On a flop of 
, Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi checked and his opponent in late position bet 4,500. Mizrachi then raised to 10,500 only to be reraised all in to 42,400. Mizrachi made the call and the two turned over their cards:
Mizrachi: 
Late Position: 
The turn was the 
and Mizrachi was in bad shape. The 
came on the river and Mizrachi doubled his opponent while dropping down to 50,000.
Facing an opening raise to 1,200 and a three-bet to 4,300, Johnny Chan elected to cold-call and another player behind him did the same. With the action back on the initial raiser, he moved all-in for 20,150, the three-bettor folded and Chan called.
Chan's pocket nines were up against 
, and his opponent rivered an ace to double through Chan and send his stack down to 127,000.
On the flop of 
, Robert Mizrachi played a massive pot to push his stack way up the charts. Mizrachi got all the money in on the flop with the 
. His opponent held the .
The turn was the 
and the river the 
, both paint and a scare for Mizrachi, having just missed his opponent. Mizrachi raked the chips and boomed his stack to over 230,000 in chips.
Berry Johnston opened for 1,200 and the big blind called. The flop was 
. The big blind checked to Johnston, then called his 1,750 bet. The turn came the 
and the big blind checked again. Johnston bet 3,500 and the big blind called. The river was the 
and the big blind turned around and led out for 6,000. Johnston called.
The big blind showed 
but Johnston had the winner with 
for a queen-high straight. He's up to 33,000.
James Mitchell opened to 1,200 from late position, and he found calls from the button and the small blind before Ronald Boschini three-bet to 4,450 from the big blind. Mitchell reraised to 10,000, and Boschini called all in for his last 10,600, heads up and at risk for his tournament life.
Showdown
Mitchell: 
Boschini: 
The board ran down safe for Boschini: 
. That's a double up!
With about 14,000 in the pot on a board of 
, Tiffany Michelle fired out a bet of 9,000 into two opponents.
One player deliberated for some time and eventually the clock was called.
"For the record, I didn't call it!" exclaimed Michelle as the TV cameras were rolling.
The player eventually tossed his cards into the muck but they accidentally flashed . The second player also folded and Michelle showed 
- nearly an instant replay of her earlier hand, but this time she had the goods! Michelle is up to 68,000.
Carlos Mortensen is playing at the feature table in the Red section today, where he's been dazzling us once again with the intricate architecture of his chip stack. He has a below average stack at the moment -- about 28,000 -- but he's nevertheless had has enough chips to be able to impress everyone with their gravity-defying arrangement.
The feature table is set up in a way that spectators can view the action from the rail, and one such observer recently engaged Mortensen in a conversation about the banner hanging nearby commemorating Mortensen's 2001 WSOP Main Event victory. The banner shows a smiling Mortensen sitting behind a stack of chips, cash, and as his winning hand.
"That wasn't my hand," explained Mortensen to the railer. In fact, Mortensen used 
to crack Dewey Tomko's pocket aces in the last hand of the 2001 WSOP ME. "That was from my second bracelet," he added, which would be his triumph in the $5,000 limit hold'em event in 2003.
That bit of trivia has frequently inspired prop bets here in the Amazon Room as people challenge others to name the Matador's WSOP ME winning hand, sometimes while standing right under the banner.
One player raised to 1,200, and the button called, as did Will Failla in the big blind. The flop fell 
, and Failla checked. The original raiser, the perfect picture of the "tight old guy" stereotype, moved all in for about 8,000. The button quickly folded. "I have to call," said Failla. "Two pair, I have to call." He was very relieved to see his opponent's heart-free hand.
Failla: 
Mr. Nit:
The turn was irrelevant, and the 
river gave Failla a boat, meaning hearts wouldn't have heart him anyway. The short stack tapped the table and moved out while Failla added to his stack, making it about 102,000 now. "He was a really nice guy," Failla said. "Played about two hands all day."
On a flop of 
, the small blind bet 4,000 and Mike Beasley moved all in for his last 18,300. The small blind called and the two turned over their cards:
Beasley: 
Small Blind:
Beasley was ahead on the flop but needed to dodge a lot of cards. Unfortunately for him, his opponent hit the flush and Beasley hit rail.
Eugene Katchalov raised to 1,200 from early position, and Joe Chaplin called from middle position. The big blind joined in to see a flop. He checked, as did Katchalov. Chaplin bet 2,100, and only Katchalov called. Both checked the that put a third heart on the board. Then after the 
river, Katchalov bet out 2,700, leaving himself 6,300 behind. Chaplin folded, and Katchalov took down the pot. He's still short with 18,000. Chaplin is on 28,000.
