Scott Stanko opened to 13,000 in the hijack seat, and Chris Conrad three-bet to 29,000 right next door. On the button, Casey Cavanaugh flatted that reraise, and Stanko decided the price he was getting wasn't good enough to stick around. He folded, and it was heads-up to the flop.
It came , and Cavanaugh called another 27,500 from Conrad. They both checked through the turn. The landed on the river, and Conrad needed to bet again. He stacked up 53,000 into the pot. Cavanaugh spent just about 15 seconds making sure, then slid the call into the middle.
Conrad mumbled something quietly as he held his cards in his hands. Cavanaugh went ahead and opened up his , and kings up earn him that nice pot.
We missed the preflop amounts, but we did catch Kevin Saul opening and Jim Devaney three-betting from the small blind.
Our focus turned to the table as the dealer spread out a flop, and Devaney continued out with 30,000. Saul quickly flatted that bet, and they both checked through the turn. The river came the , and Devaney checked a second time. When he did, Saul took his cue to bet 40,000. Devaney called instantly.
"You got it," Saul said quietly.
Devaney tabled his to take the pot, and he's pushed Saul back down under the chip average for the first time today. With that pot, he's put himself among the chip leaders, sitting now with about 330,000 in front of him.
We're sitting on 31 players right now, and things have gotten tense. The money arrives at 30, so we're on the direct bubble with nothing but a wooden spoon to be earned by the next player eliminated.
We're dealing hand-for-hand until we burst the bubble.
Well, that was the biggest pot we've seen today. And thanks to Will Souther for drawing our attention to it.
Under the gun, James Mordue opened the action with a raise, and Stephen Ma three-bet around the table on the button. Action came to Kevin Saul's big blind, and he liked what he saw. Coming in from the cold, he four-bet shoved with his chip-leading stack of more than 400,000. That folded Mordue without incident, but Ma snap-called his last 200,500 to put a monster pot up for grabs. Saul knew he was in trouble.
Showdown
Ma:
Saul:
The flop all but ended things right there, and the turn left Saul drawing dead before the river. When he paid off his debt, he was reduced to about 220,000. Ma's on about twice that now, doubling his way into the chip lead with a set of aces.
"I just missed my flight," Gary DeBernardi told us about a half hour ago. "If I bubble now, I'm going to be pissed."
He was half-joking about it, but as it turns out, his fears have come true. We missed the hand as it happened, but the dealer was nice enough to fill us in. The table had folded around to the blinds where DeBernardi took his stand with . Scott Davies woke up with in the big blind, though, and Debo was in bad shape.
Unable to find an ace or any other creative ways to double, DeBernardi has done just what he was trying to avoid. He's out in 34th place — and if the tilt wasn't bad enough, he'll have to spend some time on the phone with the airlines now too.
Matt Chang has been nursing his short stack all day, and he finally found a good spot to get his last ~19,000 into the pot. He stuck it in there with on a flop, and he was in good shape to double when a player we know as "Primo" looked him up with the lowly .
Turn:
Welp, that's not exactly what Chang wanted to see. He was drawing slim with one to come, and the river was no use. Chang is one of the most gregarious regulars on the Circuit, but his run here in Council Bluffs has come up just short of a payday.
Allen Kessler opened the pot to 10,000 with pocket tens, and Gary DeBernardi three-bet shoved for about 33,000 with .
The flop came out favorably — queen-high to pair DeBernardi — but it was suited in spades. And Kessler held the . The turn was a blank and the river an off-suit , though, and that was safe and sound for DeBernardi.
He's drinking double here in the middle of an up-and-down day.
, and Cavanaugh called another 27,500 from Conrad. They both checked through the 
turn. The 
landed on the river, and Conrad needed to bet again. He stacked up 53,000 into the pot. Cavanaugh spent just about 15 seconds making sure, then slid the call into the middle.
, and kings up earn him that nice pot.
flop, and Devaney continued out with 30,000. Saul quickly flatted that bet, and they both checked through the 
turn. The river came the 
, and Devaney checked a second time. When he did, Saul took his cue to bet 40,000. Devaney called instantly.
to take the pot, and he's pushed Saul back down under the chip average for the first time today. With that pot, he's put himself among the chip leaders, sitting now with about 330,000 in front of him.
river. When he paid off his debt, he was reduced to about 220,000. Ma's on about twice that now, doubling his way into the chip lead with a set of aces.
. Scott Davies woke up with 
on a 
.
was no use. Chang is one of the most gregarious regulars on the Circuit, but his run here in Council Bluffs has come up just short of a payday.
