Brian Rast raised to 3,500 from middle position and Fedor Holz called from the button. Phil Ivey came along from the big blind and three players took a flop of . Ivey checked, Rast bet 7,500, and Holz called. Ivey got out of the way and it was heads-up action to the turn.
Rast check-called a bet of 10,000 and then checked the river. Holz thought long and hard before moving all in and Rast snap-called. Holz showed the for a rivered pair of aces, but it was no good as Rast had turned a set with the .
Holz has the option to reenter the tournament, but only time will tell if he takes that route.
Fedor Holz just raised to 3,500 under the gun and Brian Rast called from the button. Paul Newey three-bet from the small blind to 13,000 and Holz folded right away.
Rast tanked for a bit before making the call and the flop brought out . Newey fired out12,000 on the flop and Rast folded, giving another pot to Newey.
Fedor Holz raised to 3,000 from middle position and Phil Ivey called from the cutoff. When action reached Paul Newey in the big, he three-bet to 11,500, which both his opponents called.
Two checks on the flop saw Newey continue for 23,000, and only Holz called to see the turn. Newey thought for a bit before betting 65,000, and Holz responded by moving all in. Newey hit the tank for several minutes, and eventually he called off for 197,300 total.
Newey:
Holz:
Newey was ahead with aces, but it was a big sweat as Holz held both straight and flush draws. The dealer burned one last time and put out the . Newey's aces held and he doubled through the young German.
Phil Ivey was delivered breakfast table side, an array that included eggs, bacon, sausage and a hearty bowl of oatmeal.
As Ivey was chowing down, he got involved in a hand with Fedor Holz, who had raised to 3,000 from the hijack. Ivey, oatmeal bowl in hand, called from the button, both blinds folded, and the flop came down . Both players checked and then did the same on the turn and river.
Holz tabled the for a slow-played full house, and Ivey, holding the oatmeal in his left hand, point at Holz with his right, looked him in the eye, and simply said, "You're good."
Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier has just taken his seat as well, bumping the number of entrants to seven for the LK Boutique $250,000 Challenge.
Mercier, currently 11th on the all-time money list with $16.3 million in live tournament earnings, finished third in the $100k Challenge earlier this week for $602,700 and he chases another cash in Australia in this event.
Mercier's biggest results include multiple Super High Roller events around the world, two WSOP bracelets and an EPT title back in 2008.
Brian Rast, currently placed 12th on the all-time money list with $16.3 in career earnings, has just sat down in the tournament. Last summer Rast won the $500k Super High Roller Bowl for $7,525,000 and he just sat down in this tournament.
A total of six players are battling right now in the LK Boutique $250,000 Challenge, and the field's looking to grow more here in the first level of the day.
Fedor Holz raised to 3,000 from the cutoff and Igor Kurganov called from the small blind. The flop brought out and Kurganov check-called 4,800.
On the turn the hit and Kurganov checked again, after which Holz bet 13,000. Kurganov gave it some thought before calling, and the river completed the board with the .
After Kurganov checked again, Holz paused for quite some time before betting 48,000. Kurganov tanked for several minutes, but ultimately he made the call.
Holz showed for two pair, and Kurganov quickly mucked his cards.
Igor Kurganov raised to 3,000 under the gun and was met by a three-bet to 8,500 from Paul Newey in the cutoff. Ben Tollerene then called from the button, both blinds folded, and Kurganov got out of the way before the flop came down .
Newey led out for 12,500, and it was enough to get Tollerene to lay it down.
![[user153638]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
. Ivey checked, Rast bet 7,500, and Holz called. Ivey got out of the way and it was heads-up action to the 
turn.
river. Holz thought long and hard before moving all in and Rast snap-called. Holz showed the 
for a rivered pair of aces, but it was no good as Rast had turned a set with the 
.
flop saw Newey continue for 23,000, and only Holz called to see the 
turn. Newey thought for a bit before betting 65,000, and Holz responded by moving all in. Newey hit the tank for several minutes, and eventually he called off for 197,300 total.
. Newey's aces held and he doubled through the young German.
. Both players checked and then did the same on the 
turn and 
river.
and Kurganov check-called 4,800.
hit and Kurganov checked again, after which Holz bet 13,000. Kurganov gave it some thought before calling, and the river completed the board with the 
.
