Shawn Buchanan opened with a raise to 8,000 from middle position and it folded back around to Matt Glantz who called from the big blind. The flop came and both checked. The turn was the . Glantz pushed out a bet of 15,000 this time, and Buchanan quickly called.
The river was the . This time Glantz fired 28,000 and after a brief pause Buchanan let his hand go.
Glantz adds a few more to his big stack. He's pushing the 500,000-chip mark now, while Buchanan slips below 100,000.
Phil Hellmuth opened to 8,600 from early position, and received calls from David Oppenheim (hijack) and George Lind (big blind). The flop fell , Lind checked, and Hellmuth continued for 17,000. Only Oppenheim called.
Both players checked the on the turn, and after the paired the board on the river, Hellmuth led for 36,900. Oppenheim called, and Hellmuth tabled for a full house.
Oppenheim mucked, and Hellmuth raked in a nice-sized pot.
Jesse Martin opened to 8,500 from the hijack seat, and Minh Ly moved all in for 58,000 from the small blind. Martin went deep into the tank, and while he was thinking, Josh Arieh reached into his pocket for some gum. Arieh asked if anyone would like a piece, and only Ly reached his hand out. Upon seeing this, Martin asked for a piece as well.
"I have to make sure it's not lucky gum," he added. "I call."
Martin:
Ly:
Ly was crushed, but the flop fell , giving him four extra outs to a straight. The on the turn added another four outs, and the spiked on the river, giving him an eight-high straight and the winning hand.
"Is there a big game running?" Arieh asked Ly. "Is that why your in a rush?"
Ly admitted that there is a big ring game running right now, but he's still alive and now above 100,000 chips. Martin stepped away from the table to recollect himself, and is just below 100,000 after the bad beat.
Welcome to Day 3 of the $50,000 Poker Player's Championship! Of the starting field of 128 there are 74 players still with chips, including many of the game's best known and talented pros. Only the top 16 will realize a profit in this one, meaning there's still a lot of work to be done between now and then for those returning today.
Ben "Benba" Lamb will be sitting down to the largest stack in our corner of the Amazon Room today with over 700,000. But he'll have Gus Hansen and Sebastian Ruthenberg close on his heels, as well as dozens more of poker's most feared and respected pros behind them. Take a peek at the seating draw below and see just how many names you recognize among the final 74.
The "eight-game mix" format will continue today and through to Wednesday's final table when the game will switch to no-limit hold'em only. Thus not only will players continue to have to compete in all eight of the games, but they'll also have keep managing their tourney strategies to accommodate the combination of fixed limit games (H.O.R.S.E. plus 2-7 triple draw) and "big bet" games (PLO, NLH).
Today's schedule says they'll play five or six 100-minute levels, depending on how close they come to reaching the money. Cards are scheduled to go in the air at 3 p.m. local time, so come back then for coverage of all the action.
While we wait for things to start around here, watch the following update to put yourself in the loop of all the happenings around the Rio, including hundreds of tables dedicated to satellite action today. So if you have no plans for Independence Day then get yourself down to the Rio and try to nab a Main Event seat!