We've had a few all-in confrontations thus far, but each one has resulted in the at-risk player doubling.
In one hand, Jerry Barlow moved all in from middle position for roughly 45,000 holding the and was called by Mark Montero, who held the in the blinds. The board ran out a clean and Barlow doubled for a second time on the bubble.
Not long after, Kasra Khodayarkhani opened for 8,500 and then called when Jerry Johnson three-bet all in for 33,000. Khodayarkhani tabled the and failed to overcome Johnson's as the board ran out .
The clock is running on Level 19, but since hand-for-hand play started in Level 18, the blinds remain 4,000/8,000/500. When the bubble bursts, the level will immediately be bumped and action will pick up at whatever the clock say in Level 19.
Webber Kang shoved for 51,000 from early position with only to run into the of Glen Goldsmith. The rest of the players folded and Kang asked if anyone had folded an ace. One player stated that he had.
Kang called for an ace but was left wanting on the flop. The turn meant he had two outs headed to the river, and wouldn't you know it, the spiked. The table reacted in disbelief as Kang let a big smile creep across his face. This is one bubble that doesn't want to burst.
According to Daniel Weinman, Earl Merritt opened to 16,000 from early position. The action folded to Tripp Kirk, who jammed for effectively 110,000 or so, and Merritt folded two aces face up.
Two aces. Face up.
The players at the table instantly took to Twitter to tell the world what happened:
The bubble has finally burst, and no surprise that it took a bad beat for it to happen.
It happened front and center up on the stage when Darrell Smith moved all in from early position holding . Luke Graham, who has chipped up nicely here on Day 2, made the call with while the rest of the field got out of the way.
Smith was a big favorite to double, and even more so after the flop came down . Unfortunately for Smith, the next card was a . Graham hit his card to take the lead, though Smith could still win with a nine on the river. The dealer burned and put out a . With that, the bubble was burst.
Webber Kang, who was saved by a two-outer on the river, has been eliminated.
When we arrived at the table, he and Pedro Rios were heads up on a board of . Rios led out for 22,000, Kang raised to 56,000, and Rios announced that he was all in.
Kang slid forward a stack of yellow T1,000 chips, signaling a call, and Rios quickly turned over for a full house. Kang flashed for an ace-high flush, then was off to the cage to collect his winnings.
The blinds and antes are up there, and swiping them every now and then can add up. That's something a short-stacked Ralph Massey just discovered when he shoved three hands in a row.
After successfully getting through on the first two, Massey three-bet all in for 62,000 from the big blind after Ben Mintz had opened for 10,500 in the hijack. Mintz, who finished as the Day 1a chip leader, thought better of it and released his hand. Massey then showed he had the goods with .
Daniel Rivera was all in and at risk preflop holding against the of the River Rock (Vancouver) Casino Champion, Sandra Wong. The board rolled out , and Rivera was eliminated. Wong now has around 240,000 chips.
At an adjacent table, Quan Nguyen was all in and at risk for his last 48,500 holding . He was dominated by David Whitley's , but the flop gave him a leading pair of aces. Nguyen held as the turn and river came , , doubling to around 100,000 chips.
At a neighboring table, Daniel Bishop won a very interesting race against Rogelio Salinas. Salinas was all in and at risk with against Bishop's , and the flop changed little. The on the turn gave Salinas a pair of aces, but any spade or five would send him packing. The spiked on the river, giving Bishop a spade flush and sending Salinas to the rail.
Both Aaron and Ralph Massey have been nursing short stacks as of late, and the two seemed intent on not being the first to fall. Unfortunately for Aaron Massey, he ended up being the first to go.
It happened when action folded to him on the button and he opened for 12,000. Robert Cheung called from the small blind, the big came along and all three players saw the flop. Two checks put action on Massey and he put in a big bet. Cheung then woke up with a check-raise, the big blinds folded and Massey called offf for 63,500 total.
Massey:
Cheung:
Cheung was ahead with a pair of kings, but Massey was alive with an open-ended straight draw. The turn was no helps, and neither was the river. With that, Aaron took his leave from the tournament and left his older brother (by a little more than two years) to carry on the family name.
and was called by Mark Montero, who held the 
in the blinds. The board ran out a clean 
and Barlow doubled for a second time on the bubble.
.
flop. The 
turn meant he had two outs headed to the river, and wouldn't you know it, the 
. Unfortunately for Smith, the next card was a 
. With that, the bubble was burst.
. Rios led out for 22,000, Kang raised to 56,000, and Rios announced that he was all in.
for a full house. Kang flashed 
against the 
of the River Rock (Vancouver) Casino Champion, Sandra Wong. The board rolled out 
flop gave him a leading pair of aces. Nguyen held as the turn and river came 
, doubling to around 100,000 chips.
flop changed little. The 
on the turn gave Salinas a pair of aces, but any spade or five would send him packing. The 
turn was no helps, and neither was the 
