One lap around the tournament room put us back at Victor Ramdin's table. His stack was thinner once again, and he was involved in a pot as we walked up.
Ramdin and three other players took a flop. It looks like Ramdin was the preflop raiser, and he continued out with another 1,250 chips. The player behind him called while the other two folded out of the way, and it was heads up to the turn. Ramdin slowed down now, checking it over. He'd fold to a bet from his opponent, and he's back down to about 9,800 now.
We checked on Victor Ramdin not that long ago when he had about 6,500 chips in front of him. A moment ago, one sad Carter King came walking past our table on the way out the doors. We hurried over to his former table to see Ramdin stacking the pot to push his stack up to 39,000. Ramdin was kind enough to fill us in on the details.
"Under the gun, I had the nuts," he began. "Four-six off-suit." Good start. Ramdin continued, "I jammed it up, this guy called me (pointing to the gentleman to his left), and Carter called me (from the blinds). The flop was four-five seven, he (King) checked I bet." The middle player folded out of the way with his ace-queen now, and the action was back on King. "He raised, and I shipped it in there like I had the nuts, because I knew it was coming on the turn."
King called Ramdin's shove with , his bottom two pair ahead of Ramdin's draw. The turn and river came and though, and Ramdin's six-card straight was easily enough to send King to the showers.
Ramdin's day has been more volatile than anyone in the room, but he's got himself positioned well with an above-average stack once again.
From under the gun, Matt Waxman raised to 625. Action folded all the way around to Anthony Brown in the big blind and he made the call to see the flop. Brown checked and Waxman bet 700. Brown made the call.
The turn was the and Brown checked again. Waxman bet 1,400 this time and Brown made another call.
The completed the board on the river and Brown checked. Waxman took a moment, looked back at his hand and then moved all in a moment later for 6,425. Brown tanked for a minute or two himself and then made the call. When he called, Waxman spun his hand into the muck. Brown showed the and won the pot. He's up to 67,000 now while Waxman hit the exit.
Action folded over to Miller Dao in middle position and he raised to 550. He got three callers. Steven Burkholder called from the hijack seat, Allen Kessler called from small blind and Romik Vartzar called from the big blind.
All four of them saw the flop come down and action checked over to Dao. He stayed aggressive with a continuation bet of 925. Burkholder folded, as did Kessler, but Vartzar came along to the turn.
Fourth street brought the and Vartzar reached for some chips. He bet 1,350 and was called by Dao.
The river card was the . Vartzar bet 2,700 and his bet sent Dao into the tank. After a couple minutes, Dao mucked his hand and Vartzar smirked, showing the for a straight.
Sam Stein opened to 550, and Erik Seidel flat-called in position. The action came to Carlos Mortensen, and he squeezed in a reraise to 2,100 total. Stein called the raise, but Seidel made another raise of his own, making it 7,100 straight. Mortensen responded by shoving all in, and that finally shook Stein and Seidel off their hands.
Mortensen flashed his mighty as he pulled in more than 10,000 free chips.
As he gauged the looks from Seidel and Stein, Mortensen broke into a big smirk. "Come on," he said, "I haven't played a hand in so long!"
A few hands later, Mortensen's got lucky to eliminate a player with after all the money went in preflop. The board ran , and Mortensen binked his ace to earn the knockout and push his stack up to about 37,000.
A player in early position raised to 500, and Denise Molloy called in position. Action came around to Steve O'Dwyer in the blinds, and he squeezed all in for his last 4,075. The initial raiser quickly called, Molloy ducked out, and the cards were on their backs.
Showdown
O'Dwyer:
Opponent:
There was a bit of a frustrated hiss for O'Dwyer as he saw the bad news. The dealer would not save his tournament life either, running out a blank board. Unable to catch up, O'Dwyer was eliminated.
"Can you buy back in?" Molloy asked as O'Dwyer left.
"I wish I could," O'Dwyer lamented. "Believe me, I wish I could."
In a four-bet pot, the flop was . Gregory Brooks bet 3,300 and Owen Crowe made the call.
The turn brought the and Brooks checked. Crowe bet 6,500 and Crowe made the call.
The river completed the board with the and Brooks checked. Crowe fired 15,000 and Brooks check-raised all in to put Crowe at risk for his last 15,000. Crowe made the fold. Brooks won the hand and is now at 95,000.
button in Safari
flop. It looks like Ramdin was the preflop raiser, and he continued out with another 1,250 chips. The player behind him called while the other two folded out of the way, and it was heads up to the 
turn. Ramdin slowed down now, checking it over. He'd fold to a bet from his opponent, and he's back down to about 9,800 now.
, his bottom two pair ahead of Ramdin's draw. The turn and river came 
and 
though, and Ramdin's six-card straight was easily enough to send King to the showers.
flop. Brown checked and Waxman bet 700. Brown made the call.
and Brown checked again. Waxman bet 1,400 this time and Brown made another call.
completed the board on the river and Brown checked. Waxman took a moment, looked back at his hand and then moved all in a moment later for 6,425. Brown tanked for a minute or two himself and then made the call. When he called, Waxman spun his hand into the muck. Brown showed the 
and won the pot. He's up to 67,000 now while Waxman hit the exit.
and action checked over to Dao. He stayed aggressive with a continuation bet of 925. Burkholder folded, as did Kessler, but Vartzar came along to the turn.
. Vartzar bet 2,700 and his bet sent Dao into the tank. After a couple minutes, Dao mucked his hand and Vartzar smirked, showing the 
for a straight.
as he pulled in more than 10,000 free chips.
got lucky to eliminate a player with 
, and Mortensen binked his ace to earn the knockout and push his stack up to about 37,000.
board. Unable to catch up, O'Dwyer was eliminated.
. Gregory Brooks bet 3,300 and Owen Crowe made the call.
and Brooks checked. Crowe fired 15,000 and Brooks check-raised all in to put Crowe at risk for his last 15,000. Crowe made the fold. Brooks won the hand and is now at 95,000.
