The first one-hour level saw four eliminations, and as they move into Level 20 just 18 remain gathered around three tables. Here's where they are sitting and the stacks currently sitting before each:
As Marko Neumann was being eliminated in 19th on one table, on another Tony Gargano was raising to 16,000 from the cutoff and getting two callers in Joseph Leung (button) and Wei Kai Chang (big blind) The flop came . Chang checked, Gargano bet 28,000, and Leung raised the pot to 136,000. Chang thought a bit, then pushed all in, forcing a fold from Gargano but earning a call for 255,000 total from Leung.
Chang had for top two pair and a flush draw, while Leung had bottom set with . The fell on the turn to complete Chang's flush, but the river paired the board to give Leung a full house. Leung now gets to carry more than a half-million chips to his new seat as they are redrawing for the final 18.
Marko Neumann opened with a raise to 28,000 from the cutoff, then Yevgeniy Timoshenko reraised the pot from the button. It folded back around to Neumann who called all in for 82,000 total, and the players tabled their cards.
Neumann:
Timoshenko:
It was aces versus king, and Neumann had a king blocker, to boot. Alas for him, the big pairs didn't matter as the board came to pair Timoshenko's two kickers and send Neumann out in 19th place.
They will redraw now for the last three six-handed tables, although a big hand brewing over on Table 446 will have to complete before they do.
Yevgeniy Timoshenko raised to 16,000 from UTG and when it folded around to a short-stacked Lasell King in the small blind he pushed all in for 56,000. It folded back to Timoshenko who called, showing to King's .
King's aces held through the board as he ended with a full house and a double-up.
Lee Goldman has been grabbing chips during the first level, pushing up over the half-million mark. He took a few more off of Viacheslav Zhukov just a moment ago when the pair reached the river with the board showing , and Goldman got Zhukov to call his 29,000-chip bet.
Zhokov showed for a straight, but Goldman had a full house with to scoop the pot.
Steve Gross has lost some chips here during the first level, while Timo Pfutzenreuter has made some gains at his table.
Just now those two played a smallish hand with Gary Bolden that began with a Bolden open to 25,000 from the cutoff and Gross (SB) and Pfutzenreuter (BB) calling. All checked the flop, then it was Pfutzenreuter betting 38,000 on the turn and getting callers from both opponents.
The trio checked around after the fell on fifth street. Gross showed , but Pfutzenreuter had for a straight and Bolden mucked.
We just had three players bust almost simultaneously on separate tables, all short-stacked players who failed in their attempts to better their status during the early going.
First it was Ross Mallor being eliminated in 22nd. In his final hand, Tony Gargano raised to 16,000 from the button, Mallor reraised all in for 81,000 from the small blind, then Salman Behbehani four-bet shoved from the big blind and Gargano stepped aside.
Mallor had and Behbehani , and when the board came , Behbehani's spade flush meant the end of Mallor's Event #41 run.
Meanwhile, Roland Israelashvili entered today last in chips of the remaining players, and he soon got his stack all in against Alex Manzano only to be felted in 21st place.
Then it was Jonathan Poche losing his stack to Lee Goldman over on Table 447 to earn a 20th-place cash.
Start-of-day chip leader Steve Gross has added a few more to his leading stack in the early going on Day 3.
Just now Gross opened with a bet from middle position and Alex Manzano called out of the big blind, and the pair saw the flop come . Manzano checked, Gross bet 22,000, and Manzano called. Both then checked the turn.
The river brought the and another check from Manzano, and when Gross bet 40,000, Manzano mucked.
. Chang checked, Gargano bet 28,000, and Leung raised the pot to 136,000. Chang thought a bit, then pushed all in, forcing a fold from Gargano but earning a call for 255,000 total from Leung.
for top two pair and a flush draw, while Leung had bottom set with 
. The 
fell on the turn to complete Chang's flush, but the 
river paired the board to give Leung a full house. Leung now gets to carry more than a half-million chips to his new seat as they are redrawing for the final 18.
to pair Timoshenko's two kickers and send Neumann out in 19th place.
, and Goldman got Zhukov to call his 29,000-chip bet.
for a straight, but Goldman had a full house with 
turn and getting callers from both opponents.
fell on fifth street. Gross showed 
, but Pfutzenreuter had 
for a straight and Bolden mucked.
and Behbehani 
, Behbehani's spade flush meant the end of Mallor's Event #41 run.
