Back from the break, John Andress offered the table gum and got a taker in Patrick Houchins.
"That gum will probably make you drowsy," said Roland Israelashvili from across the table with a wide grin just before raising to 120,000 from the cutoff. He got one caller in Houchins chewing in the small blind.
Both players checked down the flop, turn, and river. "I don't see how I can win," said Israelashvili, turning over . "Ah, that's how!" he added, seeing Houchins' .
One gets the feeling if the gum-chewers do get sleepy, Israelashvili's table talk will help keep them alert.
After that action-filled, 75-minute level, players are now taking 10 minutes to regroup. Here are how the stacks will look when they return:
Brian Ali -- 2.75 million
Roland Israelashvili -- 1.2 million
John Andress -- 1.1 million
Patrick Houchins -- 1.05 million
Jeff Rowland -- 850,000
Jerry Van Strydonck -- 595,000
Ellis Frazier -- 500,000
Joe Caffrey -- 330,000
It folded around to Albert Winchester who raised to 62,000 on the button, and Roland Israelashvili came along from the big blind.
The flop came , and both checked. The turn brought the . Israelashvili checked, Winchester bet 100,000, and Israelashvili called.
The river then brought the . Israelashvili checked again, and after a lot of deliberation Winchester pushed out 302,000. Israelashvili instantly called, and even before he showed his hand Winchester had already tossed his away. Made to show a winner, Israelashvili turned over .
As we head to the break, Israelashvili has pushed up around 1.2 million while Winchester is down to short-stack status with about 350,000. We'll have fresh counts on everyone in just a few.
Albert Winchester opened to 67,000 from early position and Roland Israelashvili went into the tank in the hijack seat. He finally three-bet shoved for nearly 700,000 and the action quickly folded to Jerry Van Strydonck in the big blind.
"S***," he muttered to himself.
Strydonck went deep into the tank, sweating and re-sweating his cards before eventually folding. Winchester snap-mucked and Strydonck looked very unhappy.
"Either you should move to Hollywood or you're getting into some bad spots today," Winchester said to Strydonck.
Strydock admitted it wasn't that tough, but was still perturbed by Israelashvili's over shove.
After a couple of folds, John Andress tossed his cards from the cutoff to the dealer as well, acting out of turn ahead of Patrick Houchins. Houchins checked his cards, then announced he was all in. Jerry Van Strydonck, on the button, asked for a count. "551" said Houchins. A quick look at his stacks added up to 550,000, then everyone saw the single orange (1,000) chip Houchins was twirling between his fingers.
After a couple of minutes, Strydonck finally folded. Jeff Rowland folded, too, then Albert Winchester checked his cards in the big blind. "Call," he said instantly.
"Oh no," said Houchins when the cards were tabled. He had , but Winchester had woken up with . "Nobody was supposed to call that," said Houchins, leaning back as though preparing for defeat.
The flop came and the turn , causing Houchins to slump a little more.
Then came the river… ! "Yes!" said Houchins, who then walked several feet from the table to say "BOOM!" It was definitely an occasion for monosyllables.
Houchins returned to the table to stack about 1.15 million -- he's back to an average stack now. Meanwhile that hit leaves a stoic Winchester with about 625,000.
Action folded to Joe Caffrey who open-shoved his last 214,000. John Andress re-shoved from the small blind, Jerry Van Strydonck surrender his big blind and the hands were turned over.
Showdown
Caffrey:
Andress:
The dealer rapped the table and delivered a flop of , giving Andress top-two and Caffrey a gut-shot straight draw. The turn () and river () were both bricks however, and Caffrey was sent to the rail in 9th place.
Roland Israelashvili raised to 85,000 from the hijack seat, and it folded to Patrick Houchins in the small blind who announced he was all in. A quick count showed the reraise was to 249,000 total. John Andress in the big blind folded, then Israelashvili tanked for a while before calling.
Houchins flipped over his and Rowland . "Thanks," said Houchins with a wry grin. "For trying to double me up, anyway."
The flop was nerve-wracking for Houchins, and the turn didn't help the matter. But the fell on the river, giving Houchins the hand and a double-up to about 520,000. Israelashvili slips to 485,000.
"I had like 50 outs," said Israelashvili a little later. "Not quite 50, Roland" answered the tournament director. "You hit a one-outer!" he grinned.
Action folded to Albert "vtlaxer09" Winchester in the hijack seat and he opened to 67,000. Joe Caffrey defended his big blind and the dealer flopped .
Caffrey checked and Winchester continued for 71,000. Caffrey called.
The turn was the and Caffrey quickly checked. Winchester tanked for a bit before firing a second bullet worth 122,000. Caffrey tank-called and the river brought the .
Caffrey led for the first time, sliding out 240,000 and leaving around 200,000 behind. Winchester thought for a very long time before calling and Caffrey mucked his hand.
Winchester opened up and pulled in the pot, ballooning his stack to 1.5 million chips.
Action folded to Patrick Houchins in middle position who open-shoved his last 150,000 chips. Jerry Van Strydonck flatted in the cutoff and the action behind folded.
Showdown
Houchins:
Strydonck:
The flop came down giving Houchins four extra outs to a straight. The turned giving him a leading pair of fives, but Strydonck could still win with a king or chop with a deuce. The on the river was a brick however and Houchins doubled to nearly 400,000 chips.
flop, 
turn, and 
river. "I don't see how I can win," said Israelashvili, turning over 
. "Ah, that's how!" he added, seeing Houchins' 
, and both checked. The turn brought the 
. Israelashvili checked, Winchester bet 100,000, and Israelashvili called.
. Israelashvili checked again, and after a lot of deliberation Winchester pushed out 302,000. Israelashvili instantly called, and even before he showed his hand Winchester had already tossed his away. Made to show a winner, Israelashvili turned over 
.![[user101598]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
. "Nobody was supposed to call that," said Houchins, leaning back as though preparing for defeat.
and the turn 
, causing Houchins to slump a little more.
! "Yes!" said Houchins, who then walked several feet from the table to say "BOOM!" It was definitely an occasion for monosyllables.
, giving Andress top-two and Caffrey a gut-shot straight draw. The turn (
) and river (
. "Thanks," said Houchins with a wry grin. "For trying to double me up, anyway."
.
and pulled in the pot, ballooning his stack to 1.5 million chips.
turned giving him a leading pair of fives, but Strydonck could still win with a king or chop with a deuce. The