John Myung raised to 56,000 from the cut-off (which is also UTG+1), only for Jonathan Spinks to move all in from the button for a total of 299,000. After a long dwell, Myung made the call.
Spinks:
Myung:
As the hands were revealed, I could sense the negativity in Spinks who just never got going today, and he was justified in his pessimism as the board came a blank to send him to the rail.
"I knew you weren't light," commented Myung as they shook hands.
Ronald Chaves opened to 55,000 from the button only to have Mihai Manole three-bet from the big blind to 200,000.
Chaves moved all in for 656,000 and after ninety seconds of deliberation, Manole made the call.
Chaves:
Manole:
The flop put Manole squarely in the lead and would leave Chaves trailing and in need of running cards for only a straight.
The turn ended things when it fell the as the meaningless peeled on the river to send Chaves to the rail in 12th place for a $35,051 payday as Manole climbs to 2,610,000 in chips.
An eruption of cheers emanated from the rail as Chadwick Grimes won perhaps the most important coin flip of his life. All in with , Grimes managed to hold up against Joel Bidnick's on an eventful board to pick up a monstrosity of a pot and put him right in contention for snapping up that shiny,gold bracelet.
But whilst Grimes wore a smile that would require a crowbar and tub of Vaseline to remove, victim Bidnick was less elated, and soon found himself all in for his last 100,000. With the action resting on Alexander Kuzmin, a frustrated Bidnick called the clock, and with just several seconds remaining, Kuzmin made the call.
Kuzmin:
Bidnick:
Board:
The result of which meant that Bidnick was out, Grimes jumped up to 1,500,000, and Kuzmin increased his stack to 588,000. Phew, and they poker blogging isn't a sport!
Although Erle Mankin was the eventual assassin with versus on an ensuing board, Eilers only had 28,000 at the time, and it was actually Joel Bidnick who took the meat of his stack the hand previous.
Holding versus , Eilers had firms hopes of a split pot, but they were soon dashed as the board came to decimate his stack.
It's been a see-saw battle for short stack Benjamin Smith since the break as he's both doubled up, and doubled down in the space of just a couple of hands.
On the first occasion, the action folded around to chip monster Mihai Manole in the small blind who peeked over from his Manhattan of chips and delicately inquired, "How much do you have left?" "About 200," came Smith's meek response. Manole grabbed a stack of green chips and firmly plonked them onto the felt. Smith snap-called.
Although Manole's fingers, toes and any other body part for that matter had been firmly caught in the cookie jar, he certainly didn't expect to be dominated by an ace, Smith's in commanding shape against a rather paltry . A board later, and Manole was sliding two of his giant columns across the felt.
On the very next hand, Smith was in the thick of the action once again, this time against John Myung. As the all-in player, Myung was in search of one of six outs to survive with versus , and with the board coming , he did indeed double through to 550,000. Smith, meanwhile, was back down to 260,000, although he had enjoyed a slight profit for his roller coaster ride.
With the action folding round to Mihai Manole in the small blind, he moved all in for close to two million and Benjamin Smith made the call from the big blind for his 217,000.
Manole:
Smith:
The board ran out to see Smith double through to over 450,000 as Manole slips to 1,700,000 in chips.
![[user4144]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
to send him to the rail.
to see Smith double through to just under 900,000 in chips as Manole slipped back down to just a little over 2,100,000.
to see Zaki collect the pot and move to 580,000 as Cornell slips to 270,000 in chips.
as the meaningless 
peeled on the river to send Chaves to the rail in 12th place for a $35,051 payday as Manole climbs to 2,610,000 in chips.
, Grimes managed to hold up against Joel Bidnick's 
on an ensuing 
board, Eilers only had 28,000 at the time, and it was actually Joel Bidnick who took the meat of his stack the hand previous.
, Eilers had firms hopes of a split pot, but they were soon dashed as the board came 
. A 
, he did indeed double through to 550,000. Smith, meanwhile, was back down to 260,000, although he had enjoyed a slight profit for his roller coaster ride.