Richard Ashby must be a Star Trek fan as he continues to 'cling on' by the skin of teeth. He was previously down to just 800, but despite building up a stack, he's now slipped to 1,750 and was last seen pushing all in from the button. Both the blinds released their hands and Ashby lived to fight another day.
His first recorded win came in a Seven-Card Stud event back in 2001, but since then Ashby has collated a near $1.2 million in live tournament winnings including final table appearances in the Aussie Millions, GUKPT, WSOP and UK Open.
Richard's greatest moment, however, came at this year's World Series when he won his first bracelet, taking down the $1,500 Seven Card-Stud event for $140,467. Two weeks later, he finished second in the $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship for a further $378,027.
Now back on home soil, Ashby will be looking to make up for that near miss and snap up his second bracelet here at the Empire Casino. He's got the talent, but at the moment he doesn't have a stack, and with players like Tony Cousineau starting to pull away from the pack, Ashby will be keen to double up before the upcoming dinner break.
He may be small but he's a big presence at a poker table. Freddy Deeb opened to 600 from the cut-off to face a raise to 1,625 from Phil Laak on the button. Deeb counted how much he had (5,175 total) and said "I gamble with you" and moved all-in. Laak though for a while and flashed a king before folding.Deeb flashed a queen and scooped.
We have to be careful that we don't run out of players today as they continue to fall like lemmings on a tightrope.
The latest to lose his balance was Simon Mairs, pushing all in for around 12 big blinds with before being snap-called by a preflop limper who'd slow-played . No change on the board and Mairs' venture for bracelet gold came to a halt.
Ladies and gentlemen, you're gonna need a bigger boat.
A player had limped in middle position and Tony Cousineau raised to 1,000 on the button. The flop came which both players checked before a flurry of activity on the turn saw all the money quickly going in. The other player must have been pretty happy with his but Cousineau had flopped the top boat with which avoided the case six on the river.
Cousineau now on 27,000 here in the Shadow room on the only table remaining up here.
As the cards were revealed, Ollie Simpson realised that he'd need to dunk himself into a tub of Vaseline to squirm his way out of this one, his in dyer shape against .
But despite a blank flop, and equally raggy turn, the river brought a dramatic to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
"It was the getting up out of your chair that did it," observed neighbour Phil Laak. "That added three percent onto your chances."
As a result of his slice of last-second fortune, Simpson has climbed himself up to 7,750.
Claire Renaut is up to 13,000 after making a diamond flush against Stian Johannessen. The flop was out as and led for 600 from the cut-off and was called by Renaut on the button. The turn came and when Johannessen led for 1,275 the French lady moved all-in for 4,425. Call.
Renaut tabled for flush and straight draws but was behind to Johannessen's for two-pair. The river came to make the flush for Renaut. Johannessen's still okay in 11,000.
![[user4144]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
before being snap-called by a preflop limper who'd slow-played 
which both players checked before a flurry of activity on the 
turn saw all the money quickly going in. The other player must have been pretty happy with his 
but Cousineau had flopped the top boat with 
which avoided the case six on the 
river.
in dyer shape against 
.
flop, and equally raggy 
turn, the river brought a dramatic 
to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
on a 
board.
but couldn't survive this time on a 
board.
and led for 600 from the cut-off and was called by Renaut on the button. The turn came 
and when Johannessen led for 1,275 the French lady moved all-in for 4,425. Call.
for two-pair. The river came 
, but obliterating it on a 
board. He now has 3,500.