After a player raised to 600, Blair Rodman called off for that exact amount from the small blind. The big blind came along, which meant there were two active players to the flop. The big blind proceeded to check-call a bet, and then two more on the turn and river.
The original raiser showed for the nut low, and then the small blind tabled the for two pair. A frustrated Rodman then showed the for a pair of kings and a bunch of missed draws. Rodman was eliminated on the hand while the other two players chopped up his chips.
While walking past some tables to get updated chip counts, we overheard a conversation between Brandon Shack-Harris and defending champion Mike Gorodinsky. Apparently, he has been getting sweet potatoes from All-American Dave, and his new nickname is Mike "Sweet Potato" Gorodinsky.
Shack-Harris joked, "Oh, that is going onto PokerNews now." Yes, indeed.
All players are now on their third 15-minute break, the exact amount of time to still register for the event. The screens show 462 participants so far, crushing the number from one year ago. In the break, the T-25 chips will be removed from play.
The seats of Ami Barer and Simon Trumper are both empty, they had been short stacked and have been eliminated. Phil Ivey doesn't have many more big bets either, and Lupe Soto as well as Michel Abecassis have even less. The Frenchman is down to 200 chips and all in on third street, showing the . He got called by an opponent with .
Opponent: / /
Abecassis: / /
The table cheered when Abecassis chopped the pot, with his opponent saying that it would have been sad to lose him. "You are the friendliest Frenchman I have ever met."
Justin Bonomo got the last of his chips in on the turn with a board reading . There was about a 16,000 side pot and a 1,000 or so in the side between the two active players. When the completed the board on the river, Sammy Farha bet 800 and the other player in the hand called.
Farha tabled the for a straight, and his opponent held the nut low with . The two chopped the side pot, and then Bonomo tabled the for a better straight and half the main pot.
A short-stacked David Williams got his last chips in on third street and was up against former November Niner Ylon Schwartz.
Williams: / /
Schwartz: / /
Williams failed to improve upon his kings, while Schwartz ended up with two pair. Williams rapped the table after the hand and then headed toward the exit.
Stud Hi-Low
We arrived at the table of Thomas Butzhammer and Adam Friedman with the German losing some ground on the first hand. He had the showing on third and made it three bets before calling down each street. The opponent started with the .
Opponent: / /
Butzhammer: / mucked
Only one hand later a short stack got his stack in until fourth and Butzhammer had three bet the third once again. Friedman didn't go anywhere and called all bets down to seventh.
Short stack: / mucked
Butzhammer: /
Friedman: / /
The shortie could not beat hi nor low and was sent to the rail, Butzhammer recovered some losses from the previous hands.
flop. The big blind proceeded to check-call a bet, and then two more on the 
turn and 
river.
for the nut low, and then the small blind tabled the 
for two pair. A frustrated Rodman then showed the 
for a pair of kings and a bunch of missed draws. Rodman was eliminated on the hand while the other two players chopped up his chips.
.
/ 
/ 
/ 
/ 
completed the board on the river, Sammy Farha bet 800 and the other player in the hand called.
/ 
/ 
/ 
