Thursday, June 10, 2010 7:49 PM Local Time
Jeff Williams made it 100,000 to play from under the gun, and David Benefield called from the big blind to give his new chips some exercise.
Heads up, the two men check-checked a flop of to see the come on fourth street. That cued a leading bet of 130,000 from Benefield, and Williams made the quick call.
The action repeated on the river with Williams calling another 130,000-chip bet.
He showed first, flipping up for ace high. It was good; Benefield's cards hit the muck, and he gives Williams the chip lead with that pot.
Williams: 2.85 million
Benefield: 2.2 million
Thursday, June 10, 2010 7:45 PM Local Time
On the second hand back from break, David Benefield opened the pot with an early-position raise to 95,000. Jason DeWitt promptly three-bet to 240,000 a few seats over, and the table folded back to Benefield. He didn't waste too much time announcing an all in for another 1.015 million on top. DeWitt asked for the count before calling for about half of his own stack, Benefield now at risk for his tournament life. And flipping for more than 2.5 million chips:
Benefield:
DeWitt:
There wasn't much to sweat on a clean board that ran . That holds Benefield's pair, earning him the largest pot thus far and doubling him up to 2.58 million
DeWitt has gone from chip leader to the middle of the pack with 1.35 million left in his stack.
Thursday, June 10, 2010 7:38 PM Local Time
With bellies full, the remaining eight players are back in their chairs and ready for a few more levels of poker.
Let's do it.
Thursday, June 10, 2010 6:36 PM Local Time
Our eight finalists have retired for a one-hour dinner break. We're going to go get you some hard chip counts before heading off to the poker kitchen.
Play will resume just after 8:30 p.m. local time.
Thursday, June 10, 2010 6:35 PM Local Time
On the next hand...
James Carroll opened to 75,000 from middle position, and Jason DeWitt called when the action folded to his small blind. In the big, Peter Gilmore moved all in again for an additional 854,000. Fold-fold earns him the pot, and he flashed on the final hand before the dinner break.
Thursday, June 10, 2010 6:33 PM Local Time
Under the gun, Peter Gilmore open-shoved for, um, 856,000 chips...
Samuel Trickett tanked for about two minutes from the small blind, but he and the rest of the table eventually folded to let Gilmore have the blinds and antes.
Thursday, June 10, 2010 6:32 PM Local Time
Jason DeWitt raised to 75,000 under the gun, and Jeff Williams' three-bet of 240,000 shipped the pot to his corner as DeWitt quickly surrendered.
We've been back to no-flop poker for the last five hands.
Thursday, June 10, 2010 6:28 PM Local Time
David Benefield raised to 71,000 under the gun, but that was not going to get through. Right next door, Jeff Williams three-bet to 215,000, and that was no good either. Jason DeWitt was two seats over, and he promptly four-bet to 450,000 total. Folds all the way around earned him those chips without having to go any further in the hand.
Thursday, June 10, 2010 6:24 PM Local Time
James Carroll made it 75,000 to play from early position, and he was called by Jeff Williams (cutoff), Samuel Trickett (button), and Peter Gilmore (big blind). After all that whining about not seeing flops... just like that, we've got our first four-way flop of the day!
It came out , and Gilmore responded to that by moving all in for his full stack of 552,000 chips. That sent Carroll deep into the think tank, and he asked for a count of Gilmore's stack about halfway through his deliberation. Eventually, he released his cards. Williams made a reluctant looking fold himself, and Trickett insta-mucked to give the pot to Gilmore.
Just for good measure, the winner flashed as he was pushed the pot, and his flopped straight has earned him a chip boost to about 900,000.
Thursday, June 10, 2010 6:19 PM Local Time
James Carroll raised to 75,000 from the hijack seat, and Jason DeWitt was the only caller, matching the bet from the button to see a heads-up flop.
It rolled out , and Carroll checked before calling a bet of 100,000 from DeWitt.
The turn came the , and Carroll knocked the table again. DeWitt bet again, 215,000 this time, and that was good enough to take it down.
