The rarest, most sought after hand in Texas Hold'em has just made an appearance at the table, a royal flush!
Peter Skripka opened the betting with a raise to 200,000 from the button and both Roberto Romanello and Emilliano Bono made the call from the small blind and the big blind respectively.
Flop: - Unsurprisingly, all three players checked this extremely draw heavy board.
Turn: - A fourth diamond on the turn saw Romanello check then fold when, Bono bet 225,000 and Skripka called.
River: - All five community cards were diamonds but did anyone hold the jack and have a royal flush? Bono took a couple of minutes before betting 450,000, causing Skripka to rock back on his chair and look extremely uncomfortable indeed.
"Jack of diamonds?" quizzed Skripka, "No way," seemingly dismissing this as an option.
Bono sat silently, possibly a first for him, with his palms flat on the felt but he didn't stay that way for long. Skripka eventually called, at which point Bono literally lept from his seat shouted "YESSSS!" and slammed down for a diamond royal flush!
Skripka apparently held the for the second nut flush, most certainly the second best hand. With that the young Russian drops to 1,200,000 whilst his Italian opponent climbs to the dizzy heights of 3,300,000
Marcin Horecki took 205k from Roberto Romanello with a preflop three-bet out of the big blind, but promptly gave 170k back to Peter Skripka the next hand when the young Russian bet all but 40k of his stack (2.1 million) over the top of his own button raise.
Marco Leonzio has watched the chip lead change hands several times, but even when he dropped below Romanello's stack he carried on calmly playing his game, sitting back for a while as Skripka continually got busy preflop. He took a few chips back from Romanello, calling his preflop raise in the big blind (230k) and then betting out 250k on the flop - no call.
Peter Skripka min-raised from the button and Emilliano Bono called in the big blind to see a flop. Bono check-called 250,000 from Skripka, and checked again on the turn. This time when Skripka bet 320,000, though, Bono check-raised all in, prompting an insta-fold from Skripka.
"Yes!" said Bono, with feeling, and upped his stack to 2.2 million. Former chip leader Skripka is now down to 2.3 million or so.
Roberto Romanello ended level 27 on a high by scooping yet another pot, just as the table went on a 15 minute break.
The action folded around to Marco Leonzio on the button and he wasted no time in making it 180,000 to play. Peter Skripka got out of the way but Romanello made the call.
Flop: - Romanello checked, Leonzio made a bet of 230,000 and Romanello called.
Turn: - Both players checked the turn
River: - Again, both players checked.
Leonzio flipped over but that was crushed by Romanello's
Down on the tournament floor, with the break looming, there were five consecutive hands where the action never made it to the flop. The on hand number six we saw not only a flop but also a turn and a river card!
Team PokerStars pro Marcin Horecki made it 135,000 to play from the button and Peter Skripka called from the big blind, but unfortunately that was the last of the betting as the both players checked down the board, with Horecki's lowly enough to scoop the pot
If checking the best hand doesn't work, you can always try three-betting with air. It's been the Skripka/Romanello show this level, and the last hand was no exception. Skripka limped on the small blind, and Romanello reached for chips once again. He made it 275k. Immediately Skripka reached for more chips - raising to 700k.
Romanello instantly passed and Skripka instantly showed him .
Peter Skripka raised under the gun to 160k and found neighbour Romanello reraising quickly to 535k. As is becoming standard, the rest of the table got out of their way and Skripka made the call.
Both players checked the flop.
Both players checked the turn.
Both players checked the river.
Romanello showed down , a hand he'd checked behind all the way, giving Skripka's just the initial half million chips wagered preflop.
- Unsurprisingly, all three players checked this extremely draw heavy board.
- A fourth diamond on the turn saw Romanello check then fold when, Bono bet 225,000 and Skripka called.
- All five community cards were diamonds but did anyone hold the jack and have a royal flush? Bono took a couple of minutes before betting 450,000, causing Skripka to rock back on his chair and look extremely uncomfortable indeed.
for a diamond royal flush!
for the second nut flush, most certainly the second best hand. With that the young Russian drops to 1,200,000 whilst his Italian opponent climbs to the dizzy heights of 3,300,000![[user46298]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
flop - no call.
flop. Bono check-called 250,000 from Skripka, and checked again on the 
turn. This time when Skripka bet 320,000, though, Bono check-raised all in, prompting an insta-fold from Skripka.
- Romanello checked, Leonzio made a bet of 230,000 and Romanello called.
- Again, both players checked.
but that was crushed by Romanello's 
board, with Horecki's lowly 
enough to scoop the pot
flop.
turn.
river.
just the initial half million chips wagered preflop.