The hand started with Jason Cohen opening to 18,000 from under the gun plus one. Alvaro Aspas was in middle position, and moved all in for his last 87,000 in chips. The action folded around to Greg Mueller on the small blind, who made the call.
With the decision back on Cohen, he tanked for over a minute, before finally releasing his hand.
Mueller:
Aspas:
The board ran out to see Mueller knock out his opponent, moving up to 670,000 in chips.
Loi Phan opened from the hijack seat for 12,000 only to be reraised to 27,000 from Jean-Yves Malherbe. Action folded back to Phan who made the call.
The flop came down and Phan checked. Malherbe put out a bet of 22,000. Action was back on Phan and he opted to check-raise to a total of 50,000. After about 10 seconds, Malherbe reraised to 90,000 and after just a few seconds more Phan folded.
Malherbe is now over 1,000,000 chips after collecting that pot.
Joseph Curcio opened to 12,000 from the lo-jack only to have Matt Stout three-bet the hi-jack to 28,000. Curcio deliberated for a few moments before making the call as the dealer fanned out a flop.
Curcio checked and Stout continued for 28,000 which was enough to prompt a fold from Curcio and see him awarded the pot to move his stack upwards of 250,000 in chips.
Ronnie Bardah with his 4th consecutive Main Event cash
By cashing in this year's World Series of Poker Main Event, Ronnie Bardah has tied the record held by Chris Bjorin (along with Christian Harder who has since busted) for most consecutive Main Event cashes with four. Well, Bardah also knows a thing of two about playing consecutive pots with an opponent, Robert Koss, as the two just played three pots in a row together. Koss won all three pots, and here's what went down.
On the first hand, we picked up the action on the flop of . Bardah had checked, then Kevin Allen also checked. Koss bet 19,000, Bardah called, and Allen folded. The turn was the , and both players checked before seeing the land on the river. Bardah led for 24,000, and Koss snapped. Bardah showed the for a pair of sevens, but lost to Koss' for a pair of aces.
On the next hand, Koss raised to 13,000 from the hijack seat, and Bardah called from the button. Rafi Elarrar closed the action by calling out of the big blind, and the flop came down . Following a check from Elarrar, Koss bet 19,000. Bardah called, Elarrar folded, and the came out on the turn. Koss fired fourth street for 48,000, and Bardah folded.
For the final hand of the three, Koss opened to 13,000 from middle position, and Bardah flatted out of the cutoff seat. Everyone else folded, and the dealer spread out the flop. Koss bet 18,000, Bardah folded, and Koss showed him the .
Demis Hassabis moved all in from under the gun for 111,000, before Ryan Olson came over the top with a raise to 215,000. The rest of the table folded, before both players tabled their cards.
Hassabis:
Olson:
The board ran out to see Olson finish with a full house, as Hassabis was eliminated from the tournament.
We're unsure of when the money went in, but when we arrived at the table, Daniel Koschok was all in and at risk with , and the dealer was finishing a board of .
His opponent, Erkut Yilmaz, held , and recorded the knockout to push his stack to 430,000 chips.
Ryan Teves pushed all in from early position, and action folded around to Dick van Luijk. Van Luijk asked for a count, which turned out to be exactly 79,000, and then thought for a good two minutes before folding. Age Spets folded as well, and then Yann Dion called. The players turned up their cards:
Dion:
Teves:
Teves was all in and at risk, and he would need help. He got it on the flop, as the dealer spread . Dion, however, gained an inside-straight draw, and he would win the pot with a jack for the straight or an ace for a better pair. The turn was the , and the river was the , no help to either player, and Teves doubled up.
With around 200,000 in the pot and the board reading , Bryan Buonocore moved all in to put Michael Mizrachi to a decision for his tournament life. Mizrachi went deep into the tank while trying to get any read possible on Buonocore.
"I'm pretty sure I'm good. I'm just taking my time," Mizrachi said as a crowd gathered around the table. "How many hands beat me?"
After a few more minutes, Mizrachi folded with the face up.
"What was your kicker?" Buonocore asked. He then tabled the .
Mizrachi asked the dealer to turn over his other card, which ended up being the . The big laydown by Mizrachi keeps him alive in this tournament, but he's got some work to do if he wants to make the final table for a second time.
Santiago Nadal opened to 13,000 in early position, Sergei Stazhkov called in the cutoff, Chris Johnson flatted on the button, and Alberto Bari moved all in for 62,000 out of the small blind. Nadal folded, Stazhkov tank-folded, and Johnson quickly called.
Johnson:
Bari:
Bari was well ahead, and extended his lead when the flop fell . Johnson still held an open-ended straight draw, and could make trips with runner-runner tens or a flush with runner-runner clubs, but the on the turn changed little.
The river was the , however, and Johnson made Broadway. Bari responded by slapping the felt with two hands, but quickly collected himself and wish the players luck. He hit the rail, while Johnson, who busted in the quarter finals of the Mix Max event, now sits with 860,000 chips.