On the last hand before the featured table broke, David Diaz made a preflop raise from the button. Jonathan Karamalikis announced that he was all in and Diaz made the call, turning up which was racing against Karamalikis' .
There was little time for a sweat though, as Diaz took very strong control of the pot with a flop. Diaz was guaranteed the win when the hit the turn, giving him quad fours and a nice sized pot. By eliminating Karamalikis, Diaz brings his stack up to about 180,000.
Three players went to the flop of and Gavin Polone bet 5,500 and got two calls. The turn was and Polone moved all in and Jeremy Cate called. The hands were tabled and Cate flopped a set holding and Polone held for top pair and a straight draw.
The dealer peeled off the river and it was the , giving Polone the straight. Palone is up to 75,000.
After Craig Gray moved his entire stack in preflop, Nicholas Rampone made the call. The two hands were turned over and we were 5 cards away from Gray's fate.
Gray:
Rampone:
"That's okay, I can feel an ace coming," said Gray before the dealer began to deal the community cards. Unfortunately for Gray, an ace did not show up as the board fell . Winning this pot brings Rampone up to 96,500.
After Joel Bullock raised to 4,500, Corey Hastings three-bet all in to 12,200. Bullock acknowledged he was probably behind but felt he had to make the call.
Hastings:
Bullock:
The board ran out and Hastings found the double up. He now has 30,000 while Bullock falls to 23,000.
On our featured table, no less, we just saw the biggest pot of the tournament develop.
We caught the action on the flop, but according to table-mate Andy Black, the action occurred as follows. David Diaz raised from late position and Philippe Plouffe re-raised from one of the blinds. Diaz called and the two saw the flop heads up. Plouffe check-raised Diaz all in and Diaz made the call.
Diaz:
Plouffe:
The two were essentially flipping for an enormous stack and Diaz was playing for his tournament life. Diaz had to avoid a heart, a king or the board pairing any cards but the Five and Seven. The turn was the which kept Diaz in the lead and the river kept him there.
After they counted it out, Diaz had 61,800 left after the preflop bets. Those chips, plus what was already in the pot vaults him to 140,000. Plouffe dropped to 35,000 but was eliminated by Andy Black a few hands later.
We weren't around to see the hand play out, but from information gathered from the table, Team Pokerstars Pro Matthias De Meulder has been eliminated in 94th place. Bradley McFarland opened from under the gun and De Meulder re-raised all in with . McFarland made the call with and the board ran dry for De Meulder, knocking him out of the tournament.
Brett Shaffer opened from middle position with a raise to 4,200. Trickett called from the button and the two played the hand heads up.
When the flop fell , Shaffer thought for a minute and continued with 6,700. Trickett also took his time in making the call.
The turn was the and after another minute or two we had checks by both players.
The river paired the board with the . It seemed unclear to some players and even the dealer but Shaffer had checked and Trickett moved all in. After about five minutes of no one wanting to break the silence, the action was figured out and Shaffer finally let go of his hand.
All told, the hand took about ten minutes. Trickett didn't seem to mind though. He mounted the chips into his chip-leading 188,000 stack.
Bryan Pimlott was able to get Eric Ladny to call off his stack on an board holding just . Pimlott was in command with and stayed ahead through the and turn-river.
Just a couple of hands later, the player in the hijack moved in for about 30,000. Pimlott, who had just finished stacking his new found chips, called on the button before the blinds folded. Again Pimlott had versus the of his opponent. Right in the door card Pimlott all but sealed the deal when the was shown. The rest of the board ran out and Pimlott now has 175,000 chips!
which was racing against Karamalikis' 
.
flop. Diaz was guaranteed the win when the 
hit the turn, giving him quad fours and a nice sized pot. By eliminating Karamalikis, Diaz brings his stack up to about 180,000.
and Gavin Polone bet 5,500 and got two calls. The turn was 
and Polone moved all in and Jeremy Cate called. The hands were tabled and Cate flopped a set holding 
and Polone held 
for top pair and a straight draw.
and Hastings found the double up. He now has 30,000 while Bullock falls to 23,000.
. McFarland made the call with 
, Shaffer thought for a minute and continued with 6,700. Trickett also took his time in making the call.
. It seemed unclear to some players and even the dealer but Shaffer had checked and Trickett moved all in. After about five minutes of no one wanting to break the silence, the action was figured out and Shaffer finally let go of his hand.
board holding just 
and 
