Eric Liu, formerly in second place chip-wise, has dropped right down to 507,000 after getting involved with Praz Bansi.
We're not sure exactly what happened, but the board read and it looked as though Bansi had announced all in on the river. Whatever happened there, Liu folded and Bansi is up to 573,000.
James Akenhead raised to 27,000 from the cutoff only for Sandor "Really Looks A Lot Like Johnny Cash" Demjan to make it 64,000 from the button. Call.
They saw a flop and Akenhead checked. Demjan promptly announced all in, and, snapping his cards resignedly, Akenhead folded.
The next hand Demjan raised from the cutoff and picked up a caller in Markus Ristola on the button. Demjan bet out 50,000 on the flop and Ristol called that too, but Demjan announced all in on the urn and Ristola eventually passed. Demjan is up over the 300,000 mark again.
We arrived to see a three-way pot that had made it to the turn, the board reading . Sandor Demjan in the small blind position had 50,000 in front of him and so did Konstantin Bücherl under the gun; our powers of deduction led us to the conclusion that Demjan had bet out and Bücherl had called. Over to Saar Wilf -- who announced all in to cover them both. Demjan folded swiftly, and after a moment, so did Bücherl, albeit reluctantly.
Wilf is still our chip leader and is now on 900,000. With the average at 477,000 though, this really is still anyone's game.
"Shares are down," joked a member of the rail as the final table was robbed of it's most aesthetically pleasing member. With her stack dribbling, Liz Lieu raised it up with and received one caller in Matt Hawrilenko.
With , Hawrilenko not only hit the flop, but smashed it to smithereens. He checked, and Lieu pushed in. Snap, blank, blank and Lieu was out.
Jason Mercier raised to 26,000 and Chris Bjorin called from the small blind to see a flop which they both checked.
Bjorin check-called 31,000 from Mercier on the turn and another 69,000 (teehee!) from Mercier on the river. Mercier turned over for two pair, but Bjorin's surprisingly premium for a flush won the hand.
Sandor Demjan raised to 27,000 under the gun and it folded right around to James Akenhead in the big blind, who raised to 230,000 to cover Demjan. After a moment, Demjan folded, leaving himself on 192,000, and stared hard at Akenhead through his aviators long into the next hand. Akenhead at least pretended not to notice.
I observed the tail end of the hand from the balcony, but was later filled in on the preflop action by step-in-blogger Jack Effel: "Daniel [Negreanu] raised to 24,000 and Doyle [Brunson] called. Arnaud [Mattern] pushed all in, Daniel folded, and Doyle called."
When the hands were placed on their backs, there was a never ending string of Cheshire Cat grins from the Brunson fans seated beyond the rail, as their man had picked up at just the right time. Mattern had .
Despite a second lady on the turn of a board, the rocket failed to launch, and Mattern found himself nearing the felt. Brunson, meanwhile, was elevated to 416,000.
Jason Mercier raised to 26,000 preflop and received three callers: Keith Hawkins (cut-off), Chris Bjorin (button), and Steven Fung (big blind).
Everybody checked the flop, only for Fung to lead for 44,000 on the turn Mercier called; Hawkins and Bjorin ducked out of the way.
On the river, Fung nonchalantly dropped 50,000 into the pot, which triggered Mercier into moving all in. After fingering his chips briefly, Fung relinquished his hand.