donpeters
John McDonald raised from the button to 35,000 and Dennis Meierotto called out of the small blind. With action on Jesse Hale in the big blind, he announced that he was going to raise. Hale then made it 155,000 total.
McDonald made the call after pausing for a moment. "Now, I just don't understand that," commented Hale on McDonald's smooth call preflop. Meierotto then folded.
The flop came down and the pot sat well over 300,000 chips. "I'm all in," announced Hale shortly after the dealer laid the three cards on the felt. McDonald then went into the tank.
"I'm buying dinner either way," said Hale. "Dinner with the wine."
McDonald was in the tank for about two minutes while Hale walked away from the table to use his phone after asking one of the floor members if he could do so. While he was away from the table, McDonald looking at his wife on the rail and said, "We're winners either way, right?" She smiled just as McDonald said, "I call!"
Showdown:
Hale:
McDonald:
Tom Sexton announced the hands as Hale came quickly back to the table. The dealer then burned and turned -- the -- no help for McDonald.
"I got a flush draw," joked Hale.
The dealer then slowly burned for the final time and dealt the river... the ! "YES!" yelled McDonald as he tossed his hands up into the air. He then went over and shook hands with Hale before raking in the pot.
"You're buying dinner now," said Hale.
McDonald was all in for 248,000 total, leaving Hale with a little over 120,000 chips. After a few moments went by, Hale asked McDonald what he thought he was up against. "I just didn't think you were that strong," responded McDonald.
[user66118]
John McDonald limped in from the button, and Dennis Meierotto completed from the small blind. Jesse Hale had 126,000 chips left, and he verbally moved them all in. McDonald began to ponder. "Someone told me... that this hand is 50-50 today..."
"Pocket deuces?" replied Hale, with a big smirk. "If you have pocket deuces, I would highly recommend you call, knock me out, and move up in the payouts."
After just another minute, McDonald emphatically announced, "All right, I call!" With that, Hale's tournament life was once again in jeopardy. Meierotto folded.
Showdown:
McDonald:
Hale:
Trouble found Hale as the flop rolled out . McDonald snagged the lead with his top pair, and now it was Hale who would need to catch up to stay alive.
Stay seated, Jesse. The turn brought the to improve Hale to top pair, and the that filled out the board earned the short stack a much-needed double up. He's back to just under 280,000 now.
[user66118]
Steaks are ready! The three remaining players have taken their dinner break together. They'll be back in a half hour or 45 minutes, give or take.
[user66118]
With just over one hour left in Level 15, the cards are back in the air. Let's hope that steak dinner the players just consumed will provoke some action on the felt!
[user66118]
While we have a second, there are a couple noteworthy things about Jesse Hale that we might want to mention.
Firstly, we noted in his bio that he is a skydiver and a skydiving instructor by vocation. He has over 4,000 jumps under his belt. He tells us that during the course of his jumping career, he has had 15 malfunctions of his main chute, putting his life in the hands of the reserve chute. Luckily for him, he's never had a reserve chute malfunction.
"Nothing scares this guy," says emcee Tom Sexton. "He jumps out of planes for a living. Nothing scares this guy."
Well, except maybe his wife.
Hale is here in the Midwest on business, but he decided to play a few events before he leaves. He went deep in the Pot-limit Omaha event on Monday, and now he finds himself once again on the verge of a nice payday. He's a bit worried about how he's going to explain to his wife that he plays poker.
"She's six months along," he said, wide-eyed when the table asked him about his wife and the upcoming birth of his first child. "And this is the first doctor's appointment I've missed. You don't think the hormones are gonna be off the boot?" He and the rest of the table shared a chuckle.
Mrs. Hale, if you're following along, go easy on your husband. He's going to bring home some big time cash this week. How much, of course, still remains to be seen.
donpeters
John McDonald - 3rd Place
Jesse Hale looked at his holecards and saw what he liked. He then made a raise to 38,000 from the button. John McDonald reraised from the small blind to 80,000. Dennis Meierotto folded from the big blind before Hale made the call.
The flop came down and McDonald led for 80,000. Hale raised all in and McDonald snap-called! Hale had McDonald's 363,000 remaining chips covered.
Showdown:
Hale:
McDonald:
The turn was the and filled up Hale, eliminating some outs for McDonald. The river was then the and that was it, McDonald would be out in third place. He shook the hands of Meierotto and Hale, collecting $34,535 for his finish.
[user66118]
The clock has been paused while the money and the shiny gold ring are retrieved from the cashier's cage. In a few minutes, we'll be heads up for the title!
donpeters
Jesse Hale limped in from the button and Dennis Meierotto checked his option. The flop came down and Meierotto checked. Hale fired 15,000 and was called.
The turn brought the , pairing the board with bullets. Meierotto fired this time, 30,000, instead of checking. Hale called.
The river was the and Meierotto bet 50,000. "I have to call," said Hale as he tossed in the chips.
Meierotto turned up for trip aces. Hale flashed the and then mucked.
and the pot sat well over 300,000 chips. "I'm all in," announced Hale shortly after the dealer laid the three cards on the felt. McDonald then went into the tank.
-- no help for McDonald.
! "YES!" yelled McDonald as he tossed his hands up into the air. He then went over and shook hands with Hale before raking in the pot.![[user66118]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
. McDonald snagged the lead with his top pair, and now it was Hale who would need to catch up to stay alive.
to improve Hale to top pair, and the 
that filled out the board earned the short stack a much-needed double up. He's back to just under 280,000 now.
and filled up Hale, eliminating some outs for McDonald. The river was then the 
and that was it, McDonald would be out in third place. He shook the hands of Meierotto and Hale, collecting $34,535 for his finish.
and Meierotto checked. Hale fired 15,000 and was called.
and Meierotto bet 50,000. "I have to call," said Hale as he tossed in the chips.
and then mucked.