The hour is late, the day has been long, and players, media and staff are starting to tire. It is inevitable that some mistakes will crop up. Table 328 just experienced what we'll politely call "a doozy".
It seems that at the conclusion of a hand, the dealer forgot to move the button. For the next hand, the dealer button remained with Lee Grove, Chip Jett remained in the small blind, and Allen Kessler (to the direct left of the dealer in the 1-seat) remained the big blind. Cards were dealt and there was some action around to the blinds before the table realized what happened.
The dealer immediately compounded his error by declaring a misdeal, then grabbing Kessler's cards (which Kessler had not yet looked at) and mucking them. The table protested that it couldn't be a misdeal because there had already been action. Kessler was fine with that, but he wanted his cards back.
A floor supervisor was summoned, with most of the table claiming that they were fairly certain the top four cards in the muck were Kessler's. The dealer said he wasn't 100% sure. The floor supervisor was willing to give the top four back but he wanted Kessler to whisper what the cards were first.
"I don't know what the cards were," Kessler said. "I haven't looked."
The solution crafted was that, on 100% of the agreement of the table (which was received), the dealer would return the top four muck cards to Kessler. One problem solved. But once the hand played out, the problem remained of what to do with the button. Kessler protested that he had already paid two big blinds and should not be made to pay a small blind on top of that. The floor was willing to double-move the button until Chip Jett noted that he was short-stacked, had just paid three blinds (a big and two smalls) and wasn't even going to get to play his button.
After some debate, Jett relented. "You know what? F*** it," he said. "I don't care." They double-moved the button to Kessler and play carried on from there.
With 17 minutes left in the penultimate level of the night, there's a serious question now as to whether this tournament will burst the money bubble tonight. Without antes to drive the action, play has been extraordinarily slow since right after the dinner break, when 65 players returned to action. In that time, four-and-three-quarters levels of tournament poker, only 33 players have busted, a rate of about 7 per level. That rate is sure to slow even further with only four tables remaining in action and with the short stacks -- and there are plenty -- turtling up on the bubble.
There are only 5 eliminations remaining until the bubble, but the tournament will have to go hand-for-hand when we get down to 28. One way or another, it means that tomorrow is going to be a long day.
Just a hand or two after doubling up Joe Ritzie and Bruno Fitoussi opened for 20,000 under the gun, before calling all in to a reraise from Ilari Tahkokallio.
On their backs.
Fitoussi:
Tahkokallio:
Board:
Fitoussi turned a set of aces, but Tahkokallio rivered the wheel to send the Frenchman home, just a few spots outside the money. C'est la vie.
By the by the EPT Berlin runner up is now at 130,000.
Joe Ritzie got the last of his chips in on the flop or the turn of the board. We didn't see what Bruno Fitoussi was holding before the dealer mucked all the cards, but he couldn't beat Ritzie's for aces that had turned into a flopped straight. Fitoussi released an almighty sigh as he dropped to 55,000. Ritzie looked perfectly innocent as he doubled to 160,000.
Rob Hollink is up to 150,000 in chips, which means that someone has to be down. That someone is Colin Burton, who has 75,000 after doubling Hollink up. The chips were all in on a flop of , with Burton showing , not much of anything. Hollink had top pair, . That held with a turn and river.
"You had to have the king," said Burton. "You can't call me without the king."
We arrived just in time to see all the chips go in on the flop, Kirill Gerasimov all in for his tournament life.
Gerasimov:
Sergey Altbregin:
Turn:
River:
Altbregin didn;t make his flush, but he turned a straight instead which was good enough to scoop the pot. Gerasimov duly exited, as Altbregin told him something that sounded like, "Russian Russian Russian flop Russian Russian."
Phil Hellmuth blow-ups have been rare the last few months, ever since "mindset coach" Sam Chauhan took Hellmuth under his wing. But we were just treated to a Vintage Hellmuth Rant here after Hellmuth busted out eight spots short of the money in this event.
David "Devilfish" Ulliott opened pre-flop from the cutoff with a pot-sized raise of 21,000. Hellmuth was in the big blind and was the lone caller to a flop of . He checked to Ulliott, who double-checked his cards before betting 25,000. Hellmuth quickly and loudly announced, "I'm all in," for probably 75,000 total. Ulliott just as quickly called.
Hellmuth: , trip tens
Ulliott: , the nut flush draw and an open-ended straight draw
The turn was the , a total blank. The river came to give Ulliott the nut flush. And that cued the Hellmuth fireworks.
"No he didn't!" cried Hellmuth. ("No he didn't!" Ulliott aped.) "This motherf***er--" ("This motherf***er--") "What are you doing, Fish?" Hellmuth asked.
"How the f*** can I fold that?" Ulliott replied.
"You're a f***ing moron. You know you're not supposed to call with that." There were a few more choice remarks before Hellmuth made sure he hadn't missed anything in his hand. Hellmuth remained muttering under his breath while the stacks were counted down to make sure Ulliott had Hellmuth covered. Then Hellmuth was off to drown his pain in a far corner of the room.
"He shouldn't have called with ace-six-f***ing-king," Ulliott said to the table after Hellmuth departed. "I like my call more than his."
Former giganto-stack Leif Force opened for 19,000 in early position and Chip Jett flat-called behind. They saw a flop which Force checked; Jett stuck 40,000 in the middle, and Force folded without a moment's hesitation.
Force dropped further to 140,000, just a shade above average. Jett meanwhile is catching up on 110,000.
![[user46392]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
board. We didn't see what Bruno Fitoussi was holding before the dealer mucked all the cards, but he couldn't beat Ritzie's 
, with Burton showing 
, not much of anything. Hollink had top pair, 
. That held with a 
turn and 
river.
to give Ulliott the nut flush. And that cued the Hellmuth fireworks.
flop which Force checked; Jett stuck 40,000 in the middle, and Force folded without a moment's hesitation.