First to enter the pot, Will Molson came in with an all-in shove for his last 81,000 chips. Doc Sands flatted on the button, but he would not be allowed to proceed. In the big blind, Viktor Blom squeezed all in over the top, and Sands was forced to wave the white flag and duck out. Molson had to love the protection from Blom, and he had a chance to triple up with just one opponent to beat. Cards up, gents:
Showdown
Molson:
Blom:
Molson was unable to catch up to Blom's pair, bricking off on the board. He's finished 2nd, 2nd, and 1st in the last three $25,000 events at the PCA, but this $100,000 Super High Roller hasn't been so kind. Out before the money, Molson departs in 13th place.
Sam Stein has been moved to the outer table to balance.
Scott Seiver opened the pot with a raise from the hijack and Jonathan Duhemal re-raised to 55,000 from the small blind. Seiver called and the flop came down
Duhamel bet 76,000, but was met with a re-raise all in from Seiver. Duhamel called all in for 377,000 and revealed a pocket pair, but we were unable to tell from the camera shot. It was either kings, queens, or jacks which was in the lead against Seiver's . Duhamel faded Seiver's five outs on the turn and river to secure the double.
Galen Hall is starting to get a bit frustrated, and it's not hard to see why. For nearly the entire tournament, he's had chip leader Isaac Haxton on his direct left, and Haxton has been doing his part to make life miserable for the 2011 PCA Main Event champion.
Two hands ago, Hall raised to 21,000 on the button, and Haxton three-bet to 66,000 next door in the small blind. Hall tried again with a four-bet to 125,000 straight, but Haxton shoved all in back over the top. Hall could not have folded any quicker, and the frustration was growing.
On the next hand, Hall raised again, and this time he spoke right up: "Just call blind." Haxton went ahead and folded with wry smirk, and Hall was allowed to win that small pot.
Dan Shak opened the pot with a raise to 30,000, and Will Molson three-bet to 62,000. When it came back around to Shak, he looked down longingly at the 233,000 chips he had and shoved them all in. Molson called with the , and his overpair had Shak's in a world of trouble.
"Everyone peels a nine..." Isaac Haxton said in a fine case of dramatic foreshadowing.
The flop came , and Shak flopped the lucky set to pull into a big lead. He was unsatisfied with his edge though, and he asked the dealer for a diamond on the turn.
It was indeed the , stealing one of Molson's outs and leaving him dead to the queen of clubs.
"Here comes the queen of clubs," Daniel Negreanu chimed in, trying his own hand at the fortune telling. Almost.
The river was the frightening , scary but ultimately safe for Shak. That secures his double, moving him up close to the half-million chip mark. Things are not so good for Molson now; he's left with just 80,000 chips.
For two days now, we've been keeping an eye on the play between Isaac Haxton and Viktor "Isildur1" Blom, two of the long-standing big stacks in our field. Haxton, as you would likely guess by looking at him, has one of the more calculating and intelligent minds in the game, and it appears he came prepared for battle with the dangerous Blom this week.
Maybe a half-dozen times or so, we've seen Haxton throw out oversized bets and raises against Isildur. Some of his early three-bets were enormous on Day 1, and we just saw another oversized pot developing between the two men here on Day 2.
It began with Blom opening to 22,000, and this time Haxton elected to flat-call from the small blind. They both checked through the flop, and the turn drew a leading bet from Haxton. It was a pot-sized 60,000, and Blom came right along with a call to see the river.
It was the , and Haxton bet again. This time, it was a big overbet of 275,000, and Blom tanked and surrendered.
Will Molson raised to 20,000 to open the pot, and both Galen Hall and Isaac Haxton called from their respective small and big blinds.
The three of them took a flop, and Molson continued out with another 35,000. Hall made the check-call, Haxton check-folded, and the landed on the turn. It went check-check there, and check-check once again on the river.
Molson showed for queen-high, and Hall's was good enough to earn him that little pot.
Action on the outer tabe has been a bit slow to start this new level.
From the button, Galen Hall raised to 20,000. David "Doc" Sands called from the big blind and the flop came down .. After Sands checked, Hall bet 22,000. Sands called.
The turn was the and Sands checked again. Hall fired 32,000 this time and Sands called.
The river completed the board with the and both players checked.
Hall showed the for a pair of eights, but Sands held the for the winner.
Sam Stein raised to 17,000 under the gun and Humberto Brenes called from the big blind.
The flop fell and both checked. Brenes checked the turn and Stein bet 24,000. Brenes, though, put in a raise to 80,000. A call from Stein led to the river and Brenes bet 85,000. Stein shook his head and tossed his hand to the muck.
Jonathan Duhamel raised to 17,000 to open the action, and Sam Stein three-bet to 43,000 in position. Out of the cold, Mike "Timex" McDonald shoved all in for 180,000 total, and Duhamel quickly folded. Stein had , though, and he matched the bet to put McDonald at risk. Timex turned up , and the race was on.
The flop was a good sweat, but McDonald jumped into a huge lead with the turn. He needed to fade the four queens in the deck to double, and the river was too little, too late for Stein.
The two men have essentially traded places now with McDonald stacking up just shy of 400,000 chips.
![[user66118]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
board. He's finished 2nd, 2nd, and 1st in the last three $25,000 events at the PCA, but this $100,000 Super High Roller hasn't been so kind. Out before the money, Molson departs in 13th place.
. Duhamel faded Seiver's five outs on the turn and river to secure the double.
, and his overpair had Shak's 
, and Shak flopped the lucky set to pull into a big lead. He was unsatisfied with his edge though, and he asked the dealer for a diamond on the turn.
, stealing one of Molson's outs and leaving him dead to the queen of clubs.
, scary but ultimately safe for Shak. That secures his double, moving him up close to the half-million chip mark. Things are not so good for Molson now; he's left with just 80,000 chips.
flop, and the 
flop, and Molson continued out with another 35,000. Hall made the check-call, Haxton check-folded, and the 
landed on the turn. It went check-check there, and check-check once again on the 
river.
for queen-high, and Hall's 
was good enough to earn him that little pot.
.. After Sands checked, Hall bet 22,000. Sands called.
and both players checked.
for a pair of eights, but Sands held the 
, though, and he matched the bet to put McDonald at risk. Timex turned up 
