Action folded to the player in the small blind and he limped in. Dutchman Auke Attema checked from the big blind and the two took a flop of . The small blind bet out 1,500, Attema called.
So far, thing hadn't gone out of proportion, but the limped pot would grow a lot bigger soon enough as the fell on the turn and the small blind checked his option. Attema fired 2,700 and the small blind answered with a check raise to 10,500. Attema called.
The river came the , so four to a straight now. The small blind casually bet 15,600 and Attema went deep into the tank. After a couple of minutes, he called.
The small blind reluctantly showed for nothing but a rivered pair of tens. Attema proudly tabled for two pair and collected the sizable pot.
We are down to 100 players out of the original 186. Play is very deep with the average chip stack near 56 big blinds.
Among the players remaining is Ireland's Raymond Forde. Forde's chip stack keeps rising and he is currently near the top of the board with 148,900 chips.
Jan Riha was already one of the bigger stacks on the table when this hand unfolded.
Sweden's Tommy Westerland raised the action from mid-position to 2.5k. France's Jerome Launay whose stack already dwindled to around 20,000 declared all-in from the small blind. Czech Republic's Jan Riha raised over the top and Westerland quickly got out of the way.
Launay turned over and was disappointed to see Riha with . The board was of no help, and Launay with good nature wished his opponents good luck and left the tournament area. Riha now has one of the most commanding stacks in the room with 280,000 chips.
It seems like many players either have big stacks or small ones. There is obviously a middle class as well. Two players recently low on chips battled it out with Rob van de Wateringen getting it all-in with for his remaining 15 big blinds against Chistrian Vogel with .
While the flop brought all blanks, it appears van de Wateringen would survive the hand after a hit the turn. Unfortunately for him and fortunately for Vogel, the river brought a . Van de Wateringen hit the showers while Vogel watched his stack climb to 60,000 or 60 big blinds.
Among the players left in the field is Lithuania's Arvydas Merfeldas. The Tournament Poker Edge pro has never had a big stack, but seems to know how to play an average or less stack. In other words, Merfeldas is surviving, but not thriving.
Merfeldas just gave up 25% of his stack in a recent hand against Bob Drummond. A player in early position raised to 2,500 preflop, Drummond was next to act and overcalled, while Merfeldas completed from the big blind.
The flop came leading Merfeldas and the initial raiser to check. Drummond then bet 3,400 which Merfeldas called and the initial raiser folded. Drummond continued again when the came on the turn for 5,800 which Drummond called. Both players check on the river of the . Drummond turned over for top pair while Merfeldas through his hand into the muck.
Out of the players remaining from the field are Dutch identical twins Alexander and Erik Koops. Things are going slightly better for Alexander who now has 150,000 after nailing a flush against Nicolas Cardyn. Erik, who can be mistaken for Alexander if not for the chip stack, is hovering the average stack of 65,000.
. The small blind bet out 1,500, Attema called.
fell on the turn and the small blind checked his option. Attema fired 2,700 and the small blind answered with a check raise to 10,500. Attema called.
, so four to a straight now. The small blind casually bet 15,600 and Attema went deep into the tank. After a couple of minutes, he called.
for nothing but a rivered pair of tens. Attema proudly tabled 
for two pair and collected the sizable pot.
.
leading Merfeldas and the initial raiser to check. Drummond then bet 3,400 which Merfeldas called and the initial raiser folded. Drummond continued again when the 
came on the turn for 5,800 which Drummond called. Both players check on the river of the 
