We were busy catching Tom Dobrilovic's double when we saw that Jay Robinson was making his way to the payout desk. We went over to the table, and Tony Sinishtaj was kind enough to give us a breakdown of what happened.
Robert Panitch raised to 31,000 from under the gun, and Jay Robinson shoved his last 200,000 in. It folded to Thomas Sheets on the button, and he shoved all in for about 350,000 total. When it got back around to Panitch, he thought for a few moments before open folding pocket tens.
Robinson held , but he was in dire straits, as Sheets held . Robinson actually flopped a diamond draw, but the board bricked out. After that hand, Sheets jumped up to 580,000.
With Robinson's eliminated, everyone left has locked up at least $10,000, or as Joseph McKeehen put it "We're all five-figuraires."
"Raise and fold, raise and fold... the story of my life!"
So said Hend Matthews with a grin just now following a hand with Leo Walker. She'd opened with a raise to 40,000 from under the gun, Walker had reraised to 150,000 from a seat over, and the table folded back to her. She thought a bit, then let her hand go, showing as she did. Walker then showed her his cards — — and collected the chips.
Matthews subsequently altered that pattern, however, raising a couple of times within the next orbit and watching everyone else fold instead of folding herself.
Hend Matthews limped in early position, and action folded around to chip leader Joseph McKeehen on the button. He raised it up to 41,000, and he got calls from Sai Wang in the small blind, and Matthews as well.
The flop came down , and Wang led right out with 90,000. Matthews gave her hand up, and McKeehen checked out how much Wang had left, then announced all in. Wang spent about 45 seconds in the tank before kicking his hand in, giving the pot to McKeehen.
After doubling up earlier, Wang is back down to around his starting stack for hte day with 300,000, while McKeehen is up over two million.
Dave Fox began today as one of four players of the final 19 with more than a million chips, but a series of unfortunate hands during the first one-hour level has ended his Main Event run in 15th place.
Fox's final hand began with a raise to 30,000 from under the gun. It folded to Hend Matthews on the button who called, and Gregory Masters called as well from the big blind.
The flop came monotone — — and Masters checked. Fox bet 60,000, and after pausing for about a half-minute Matthews pushed forward two columns of chips to raise to 260,000. Masters quickly folded, and when Fox announced he was reraising all in, Matthews called right away.
Fox tabled for the overpair plus a nut flush draw while Matthews showed she'd flopped the flush with . The turn was the and river the , and Fox is out.
"Whew... jack-seven," said Matthews afterwards as she was gathering the chips. "That was a pretty good flop for that hand," deadpanned Joseph McKeehen from across the table.
Speaking of McKeehen, that hand nudges Matthews up into second behind him.
Hend Matthews opened for 40,000 from middle position and picked up two callers in Joseph McKeehen (button) and Tom Dobrilovic (big blind).
The flop came . Dobrilovic checked, Matthews bet 75,000, and McKeehen called. Dobrilovic thought for a while, then finally let his go. The remaining two players then both checked the turn card.
The river brought the . Matthews set out a bet of 160,000, and after pausing a few beats McKeehen set out a column of pink (10,000) chips to call.
"Good hand," said Matthews, tossing her forward face up. McKeehen then showed his and scooped the chips.
Tony Sinishtaj opened for 35,000 from middle position and it folded around to John Holley in the small blind who called. The flop came all spades — — and Holley checked. Sinishtaj bet 38,000 and Holley called.
The next two streets saw Holley checking dark, then calling bets from Sinishtaj. The turn brought the and a call from Holley after a 65,000 bet, and the river the and another, somewhat exasperated call from Holley after Sinishtaj bet 125,000.
Sinishtaj then showed for the nut flush, and Holley mucked.
After that initial flurry of short stacks — and Dave Fox — being eliminated, play has slowed considerably as we move through the second half of Level 25.
With the average stack at 771,429 (a little less than 50 big blinds), even the shorter stacks are deep enough to be patient at present.
Raymond Morgan raised it up to 42,000 in the hijack, and Allie Prescott made the call in the cutoff. Action came to John Holley in the small blind, and after about 30 seconds of thought, he squeezed by shoving all in for 408,000.
It got back around to Morgan, who took his time with the decision. After breaking down the chips in his stack, he elected to make the call. Prescott folded, though he did say he would have called had Morgan not.
Morgan:
Holley:
Morgan was well out in front, but that all changed when the flop came down . Holley now had the big lead, and Morgan would need to catch the three outer now. He couldn't do it though, as the board completed and .
A dejected Morgan sent the chips over to Holley, knocking him down to 805,000 in the process. Meanwhile, Holley is now up to 860,000.
, but he was in dire straits, as Sheets held 
— and collected the chips.
, and Wang led right out with 90,000. Matthews gave her hand up, and McKeehen checked out how much Wang had left, then announced all in. Wang spent about 45 seconds in the tank before kicking his hand in, giving the pot to McKeehen.
— and Masters checked. Fox bet 60,000, and after pausing for about a half-minute Matthews pushed forward two columns of chips to raise to 260,000. Masters quickly folded, and when Fox announced he was reraising all in, Matthews called right away.
. The turn was the 
and river the 
, and Fox is out.
. Dobrilovic checked, Matthews bet 75,000, and McKeehen called. Dobrilovic thought for a while, then finally let his go. The remaining two players then both checked the 
turn card.
. Matthews set out a bet of 160,000, and after pausing a few beats McKeehen set out a column of pink (10,000) chips to call.
— and Holley checked. Sinishtaj bet 38,000 and Holley called.
and a call from Holley after a 65,000 bet, and the river the 
and another, somewhat exasperated call from Holley after Sinishtaj bet 125,000.
. Holley now had the big lead, and Morgan would need to catch the three outer now. He couldn't do it though, as the board completed 
.