Matthew O'Brien surprised the table by limping in from the cutoff seat first into the pot. "Is that legal," Brian Hastings asked from across the table. It was legal, but it would ultimately be unproductive. Rob Williamson three-bet to 74,000 on the button, and Jim Harnden made another raise to 177,000 from the small blind. O'Brien folded, and Williamson called to see a heads-up flop.
It came , and Harnden slowed down with a check. It was all part of his plan, though, apparently. When Williamson took his cue to bet 250,000, Harnden check-raised to 600,000 straight, and his opponent tanked and folded.
You might not guess it by your first impression of him, but the behatted Harnden knows his way around the felt. He's one of the senior members left now at the table, but he's so far having no trouble hanging with the youngsters in the remaining field.
Jim Harnden opened to 55,000 under the gun and Matthew O'Brien called from the small blind.
The two took in an flop in which O'Brien check-called 80,000 from Harnden to see the turn. Another check from O'Brien led to another bet from Harnden, this one for 180,000. O'Brien, though, put in a check-raise to 360,000. Harnden gave it up, giving the pot to O'Brien.
Drazen Ilich opened to what looked to be 51,000 in the cutoff and Jamil Wakil defended his big blind.
The flop came down and Wakil led out with a bet of 80,000. A call from Ilich landed the turn which Wakil checked. Ilich bet 190,000, Wakil called, and the completed the board. A check from Wakil sent Ilich into the tank for a bit before he fired a whopping 520,000 on the river.
Wakil spent even more time in the tank, but emerged with a call. Ilich tabled for the absolute nuts, while Wakil mucked and saw his chip lead go over to Ilich.
Jamil Wakil and Drazen Ilich each committed 268,000 to get to the flop.
Both checked and did the same when the hit the turn. The river was checked by Wakil, but Ilich opted to fire another 268,000 on the river. Wakil gave it some thought, ultimately tossing in the chips to call.
Ilich tabled , Wakil mucked, and Ilich took down the pot.
Jim Harnden opened to 55,000 before Brian Hastings three-bet shoved all in. The action paused on Sterling Savill for a moment as he pondered what to do with his pocket fives, but he eventually settled on a fold. Harnden snap-called, though, and both he and Hastings were very anxious to table their hands.
Showdown
Harnden:
Hastings:
Yikes. Hastings flopped his backdoor freeroll on the , but the turn ensured a split pot and a bit of a frustrated chuckle from Savill. "I had the fives," he said. The river was a formality, and the two pairs of aces chop up the blinds and antes between them.
Jim Harnden raised to 40,000 from the cutoff seat before Jeff Silverstein moved all in for about 260,000 next door. Harnden made the easy call with , and Silverstein's was in severe danger of sending him off.
There was no help on board for the short stack as it ran out to end his day in 12th place. It was a fine effort for the Ft. Lauderdale native, and this performance earns him a check for more than $17,000.
When the table folded around to his small blind, Robert LeBeau shoved his last ~290,000 into the middle with . It was another unfortunate case of timing as Jamil Wakil managed to wake up with in the big blind. It's almost not fair.
The flop wasn't much help for LeBeau, and Wakil wanted a sweat for some reason. He called for the on the turn, and that's exactly the card the dealer dropped off the deck, the best card imaginable for LeBeau. He suddenly had straight and flush outs, but they'd never materialize. The river was a miss, and LeBeau can not crack the aces to stay alive.
He's out in 13th place, bumping his way up to $17,184 on the pay scale.
Wakil now holds more than 4 million of the 15.56 million chips in play. "Can't believe the six of hearts came," he said as he stacked up that pot.
Our chip leader is still pounding away, and we picked up this pot as Jamil Wakil opened to 42,000 in early position. Max Itkin defended his big blind with a short stack, and off they went to a heads-up flop.
It came out , and Itkin checked to the raiser. When Wakil bet another 62,000, though, he check-raised all in for 280,000, and Wakil made the call with a chance at another knockout. He was well in front.
Showdown
Itkin:
Wakil:
Itkin was drawing slim to survive, and he'd not be able to catch up to Wakil's top pair. The turn and river came and , respectively, and that's the end of the line for another of our players. Itkin is out in 14th, and there's another all-in-and-a-call in progress as we type.