In a field where a handful of languages are spoken, making it difficult for some players to verbally communicate with each other, it's remarkable to see how smoothly the game can still be played through the universal language of poker.
While he's playing this Main Event, Sam Greenwood is also playing another game that relies much more heavily on understanding of a language. He has his tablet on the padded rail with a crossword puzzle illuminating his face in a blue-white glow.
In a recent hand, Chunguang Zhang seems to be speaking Greenwood's language. Through a great read, he saved himself a lot of chips.
Zhang raised to 1,100 from under the gun, getting a call from Aymon Hata on his direct left as well as Greenwood in the small blind.
The flop came and Greenwood checked. Zhang continued with a bet of 2,200 and Hata folded. Greenwood made the call.
The turn was the and both players checked. Greenwood checked again and Zhang eyed up his opponent, thinking for at least half a minute before shaking his head and checking behind.
Greenwood slapped his cards face up, showing for a turned set, disappointed that he wasn't able to lure his opponent into betting. Zhang turned up a surprisingly strong hand of for an overpair, somehow knowing that a river bet was going to get him in trouble.
When action folded around to Albert Paik, the American opened the betting to 1,400. Two players made the call and then Jack Salter three-bet to 5,500.
Sitting directly to Salter's left, Paik quickly fisted some chips and dropped down a four-bet worth 13,000. All three of his opponents quickly tossed their cards into the muck and another pot was pushed towards Paik.
A heads-up battle between Zigao Yu and the player to his direct right saw a whole bunch of chips make their way to the middle.
With about 20,000 already in the pot and a flop of , Yu faced an all-in bet from his opponent in the amount of 29,950.
Yu counted his stack and stood up, deliberating over a decision for about half of his stack. After a few moments, Yu sat back down and put out the chips to make the call.
Opponent:
Yu:
Yu was ahead but needed to fade a diamond to eliminate his opponent. The fell on the turn and the completed the board on the river, securing the pot for Yu.
We managed to catch Tom Alner on his way to the exit and he was kind enough to tell us his tale of woe.
Left short after his pocket jacks were brutally beaten by an opponent’s deuce-three offsuit Alner was down to his last 8,000 or so in chips and moved all-in with and was looked up by Vladimir Troyanovskiy holding pocket sevens.
Unfortunately for the Brit the form that saw him take down two Red Dragon Main Event’s deserted him at this crucial moment and the board ran out a paint-less and his PokerStars Macau Championship Main Event is now over.
The day of Daniel Laidlaw is getting better and better, as the Australian had even more chips while Philipp Gruissem just grabbed his belongings and left the tournament area. Laidlaw was kind enough to explain what happened, and Ryan Yu one seat over confirmed this as well.
Gruissem was down to around 21,000 when the hand started and raised to 1,000 on the button, while Laidlaw three-bet to 3,200 in the small blijnd. Gruissem called and the flop fell . Gruissem called a bet worth 3,600 by Laidlaw before the latter then shoved the turn for effectively 15,000. Gruissem called with for second pair and the nut flush draw, while Laidlaw was ahead with . The river was another six and that shipped the pot to Laidlaw.
After a flop of , the action checked to Vinay [Removed:550] and he bet 2,500. Xuan Liu check-raised all in for 11,075 and Sven Andersson called before [Removed:550] reraised all in for 37,100 in total. Andersson eventually called to put two players at risk with the biggest stack of the trio.
Xuan Liu:
Vinay [Removed:550]:
Sven Andersson:
The turn and river were both blanks and Liu was eliminated, while [Removed:550] doubled through Andersson and joined the big stacks.
On the three-way turn reading , the action checked to Huu Nguyen in the cutoff and he bet 1,900. Timothy Adams check-raised all in for his last 4,225 in the small blind and the third player in the hand folded. Nguyen called and Adams rolled over for quads deuces, while Nguyen already mucked his cards with a smile on the face.
The river completed the board and Adams doubled to around half the starting stack.
With already on the table, Philipp Gruissem check-called a bet of 5,400 from his opponent, Daniel Laidlaw. The turn was the and Gruissem checked again. Laidlaw made it 11,500 to continue and Gruissem thought for a bit before throwing his cards away, shaking his head.
and Greenwood checked. Zhang continued with a bet of 2,200 and Hata folded. Greenwood made the call.
and both players checked. Greenwood checked again and Zhang eyed up his opponent, thinking for at least half a minute before shaking his head and checking behind.
for a turned set, disappointed that he wasn't able to lure his opponent into betting. Zhang turned up a surprisingly strong hand of 
for an overpair, somehow knowing that a river bet was going to get him in trouble.
, Yu faced an all-in bet from his opponent in the amount of 29,950.
fell on the turn and the 
completed the board on the river, securing the pot for Yu.
. Gruissem called a bet worth 3,600 by Laidlaw before the latter then shoved the 
for second pair and the nut flush draw, while Laidlaw was ahead with 
. The river was another six and that shipped the pot to Laidlaw.
.
, the action checked to Vinay [Removed:550] and he bet 2,500. Xuan Liu check-raised all in for 11,075 and Sven Andersson called before [Removed:550] reraised all in for 37,100 in total. Andersson eventually called to put two players at risk with the biggest stack of the trio.
, the action checked to Huu Nguyen in the cutoff and he bet 1,900. Timothy Adams check-raised all in for his last 4,225 in the small blind and the third player in the hand folded. Nguyen called and Adams rolled over 
for quads deuces, while Nguyen already mucked his cards with a smile on the face.
