Play stopped at table #437 for about 5 minutes when Xiu Deng counted the pot and realized she was missing 1,000, the amount of the big blind. Deng, as it was explained, raised preflop and it folded around.
The pot should have included the blinds and antes but was missing one yellow chip from the big blind.
The player in the big blind seemed reluctant to relinquish the yellow chip and the tournament director was called. After hearing the dealer's account of the situation, he addressed the big blind and said we can review the tape which will take about ten minutes or you can add 1,000 to the pot. At that time, the player handed over a yellow chip to make the pot right.
Lauren Billings has picked up today right where she left off yesterday - by gather chips with aggressive play.
In a recent hand, Billings called a preflop bet to 4,500, then both players checked when the flop came . The turn was the , and Billings bet out, her opponent quickly folded. The pot brings Billings above the 100,000-chip mark.
Hermance Blum pushed all in preflop, and was called only by Vanessa Sena. Blum showed , and was behind Sena's . The board came , giving both a pair of aces, but Sena won the pot with her king kicker, busting Blum from the tournament.
We aren't sure how she got there, but Liv Boeree is now sitting with a close to 80,000 stack in front of her. I guess the rocky start post is no longer valid since she has bout doubled her starting stack in the first 35 minutes of play.
On a flop of , Cindy Kerslake checked, and Pam Buzzetto moved all in. Kerslake called instantly and turned over for quads. Buzzetto showed and would need running kings win the pot. They didn't come, and Kerslake doubled up.
After the money bubble, there has been a flurry of eliminations as relatively short-stacked players who made the money are now more willing to risk their chip stacks.
This elimination hand we just witnessed is typical of the last few minutes of play. Two players had each put in 3,000 preflop, and a third, Jane Strell, was all in for less. The flop fell , and Crystal Steele led out for 3,000. Lynne Beaumont folded, and the two remaining players turned up their hands:
Steele:
Strell:
The turn and river were the and the , and Strell was eliminated.
After one more elimination while waiting for all tables to be ready to play hand-for-hand, the money bubble has burst without the need for hand-for-hand play.
The remaining 117 players are guaranteed a minimum payout of $1,631.
The tournament director just announced hand-for-hand play when we heard Mandy Baker announce all in with a raise from Sally Boyer in front of her. Boyer, the 2007 champion of this event, isn't playing to just make the money, she is playing to win. She called the all in, for her final 17,900, and was ahead going to the flop.
Boyer:
Baker:
The board ran out giving Boyer a set and a double up.
. The turn was the 
, and Billings bet out, her opponent quickly folded. The pot brings Billings above the 100,000-chip mark.
, and was behind Sena's 
. The board came 
, giving both a pair of aces, but Sena won the pot with her king kicker, busting Blum from the tournament.
, Cindy Kerslake checked, and Pam Buzzetto moved all in. Kerslake called instantly and turned over 
, and Crystal Steele led out for 3,000. Lynne Beaumont folded, and the two remaining players turned up their hands:
, and Strell was eliminated.
giving Boyer a set and a double up.
