We've seen Mark Mierkalns play a pot or two but just now we noticed he has a huge chip stack in front of him. Mierkalns is the proud owner of about 200,000 in chips and with that the chip leader of the tournament. Just now he busted someone with tens versus eights but that wasn't even that big a pot. While we didn't track Mierkalns to closely up until now, from now on we for sure will.
While making the money is a regular occurrence for certain players at the World Series of Poker, it is a cause for celebration for others.
One player who is celebrating his second career WSOP cash is David Goldberg. Goldberg cashed in this very event back in 1999, finishing fourth for $54,810. This is his first cash in any live tournament since 2006.
Also making the money is Grayson Scoggin. This is his first ever appearance in a WSOP event.
Leshovsky lost a lot of chips a hand or two ago when his opponent tabled a straight, and he had to muck. He had folded his big blind to a raise and was left with, what looked like, 900 in chips - enough to pay the small blind (800) and last another orbit. He had the 100 chip in his hand after paying the small blind but at the last moment the dealer alerted him that he had only paid 700 instead of the 800 for the small blind. He has to put his last chip in the pot and thus he was all in.
The player on the button had already raised by that time. The fact the small blind din't have a 100 chips behind changed the hand, but the button didn't make a big argument about it. The big blind called so there was betting on the side for the side pot while Leshovsky was allin from the small blind.
Both the big blind and the button checked on . The turn was the and the big blind bet out. The player on the button folded and the hands were turned up. Andrew Leshovsky showed for a gut shot while the big blind had for trips. The river was no nine but the and Leshovsky had to leave empty handed. All other players are in the money.
We are still hand-for-hand here in Event #10, and while some short stacks are simply looking to survive, other players want to chip up.
In one hand, Ahmed Mohamed raised in middle position, Mike Sowers three-bet from the blinds, and Mohamed called. The flop fell , and Sowers led out. Mohamed raised, Sowers called, and the turn brought the . Sowers check-called a bet, and the river was the . Both players checked.
Sowers showed for king-high, which Mohamed had beat with for a pair of sixes.
We picked up the action at | board and saw Melanie Banfield bet out. Kevin MacPhee raised it up in position and called when Banfield made it 3 bets. The river was the and Banfield bet out. MacPhee raised it up and called again when Banfield went for the 3 bet. MacPhee had to muck when he was shown . While we were counting MacPhee's remaining stack he told us he had for a rivered fullhouse.
The hijack opened the action and Kevin MacPhee made it three bets to go from the cutoff. The button and both blinds folded quickly, but the hijack made the call. The hijack continued to check-call the flop and turn before going to showdown on the river which they both checked. MacPhee mucked as his next door neighbor showed .
![[user101598]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
. The turn was the 
and the big blind bet out. The player on the button folded and the hands were turned up. Andrew Leshovsky showed 
for a gut shot while the big blind had 
for trips. The river was no nine but the 
and Leshovsky had to leave empty handed. All other players are in the money.
, and Sowers led out. Mohamed raised, Sowers called, and the turn brought the 
. Sowers check-called a bet, and the river was the 
. Both players checked.
for a pair of sixes.
for two pair, and Hawrilenko mucked. The former is now about six figures, while the latter is in the danger zone with 13,500.
| 
board and saw Melanie Banfield bet out. Kevin MacPhee raised it up in position and called when Banfield made it 3 bets. The river was the 
and Banfield bet out. MacPhee raised it up and called again when Banfield went for the 3 bet. MacPhee had to muck when he was shown 
for a rivered fullhouse.
turn before going to showdown on the 