I joined the action on the flop, but it didn't take Columbo to work out that Scotty Nguyen had raised from late position and Annie Duke had made the call from the big blind.
After tapping the table, Duke check-raised Nguyen's continuation bet of 2,400 to 7,100, but the '98 Champion had no intention of lying down, and duly bumped it up to a total of 20,000.
Duke looked perplexed, tortured by the decision ahead, and so commenced a dwell which must have surpassed the five minute mark. As she riffled intently, Esfandiari began doing stretching exercises, Chan stepped away from the table, and even the guy holding the boom mike brought out the support arm.
After apologizing for the time taken, Duke made the fold - although a reluctant one of that - and Nguyen picked up the pot uncontested. As a result, Duke has dropped to what appears to be around 30,000 in chips.
Daniel Negreanu got his chips in quite well with against Mike Matusow's .
With Matusow's mother calling for a nine on every street, the board ran out . No nine came for Mikey's mom, and Negreanu made a four-flush to double up.
Negreanu is up to 109,000, making him the current chip leader. Matusow, on the other hand, is glum and silent with his 24,000.
As the table short stack, Antonio Esfandiari decided to make his move and duly shoved all in preflop. "Come on, three down," he smiled, "one time in my life." Esfandiari got his wish as the rest of the table folded and the Magician picked up the pot.
Daniel Negreanu raised to 2,600, and T.J. Cloutier called on the button. Mike Matusow added the extra chips in the big blind, and they all saw the flop come out . Matusow and Negreanu both checked, and Cloutier moved all in for 18,200 total. They gave up their hands, and Cloutier took the pot. He's now playing with 28,000.
It's been quite slow progress thus far, but with 10 minutes left to spare of the first level, we lost out first man.
But what a hand it was, Allen Cunningham the unfortunate victim of a cooler colder than an Artic breeze. I didn't catch the action leading up to the all-in showdown, but with hands on their backs, Chan found himself on the right end of a set over set encounter with versus on a board.
Although Cunningham was drawing to just one out, it was Chan who made quads, the river merely adding salt to already open wounds.
"Here's Johnny!" beamed Antonio Esfandiari after Cunningham's departure.
Antonio Esfandiari found his tournament life hanging by the very thinnest of threads when he moved all in with versus the of Scotty Nguyen.
The flop offered him a welcome flush draw, and although the turn was the wrong color and shape, the river wasn't, the dealer laying a on the baize to double the Magician through.
"Yes!" said Esfandiari. "There is a God."
"There's no more God," countered a wounded Nguyen.
Daniel Negreanu raised to 2,600, and Phil Hellmuth bumped it to 5,600. Negreanu called, and both checked the flop. The turn brought the , and Negreanu checked again. Hellmuth bet 4,800, and Negreanu moved all in to put Hellmuth to the test for his last 22,000. Hellmuth muttered to himself for several minutes before giving up the hand unhappily. Negreanu raked in the chips while Hellmuth assured everyone he'd get Daniel in the end.
It hasn't been a fruitful five minutes for Scotty Nguyen. After doubling through Antonio Esfandiari just moments ago, he offered Barry Greenstein the same favor a hand or two later.
No bad beats this time, though, Greenstein starting ahead with versus , and maintaining that lead through a flop.
Greenstein now over the 50,000 mark, although I'll get a more accurate count shortly.
![[user4144]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
flop, but it didn't take Columbo to work out that Scotty Nguyen had raised from late position and Annie Duke had made the call from the big blind.
against Mike Matusow's 
.
. No nine came for Mikey's mom, and Negreanu made a four-flush to double up.
. Matusow and Negreanu both checked, and Cloutier moved all in for 18,200 total. They gave up their hands, and Cloutier took the pot. He's now playing with 28,000.
on a 
versus the 
flop offered him a welcome flush draw, and although the 
turn was the wrong color and shape, the river wasn't, the dealer laying a 
on the baize to double the Magician through.
flop. The turn brought the 
