Focusing On the Task at Hand
Set in an imagined future, it depicts an exaggerated version of the United States in which all citizens are made equal by various artificial means. For example, intelligent people are made to wear headphones that play distracting noises every so often so as to make it more difficult for them to think continuously.
The announcements from the other side of the room are continuing quite loudly, and there's something about the scene that recalls the Vonnegut story. Players are redoubling their efforts, though, concentrating intently on the chips, cards, and what their opponents' are saying.
James St. Hilaire still holds the chip lead with about 2.3 million, with Faraz Jaka next with a little over 2 million. Alex Venovski is on the short stack at the moment with 420,000.
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and was well behind Brikis' 
. 
sending Mr. Conkright to the rail. 
and was in big big trouble against Wexler's 
. 
, giving Mathews a much needed flush draw to stay alive. The turn and river bricked out 
respectively. 
, but unfortunately ran into chip leader Faraz Jaka who held 
, and Venovski hits the rail in 10th place. Jaka is now up over 2.5 million.
.
. So was the turn, the 
. The came the river -- 
. Suddenly St. Hilaire has been knocked way down under 300,000, while Brikis catapults into the chip lead with close to 4 million.
. St. Hilaire also held the lead after the turn fell 
. But wouldn't you know it, the same card that crushed his chances a few hands earlier fell again, the dreaded