Alexander Queen raised in early position and Kenneth Whelan shoved from the big blind. Queen made the call, and Whelan was dominated and in some hot water.
Queen:
Whelan:
Board:
With that, we were down to 18 players, or two full tables. Redraw time.
It looked as though Chris Kastler had checked the flop; either way Jean Gaspard had bet in position when we caught up with the action and Kastler (big blind) had raised. Gaspard called and they saw a turn.
Kastler checked the turn and Gaspard bet 110,000. This time Kastler flat-called and they were at the river.
Kastler checked the river and this time Gaspard checked behind. Kastler turned over and Gaspard mucked, to cries of, "Good check!" and some applause from a railer.
Kastler moved up to 1.45 million. Gaspard dropped to 200,000 or so.
Allen Stern opened the pot with a 33,000-chip raise and Neil Channing re-popped it to 95,000. From the button,Mike Ellis moved all in for an additional 116,000 chips.
Stern folded and Channing called.
Showdown
Ellis:
Channing:
The board came out and gave Ellis a full double up. Ellis is now up to 455,000 while Channing slipped to 250,000.
Chip leader Chris Gonzales opened to 40,000 from the button, and in the small blind Kevin O'Brien re-popped for 105,000. Gonzales tanked for a while before four-betting; O'Brien's chips went in, Gonzales agreed to make the call, and they were on their backs.
O'Brien:
Gonzales:
Board:
O'Brien received no assistance from the deck and hit the rail. At least he can now go to the friend's wedding he though he would have to miss - he and fiancee Lana Maier were meant to be on a flight at 2.30pm.
Kenneth Whelan open-shoved for 70,000, and it folded over to David Sands, who reshoved for 312,000. Kent Vanho in the big blind tanked up. He counted out the call and then sat there for a while. Then he folded.
So, heads up to showdown.
Whelan:
Sands:
Vanho: "F***!" - said he'd folded
Board:
"Good fold," Andrew Ferris told Vanho as Whelan doubled up, but then he realized that Vanho would have taken the hefty side pot.
Whelan was at 150,000 after that, Sands down to 240,000.
In the small blind, Jean Gaspard opened the pot with a 38,000-chip raise. The big blind, Martin Jacobson called.
The flop ran out and Gaspard check-called a 51,000-chip bet. When the hit the felt on the turn, Gaspard check-called another bet from Jacobson, now worth 104,000.
The river brought a to the table and both players checked.
Gaspard tabled and took the pot, is now up to 610,000 chips, Jacobson slipped to 901,000.
We arrived just in time to see a raise on the felt in front of Jason Hallee, and Markus Lehmann's entire stack in the middle of the felt in front of him. Hallee folded with a weary expression on his face, and Lehmann showed the table pocket jacks.