Although we are now nearing the money - 76 players remain and 64 get paid - play is now beginning to tighten up significantly, and it could yet be a while before we burst that all-important bubble.
Bearing that in mind, it doesn't seem likely that we will make our final table tonight.
John Racener: 
/ 
/ (mucked)
Salvadore Mortillaro: 
/ 
/ 
We joined the action on fifth street, when a brief raising war between John Racener and Salvadore Mortillaro resulted in Mortillaro all in. Mortillaro revealed rolled-up threes which improved to a full house on seventh street, and with neither player able to make a low he scooped the pot and doubled to 23,000. Racener meanwhile was in absolutely no trouble after that - he was left with a still very healthy 84,000.
As expected, we're witnessing more chops than the Karate Kid trilogy at the moment, the latest players to split one up being Scott Clements and Joseph Santagata. I joined the action on seventh street where Clements had called a check-called before showing:
Clements: 
/
Santagata: 
/
Clements - 52,000
Santagata - 90,000
John D'Agostino is down to just 4,000 after suffering a handful of setbacks in quick succession. On his last encounter, he faced what was seemingly a torturous decision with 
showing against the 
of Michael Botwin. After a dwell that would have made Rodin's 'The Thinker' rash, D'Agostino relinquished his hand.
"Hey, is this table on the internet?"
Karina Jett, up on the feature table, was staring directly at us in the press box. We indicated that no, there is no live streaming this year.
"I knew it!" she cried at table neighbor David Levi, "I knew you were bull****ting me."
John Juanda just chopped one with Lewis Lipsey, final hands of 
and 
respectively meaning Juanda took the high with a pair of snowmen, whilst Lipsey gathered the low with A-2-3-5-7. There chips stack, therefore, remain virtually the same from the dinner break.
Craig DiSalvo: 
/ 
Ivan Schertzer: / 
Robert Varkonyi: (XXX) / 
A pot in excess of 50,000 had formed by the time we got there, and Robert Varkonyi was all in. Some brief betting continued between Craig DiSavlo and Ivan Schertzer, and eventually the two of them chopped up the pot. The 2002 Main Event winner meanwhile was relegated to the rail.
Schertzer - 35,000
DiSalvo - 51,000
Level: 13
Blinds: /
Ante:
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