Meinders Doubles, Esfandiari on the Ropes
It folded around to Brian Meinders on the button who raised to 17,000, and when the action got to Antonio Esfandiari in the big blind he declared he was all in. Meinders called immediately with his remaining stack of 110,000 or so, turning over 
. Meanwhile, Esfandiari had 
.
"This one I don't feel so good about," said Esfandiari after a pause, causing the table to laugh.
The cameras came over, and during the wait Esfandiari suggested to the dealer he could give him a $1,000 bonus if he delivered a three. He continued to talk to the dealer, who managed to keep a mostly straight face before the cameras as they arrived.
Producer Mori Eskandani came over as well and got a look at the tabled hands. "I got aces, Mori!" lied Esfandiari, and the table laughed again.
The community cards were finally delivered — 
— and Meinders survives while Esfandiari is now on the short stack.
"That hurt," Esfandiari said to Meinders. "Financially, emotionally, and physically... but not spiritually!"
Esfandiari will need a double up soon, or his spirits may sink as well.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
242,000
136,500
|
136,500 |
|
||
|
47,000
-83,000
|
-83,000 |
|
||