Mikalai Vaskaboinikau and Chino Rheem had both put in 50,000 chips preflop to see the 7♦9♥10♦ flop. Rheem checked, Vaskaboinikau bet 50,000, and Rheem shoved all in for just over 155,000. Vaskaboinikau called.
Chino Rheem: A♣J♦ 
Mikalai Vaskaboinikau: 9♠8♠
Vaskaboinikau was ahead with his pair and open-ended straight draw and maintained his lead as the runout of 2♣5♠ couldn't save Rheem from elimination.
With 14 bracelets and nearly $50 million in tournament earnings between the four of them, there's no denying that Shaun Deeb, Josh Arieh, Daniel Weinman and Matt Glantz are poker crushers. But with resumes that include a $1 million bounty pull, a body fat prop bet victory worth nearly the same amount and a win in the biggest World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event in history, it's clear the group of close friends also have luck on their sides.
The four American poker players have branded themselves as "Team Lucky" — a name that Deeb may have come up with, though they aren't certain — as a way of consciously embracing and owning their good fortunes while fighting back against the jaded cynicism all to common in the poker world.
But Team Lucky is about more than once-in-a-lifetime bounty binks and turned two-outers leading to $12 million scores. As PokerNews learned during brunch with its four members, is more about friendship, camaraderie, and shared values than a good run of cards.
Four players created a pot of 45,500 to see the A♠Q♣J♣ flop, and the action was checked to Thomas Boivin who bet 8,000. Dylan Linde was on the button and made the fold before Ben Heath and Justin Bonomo check-called.
When the 6♠ fell on the turn, all three players tapped the table to see the 2♥ river.
Heath took the lead, firing 45,000 across the line and Bonomo jammed for 138,000. Boivin quickly mucked and Heath took just shy of his 30 second allotted before doing the same.
Carlos Chadha raised to 10,000 from middle position and he was called by Orpen Kisacikoglu and Nacho Barbero, both in the blinds.
Chadha continued for 9,000 on the 10♦Q♥K♠ flop. Kisacikoglu called, as well as Barbero to see the 10♠ turn.
All three players checked, and there was no more action on the 9♦ river as they all checked again. Kisacikoglu had J♥9♥ for a straight and Barbero had Q♠J♣, so they split the pot.
On a flop of 3♦3♠K♦, Andrew Lichtenberger checked it over to Phil Ivey, who bet 15,000. Lichtenberger then check-raised to 37,500, and Ivey called.
The K♣ turn went check-check to the Q♦ river. Lichtenberger checked, Ivey bet 75,000, and Lichtenberger snap-folded.
Alex Foxen raised to 11,000 from middle position before Punnat Punsri three-bet to 33,000 one seat over. Action folded back around to Foxen and he responded with a four-bet to 79,000. That sent Punsri deep into the tank as he used a time extension before eventually, and with apparent reluctance, releasing his hand.
Two players saw the 6♣3♥2♣ flop and Carlos Chadha checked to Nacho Barbero before he bet 11,000 into the pot of 20,000. Chadha thought about it for a few seconds and made the call.
The 9♠ fell on the turn and Chadha checked to Barbero who fired 30,000 across the line. This time, that was enough to earn the pot as Chadha mucked his hand.
There was a raise to 11,000 from middle position and Alex Kulev made the call from the cutoff before Stephen Chidwick squeezed to 51,000 from the big blind. The middle position player folded and Kulev called.
On the A♥2♠J♦ flop, Chidwick continued with a bet of 64,000, which was called by Kulev.
The turn brought a 9♥ and Chidwick kept up the aggression with a bet of 130,000. Kulev, undeterred by the strength shown from Chidwick, made the call.
A Q♠ completed the board and Chidwick slowed down witih a check, only for Kulev to shove all in. Chidwick had around 115,000 chips behind and after using three time-extension chips, he elected to fold.
James Chen opened to 10,000 from middle position. Aleksejs Ponakovs then three-bet to 32,000 after action folded to him on the button. The blinds got out of the way while Chen called to send the two players to a flop.
The flop came Q♠6♣7♠. Chen checked to Ponakovs, who continued for 25,500 and Chen called.
Both players checked through the 8♣ turn to the Q♣ river at which point they checked to showdown. Chen held 9♦8♦, good enough to scoop a decent pot.
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