Nikolay Edvakov, the Energizer Bunny of this year's WSOP, was all in for his last 12,000. Peter Jetten was the only soul brave enough to take on "The Cockroach." When the dust settled, Evdakov had once again survived.
"I just learned that this guy holds the record for most cashes in a single year," said Jetten.
"You didn't know that?" said Dario Alioto. "That's why five guys have tried to take him out, and none have been able to."
"Yeah," added Julian Powell. "He's even-money to cash in any tournament, but about a million-to-one to win it."
We're in the process of setting up on Orange #19, #21, #26 and #1. These tables are closest to the press box (good for us) and furthest from the rail (bad for spectators, although it appears that a new rail may be in the process of being set up). We're told that the reason for the change is because ESPN wants to start filming and didn't like the setup in the Brasilia Room.
The clock has been paused while we take a 20-minute break to stretch our legs. Also, it appears that the tournament is being moved to the orange section of the Amazon Room, so we'll see you from across the hall in just a few minutes.
Josh Arieh has turned his fortunes around with a pot against Billy "The Croc" Argyros. Arieh was the preflop aggressor, with a raise that Argyros called from the big blind. Argyros then check-called when Arieh bet on the flop.
Both players checked the turn. On the river , Argyros led out for 15,000, a bet that Arieh raised to 45,000. Argyros called, then mucked his cards when Arieh showed him for a straight.
With that pot, Arieh is back up to over 600,000, while Argyros falls to 355,000.
David Benefield raises to kick things off, and Ben Blackmore makes the call with a dwindling chip stack. Kido Pham is next, and he puts in a raise to 62,000. Benefield calls, and when it comes back to Blackmore, he pushes all in for a total of 79,000. Both opponents call, and it's three-handed to the flop, with Blackmore at risk.
It comes . Pham checks, and Benefield bets out all in for 111,000. Pham quickly folds.
Benefield:
Blackmore:
Benefield is in the lead with a hammerlock on the hand. The turn and river come down and respectively, providing no help for the all-in Blackmore, and he has made his exit.
What did Josh Arieh eat for dinner? Something has changed his luck and/or his play drastically since we came back from dinner. Jamie Pickering is the latest player to chip up at Arieh's expense. Pickering bet 20,000 on a flop of . Arieh called.
The turn brought a bet of 150,000 from Pickering. Arieh called again. Both players checked through the river, perhaps feeling that the pot was already big enough as it was. Pickering, as last aggressor, opened for trip threes. Arieh double-checked his own cards, then mucked.
Arieh is in danger of relinquishing his chip lead, having dipped to 550,000. Pickering is up to 425,000.
Brandon Moran opened the action with a raise to 18,000 from late position. Marty Smyth made the call from the cutoff, and in the next seat over, Julian Powell reraised the pot, making it 81,000 total. Moran folded, and Smyth, now heads up, reraised enough to put Powell at risk. Powell called, and the hands were shown down:
Smyth:
Powell:
The board ran down . Powell finds some the cards he's looking for, making a straight on the turn and moving him well up out of the danger zone. He now sits with 255,000 chips, near the middle of the pack. Smyth is in that range too, after being knocked back to 281,000.