DeWitt - 2.45 million
Carroll - 1.91 million
Thursday, June 10, 2010 6:11 PM Local Time
Jason DeWitt raised to 75,000 under the gun, and Jeff Williams flat-called in the big blind. Barring some funny stuff from big blind James Carroll, we'd have our first flop in ten hands. Carroll folded, and the dealer remembered how to run out a flop of . Both players checked.
The turn came the , and Williams' 90,000-chip stab was enough to buy him the pot without contest.
Thursday, June 10, 2010 6:09 PM Local Time
After a complete no-flop orbit, this was the next hand:
James Carroll raised to 75,000 from the button, and he quickly folded to a 230,000-chip three-bet from big blind Jeff Williams.
And so it goes...
Thursday, June 10, 2010 6:06 PM Local Time
We just went one full orbit with no flops, as each pot was won with either a single preflop raise or a standard three-bet reraise. It's exciting poker, there just isn't much post-flop play right now.
Thursday, June 10, 2010 5:54 PM Local Time
From the button, Jason DeWitt opened to 75,000, and he found calling action from small blind Peter Gilmore.
Off the two men went to what would turn out to be an action-y flop of . Gilmore knocked the table, and DeWitt fired out 110,000 chips. That's not going to get it done here; DeWitt snuck in a check-raise to 260,000 total. After a minute or two of consideration, Gilmore announced an all-in three-bet, and DeWitt shrugged and made the call to put his own tournament life in jeopardy. The news was good, though:
DeWitt:
Gilmore: (oops)
Gilmore was drawing dead to a runner-runner chop, and the turn ended the hand right there. A mocking hit the river, too little too late for Gilmore, and he loses a big chunk of his stack to the dangerous DeWitt.
We'll get some updated chip counts as soon as they clean up the stacks over there.
Thursday, June 10, 2010 5:43 PM Local Time
Peter Gilmore raised to 75,000 under the gun, and Amit Makhija wanted to play for more. In middle position, he three-bet to 200,000 straight, only to see Gilmore shove all in over the top. It was a covering reraise, and Makhija decided that he could not go any further. He released his cards, adding, "I folded ace-queen. Can you show me a better hand?"
Gilmore promptly mucked, putting a big dent in Makhija's stack with that shove.
Makhija - 655,000
Gilmore - lots, still stacking
Thursday, June 10, 2010 5:41 PM Local Time
David Benefield limped from the button, and Jeff Williams raised to 110,000 total from the small blind. Benefield quickly called.
The heads-up flop brought , and a lone bet of 120,000 earned Williams the pot without contest as his opponent insta-folded.
Most of the pots at this featured table are being won with a single, standard continuation bet on the flop as these players continue to try and feel each other out for the time being.
Thursday, June 10, 2010 5:35 PM Local Time
Jason DeWitt made it 60,000 preflop, and Amit Makhija called from the big blind, sending the two men off to a heads-up flop.
It came out , and Makhija check-folded to a bet of 80,000. It's just like the last hand, but with different names.
Thursday, June 10, 2010 5:32 PM Local Time
Jeff Williams raised to 60,000 from middle position, and Paul Foltyn made the call from the big blind.
Heads up, the two men watched a flop of , and Folytn check-folded to a follow-up bet of 80,000.
Williams - 2.26 million
Foltyn - 890,000
Thursday, June 10, 2010 5:28 PM Local Time
Under the gun, Manny Minaya moved all in for his last lonely 191,000 chips. From the button, Jeff Williams made the call, and that got him heads up with a chance at the knockout. Cards up, gents:
Minaya:
Williams:
Minaya was in trouble, and he'd be looking for something resembling an eight to improve his chances of surviving this all-in showdown. The flop paired both players but really changed nothing as it came out .
The turn, however, changed quite a bit; the left Minaya dead to a three-out chop with a king. The river was paint, but the changed nothing, and that's the end of Minaya's day.
It was another fine run for Minaya here over the past three days, but his bid for his first bracelet has once again come up just a bit short.
Thursday, June 10, 2010 5:22 PM Local Time
Amit Makhija opened to 60,000 from the cutoff seat, and Jeff Williams three-bet to 165,000 from the big blind. Back on Makhija now, and he asked for a count on Williams' remaining stack. When he learned the number, he quickly folded out of Williams' way.