[user75032]
The action has slowed down considerably now that we've collapsed to four tables and we're getting closer to the money bubble. Flops are becoming much rarer, but that didn't stop Roy Winston and Sorel Mizzi from taking one on Table 1.
With 33,000 in the middle, Winston acted first on the flop and bet 18,000. Mizzi called. Both players checked the turn, taking the action to the river, which was the . Winston again checked, prompting Mizzi to bet 36,000. Winston seemed unsure whether or not to call but called anyway, then sighed and offered a "Nice hand," when Mizzi turned up for a rivered set of eights.
[user38449]
Australia native Anthony Aboukhalil, who's been quite resilient throughout the course of this main event, rebounding several times from super short stack status, has just managed another double up.
He got it all in preflop holding against an opponent's and the board ran out king-high, securing the pot for Aboukhalil, who now has right around 45,000 in chips.
[user75032]
In a hand that went almost five minutes into the break, Zorlu Menderes opened the pot to an odd amount, 17,200. Action folded around to John Monnette, who moevd all in for 102,100 total. That folded the action back to Menderes. He tanked for four solid minutes before calling with . Monnette was stoked, as he had . There was a bit of a sweat for Monnette on the turn, , but it worked out fine when the river paired tens to secure the double-up.
[user38449]
Antony Lellouche won a pair of pots against John Lestina before the break to move to 460,000 in chips.
In the bigger of the two hands, Lellouche called a preflop raise from Lestina from the big blind holding and flopped top pair. Lestina then fired a continuation bet of 17,000 and Lellouche flat called.
Both players checked the on the turn, and when the fell on the river, Lellouche made an 18,000 value bet that Lestina called, mucking after Lellouche tabled his hand.
[user66118]
Bansi gathers his belongings as he sees the bad news
First in from the button, Kelly Kim made a raise to 7,800. Praz Bansi was in the small blind, and he popped it back up to about 21,000. Dan Harrington quickly folded from the big blind, and Kelly Kim came right back over the top with a third raise to 34,000. Bansi would sit on his hands for a minute or two before announcing, "All in," committing nearly 200,000 to the pot.
Before the words were even out of his mouth, Kim snap-called, never a good sign when you're holding pocket nines. Bansi tabled that , and Kim showed down his triumphantly.
Bansi could only scowl and shake his head as the dealer ran out a board full of blanks. He and Kim shook hands and exchanged pleasantries as Bansi headed for the exit stairs.
Kelly Kim is now fighting for the chip lead as that pot vaulted him up to 400,000 and into the top three.
[user38449]
Felix Osterland
German pro Felix Osterland has just been eliminated from the tournament by Rony Jazzar.
We missed the action as it happened, but Rob Peltekci and Jazzar replayed the gist of it for us.
Osterland moved all in holding some variation of queen-ten and Jazzar made the call with pocket fives. The board then ran out and Jazzar's fives held up to win the pot, sending Osterland to the rail.
After the hand, Jazzar stacked up just under 320,000 in chips.
[user75032]
We stood over Table 4 for a solid ten minuets, watching Melih Ekmekçioğlu play three hands in a row. We only caught the river of the first hand. With well more than 100,000 chip already in the middle, Ekmekçioğlu bet 70,000 on a board of . His lone opponent, Rep Porter, raised that bet to 170,000, enough to put Ekmekçioğlu all in. He snap-folded.
The two were at it again the very next hand, with Porter raising to 8,000 from under the gun and Ekmekçioğlu calling from the button. On a flop of , Porter check-called a bet. Both players checked the turn. When the river double-paired, , Porter checked again. Ekmekçioğlu made an ill-advised stab at the pot for 11,000, which Porter quickly called with unimproved . It was good.
The very next hand it was Chris Ferguson's turn to get involved with Ekmekçioğlu. Ferguson opened for 7,500 in front of Ekmekçioğlu, who looked like he might be steaming when he re-raised all in for 45,400. Ferguson deliberated in his usual manner before calling with . He was up against . Ekmekçioğlu promptly flopped a full house, , a hand that was still good at the river.
That loss crippled Ferguson to 12,000 chips. He went out a few hands later. Porter, meanwhile, appears to be the new chip leader with 465,000.
![[user75032]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
flop and bet 18,000. Mizzi called. Both players checked the 
turn, taking the action to the river, which was the 
. Winston again checked, prompting Mizzi to bet 36,000. Winston seemed unsure whether or not to call but called anyway, then sighed and offered a "Nice hand," when Mizzi turned up 
for a rivered set of eights.
against an opponent's 
and the board ran out king-high, securing the pot for Aboukhalil, who now has right around 45,000 in chips.
. Monnette was stoked, as he had 
. There was a bit of a sweat for Monnette on the turn, 
, but it worked out fine when the river paired tens 
to secure the double-up.
and flopped top pair. Lestina then fired a continuation bet of 17,000 and Lellouche flat called. 
on the turn, and when the 
. His lone opponent, Rep Porter, raised that bet to 170,000, enough to put Ekmekçioğlu all in. He snap-folded.
, Porter check-called a bet. Both players checked the 
, Porter checked again. Ekmekçioğlu made an ill-advised stab at the pot for 11,000, which Porter quickly called with unimproved 
