[user46298]
Praz Bansi makes it 130k to go preflop, but dwell-folds when Barry Shulman ups it by 300k.
The next hand, though, Bansi raises under the gun (155k) and when Jason Mercier in the big blind calls, he bets him off a flop to more than get his money back from the previous hand.
[user46298]
Small blind vs. big blind, Jason Mercier vs. Praz Bansi. A checked flop of brought a harmless looking and a bet out by Mercier of 210k. Bansi made the call.
On the river Mercier checked, and Bansi pushed out 300k in red 5k towers (mainly) which looked impressive. Mercier thought for a while but eventually folded, giving Bansi, still the chip leader, a little reboost after doubling up Shulman.
[user46392]
Praz Bansi raised under the gun and both Barry Shulman (small blind) and Jason Mercier (big) called. They saw a flop.
We're not entirely sure how the action on the flop went -- whether Shulman open-shoved or whether it checked around to Bansi and then Shulman shoved to a bet -- but however it went down, Shulman moved all in. Jason Mercier spent a while thinking about it but eventually folded, looking very unhappy -- but Bansi called, and they were on their backs, to a whole load of shouting from the railers, who are filling every available nook around the main stage.
Bansi: for an overpair
Shulman: for a flush draw
Turn:
River:
Thus Shulman failed to hit his flush but managed to spike an ace instead to give him the double up. The whole rail, filled as it is with Bansi-ites, fell silent, except for Shulman's wife who kept on shouting support for some minutes after the hand was over.
With that, although Bansi is still technically chip leader, the stacks have returned to pretty much even. We could be in for a long night.
[user46298]
Jason Mercier (button) and Daniel Negreanu (big blind) started playing the next pot with a minimal bet pre, and a heads up flop of . Negreanu checked and Mercier bet 160k. Unlike in his first two confrontations, however, Negreanu called and they saw a turn: .
Now Negreanu checked again, Mercier bet 290k, and again he called.
The river: Check to Mercier once more. He considered for a short while, before betting 805k. Negreanu did some squirming.
"Sometime's it's a silly silly game," he let everyone know. "That's a very good bet." He considered for a few moments more, asked himself, "What would Phil Ivey do?" and made the call.
Mercier showed:
Negreanu showed: !
A round of applause, genuine and unsuggested, kicked off in the stands.
[user46392]
Praz Bansi, slight chip leader at dinner, has extended that lead to a rather convincing 3.975 million compared to second-placer Negreanu's 2.59 million.
Most recently Bansi in the big blind called a button raise from Barry Shulman to see a flop which both players checked. Bansi bet out on the turn, and Shulman folded, to cheering from the Bansi camp at the rail.
[user46298]
Play has restarted with a Barry Shulman raise to 125k. Negreanu takes a peek at the flop with him, but goes no further than that when Shulman bets 200k.
Then...
Praz Bansi makes it 130k to go, called by Negreanu, again. Flop: . Same sort of end to the second hand i.e. a bet out at Negreanu and a swift fold.
Then...
Bansi raises to 130k next hand. Barry Shulman raises a further 250k - and Bansi calls.
Flop: Out bets Shulman (300k) - this time with a call.
Turn: Now Shulman checks to Bansi. He has brief think, and checks behind.
River: Again both players check, and Bansi's pocket are good to win the pot.
[user46392]
Post-dinner play has resumed, although it was prefaced with Jack Effel re-introducing the players to the crowd with a kind of cheering contest where the crowd was invited to holler for their favourite player.
[user46392]
Well, this has been an eventful level. Our four remaining runners agreed to take a 20 minute break and skip dinner altogether, but there are union rules and major penalties in place that make it difficult for the TV production crew to work longer than 10 hours continuously, without a break.
A compromise was offered, but the players seemed to prefer one extreme or the other.
Daniel Negreanu was overheard saying, "It's either no break, or a real break," and thus, a real break it is.
![[user46298]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
flop to more than get his money back from the previous hand. 
brought a harmless looking 
and a bet out by Mercier of 210k. Bansi made the call.
river Mercier checked, and Bansi pushed out 300k in red 5k towers (mainly) which looked impressive. Mercier thought for a while but eventually folded, giving Bansi, still the chip leader, a little reboost after doubling up Shulman.
for an overpair
for a flush draw
.
!
turn, and Shulman folded, to cheering from the Bansi camp at the rail.
. Same sort of end to the second hand i.e. a bet out at Negreanu and a swift fold.
Out bets Shulman (300k) - this time with a call.
Now Shulman checks to Bansi. He has brief think, and checks behind.
are good to win the pot.
