With a bunch of chips in the middle already, Gerard Rechnitzer bet enough on seventh to put Rep Porter all in. Porter went into the tank for quite a while before finally making the crying call. Porter showed for a ninety-eight low and Rechnitzer said “You got it” before he mucked.
Table 290 had a few cards replaced early in the day, and they've just now asked for more replacements. The floorman looked a bit unhappy to be called over for the second time, and he took the opportunity to give the table a little bit of a lecture.
"The players are doing it," he began. "I can't keep bringing you guys new cards if you're putting marks on them."
From the three seat, Rep Porter took a bit of offense to that comment. He wasn't upset, but he did take a moment to speak his mind, beginning with a flat, "That is not accurate." Porter repeated and continued, "To blame the players is not accurate. We're using decks from last year, and they've been sitting in a box, and the spades are all bent. For the last three weeks, I've been able to pick out the ace of spades. The low spades are all curved."
Indeed, Stephen Su was sitting right next to Porter with a noticeably curvy laying face-up in front of him.
Porter continued to speak, mitigating his criticism with phrases like, "I know there was a printing error on the cards this year," and, "I understand bad things happen." He continued, "But when the players complain about the cards, it's not fair to blame them."
The floorman apologized and told them he'll find some replacements as soon as he has a chance.
We're having trouble counting down Tommy Chen's chips because he has them in a meandering tower that looks more like a Lego castle than a chip stack. His table doesn't know how much he has, and it sounds like Chen doesn't either.
Someone to his left just asked how much he was playing, and Chen took a long stare. "I have no idea. But I'm assuming I'm chip leader." That's a correct assumption, and our best guess is that he's worked it up to about 525,000 now.
Due to some internet issues, we were unable to post some player counts from before the level change for quite a while, we apologize for the inconvenience.
Table 278 is up against the back side of the ESPN featured table arena, and there is a spectator balcony that is mostly full with fans of Robert Williamson III.
Williamson just dragged a decent pot to nurse his shortening stack back to health, and a gentleman with a heavy drawl piped up. "There we go, Robert! The champ!" Williamson didn't really acknowledge the remark as he stacked up the pot, so the gentleman tried again. "Robert!" Williamson glance up at him this time, and he continued, "I got a brand new pair of cowboy boots. I'm gonna give ya a big ol' kick if you don't make the final table!"
Williamson smirked as he continued stacking, and he quietly laughed and said, "No pressure."
Chad Brown was getting short on chips, and he made his stand with () / . Chris Bjorin would end up being the other factoring player in the hand, coming along with () / to put brown at risk. The boards ran out sour for Brown:
Brown:
Bjorin:
Bjorin made a seventy-six to end Brown's day, out in 19th place with $6,358 to show for his efforts.
Mikhail Smirnov completed and Roland Isra raised. Scott Epstein called and Smirnov four-bet. Isra and Epstein both called as Smirnov checked fourth. Isra led out and Epstein called but Smirnov came in with a check-raise. Both players made the call and it was checked to Smirnov on fifth who bet. Isra check-raised all in for 4,000 more and Epstein went into the tank. He eventually folded and Smirnov made the call. Isra showed for a nine-low while Smirnov revealed for a ten-low but a wheel draw. On sixth, both players paired, Isra with a , Smirnov with a . On seventh Isra hit a which changed nothing but Smirnov nailed a to give him an unbeatable wheel which eliminated Isra.
Victor Ramdin completed with a , and Tommy Chen made it two bets with a . Ramdin called.
Ramdin: (X)(X) / / (X)
Chen: (X)(X) / / (X)
Ramdin check-called a bet on fourth street, and then he led out with one of his own on fifth. Chen called that one, and he called another big bet on sixth street. As he called the last one, he instructed, "Please don't bet the river." Ramdin obliged him with a check, and Chen now stuck out a bet of his own. Ramdin quickly called, but his hand was second-best. Chen's had made the ninety-six, and Ramdin had pulled an unlucky jack on seventh to make an inferior / .
On fifth street, we walked up just in time to see Scott Epstein betting, Stephen Su folding, and Mikhail Smirnov calling to go forward heads-up.
Epstein: (X)(X) / / (X)
Smirnov: (X)(X) / / (X)
Epstein checked on sixth street, and Smirnov made the bet. Epstein called there, and he put out the last bet himself on the river. It was only 6,000 chips though, Epstein betting all in. Smirnov didn't like it, but he made the crying call. Epstein turned over for the eight-low, and it's earned him a life-saving pot, pushing him right back up to 100,000.
/ (X)
/ (X)
laying face-up in front of him.
) / 
. Chris Bjorin would end up being the other factoring player in the hand, coming along with (
FOLDED