Action at Table #2 has slowed considerably, with few big confrontations. There were two pots in a row where four players saw a flop, one in which the players all limped (Ryan Young took it down with a bet after the flop) and another where four players paid 45,000 apiece to see a flop (and, again, Ryan Young took the pot down with a 110,000 bet after the flop).
Young continued to accumulate chips when, after Kathy Liebert raised to 50,000, he reraised to 180,000 and Liebert folded -- after kiddingly complaining that she didn't understand why he was reraising HER, since she'd been quiet of late.
Whatever ideas Young may have had about running over the table ended when he opened yet another pot for 60,000 and ran into a 180,000 reraise from Mike Sexton. Sexton took a few chips from Andy Bloch when his 80,000 bet on the river induced Bloch to fold. And when Chris Bell raised to 50,000 and Mike Sowers called, Sexton bumped it to 200,000 and took down that pot as well.
For the most part, reraises have been getting a lot of respect, and as most of the remaining players have considerable experience and aren't short-stacked, we might be here awhile.
John Kabbaj raised to 46,000 from the small blind and Nikolay Evdakov called from the big blind. The flop came down and Kabbaj checked. Nikolay bet 40,000 and Kabbaj called.
The turn went check-check when the fell.
Kabbaj checked when the fell on the river and Evdakov bet out 100,000. Kabbaj called and showed for bottom pair. Nikolay showed the and Kabbaj was shipped the pot.
As he stacked his chips, Kabbaj yelled out, "Just a pair of fives baby!"
Phil Laak raised from the cutoff to 41,000. Chris Gildone announced, "All in" from the button and stuck his chips in the middle. The other players folded and Laak tried to tell the dealer that Gildone couldn't bet that much.
Laak took over the dealer's job and started to break down Gildone's chips to see how much the raise was and if it was over the size of the pot. After the other players and the dealer confirmed to Laak that the amount was allowed to be bet, 103,000 more, Laak went into the tank. Laak even counted out some chips, but then swapped out five of his own orange chips for one green chip from the pot, to which the dealer shook his head and the other players chuckled.
"This is how big stacks become small stacks," and Laak finally folded, showing only one card, the .
Laak then went on to tell Gildone, "I can't believe I folded that hand. Seven-handed with this stack, this late in the tournament...I should just go burn half my money and stop playing poker. That way, at least I'd be up in ten years."
It's almost one o'clock in the morning here at the Rio and the cards are in the air for level 19 of play. 14 players still remain and play will continue until we have reached the final nine.
After seeing a flop of Bloch checked and called a bet from Mike Sowers. Both players checked the on the turn and when the came on the river Bloch check-called Sowers' 82,000 bet. Sowers turned over for the backdoor flush and took down the pot.
Justin Newton's reprieve lasted just a few hands. He raised to 36,000 and Patrik Antonius reraised to 110,000. Newton moved in the last of his 210,000 and Antonius called with , which dominated Newton's . The board ran out and that sent Newton out of the tournament. Antonius now has 840,000.
Seriously short-stacked Justin Newton got it all in with against Phil Laak's . But Newton's dominated hand outflopped Laak when the dealer spread the flop. And when the turn brought the and the river the , Newton doubled up to 240,000. Laak now sits (or squats, as he tends to do on his chair) with 440,000.