Tuesday, September 28, 2010 9:24 PM Local Time
Hand #171: Bord passed on the button and Lee on the small blind. Free money for Baldassari.
Hand #172: Button Lee raised to 125k on the button, and Fabrizio Baldassari made the call. They saw a flop of A prompt bet when it was checked to him secured this pot for Lee.
Hand #173: Baldassari on the button made it 130k to play, and Lee called on the big blind. The flop of brought no action, but the turn saw Lee bet out 175k. A swift call from Baldassari brought out the river. Now Lee bet out 325k, which was slowly raised a further 475k. Baldassari froze completely and sat motionless, mid riffle.
Lee suddenly moved in! His decision revealed either an excellent read or an excellent hand, as Baldassari almost immediately broke his statue pose and threw away his hand.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 9:16 PM Local Time
Hand #168: James Bord raised the button to 125,000 and Fabrizio Baldassari called in the big blind. Baldassari check-called a bet of 100,000 on the flop, but came out firing on the turn with a bet of 250,000. Bord made the fold and the Italian took it down.
Hand #169: Ronald Lee won the next pot with a button raise to 125,000.
Hand #170: In a battle of the blinds contest, Bord limped the small blind, Lee bet and Bord called. On the flop, Bord check-raised Lee's continuation bet of 200,000 to 550,000 before adopting his usual statuesque posture. Lee found a fold.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 9:08 PM Local Time
Hand #163: James Bord got a walk.
Hand #164: Bord limped from the small blind and then Ronald Lee checked in the big blind. The flop came down and Bord checked. Lee bet 75,000. Bord raised to 500,000, sliding out a tall stack of white T25,000 chips. Lee folded and Bord won the pot.
Hand #165: Lee made it 155,000 to go from the small blind and won the pot.
Hand #166: Lee raised to 125,000 from the button and Fabrizio Baldassari called from the small blind. Bord also called from the big blind and the flop came down . Baldassari checked, Bord checked and Lee checked.
The turn added the to the board of Baldassari checked. Bord reached for chips and bet out 150,000. Lee folded and Baldassari check-raised to 340,000. Bord folded and Baldassari scooped the pot.
Hand #167: Baldassari raised to 150,000 on the button. Lee was his only customer, coming along from the big blind.
The flop came down and both players checked to see the on the turn. Lee was up first and he bet 180,000. His Italian opponent called.
The river completed the board with the and Lee checked. Baldassari checked behind. Lee showed a pair of tens and won the pot.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 8:58 PM Local Time
Hand #162: As the blinds rise yet again the two shorter stacks have become pretty much level; both trail Lee but a double for either would change everything. On the button Bord made it 125k and Fabrizio Baldassari reraised to 435k. Bord immediately reraised all in, the very first hand after his double-up chips had found their way into a possibly impermanent home in his stack! This time there was no showdown, as a slightly miffed Baldassari threw away his hand.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 8:53 PM Local Time
Hand #161: Fabrizio Baldassari had the button and released his hand, clearing the path for James Bord to announce all-in from the small blind. Ronald Lee requested a count - 1,190,000 - and then made the call.
The level of excitement in the room suddenly increased as the rail burst out of their chairs like jack in the boxes...
Bord:
Lee:
"Ace!" boomed the crowd, before moving on to a slightly more greedy request:
"Two... Four... Five!" "Two... Four... Five!" "Two... Four... Five!"
The flop was nearly as good, and after a turn and river, the room once again erupted like Mount Vesuvius.
Bord celebrated with his raucous support, and even Andrew Feldman raced onto the stage to pat the back of the Brit. He's now lifted himself out of the danger zone with well over two million in chips.
"Bordy bring it home, Bordy bring it home!" sang the rail in conclusion, utlising the tune of a pop song that I am sadly too old - or out-of-touch - to name.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 8:50 PM Local Time
Hand #157: Ronald Lee raised to 105,000 from the button. Fabrizio Baldassari reraised to 375,000 from the small blind. James Bord folded in the big blind and action was back on Lee. He gave it up and Baldassari scooped the pot.
