Erik Seidel has dropped right back down to below his starting stack. The poker legend was tanking for several minutes on the river of a board after his opponent had moved his last 15,875 into the middle with the pot already at the 36,000 point.
Finally Seidel made the call and was shown for his trouble, the veteran flipped perhaps slightly lamenting his misfortune at the case king coming on the flop.
Massimiliano Martinez and Mark Newhouse, sitting side-by-side at the secondary feature table near the Tan section, have resumed their battle, just now vying for another decent-sized pot.
With the board showing and four players still in the hand, Martinez fired a bet which only Newhouse called, pushing the total pot up around 30,000. The turn brought the and a rapid bet of 8,200 from Martinez. Newhouse thought a moment, then decided not to mess around with this one any further and let his hand go.
Martinez now has just under 70,000, while Newhouse sits with about 75,000.
On a board reading , a player in the big blind bet 2,000 and was called by Cody Slaubaugh in the under-the-gun position. When the was put out on the river, the big blind check-called a bet of 3,800 from Slaubaugh, who mucked when his opponent revealed .
Frenchwoman Sarah Herzali has already proven already that she's no pushover, having earned over $130,000 in tournament prizemoney since 2009, including two cashes here at the WSOP this year. Herzali is also beginning to make her mark here in the Main Event, now up to more than 60,000 in chips after taking out an opponent.
The action folded around to Herzali's victim who moved all-in for 2,625 from middle position before Herzali iso-raised to 5,500 from the cutoff. All the others got out of the way before the cards were tabled:
Herzali:
Opponent:
Board:
With the board improving neither hand, Herzali picked up the last of her opponent's chips. Très bien!
Minh Ly, who finished third in this year's $50,000 Poker Players Championship, has been nursing a stack below 30K for most of the day, but it seems might now be on the right track. In a recent hand, Blair Rodman limped in early position and was followed right behind by Ly. The button and small blind limped, while the big blind checked his option.
It was five-handed to the flop, and action checked to Ly, who quickly fired out 600. The bet proved too much for the rest of the table as they folded one by one. As the dealer pushed Ly the pot, he was kind enough to show the and the side pips of another club card, which happened to be four across, meaning it was either the or . Which is was for certain, only Ly knows!
No sooner than players were taking their seats after the break when we saw Chad Brown walking in the opposite direction. We ran to his table and found an empty seat.
His table informed us that he only had 1,200 returning from break and he shoved on the first hand. He was called by a player holding and Brown had . His opponent caught a queen on the flop and Brown's Main Event was over.
The board read . A player in middle position had bet 5,000 -- about a pot-sized bet -- and Andy Bloch, without his characteristic black cowboy hat today, was contemplating what to do. Finally he announced a raise, and pushed out a bet of 13,000. Bloch's young opponent thought just a couple of seconds, then said he was all in. A count revealed his push was for 5,500 more, and Bloch called.
Bloch held for an up-and-down straight draw, while his opponent had . The river was the , and Bloch's opponent survived.
Some friends of Bloch's arrived at the rail during that hand, and so despite the hit he was smiling as he got up from the table to say hello to them. He'd built up a decent stack before the break, and now still sits with about 47,000.
Ted Forrest had a rough start to the day, but it seems his fortunes have turned for the better. Just before the dinner break, we caught up to Forrest when he was involved in a hand on a flop. Action had checked to Forrest, and he bet 5,000. Action folded back to the player in the small blind and he check-raised to 13,550.
Forrest thought long and hard before grabbing his entire stack, which was 25,600 more, and pushed it in the pot. The small blind quickly called and the cards were turned up.
Showdown
Forrest:
Opponent:
Both players had flopped a pair of jacks, but the ace kicker of Forrest was superior. Neither the turn nor the river changed a thing, and Forrest double to 83,000!
The players are streaming (running, yelling, pushing, shoving) their way back to their seats, and the cards are back in the air.
We're playing Level 4, after which will follow Level 5 (oddly enough), and then the end of the day. Let's see what sort of chip abuse Mark Newhouse, Shannon Shorr, and Sorel Mizzi have in store for their tables here in the after-dinner session.
board after his opponent had moved his last 15,875 into the middle with the pot already at the 36,000 point.
for his trouble, the veteran flipped 
perhaps slightly lamenting his misfortune at the case king coming on the flop.
and four players still in the hand, Martinez fired a bet which only Newhouse called, pushing the total pot up around 30,000. The turn brought the 
and a rapid bet of 8,200 from Martinez. Newhouse thought a moment, then decided not to mess around with this one any further and let his hand go.
, a player in the big blind bet 2,000 and was called by Cody Slaubaugh in the under-the-gun position. When the 
was put out on the river, the big blind check-called a bet of 3,800 from Slaubaugh, who mucked when his opponent revealed 
.
flop, and action checked to Ly, who quickly fired out 600. The bet proved too much for the rest of the table as they folded one by one. As the dealer pushed Ly the pot, he was kind enough to show the 
and the side pips of another club card, which happened to be four across, meaning it was either the 
or 
and Brown had 
. His opponent caught a queen on the flop and Brown's Main Event was over.
for an up-and-down straight draw, while his opponent had 
, and Bloch's opponent survived.
river changed a thing, and Forrest double to 83,000!