Michael Dehen raised to 1,500 in early position and Joshua Scharlemann flatted in the cutoff.
The flop came 7♦6♦4♠ and Dehen continued with a bet of 1,500. Scharlemann made the call.
The turn landed the 4♦ and Dehen slowed down with a check. Scharlemann bet 4,000 and Dehen called.
The river brought the 8♠ bringing four cards to a straight and both players checked. Scharlemann tabled K♠K♥, besting the Q♦Q♥ of Dehen.
Level: 3
Blinds: 200/400
Ante: 400
Action picked up preflop in a hand between Miles Barnum in middle position and Ronald James in the big blind. When PokerNews got to the table, Barnum was facing a five-bet shove after having four-bet.
"Will you show if I fold?" asked Barnum, faced with a tough decision for his tournament life.
"That's kind of who I am," James said as he nodded that he would indeed show.
"Second question, would you do this with ace-king?" prodded Barnum.
"That I can't answer," replied James.
Barnum thought for a moment, ultimately arriving at a fold, tabling pocket queens. James was a man of his word and showed pocket tens to take down the pot and dodge disaster.
Jamie Meidinger, Paul Jain, and Mark Dufner are a trio to keep an eye on in here in the early levels as they are all seated right next to each other.
Meidinger took down the $640 Main Event at Royal River Casino for $14,000 back in April. Jain is a former PRT Player of the Year and Fall of Famer, and Dufner is the reigning RPT Summer Main Event ring winner.
The player in middle position raised to 700, Chad Nieland flatted on the button, and the player in the small blind called.
The flop of A♦6♥Q♣ checked through to the 8♣ turn. The small blind checked, middle position bet 1,000, Nieland called, as did the small blind.
On the 8♥ river, it checked over to Nieland who bet 3,500, resulting in folds from both of his opponents.
Level: 2
Blinds: 200/300
Ante: 300
Action went six-ways to a flop of 5♠J♣2♥ after Zachary Schlueter made it 1,200 to go from under the gun.
Schlueter continued with a bet of 6,000 and only Keith Doering made the call in the hijack.
The turn landed the K♣ and Schlueter didn't slow down, tossing out a bet of 10,000. Doering tossed his cards into the muck and Schlueter showed K♠J♠ for two pair, kings and jacks as he scooped the pot.
Robert Schoonover raised to 600 in the cutoff, the player on the button called, and Robert Van Syckle three-bet to 2,200 in the big blind. Both of his opponents came along for the ride.
The flop came 8♥7♦6♠ and Van Syckle continued with a bet of 3,000. Schoonover folded as did the player on the button and the pot was pushed Van Syckle's way.
Van Syckle tabled A♦A♥ before stacking up his chips.
Action went three-ways to the turn on a board of 6♥J♠5♥10♥ and it checked over to Michael Taylor on the button who bet 6,000. The player in the big blind folded and the under-the-gun Eric Witkowski made the call.
On the J♣ river, Witkowski checked again and Taylor fired out bet of 10,500. Witkowski quickly called, tabling A♥2♥ for the nut flush, besting the J♥3♦ of Taylor to scoop an early pot.
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