From early position, Pierre Garand raised to 150,000 and Cary Katz three-bet to 350,000 two positions down. Action folded to Rick Salomon in the small blind and he cold four-bet to 850,000. The big blind folded.
Garand glanced at his coach Jonathan Duhamel and moved in for 2.2 million total. Katz tanked for a bit before folding, Salomon called.
Rick Salomon:
Pierre Garand:
"Ow, ace-king versus queens, a classic confrontation" noted Daniel Negreanu with a serious voice.
The board ran out and when the king hit, fellow Canadian Negreanu, Laliberté and Duhamel couldn't contain their excitement. Garand was cool, collecting the sizable pot and going into the last break of the night twice as rich as moments before.
"I had your two outs" Katz told Salomon, indicating he too had queens.
In a hand that played into the break, Paul Phua made a tough river call, but was right to do so. Kamer Alyanakyan was the pre-flop raiser, he made it 130,000 from middle position and Phua (button) and Talal Shakerchi (big blind) both called.
Alyanakyan continuation bet 210,000 on the flop, both players stuck around and the fell on fourth street. No one bit this time as all three took a free card, which was the . First to act was Shakerchi and he bet 425,000. That got rid of Alyanakyan but Phua tanked before calling. Shakerchi showed but Phua had him beat with pocket sixes.
We're starting to see the orange T500,000 chips get used fairly frequently now whereas it was a rarity a couple of levels ago. In a recent pot Brandon Steven opened to 175,000 on the button and Sean Dempsey smooth called from the big blind. On the flop Steven bet 200,000, Dempsey check-raised to 625,000 total and Steven stuck around.
On the turn Dempsey bet 1,000,000 straight and Steven folded.
Andrew Pantling busted early in level seven, but after taking a break he's just bought back in for another €1,000,000.
That left tournament director Jack Effel with a decision; either start a new table resulting in every table playing shorthanded, or make one table 9-handed with the rest staying 8-handed. Effel consulted all the players and they agreed with the option to make one (randomly selected) table 9-handed while the rest remained 8-handed.
A tale of pairs this one, three pairs though. Tony Bloom was the aggressor, he made it 200,000 to go from the hijack, Al Decarolis folded but accidentally exposed pocket twos as he did so. It folded to Bob Safai in the big blind and he said. "I hope I don't have a two," he looked at his hand and evidently had enough to continue in the hand as he made the call.
On the flop Bloom bet 260,000 and Safai smooth called. That was the end of the betting as the and turn and river checked through. Bloom showed pocket tens which bested Safai's pocket fours.
A much needed double up for Mark Telstcher, who got his final 15 big blinds in pre-flop holding pocket nines and managed to hold against the pocket eights of Pierre Garand.
I arrived at the table to see a big pot between Talal Shakerchi and Kamer Alyanakyan in progress. The former had bet 505,000 on the river of a board and Kamer Alyanakyan was in the tank. He was eying up the board more than his opponent and thought for a while before committing the necessary chips to the pot.
Shakerchi rolled over for a flush, Alyanakyan nodded and mucked.
On the very next hand Zuo Wang made it 180,000 from under-the-gun+1 and picked up calls from Talal Shakerchi (hijack), Jason Strasser (button) and Andrew Pantling (big blind). On the flop Pantling led for 260,000, Wang moved in for about 1,500,000 and one by one everyone folded.
and when the king hit, fellow Canadian Negreanu, Laliberté and Duhamel couldn't contain their excitement. Garand was cool, collecting the sizable pot and going into the last break of the night twice as rich as moments before.
flop, both players stuck around and the 
. First to act was Shakerchi and he bet 425,000. That got rid of Alyanakyan but Phua tanked before calling. Shakerchi showed 
but Phua had him beat with pocket sixes.
flop Steven bet 200,000, Dempsey check-raised to 625,000 total and Steven stuck around. 
turn Dempsey bet 1,000,000 straight and Steven folded.
flop Bloom bet 260,000 and Safai smooth called. That was the end of the betting as the 
and 
board and Kamer Alyanakyan was in the tank. He was eying up the board more than his opponent and thought for a while before committing the necessary chips to the pot.
for a flush, Alyanakyan nodded and mucked.
flop Pantling led for 260,000, Wang moved in for about 1,500,000 and one by one everyone folded.