We mistakenly reported that defending champion Brian Lemke was out a little while ago, but that was just flat-out wrong. Lemke's table was, for some reason, broken back into the yellow section of the Pavillion, the only table in that area and a table completely detached from the rest of our field. We're not sure what the logic was for that move, but we've found our guy seated with Vitaly Lunkin and Annette Obrestad and a chip stack of 38,000.
Update: From what we hear, that table was situated directly under an air conditioning vent, and a few of the players were complaining about being cold. The staff accommodated them by relocating them across the room to the warm section.
With a raise from early position to 600 in front of him, Chris Ferguson bumped it up to 2,000 from the hijack position. David Williams cold called the bet from the button, before the early position player moved all in for around 7,000. Ferguson called, before Williams raised enough to put Ferguson all in. He called again and the three players tabled their holdings:
EP Player:
Ferguson:
Williams:
Aces all around but Ferguson's king kicker played on the board. He's up to 36,000 with Williams slipping to 19,000.
Dan Heimller opened for 900 from the hijack seat, and Phil Hellmuth called from the cutoff. Chris Ferguson then reraised to 4,000 from the button. The small blind got out, then David Williams called from the big blind.
Heimiller folded, and Hellmuth sat up straight in his chair. “Are you serious?” he asked. Then he leaned forward and addressed the dealer. “I’m going to raise it up a little bit.”
After pausing a beat, the Poker Brat said he was all in for his remaining 14,100. Ferguson counted out his own stack -- a little less than Hellmuth’s raise -- and folded. Williams then spent a few moments to consider things. “Merry Christmas,” he finally said exhalingly, tossing out the chips to call.
Williams
Hellmuth
The community cards came , and Hellmuth chips up over 35,000. Williams still has about 33,000, while Heimiller has 11,000.
In a three-way all in, Vanessa Rousso, Jeff Sarwer and a short stacker all found their chips in the middle preflop.
Rousso:
Sarwar:
Shorty:
Rousso was in control with her kings, but wouldn't you know it, the flop landed to give the short-stacked player some life with his nut flush. The turn was the and river the to triple the short stack, while Rousso collects some chips in the side pot.
There were 2,175 chips in the pot when we walked up to a turned board of . An unknown player led out into the pot for 1,500 before Dwyte Pilgrim shoved his 5,675 remaining chips into the pot. His opponent wasted no time calling to put Pilgrim to the test.
Showdown
Pilgrim:
Opponent:
Pilgrim was drawing dead to one of the two remaining sevens, and the river was most certainly not a seven. Unable to beat a pair of eights, Pilgrim has been sent home.
Jacobo Fernandez started the madness with a raise to 725 and Erick Lindgren flat called. The player in the cutoff then re-raised to 2,425 before the action moved to Allen Cunningham on the button. He put in a fourth bet, but it was a small one, as he made it 5,000 to go.
The blinds quickly scampered as did Fernandez, but this was Lindgren's cue to add more chips to the pot as he five-bet it to 17,000. The cutoff player folded but Cunningham committed the last of his stack.
Cunningham:
Lindgren:
The board ran out to leave Lindgren's kings standing tall and eliminate Cunningham from the tournament. Lindgren is now up to 35,400 chips.
With the board showing , Neil "Bad Beat" Channing -- down to his last 4,425 -- put his remaining chips in the middle. One opponent folded, but the other made the call.
Channing showed for an open-ender, while his caller showed for queens. The turn was the and the river the , and Channing is gone here at the start of Level 6.
button in Safari
was in good shape to keep him alive against E-Dog's pocket sevens.
secured that double up, moving Mizzi up to about 11,000 and knocking Lindgren down a peg to 28,000.
board. He's up to 36,000 with Williams slipping to 19,000.
to give the short-stacked player some life with his nut flush. The turn was the 
to leave Lindgren's kings standing tall and eliminate Cunningham from the tournament. Lindgren is now up to 35,400 chips.
and the river the 
