In recent hand, action folded to Garrett Utt on the button. He was short-stacked and moved all in, taking down the blinds and antes. Utt has been drawing questions from his fellow players regarding the hoodie he has been wearing for the past two days. The hoodie in question is black with the words "Who is John Galt?" written on the front.
Although Utt has been unable to answer that question to anyone's satisfaction, some quick internet research reveals the answer. According to Wikipedia:
"John Galt is a fictional character in Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged (1957). Although he is absent from much of the text, he is the subject of the novel's often repeated question 'Who is John Galt?' and of the quest to discover the answer. As the plot unfolds, Galt is acknowledged to be a creator and inventor who symbolizes the power of the individual capitalist . . . The book's opening line 'Who is John Galt?' becomes an expression of helplessness and despair at the current state of the novel's fictionalized world."
Three players generated a pot of about 30,000 preflop and saw the flop come down . Kenny "Bad Hat" Piel checked to Austin McCormick in the hijack, who promptly bet 14,700. The third player got out of the way and action was back on Piel, who raised to 30,000.
McCormick took a minute before reraising to 100,200. Piel didn't take long to fold while showing the . McCormick then turned over for a bluff and the table erupted in disbelief. "Nice hand," Piel muttered through gritted teeth. McCormick is up to around 210,000 while Piel is still in good shape with 170,000.
The rich just got richer over in the tournament area. Paul Davis moved all in preflop for 66,200 and was called by chip leader Jorge Solorzano on the button. Everyone else folded and the hands were revealed.
Solorzano:
Davis:
The board ran out and Davis was sent to the rail. He recently won the Heartland Poker Tour event for over $140,000 in Gary, Indiana, but won't be adding a gold Circuit ring to his trophy case just yet. Solorzano is booming with about 630,000 chips now.
As the money bubble approaches, a lot of players seem content to sit and wait. As such, many of the short stacks have been pushing and swiping the blinds and antes. If the small stacks know the bigger stacks are avoiding confrontation, they just might be able to steal their way back into contention.
We arrived just in time to see the dealer counting down Ray Martin's stack in order to double him up. Martin had the in front of him while Ari Engel held . The board read giving both players a flopped set. We're not sure when the money went in, but we're certainly not surprised that it did. Martin is up to about 115,000.
With about 17,000 in the pot and a board reading , Libby Wilson pushed all in for her last 29,500 and Adam Friedman called from the button. Wilson showed and was ahead of Friedman's .
The in the turn changed nothing but the on the river gave Friedman a higher straight. Wilson, who was the last woman standing, was eliminated from the tournament while Friedman increased his stack to 150,000.
World Series of Poker gold bracelet holder Robert Cheung has just hit the rail and it wasn't in a nice way. Cheung was all in preflop with the and up against the for Brian McKain. The board ran out and the ace on the river sent Cheung out the door.
Jorge Solorzano and Charlie Sickmeir just created a monster pot preflop. Solozamo, who started the day as the chip leader but had dwindled a bit, was the one all in with against the pocket aces of Sickmeir in a pot worth over 400,000!
Sickmeir was in great shape on the flop, leaving Solorzano drawing to runner-runner kings for his tournament life. A on the turn kept his hopes alive, but another on the river made his dreams come true. Solorzano hit the longshot to take down the pot and reclaim the chip lead with nearly 420,000.
Sickmeir went from a healthy stack to being severly crippled. He was eliminated from the tournament a few hands later.
. Kenny "Bad Hat" Piel checked to Austin McCormick in the hijack, who promptly bet 14,700. The third player got out of the way and action was back on Piel, who raised to 30,000.
. McCormick then turned over 
for a bluff and the table erupted in disbelief. "Nice hand," Piel muttered through gritted teeth. McCormick is up to around 210,000 while Piel is still in good shape with 170,000.
held up against an opponent's 
after the money went in on the flop of 
.
and the river the 
, sending the player to the rail and Ilich to 205,000.
in front of him while Ari Engel held 
giving both players a flopped set. We're not sure when the money went in, but we're certainly not surprised that it did. Martin is up to about 115,000.
.
in the turn changed nothing but the 
on the river gave Friedman a higher straight. Wilson, who was the last woman standing, was eliminated from the tournament while Friedman increased his stack to 150,000.
and up against the 
against the pocket aces of Sickmeir in a pot worth over 400,000!
flop, leaving Solorzano drawing to runner-runner kings for his tournament life. A