Willie Tann made it 17,000 under the gun, and it folded around to Felipe Ramos on the button, who went all in for 40,000. The blinds folded but Tann made the call, and the cards were once more on their backs for Ramos' tournament life.
Ramos:
Tann:
"You'll get there, Willie!" called over the recently eliminated Andrew Miles, "Don't worry!"
But he didn't.
Board:
Tann flopped a flush draw but failed to improve on the turn or river, and Ramos stays in the game on 92,000. That's still going to be less than 10 big blinds when we return, though.
A small but necessary double up to keep Felipe Ramos in the tournament - moving in preflop for his whole 30k (actually, raising the max - 28k and getting John Racener to put the courtesy extra 2k in) he showed and looked a little disappointed that Racener had found . However his double flush draw proved decisive on a board and he's going to make the dinner break, it looks like.
Felipe Ramos limped in from the cutoff and Joe Serock limped behind on the button. Willie Tann, however, raised pot from the big blind; Ramos called, and Serock folded.
Two players to the flop.
Tann promptly shoved for his last 49,000, and after a few moments, Ramos made the call. Ramos had Tann covered, but only by 30,000 or so.
Tann: for aces
Ramos: for a pair of queens, a flush draw and a gutshot
Turn:
"Yeah, the best card!" said Tann.
River:
None of Ramos' outs came in, as it were, and a grinning Tann doubled to around 170,000. Ramos sat, mouth agape, staring into the tournament void. He's in some serious trouble now.
Small pots in the last quarter hour only, perhaps influenced by the thought of returning refreshed from the dinner break which has been announced for 20 minutes from now. 37k did change hands back from John Racener to Jeff Lisandro, though, when the latter check-raised pot on a board. Racener got 19k back from Felipe Ramos, shortly thereafter, however, and play continues with just Willie Tann's stack in danger at the bottom of the counts.
Felipe Ramos has not quite dug himself out of his short-stacked hole, but he's clawed back a few chips at least courtesy of John Racener.
It folded around to Ramos who made it 18,000 from the button; Racener duly called in the big blind and they saw a flop. Racener checked to Ramos, who promptly bet 26,000 with just 75,000 back. Racener immediately picked up a handful of blue T5,000 chips, but riffled rather than raised. His hand jerked suddenly, as though he was tossing in a call - but the chips stayed in his hand, and he returned to riffling.
Eventually he folded, and Ramos moved up to 140,000 without a showdown.
And the winner is... John Racener. Very interesting hands sometimes start with a limp-check, and this was one of those. Jeffrey Lisandro and Felipe Ramos limped, and Racener checked his option. It looked like a check-round on the flop, but on the turn it got a bit more frisky, with Racener checking, Lisandro betting 10k, Ramos calling and Racener responding with a raise to 44k. Back to Lisandro who called quickly, while Ramos took a little bit more time to make the call on the button, too.
The river: You couldn't have asked for a more interesting card.
Racener checked, Lisandro fired 50k. Ramos gave it up after a bit of a dwell, but Racener finished his dwell with a raise to 165k! This sent Lisandro into a brow-furrowed self-counting tank, muttering what passed through everyone's mind at least once, "Six seven of spades?". It even sounded like he said, "Ace deuce of spades," as in that was the real monster he was deliberating over. Whether this was the case or not, we'll never really know as he eventually folded and Racener reissues his challenge for the chip lead.
John Racener (under the gun) and Jeff Kimber (under the gun + 1) both limped in before Jeffrey Lisandro raised pot from the hijack. Racener called without delay; Kimber squinted and paused and looked a little confused, before calling as well.
They saw a flop and Racener checked; Kimber, however, moved all in for around 70,000.
Over to Lisandro, who announced, "I'm all in."
Back to Racener, who asked, "How much?"
We were denied the pleasure of a three-way showdown, though, as Racener realised that Lisandro's 300,00 or so had him covered, and he folded.
On their backs, heads up.
Kimber (whom the TD insisted on calling Jeffrey Kimbler for some reason): for top pair and a gutshot draw
Lisandro: for a set of fives
Turn:
River:
While this was going on, Lisandro took delivery of a can of Red Bull from a waitress. Not that he needs it - on well over 400,000, he is chip leader by a country mile.
The unhappy Kimber, meanwhile, exits in the same place he finished in when he finalled this event last year - eighth.
While his rail starts in with a bit of supportive hollering... he just doubled up thusly: John Racener made it 14k to go preflop (as he often does) and Tann on the button could fit his whole 50k in as a re-raise. Back to Racener who called from his chip mountain with facing Tann's premium . The flop was safe for the all-in player: , while the turn provoked a mini cheer from his rail and the river another one. Back up to 109k.
![[user46298]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
and looked a little disappointed that Racener had found 
. However his double flush draw proved decisive on a 
board and he's going to make the dinner break, it looks like.
for aces
for a pair of queens, a flush draw and a gutshot
board. Racener got 19k back from Felipe Ramos, shortly thereafter, however, and play continues with just Willie Tann's stack in danger at the bottom of the counts.
for top pair and a gutshot draw
for a set of fives
