One of the things that you don't see on television is how certain big pots can be influenced by a lot of smaller pots throughout the day. Those smaller pots help players build a picture of their opponents' tendencies in order to make tough decisions easier in future hands. Jason Somerville just lots a small pot to the big blind at his table. Somerville opened for 8,000 pre-flop and was called, then fired another 8,000 on a flop of . The big blind then check-raised to 24,000 and induced a quick fold from Somerville.
With over 100,000 in the middle and the board reading , Alexander Kostritsyn was heads up with an opponent. Kostritsyn's opponent checked, and Kostritsyn slid out a 108,000-chip bet. His opponent went into the tank, but eventually called.
Kostritsyn turned over for the nut-straight and his opponent unhappily mucked. Kostritsyn is now up to 751,500 chips.
Bryn Kenney put his opponent all in on a flop of , and his opponent went with his hand for his last 45,000. He tabled for top pair, but trailed Kenney's .
The turn was the and river the , as Kenney sends another to the rail on his way to a stack of 535,000.
The Blue section is losing tables now; the staff has just broken the first two from the far corner. The big board just ticked down to 900 players remaining, and that means everyone here has made the final 100 tables. Just 99 more to go...
They've done some rearranging over at the secondary feature table. Gavin Smith remains there, still sitting on a below average stack of 80,000. "Eighty is a million!" said an optimistic Smith as the new players were being seated.
One of those brought over was Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi, also on the short stack. He was just involved in a blind-versus-blind hand. His opponent bet 10,000 into a 20,000-chip pot on the river with the board showing . Grinder thought for a bit, then folded, showing one of his cards -- -- as he did. Mizrachi is down to 68,000 now.
Like Smith, Mizrachi isn't letting his short stack get him down either. A cocktail waitress delivered him something after the hand was over, and the Grinder jokingly grabbed a couple of black (100) chips off of his stack as though to tip her, eliciting a few grins from his new tablemates.
Action folded to Lauren Kling on the button and she limped in. Shannon Shorr wasn't up for that and raised to 15,000 from the small blind. After Andre Coimbra folded from the big blind, Kling made the call.
The flop came down and Shorr fired out 19,000. That was all he needed to do as Kling folded and Shorr picked up the pot.
Like Jason Mercier needs more help. The under-the-gun short stack raised to 10,000, and in late position, Mercier three-bet. The player called all in for his last 31,400. Time to table the hands. Mercier held , pretty standard. Mr. Call All In? . One way to make sure you've got live cards.
The flop gave the guy an open-ender, and it's hard to tell whom the rail was rooting for. The on the turn took away his pair outs, and the river didn't give him a straight. He disappeared quickly, leaving the rest of the table scratched their heads. Mercier is up to 325,000.
Bruce Buffer fired 15,000 on the flop of . After his opponent asked Buffer how much he was playing, he made the call.
The turn added the to the board and Buffer didn't slow down. He increased his bet by a little to 20,000. His opponent called once more.
The river completed the board with the and Buffer stayed aggressive, firing out 25,000. His opponent called and Buffer showed down the . His opponent mucked and Buffer moved up to 315,000 in chips.
Christian Harder had a short-stacked opponent all in for his last 40,000 and racing for his life. The at-risk player held to Charder's . The flop gave Harder four extra outs, but the turn and river were both blanks. The player doubled up to around 100,000 while Harder is still chugging along with 270,000.
Counting a chip-leading stack is quite a process with all of the low-denonimation chips on the tables in anticipation of this color-up. Still, we figured it was a good idea to really stare down Duy Le, and a careful count finds him sitting atop the leaderboard with 1,040,000. He's the first player to cross that million-chip mark in this year's Main Event, and he was announced to the room as such by T.D. Jack Effel.
It's a fine spot to find yourself in on Day 4, but Le still has a long way to go. He's still 218,530,000 chips away from winning this thing.
. The big blind then check-raised to 24,000 and induced a quick fold from Somerville.
, Alexander Kostritsyn was heads up with an opponent. Kostritsyn's opponent checked, and Kostritsyn slid out a 108,000-chip bet. His opponent went into the tank, but eventually called.
for the nut-straight and his opponent unhappily mucked. Kostritsyn is now up to 751,500 chips.
, and his opponent went with his hand for his last 45,000. He tabled 
for top pair, but trailed Kenney's 
.
and river the 
, as Kenney sends another to the rail on his way to a stack of 535,000.
-- as he did. Mizrachi is down to 68,000 now.
, pretty standard. Mr. Call All In? 
flop gave the guy an open-ender, and it's hard to tell whom the rail was rooting for. The 
on the turn took away his pair outs, and the 
