![[user101598]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
David Fox got the remainder of his chips in the middle with 
preflop. John Andress had him at risk with 
and although there was a queen on the board, there were also four spades giving Andress a flush and eliminating Fox.
Rick Austin had just lost most of his stack to Sefula Seji in a preflop all-in confrontation in which Seji's 
stood up against Austin's 
. Seji ended with about 90,000 on that one, while Austin fell to 39,000.
Austin was all in from early position before the flop on the next hand, and it folded around to Jeffrey Vanchiro in the small blind who announced he was reraising all in. Leo Whitt, also short-stacked, called from the big blind.
Vanchiro 
Whitt 
Austin 
"Let's see if I can dodge four overs," quipped Whitt. The flop then came 
, pairing Austin's queen. "Of course not," he said with a grim smile. But it could be worse -- the 
turn and 
river meant he'd survived the hand, in fact winning a not-so-small side pot in the process.
Austin survives, too, with 125,000. Whitt bounces to 180,000. And Vanchiro is still in decent shape with 225,000, although all three are below the average stack of approximately a quarter million at the moment.
While some survive, others are being eliminated left and right.
The latest to hit the rail include David Fox (35th), Rick Austin (34th), Mike Leah (33rd), and Daniel Buzgon (32nd).
Robert Johnson has also been eliminated. Details of the sequence that led to his knockout are coming right up.
In a five-way pot with the board reading 
, Angelo Modica moved all in for 89,000 - almost 1.5 times the pot size. Robert Johnson called leaving 8,500 behind and everyone else released their hand.
Showdown
Modica: 
Johnson: 
Johnson was drawing to a four or a six and received neither when the turn and river came , respectively. Johnson was due to be the big blind the next hand, but because of an elimination at an adjacent table he had to move.
His first hand at his new table Albert Smith opened to 12,000 from early position. Johnson called all in, everyone else folded and the hands were opened.
Showdown 2!
Smith: 
Johnson: 
We unfortunately didn't catch the board, but we know that Johnson did not improve and was eliminated.
"Write in your blog that Robert Johnson is the worst professional poker player in the world," he told us after the elimination.
Don't shoot the messenger.
Play has slowed somewhat as we approach the end of Level 20 and the next scheduled break. The 30 remaining players are becoming quite chatty, all understandably feeling good about their having made it to the money, and continuing to have a chance at the larger paydays awaiting those who make the final table.
Those sitting at Mike Kosowski's table -- after a long time wondering, it appears -- have finally figured out why he looks familiar to them.
"No way... You're the dude who beat Negreanu!" cried one, recognizing him from his 2009 Million Dollar Challenge appearance (noted here). "I knew I recognized you!"
Smoke 'em if you got 'em. Be back here in 20 minutes.
Level: 21
Blinds: 4,000/8,000
Ante: 1,000
We just had a near-massive skirmish between a couple of chip leaders, Patrick Houchins and Mike Kosowski.
The pair had built a sizable pot before the flop came , prompting an all-in announcement from Houchins. Kosowski thought about 15 seconds before letting his 
go face up, and Houchins showed his .
"Would you have shipped it if I'd checked?" asked Houchins. Kosowski indicated it wasn't out of the realm of possibility. Houchins is up to 680,000 now, with Kosowski still at 560,000.
Adam Lippert is on a bit of heater.
First he doubled through Alex Smith, his 
surviving against Smith's 
. Soon after that hand, Smith was all in before the flop for his last 57,000, and Lippert flat-called from late position. It folded around to Mukul Pahuja in the big blind who reraised all in, and Lippert snap-called.
Pahuja had 
, Smith , and Lippert 
. The flop was good for Lippert 
, and the turn -- the 
-- even better, giving him an unbeatable full house.
Smith is out in 30th, Pahuja is down to 210,000, and Lippert now way up above 600,000.
Action folded to Pratyusm Puddiga on the button who jammed for 83,000. Patrick Houchins snap-called from the small blind and the big blind released.
Showdown
Puddiga:
Houchins: 
The 
flop game Puddiga a gut-shot straight draw and a backdoor flush draw to go with his outs to a nine. The on the turn kept the heart draw alive and the on the river completed it.
Puddiga doubled to 170,000 chips while Houchins is still healthy with 700,000.
