We've got one of our matches complete on the featured table right in front of us.
On the last hand, Jonathan Duhamel opened with a mini-raise to 2,400, and Phil Laak three-bet to 4,200. Duhamel called with "for no real reason," as he told us after the hand. Perhaps he knew the flop was coming, and he flatted a bet of 6,500 from Laak. That brought them to the turn, and Laak knocked the table this time. Duhamel took his cue to fire 13,500 at the pot, and Laak check-raised all in. Durhamel called with top two, and Laak announced that he had zero outs. He promptly mucked his hand, and without even needing a river card, Duhamel has advanced to Round 2.
On a board, Chris Moorman led out with a bet of 8,500 into a pot of slightly more than that, and Vanessa Selbst quickly called to see the land on fifth street. Moorman had 28,300 chips left, and he shoved them all in to put himself at risk. Selbst spent an eternity in the tank before making the call, and it was one she'd like to have back.
Moorman turned up , and that was good enough to take it down and pull him into a sizable lead. He's got about 91,000 now, knocking Selbst down to 59,000.
Daniel Cates had Bertrand Grospellier short-stacked and desperate for a double up. With Grospellier on the small blind he shoved and Cates called holding and was ahead of Elky's . The flop came and the Frenchman headed for the door.
Round 1 at table #359 is complete. Maxim Lykov bested David Benefield when the two saw a flop of . When the hands were turned up, Benefield flipped over but were behind Lykov’s . There was no help for Benefield on the next two streets and Lykov won the match.
On the other side of the table, Antonio Esfandiari and David Peters got it all in preflop. Esfandiari held and was ahead of Peters’ . The board bricked out and Esfandiari advanced to the second round.
Jason Mercier was in trouble early in his match with Gus Hansen, but the tides are turning. We were too far away to see the hand, but we did just spot Mercier doubling up through his opponent to take a 2:1 lead. It's about 96,000 to 54,000 by our eyeballs.
More details on that Jason Mercier double up from a moment ago.
Gus Hansen suggested going all in blind. Mercier agreed and both shoved their stacks in the middle without looking.
Showdown
Hansen:
Mercier:
The flop came , giving Mercier the lead. A fell on the turn, leaving Hansen flush and counterfeit outs. The river came safe for Mercier, who doubled again to 92,000.
Vivek Rajkumar defeated Pramesh Bansi with flair, cracking his opponent's with a set of Three's. After getting all of the chips into the middle, Rajkumar was far behind Bansi's rockets but when the door card was revealed to be the , his flopped set was enough to dispatch a shocked Bansi. Jake Cody also moved on to the next round when his materialized into a set on the flop. The held by George Adams was not enough and Cody advanced to Round 2. Also moving on to the second round was Darren Elias, whose hit the flop of hard. His opponent John Monnette held and was far behind, ultimately falling to Elias' nut flush when the turn and river came and .
![[user66118]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
"for no real reason," as he told us after the hand. Perhaps he knew the 
flop was coming, and he flatted a bet of 6,500 from Laak. That brought them to the 
turn, and Laak knocked the table this time. Duhamel took his cue to fire 13,500 at the pot, and Laak check-raised all in. Durhamel called with top two, and Laak announced that he had zero outs. He promptly mucked his hand, and without even needing a river card, Duhamel has advanced to Round 2.
, doubling Mercier up.
board, Chris Moorman led out with a bet of 8,500 into a pot of slightly more than that, and Vanessa Selbst quickly called to see the 
land on fifth street. Moorman had 28,300 chips left, and he shoved them all in to put himself at risk. Selbst spent an eternity in the tank before making the call, and it was one she'd like to have back.
, and that was good enough to take it down and pull him into a sizable lead. He's got about 91,000 now, knocking Selbst down to 59,000.
and was ahead of Elky's 
. The flop came 
. The board bricked out and Esfandiari advanced to the second round.
, giving Mercier the lead. A 
, his flopped set was enough to dispatch a shocked Bansi. Jake Cody also moved on to the next round when his 
held by George Adams was not enough and Cody advanced to Round 2. Also moving on to the second round was Darren Elias, whose 
hit the flop of 
.