Not long ago Stephanie Goertz was eliminated when a nasty nine on the river cracked her pocket queens. Instead of heading down to the casino floor, she has opted to sit nearby and rail her husband, Jim Goertz, who is doing quite well after recently eliminating Brian Bergeron.
When we arrived, Bergeron had 8,000 out in front of him and was debating what to do with his remaining 21,900 as Goertz had raised to 35,000. Eventually Bergeron decided to go with it and discovered he was on the bad end of things.
Bergeron:
Goertz:
The flop was no help to Bergeron, and neither was the turn. He needed a queen and a queen only on the river to stay alive, but it wasn't in the cards as the blanked. Bergeron was eliminated on the hand while Stephanie watched he husband chip up to 160K.
Action folded around to a short-stacked Travell Thomas on the button and he moved all in for 9,100. The small blind folded, but since it wasn't too much more to Johannes Mueller, he decided to call from the big.
Thomas:
Mueller:
Both players held a seven, which meant Thomas' kicker made him the favorite. The flop didn't do much, but the turn made things interesting as Thomas paired his eight while Mueller picked up an open-ended straight draw. Fortunately for Thomas, the blanked on the river and he was able to double through.
Andy Spears won two Main Events here at the Seneca Niagara Falls Casino & Hotel in the past nine months, but he will not make it a third. Pete Kaemmerlen opened to 3,100 from under the gun and action folded around to Spears in the big blind. He shoved for around 17,000, and Kaemmerlen called.
Spears:
Kaemmerlen:
Spears increased his lead to 83% when the flop added a flush draw to his hand, and it looked like he'd survive when the hit the turn. But the on the river improved Kaemmerlen to Broadway, sending Spears to the rail.
Not long ago Dave Olshan was sitting on a big stack. We're not quite sure what happened to it, but right now he's sitting on about half of what he used to have.
In a recent hand, Olshan raised to 2,700 from middle position and was called by the player in the small blind. The flop saw the small blind check-call a bet of 2,700, and then both players checked the turn as well as the river.
The small blind showed the for a flopped flush draw, but it was no good as Olshan had a big hand in the .
Leon Halat opened to 2,400 from under the gun and received calls from the players in the hijack and the cutoff, as well as Barry Kruger in the small blind. On the flop, Kruger jammed his last 10,200 into the pot. However, at the other end of the table, Halat thought he was first to act and began to bet at the same time as Kruger. Tournament director Jason Brooks was called over to hear the situation, and Brooks ruled that because Halat never released his chips he wouldn't be forced to call Kruger's bet. Halat folded, as did the other two players in the pot, and Kruger nearly doubled up without seeing a showdown.
We missed the betting, but we do know the player on the button got his stack all in preflop and was racing against WSOP bracelet winner Michael Malm.
Malm:
Button:
The button got it in good, but he was crushed when the flop came down to give Malm two pair. Neither the turn nor river was a nine, which meant Malm scored the elimination and grew his stack to over 100K.
Hayden Glassman opened for 2,500 from the button and received a call from Bob De Wolfe in the small blind. The big came along too and three players saw a flop of . De Wolfe quickly tossed out six T1,000 chips for a bet of 6,000, which prompted the big blind to fold. Glassman made the call and it was heads-up action to the turn.
This time De Wolfe upped the bet to 20,000, and it did the trick as Glassman released his hand.
"Pops, you taking us to school, man," Travell Thomas said, clearly impressed with the veteran's aggression.
flop was no help to Bergeron, and neither was the 
turn. He needed a queen and a queen only on the river to stay alive, but it wasn't in the cards as the 
blanked. Bergeron was eliminated on the hand while Stephanie watched he husband chip up to 160K.
flop didn't do much, but the 
turn made things interesting as Thomas paired his eight while Mueller picked up an open-ended straight draw. Fortunately for Thomas, the 
blanked on the river and he was able to double through.
hit the turn. But the 
on the river improved Kaemmerlen to Broadway, sending Spears to the rail.
turn as well as the 
river.
flop, Kruger jammed his last 10,200 into the pot. However, at the other end of the table, Halat thought he was first to act and began to bet at the same time as Kruger. Tournament director Jason Brooks was called over to hear the situation, and Brooks ruled that because Halat never released his chips he wouldn't be forced to call Kruger's bet. Halat folded, as did the other two players in the pot, and Kruger nearly doubled up without seeing a showdown.
to give Malm two pair. Neither the 
river was a nine, which meant Malm scored the elimination and grew his stack to over 100K.
turn.
