The 19 players have been sent on a 15-minute break.
The 19 players have been sent on a 15-minute break.
Qing Lu moved all in from the hijack for 670,000, and received a call from Quoc Le from the small blind.
Lu stated, "trouble, trouble, trouble."
Qing Lu: A♠3♦
Quoc Le: J♦J♥
The board saved Lu from all her trouble with Q♦4♦9♠A♥10♠. Lu held the best hand with a pair of aces.
Stephen Austin got his stack of around 900,000 into the middle preflop with Andres Korn trying to send him home just before the break.
Stephen Austin: A♠K♣
Andres Korn: 9♥9♦
Austin needed his big slick to connect with the board in some way to survive, but he found no help on the 2♥8♦3♦3♣6♠ runout, and all of his chips were sent over to Korn.
Julio Belluscio in the big blind, Arie Kliper on the button and Kenneth Kim in middle position had already built a 400,000 pot when the 7♣10♦A♥ flop fell.
All three players checked leading them to the turn.
The turn showed J♥. Belluscio led with 200,000 and Kim went beyond and made it 400,000. Kliper got out of the way, allowing Belluscio to put his remaining 200,000 into the pot for a call.
Julio Belluscio: 9♥8♥
Kenneth Kim: K♥Q♠
Belluscio caught a straight on the turn but Kim had the Broadway straight with the same card. The dealer completed the board with a 3♠. Belluscio left the table as his peers wished him well and praised him for a well-played game.
Marc Rivera raised the cutoff to 115,000 and Qing Sun called from the big blind.
Sun check-called a continuation-bet of 150,000 from Rivera on the 4♠Q♥J♠ flop.
Both players checked the 10♥ turn before the 9♣ completed the board. Sun bet 260,000, and was met by a shove from Rivera. The shove was for Sun's remaining 600,000, and Sun immediately folded.
The next hand, Jeffrey Copeland jammed the button for 500,000, and Sun called from the small blind with just slightly more chips than Copeland.
Jeffrey Copeland: J♥10♥
Qing Sun: A♣6♦
Both players were short-stacked, and the result was pivotal for their tournament lives.
Sun stayed in the lead on the 7♣5♠6♠ flop, but the 10♣ turn propelled Copeland in front with top pair. Copeland improved to trips on the 10♠ river to secure the double-up.
Sun was left with just four big blinds and was eliminated a short while later.
Qing Lu and Quoc Le were caught engaged in an all-in showdown.
Qing Lu: K♣9♥
Quoc Le: K♥6♥
Lu was ahead, but the flop dropped 6♣3♥8♣, putting Le in the lead.
The 7♣ fell on the turn, giving Lu some hope with a flush draw.
The river Q♣ completed Lu's flush, allowing her to stay in the tournament.
Chad Layne moved all in from early position for 355,000, Nariman Yaghmai called from the hijack, and Arie Kliper called from the button. The flop arrived with J♦4♣2♦, and both players who were not all in checked.
On the turn 6♣, Yaghmai bet 250,000, and Kliper called. Both players checked the river K♥.
Chad Layne: Q♦J♥
Arie Kliper: 5♠5♣
Nariman Yaghmai: A♦J♣
Yaghmai won the pot with a pair of jacks and his ace-kicker, sending Layne to the payout desk.
Imari Love moved all in from the cutoff for 425,000, and Andres Korn called from the small blind. It was a classic race.
Imari Love: A♠J♠
Andres Korn: 6♠6♣
The board started well for Korn with 6♦10♥A♥ as he hit his set, but the turn K♣ and the river Q♣ brought Love the straight for the win.
With around 700,000 already in the pot, Manish Madan checked from middle position on the 7♥Q♦10♠ flop. Luke Graham checked behind on the button and the A♦ hit the turn.
Madan fired out a bet of 225,000, and Graham continued with a call.
A 5♥ completed the board and Madan carved out a bet of 590,000 into the middle. Graham took his time, counted out his stack, and then slammed in the call.
Madan shook his head and sheepishly tabled J♥9♦ for a missed straight draw.
Graham flipped over A♣K♦ for top pair top kicker, and the pot was shipped his way.
Nariman Yaghmai in the cutoff, Ghassan Hoss in the small blind, and Julio Belluscio in the big blind had already built a pot of 400,000 when the flop dropped 3♥7♦3♣.
After action was checked to him, Yaghmai fired 75,000, pushing Hoss out of the pot. Belluscio called to see the next street.
The J♦ turn fell, and Belluscio check-raised Yaghmai's 225,000 bet and made it 550,000. Yaghmai went into the tank and took his time to consider his options. He made the call, taking them to the river.
The river 2♥ was peeled, and Belluscio shoved all in. Yaghmai instantly called. Belluscio showed 8♦7♥ while Yaghmai tabled Q♥Q♦ for a better two pair hand.