Aleksandar Tomovic doubled once more to get above average while Darren Delahunty also seems to be back on track. Aneris Adomkevicius flopped top pair with on a queen-high board and his three barrels were paid by Ting Ho, who mucked on the river.
Pierre Neuville appears to be the current chip leader followed by Jesper Mertz and Andrej Desset.
Dario Marinelli opened to 2,200 from early position and Jan Mach shipped all-in for 13,500 from the hijack. The action was folded back to Marinelli who made the call.
Marinelli:
Mach:
The flop came and Mach picked up a flush draw to go with his one overcard. The turn was the and the river brought the providing no help for Mach as he was eliminated.
Martin Kabrhel had a short stack all in for 16,100 with versus and the board ran out to see the top pair of the player at risk downed via runner runner straight.
One table over, Robert Schulz's raise and the call by Roberto Romanello was followed by the shove of Domenico Gala in the big blind for 9,500. Schulz called before Romanello reshoved for 37,400. That forced a fold from Schulz and the cards were tabled.
Domenico Gala:
Roberto Romanello:
The board ran out and Gala tripled up thanks to the ace on the flop.
"This guy, those are my chips, I should be on 130,000," Ali Sameeian said and pointed at Usman Siddique in the big blind. Apparently, Sameeian had lost a four-bet pot with queens against the pocket jacks of the Brit when the flop came jack-high, though Sameeian still sits on a decent stack.
Just now, Erich Kollmann opened to 2,200 and Patryk Slusarek called from one seat over. Sameeian also called, as did Siddique in the big blind. All four players checked through the flop before the turn saw a bet of 4,200 by Slusarek. Sameeian raised to 10,200, forcing out Siddique and Kollmann, but Slusarek was having none of it and moved all in.
Sameeian sighed and immediately announced a fold without asking for a count.
The flop read and Phil Hellmuth led out for 2,000 into a pot of around 4,500. Maxim Lykoc called and the landed on the turn. Both players checked to the on the river.
Hellmuth fired another bet of 3,900 and Lykov raised to 11,000. Hellmuth made the call and Lykov turned over for a full house on the river. Hellmuth sat and played with his cards, flashing the while doing so, and then came the banter.
"It's not your fault," Hellmuth chirped to a smiling Lykov. "I make everyone look bad, just ask Jeff who has watched me for 20 years."
Jeff Lisandro perked up and responded, "If it wasn't for the river Phil, you would have 28 bracelets."
Tournament staff has confirmed 165 entries in total for Day 1b and play concludes after 14 levels or down to the last 25 players, whichever of the two comes first.
Martin Kabrhel quickly built his stack after registering by sending Roland Israelashvili to the rail. He then took on Felipe Ramos and the action was picked up on the turn, on which Kabrhel bet 6,300. Ramos called on the button and the river completed a possible flush.
Kabrhel eyed the stack of Ramos carefully before announcing all in and ultimately forced a fold from Ramos.
Aleksandar Tomovic doubled in a battle of the blinds against Federico Diaz when he was all in preflop out of the big blind for his last 13,200 with . Diaz showed and asked for a sweat, which he did get on a board of . However, there was no bad beat story to tell for now and Tomovic doubled.
The second attempt of Chris Ferguson lasted all but 15 minutes before it came to a crashing end for the current WSOP player of the year leader. Ferguson three-bet shoved for just under starting stack out of the small blind and Roberto Romanello called.
Chris Ferguson:
Roberto Romanello:
The board came and Ferguson failed to improve, he will have to re-enter tomorrow in order to take a shot at vital points for the leader board.
The flop came and Brandon Cantu led out for 2,000 into a pot of around 5,000. Viktor Kovachev raised to 7,400 and Cantu made the call.
The turn was the and Cantu checked to Kovachev who pushed out a bet of 7,500. Cantu counted his chips and then moved all-in for 27,800. Kovachev instantly made the call and the cards were face up. Cantu showed but Kovachev had a bigger flush with . The insignificant landed on the river and Cantu was eliminated
on a queen-high board and his three barrels were paid by Ting Ho, who mucked on the river.
and Mach picked up a flush draw to go with his one overcard. The turn was the 
and the river brought the 
providing no help for Mach as he was eliminated.
and the board ran out 
to see the top pair of the player at risk downed via runner runner straight.
and Gala tripled up thanks to the ace on the flop.
flop before the 
on the river.
while doing so, and then came the banter.
turn, on which Kabrhel bet 6,300. Ramos called on the button and the 
and Ferguson failed to improve, he will have to re-enter tomorrow in order to take a shot at vital points for the leader board.
and Brandon Cantu led out for 2,000 into a pot of around 5,000. Viktor Kovachev raised to 7,400 and Cantu made the call.
