The stud-8 round started with Christopher George having to bring in twice and fold to completions, then came a big hand in which George ended up battling all of the way to seventh street with Brandon Wong with George going all in on the end and Wong calling.
In that one George managed to chop to survive, showing for the high while Wong won the low with .
The next hand, however, didn't go as well for George, another one in which he was pitted against Wong.
In that one George again had to bring in with the , and when Wong completed with the , George called.
It was Wong check-calling on fourth, then leading with bets on the next three streets. George called each time except the last when he raised all in for just 3,000 more and Wong called.
Wong was showing , and his down cards included both the and to make jacks full of fives for his high hand. Meanwhile George had been showing , and his down cards were for trip deuces and no low.
Sebastian Saffari opened with a raise from the small blind and Philip Sternheimer called out of the big blind. The flop came down and Saffari continued for 20,000. Sternheimer called and the hit the felt on fourth street. The action on this street remains unknown and the finished off the board on the river.
Saffari moved 105,000 into the middle and Sternheimer snapped him off.
"I have top set," said Sternheimer, showing for a set of kings. Saffari quietly fanned for the nut flush and took down the massive pot. Saffari has now cracked the million-chip mark with about 1.09 million.
The first hand of the second PLO round of the final table saw Scott Abrams raise to 35,000 from under the gun, then Sebastian Saffari reraise to 95,000 from the small blind, forcing a fold from Philip Sternheimer in the big blind. Abrams called with his remaining chips and the pair tabled their cards.
Abrams:
Saffari:
"Ace from space!" cried Abrams's rail, and when the flop came their initial reaction was positive, but then they saw Saffari had flopped a straight. The turn was the , leaving Abrams with still a few outs for possible survival. But the river was the , and Abrams left the stage with a fifth-place finish.
In a four-bet pot pre-draw, we found Scott Abrams draw two while Christopher George and Philip Sternheimer each took one. There were two checks to Sternheimer's button and he tossed out a bet. Both players called and Abrams took two cards once again at the draw. George and Sternheimer exchanged for one new one once more.
All three players checked and Abrams announced he was pat.
"Ooh, Scotty," said George with a grin.
George took one and Sternheimer was pat behind. Abrams fired out a bet, George folded, and Abrams called.
"I have a ninety-seven," said Sternheimer.
"Which ninety-seven?" replied Abrams.
Sternheimer fanned which was ahead of Abrams' . Sternheimer picked up the pot and left Abrams crippled. He now has just about 55,000 in chips. Sternheimer, on the other hand, is over the million-chip mark with 1.17 million.
Five of the six Omaha-8 hands this round saw action all of the way to the river, with Christopher George scooping a couple of hands.
In one George raised the button then called a Brandon Wong three-bet from the small blind, then called Wong bets after both the flop and turn. Both checked the river, and when George showed for a high of aces and treys and no low, Wong mucked.
Another hand saw George and Wong checking down to the river as the board rolled out , then George betting and Wong calling on the end. George showed for a straight, and Wong mucked again.
The other highlight of the round was a blind-vs.-blind hand between Sebastian Saffari and Philip Sternheimer. After Saffari limped in from the SB and Sternhemier checked, Saffari then led at every street as the board came , then , then , and Sternheimer called each time.
Saffari:
Sternheimer:
Saffari had the high locked up with his seven-high straight, and the pair split the low as both had made a 6-5-4-3-A.
On one hand, Scott Abrams opened with a raise to 20,000 from the cutoff and Christopher George three-bet to 55,000 from the button. It came back to Abrams and he flat called. Both players drew one card and Abrams led post-draw with 46,000. George called but mucked his hand after Abrams fanned .
A few hands later, Sebastian Saffari raised to 18,000 from the button and found calles from Philip Sternheimer in the small blind and Scott Abrams in the big. Sternheimer stood pat, Abrams drew one, and Saffari took two. Sternheimer checked and Abrams cut out 39,000. Saffari quickly folded and Sternheimer called just as fast.
"I have a straight," sighed Abrams.
Sternheimer showed which was enough to take down the pot.
Of the six stud hands, the first saw the most action, while the last two saw a couple of instances of players making big open pairs on fourth street to win small pots.
In the first hand Scott Abrams completed and both Christopher George and Brandon Wong called. Abrams then checked fourth and when George bet only Wong stuck around. George led on fifth and Wong called, then George check-called a Wong bet on sixth.
Abrams: () / — FOLDED
George: () /
Wong: () /
On seventh both remaining players checked, and Wong tabled for eights and sixes. It was good enough, as George folded.
The fifth hand of the round saw Abrams pairing his showing queen on fourth, scattering two opponents. Then the last saw Wong pairing his up card king on fourth, and Saffari backed away at the sight of the big pair.
Philip Sternheimer raised before the draw and Christopher George called from the button. Brandon Wong made it three bets from the small blind and both players called. Wong immediately stood pat and both Sternheimer and George drew two cards. Wong fired out a bet and Sternheimer folded. George called.
On the second draw, Wong tapped the table again and George drew one. Wong led out and find a raise from George. Wong flat called. The third draw saw Wong stand pat for the final time and George decided to take one card. The action went check-check on the final betting round and George mucked after Wong fanned for a ten badugi.
The next hand, Wong opened with a raise from the button and found a three-bet from Sebastian Saffari in the small blind. Wong called and watched as Saffari stood pat. Wong drew two and called a bet.
On the second draw, Wong drew two once more and and called another bet. Both players were pat on the third draw and checked the third betting round. Wong won with a for a jack badugi. After this round, Wong is now up to about 645,000 in chips.
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for the high while Wong won the low with 
.
, and when Wong completed with the 
, and his down cards included both the 
to make jacks full of fives for his high hand. Meanwhile George had been showing 
, and his down cards were 
finished off the board on the river.
for a set of kings. Saffari quietly fanned 
which was ahead of Abrams' 
. Sternheimer picked up the pot and left Abrams crippled. He now has just about 55,000 in chips. Sternheimer, on the other hand, is over the million-chip mark with 1.17 million.
flop and 
for a high of aces and treys and no low, Wong mucked.
, then 
.
