Ryan Riess was seen talking to Alex Foxen, so we asked him if he had won or lost his match against Anton Morgenstern.
With a sinister smile, Riess told us he had gotten it in with against on . Riess was behind, though we're not sure how much Morgenstern had left at that point.
Morgenstern was the favorite to double up, but the on the turn in combination with the on the river made for a different ending to the hand. Riess backdoored into a straight, Morgenstern said his goodbyes.
As told to us by Samuel Higgs, the flop read and Dan Smith checked from the big blind. Higgs checked from the button and a turn fell. Smith bet 5,000, Higgs called, and a river completed the board.
Smith shoved for about 18,000 and Higgs called instantly with for the nut straight, besting Smith's to advance to the next round.
Phil Ivey seems to be winning more and more chips from Stephen Chidwick.
Ivey raised to 900 and Chidwick called. They both checked through the flop to the on the turn. Chidwick check-folded to the 1,000 bet of Ivey.
Chidwick completed the button and Ivey raised to 1,400 and Chidwick folded.
Ivey raised to 900, Chidwick shoved for about 6,000 and Ivey folded.
Chidwick called, Ivey opted to check. The flop came , Ivey check-called the 400 bet of Chidwick. They both checked through the on the turn to the on the river. Ivey bet 2,000 and Chidwick folded.
Ivey called, Chidwick raised to 1,400 and Ivey folded.
Chidwick called and Ivey checked. They both checked through the on the flop to the on the turn and to the on the river. Ivey bet 1,000 and Chidwick folded.
The flop read and both players checked to the on the turn. Chidwick check-called the 500 bet of Ivey. They checked again when the completed the board. Chidwick tabled for queens and fours to take the pot.
Chidwick raised to 700 and Ivey called. They checked through the flop and the on the turn to the on the river. Ivey bet 1,000 and Chidwick called. Ivey tabled for two pair, tens and fours, but Chidwick held for the same two pair but with the king-kicker to win the hand.
When we arrived, all the chips were in the middle already. Cary Katz, when the match was over, told us what had happened while he and Hellmuth talked about the hand and their poker history on the rail.
Hellmuth opened the button and Katz called from the big blind. The flop came and Katz checked. Hellmuth bet 700 and Katz raised to 3,000. Hellmuth shoved and Katz called.
Phil Hellmuth:
Cary Katz:
The offsuit nine on the turn and ten on the river were blanks and Katz doubled his 48,600 stack.
The next hand, with Hellmuth severely short, Katz moved in from the button. Hellmuth called reluctantly.
Phil Hellmuth:
Cary Katz:
The flop and turn were good for Hellmuth as he paired his five, but the on the river meant there would be no comeback story for him.
The two shook hands and talked while walking to the rail. Hellmuth, as calm as he could be, took some selfies with fans on the rail and told Katz if he needed to lose, he was happy to lose to him.
"You have my love Cary," Hellmuth said.
"Did I handle myself with grace?" he asked. Katz nodded.
The two discussed their history that apparently goes back a decade. Hellmuth gets half his buy-in back as he played the first round, Katz will be back in the Amazon Room at 6 PM.