Hand #158: Baldassari raised to 125,000 from the button. Lee made the call from the big blind and off to the flop they went. The flop came down and both players checked.
The turn brought the and Lee checked. Baldassari slid out 150,000 and Lee folded. Baldassari continues to climb back up the ranks and do so through the chip leader Lee.
Hand #159: Bord had the button and folded before Lee raised from the small blind to 115,000. Baldassari called from the big blind and the flop came down . Lee checked and Baldassari fired 225,000. Lee folded and another one was sent to Baldassari.
Hand #160: Lee raised to 125,000 and Baldassari. Bord also called and the flop came down . Baldassari checked first and action moved to Bord. He checked to the preflop raiser and our chip leader. Lee fired 180,000 and won the pot.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 8:43 PM Local Time
Hand #152: Ronald Lee was the recipient of the first post-dinner walk, as Bord got his breath back after his initial aggression flurry.
Hand #153: Lee on the small blind gave big blind Fabrizio Baldassari no such benefit, as he raised to 140k, prompting a fold.
Hand #154: Lee again, raising to 105k on the button. With that he won one hand in each posible table position.
Hand #155: Fabrizio Baldassari made it 125k to go, and James Bord moved all in for the second time in about five minutes. Again the initial raiser immediately threw his cards away and the short stack became slightly less so.
Hand #156: Lee raised to 140k, repopped to 450k by Baldassari in the big blind. First one to him post break.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 8:38 PM Local Time
Hand #149: On the first hand after the dinner break, James Bord raised it up from the small blind and Ronald Lee let it go.
Hand #150: Bord raised to 175,000 from the button to take the second pot.
Hand #151: Lee opened his button and Bord shoved all in. Lee quickly folded and Bord made it a trio of wins, much to the delight of the rail.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 8:34 PM Local Time
The dinner break is over and the cards are back in the air.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 7:03 PM Local Time
With 20 minutes remaining on the clock, players are being treated to a well-deserved 90-minute dinner break - ample time for nippers!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 7:00 PM Local Time
Hand #148: Ronald Lee on the button, as is usual, raised to 105k. Just like last time in this configuration, small blind Fabrizio Baldassari reached for chips, and threw out a raise - to 275k. Back to Lee who, just like last time, repopped him - to 580k! Back in the decision-saddle and Baldassari turned to his rail with a wry smile, sighed, and gave it up.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 6:57 PM Local Time
Hand #143: James Bord made it 145,000 from the small blind and Roland Lee folded from the big blind. This mammoth pot sent the rail into an explicable frenzy of celebration.
Hand #144: Bord raised his button to 125,000 and Fabrizio Baldassari called. Both players checked the flop, before Baldassari led for 100,000 on the turn. Bord called. Check, check on the river, the Italian taking it down with for top pair.
Hand #145: Lee made it 145,000 from the button. Both opponents gave it up.
Hand #146: A trio of button raises, Baldassari this time picking up the blinds and antes with a raise to 155,000.
Hand #147: Bord raised slightly less, 120,000. No folds on this occasion - Lee reraised to 350,000. Bord folded.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 6:50 PM Local Time
Hand #141: Lee made it 140k preflop and after the one-hand hiatus it's back to Ron-based domination.
Hand #142: Lee on the button raised to 105k, this time prompting a reraise from Fabrizio Baldassari to 300k in the small blind. Lee thought about it for about as long as anyone has thought about any decision on this fast-paced final, and then fourbet it to 610k total. Few have challenged Baldassari's reraises so far, and he dealt with it by looking straight down at his chips (or the rail of the table) before finally glancing at Lee and gently swivelling on his chair. He let his hand go and Lee continues to ascend.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 6:45 PM Local Time
Hand #136: Ronald Lee wins with a preflop button raise, while Baldassari is still stacking Roland de Wolfe's final chips.
Hand #137: Walk for Lee (still 35k).
Hand #138: Lee raised to 140k in the small blind when button James Bord passed preflop. Baldassari sat still, furiously blinking for a few moments, but opted for a fold.
Hand #139: Back on the button (oh how fast it goes), Lee made it 105k to play. Still no one wanted to take him on, and a fourth preflop pot is added to Lee's towers.
