Marcelo Manfredini started out quite well as he busted Antonio Esfandiari in one of his first hands at the table. It hasn't been going so great ever since, as he has since lost back those chips, and then some.
Just now we saw him check call a bet of 15,000 on from the cutoff. It was Martin Jacobson on the button making the bet, and the Swedish WSOP champion bet another 35,000 after Manfredini checked to him on the river. Manfredini made the call, but couldn't beat Jacobson's .
The next hand Brian Rast made it 2,300 from early position. His neighbor Manfredini made the call and Jacobson squeezed to 8,500 from the cutoff. Rast made the call and Manfredini instantly called as well. Both Rast and Manfredini checked on and only Rast called Jacobson's 16,000 continuation bet - Manfredini folded. Rast then check folded to Jacobson's second bullet worth 28,000 on the turn.
Jacobson is doing well with well over twice the starting stack. Marcelo Manfredini isn't doing too good, he has about half starting stack.
Steve O'Dwyer, who has won just about every big tournament in his career except for an Aussie Millions event, has just entered the tournament. His best result in Australia is a 6th place finish in the AU$25,000 Challenge last year and last nights 4th place finish in that same event. Can he do better here?
A big hand just went down up at the feature table. Unfortunately we didn't pick up the action until the river with around 75,000 in the pot and a board reading .
Dario Sammartino checked from the small blind and then Ben Tollerene moved all in from the big. Sammartino, who had 40,000 back, hit the tank, and just as the shot clock was about to expire he tossed in one of his two "Time Breaker" buttons, which granted him an additional minute to decide.
He let ever second tick off too before his hand was declared dead and Tollerene was awarded the pot.
Action folded to Kitson Kho in the small blind and he limped. Phil Ivey then exercised his option from the big with a raise to 3,000, Kho called, and the flop came down .
Kho check-called a bet of 3,000, and then both players checked the turn. When the completed the board on the river, Kho led out for 6,500 and Ivey snap-folded.
Jason Koon raised to 2,300 under the gun and action folded all the way around to Byron Kaverman, who called from the big blind. Both players checked the flop, Kaverman led out for 4,000 on the turn, and Koon called to see the river.
Kaverman bet again, this time 15,000, and Koon nearly let the clock expire before dropping in a call. He probably wished he had as Kaverman's rivered pair with the was the best hand.
Well, most people actually aren't really fond of chopping pots, they much rather win 'em we imagine, but that's an entirely different discussion. Back to the action.
Phil Ivey just opened to 2,400 from the hijack and Dario Sammartino on the button made the call. Mike McDonald in the big blind called as well and checked to Ivey on . Ivey followed his pre flop aggression up with a continuation bet of 4,000 and just Sammartino called, McDonald folded.
Both players checked the on the turn and so the on the river was seen for free. The prompted a bet of 8,000 by Ivey and Sammartino made the call just about instantly.
Ivey tabled but wouldn't take the entire pot, he would have to share the blinds, antes and McDonald's chips with Sammartino as the Italian revealed [Ah3]. Aces and eights with a jack kicker for the both of them and they divided the pot.
In the last hand of Level 3, Erik Seidel raised to 2,300 from the button and then called when Steve O'Dwyer, who finished fourth in the $25K Challenge last night, three-bet to 7,200 from the big blind. Seidel then called bets of 7,200 and 11,800 on the flop and turn respectively before both players checked the river.
O'Dwyer showed the for jacks and tens, which was good as Seidel sent his hand to the muck.
Igor Kurganov (here in the $25,000 Challenge late last night)
Andrew Lichtenberger opened under the gun and Igor Kurganov in the cutoff was the only caller. The two of them took a flop of and Lichtenberger checked. Kurganov now bet 3,700 and Lichtenberger check raised to 10,500. Kurganov went into the tank and needed to toss in a time breaker to not run out of time. He eventually raised to 21,000 with 26,600 behind. Lichtenberger needed just a second or five to announce all in. Kurganov made the call with not too happy a face.
Igor Kurganov:
Andrew Lichtenberger:
The on the turn was of no help to Kurganov and neither was the on the river.
Kurganov, after having finished second in the $25,000 Challenge late last night, now out in the $100,000 Challenge.
We missed the elimination of Marcelo Manfredini, but Martin Jacobson was kind enough to fill us in on a few details.
According to him, Manfredini three-bet and then called when Stephen Chidwick four-bet to 15,000. When the flop came down jack high, Manfredini got his last 35,000 all in holding pocket nines only to run into the pocket aces of Chidwick. Neither the turn nor river helped Manfredini and he took his leave from the tournament.
from the cutoff. It was Martin Jacobson on the button making the bet, and the Swedish WSOP champion bet another 35,000 after Manfredini checked to him on the 
river. Manfredini made the call, but couldn't beat Jacobson's 
.
and only Rast called Jacobson's 16,000 continuation bet - Manfredini folded. Rast then check folded to Jacobson's second bullet worth 28,000 on the 
turn.
.
.
completed the board on the river, Kho led out for 6,500 and Ivey snap-folded.
flop, Kaverman led out for 4,000 on the 
was the best hand.
. Ivey followed his pre flop aggression up with a continuation bet of 4,000 and just Sammartino called, McDonald folded.
on the turn and so the 
on the river was seen for free. The 
but wouldn't take the entire pot, he would have to share the blinds, antes and McDonald's chips with Sammartino as the Italian revealed [Ah3]. Aces and eights with a jack kicker for the both of them and they divided the pot.
and Lichtenberger checked. Kurganov now bet 3,700 and Lichtenberger check raised to 10,500. Kurganov went into the tank and needed to toss in a time breaker to not run out of time. He eventually raised to 21,000 with 26,600 behind. Lichtenberger needed just a second or five to announce all in. Kurganov made the call with not too happy a face.
on the river. 
