For 13 years and 26 seasons the hit TV show Survivor has been entertaining viewers on a weekly basis. One of the stars of that show was "Boston" Rob Mariano, who played four seasons in which he found love on the show (he married Amber and has since had three daughters with her) and even won $1 million (he won Survivor: Redemption Island). Unfortunately "Boston" Rob won't be adding the title of poker champion to his résumé.
Mariano was recently eliminated when a limped preflop pot saw action explode on an flop. Mariano got the last of his chips in the middle against Ashly Butler, who you may recall won a ring back in the IP Biloxi Event #5 $365 No-Limit Hold'em for $13,850, with the former holding and the latter . Mariano got it in good, but a on the turn gave Butler the straight and a guaranteed win.
Daniel Weinman opened to 3,200 in the cutoff seat, a player in the small blind moved all in for around 30,000, and Weinman asked for a count before calling.
Weinman:
Small Blind:
Weinman had his opponent out-kicked, and extended his lead when the flop fell . The on the turn gave the player an open-ended straight draw, but the bricked on the river.
We saw a bunch of players on their feet and made our way over to discover a three-way all-in pot.
From what we could piece together, a short-stacked Kenny Milam had moved all in for 7,000 from late position and Cliff Fisher called from the small blind. Loni Hardwood then moved all in over the top from the big for 6,500 more. Fisher made a reluctant call and the cards were turned up.
Milam:
Harwood:
Fisher:
Harwood and Milam were at risk, with the former out in front and the latter far behind. That rarely matters though, and that was the case on the flop. Milam came from behind to pair his three and take the lead.
The turn was a blank and so was the river. Milam's pair allowed him to triple while Harwood took the small side pot. Unfortunately it wasn't much and she was eliminated a few hands later.
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Preston Derden has had a tough go of it all day long as he's been wedged between Daniel Weinman and Joe Kuether. The 67-year-old Derden, who final tabled the 2012 WSOP Event #25 $1,500 Limit Hold'em Shootout (ultimately finishing in sixth place for $20,886), had hope his table would break, but that didn't happen before he met his end.
It happened when he shoved his last 5,000 or so all in preflop with and was called by an opponent holding . Derden got it in good but a five and a six on the board gave his opponent two pair.
Daniel Weinman just raked in a massive pot after showing down on a board. His opponent's hand was in the muck, and the Harrah's Cherokee runner-up now sits with 226,000 chips.
Rahul Deevara is also over the 200,000-chip threshold after winning a large pot off of Kevin Saul. Deevara fired out 32,500 on a board of , and Saul make a puking noise while calling. Deevara showed for a set of tens, and Saul sent his cards into the muck.
Deevara now sits with 215,000 chips, while Saul sunk down to 92,000.
We heard a commotion coming from a table by the stage, so we meandered over to see what happened. When we arrived, the board read , and was sitting in front of Quan Nguyen.
Nguyen had just doubled through an opponent who held two aces.
"Lucky," Nguyen said when we asked him for his name. "Call me lucky."
Nguyen, who was the Bossier City Casino Champion and will be playing on the National Championship, now sits with 87,000 chips.
Prior to the last break, action folded to Allen Kessler in the small blind and he moved all in for roughly 12,000 holding . Unfortunately for him, Cory Zbinden woke up with in the big blind and that was all she wrote for Kessler.
David "ODB" Baker has also been eliminated from the tournament and will be appearing next in the National Championship.
flop. Mariano got the last of his chips in the middle against Ashly Butler, who you may recall won a ring back in the IP Biloxi Event #5 $365 No-Limit Hold'em for $13,850, with the former holding 
and the latter 
. Mariano got it in good, but a 
on the turn gave Butler the straight and a guaranteed win.
. The 
on the turn gave the player an open-ended straight draw, but the 
bricked on the river.
turn was a blank and so was the 
river. Milam's pair allowed him to triple while Harwood took the small side pot. Unfortunately it wasn't much and she was eliminated a few hands later.
. Derden got it in good but a five and a six on the board gave his opponent two pair.
on a 
board. His opponent's hand was in the muck, and the Harrah's Cherokee runner-up now sits with 226,000 chips.
, and Saul make a puking noise while calling. Deevara showed 
, and 
. Unfortunately for him, Cory Zbinden woke up with 
