After doubling through Mukul Pahuja, Albert Smith opened to 10,000 from early position and the action folded to Brian Ali who called in the small blind. The fop fell and Ali check-called 13,500 from Smith.
Ali check-called another bet after the turned - this one was worth 21,000 chips - and after the fell on the river he checked a third time. Smith fired a third bullet worth 36,000 and Ali called.
Smith rolled over for top-top and Ali mucked his hand. The Highland Park, Illionois native is now very healthy with 230,000 chips.
Robert Pfeister just got the last of his short stack all in on a flop of and was called by Frank Argano. "I got a ten," said Argano, tabling his , and Pfeister smiled and shrugged as he stood up, flipping over .
The turn brought the , giving Argano quads -- the second time in one orbit we've seen that at the same table -- and sealing the deal. Pfeister wished his tablemates luck as he hit the rail in 40th place.
When we reached the table, the board read and Don Dorey was already all in preflop with a short stack. Robert Johnson checked and chip leader Patrick Houchins fired 40,000. Mark Danbrosio moved all in for less than a min-raise and then John Andress re-shoved for about 230,000. Johnson folded and Houchins tank-called.
Showdown
Dorey:
Houchins:
Danbrosio:
Andress:
If a spade peeled, Houchins would've had over a million chips. Instead the spiked on the turn, giving Andress quads and ending the hand. The river was a meaningless and Andress is now sitting with around 600,000 chips.
"What an absurd game," Andress said after the hand.
Brian Ali just enjoyed a timely double-up through Adam Lippert. Ali was all-in preflop with versus Lippert's , and the better pair held up as the community cards came .
Ali moves up around 245,000 while Lippert slips to 115,000.
Two more eliminations to report, both coming quickly in the hands following the money bubble bursting.
Over on one table John Andress knocked out Wooyang Lin, and soon after Mike Leah eliminated Dave Cubeta, leaving us with 42 players.
"How about a 'Congratulations you're in the money'?" said current chip leader Patrick Houchins from another table as the new field size was being announced. Indeed, those half-dozen eliminations that left us with 44 happened so quickly, there was little chance for too much ceremony once players reached the cash.
Vasilios Hrisafinis was heads up with Peter Lee with the board reading and about 100,000 in the middle. Hrisafinis moved all in for 134,500 and Lee went deep into the tank. He eventually called and was behind.
Showdown
Hrisafinis:
Lee:
The spiked on the turn giving Lee trips and Hrisafinis found himself drawing to one of three kings in the deck. The river was a meaningless however, and he was eliminated from the tournament.
Lee now commands a massive stack with over 500,000 chips.
After much deliberation is has been determined that Hrisafinis and Vincent Moscat will split 45th place money. Hrisafinis had more chips so at first the floor thought only he would receive money. However, because the eliminations occurred at different tables the two will chop $2,861.
It appears as though the cash bubble has burst before hand-for-hand play could begin. Amid that spate of eliminations that just happened, Vincent Moscat went out on one table just as Vasilios Hrisafinis went out on another. Not sure, but it looks like those two might be chopping 45th-place prize money. (Details of Hrisafinis' elimination -- and the cashout situation -- to come.)
In any event, the tourney was paused for a few minutes while all was sorted out, and it looks like we're about to get started again with 44 players left.
There have been a flurry of eliminations in the past few minutes and we are now on the money bubble.
One of the key eliminations came in a hand with Patrick Houchins. A player opened to 13,000 and Houchins re-raised to 40,000 from the small blind. The original raised moved in and found out he was crushed.
Opponent:
Houchins:
The board ran out and the player was eliminated from the tournament.
![[user101598]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
and Ali check-called 13,500 from Smith.
turned - this one was worth 21,000 chips - and after the 
fell on the river he checked a third time. Smith fired a third bullet worth 36,000 and Ali called.
for top-top and Ali mucked his hand. The Highland Park, Illionois native is now very healthy with 230,000 chips.
and was called by Frank Argano. "I got a ten," said Argano, tabling his 
, and Pfeister smiled and shrugged as he stood up, flipping over 
, giving Argano quads -- the second time in one orbit we've seen that at the same table -- and sealing the deal. Pfeister wished his tablemates luck as he hit the rail in 40th place.
and Don Dorey was already all in preflop with a short stack. Robert Johnson checked and chip leader Patrick Houchins fired 40,000. Mark Danbrosio moved all in for less than a min-raise and then John Andress re-shoved for about 230,000. Johnson folded and Houchins tank-called.
versus Lippert's 
, and the better pair held up as the community cards came 
.
and about 100,000 in the middle. Hrisafinis moved all in for 134,500 and Lee went deep into the tank. He eventually called and was behind.
spiked on the turn giving Lee trips and Hrisafinis found himself drawing to one of three kings in the deck. The river was a meaningless 
and the player was eliminated from the tournament.