"All in and a call Table 31," we heard the dealer yell. We made our way over just in time to see 2012 World Series of Poker Main Event champ Greg Merson collecting his things and standing from his chair. Merson hadn't been eliminated, but things were looking grim for him as he got his stack of 18,025 all in bad on the flop.
Merson:
Opponent:
Merson held top pair, top kicker with a gutshot straight draw, but he needed some help as his opponent had flopped two pair. Just as Merson was preparing to exit the dealer burned and turned the . Merson let a little smile cross his lips as his two pair made him the favorite to double, which he did after the blanked on the river.
With Tobias Reinkemeier, a German claimed the chip lead after Day 1a, and now Timo Pfutzenreuter may very well do the same on Day 1b aftee knocking out defending champ Daniel Negreanu.
Pfutzenreuter defended his small blind with against Negreanu, who had raised from early position. Pfutzenreuter then check-called a bet on the flop as well as on a blank turn.
A third club appeared on the river and Pfutzenreuter proceeded to check-raised all in. The Canadian called off with the second nut flush and hit the rail just shy of the end of Day 1b, ensuring that a new champion will be crowned here in Melbourne.
The specifics of the hand escaped us, but we do know that Dan Heimiller shoved his stack all in on the river with a board reading . The 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event champ Jonathan Duhamel called him with the for two pair, and it was good as Heimiller held a single pair with the .
Brandon Shack-Harris opened to 1,200 from the hijack and the player in the big blind three-bet to 3,000. Shack-Harris made the call before calling a bet of 4,000 on the flop.
Both players checked the on the turn as the completed the board on the river and the big blind bet out 11,500.
Shack-Harris went into the tank for several minutes before eventually releasing his hand and slipping to 34,500.
On the flop, Brian Rast and Bruno Portaro got all the money in the middle. Rast flopped bottom set with the , and Portaro had the for top pair, top kicker.
The turn was the to leave Portaro drawing dead before the completed the board on the river.
Vincent Rubianes got his stack all in preflop holding and was in dire straits against the of Minh Nguyen. The flop gave Rubianes a little sweat as a five would give him a straight, but he watched helplessly as the blanked on the river.
flop.
. Merson let a little smile cross his lips as his two pair made him the favorite to double, which he did after the 
blanked on the river.
flop as well as on a blank turn.
. The 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event champ Jonathan Duhamel called him with the 
for two pair, and it was good as Heimiller held a single pair with the 
.
flop.
flop, Brian Rast and Bruno Portaro got all the money in the middle. Rast flopped bottom set with the 
, and Portaro had the 
to leave Portaro drawing dead before the 
completed the board on the river.
against Michael Tran's 
and Perkins hit the rail as Tran climbed to 75,000 in chips.
and was in dire straits against the 
flop gave Rubianes a little sweat as a five would give him a straight, but he watched helplessly as the 
blanked on the river.
