Attention turned to the table of Scotty Nguyen who has appeared to show some physical and mental strain over the past few hours. His once mighty stack has fallen and he found himself on the short stack and all in on the bubble.
Nguyen was all in on third street against Robert Mizrachi.
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Not a pair between them as Mizrachi's ace-king high took half and Nguyen made a low to collect the other half to stay alive. He's still on the short stack with about 40,000 chips.
Action folded to Brandon Adams in the small blind, and though we've seen plenty of walks given by shorter stacks in the last level, Adams has the raising chips. He bumped it up, and Todd Brunson defended. The flop came , and Adams bet. Brunson raised, and Adams called. He check-called the turn, and checked once more after the came on the river. Brunson bet again, and this time, Adams gave up. He dropped slightly down to 400,000, building Brunson to 255,000.
With hand-for-hand play currently taking a looooong time, discussions have broken out around the tables as to whether we should stop play once the bubble bursts, take a quick break or play right through.
"Can we just stop at three tables?" questioned Allen Kessler.
"I want to play it out as scheduled," said Matt Glantz.
"I want to go home," added Robert Mizrachi.
"I'd be happy to play right down to the final table!" continued Glantz.
"Well I can't do that, unless you have some sort of drugs!" laughed Roman Yitzhaki.
At this stage, we have no further news other than the bubble and hand-for-hand play continues!
Skilled big stacks Marco Johnson, Brian Townsend, Carlos Mortensen, and Nick Schulman are doing an impressive job of abusing the bubble. They've all built their stacks by over 100k in the past half hour. The short stacks, in contrast, are slowly melting away. Here are a few of those most in danger:
Pawel Andrezjewski - 100,000
John Hennigan - 100,000
Al Barbieri - 92,000
Cyndy Violette - 55,000
Scotty Nguyen - 46,000
Eugene Katchalov kept his run going in the Hold'em orbit. He raised from middle position, and Al Barbieri called in the big blind. The flop came , and Barbieri check-called a bet. He did the same on the turn and river. Katchalov tabled for top two, which was good for the sizable pot. Eugene further increased his stack to 350,000. Sugar Bear, on the other hand, is down to 92,000 and looking very nervous.
Eugene Katchalov raised, and on the button, Michael Chow three-bet. Katchalov called to see the flop. He checked and called when Chow bet. The turn earned another check from Katchalov, and Chow checked behind. After the on the river, Eugene took a stab at the pot. Chow looked him up, but he couldn't beat Katchalov's for tens and threes. Let's not get crazy on the bubble now. Katchalov won the pot to move to 265,000 and Chow slipped to 135,000.
All eyes were on Cyndy Violette as she was in the big blind in Omaha-8. Steve Billirakis raised the button and Violette made the call.
The flop was and Violette fired out a bet. Billirakis raised and Violette called.
The turn was the and Violette checked to Billirakis who fired a bet. Violette made the call and the river was the . Violette led out with a bet for the last of her chips with Billirakis making the call.
Violette tabled for a rivered flush as Billirakis tabled a wheel for the low with his .
Violette survives and the bubble continues! She's now at 75,000.
We've reached the end of the level, but the tournament clock has been paused while hand-for-hand play continues. It's a decision that always surprises us since pausing the clock tends to freeze players up, it gives the short stacks more breathing room from the growing blinds and antes, and effectively extends the tournament duration.
Looking around the room it looks like all eyes are on the short stacks of Cyndy Violette, Pawel Andrzejewski and Al Barbieri.
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, and Adams bet. Brunson raised, and Adams called. He check-called the 
turn, and checked once more after the 
, and Barbieri check-called a bet. He did the same on the 
turn and 
river. Katchalov tabled 
for top two, which was good for the sizable pot. Eugene further increased his stack to 350,000. Sugar Bear, on the other hand, is down to 92,000 and looking very nervous.
flop. He checked and called when Chow bet. The 
turn earned another check from Katchalov, and Chow checked behind. After the 
on the river, Eugene took a stab at the pot. Chow looked him up, but he couldn't beat Katchalov's 
and Violette checked to Billirakis who fired a bet. Violette made the call and the river was the 
. Violette led out with a bet for the last of her chips with Billirakis making the call.
for a rivered flush as Billirakis tabled a wheel for the low with his 
.
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