The table with Paul Sharbanee, Mel Judah, Oliver Gill, Paul Mac, and Vadim Pinsky brought up the issue of their table playing hands much faster than the other table, citing the chip differences as the reason. The table asked the tournament staff if they could play hand for hand or even round for round, but that request was turned down. They were told that if all of the remaining 10 players agree, both sets of five from each table, they could combine to a final table of 10 instead of waiting to combine at nine.
The table that brought up the request all agreed and then the other table was asked. The other table argued they weren't playing any slower, and both Jeff Lisandro and Gary Benson spoke up the most. That said, the tables will remain at five and five to play on.
Our observation is that one table isn't playing any faster than the other in terms of time per action. The table with the shorter stacks containing Sharbanee, Judah, Gill, Mac, and Pinsky is seeing more hands thanks to a simply preflop raise taking down the pot with everyone else folding. On the other table, more flops, turns, and rivers are seen, but the action per decision is very similar to that of the other table. This could be because of the larger stacks allowing the players at that table to see more streets of action as opposed to the other table.
The tournament staff is going to monitor the situation for a bit with the possibility that they will redraw all 10 players if the pace of play does differ a lot from table to table.
Jeff Lisandro limped in from under the gun, and then Gary Benson raised to 6,500 on the button. Stephen Woodhead reraised from the big blind to 22,500, and that knocked Lisandro out of the way. Benson thought it over, saw that Woodhead only had a couple thousand behind, and then reraised to put him all in. Woodhead called all in for 26,100 total, and the cards were turned up.
Woodhead showed the , and Benson had the .
Benson pulled ahead with a set of kings on the flop, but the turn card gave Woodhead a Broadway straight to put him back in the lead. Needing to dodge a board pair, Woodhead did just that when the hit the river, and he successfully doubled up.
Stephen Woodhead bet 2,500 on the flop, and Jeff Lisandro made the call to see the come out on the turn. Woodhead fired 5,500 this time, and Lisandro called again. Then, the completed the board on the river, and both players checked.
Woodhead showed the for a pair of jacks after missing his draw. Lisandro showed the for two pair, and the five-time World Series of Poker gold bracelet winner won the pot.
On the flop, Jeff Lisandro check-called a bet of 6,000 from Gary Benson. The turn was the , and Lisandro check-called again, but this time for an increased 11,000. The river was the , and both players checked.
Benson showed the for two pair, aces and fours, and he won the pot.
Gary Benson limped in from under the gun, Stephen Woodhead limped in from the button, Jeff Lisandro called from the small blind, and Jason Gray checked his option in the big bind to bring the four players to the flop. It was there that Lisandro checked, Gray bet 6,000, Benson called, Woodhead folded, and then Lisandro folded.
The turn was the , and Gray checked. Benson bet the pot for 20,000, and Gray gave it up.