Ali Sarkeshik was just wandering around between the tables for a moment, chatting briefly with Scott Seiver who was doing the same. Both players have around 60,000 sitting at their respective places at the moment, currently representing above average stacks with 48 left.
Seiver asked Sarkeshik how he was doing and he shrugged. "Okay, okay," he said. "Fifty or sixty," he added. "That's good," insisted Seiver. "Yeah but the Grinder has like 150," added Sarkeshik.
"Yeah, but the Grinder is special," said Seiver, and several chuckled at nearby tables. "You can't go comparing yourself to the Grinder!"
Seiver then walked over to Mike Watson and pointed to his stack — now up over 100,000 as well — and proceeded to do just what he advised Sarkeshik against doing.
"You probably think this is special, don't you?" grinned Seiver as he continued to point at Watson's stack, then added the news that Mizrachi currently had more.
We caught up with the betting action after the second draw, where we saw Jon Turner put out a bet for half his stack. His lone opponent Ryan Tepen called, and both players drew one card. Turner checked, and Tepen did the same. Turner said he paired up, and rolled over , but fortunately for him, it was good as Tepen rechecked his hole cards for quite some time before mucking them.
Turner took down some much needed chips with that pot, upping his stack to 12,500.
Dany Georges raised from the cutoff, Daniel Negreanu reraised from the button, then Dale Townsend made it four bets from the small blind. It folded back to Georges who released his hand, then Negreanu raised again to cap the betting and Townsend called.
Townsend stood pat before the first draw. "You're making me break it" said Negreanu as he pulled one card out of his hand to give back to the dealer. Townsend bet and Negreanu called, then the pair continued the same pattern for the next two draws — Townsend standing pat, Negreanu taking one card — with Townsend betting and Negreanu calling after the second, and both checking after the third.
Townsend tabled , at the sight of which Negreanu said "you got me to break the best hand." He studied the five he'd ended the hand with for a moment longer, then pushed them face downward to the dealer.
The eliminations have been coming at a rapid pace all tournament long, and that hasn't changed today. We came into the day with 88 players, and we've already lost almost half of those, as 48 players remain. We are still three tables from the money, and at this rate, we expect the bubble to come right around the dinner break.
Scott Seiver raised it from the cutoff, and Jon Turner called on the button. Seiver drew one card, while Turner took two, then Seiver fired out a bet. Turner called, and both players drew one card. Seiver check called a bet from Turner this time, and while Seiver drew a card, Turner stayed pat. Despite this, Seiver led right out into Turner, who had a confused look on his face. He eventually called, and Seiver announced "eight," and rolled over . Turner shook his head before mucking, and Seiver took down the pot to get to 68,000, while Turner dropped to 20,500.