Event #49: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em

Justin Zaki has just managed to double up in a preflop confrontation with Tyler Cornell.

Zaki:   

Cornell:   

The board ran out       to see Zaki collect the pot and move to 580,000 as Cornell slips to 270,000 in chips.

An eruption of cheers emanated from the rail as Chadwick Grimes won perhaps the most important coin flip of his life. All in with   , Grimes managed to hold up against Joel Bidnick's    on an eventful       board to pick up a monstrosity of a pot and put him right in contention for snapping up that shiny,gold bracelet.

But whilst Grimes wore a smile that would require a crowbar and tub of Vaseline to remove, victim Bidnick was less elated, and soon found himself all in for his last 100,000. With the action resting on Alexander Kuzmin, a frustrated Bidnick called the clock, and with just several seconds remaining, Kuzmin made the call.

Kuzmin:   

Bidnick:   

Board:      

The result of which meant that Bidnick was out, Grimes jumped up to 1,500,000, and Kuzmin increased his stack to 588,000. Phew, and they poker blogging isn't a sport!

It's been a see-saw battle for short stack Benjamin Smith since the break as he's both doubled up, and doubled down in the space of just a couple of hands.

On the first occasion, the action folded around to chip monster Mihai Manole in the small blind who peeked over from his Manhattan of chips and delicately inquired, "How much do you have left?" "About 200," came Smith's meek response. Manole grabbed a stack of green chips and firmly plonked them onto the felt. Smith snap-called.

Although Manole's fingers, toes and any other body part for that matter had been firmly caught in the cookie jar, he certainly didn't expect to be dominated by an ace, Smith's    in commanding shape against a rather paltry   . A       board later, and Manole was sliding two of his giant columns across the felt.

On the very next hand, Smith was in the thick of the action once again, this time against John Myung. As the all-in player, Myung was in search of one of six outs to survive with    versus   , and with the board coming      , he did indeed double through to 550,000. Smith, meanwhile, was back down to 260,000, although he had enjoyed a slight profit for his roller coaster ride.

In a battle of the blinds, Justin Zaki led out for 42,000 on a     flop with Chadwick Grimes making the call.

The turn landed the   and Zaki checked before being faced with a bet of 50,000 from Grimes.

Zaki took his time before finding a fold while slipping to 320,000 as Grimes flashed the   while climbing to 700,000 in chips.

Straight after the break, Jonathan Spinks announced all-in from the button. He was filling out his 'notable player information' sheet at the time for the final table bios, but it's information that may still be used as both the blinds relinquished their hands.

The remaining fourteen players are heading on a 20-minute break.

David Ventura moved all in for his last 105,000, and as the action slowly folded round to Tyler Cornell in the big blind, he made the call.

Ventura:   

Cornell:   

The board ran out       to see Ventura eliminated in 15th place collecting $27,464 for his efforts, as Cornell returns over the 400,000-chip mark.

Taylor Larkin raised the minimum on the button and Karl Fenton defended his big blind. On the     flop, Larkin continuation bet 53,000 and, after a brief pause, Fenton made the call.

After both players had checked the   flop, Fenton reached out for a column of orange chips on the   river and bet what appeared to be 150,000, although I think the dealer announced it as 125,000 as there was one green 25,000 chip concealed a couple of chips down.

With little hesitation, Larkin announced all-in.

Perplexed by the move, Fenton exhaled and sat back in his chair before glancing back down at his chips. It didn't take him too long to make the call, however, clearly believing that his opponent's line didn't make sense for the rivered flush. However, although Larkin didn't have clubs, he did reveal    for turned trips, which was more than enough to pick up both the pot and scalp. He is now your new chip leader with 2,150,000.

Chadwick Grimes opened to 60,000 from the button only to have Erle Mankin announce raise.

Mankin adjusted his chip stack and moved a stack forward of 150,000, but never putting it past his cards.

Grimes immediately announced all in thinking that the 150,000 was indeed Mankin's intended raise.

Mankin sat back, threw his arms in the air and put his hands on his head as he went deep into the tank.

Two minutes went by before Mankin made it an additional 40,000 and then promptly folded his handed.

With the action folding around to Clint Coffee on the button, he opted to push all in for a total of 262,000, but was quickly pursued by small blind Joel Bidnick who also announced all-in from the small blind. After the big blind had folded, cards were thrown onto the felt, Bidnick a nose hair in front with    versus   .

The board was more thrilling than a journey on Space Mountain, a sadistic dealer teasing with a     flop, putting Bidnick ahead with a   turn, before delivering a hopes-crushing   on the river.

Bidnick now up to 650,000.