German juggernaut Philipp Gruissem just sat down at a table with Mike McDonald, and the two got involved in a pot right away. From early position, McDonald opened to 9,500. Gruissem called in late position, as did both players in the blinds.
All players checked the flop and turn. On the river, McDonald bet 25,000 and only Gruissem called. McDonald tabled for a rivered broadway straight, but Gruissem held for a full house to scoop up his first pot.
Julian Thomas raised and picked up one caller in Erik Seidel in the small blind. The flop came and Seidel checked. Thomas bet 20,000 and received a call before Seidel checked again the turn. Thomas now bet 35,000 and that forced a fold.
Without too many showdowns, Thomas has climbed the leaderboard and jumped into a contender role for the end-of-day chip lead.
Mustapha Kanit busted on his first bullet towards the end of the previous level whereas Philipp Gruissem just registered to play in the last two levels of tonight. The screens currently show 66 players remaining, there are 84 entries thus far in the most expensive event of the festival at the Casino Barcelona.
The last 20-minute break of the day has just started. When the players return, the 500-chips will be the lowest denomination in play as the 100-chips are being raced off.
The board read and Andreas Goeller has bet 20,000. Stephen Chidwick check-raised his remaining stack of 76,700 all in, and Goeller called it off.
Stephen Chidwick:
Andreas Goeller:
Goeller was in the lead with trip sixes, but Chidwick had both flush- and straightouts to improve. The river was one of those outs, improving Chidwick's hand to a straight for the double-up.
Steffen Sontheimer defended his big blind against a raise by Akin Tuna and check-called a small bet on the flop.
On the turn, Sontheimer checked again and Tuna bet 14,000, which Sontheimer called. The river completed the board and both checked. Sontheimer announced a nine and showed . Tuna had that beat with and won the pot, while both players remain below starting stack.
John Juanda raised from early position and found two callers in Bryn Kenney and Julian Stuer to see a flop of . Stuer checked, Juanda continued for 12,800 and Kenney called. Stuer then check-raised to 56,000 and forced two folds to claim the pot uncontested.
Davidi Kitai opened under the gun to 6,500, receiving calls from Ali Fatehi, Murad Akhundov and Adrian Mateos. Mateos, Kitai and Fatehi all checked the flop, which prompted Akhundov to bet 16,000. Only Mateos check-called the bet from Akhundov.
On the turn, it was Mateos seizing the initiative by leading out 50,000. Akhundhov called, leaving himself with 110,000 behind. The river was the and Mateos shoved all in, covering Akhundov. The man from Azerbaijan, coming off two six-figure scores in Monte Carlo, couldn't call the rest off and folded his hand.