Chris MacNeil was in the small blind and had called a bet on the flop of from his opponent. They both checked the turn card and when the river card fell the MacNeill took a few chips off his big stack and threw out a bet of 4,100.
His opponent made the call and MacNeil was first to show but he was reluctant to turn his cards over, unwilling to show his hand. His opponent waited patiently as MacNeil motioned to throw his cards away and was prompted to turn them over by the dealer. “Queen high.” MacNeil said sheepishly, and after a beat showed .
His opponent who had made the call on the river looked back at his cards, laughed to himself and mucked his cards much to the tables of the other players at the table.
“I almost threw that in the muck, I swear to God.” MacNeil said.
“Misread your hand? Happens.” another player commiserated to the beaten player.
As expected in a six-max event, play started out fast and stayed that way throughout the day.
Players busted and tables broke at breakneck speed as ranges were loosened and little attention was paid to the existing blind structure. More than 1,300 went home as fast as they came.
And so now we stand, just 18 places from the money, with blinds at a measly 400/800 and an average stack of 39,675, providing a player with that exact amount in front of them close to 50 bigs and a healthy feeling.
As a result, things have certainly slowed. Short stacks are hanging on, folding to cash and even the uber-aggressive that built big stacks throughout the day have settled in to what can only be described as a pre-bubble lull.
With five minutes left in this one, and another level to play tonight, odds are we will still make the money tonight, but at this pace, how quick it comes is definitely up for debate.
Steve Hensley opened and Sunny Chattha three-bet from the small blind to 4,700. Hensley four-bet him to 15,000 and Chatta shoved for a total of 45,000. Hemsley shrugged and made the call.
Hensley versus the of Chatta.
The cards ran out . Hensely came from behind to make a full house.
Not much sympathy for his fallen opponent as Hensley commented that that’s what you get for messing with the chip leader.
There was a raise from first position to 1,600 and Jonathan Duhamel made the call as did Olivier Busquet. Rhys Jones on the button raised the price of poker to 5,000.
The original raiser folded but Duhamel moved all in. Busquet folded and Jones snapped him off with . Duhamel showed his .
The cards ran out and Jones collected the last of Duhamel’s chips.
Since building a chip-leading stack of close to 150k, Chris MacNeil now appears headed in the wrong direction.
We watched as he made a pre-flop raise to 2k in early position and the small blind made the call. After a check, he fired 2,500 at the flop, but it wasn't enough to shake the small blind.
Both players checked the turn but when the was revealed on the river, the small blind fired away, making it 6,700.
MacNeil slowly counted out a call from his sizable stack and thought about it for a full minute before making it. The small blind showed for nines full and MacNeil mucked, moving the wrong way towards 100k.
Just how is Chris MacNeil using that big stack of his? We stopped by this table to see how he was getting on going into the last two levels of the night.
MacNeil faced an early position raise for 2,800 and made the call from the small blind. The two players saw a flop of . MacNeil checked as did his opponent.
The turn card was the and MacNeil led for 3,000. That got a call and they went to a river card . MacNeil cut out six T1000 chips and gave them a riffle or two. He then went back for another yellow T1000 and added that. The bet was 7,000.
His opponent looked him up and MacNeil turned over which saw his opponent muck. Another player asked incredulously, “Sevens wins?” Yes they did.
from his opponent. They both checked the turn card 
and when the river card fell the 
MacNeill took a few chips off his big stack and threw out a bet of 4,100.
.
versus the 
of Chatta.
. Hensely came from behind to make a full house.
.
board played out.
and as he hit the rail, Failla moved close to the 50k mark.
flop, but it wasn't enough to shake the small blind.
for nines full and MacNeil mucked, moving the wrong way towards 100k.
and MacNeil led for 3,000. That got a call and they went to a river card 
. MacNeil cut out six T1000 chips and gave them a riffle or two. He then went back for another yellow T1000 and added that. The bet was 7,000.
which saw his opponent muck. Another player asked incredulously, “Sevens wins?” Yes they did.