6.25pm: Break
That’s the end of the level. We’re on a 15-minute break.
6.20pm: Aces for Caraba
Jake Cody started this one off with a bet of 260,000, and Teodor Caraba called. On the 10â™ 7♣ 5♣ flop, Caraba bet 500,000, Cody re-raised to 1,500,000 and Caraba called. Both checked the J♦ turn, and the 9♣ river, and it was Caraba’s pocket aces that one this one. Caraba later explained he had meant to re-raise pre-flop.
6.10pm: Caraba is still here
It’s the the first hand of three-handed play and Teodor Caraba, by some measure the least active of all the remaining contenders, takes it down. He raises pre-flop and he and McDonald see 8♥ 5♥ 8♣ . Caraba bets 460,000 at that, which is enough to persuade McDonald out of it.
6.03pm: Cody deals killer blow to Bergeron
Craig Bergeron out in fourth, earning €221,000
We’re down to three. Craig Bergeron opened for one million, Jake Cody moved all-in and Bergeron called for the remainder of his stack.
Cody: A♦ 7♦
Bergeron: J♥ 10♣
Bergeron, who had shoved pre-flop the previous two hands, now needed help. But the flop came 5♥ 8♦ A♥ to confirm Cody’s lead – and the river was Aâ™ , sealing the deal.
That leaves the final three with almost identical stack sizes:
Jake Cody: 7,730,000
Teodor Caraba: 7,625,000
Mike McDonald: 7,395,000
5.55pm: Shove and take
Craig Bergeron shoves for one million, but gets no takers. On we go.
5.45pm: McDonald comes out best v Cody
Two big stacks just send a few minutes slugging each other. Mike McDonald opened for 290,000, called by Jake Cody. The flop came K♥ 6♣ K♣ . McDonald slid out another 300,000 which Cody called for a Q♣ turn. McDonald bet 700,000 this time and again Cody called, taking this one to the river. 9♠. McDonald took a second and bet 1,500,000. Cody knew time was up and passed his hand.
5.40pm: Bergeron doubles
Craig Bergeron barely had enough to last more than a couple of rounds and would have been happy to find A♠J♦ with which to shove his last 500,000-odd in. Mike McDonald called instantly and when Cody and Caraba got out the way they were heads up.
McDonald showed K♦ 9♦ , which had potential for an outdraw, even after the board came 10♣ 5♥ J♠. The turn 4♥ was only good for Bergeron, as was the A♥ river. HU4ROLLZ lives to fight another day with a little more than a million in chips.
5.32pm: Double up for Cody
Craig Bergeron limped from the button and Jake Cody checked on the big blind. The flop was 4♦ K♥ 9♦ , Cody checked, Bergeron made it 120,000 and then Cody bumped it up to 330,000. But it wasn’t over yet – Bergeron min-raised to 660,000, sending Cody into the tank. He counted his stack, gave Bergeron the stare, then raised again, this time to 990,000. Now Bergeron moved all in – call!
Bergeron: 9â™ 6â™
Cody: 9♣ 4♥
The turn was 10♣ and the river 3♦ , meaning Cody’s two pair sent him over 7million, Bergeron down to one million.
5.20pm: Caraba takes one
Jake Cody opened for 275,000 and got a call from Teodor Caraba. On the 6♣ 2♦ A♥ flop, Cody bet 290,000. Call. Both checked the 9♠turn and the 2♣ river, and Caraba took the pot with pocket eights.
5.10pm: Cody doubles
It would be a harsh man to deny Jake Cody this double up, even though it was a minor suck-out. Mike McDonald raised to 270,000 and Cody shoved for 1,910,000. The other two got out of the way but McDonald snap-called and had J♥ J♣ . Cody was behind with A♣ 7♦ but, as Cody’s supporters on the rail said, “Boom!” The A♥ came on the flop and the rest didn’t matter. Cody’s roller coaster ride now takes him back to about 4 million.
5pm: Bergeron latest to bust Cody’s tens
It’s going to take Jake Cody a while to get over the sight of pocket tens. First hand after the break and he raised with them – 10♥ 10♣ – and Craig Bergeron moved all in for 1,925,000. Cody called and was shown A♥ K♣ by his adversary, the same hand that Mike McDonald had when Cody was slaughtered before.
This time he couldn’t be eliminated either – he had Bergeron covered – but the board brought the familiar misery for the pocket pair. It ran 2♦ 4â™ 5♥ Aâ™ 4â™ and that turn card kept Bergeron in it, putting Cody on the ropes once again.
4.50pm: Back again
Players are heading back to their seats after the 15 minute break. Just four remain, each now guaranteed at least €221,000. But they don’t want that – they want the €847,000 first prize.
Level 29 was a great one for Mike McDonald, who took over the chip lead after winning a crucial race against Jake Cody, his A-K besting tens.
Here’s where they stand now:
[chipcount 40]
PokerStars Blog reporting team: Stephen Bartley, Howard Swains, Marc Convey and Simon Young
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