We caught up with Mel Judah and Vladimir Shchmelev on a board of . There was already more than 200,000 chips in the pot and Judah fired out a bet of 125,000 on the river after being checked to from Shchmelev.
Shchmelev thought over his decision for a bit before eventually tossing in a call. Judah turned over his for the nut straight and that was good enough to make Shchmelev muck his hand.
After that pot, Shchmelev has fallen into the position of the shortest stack.
From the small blind, Vladimir Shchmelev opened to 95,000 and he was called by Mel Judah in the big. The flop came down and Shchmelev led out with a bet of 75,000. Judah raised to 150,000 and was called by Shchmelev.
The turn was the and both players slowed down with a check.
On the river, Shchmelev checked again to Judah, but Judah didn't check. He fired out 200,000 and after a little while in the tank, Shchmelev frustratedly mucked his cards, thus awarding Judah the pot and the chip lead.
Ashly Butler had reraised before the flop from the big blind, and Vladimir Shchmelev called from the button. Butler fired out 250,000 on the flop, and he was again called. The turn was a , and Butler moved all in. Shchmelev was in there instantly, and he was in fantastic shape.
Shchmelev:
Butler:
Butler was dead to a quartering, as Shchmelev had a full house for high and the nuts for low. Miraculously, the hit the river, and Butler's remains in contention, though he had to ship 580,000 more over to his opponent.
Vladimir Shchmelev limped in on the button, then from the big blind Ashly Butler raised to 140,000. Shchmelev called and the two took a flop.
On the flop, Butler potted, which led to an all in from Shchmelev that Butler quickly called.
"Do you have seven-eight?" Butler asked. "I have aces."
Shchmelev did have seven, eight, and he showed it.
Shchmelev:
Butler:
It was grim for Butler but he could still catch winners to win the pot. Unfortunately for him, the and the were not those runners and he was eliminated from the tournament in third place.