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Roberto Romanello was one of two players to create a 127,000 pot, the Welshman in front, but vulnerable with 
versus 
on an 
flop. The 
turn was gut-wrenching for Romanello, however, and after a 
river, the pot sailed in the other direction. Following that hit, Romanello has slipped to 36,000.
We arrived at Steve Billirakis' table with a a big pot in the middle and the big blind firing out a bet of 16,000. The board read 
and Billirakis made the call. The river was the and paired the board. The big blind checked Billirakis fired 80,000. His opponent tanked for a very long time. Long enough that Bill Chen called the clock on the player. Eventually, he made the call and it turned out to be the correct one.
Billirakis held the 
for a busted flush draw and the big blind held the 
for two pair. Billirakis sent the chips over and was left with 95,000 chips.
We aren't sure what the betting was leading up to a board of 
, but we do know it had about 12,000 in the middle. Phil Galfond was involved in the pot and was playing heads-up against a player in the small blind. The small blind bet 10,000 and Galfdond made the call.
When the river came down , the small blind made a bet worth 30,000, sending Galfond into a lengthy tank.
Galfond asked his opponent, "Are you trying to bluff me?"
His opponent said, "You keep stealing off me all the time."
Galfond thought maybe the small blind was making a move and asked, "You trying to steal some back? It seems like a bluff but it seems like you've given up on bluffing."
The small blind gave a confusing reply, saying, "I have, but maybe I am bluffing, I don't know."
Galfond made the call and showed 
, asking "Was I right this time?"
The small blind showed 
and said, "You were very right."
Galfond is now up to 173,500 chips.
After a series of bets, the players saw a flop of 
including Brandon Cantu. All players opted to take a free card, which ended up being the 
on the turn. A player in early position led for 9,500, Cantu called and the third opponent folded.
The river brought the and again Cantu's opponent led - this time for a hefty 28,500. Cantu called and his opponent opened 
for a rivered straight flush!
"Damnit!" Cantu exclaimed as he fired his cards into the muck.
His stack took a big hit, and he is now down to just 10,000 chips.
Chris Ferguson's mission to echo his 2000 success has ended in failure. Down to around 5,000, he came over the top of the cut-off's open of 2,000 from the button, only for the small blind to offer some extra value (although likely a tougher hand to overcome) with a cold four-bet to 9,600.
The cut-off mulled over his decision before making the fold (
face up), thus leading to a showdown: Ferguson in need of er... divine assistance with 
versus .
"You could have just called," said the cut-off, and maybe he should have as the flop came a decisive 
. A turn was enough for Ferguson to rise from his seat, and as the dealer dealt an academic river, he was already heading towards the door, braced for the long and lonely walk through the Rio corridors.
Ronnie Bardah and Giovanni Safina got all of the money in on the a flop of 
. Bardah held pocket sixes for bottom set and was up against the for Safina. No help came on the turn or river for Safina and he was eliminated. Bardah on the other hand increased his stack to over 210,000 in chips.
David Assouline is up to roughly 320,000 after eliminating another opponent. We arrived at the table to find Assouline's against 
.
The board ran down 
, boosting Assouline's stack.
Layne Flack was involved in a four-way pot. It looked as though they'd each stuck in 2,000 preflop. By the time we arrived there was a 
flop on the board. The player in the small blind bet out 5,000 and two players folded. Flack called with just 9,000 behind.
The gent in the small blind bet out another 5,000 on the 
turn and again, Flack just flat-called. Come the river, Mr. Small Blind bet 10,000 and Flack called all in - only to muck when his opponent turned over 
for a flopped flush.
By the by, at some point during the hand, Flack accidentally knocked a T100 chip off the top of his stack and it fell off the table. "Chip down!" he said. When he called all in, he couldn't find the chip. Eventually one of the TV people told him that it had fallen into his pocket. He retrieved it, and duly delivered it to its rightful recipient before receiving a hug from Melissa Hayden and then heading for the rail.
A short stack moved in pre-flop for 13,500 against Bryn Kenney. Kenney called with . His opponent was drawing with two live cards, 
. This pot went to Kenney on a board of 
, with his aces besting his opponent's kings and sending that player to the rail. Kenney is now up to 225,000.
From early position, JJ Liu raised to 1,800. The cutoff seat made the call and Prahlad Friedman called from the big blind. After the flop came down 
, Friedman checked, Liu bet 4,300, the cutoff folded and then Friedman folded.
Liu's up to 190,000 chips.
