At the end of the previous level, a severely short-stacked Phil Hellmuth opened with a pot-sized raise to 4,200, leaving himself just 800 chips behind. It folded around to the small blind who reraised to 8,300, then the BB repopped it all in for around 30,000. Hellmuth called -- saying "quack, quack" as he did -- the small blind folded.
Hellmuth tabled his cards and as he had indicated onomatopoetically he indeed had a pair of ducks -- . His opponent held , but after the flop Hellmuth already had his opponent drawing dead.
"Ladies and gentleman, Mr. Phil Hellmuth!" crowed Mike Matusow after that flop, having stepped over from a nearby table. Mr. Hellmuth is back to 19,000, but still well below average.
Here are a few counts from around the room as we begin Level 10. Tom Marchese continues to enjoy a significant chip lead here in the early going on Day 2.
Following a flop, Phil Hellmuth bet 8,000 from the small blind, and a player under the gun called the bet. A short-stacked David Benefield then raised all in, and when it got back to Hellmuth he reraised all in, and the UTG player folded.
Benefield showed , while Hellmuth tabled . The turn was the and the river the , and Benefield bounced all of the way up to 49,000.
Hellmuth left the table, thinking he'd been eliminated, but in fact he had Benefield covered. He soon returned to his now short stack of 6,200.
On a flop, Dan Smith led out for 6,900 from the small blind. Shaun Deeb called, and the hit the turn. Smith checked and Deeb moved all-in for 35,100. Smith made the call.
Smith
Deeb
The river was the and Deeb was eliminated while Smith increased his stack to 260,000.
Joe Hachem opened with a raise to 3,000 from the cutoff seat. Then Brian Powell raised to 6,300 from the button. The blinds got out, and the 2005 WSOP Main Event champ called the raise, leaving himself 8,500 behind.
The flop came , and Hachem declared he was all in. Powell wasted no time calling, turning over for the flopped straight. Hachem held and was looking for a runner-runner something-or-other. The turn was the , so a flush was still possible for Hachem. But the river was the and Hachem is out.
Shaun Deeb raised to 2,800 from under the gun, and all folded to Andy Bloch in small blind. Bloch called the raise, as did Burt Boutin from the big blind.
The flop came (easy as) . The blinds checked to Deeb who continued for 3,600. Bloch called Deeb's bet, then Boutin check-raised to 15,000. Deeb got out, but Bloch reraised all in for about 40,000 total. Boutin called.
Bloch
Boutin
Top pair for Bloch, but he was in tough shape versus Boutin's flopped straight. The on the turn meant no card could save Bloch, and he gathered up his iPad and left the scene.
Jonathan Aguiar opened for 3,000 from the cutoff, and it folded around to Basilis Jordanou who called from the big blind.
The flop came . Both players checked. The turn was the , and Jordanou bet 4,100. Aguiar called. The river was the , and this time Jordanou bet 10,000. Aguiar again made the call.
Jordanou showed for two pair, and Aguiar mucked, Jordanou now has 96,000, while Aguiar slips to 44,000.
button in Safari
. His opponent held 
, but after the 
flop Hellmuth already had his opponent drawing dead.
flop, Phil Hellmuth bet 8,000 from the small blind, and a player under the gun called the bet. A short-stacked David Benefield then raised all in, and when it got back to Hellmuth he reraised all in, and the UTG player folded.
, while Hellmuth tabled 
, and Benefield bounced all of the way up to 49,000.
flop, Dan Smith led out for 6,900 from the small blind. Shaun Deeb called, and the 
hit the turn. Smith checked and Deeb moved all-in for 35,100. Smith made the call.
and Deeb was eliminated while Smith increased his stack to 260,000.
, and Hachem declared he was all in. Powell wasted no time calling, turning over 
and was looking for a runner-runner something-or-other. The turn was the 
. Unfortunately for him he was up against Shawn Keller's 
, and Little is out.
. The blinds checked to Deeb who continued for 3,600. Bloch called Deeb's bet, then Boutin check-raised to 15,000. Deeb got out, but Bloch reraised all in for about 40,000 total. Boutin called.
, and this time Jordanou bet 10,000. Aguiar again made the call.
