Monday, June 11, 2012 3:10 PM Local Time
Adria Balaguer opened the pot to 48,000 before Gregg Wilkinson three-bet shoved for 411,000 total. Next door in the big blind, Kennii Nguyen either called or re-shoved himself. We couldn't hear the verbal declaration, and no chip movement was made, but the decision was back on Balaguer. He folded, and Wilkinson was in jeopardy.
Showdown
Wilkinson:
Nguyen:
The flop almost knocked Wilkinson out of his chair, and a celebration was two cards away. Only after the turn and river did he clap his hands together loudly and let out a big, "Yes!" He's found his double, taking a bite out of Nguyen's chip-leading stack in the process.
| Kennii Nguyen | 1,255,000 | -695,000  |
| Gregg Wilkinson | 900,000 | 495,000  |
Monday, June 11, 2012 2:58 PM Local Time
Adria Balaguer and Kennii Nguyen just can't get enough of each other. In their latest duel, Balaguer raised to 48,000 from under the gun and Nguyen called on the button. The two players saw a flop of and Balaguer led out for 59,000. Nguyen fired back with a raise to 141,000, and Balaguer paused for a minute before opting to call.
Balaguer then slowed down when the hit the turn. Nguyen kept the pressure on with a bet of 218,000, and that was enough to get Balaguer away from his hand.
With that, it appears Nguyen has taken the chip lead away from the Spanish pro.
| Kennii Nguyen | 1,950,000 | 260,000 |
| Adria Balaguer | 1,875,000 | -225,000 |
Monday, June 11, 2012 2:47 PM Local Time
One hand ago, Barry Shulman raised to 48,000 from the button to open the pot. Adria Balaguer was in the small blind, and he three-bet shoved in the form of a tall tower of green chips. Shulman spent a few minutes in the tank before surrendering.
The next hand, it was Balaguer opening to 48,000 from the button, but this time it was he who got shoved on. Gregg Wilkinson three-bet all in for 259,000, and Balaguer tank-folded.
Monday, June 11, 2012 2:35 PM Local Time
Adria Balaguer raised to 48,000 in early position, and he found action from Kennii Nguyen. His call came from the button, and off they went to a heads-up flop.
The dealer spread , and both men checked to the turn. Balaguer made his continuation bet of 57,000 there, and Nguyen wasted no time calling.
The river was the , and Balaguer fired out a final 126,000. Nguyen spent a few minutes in the tank, then announced a fold.
| Adria Balaguer | 2,100,000 | 200,000 |
| Kennii Nguyen | 1,690,000 | -200,000 |
Monday, June 11, 2012 2:25 PM Local Time
The blinds are up, and the cards are flying again.
When we lose one more player, we'll rack up and move over to the secondary featured table in the Pavilion.
Monday, June 11, 2012 2:25 PM Local Time
Level: 24
Blinds: 12000/24000
Ante: 4000
Monday, June 11, 2012 2:24 PM Local Time
Kennii Nguyen took a nice pot from Gregg Wilkinson just before the break. He is now neck-and-neck with Adria Balaguer for the chip lead.
| Adria Balaguer | 1,900,000 | -50,000 |
| Kennii Nguyen | 1,890,000 | 740,000 |
| David Peters | 1,152,000 | 112,000 |
| Jason Wheeler | 1,100,000 | 255,000 |
| Ismael Bojang | 730,000 | -70,000 |
| Justin McGill | 705,000 | -270,000 |
| Patrick Smith | 660,000 | -140,000 |
| Gary Burks | 622,000 | -18,000 |
| Barry Shulman | 620,000 | -130,000 |
| Cliff Goldkind | 445,000 | -5,000 |
| Gregg Wilkinson | 405,000 | -255,000 |
Monday, June 11, 2012 2:05 PM Local Time
We're two levels deep in this Day 3, and our 19-player field has been reduced to just 11 in that time. For their persistance, those remaining have been granted a 20-minute break.
We'll be back with a fresh round of chip counts in a moment.
Monday, June 11, 2012 2:04 PM Local Time
We picked up the action on a flop, heads-up between Cliff Goldkind and Adria Balaguer. We're not sure what the preceding action was, but when we arrived, Goldkind had 176,000 chips out in front of him. It was either a bet or a check-raise, we're not sure which. In any event, Balaguer made the call.
The turn came the , and now Goldkind knocked the table. Balaguer took his cue to slide out a bet of 215,000, but Goldkind check-raised all in for 710,000 total. Snap-call, cards up.
