Darren Elias has just become the second winner to punch his ticket to the second round, besting a table that included Ronnie Bardah, Thomas Fuller, Kyle Frey, Simon Charette, and Eric Froehlich.
Dario Minieri has just finished off Henrik Tollefsen to earn the first payout of this Bounty Shootout. The board showed when we walked up, and there was right at 20,000 in the pot. Minieri plunked out a big stack of covering blue chips, and Tollefsen tanked and called all in for his last ~34,000.
Minieri pulled his headphones off one ear and asked, "You said call?!" Tollefsen nodded, and Minieri announced his hand, "Trips. Sorry." He rolled over , and Tollefsen knocked the table and mucked his hand.
Minieri collected all five $1,000 bounties at his table, and he's earned a spot in tomorrow's second round.
James Mackey raised to 1,200 from the cutoff only to have Michael Binger make it 3,000 on the button. The blinds folded and Mackey popped it to 12,200. Binger grabbed a stack of chips, enough to put Mackey all in, and pushed them in the pot. Mackey called for his remaining 3,000 and the cards were turned up:
Mackey:
Binger:
Mackey was in a dominating position as the flop came down . Binger was still far behind but picked up some out when the peeled off on the turn. Mackey needed to fade a five, ten and eight on the river. Unfortunately for him, it was the and Binger hit a pair. Mackey was eliminated while Binger chipped up to 40,000.
"Pretty lucky," said Anh Van Nguyen from across the table.
"Skill, all skill," Binger responded. It is worth noting that Nguyen and Binger were both final tablists at the NAPT-Los Angeles Main Event final table back in November.
Three players saw a flop of and both Pat Pezzin and Greg Raymer checked from the blinds to Nick Binger, who was more than happy to bet 2,800. Pezzin got out of the way but Raymer check-called the bet. Both players proceeded to check the turn and river, at which point Raymer revealed . Binger mucked while Raymer took down the small pot. He is still in trouble sitting with just 16,000.
Another match in the heads-up stages is Dario Minieri versus Henrik Tollefsen at Table 22. Minieri was at about a 2:1 chip disadvantage when he looked down at and opened from the button. Tollefsen three-bet to 4,600, Minieri reraised to 12,000, and Tollefsen shoved all in. Minieri made the call for his last 50,775 chips, and he was flipping for his survival against the .
Minieri stood to sweat his fate, describing the situation machine gun Italian to his buddies on the rail. The dealer ran out , just fine for Minieri. "Finito?" he buddies asked. It's not over yet, but Minieri has now turned the tables. His stack of just over 100,000 gives him the 2:1 lead against Tollefsen.
Alexander Kostritsyn raised to 3,500 only to have Jason Somerville move all in for 7,650 more. Action folded back to Kostritsyn and he made the call:
Somerville:
Kostritsyn:
Somerville was in good shape and managed to improve on the flop, though Kostritsyn had a gut-shot straight draw. The on the turn changed nothing and neither did the river. Somerville doubled on the hand to around 23,000.
Heather Sue Mercer and Darren Kennedy tangled in a preflop raising war that left Kennedy all in for 30,900. He was in fine shape, however, rolling over to Mercer's .
The board ran out , and Kennedy's aces hold to earn him the double. Mercer is in trouble now, down under 10,000.
![[user66118]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
when we walked up, and there was right at 20,000 in the pot. Minieri plunked out a big stack of covering blue chips, and Tollefsen tanked and called all in for his last ~34,000.
, and Tollefsen knocked the table and mucked his hand.
and Binger hit a pair. Mackey was eliminated while Binger chipped up to 40,000.
and both Pat Pezzin and Greg Raymer checked from the blinds to Nick Binger, who was more than happy to bet 2,800. Pezzin got out of the way but Raymer check-called the bet. Both players proceeded to check the 
river, at which point Raymer revealed 
. Binger mucked while Raymer took down the small pot. He is still in trouble sitting with just 16,000.
, just fine for Minieri. "Finito?" he buddies asked. It's not over yet, but Minieri has now turned the tables. His stack of just over 100,000 gives him the 2:1 lead against Tollefsen.
flop, though Kostritsyn had a gut-shot straight draw. The 
river. Somerville doubled on the hand to around 23,000.
.
