Aamir Khan opened for 6,500 and it folded to William Kassouf who thought for a while before raising to 18,200. That left only a stack of blue chips worth 100,000 behind.
“I’m raising all my change to find out where I am,” Kassouf told Khan, “If you’re winning raise, if you’re losing fold. Don’t call.”
Khan called. The flop was .
“You got any of that?” Kassouf asked before betting 35,000. Khan looked like he wasn’t sure what to do so Kassouf decided to give him some help.
“I got aces. The biggest pair. Ace jack is not good. Queens are no good, should I continue?”
Convinced or not Khan folded and all cards remained unseen.
Julien Sitbon had increased his stack to around 200,000, but his media card was just handed over. A quick look at the table showed a monster stack of Shantanu Banerji, who kept knocking out short stacks left and right on Day 1c. Banerji looked up, smiled and explained what had happened.
Banerji opened to 6,700 and Sitbon three-bet to 17,000, Banerji called. On the flop with two spades, Banerji check-raised from 16,000 to 39,000 and Sitbon called before the Brit fired the turn for 47,000 and shoved the river for 110,000 effective. Sitbon didn't believe him and called with for just top pair while Banerji rolled over pocket jacks.
Victor Choupeaux had top two against a set and busted, as did fellow Frenchman Emrah Cakmak.
Short stack Virgo Laansoo got his short stack in with and Nicolae Ostrovschi looked him up with . The board came and that was it for Laansoo very close to the money.
And almost at the same time, Adrian Mateos, who was supposed to buy off all the small chip denominations for the upcoming race in the break, handed all the racks over to Clement Tripodi after busting to the Frenchman.
Rehman Kassam checked from the big blind and PokerStars Team Pro Felipe Ramos bet 14,000. Adam Slaiper called his bet, but Kassam sprung a big check-raised all in.
Ramos gave it several minutes thought, counting out his stack and shifting around in his seat. In the end he pushed his cards away.
Slaiper too looked a bit tortured and shook his head a few times before he too slid his cards to the dealer. Kassam collected the chips.
A table in Jimmy's room broke and there are 186 players remaining. Since several rooms are in play in the Hippodrome Casino, the staff has decided to play hand-for-hand three off the money already and there are just under four minutes remaining in the level.
In a battle button versus small blind, Honglin Jiang and Sally Stephens got into a big pot that saw Stephens fire the flop and the turn. On the river, Stephens checked and Jiang bet for what looked like 40,000. Stephens check-raised all in for 93,400 and Jiang called.
Sally Stephens:
Honglin Jiang:
The river card proved to be deadly for Jiang and he had to forfeit a decent chunk of his stack while Stephens doubled to more than twice the average
There is 25-minute break now. Hand-for-hand continues when they come back and two players busted still to reduce the field to 184. When everyone resumes, the action will recommence on the pure money bubble.
The most famous/infamous poker player in the game right now played a huge hand late last night that had railbirds leaning over to get a closer view. “How does he do it?” one of them said. The PokerStars Blog watched the hand.
.
flop with two spades, Banerji check-raised from 16,000 to 39,000 and Sitbon called before the Brit fired the 
turn for 47,000 and shoved the 
and Nicolae Ostrovschi looked him up with 
. The board came 
turn. On the 
river, Stephens checked and Jiang bet for what looked like 40,000. Stephens check-raised all in for 93,400 and Jiang called.
