Ramon Colillas was moved tabled to sit with Antoine Saout and Dominykas Karmazinas, and more open seats were filled as Julien Martini arrived to face Colillas once more after their heads-up battle in the PSPC. And the seat between them was empty, and soon to be filled with Michael Soyza who has been tearing up the live circuit in the past two years.
Poker couple Rainer Kempe and Maria Ho have both taken a seat and they are only a table away from each other. Maria Ho has joined Maria Lampropoulos's table, sitting on her direct right, whilst Kempe has taken a seat on Fatima Moreira De Melo's table, sitting on her direct right.
With 8,000 in the middle and a three-way flop showing , action checked to Arvydas Merfeldas and he bet 2,000. Jean-René Fontaine was the only caller as Yilong Wang got out of the way and Fontaine checked again the on the turn. Merfeldas now made it 6,200 to go and that won the pot uncontested.
Francesc Davila Ausina opened to 1,400 in middle position and only Jorge Morales called, defending his big blind.
The flop showed and Morales check-called the 1,600 continuation bet. On to the turn and Morales opted to lead, setting the price at 3,500. Ausina wasn't going anywhere just yet and made the call and they headed into the river.
It was the and when Morales checked, Ausina checked it back and Morales open mucked, leaving Ausina to collect the pot.
Conor Beresford opened to 1,300 with his first stack in the under-the-gun position, which Rolando Soria called in the small blind. Johan Guilbert moved all in for 9,400 from the big blind and Beresford folded, while Soria quickly called.
Johan Guilbert:
Rolando Soria:
The board came and that spelled the end for the French poker coach, who is also known under his moniker "YoH ViraL".
Andrey Andreev walked out of the tournament room and mentioned that he was eliminated with kings versus eights, as an eight appeared on the turn. It was the second entry for Andreev in this event and he won't be allowed to enter anymore.
Players are off on a 75-minute dinner break now, and Boris Kolev appears to be the current chip leader by some margin. The action will resume at 8 p.m. local time and another four levels are scheduled for Day 1a.
On the former table of Davidi Kitai, a massive stack has emerged for Dmytro Shuvanov while the Triple Crown champion was among those that busted before the dinner break.
Maria Konnikova and Ryan Riess also boosted their stacks, the former without and the latter with showdown.
Konnikova was involved in three-way action to the turn and Tomas Jozonis bet 2,600. Arvydas Merfeldas called and Konnikova raised to 12,200. Jozonis reluctantly folded and Merfeldas did so as well, flashing the .
In the last hand before the break, a limped pot resulted in the elimination of Macsim Robert one table over from Konnikova. Adolfo Vaeza had limped the button, as did Robert in the small blind, and Riess checked the big blind. Riess check-raised a bet of Vaeza and two calls followed on the flop.
Only Robert check-called a bet on the turn and checked the river. Riess shoved for effectively 15,000, as that's what Robert had left. The Romanian ended up in the think tank for several minutes and the clock was called. Once tournament staff arrived to give Robert a 30-second countdown, he called and Riess turned over for two pair. Robert mucked and headed out of the tournament area.