As the final seconds of the closely-fought Big East final between Louisville and Connecticut occupied the attentions of most around them, Scott Carpenter and Patrick Houchins were just involved in a nail-biter of their own.
Carpenter opened the hand with a raise to 65,000 from middle position, and it folded back around to Houchins who made the call. The flop came . Houchins checked, and Carpenter set out a stack of gray chips for a bet of 100,000. Houchins quickly announced he was reraising all in, and after a moment of thought Carpenter made the call.
Houchins
Carpenter
A big blind special of sorts for Houchins who flopped top two. As the basketball game ticked off its final seconds with U. Conn. taking the title, the turn came and river , giving the hand to Houchins. There ensued a lengthy bit of chip counting since both players had nearly identical stacks when the hand began. In the end, about 1.15 million sat in front of Houchins, with just 15,000 left before Carpenter.
All in on the next hand with , Carpenter must've thought it a little ironic when he found himself up against Adam Lippert's . Kings had failed Carpenter, but they held up for Lippert after the board ran out . Carpenter is out in 14th place, while Lippert adds just a few to his stack, now around 550,000.
"I hope one more busts so it's get down to 12 for the payouts."
So said Edward Pham just a few moments before pushing all in from the small blind for his last 130,000. After confirming the amount of Pham's raise, John Andress called from the big blind, tabling . Pham turned over , and five cards later -- -- he was eliminated in 13th place, unfortunately for him just before of the next pay jump.
John Andress opened from middle position and the action folded to Tim Begley who three-bet shoved for effectively 450,000 from the small blind. Andress snapped it off and the hands were opened.
Showdown
Andress:
Begley:
The board ran and Andress doubled to around 915,000 chips.
Jerry Van Strydonck just earned himself a double up through John Andress. All in before the flop with versus Andress' , Strydonck's nines held up after the community cards came eight-high.
"Call it 'As the Pendulum Swings,'" suggested Patrick Houchins, suspecting we might need more ways to describe this sort of thing here. It is getting late, and we're not above accepting help when offered.
Strydonck now has about 910,000 while Andress slips to 460,000.
Brian Ali -- 1.55 million
Patrick Houchins -- 1.39 million
Albert Winchester -- 1.36 million
Jerry Van Strydonck -- 910,000
Ellis Frazier -- 740,000
Joe Caffrey -- 645,000
Adam Lippert -- 560,000
John Andress -- 460,000
Leo Whitt -- 330,000
Roland Israelashvili -- 295,000
Jeff Rowland -- 260,000
Tim Begley -- 155,000
Action folded to Jeff Rowland who moved all in from the small blind for around 225,000. Tim Begley sweated his two cards, nodded and announce, "Call."
Showdown
Rowland:
Begley:
The flop fell and Rowland jumped out to the lead with a pair of sixes. Begley was looking for paint, but didn't find any on the turn () or the river () and was left with only 4,000 chips - enough for an ante.
The next hand he was all in blind and John Andress opened to 54,000 from middle position. Jerry Van Strydonck called out of the big blind and the flop came . Strydonck checked to Andress who continued for 65,000 and Strydonck folded.
Andress tabled two aces and Begley looked at his hand for the first time - it was .
The on the turn gave him a gut-shot straight draw, but the on the river was a brick and he was eliminated.
As the clock struck midnight, suddenly the subject of Daylight Savings Time became everyone's central focus, with multiple theories about what really is going to happen later tonight being tossed about like so many chips.
"So what time is it really?" asked Albert Winchester, paraphrasing a line from that old Chicago song.
Remember, spring forward folks. We lose an hour tonight.
Action folded to Leo Whitt in the cutoff and he open-jammed for around 200,000. Joe Caffrey folded his button, Brian Ali gave up his small blind and Ellis Frazier snap-called from the big blind.
"You're way ahead, sir," Whitt announced.
Showdown
Whitt:
Frazier:
The flop was fairly benign, but the on the turn gave Whitt a gut-shot straight draw. The bricked off on the river however and Whitt was eliminated from the tournament in 11th place.
The remaining ten players are redrawing for seats and we will update you on their positions momentarily.
. Houchins checked, and Carpenter set out a stack of gray chips for a bet of 100,000. Houchins quickly announced he was reraising all in, and after a moment of thought Carpenter made the call.
and river 
, giving the hand to Houchins. There ensued a lengthy bit of chip counting since both players had nearly identical stacks when the hand began. In the end, about 1.15 million sat in front of Houchins, with just 15,000 left before Carpenter.
, Carpenter must've thought it a little ironic when he found himself up against Adam Lippert's 
. Carpenter is out in 14th place, while Lippert adds just a few to his stack, now around 550,000.
. Pham turned over 
, and five cards later -- 
-- he was eliminated in 13th place, unfortunately for him just before of the next pay jump.![[user101598]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
and Andress doubled to around 915,000 chips.
, Strydonck's nines held up after the community cards came eight-high.
) or the river (
) and was left with only 4,000 chips - enough for an ante.
on the river was a brick and he was eliminated.
