Hao Back in Front Before Break

This is turning into an epic heads up battle with Hao seizing the lead once again and applying the pressure to Holz, whittling the German down to 30 big blinds to the Chinese player's 56 big blinds. Both players are mixing it up with a combination of pre and post flop play and neither player seems to be able to remain in front for long.

At one point Holz had whittled Hao down to a little over 500,000, the majority of the hands failing to make it to showdown, before the Chinese player switched gears and began to re-raise Holz in three back-to-back hands, shoving the river in several, with Holz giving it up on all three occassions.

There were chopped pots in two of the hands that made it to showdown before we got to see a rare showdown that was not a chop, with Hao rivering a flush holding on a board with Holz mucking as soon as Hao turned his hand over.