Saturday, June 19, 2010 1:26 AM Local Time
Mike Ellis bet 325,000 on the turn of a board, only for Chris Gonzales to push all in. Ellis thought about it long and hard, but at no point looked happy. He eventually folded.
A couple hands later and Ellis made it 300,000 to go preflop - and Gonzales announced all in again. Ellis folded again.
Ellis picked up a small pot a hand or two later, but he remains the short stack for now on 2.1 million.
Saturday, June 19, 2010 1:19 AM Local Time
Blind on blind, Chris Gonzales shoved for the third hand in a row, and this time it was David Wilkinson who made the call.
Gonzales:
Wilkinson:
Board:
From desperate short stack to back in the game in three hands, Gonzales is now vying with Wilkinson for the chip lead.
Saturday, June 19, 2010 1:15 AM Local Time
While we were still typing up that last double up, Gonzales got his chips in and once again his opponent was Mike Ellis.
Gonzales:
Ellis:
Board:
Gonzales doubled to around a million.
And while we were typing that one, he got it in again.
Gonzales:
Ellis:
Board:
The Ellis rail went wild when the ace dropped, and made a noise like, "Ooaaaahhh," when then second five dropped on the turn to make Gonzales trips and put him back up to a respectable 2 million.
Saturday, June 19, 2010 1:09 AM Local Time
Mike Ellis raised to 240,000 on the button and both Chris Gonzales in the small blind and David Wilkinson in the big blind made the call.
Shouted the Ellis rail: "Flop yer set, Mike!"
Flop:
Ellis rail: "There it is. Quads."
Gonzales announced all in and Wilkinson folded. Ellis, however, called.
Bit of a cooler here.
Ellis:
Gonzales:
But the cooler wasn't over yet...
Turn:
River:
With that fortuitous third lady on the turn, Ellis doubled to 4 million while his rail went wild. The unlucky Gonzales was left with little more than 400,000.
Saturday, June 19, 2010 12:59 AM Local Time
David Wilkinson, already a roughly 2:1 chip leader over second biggest stack Christopher Gonzales, has taken the first three pots of this level to add to his chip lead.
First hand he raised from the button and both players folded.
Next hand he got a walk in the big blind.
The third time, he raised from the small blind and this time Mike Ellis called in the big. They saw a flop and Wilkinson bet out 350,000, which was enough to push Ellis off the pot.
Saturday, June 19, 2010 12:33 AM Local Time
Our final three will be back at the felt in 20.
Saturday, June 19, 2010 12:24 AM Local Time
David Wilkinson raised in the cutoff only for Martin Jacobson to shove from the button. The players in the blinds ducked out of their way, and Wilkinson made the call.
Jacobson:
Wilkinson:
Board:
Jacobson shook hands with his opponents, and he headed for the rail and his two loyal supporters, $183,345 richer.
Saturday, June 19, 2010 12:18 AM Local Time
Christopher Gonzales opened the pot in middle position and Mike Ellis moved all in from the big blind. Gonzales called.
Showdown
Ellis:
Gonzales:
Flop:
Turn:
River:
Eliis completed his flush and doubled up, is now up to 3,750,000. Gonzales slipped to 2,500,000 and loosed the chip lead he had since the beginning of this final table.
Saturday, June 19, 2010 12:09 AM Local Time
It folded around to David Wilkinson in the small blind, who announced all in to cover Billy Griner in the big. Griner, who'd been reduced to just 500,000 or so, decided he had to gamble and called all in.
Wilkinson:
Griner: less live than he would have liked with
Board:
Despite Griner sadly requesting the ten of hearts on both flop and turn, it was not to be. The look on his face as he busted was one of real devastation. Although he didn't win a bracelet this time, he nevertheless takes home a chunky six-figure payday for his sterling efforts.
Saturday, June 19, 2010 12:01 AM Local Time
In middle position, Mike Ellis raised to 215,000 and was called by David Wilkinson in the big blind.
