It folded around to Rolf Slotboom on the button, who carefully checked his cards. Carefully so as not to tip over the tall column of chips he has sitting before him, topped by a number of black chips, a few yellows, a couple of oranges, and a precariously balanced box of wintergreen-flavored Tic Tacs.
The toboggan-wearing Dutch player looked down from underneath his mirrored visor glasses, looked at his cards, and raised to 1,325.
It folded to the short-stacked player in the big blind. "Please let me have something," he said, noting with distress his sub-5,000 chip stack. "Now would be the time." He looked at his cards, exhaled, and folded face up -- . Slotboom showed one card -- the -- and took the small pot, adding the chips to his tower. Slotboom has about 26,000 now.
On the next hand there was a raise and reraise and it folded back to Mr. Short Stack.
It was folded around to Dan Fleyshman who raised to 900 on the button. Rob Hollink called from the big blind and then check-called an 1,125 bet from Fleyshman on the flop. Both players checked the turn and Hollink led for 3,100 on the river. Fleyshman made the call and was shown the of Hollink which was good to take down the pot.
A player in mid-position opened for 850 and Sammy Farha who was freshly moved to the table immediately raised to 2,500 right behind him in the hijack. The player called and checked on the flop. Farha fired 3,500 which was enough to take down the pot when his opponent folded.
When we got to the table, we saw the button with 2,550 in front of himself and Jeff Williams with 7,750 in front of himself which we assume was his raise. The button came back with another raise to 14,750 total and Williams folded fairly quickly. The hand brought Williams back down to just over his starting stack.
So said the tournament director just now to the dealers, coming up with yet another creative bit of cliché avoidance. The last level of the night is underway.
A rough count shows that 639 of the 897 who began the day have made it through to the start of Level 5.
Maria Ho was just all in with her tourney life on the line with and up against an opponent's .
The flop came , and Ho's hand remained best. The fell on the turn, eliciting an "uh oh" from one of her tablemates. But the river was the , and Ho doubles back to about 28,000 as we head to the break.
"Never easy," said Ho afterwards as she stacked her chips.
. Slotboom showed one card -- the 
-- and took the small pot, adding the chips to his tower. Slotboom has about 26,000 now.
flop. Both players checked the 
turn and Hollink led for 3,100 on the river. Fleyshman made the call and was shown the 
of Hollink which was good to take down the pot.
flop. Farha fired 3,500 which was enough to take down the pot when his opponent folded.
and up against an opponent's 
, and Ho's hand remained best. The