Monday, October 2, 2017 6:44 PM Local Time
Mauricio Ameller Eliminated in 3rd Place ($117,619)
Asher Conniff opens the button to 250,000, and Mauricio Ameller three-bet shoves for 2,250,000 in the small blind. In the big blind, Joe Gotlieb starts to stack chips out in the staging area in the vicinity of his hole cards.
There is some confusion over whether or not Gotlieb has committed them to the pot, so Conniff asks him. Gotlieb doesn't move to answer, so Conniff tries again. "Is that a call?" Again, no response. For about 15 seconds, Conniff and the dealer exchange confused looks, and nobody is quite sure about the action.
There is a floor person standing nearby, and he's not sure, either. "Sir, is that a call?" the floor asks. Gotlieb sits like a statue, so the floor continues. "Did you intend to call the bet? Because it sure looked like a call to me. Sir?"
Finally, Gotlieb speaks, and he does so with daggers. "Can I raise?!" he asks. The floor tells him he can not, but the question was rhetorical. "Well, if I can't raise, then what is it?" he asks angrily.
"Look, I just want to make sure you're calling," Conniff says. "I can't tell if your chips are in the pot."
"It's not a raise, so what do you think it is?" Gotlieb grows even more unhappy.
Finally convinced, Conniff folds, and Gotlieb turns to the floorman to express further frustration. "You're not allowed to ask me that," he says. "I don't talk when I'm in a hand. I don't want to give off any tells. You can't do that."
The floor explains that Gotlieb's actions were unclear and advises him to be more definitive in the future.
While that tense situation is still lingering, Ameller is at risk for his tournament life.
Ameller:
Gotlieb:
The board runs out , and Gotlieb wins the pot with a pair of fives. Ameller is eliminated in third place.
Conniff and Gotlieb are now heads-up for the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Main Event title.
Asher Conniff - 11,030,000 (92 bb)
Joe Gotlieb - 7,050,000 (59 bb)
Mauricio Ameller - Eliminated