads up the rest of the way.
The flop came out , and Grimes check-called a bet of 52,000. He checked again on the turn, and Nardi's second bullet put him into the tank as he contemplated calling the 94,000 chips. He did so after several long minutes, and the drew another check from him. Nardi wasn't slowing down, and he stacked out a bet of what looked like 158,000 and slid it forward. There was another long spell in the tank for Grimes, but he eventually passed, and the eight-minute hand is over with Nardi chipping his way up to about 925,000.
We didn't catch all of the betting action, but we do know that Michael Binger four-bet shoved all in and James Casement called for somewhere around 700,000! Casement was the one at risk but was in a great position to double with his against the of Binger.
The table barely reacted as the flop fell , putting Binger in the lead. The on the turn gave Casement a pair of kings but also gave Binger two pair. Casement needed an ace on the river. The dealer slowly burned and flipped the . Binger came from behind to take down the huge pot and increase his stack to 1.75 million while Casement was eliminated from the tournament.
Jason Mercier opened the pot to 40,000 from middle position, and Aaron Lerner had a decision next door. He broke down his small stack of 90,000 and let out a big sigh, then slid it across the line to put himself all in. The table folded back to Mercier, and he mumbled something quietly as he splashed in the calling chips to put Lerner to the test.
Showdown
Mercier:
Lerner:
There was a jack exposed, and it sounded like another player said he also folded a jack. "It's a one-outer," Mercier acknowledged.
The flop came , and Mercier said, "I can make a straight!" just as the appeared on the turn to take away his last jack out. Mercier pointed to the vacant spot where the river card was about to be, and he said, "Boom," at the same time the dealer put the down onto the board. Boom, indeed.
"Good game, bro," Mercier said, shaking hands with Lerner as the latter made his way to the payout desk in 23rd place.
board. Al Grimes was heads up, and he checked to Michael Binger who bet 75,000. Grimes took his time thinking before making the call, and the 
filled out the board on fifth street. When Grimes checked again, Binger fired a final bet of what looked like 230,000 (though it may have been 305,000 instead), and Grimes tanked for ages before calling.
for the six-card nut straight, and we'd never get to see what Grimes held. He mucked, and that pot moves Binger even higher, all the way up over 2.1 million.
in a hand between Team PokerStars Pro Anh Van Nguyen and Matt Affleck. Nguyen check-called a bet of 60,000 on the flop from Affleck to see the 
fall on the turn. Nguyen checked again. Affleck got a count on Nguyen's stack and then moved all in. Nguyen made the call and tabled the 
for a set of threes. Affleck held the 
for top pair. The river competed the board with the 
and Nguyen earned the double. He was all in for 356,000 on the turn and now has about 950,000 chips. Affleck dropped to 520,000.
pair the board on the turn. Toole fired 145,000 and Mercier folded.
, and Grimes check-called a bet of 52,000. He checked again on the 
drew another check from him. Nardi wasn't slowing down, and he stacked out a bet of what looked like 158,000 and slid it forward. There was another long spell in the tank for Grimes, but he eventually passed, and the eight-minute hand is over with Nardi chipping his way up to about 925,000.
on the turn gave Casement a pair of kings but also gave Binger two pair. Casement needed an ace on the river. The dealer slowly burned and flipped the 
. Binger came from behind to take down the huge pot and increase his stack to 1.75 million while Casement was eliminated from the tournament.
appeared on the turn to take away his last jack out. Mercier pointed to the vacant spot where the river card was about to be, and he said, "Boom," at the same time the dealer put the 
down onto the board. Boom, indeed.