Showdown
Goldkind:
Balaguer:
Balaguer had smashed his flush on the turn, but he needed to fade the rest of the diamonds to stay in front. The river was safe, the black , and that's the biggest pot we've seen this tournament. If it's not 2 million chips, it's awfully close. We'll mark Balaguer down for 1.95 million until he finishes stacking up.
| Adria Balaguer | 1,950,000 | 1,060,000 |
| Cliff Goldkind | 450,000 | -1,020,000 |
Monday, June 11, 2012 1:59 PM Local Time
Barry Schulman raised to 45,000 from the hijack and Eric Wasserson quickly moved all in for around 285,000 from the button. As the dealer began counting down Wasserson's stack, Gregg Wilkinson announced he was all in from the small blind, having Wasserson covered. Schulman shrugged as he released his hand, and Wasserson was at risk and in bad shape:
Wasserson:
Wilkinson:
The dealer rolled out a flop, and suddenly Wasserson needed one of the two remaining nines to make a straight. That changed when the board paired with the on the turn, and Wasserson was unable to boat up on the river. He's on his way to the cashier to pick up $31,916 for his four days of work.
| Gregg Wilkinson | 660,000 | 5,000 |
| Eric Wasserson | 0 | -445,000 |
Monday, June 11, 2012 1:46 PM Local Time
In a battle of the blinds, we joined the action on an flop. Kennii Nguyen was first to speak, and he made it 37,000 to go. Greg Ronaldson answered with a raise to 80,000, and Nguyen didn't waste much time shoving all in. Ronaldson took his pause to consider, then called off the last ~260,000 of his chips. The call was understandable when he tabled his hand, but it was quite a mistake in the end.
Showdown
Nguyen:
Ronaldson:
Already drawing nearly dead, Ronaldson stood up to say his goodbyes. The turn and river came and to fill out the board, and we're down to 12 players.
| Kennii Nguyen | 1,150,000 | 280,000 |
| Greg Ronaldson | 0 | -305,000 |
Monday, June 11, 2012 1:36 PM Local Time
Gary Burks opened to 45,000 on the button, and Aram Zerounian reraised all in from the big blind. It was about 200,000 total, and Burke snap-called with the covering stack.
"You got me good," Zerounian said as he rolled over his . Burks showed down , and his pair was never in trouble. The board ran out , and down goes Zerounian. He's out in 14th place, good for more than $25,000.
| Gary Burks | 640,000 | 250,000 |
| Aram Zerounian | 0 | -210,000 |
Monday, June 11, 2012 1:29 PM Local Time
Here are the counts from Table 451.
| David Peters | 1,040,000 | 375,000 |
| Justin McGill | 975,000 | 280,000 |
| Jason Wheeler | 845,000 | -145,000 |
| Ismael Bojang | 800,000 | -80,000 |
| Patrick Smith | 800,000 | -200,000 |
| Gary Burks | 390,000 | 72,000 |
| Aram Zerounian | 210,000 | -70,000 |
Monday, June 11, 2012 1:27 PM Local Time
From the cutoff seat, Patrick Smith raised to 45,000. Jason Wheeler reraised on the button to 131,000. In the small blind, Justin McGill reraised to 300,000. Everyone folded and McGill's four-bet got through.
Monday, June 11, 2012 1:25 PM Local Time
Here are the counts from Table 445.
| Cliff Goldkind | 1,470,000 | 195,000 |
| Adria Balaguer | 890,000 | 0 |
| Kennii Nguyen | 870,000 | -130,000 |
| Barry Shulman | 750,000 | 0 |
| Gregg Wilkinson | 655,000 | 65,000 |
| Eric Wasserson | 445,000 | 30,000 |
| Greg Ronaldson | 305,000 | -289,000 |
Monday, June 11, 2012 1:22 PM Local Time
Adria Balaguer raised from the button to open the pot, and Philippe Boucher three-bet shoved next door. It was about 240,000 total, and Balaguer couldn't have gotten his chips into the pot any quicker. He turned up , and Boucher's was in bad shape.
He was already drawing dead one card early, and the board has sent Boucher off in 15th place. He won a six-max PLO bracelet in Cannes last year, but bracelet number two will have to wait for now.
| Adria Balaguer | 890,000 | 315,000 |
| Philippe Boucher | 0 | -459,000 |
Monday, June 11, 2012 1:21 PM Local Time
From the cutoff seat, Jason Wheeler raised to 42,000. David Peters made the call from the big blind and the flop came down . Peters checked and Wheeler bet 42,000. Peters called.
The turn was the and both players checked to see the fall on the river. Peters bet 125,000 and Wheeler folded.
Monday, June 11, 2012 1:18 PM Local Time
Cliff Goldkind just three-bet to 125,000 from the button after Greg Ronaldson raised to 40,000 fromt he cutoff seat. Everyone, including Ronaldson, folded and Goldkind won the pot.
Since gaining the chip lead a short while ago, Goldkind has been on the gas nonstop and really using his big stack to his advantage.
Monday, June 11, 2012 1:07 PM Local Time
| Ted Goldstein | 0 | -76,000 |
Monday, June 11, 2012 1:02 PM Local Time
On the flop, Cliff Goldkind bet 86,000 and Gregg Wilkinson raised to 207,000. Goldkind fired back with a reraise to 338,000 and Wilkinson gave it up.
| Cliff Goldkind | 1,275,000 | 515,000 |
| Gregg Wilkinson | 590,000 | -410,000 |