[user38449]
Starting Day 2 chip leader John Tabatabai just absorbed a major blow to his stack after paying off an all-in river bet made by Antony Lellouche.
We caught up to the hand after the flop with a little over 6,000 already in the pot. The board read and Bruno Fitoussi had passed the first option to Tabatabai, who led out with a 4,000 bet. Lellouche made the call from the cutoff, as did Fitoussi from the big blind.
The fell on the turn and both Fitoussi and Tabatabai checked, allowing Lellouche to take the lead, firing an 8,500 bullet. Fitoussi passed (later claiming he folded ), but Tabatabai stuck around to see the river, which was the .
Tabatabai checked once more to Lellouche who moved all in for a total of 24,600. After a minute or so in the tank, Tabatabai made the call and Lellouche tabled -- the absolute nuts. Tabatabai mucked his cards.
"That smelled a rat," remarked Fitoussi after the hand, proud of his fold.
Tabatabai was left with 134,000 in chips, while Lellouche improved to 84,000.
[user75032]
We've been surprised at the robust pace of play so far this morning. With an average stack of 70 big blinds, there shouldn't be too much pressure on players for several more levels still. Yet despite that eight players have already been eliminated, including one of the chip leaders, Jan Skampa. As a result we've managed to break a table alreay.
[user75032]
Tommy Vedes
A recent hand on Table 11 had the makings of a tournament-changing pot. Bolivar Palacios started things off by raising to 2,400. Tommy Vedes and Matt Glantz both called that raise before a late-position player moved all in for his last 13,400. That was enough to fold Palacios, but Vedes and Glantz both called to create a 40,000-chip main pot.
Vedes checked the flop to Glantz. Glantz made it 15,000 to go, inducing a quick fold. That left his pair of tens, , heads-up for the main pot against the all-in player's . Glantz did not improve with the turn or river, giving his opponent a triple-up.
[user75032]
Andy Bloch may be without his trademark hat for this tournament in Cyprus but he's not without his patient, aggressive style. Yesterday he chipped up slowly but steadily; he's started off the same today. With 13,000 chips already in the middle on a board of , Bloch bet 8,000. His opponent didn't seem pleased to call the bet but did anyway. Bloch tabled for a full house, jacks full of treys, to take the pot.
[user66118]
Melissa Hayden and her ill-fated jacks
In early position, Melissa Hayden opened with a raise to 2,500, and she was called by a player two seats to her left. Over in late position, Bruno Fitoussi stuck in a re-raise to 7,500, and Hayden would eventually move all in for a total of 20,500. That was enough to fold the monkey in the middle, and Fitoussi reluctantly called, priced in for the chance to eliminate a player.
Showdown
Hayden:
Fitoussi:
A big smile came across Hayden's face as she saw the good news. That smile would turn upside down in a hurry though, as the dealer ran out a flop of to give her opponent the unlikely set of fours. The and that filled out the board did nothing to help the lady's cause, and she has been eliminated. Fitoussi offered her a heartfelt, "I'm sorry," as he began to stack her chips.
[user75032]
Danny Wong has been quietly hanging around this tournament on Day 1 and in the early-going on Day 2. He found a good spot to grab some chips, re-raising his button to 8,600 after a middle-position player opened for 2,200 and was called by Jazzar Moroun. Only Moroun called the re-raise, taking a flop of with Wong. Moroun checked, drawing a bet of 13,000 out of Wong.
"Every time," Moroun sighed. "Every time." He then mucked.
[user75032]
Layne Flack
Layne Flack was one of the poker players on the beach this morning. He's looking relaxed and in control but so far hasn't managed to make much movement in his chip count. He recently played a heads-up pot. With 12,000 in the pot by the turn and the board showing , Flack bet 7,000 after his opponent checked. It was a bet that caused some thought by his opponent but was ultimately called.
The river fell another four, the . Again Flack's opponent checked, causing Flack to casually toss 10,000 into the pot. That bet went uncalled when Flack's opponent mucked.
You'd be hard pressed to find two people in the poker world more qualified to speak about Twitter and social networking sites than Lynn Gilmartin and Andy Bloch. The Tweeting twosome also talked a little bit of poker, as Bloch provided Lynn with a recap of the shocking hand that sent his former tablemate Jean Robert Bellande to the rail yesterday afternoon.
![[user38449]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
and Bruno Fitoussi had passed the first option to Tabatabai, who led out with a 4,000 bet. Lellouche made the call from the cutoff, as did Fitoussi from the big blind.
fell on the turn and both Fitoussi and Tabatabai checked, allowing Lellouche to take the lead, firing an 8,500 bullet. Fitoussi passed (later claiming he folded 
), but Tabatabai stuck around to see the river, which was the 
.
-- the absolute nuts. Tabatabai mucked his cards.
flop to Glantz. Glantz made it 15,000 to go, inducing a quick fold. That left his pair of tens, 
, heads-up for the main pot against the all-in player's 
. Glantz did not improve with the 
turn or 
river, giving his opponent a triple-up.
, Bloch bet 8,000. His opponent didn't seem pleased to call the bet but did anyway. Bloch tabled 
with Wong. Moroun checked, drawing a bet of 13,000 out of Wong.
