We just had a mini-battle between the two big stacks.
George Danzer raised to 55,000 from the cutoff, and David Baker called from the big blind. Baker drew two cards, while Danzer took just one. Neither was pleased enough with his hand to put anymore chips in the pot on the second opportunity.
Danzer tabled , but Baker couldn't beat it and mucked. Danzer pulls into the chip lead with that one, with Baker now in second.
John Juanda raised to 72,000 from the small blind, and when George Danzer called from the big blind, his fans reacted with a little bit of pre-celebration sounding noise.
Both players drew one card. Juanda looked as his cards, then asked "What was the draw?" He was referring to having missed how many Danzer had requested. We didn't hear whether he got an answer, though it appeared he did.
Both players ended up checking, Juanda showed , and Danzer mucked. Juanda explained to Danzer afterwards that he only asked because he had been distracted by the cheering, and all seem satisfied.
Except Danzer's fans, of course, who had to postpone their next celebration.
Juanda seems to be concentrating just fine, generally speaking. Slowly but surely, Juanda has accumulated chips over the last few orbits to move up to 625,000. Danzer is still the leader with 825,000.
Eric Cloutier has been last in chips of the five remaining for a while this level.
However, Cloutier isn't sitting around feeling down about it. He shoved all in predraw three times during the most recent orbit, claiming the blinds and antes each time. Those hands have taken him up close to 600,000 and out of the basement.
Meanwhile, David Baker has slid back to 520,000, currently fifth.
George Danzer just won another hand, prompting another song from his jovial cheering section. As the song concluded, English speakers on the other side of the stage asked what they were singing.
"It's German, no one understands," was the reply.
"But what's the translation?"
"George can stay and everyone else go home." Laughter all around.
A short while after that, David "Bakes" Baker won a small pot, and the Germans broke into another song:
"Bakes is awesome, in his stupid dreams! Bakes is awsome, in his stupid dreams!"
Again, laughter all around, and a wide grin from Baker. He has good reason to smile -- he's chipped back up to 800,000 and into the lead.
Doug Booth opened by shoving all in for his last 367,000 from the button, then David Baker reraised all in with his big stack of 800,000 from the small blind. John Juanda tanked for a couple of minutes, then folded what he said after was a pat 10.
Both Baker and Booth were drawing one card. Baker showed , and Booth . Baker drew a , giving him a ninety-eight. And Booth drew an , meaning he'd been eliminated.
Baker now has 1,110,000 and is the chip leader by a wide margin.
George Danzer raised to 65,000 from under the gun, and it folded around to John Juanda who shoved all in from the big blind for 511,000. Danzer made the call.
Juanda discarded one, and Danzer stood pat, tabling . Juanda spread his first four -- -- and squeezed the new one: an . Juanda not only survived, but catapults up close to the chip lead with more than a million. Meanwhile, Danzer slips to 367,000, fourth of four as we head to the break.
, but Baker couldn't beat it and mucked. Danzer pulls into the chip lead with that one, with Baker now in second.
, and Booth 
