From the hijack seat, Todd Terry raised to 500. The cutoff seat called and 2009 EPT Warsaw champion Christophe Benzimra called on the button. Jason Wheeler was in the big blind and three-bet to 2,250. Terry thought for a good minute or so and then called. The cutoff and Benzimra both folded.
The flop came down and Wheeler fired out 3,500. Terry took his time and broke down his own stack two or three times before moving all in. Wheeler first asked for a count and the all-in bet was worth 17,300. He then asked the dealer to pull in the 3,500s from each player. Once the dealer grabbed the 3,500s, Wheeler saw the amount he needed to call and announced a call.
Terry tabled the for an open-ended straight draw, a backdoor flush draw and two overcards while Wheeler had flopped the second nut with the . Quite the flop for a squeeze play for Wheeler as he was looking to send Terry to the rail pending the turn and river.
The turn brought the and nailed Terry with a higher straight. The river then completed the board with the and Terry officially doubled through. He now has over 40,000 in chips.
As we lose one nosebleed player in durrrr, we gain another in Omaha specialist Richard Ashby who snaps up the very same seat.
Ashby's delayed presence is due to a deep run in last night's WCOOP event, but it's not over, the final is at 10pm today and Ashby has arrived with laptop in tow in case he evades an early exit.
If ever there were a time where a player might gamble for a big stack early doors, then this may be it.
News soon simmered around the room of Tom Dwan's exit, so I quickly scurried over to the crime scene to extract the details. Antonio Esfandiari was on hand to act as star witness:
"He had sevens, the Fish had kings, and it all went in on a 5-6-8 flop."
"Who was 'the Fish'," I inquired.
"Ah, that would be me."
It would be somewhat impolite of me to refer to him as 'the Fish', so...
... Mr. Fish now has around 60,000 after eliminating durrrr.
With about 2,700 in the middle, the flop read with plenty of big names still holding cards. Matt Stout was first up and he checked to Brian Powell. He also checked and action moved to Eric Baldwin. "Basebaldy" checked to move the action to Tommy Vedes and he also checked. Last to act was Liv Boeree and she fired 1,600. Stout folded before Powell called. Baldwin check-raised to 5,500 and then Vedes folded. Boeree also folded, but Powell stuck around with a call.
Action was now heads up and then turn brought the . Powell checked and Baldwin fired 7,300. After a minute of tanking, Powell made the call.
The river completed the board with the . Powell checked and then Baldwin checked behind.
"Just a nine," said Powell and Baldwin nodded his head to acknowledge that it was good. Powell then tabled the and Baldwin mucked.
"Nice hand," said Baldwin, complimenting Powell and making some pretty nice calls with just a pair of nines.
Powell increased his stack to 47,000 while Baldwin saw his drop to 26,000.
The chips went flying in on a flop between Jeff Madsen and Eli Elezra in a huge pot. Madsen flipped for top pair and a flush draw but Elezra had flopped two pair with a cheeky which turned a boat with the . The came on the river and Madsen was eliminated by the worst hand in poker.
Steven Chidwick has been eliminated, an empty chair now gracing his place at his starting table. New arrival Roland de Wolfe filled in the details succinctly:
"He had a set against a straight. A straight is better than a set, right?"
Jim Collopy might have been up until the early hours trying to keep his bracelet hopes alive, but that hasn't stopped him from making an appearance here today in the Main Event.
Judging by his promising start, they might struggle to find time to squeeze in that bracelet battle, Collopy currently on 52,000 after taking down a sumptuous pot up here on the balcony.
When I arrived on the scene, Collopy was leading out from the big blind into a flop of , only for a player in middle position to move all in for 10,025.
The action halted on the button who dwelt for longer than Rodin's 'The Thinker' before eventually opting to flat call from a stack of 40,000.
Collopy paused momentarily before moving all in himself. The caller gave up the ghost and we had a showdown, Collopy in the lead with , but vulnerable against .
But when you're in form, it feels as though nothing can go wrong for you, and indeed the board ran out dry as the turn and river came and respectively.
Over on the young guns table, Tom Marchese just won a nice pot after attacking from the button as most young players do nowadays. Action folded to Marchese and he raised to 450. The small blind called and Martins Adeniya called from the big blind.
The flop came down and the two blinds passed to Marchese. He fired 750 verbally and tossed out a yellow T1,000 chip. The small blind mucked, but Adeniya came along to see the turn.
Fourth street brought the and Adeniya checked. Marchese fired 1,150 and was called once more.
The river completed the board with the and Adeniya checked. "Allllllll right," said Marchese, checking behind.
"Just a jack," said Adeniya, flipping up the . Marchese tabled the for a flush.
Marchese moved to 28,600 and got back towards the starting stack amount. Adeniya dropped to 22,525.
button in Safari
and Wheeler fired out 3,500. Terry took his time and broke down his own stack two or three times before moving all in. Wheeler first asked for a count and the all-in bet was worth 17,300. He then asked the dealer to pull in the 3,500s from each player. Once the dealer grabbed the 3,500s, Wheeler saw the amount he needed to call and announced a call.
for an open-ended straight draw, a backdoor flush draw and two overcards while Wheeler had flopped the second nut with the 
. Quite the flop for a squeeze play for Wheeler as he was looking to send Terry to the rail pending the turn and river.
and nailed Terry with a higher straight. The river then completed the board with the 
and Terry officially doubled through. He now has over 40,000 in chips.
with plenty of big names still holding cards. Matt Stout was first up and he checked to Brian Powell. He also checked and action moved to Eric Baldwin. "Basebaldy" checked to move the action to Tommy Vedes and he also checked. Last to act was Liv Boeree and she fired 1,600. Stout folded before Powell called. Baldwin check-raised to 5,500 and then Vedes folded. Boeree also folded, but Powell stuck around with a call.
. Powell checked and Baldwin fired 7,300. After a minute of tanking, Powell made the call.
. Powell checked and then Baldwin checked behind.
and Baldwin mucked.
which turned a boat with the 
. The 
came on the river and Madsen was eliminated by the worst hand in poker.
, but vulnerable against 
and Adeniya checked. Marchese fired 1,150 and was called once more.
