Smirnov Gets That Shovey Feeling

Mikhail Smirnov limped into the pot under the gun, and Jason Mercier made a raise to 6,500 in middle position. Daniel Alaei called in the cutoff, Smirnov added the extra chips, and it was three-handed to the flop.

It came {5-Diamonds} {7-Spades} {3-Hearts} , and the first two gents checked to Alaei. He took his cue to bet 12,500 at the pot, and now only Smirnov called to see the next card. It was the {4-Hearts} , and Smirnov took control with a leading bet of 15,000. Alaei flatted, and the safe-looking {10-Diamonds} filled out the board. The Russian had 72,000 chips left in front of him, and he put both hands behind those stacks and slid them forward. Alaei had just about that many chips himself, possibly a few less, and he tanked and surrendered his cards into the muck.