John Monnette opened the button with a raise, and Desmond Portano called from the small blind. Brent Hanks called from the big, too, and it was three ways to the flop. It came , and Hanks was the first to bet at the pot. Monnette raised, Portano folded, and Hanks called the extra bet.
The turn came the , and Hanks check-called again, and both men checked through the river. Hanks announced, "Aces," but they were no good. Monnette showed for two pair, taking down the pot right there.
Michele Limongi just requested that nobody stand directly behind him, because he, "can't protect his cards."
"Yeah," Eric Buchman agreed sarcastically. "Get these people out of here!"
There may be some validity to Limongi's claim however. After busting, John Juanda tweeted: "Only complaint is that they let the rail stand so close some of them could see my hole cards."
For now, only Limongi's Italian contigency is allowed to stand behind him. We'll let you know if there are any more problems on the rail as the final table continues.
First in from the small blind, Brent Hanks raised, and Eric Buchman raised it back from the big blind. "Take it up again, all the way to the top," Hanks announced, reraising as he was still stacking up the last pot, kneeling on his chair. Buchman capped it at 150,000, and Hanks called for most of his chips.
The flop came , and Hanks put his last 66,000 into the pot. Buchman quickly matched the stack, and the cards were on their backs.
Showdown
Hanks:
Buchman:
Hanks had flopped lucky, and he was well ahead with two to come. The turn was a bit of a sweat, opening up another four outs for Buchman to make a straight. The river was the safe , though, and Hanks has doubled for the second consecutive hand. This one takes him up to about 430,000, and he's feeling the rush right now.
Eric Buchman raised under the gun, Michele Limongi put in three bets right next to him, and Brent Hanks called all in for less (67,000). Buchman called.
"I'm not looking until the river," Hanks professed.
The flop came down , and Buchman check-called a bet from Limongi. The turn was the , and Buchman check-called another bet.
"I hope one of you guys wins the side-pot," Hanks joked.
The river was the , and both Buchman and Limongi checked. Limongi opened for a pair of aces, Buchman mucked, and Hanks started to sweat his hand.
"Just a five!" one of his friends shouted.
Hanks did not have a five, rather he had for, as he put it, "A two a pair!"
Hanks' rail erupted, and he shipped a much-needed double.
Eric Buchman raised from the button, and John Monnette called from the big blind to see a flop. It came , and Monnette check-called a bet. He did the same following the turn and river, all chips he'd not get back. Buchman rolled over for the rivered straight, and it was the winner.
The action folded to Eric Buchman who put two bets in from the small blind. John Juanda moved all in for less than three bets, Buchman called and the hands were opened.
Buchman:
Juanda:
The flop came down , giving Buchman a straight flush draw.
"If you fade this..." Brent Hanks piped up.
Juanda didn't - the spiked on the turn, giving Buchman a straight. Juanda was already standing when the hit the river, and shook some hands before leaving the secondary feature table.
Desmond Portano raised to open the pot, and Brent Hanks announced the reraise to 75,000. Portano called. Both men took one card on the first draw, and Portano check-called a bet.
Portano checked in the dark as they each took one more card, and Hanks checked it back. That action repeated on the last round with Portano dark checking and Hanks checking it, too. Portano showed up [qx7x5x4x3], and Hanks had to sweat it. He was working with , and he squeezed his last card tight. "Wish me luck," he said, then flipped over an . That's no good, and Portano's queen-low earns him the pot.
Action has been very, very sparse since the last break. We pick up a small 2-7 Triple Draw pot as John Juanda was raising from the small blind. Michele Limongi called from the big, and he took three cards. Juanda took just one and bet it, and Limongi called. He needed one more card while Juanda patted and bet. Limongi surrendered this time, moving Juanda back up to 310,000.
Limongi is still doing fine with just over a million chips.
![[user66118]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
, and Hanks was the first to bet at the pot. Monnette raised, Portano folded, and Hanks called the extra bet.
, and Hanks check-called again, and both men checked through the 
river. Hanks announced, "Aces," but they were no good. Monnette showed 
for two pair, taking down the pot right there.
, and Hanks put his last 66,000 into the pot. Buchman quickly matched the stack, and the cards were on their backs.
was a bit of a sweat, opening up another four outs for Buchman to make a straight. The river was the safe 
, though, and Hanks has doubled for the second consecutive hand. This one takes him up to about 430,000, and he's feeling the rush right now.
, and Buchman check-called a bet from Limongi. The turn was the 
, and Buchman check-called another bet.
, and both Buchman and Limongi checked. Limongi opened 
for a pair of aces, Buchman mucked, and Hanks started to sweat his hand.
for, as he put it, "A two a pair!"
river, all chips he'd not get back. Buchman rolled over 
spiked on the turn, giving Buchman a straight. Juanda was already standing when the 
hit the river, and shook some hands before leaving the secondary feature table.
, and he squeezed his last card tight. "Wish me luck," he said, then flipped over an 
. That's no good, and Portano's queen-low earns him the pot.