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Stud
Konstantin Puchkov brought it in with the 
up, and Al Barbieri completed with the 
. Puchkov called.
Puchkov: (X) (X) / 
/ (X)
Barbieri: (X) (X) / 
/ (X)
Barbieri fired bets on fourth, fifth, and sixth streets with Puchkov calling the whole way, though each time a little more slowly than the last. Both players checked seventh street, and Barbieri opened up his 
. A pair of sixes is good enough to scoop up that pot, the largest for Barbieri in quite some time.
Razz
Puchkov: (X) (X) / 
/ (X)
Barbieri: (X) (X) / 
/ (X)
As the pace of play has slow down, Konstantin Puchkov has started to win more than his share of pots. He played an unusual razz hand against Al Barbieri a few moments ago. Barbieri brought it in on third, then called Puchkov's completion. Puchkov bet the low board on fourth street and again Barbieri called.
On fifth street Puchkov made a strange check with a board that was leagues better than Barbieri's. Barbieri then bet, drawing 30 seconds of thought form Puchkov before he called.
Both players checked sixth street. Down the river, Puchkov finally fired and induced a fold from Barbieri.
With that pot, Puchkov climed to about 2.2 million in chips. He is the leader now.
Razz
Al Barbieri brought it in with a five, and Konstantin Puchkov just called with a deuce up.
Barbieri: (X) (X) / 5-9-4-J
Puchkov: (X) (X) / 2-K-7-A
Barbier bet fourth street, and Puchkov quickly called. On fifth street, Barbieri fired again, and Puchkov again called. Sixth street saw Puchkov raise a Barbieri bet, and Sugar Bear tanked and opted to lay it down.
It's very pronounced now -- the pace of play has slowed. We thought that maybe it was just a function of the stud rounds, but with the game back to limit hold'em, nothing changed. It's a marked difference from the last round of limit hold'em, where Al Barbieri just banged away relentlessly at Konstantin Puchkov's chip stack. Losing that big razz pot a half hour ago when Barbieri had Puchkov on the ropes appears to have taken some of the wind out of Barbieri's sails.
Level: 28
Blinds: /
Ante:
Stud 8/b
Puchkov: (X) (X) / 
/ (X)
Barbieri: (X) (X) / 
/ (X)
The game has switched to Stud Hi/Lo now, which would typically mean a lot of chopped pots. But since the tournament is heads-up now, really anything goes. Al Barbieri had the betting lead on fifth street with a king on his board and fired a bet at Konstantin Puchkov. Puchkov called, prompting Barbieri to check sixth street. Puchkov bet and Barbieri called.
On the river the actin was the same. Puchkov showed just two eights in the hole, but that was enough to drag the whole pot.
Stud
Al Barbieri is a premier stud player, so it's been very odd during this round of stud to see him folding most pots on third or fourth street. He also seems to have toned down the aggression that he was showing in the flop games.
For his part, Konstantin Puchkov often seems unsure of himself when playing hands in this heads-up portion of the tournament.
Razz
Al Barbieri was the bring-in with a queen showing, and Konstantin Puchkov completed it. Barbieri called.
Barbieri: (X) (X) / Q-6-3-A
Puchkov: (X) (X) / A-K-7-A
Barbieri fired out a bet on fourth street when he pulled the six and Puchkov called. The action repeated on fifth street, and Barbieri fired again when Puchkov paired on sixth. Puchkov didn't like it, and he took his time to consider before folding his cards under and sending them back to the dealer.
He's back down around 700,000 now.
Razz
Puchkov: (X) (X) / J-A-8-4
Barbieri: (X) (X) / J-A-2-K
It seemed like Al Barbieri was going for the kill against Konstantin Puchkov. Barbieri brought it in on third street, then raised after Puchkov completed. Puchkov callled. Puchkov had first action on fourth street and checked, then raised Barbieri's bet. Barbieri didn't slow down. He three-bet and Puchkov called.
Barbieri bet fifth street; Puchkov made a hesitating call. But things turned disastrous for Barbieri on sixth street, as Puchkov led out. Barbieri snapped a few chips together in frustration and folded.
That big pot gives Puchkov some needed breathing room.
Omaha 8/b
Konstantin Puchkov raised from the button, and Al Barbieri three-bet him from the big blind. Puchkov called.
The flop came 
, and Puchkov called a bet from Barbieri. On the 
turn, Barbieri checked, and this time he called one of Puchkov's bets. Barbieri took the betting lead again on the 
river, and Puchkov tank-called.
Barbieri: 
Puchkov: 
They're similar hands, but Barbieri's aces and sixes earn him the high half of the pot. They'll chop the low, and Barbieri takes three quarters of that pot to push Puchkov down further.
