Our remaining 127 players are back in their seats and the first hands of Level 15 are being dealt.
It was just announced that the tourney would play through Level 19 -- i.e., five more one-hour levels -- before concluding tonight.
While most did not react, there were a few groan-like sounds as players mentally calculated how much longer we'd be going tonight. Playing through Level 19 amounts to just a little over 10 levels of play today, though -- just about what the plan for Day 2 had been all along.
With that double-up, Firhinia Murray survives as one of the three women we currently have left in the field.
Also still with chips is Brigitte Korak, who has 52,000. And Stacy Matuson-Taylor -- who finished 16th in the Ladies No-Limit Hold'em Championship (Event #22) -- just doubled up to move to 61,000.
In early position Scott Montgomery opened the pot with a 5,500-chip raise. In middle position, another player popped it to 11,000 and Sven Leu moved all in from the small blind, for an additional 65,000 chips.
Montgomery called and the other player folded.
Showdown
Leu:
Montgomery:
The board gave Montgomery, almost, a full double up is now up to 155,000 chips. Leu is out of the tournament.
Sergey Chernykh began today as our chip leader, and started well early on, building his stack up over 100,000. But the last couple of levels haven't gone so well for the Russian, and just now he lost most of his stack in a hand versus Patrick Poirer.
We came upon this one after all was said and done except for the counting of the chips afterward. Chernykh had , Poirer had , and the board showed . Chernykh is now down to 8,500, while Poirer sits with about 70,000.
Shaun Hart open-raised all in from middle position with his last 11,000, and it folded around to Owen Crowe who called from the small blind. Hart tabled , and was drawing live versus Crowe's
The board came , and Hart is out. "I was card dead," he shrugged as he made his way to the cashier's cage. Crowe now is up to 120,000.
Jonathan Jaffe moved all in in late position for about 13,200 chips, and next to speak Matthew Ara moved all in too (17,000). In the small blind, David Hickman called.
Showdown
Jaffe:
Ara:
Hickman:
The board ran out and Hickman sent Jaffe and Ara to the rail, is now up to 79,000 chips.
and against Antonio Esfandiari's 
. The board came 
, and Murray survived.![[user49729]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
gave Montgomery, almost, a full double up is now up to 155,000 chips. Leu is out of the tournament.
, Poirer had 
, and was drawing live versus Crowe's 
, and Hart is out. "I was card dead," he shrugged as he made his way to the cashier's cage. Crowe now is up to 120,000.
