Shortly after he chopped a pot with Carl Falk, Mike McDonald was back battling with another Swede from his table. This time it was Simon Mattsson.
The two got all the money in preflop, and it was Mattsson's dominating the for McDonald. Despite flopping a gutshot on the flop, McDonald couldn't come from behind after the turn and river.
Mattsson was all in for 49,100 and double to just about 100,000. McDonald was kicked back to 195,000, but that's still plenty healthy with the average around 122,000.
Players are now on their last 15-minute break of the day. When they return they'll play one more 90-minute level before bagging and tagging for the night. That's because tonight all players are invited to the Aussie Millions Welcome Party, as seen here:
Danes Cates' life got doubly difficult at the same time; he lost a pot to drop to 44,000 and at the same time, chip leader and defending champion, Ami Barer joined the table. Wasn't it hard enough already with Terrance Chan, Andrew Chen and Yevgeniy Timoshenko for company?
Cates raised from the button and the big blind peeled to see a flop appear. Cates continued for 6,500 and was check-called before both players checked the turn. The board completed with the and Cates called a 7,000 bet. His opponent opened for a straight and Cates just looked at the board for a while before reality set it and he mucked.
Dan "jungleman12" Cates opened the action with a raise — how much we're not sure — and then Panayotis Flourentzou three-bet to 13,000 from the cutoff. Action folded back to Cates and he four-bet shoved for 57,000. Flourentzou made the call and it was off to the races.
Cates:
Flourentzou:
Cates, who finished Day 1b second in chips, got it in good, but his lead evaporated on the flop. Cates was looking for a ten to score the double, but it wasn't in the cards as the blanked on the turn followed by the on the river.
From the cutoff seat, Eoghan O'Dea raised to 4,500. Alex Trevallion reraised on the button to 14,600, and play folded back to O'Dea. He called, and the flop came down . O'Dea checked, Trevallion bet 11,700, and O'Dea called.
The turn was the , and both players checked to see the land on the river. Both players checked again.
O'Dea tabled the to beat Trevallion's , and the former member of the World Series of Poker Main Event final table won the pot.
It was dubbed the battle of the WPT champ versus the EPT champ; Germany versus Canada; man versus man. Okay, it wasn't a boxing match, but Joanthan Roy and Benny Spindler played out a hand.
The action had reached the turn with around 25,000 in the middle and the board read . Roy checked from the big blind and called when Spindler bet 11,500 from under the gun. The came on the river and Roy checked again.
Spindler thought (it seemed) about betting but ultimately checked behind and opened . Roy showed for a pair of nines and took the pot.
A massive pot just went down over at Table 25 that resulted in Isaac Lau taking over the chip lead.
It began when Lau opened for 5,000 from middle position and Jan Suchanek called. Another player then three-bet to 22,000, Lau four-bet to 55,000, and Suchanek got out of the way. The other player tanked for a long time before someone called clock on him, and with about 20 seconds remaining to make a decision he five-bet to 120,000. Lau, who had the bigger stack, wasted little time in six-betting all in and his opponent called off his remaining 70,000.
Lau:
Opponent:
It was a flip, and obviously there was a lot on the line. Lau, who had most of his chips at risk, was on his feet hoping his ladies would hold. They did on the flop as well as the turn. With one card to come the dealer burned and put out the . Lau clapped his hands together in celebration as his dejected opponent exited the tournament area.
dominating the 
for McDonald. Despite flopping a gutshot on the 
flop, McDonald couldn't come from behind after the 
turn and 
river.
flop appear. Cates continued for 6,500 and was check-called before both players checked the 
turn. The board completed with the 
and Cates called a 7,000 bet. His opponent opened 
on the river.
. O'Dea checked, Trevallion bet 11,700, and O'Dea called.
, and both players checked to see the 
land on the river. Both players checked again.
to beat Trevallion's 
, and the former member of the World Series of Poker Main Event final table won the pot.
for just over 20,000 against the 
for Ami Barer. The flop, turn, and river ran out 
. Roy checked from the big blind and called when Spindler bet 11,500 from under the gun. The 
came on the river and Roy checked again.
for a pair of nines and took the pot.
