We saw three players go to the flop, Jake Balsiger in the small blind, the player in the hijack and the player on the button. While we don't have the betting amounts, we do know a raise was involved.
The flop was dealt and all three players checked. The player in the hijack looked to be the one that had the lead preflop as when Balsigner checked over to him, he picked up his chips as if to bet and then thought better of it. He thought for a bit and in the end he checked.
Balsinger took the invitation to bet on the turn and both players folded.
However over in the Amazon Room, Italian player Sergio Castelluccio - who has held the chip lead since the opening few minutes of play - wasn't having any of that as he swiftly stole it back.
Castelluccio won several pots with the latest seeing him bet out 3,000 on a flop to force folds from two opponent's; one of which was fellow countryman Luca Pagano.
As Castelluccio ran away from the table (maybe for a bathroom break it seemed), our PokerNews reporter managed to count down his stack and it amounted to 331,300 ... enough for Castelluccio to re-take the lead from Vohra.
Andy Frankenberger checked to an opponent after a flop of . The player bet 6,000, and Frankenberger called. The turn was a , and Frankenberger led out 6,500. His opponent moved all in for around 14,000, and Frankenberger called immediately.
Frankenberger:
Opponent:
Frankenberger had a hammerlock on the hand, and his opponent couldn't spike his two-outer when the came on the river.
A player in early position raised to 1,800 and a player in late position, Dan O'Brien, from the cutoff, the button and both blinds came along.
All six (yes, six!) players checked the flop. The small blind led for 6,000 on the turn. Everyone folded except for O'Brien, who opted for the call. The small blind checked to O'Brien on the river and O'Brien took the opportunity to take the pot with a 14,000 bet. It worked because his opponent folded.
Action folded to Maxim Lykov who opened the pot with a raise to 1,800. Action folded around to the player on the button and he moved all in for a total of 6,400. When action folded back to Lykov, he quickly called.
Lykov:
Button:
The flop wasn't very favorable for Lykov when it fell , giving him no help and no possibility of backdoor outs. The turn was the and that left Lykov drawing to an eight, and only an eight for the elimination. The river though was the and with that the player on the button doubled while Lykov dropped a few chips. Even after that Lykov is still in good shape with over 130,000 chips.
Simon Persson opened for a raise in early position, Max Lehmanski three-bet near the button, and Persson responded with a four-bet. Not to be outdone, Lehmanski made it five bets, and Persson pushed back, six-bet shoving for around 70,000 or so. Lehmanski folded, and Persson showed a black .
The very next hand, Lehmanski opened to 2,000 in late position, and both players in the blinds called, including Darrell Ticehurst. The flop fell , both blinds checked, and Lehmanski continued for 3,600. Only Ticehurst called.
The pair checked on the turn () and the river () and Ticehurst tabled for ace-high. Lehmanski had that beat with for a pair of fours, and pulled in the pot.
Facing a preflop raise to 1,800, John Hennigan three-bet to 5,300. As the dealer was preparing the spread the flop, Hennigan asked his about, "You have about 20,000 left?" His opponent confirmed the count, and the flop came . Both players checked, then Hennigan called a 6,000 bet when the hit on the turn. Both players checked the river, and Hennigan's opponent announced "two pair," before flashing pocket fours. Hennigan turned over to win the pot. "Johnny World" now sits with 124,000 in chips.
Matthew Parry raised it up to 1,800 in late position, and the small blind called. Raj Vohra was in the big blind, and he put out a three bet to 6,200. Parry called that raise, then the small blind moved all in for 20,200. Vohra made the call, as did Parry, and there was already over 60,000 in the middle going to the flop.
Those three cards were , and Vohra led out for 13,000 into an empty side pot. Parry made the call, and the turn was the . Vohra put out a substantial bet of 55,000, and Parry went deep into the tank. He ended up thinking for over three minutes before letting his hand go, and it was just Vohra and the all-in player.
Vohra:
Opponent:
Vohra's tens had held up through the turn, and they stayed in the lead as the hit the river. After stacking that pot, Vohra is now up to 312,000, which gives him the chip lead and makes him the first player to crack the 300,000 chip mark.
With a decent-sized pot already developed and the board showing , Kenny Tran pushed out a bet of 7,000 from middle position and Keller Quijada thought for about 15 seconds before calling the bet from his seat in late position.
Tran quickly flipped over for trip aces, and Quijada turned right hand upward as if to say "of course" as he turned his over with his left.