It all escalated on the flop when things went horribly wrong for Greg Merson in a battle of the blinds. Loren Klein had limped and Merson spiked middle set when the chips went in. Klein turned over for top set and the turn as well as river both bricked. Merson took a huge hit to his stack and Klein should be the new chip leader now.
We have just confirmed with the floor, that we will be playing a total of ten levels today no matter what happens. So even if we reach the official final table, the players won't bag up until the end of level 20.
In the very last hand before the dinner break, James Brown got it in with the and was called by initial raiser Peter Charalambous. The Brit turned over but "hated the flop" when the dealer fanned . The turn gave Brown the flush draw on top but it wasn't meant to be as the river bricked.
All five cards were out: , and Nick Guagenti checked out of the big blind to Stephen Chidwick, who fired 25,000 from the button. Guagenti thought briefly before calling, but call he did.
"Playing these two," Chidwick said, tossing into the middle for an airball. Guagenti tabled for aces up.
Nick Kallenbach opened for 12,000 from the hijack and was met by a pot-sized three-bet from Jason Somerville in the small blind. The big folded, Kallenbach dropped in his entire stack of 51,500, and the cards were turned up.
Kallenbach:
Somerville:
Somerville was ahead with kings, but a high flop could have spelt trouble. Fortunately for him, and much to the dismay of Kallenbach, the flop came down a lowly . The turn officially left Kallenbach drawing dead, and after the was put out on the river for good measure, he took his leave from the tournament in 22nd place.
When I approached the table of John O'Shea, I saw by far more chips in front of him and immediately asked what happened. Apparently he got it in with on a flop against pocket jacks and "got lucky" by spiking the two outer on the turn. His words, not mine.
Greg Merson raised to 10,000 under the gun and was called by Jason Somerville. Action folded to the big blind, Mikal Blomlie, who raised to 40,000. Merson repotted, Somerville folded, and Blomlie called.
Merson:
Blomlie:
Blomlie was in rough shape, with only two unique cards, and he was drawing dead by the turn on the runout.
flop when things went horribly wrong for Greg Merson in a battle of the blinds. Loren Klein had limped and Merson spiked middle set when the chips went in. Klein turned over 
for top set and the 
turn as well as 
river both bricked. Merson took a huge hit to his stack and Klein should be the new chip leader now.
and was called by initial raiser Peter Charalambous. The Brit turned over 
but "hated the flop" when the dealer fanned 
. The 
turn gave Brown the flush draw on top but it wasn't meant to be as the 
into the middle for an airball. Guagenti tabled 
for aces up.
was put out on the river for good measure, he took his leave from the tournament in 22nd place.
on a 
flop against pocket jacks and "got lucky" by spiking the two outer on the turn. His words, not mine.
runout.
