As you can see from the chip counts, we have a new leader. Most of Kendall Fukumoto's big boost came in a badugi hand against Don McNamara. We missed most of the action, but we saw a huge pot up for grabs at showdown.
Fukumoto made a very strong [ax2x3x6] badugi, and McNamara's muck pushed Fukumoto to the top. He's got a few very excited, very supportive railbirds about two table-lengths away on the ropes.
During the badugi round, David Whitis was making a bit of a mistake in the eyes of some of the players. Occasionally, he'd pull his draw card(s) aside before the action was on him, and that gives a definite advantage to the players acting behind him. After he noticed it the second time in the round, Shaun Deeb spoke up to caution him.
Whitis took a bit of offense, and he pleaded his case. "Come on, man!" he began getting frustrated, "I'm getting tired of everybody teling me what to do. You're sittin' here accusing me of things." Deeb put his hands up to calm Whitis down, but he was getting even more riled up. He was involved in a hand after drawing one card, and he slapped all four cards face-down near the muck as he continued to defend himself. There were two floormen standing right next to the table presiding over the situation, and they kept it from escalating any further.
After the hand, one of the floormen chimed in to caution Whitis against that mistake. Deeb also insisted he wasn't trying to berate Whitis, and the latter eventually apologized with a scolded frown.
Whitis is in the midst of a particularly robust massage, and we'd imagine it's hard to get too worked up when you're getting your shoulders rubbed by an attractive therapist.
Tad Jurgens brought-in from the one-seat and Whitis called from next door before the action folded around to Chris Lee, who completed the action, forcing Jurgens out of the way. Whitis called, then opened the betting on fourth and fifth streets.
Lee called him on both occasions, then he led out on sixth street and Whitis called before Whitis check-called Lee on the river. Whitis quickly tabled his trips, then jumped out of his chair and ran over to see what Lee had. When he saw that Lee had rivered the straight, he cried out furiously.
"GOD DAMN IT!" Whitis exclaimed. It hasn't been a good session for Whitis, whose erratic behavior is beginning to irk the other players, but it appears that it's affecting his mindset the most.
With only about 40,000 left after being crippled in an earlier hand, Popescu brought in and the action folded to Chance who completed. When it got back to Popescu, he raised, which was enough to put himself all-in.
Chance called, but after the dealer peeled all the cards off the deck, Chance rolled up the for a rivered two pair, crushing the pair of sevens that Popescu had in the hole.
For his 12th place finish, Popescu banks $13,119. Not bad for three days' work!
David Whitis opened with a raise, and Shaun Deeb defended his big blind. Both men took one card, and it went check-check. Whitis showed , and Deeb got a little frustrated, slapping his cards into the muck.
On the next hand, Chris Lee opened from the button, and Deeb called from the small blind. He took one card, Lee took two and bet 28,000. Deeb announced the call, and Lee announced, "Ten."
"Damn it!" Deeb was getting bothered. He couldn't beat , and his stack has been cut all the way down to about 160,000.
One hand later, Chris "Genius28" Lee and Shaun Deeb played another pot. It was in the Omaha Hi-Lo round, and it began with Lee opening the cutoff with a raise. Deeb three-bet, and Lee called to go heads-up to the flop.
It came , and Lee check-called a bet. He did likewise after the turn, and Deeb bet again when the filled out the board. Lee didn't like it, but he called him down.
Deeb turned over , and that's a scoop. Lee mucked, and his chips push Deeb back up to 245,000.
From under the gun, Josh Weiland raised and Chris Lee called from the UTG +1 position before Shaun Deeb reraised from the cutoff. The others got out of the way and both Weiland and Lee called to make it three-handed to the flop of .
Weiland and Lee then checked to Deeb who opened the betting post-flop. They both called, then they checked to him again after the dealer peeled off the on the turn. Deeb bet, but Weiland was the only caller this time around, so it was heads-up to the river of the .
Weiland checked, Deeb led out again and Weiland called, only to muck after Deeb showed .
The action folded around to Brian Haveson who raised from the cutoff; Don McNamara called out of the small blind, but John D'Agostino reraised from the big blind. Haveson and McNamara called to make it three-way action to the flop of , after which McNamara opened the betting.
D'Agostino called, as did Haveson, then all three players checked the turn of the before D'Agostino opened the betting after McNamara checked on the river of the . Haveson called and McNamara mucked before revealed and scooped the pot.
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-- BUSTED
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, and Deeb got a little frustrated, slapping his cards into the muck.
turn, and Deeb bet again when the 
filled out the board. Lee didn't like it, but he called him down.
, and that's a scoop. Lee mucked, and his chips push Deeb back up to 245,000.
.
before D'Agostino opened the betting after McNamara checked on the river of the 
and scooped the pot.