Hand #140: Fabrizio broke with tradition and raised on the button himself, taking a set of blinds from the voracious Lee.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 6:40 PM Local Time
Hand #135: It seemed like it was just a matter of time before one of Roland De Wolfe's short stack shoves reached a showdown, and the clock finally chimed as De Wolfe moved in from the small blind and neighbour Fabrizio Baldassari made the call.
De Wolfe:
Baldassari:
An uneventful board (I willed a onto the turn, but to no avail) meant that De Wolfe was out in fourth.
De Wolfe is often regarded as a great chip-getter, but this week he proved his short stack abilities too by showcasing a never-say-die attitude that even Rocky would be proud off.
He's one of few triple crown winners in poker; the quadruple will have to wait.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 6:39 PM Local Time
Hand #131: Fabrizio Baldassari received a walk in the big blind.
Hand #132: Three players see a limped flop of where Ronald Lee took it down with a bet of 65,000.
Hand #133: Ronald Lee also received a walk.
Hand #134: James Bord raised his button to 125,000 and the blinds folded.
The action has slowed down the last few hands, with the remaining players as quiet as a bunch of nuns in a library.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 6:33 PM Local Time
Hand #126: First hand of fourway action, and Fabrizio Baldassari, first to act, raised to 125k, finding no callers.
Hand #127: From the same position, James Bord made the same raise the next hand, to 125k. Ron Lee reraised on the button this time to 345k, finding little resistance.
Hand #128: Roland de Wolfe moved in on the button for 555k, and for the second time his short-stack-shove went uncalled. 90k addition to his stack right there.
Hand #129: Lee raised to 150k after a James Bord small blind limp, which wins that pot.
Hand #130: Fabrizio Baldassari raised first to act to 135k, and everyone else's hand flew into the muck more quickly than the eye could see.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 6:27 PM Local Time
Hand #124: Ronald Lee raised to 105,000. Nicolas Levi began staring him down from the button and then moved all in. Fabrizio Baldassari was in the small blind and asked for a count. He was informed that the all-in bet was for 990,000. Baldassari tanked and then folded, as did everyone else including Lee and Levi won the pot.
Hand #125: Levi raised to 135,000 from the cutoff seat. Lee put Levi all in from the big blind, applying maximum pressure. Levi tanked and at one point it looked like he asked for a count on Lee's stack who had him well covered. Levi must have wanted to see how much of his stack Lee was risking on putting Levi all in. Levi then tanked a bit more while sipping on his water. He eventually called and held the best hand when the cards were turned over.
Levi:
Lee:
The flop came down and Lee picked up a ton more outs with a flush draw. He was still behind though to Levi's nines.
The turn brought the and that put Levi in a big hole facing elimination. He now could only catch the the on the river. The river was the though and that did it, Levi was out in fifth place.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 6:13 PM Local Time
Hand #119: Ronald Lee took it down with a standard preflop raise.
Hand #120: Fabrizio Baldassari raised his button. The blinds folded. I can't recall a hand where someone played back at the Italian.
Hand #121: The action folded around to Ronald Lee in the small blind. Roland De Wolfe requested a walk with a smile, and got just that as Lee relinquished his hand. De Wolfe showed .
Hand #122: Lee raised the button 105,000. Fold, fold.
Hand #123: Roland raised the button for the majority of his stack. Both blinds folded.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 6:07 PM Local Time
Hand #116: Danny Steinberg raised to 110,000. Nicolas Levi moved all in from the big blind for a little over one million and Steinberg folded.
Hand #117: On the button, Roland de Wolfe moved all in and won the pot.
Hand #118: Ronald Lee raised to 110,000. Steinberg was in the big blind and reraised to 285,000 total. Lee moved all in with Steinberg having about 900,000 behind. He counted down his entire stack and didn't look happy at all about having to make this decision. After tanking for a bit, he made the call.
Steinberg tabled the and Lee held the for a coinflip. Lee had Steinberg covered.
The flop came down and Lee stayed in front. The turn brought the and then the river the . Steinberg reached over and shook the hand of Lee before hitting the rail. He earned