A poker player in the $50,000 buy-in World Series of Poker (WSOP) High Roller flopped a set and lost to an inferior hand. But not because his opponent pulled off a sick bluff.
Motoki Jinno lost a strange hand during Wednesday's Day 1 session, and it sent the Japanese high roller into a downward spiral that ended in a pre-dinner break elimination.
John Short and Kang Chong saw a flop of 8♦8♠6♦ when Short got his last 250,000 in the middle from the hijack and Chong put him at risk in the cutoff.
John Short: J♠J♥ 
Kang Chong: A♥8♥
Short showed down two jacks, but Chong had flopped trips to leave Short in danger of elimination. The turn, though, was the J♣ as Short spiked a full house. Chong needed to make quads to score the knockout, but instead it was Short who hit the last jack on the J♦ river to secure the double-up.
"Wow, what a turn," Chong said with a laugh as Short raked in the pot.
Michael Parisi opened to 35,000 from middle position and received calls from Isaac Haxton on the button and Romain Locquet in the big blind.
All three players checked the 2♣8♠4♣ flop leading to the J♦ turn. Locquet bet 40,000, Parisi folded A♠Q♥ and Haxton called.
On the J♥ river Locquet bet 130,000 and Haxton called again.
Haxton had 7♠7♣ for two pair, jacks and sevens while Locquiet showed trips with J♠10♣ to win the hand.
Todd Birmingham started the action with a raise to 30,000 in middle position. Adam Grovenstein responded with a three-bet to 75,000 from the button. Action folded back to Birmingham, who moved all in for 290,000.
Grovenstein seemed unhappy at the position he had ended up in. Unsure how to proceed, he went into the tank to think everything through. After some time to consider, he chose to call.
Todd Birmingham: A♦K♠
Adam Grovenstein: A♥J♦
It was a clean runout for Birmingham, as the dealer spread a 6♠5♣7♥2♠8♥ board, earning him a full double-up.
Justin Liberto opened from early position, and Jonathan Wang committed his final few chips from the big blind to be at risk.
Jonathan Wang: J♦7♥
Justin Liberto: Q♥Q♣
Wang had run into a monster hand, and Liberto's ladies made a full house on the 2♣3♥3♣2♦Q♠ board to secure the elimination.
Guy Leathley raised to 30,000 in early position before George Wang moved all in for 185,000 in middle position. Stephanie Morris was in the hijack and asked for a count as she took a minute before folding. Action then went on John Wasnock in the big blind who reshoved, and Leathley got out of the way.
George Wang: 5♣5♥
John Wasnock: K♦K♠
Wasnock had woken up with two kings, and the J♣4♣3♦8♥A♣ board offered no reprieve for Wang as he was sent to the rail.
"If you don't raise, I call him and I call him," Morris said to Leathley, pointing over at Wang's empty seat and Wasnock. Morris then admitted she folded two queens.
Fraser Macintyre came in with a raise to 30,000 from early position with Alexander Duvall calling on the button, and Benjamin Scrogins defending his big blind.
Three ways to the A♦A♠8♠ flop, that checked around to see the 6♠ fall on the turn. Scrogins checked, Macintyre bet 35,000, and only Duvall called.
The 4♥ came on the river and Macintyre checked. Duvall led out for 70,000, which was enough to get Macintyre to fold reluctantly.
The action was picked up with Monika Zukowicz all in from the cutoff and Hartt Stearns making the call on the button, sending the cards to showdown.
Monika Zukowicz: K♥10♣
Hartt Stearns: Q♠Q♥
Zukowicz picked up a pair on the 10♥3♠J♠3♦A♦ runout, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Stearns’ queens. With no further help from the board, her tournament run came to an end.
Maksim Pisarenko opened to 30,000 in middle position and got a caller in Ritvars Cekalins in hijack. When action folded to the button, Kathy Liebert shoved all-in for around 150,000. Jacob Frank, to her immediate left, shoved all-in as well for around 500,000.
This prompted Liebert to say, "Oh no," then looked at PokerNews and said, "Write it down, Kathy triples up. Write it." Unfortunately though, both Pisarenko and Cekalins got out of the way, leaving the other two players to head to showdown.
Kathy Liebert: Q♠Q♥
Jacob Frank: J♥J♦
"Give me a queen. I don't want a sweat," Liebert said as the dealer showed a board of 3♣4♠9♥K♠5♦. Vindicated, Liebert's queens held. She scooped the pot telling her table that she knew she was going to win after having waited for so long.
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