Loni and Phillip Hui are among those still making a run in the Main Event, and the poker power couple who have a combined five WSOP bracelets, also has a combined 1,200,000 in chips today.
The couple are actually seated within a couple of tables of each other, but chip-wise, much like the accompanying photo, Phil is in the background of Loni, as he is clinging to 195,000 of those 1,200,000 chips, while his wife holds a stack of 1,050,000.
As recounted by Leo Soma, Soma opened to 26,000 and Wesley Fei three-bet to 79,000. Action folded back to Soma who called.
The dealer spread the flop and Soma check-raised a bet of 65,000 up to 150,000. Fei then moved all in for approximately 500,000, and Soma called.
Wesley Fei:
Leo Soma:
Fei ran his ladies into the flopped nuts, and the turn left him drawing dead to the river. The entertaining Hustler Casino Live player made his way to the payout desk to collect a cash in his first WSOP Main Event, while the French recent bracelet winner added to his stack to move to around 2 million in chips.
With 230,000 already in the middle on a board, Rodrigo Semeghini put out a bet of 80,000 from early position. Taylor von Kriegenbergh called from the cutoff.
The on the river completed a straight on the board while denying the diamond flush. Nevertheless, Semeghini put out a big bet of 330,000.
Von Kriegenbergh went into the tank for a couple of minutes, saying that he should have bet the flop before he begrudgingly made the call.
Semeghini flipped over and von Kriegenbergh let out a big sigh of relief as he turned over to chop the pot despite having flopped a set.
While the table was still having a laugh over the previous hand, the middle position player opened the next hand to 24,000 and was called by von Kriegenbergh in the hijack. Steven House, from the small blind, went all in for 213,000 and the initial raiser folded. Von Kriegenbergh shrugged and made the call.
Steven House:
Taylor von Kriegenbergh:
The flop came , giving house a straight draw in addition to his two overs.
However, a on the turn cancelled his straight outs as von Kriegenbergh now had a full house.
The river brought the , eliminating House and taking von Kriegenbergh's stack to nearly two million.
A middle position player raised to 28,000 before Raman Afanasenka three-bet to 90,000 on the button. Gaelle Baumann saw the action in front of her and chose to cold four-bet to 250,000 from the big blind.
Action folded back to Afanasenka who thought for about a minute before moving all in for about 700,000. Baumann called immediately and flipped over the goods.
Raman Afanasenka:
Gaelle Baumann:
The board ran out to give Baumann the full double on the right side of the ultimate cooler.
"I almost folded, I thought about it," said Afanasenka on his way out the door.
Another level has passed and the tournament clock is currently showing a total of 738 players still remaining. There were a couple of big stacks that emerged over the last two hours including the ever-popular Ali Imsirovic. The players are going on a 20-minute break but here is a look at some highlights from the past level:
Antoinette Florenza opened from under the gun and Dan Smith three-bet to about 65,000 from early position. Florenza called.
The flop came and Smith continued for 50,000. Florenza snap-called.
The turn brought the and, after some deliberation, Smith checked following Florenza's check.
The river brought the and Florenza put in a bet of 30,000 into a pot worth roughly 250,000. Smith sat there for about 15 seconds before announcing all in. Florenza snap-folded and Smith took his stack to nearly a million.
Ali Imsirovic opened to 22,000 from the cutoff and the small blind stuck in a three-bet which Imsirovic called. The dealer fanned the flop of and the small blind checked to Imsirovic who bet 50,000. The small blind called and the landed on the turn.
The small blind checked again and Imsirovic sized up a bet of 180,000 this time. His opponent still called and the completed the board. After being checked to for the third time, Imsirovic announced a huge all in for 1,055,000. His opponent went into the tank for a couple of minutes but ultimately decided to call.
Imsirovic flipped over for the nut flush and his opponent was forced to show the before it hit the muck. It was one of the largest pots of the tournament thus far and Imsirovic cemented his place near the top of the leaderboard.
Action picked up on the flop in a three-way pot. The board showed . Two players checked to Brian Rast in the cutoff who bet 48,000 into the pot of about 100,000. Only Michael Rocco called from early position.
The turn landed the and Rocco checked again. Rast checked behind.
The river was the and Rocco led for 205,000. Rast contemplated for about 20 seconds before making the call.
Rocco revealed for the flopped set, Rast tapped the table, and Rocco raked the large pot.