We got to Jason Somerville's table to see him facing a bet of 18,500 made by the small blind on a flop of 
. The big blind folded and Somerville called from the hijack.
The small blind bet again on the 
on the turn, this time for 33,000, with Somerville once again calling.
Both players checked the 
on the river and Somerville showed 
with his opponent mucking. Somerville is now at 545,000.
The player under the gun opened the pot with a 12,000-chip raise and the action folded to the player on the button. The button called and in the small blind Paul Magriel called too.
In the big blind, António Palma popped it to 45,000 and the initial raiser folded. The player on the button folded too, and Magriel moved all in.
Palma called for his tournament life.
Showdown
Palma: 
Magriel: 
The board ran out 
and Palma doubled up, is now up to 555,00 chips. Magriel slipped to 57,000 chips.
With the board reading 
, Rob Pisano led out for a bet of 35,000. An opponent called.
The river was the 
and Pisano immediately bet 80,000. His opponent again called.
Pisano rolled over 
, his opponent quickly mucked and Pisano is now up to 865,000 chips.
Filippo Candio was heads up on an 
board. His opponent bet 16,500, and he quickly made it 76,000 total. The other player, who had about 230,000 behind, took his time considering the implications of his next move. Candio got impatient and called for the clock after a few minutes. That was the sign the player needed. As soon as Candio called the clock, he announced he was all in. Candio made the dealer count down his opponent's stack, though he was probably never going to call the 175,000 extra. He decided to fold as soon as the ESPN cameras swarmed, and the all-in player picked up a nice pot to take into the money.
Thomas Declerck opened for 12,000 from middle position and 2008 $10K 8-Game bracelet winner Anthony Rivera (one of the shortest stacks remaining in the orange section), moved all-in for 55,000 from the button. Declerck made the call.
Rivera 
Declerck 
"All in and a call on 332!" shouted the dealer as ESPN's camera moved in to place, followed by a trio of producers and several media reps.
"How many people do we need over here?" Rivera said with a laugh.
Rivera's queens remained in front on the 
flop, but Declerck hit top pair when the fell on the turn. Rivera, however picked up a flush draw. He filled it on the river with the 
and let out a huge sigh of relief as he doubled up to 123,000.
"That was a sick sweat right there," Rivera said as he stacked up his chips.
There was a lot of angst amongst some players and media alike over the decision to take the dinner break when we did.
However just a small stat to those people to ease their pain...
Since dinner, we've played twenty-five minutes and a grand total of three hands. That's an average of about eight minutes per hand or roughly seven and a bit hands per hour. Not exactly high-action stuff. We also still have two more eliminations to go, and you'd have to think that the final elimination will be the most excruciating of them all.
We're certain there would have be some tummies rumbling about this time, if we didn't take the break when we did.
Over here at the feature tables, they actually swapped the two -- the main and secondary -- during the break.
That means we now have the table with Jean-Robert Bellande, Vince Van Patten, and Karina Jett over on the secondary stage.
Meanwhile, the main feature table has a very short-stacked Gavin Smith (currently sitting with 33,000), Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi, Chris Bjorin, Frank Kassela, and Max Casal. Casal is by far the chip leader of the bunch with just about 1 million now. He's also won all four hands played over here thus far, taking three with preflop raises, and the fourth with a raise after the flop.
Interestingly, Mizrachi does mathematically have a shot at overtaking Kassela for the 2010 World Series of Poker Player of the Year, as the two were just discussing. But very soon that may no longer be the case.
For Mizrachi to win the WSOP POY, he would have to win the Main Event, and Kassela would have to go out here in the next couple of hands -- i.e., not cash. If Kassela cashes, then busts shy of the top 27, Mizrachi could only tie him with a WSOP ME victory.
Kassela is currently sitting with 109,000, by the way. Mizrachi has 112,000.
On one table, a monster stack had raised it up and the decision was left on the big blind. The big blind was just casually riffling his chips, smiling, and allowing the clock to tick down with a knowing glance to his opponents.
It was obvious that he didn't have a hand of any kind and most of the tables in the room had seen their latest hand completed, so it seemed unusual for said player to be stalling during hand-for-hand when it provided him with no added benefit.
This is the Main Event bubble, so perhaps he was thinking 'better safe than sorry', but if two players bust on the same hand, then it matters not who met their demise first. They would both share 747th place money.
Under the gun, Dan Chambers raised to 12,000, and he found two calls, one from a middle-position player and another from Chris Tipper in the small blind.
The three men took a flop of 
, and Tipper checked to see Chambers continued out with a bet of 24,500. That folded the monkey in the middle, but it drew an all-in check-raise from Tipper. Chambers quickly called, and Tipper was at risk as the cards were turned up:
Chambers: 
Tipper: 
It was an action flop, and Tipper was two cards from elimination. the turn 
did nothing to help his cause, and the 
on the river was a brick as well. A set of fives is no good, and that's not good news for Tipper. He's out in 750th place, and the remaining field is now two eliminations from merriment.
With the board reading 
, Allen Cunningham led into John Ambrust for 40,000. Ambust called. The turn brought a 
and Cunningham slowed down, checking to Ambrust who put out a bet. Cunningham folded and Ambrust showed 
for just eight-high.
"Why did you do that?" Cunningham asked with a smile.
"I didn't think you had an ace," Ambrust responded.
Ambrust chipped up to 890,000 while Cunningham slipped to 210,000.