The flop ran out and both players checked. The turn card was a and Ellis folded to a 125,000-chip bet from Wilkinson.
Saturday, June 19, 2010 12:00 AM Local Time
We at the bloggers' desk had been amusing ourselves by noting down the number of times David Wilkinson had shoved preflop, much the way that prison inmates scratch the number of days they've spent inside on the wall. We'd reached three, when he got a call.
Wilkinson had been on the button when he'd shoved this time. Martin Jacobson had called from the big blind.
Wilkinson:
Jacobson:
Board:
To some cheering from Wilkinson's rail, he doubled to 2.1 million. Jacobson dropped down to 2 million.
Said Wilkinson afterwards, we think to Mike Ellis: "Question is why did I make a move on the rock? That was a good call with ace-jack."
Friday, June 18, 2010 11:53 PM Local Time
Just a small one this time, but it all counts.
Martin Jacobson raised to 185,000 from the button and Christopher Gonzales called in the big blind. Both players checked the flop and Gonzales checked again on the turn. This time Jacobson bet 275,000, and Gonzales let him take the pot.
Friday, June 18, 2010 11:43 PM Local Time
The flop read , and Martin Jacobson bet 225,000. Christopher Gonzales raised all in, and Jacobson wasted zero time in calling all in for his tournament life.
Jacobson:
Gonzales: somewhat at it with
Turn:
River:
Jacobson doubled to 2.5 million. Gonzales remained chip leader after that, although on a reduced 4 million.
Friday, June 18, 2010 11:40 PM Local Time
Mike Ellis opened the pot with a 240,000-chip raise and David Wilkinson moved all in. Ellis tanked and eventually called.
Showdown
Wilkinson:
Ellis:
The board gave Ellis a full double up. While Wilkinson slipped to 890,000, Ellis moved up to 2,290,000 chips.
Friday, June 18, 2010 11:33 PM Local Time
David Wilkinson raised, and Mike Ellis did what seems to have become his entire modus operandi - he shoved. Wilkinson folded, and Ellis has done a rather nice job of upping his stack to a million or so without showing a hand.
Friday, June 18, 2010 11:29 PM Local Time
Billy Griner raised from the button. Both Martin Jacobson and Mike Ellis folded their respective blinds, and Griner picked up said blinds and the antes.
---
Mike Ellis open-shoved, but got no callers and got the blinds and antes instead.
---
Billy Griner raised under the gun and it folded all the way around to David Wilkinson in the big blind who folded .
---
Mike Ellis shoved again, but once more no-one called.
---
Mike Ellis shoved again the next hand, but once more no-one was interested.
Play continues, slowly.
Friday, June 18, 2010 11:22 PM Local Time
Exits are like buses, and after our crazy half-hour bustathon, the action has slowed to a snail's pace. Players are occasionally getting involved, but we rarely see a flop and although the players are starting to look a little sleepy, they are so far giving us every indication that they're in here for the long haul.
It could be a while yet.
Friday, June 18, 2010 11:13 PM Local Time
Martin Jacobson opened the pot with a 145,000-chip raise and David Wilkinson re-popped it to 440,000 in the small blind. Jacobson folded.
The action is really slow...
Friday, June 18, 2010 10:58 PM Local Time
Mike Ellis shoved, and Billy Griner asked for a count, but eventually folded.
"Atta boy!" called over one of Ellis' railers. We happen to know that this particular railer's enthusiasm stems not from sheer altruism but the fact that he has a significant piece of Mr. Ellis in this event. We wish them both the best of luck.
Friday, June 18, 2010 10:50 PM Local Time
David Wilkinson raised his button to 155,000 and Billy Griner called in the small blind. Over to Martin Jacobson in the big blind, who pushed all in. Wilkinson got out of there as fast as he could, but Griner took his time before folding pocket threes up.
"Gwaaann, Swede boy!" called a railer as Jacobson took the pot.