Igor Kurganov's Main Event has come to an end a short way into Day 2. Down to around 27,500, Kurganov was all-in and at risk with against Mukul Pahuja.
Pahuja held and took the lead on a flop of . He rode out the turn and river and that was it for Kurganov. Pahuja, meanwhile, has one of the biggest stacks int he room.
David Bernstein, another of the players to register just before the start of play here on Day 2, moved all in for 13,400 from early position and action folded all the way around to Spain's Raul Martinez, who called from the big blind.
Bernstein:
Martinez:
It was a flip, but Bernstein failed to hit on the flop. The turn gave Martinez a full house, and Bernstein was drawing dead headed to the river, which came the meaningless .
Aaron Paul has enjoyed a rollercoaster day at the felt so far, having been at risk and involved in big pots throughout the level and a half we've played. He was in two more big pots and managed to ride them out with all the breakneck enthusiasm for danger his award-winning character Jesse Pinkman once displayed in Breaking Bad!
First, Paul made it 3,200 to go from early position preflop and was only called by Belgian PokerStars qualifier Jan Jacobs in the hijack position. The flop of saw Jacobs make it 3,500 and Paul called. The turn of saw the direction of the betting change, as Paul led out for 4,000, which was called by Jacobs, but on the river, Paul's repeat bet of 4,000 was raised to 18,000 by Jacobs. After taking his time to call, Paul called, turning over . It wasn't enough, as Jacobs turned over for the rivered second nut flush.
"Nice! Beautiful hand," conceded Paul, who had the nut flush blocker and could consider himself a little unlucky.
In the next hand he played, Paul moved all-in over the top of Christoph Vogelsang's small blind raise to 9,000 for a total of 17,900. Vogelsang called it off with , but he was behind Paul's . The rail and Aaron Paul's supporters waited with baited breath, but their man survived across the board of and he breathed a huge sigh of relief at the hand's conclusion. Back in the game.
Maxim Lykov opened the hijack for 2,700 and Ronan Gorey called from the big blind. Gorey checked on and Lykov bet 2,800. Gorey check-raised to 7,200 and Lykov called.
The hit the turn and Gorey check-called a bet of 7,200. The completed the board and Gorey shoved all in for 48,100. Lykov called with his for the turned straight but would end up having to leave the pot to Gorey since he tabled .
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Bryn Kenney's Main Event lasted less than a level.
He moved all in for his last 6,500 from middle position and Diego Gomez called from the cutoff. Todd Peterson, one hand removed from doubling Taha Maruf, then three-bet to around 27,000 from the button. Both blinds folded and Gomez called to put both Kenney and Peterson at risk.
Peterson:
Gomez:
Kenney:
The flop was gin for Gomez, and he scored the double elimination after the appeared on the turn followed by the on the river.
Nick Maimone could have been forgiven for being up and out of his seat. Down to less than 12,200 chips at this stage looked like a problem, but when he moved all-in over the top of a raise that had been called three times and got two calls, he thought he was in trouble.
Disaster was averted in the unlikeliest of circumstances, however. David Bokor still had to act, and seeing the 12,200 called twice gave him an idea that it was a perfect spot to squeeze. He moved all-in for well over 100,000 chips and that scared off the other two original callers.
Bokor:
Maimone:
Maimone suddenly took a big interest. "I could quadruple up," he said, and as he perched near his chair, the board played out to give him exactly that - a way right back into the game.
"I love you," Maimone declared to his unwitting benefactor, Bokor. There was much good humor all round, and Maimone is right back in his seat, not intending to go anywhere very soon.
Jason Koon is fresh off his massive win in the PokerStars Championship Bahamas $100K Super High Roller and jumped into the Main Event action late on Day 1b yesterday.
He's back in the mix today, looking to scoop his second trophy of the series.
On a board reading , with about 20,000 in the pot, the small blind checked, as did Koon. Harry Ratchford, screenwriter for much of Kevin Hart's work, bet 4,500. The small blind called, and Koon check-raised all in for a total of 24,200. Ratchford went into the tank and agonized over his decision before opting to fold.
The player in the small blind claimed to have flopped a straight. He went into the tank, looking at Koon and then back at the board. While Koon was waiting to find out his fate, Ratchford got down and started doing push-ups. Koon didn't flinch as this was going on the background. The small blind folded and Koon said, "You must have had seven-eight of spades" as he raked in the pot.