Phil Hellmuth and Brandon Cantu seem to enjoy entering pots with each other as of late. This time we caught Phil Hellmuth taking one card, showing the to Cantu as he mucked it. Cantu also drew one card.
Hellmuth tossed out a bet of 8,000 and Cantu raised it to 30,000. Hellmuth instantly announced "I call" and Cantu tossed his cards into the muck. Hellmuth tabled and scooped a pot bringing him up to about 220,000.
Hasan Habib opened to 6,100 in the cutoff seat, and Phil Hellmuth made the call in position. In the small blind, Alex Balandin squeezed all in for 22,100 more. Habib ducked out, but Hellmuth made the call to put Balandin at risk.
The two men each drew one card.
Balandin:
Hellmuth:
Balandin pulled an unfortunate off the deck, and Hellmuth only had to avoid pairing his eight to notch the knockout. He drew a , and his ten-eight gives him the pot.
That ones vaults Hellmuth to the top of the counts with an impressive 280,000 chips.
When we walked up to the table, Tom Schneider was all in for about 5,000, John Monnette was all in for 38,400, and Josh Brikis had put enough chips in the pot to cover both shoves. Monnette stood pat while the other two men pulled one card apiece.
Monnette:
Brikis:
Schneider:
Brikis ripped his draw card over like a Band-Aid -- an . Schneider managed to peel a , and that's good enough to give him the triple up, back around 20,000. Monnette doubles through Brikis, and he's up over 70,000 now. Brikis is forced to pay off both opponents, sliding to about 80,000 or so.
Greg Raymer raised it to 6,000 from the button and was called by Phil Hellmuth in the big blind. Both players drew one card.
Hellmuth led out after the draw, betting 7,000 into Raymer and Raymer made the call, showing a . Hellmuth also had a ten-seven low but Raymer's was better, causing Hellmuth to shoot his cards into the muck.
Raymer is now sitting with 155,000 in chips while Hellmuth has been knocked down a bit to 228,000.
There was a raise under the gun before Calvin Anderson reraised to 17,600. Action came around to Johnny Chan, and he reraised all in for 49,400 total. The initial raiser folded, but Anderson called to put Chan at risk. Come on, you know Johnny Chan's not going anywhere. Both players stood pat, and Chan's was just better than Anderson's , earning him the double up to about 110,000.
Steve Sung made it 8,500 to go and was called by Nick Schulman. Sung stood pat while Schulman drew one.
Sung continued his aggression after the draw by firing out a bet of 10,500 and Schulman made the call. Sung tabled and Schulman tossed his hand into the muck.
Under the gun, Brandon Cantu raised to 9,000, and Greg Raymer and Phil Hellmuth both called. Everyone took one card.
Cantu was the first one to fire at the pot, betting 21,000 after the draw. Hellmuth check-folded, but Raymer quickly called with his . It was good, and it's good enough to move him up to 185,000 or so, knocking Cantu back to 150,000.