A player minimum-raised from the hijack seat to 200, and Brandon Cantu, sitting to his left in the cutoff, reraised to 825. It folded back around and the original raiser took a look at Cantu's stack and then let it go.
A short while later, a player in early position opened for 525 and it folded to Cantu who reraised all in for his stack of 7,600. The folded back to the original raiser who thought a moment, then folded his face up. Cantu showed his hand this time -- .
PokerStars Pro Team USA member Gavin Griffin was doing well and hovering around the chip lead for most of the day. That has all changed recently; as a matter of fact, he has been eliminated from the tournament. His post-exit Tweet explains what happened best:
"JJ<KK for 6k pot, KK<QQ for 16k pot, 88<99 for the rest(15bb) and I'm out"
Tom Schneider opened with a raise to 425 from middle position, and it folded to the player on the button.
He asked Schneider what he had left, and Schneider stacked his chips in front of him so one could see he had about 2,350. Schneider's opponent then reraised to 1,050, and the blinds fold. Schneider exhaled and said with what looked like resignation that he was all in, and his opponent called.
Schneider then flipped over his , which evoked an "ooh" or two from the table. He looked to be in good shape versus his opponent's .
But the dealer then delivered a bunch of hearts among the community cards -- -- and Schneider was eliminated.
Our field reporter was walking by Bryan "The Icon" Micon's tables and couldn't help bust notice his card protector. "Is that what I think it is?" asked the field reporter.
"Yes it is. It is a 2002 commemorative Russ Hamilton chip," Micon explained, "It allows me to see other people's hole cards." Obviously that may be a bit of an exaggeration as Micon is only sitting with around 5,000 chips.
Nikolay Evdakov was recently moved to Table 59. As he was unracking his massive chip stack the player in Seat 1 said, "Take it easy professional, ok? We're all amateurs here."
There is no doubt that Evdakov's experience and chip stack combine to make a tough situation for his opponents.
Lauren Billings opened with a raise to 3,400 -- leaving herself 4,700 behind -- and it folded around to a player in late position who reraised all in. It folded back to Billings, who was covered by her opponent.
She tanked for long enough that the clock was called, and ultimately Billings decided to call. She tabled , while her opponent showed .
The flop came , making the situation even worse for Billings. But the turn was the and the river the , and the runner-runner straight allowed Billings to survive.
"That's a bad beat," she conceded as she dragged the pot. She now has 16,500.
Amanda Baker opened with a raise to 525, and the player on the button responded by reraising all in for 3,825 total. The blinds got out, Baker considered for some time, then made the call.
Baker showed while her opponent turned over . The board went , and Baker ended the hand with a flush and the pot.
Yet another player has hit the rail this afternoon. Baker is up to 14,500.
Scott Montgomery opened for 450 from middle position and got two callers from the blinds. The flop came , and all three checked. Same story following the turn.
The river was the . It checked to Montgomery who made a smallish bet of 250. The small blind called, and the big blind folded. Montgomery tabled for kings, and his opponent flashed his as he mucked.
Montgomery has 8,500 right now, but all at his table are eyeing Thierry Van Den Berg who has 21,000.
On a flop of and with 3,000 in the pot, a player in middle position moved all in for 9,000 and Shannon Shorr made the call.
Middle Position:
Shorr:
Both players had flush draws but Shorr's was the better of the two. The on the turn changed nothing and the on the river gave Shorr the 21,000 pot, bringing his stack to 55,000.