5:00pm: Ten-minute break
4:55pm: The unstoppable Brotha D
Our chip leader is now none other than Brotha D after a big clash with fellow big stack Mark Chin.
Brotha D raised to 8,500 from early position and Chin called to see a flop of 9♣ 8♣ 4♣ . Brotha D check-called for 15,000 before both players checked the J♣ turn. On the 6♥ river Brotha D led out for 30,000 and Chin went into the tank.
After several minutes of deep thought he may the call, but mucked when Brotha D showed K♣ J♥ for the second nut flush.
Chin slips to 145,000 with Brotha now up to 245,000 and the chip lead.
4:40pm: Limanis stays alive
Angelo Limanis has been all in 72 times today according to Tony Hachem, and he made it number 73 when he moved all in preflop from middle position with Q♣ J♥ . Bruno Portaro made the call with pocket sevens but he lost the race when the board ran out 6♣ 10♥ Q♠4♠8♣ . Limanis paired his queen to double up to around 70,000.
4:30pm: Shorties survive
A couple of the short stacks in the field have just doubled up to stay alive as we are now within eight places of the money.
Luke Edwards moved all in preflop with J♣ 10♣ and was called by Brotha D with A♥ 9♥ but the board of 3♣ A♣ 4♦ 5♦ 7♣ gave Edwards a flush for a double to around 70,000.
A moment later it was Constantin Harach all in with his short stack holding A♦ J♦ as chip leader Tim English called with Kâ™ 3â™ . The board landed 2♣ Qâ™ 4♥ 10♦ Q♥ to leave Harach’s ace-high in front to double back to 30,000.
4:25pm: Brotha D lays down a bad beat
Brotha D opened with a raise from early position to 8,500 and action folded to Stephen Holloway in the big blind who moved all in for an additional 30,800. After a few minutes of deliberation, Brotha D made the call.
Brotha D: K♦ Qâ™
Holloway: K♠K♣
Brotha D would need something special, but he’s a man in form as the board ran out 8♣ 8♥ Q♦ J♦ Q♣ . A cruel blow to Holloway send him to the rail as Brotha D continues on his merry way.
4:15pm: Portaro stirring up some action
Bruno Portaro and his tablemates might be starting to strain a little from the tight play at the moment, as we’ve just seen a couple of big moves made.
The first saw Anthony Flanagan limp in from early position, with Portaro and Clint Dixon calling in the blinds to see a flop of 2♣ 9♣ 4♥ .
Action checked to Flanagan who bet 3,500. Portaro announced a check-raise to 13,500 which force a fold from Dixon, but Flanagan moved all in over the top. Portaro showed a 9â™ and folded as Flanagan returned serve and flashed a 3â™ .
Next hand, Daniel Laidlaw opened to 6,700 from early position and Portaro made the call on the button to see a flop of 9♥ 10♦ 9♣ . Laidlaw led out for 12,500 but Portaro announced himself all in over the top. Laidlaw gave it up as Portaro regained some chips to get himself to 140,000.
4:00pm: Level up, blinds 1500-3000, ante 300
It was a slow level, with little action and no eliminations. Let’s hope the new blind level will speed things back up again!
3:40pm: Savage’s slow play scare
Ben Savage raised to 5,500 and found callers in Jie Gao and Aaron Benton to take a flop of 4♣ 2♠4♦ . Action checked around and the 9♣ hit the turn. Benton checked from the small blind as Savage bet out 15,000. Gao called in position as Benton got out of the way.
The river brought the 9♦ and both players checked.
“What a horrible river!” exclaimed Savage as he opened 2♥ 2♣ but it was good as Gao mucked.
3:25pm: No eliminations, but more double ups
The play has slowed up this level with no eliminations as yet, but we have seen a couple of double ups.
Christian Meza doubled through Luke Edwards in a battle of the blinds. Meza pushed his last 16,200 from the small blind with K♣ J♦ and Edwards called with Q♠10♥ in the big blind. The board was spread 4♥ 3♦ J♥ 10♣ A♥ to double Meza to 35,000.
At the same time, a bigger double went the way of Tim English as his ace-queen got paid off on a queen-high flop against Nick Ergos’ queen-jack. The pot of 160,000 was pushed the way of English to jump him back up with the chip leaders as Ergos falls to 80,000.
3:16pm: Potts doubles through Meza
SKYCITY Adelaide qualifier Trevor Potts is still hanging in there following a double up at the expense of Christian Meza. Potts raised from middle position, Meza moved all in from the small blind and Potts made the call.
Potts: 10♠10♥
Meza: A♥ K♥
The race was on but the board bricked out 2♣ 4♠8♥ 9♦ 8♣ to give Potts a double up to 80,000 with Meza slipping into the danger zone with 22,000.
3:05pm: Gao gets away
A scary looking river has just cost Aaron Benton some chips in a hand against Jie Gao. Catching the action on the turn, both players put 15,000 into the middle as the board read 5♠K♥ A♣ Q♦ . The river was the 5♣ and Gao checked to Benton who bet 20,000.
Gao sighed and flashed king-queen before tossing his assumed counterfeited two pair into the muck. As it turns out, the river might have saved Gao his stack as Benton claimed to have held jack-ten for the straight.
“Why didn’t you push the turn?” asked Benton. “You push the turn, I get your stack!”
Benton is up to 105,000 with Gao down to 80,000.
3:00pm: Play resumes
The players are back with 21 remaining in contention for the PokerStars.net ANZPT Darwin title. Both Tony Hachem and Aaron Benton are still alive, along with Billy “The Croc” Argyros. Our chip leader is Mark Chin with close to 200,000, followed by Nick Ergos with around 155,000.
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