As we approach the nerve-wracking bubble time, the players at one table are keeping themselves entertained in other ways, as Ian Frazer retells a tale from yesterday's play.
"This one guy raised, I reraised and received three callers. The initial raiser folded. The flop came 9-9-9 and the initial raiser banged the table and exclaimed 'Damn!' 'What's wrong?' someone asked. 'Did you fold quads?' 'No,' he replied, I forget to leave the light on for the dog.'"
I'm not sure if it's superstition, lack of adequate clothing while traveling, or what, but there are a number of players who have made my list of "Same Clothes Two Days in a Row Violators." They include, in no particular order -- Annie Duke (don't think I've seen her in London without that khaki hoodie or those Replay jeans), Bob Willis (lovely blue striped button-down but did you not bring any others?) Karl Mahrenholz (in his "Blue Square Poker" polo), and nearly every single Betfair qualifier, all donning those gray jerseys with lime green piping for days on end.
At least there's great shopping in nearby Soho for all of you after the tournament ends. Hop to it!
Jamie Gold (on nearing the bubble): "Can you smell the $50,000?"
Ian Frazer (to his waitress): "Can I get a bottle of water, a coffee...a slow dance and a kiss on the lips?"
Jeff Buffenbarger: "That would be a bad beat for her."
John Tabatabai (on Oyvind Riisem's sick double up): "Oh good! I have 5 percent with him. He plays wild. Like me."
Involved with Theo Jorgensen, Erick Lindgren check-called his bet on the turn (he was the big blind) with the board looking like: .
The river brought the and now Lindgren led out for 17k (around a third of his chips). Jorgensen thought about it, and then made the call -- Lindgren tapped the table and didn't turn his hand over; Jorgensen showed and his rivered two pair took it.
"I got lucky," said Jorgensen, about that river, "I thought I got unlucky..."
Let me play! Do you know who I am?
After playing the bully in the 2006 WSOP, the bully has turned into the bullied and is now feeling slightly demoralised on the back table.
"I just feel that I'm being reraised every time I enter a pot," whined Gold as his button raise to 7.5k was reraised to 20.1k by Dominic Kay in the big blind.
"I'll show if you fold," teases Dominic.
"It's okay, it's not that, I have a hand, I'm not wasting time or anything," Gold replies. "I'm either folding or going all in, I've just got to decide which it is."
"It'd suck to go out now," he continues. "I'd feel like a jackass, playing for three days and finsihing in 38th."
In the end, Jamie folds, claiming he had pocket eights.
Pat Scanlon playing on Day 2
Over at the featured TV table, Pat Scanlon has come from behind once again to double up against a big stack. A few hands ago, he doubled up against Gus Hansen. His latest victim was Magnus Persson.
I caught the action on the flop of . There was about 30,000 in the three-way pot. Scanlon checked, Matthew McCullough checked, and Magnus Persson bet 19,500. Sacnlon check-raised all in for about 140,000. Matthew McCullough folded and Persson called.
Persson:
Scanlon:
Scanlon was ahead with a set. The turn was the and the river was the . Scanlon doubled up and increased his stack to 300,000. Persson slipped to 170,000.
. 
and now Lindgren led out for 17k (around a third of his chips). Jorgensen thought about it, and then made the call -- Lindgren tapped the table and didn't turn his hand over; Jorgensen showed 
and his rivered two pair took it.
. There was about 30,000 in the three-way pot. Scanlon checked, Matthew McCullough checked, and Magnus Persson bet 19,500. Sacnlon check-raised all in for about 140,000. Matthew McCullough folded and Persson called.
and the river was the 
