Lavenburg's River Bluff Gets Through

Action was picked up with 110,000 already in the middle and a board of . With three players still in the hand, action checked over to Abdullah Alshanti on the button. He fired for 38,000. Michael Lavenburg, in the small blind, put in a raise to 85,000. The player from early position folded, and Alshanti made the call, giving heads-up action to the river.

After the hit on the river, Lavenburg moved all in. Alshanti, who still had nearly 500,000 in front of him, would need to put his tournament life on the line to make the call. This sent Alshanti deep into the tank.

"This is freaking sick. How can I fold? This is so sick," Alshanti said.

He kept repeating that sentiment while staring daggers at both the cards and Lavenburg, who was staring downwards and did not break that gaze.

"What am I missing?" Alshanti thought to himself.

He reiterated his apologies for tanking to the table several times, but his tablemates had no qualms.

"You are good enough to bluff I know that," he thought out loud as the time for a decision neared.

Eventually, Alshanti called the clock on himself. A few seconds after time started ticking away, he folded face up, the second-nut flush. Lavenburg pushed his cards towards the dealer, but not before turning over the , showing that he did not have a flush, and Alshanti had certainly folded the best hand and missed out on a massive double up.