Joe Hachem is having some trouble with Dan Smith on his right, particularly when they're in the blinds. One orbit ago, Hachem limped in from the small, and Smith raised from the big, coaxing a quick fold.
The last time around, Hachem tried a raise of his own — 30,000. Smith asked how much he was playing, then began to stack out a reraise. Hachem's cards hit the muck before Smith's chips hit the pot, and it's 2-0 Smith in the Battles of the Blinds.
From under the gun, Joe Hachem raised to 25,000. The only caller was Mikhail Smirnov out of the big blind. From there, the flop came down and Smirnov checked. Hachem bet 30,000 and Smirnov check-raised all in to put Hachem to the test. Hachem quickly called all in for 61,000 total.
Hachem:
Smirnov:
The turn was the and river the . Both of those kept Hachem in front and he doubled up.
On a flop, we picked up the action as Dan Smith was leading out with 15,000 chips. Tony G called, and the arrived on the turn. Smith fired another 24,000 at the pot, Tony G tank-called, and the filled out the board. Smith loaded up again and fired another bet that looked like ~56,000. It was never counted, though, because Tony G snap-called with the best hand.
Smith tabled for top two, but Tony G tabled for the set. "I let you get there," he chirped with a big grin. The dealer pushed him the pot, and Tony G is all smiles as he stacks up about 275,000 chips to put him back in the game.
Gus Hansen raised to 22,000 from the button and Mikhail Smirnov called from the small blind to see the flop. Hansen bet what looked to be 34,000 after Smirnov checked and won the pot.
From under the gun, Tony G raised to 35,000. Mikhail Smirnov called on the button and everyone else folded. The flop came down and Tony G bet 20,000. Smirnov thought for a little, then asked Tony G how much he had behind. Tony G counted his stack and told Smirnov he had 142,000 behind. Then, Smirnov raised to 42,000. Tony G instantly put the rest of his chips in for an all-in shove worth 162,000 and Smirnov snap-folded.
Joe Hachem raised to 30,000 from the button before Tony G three-bet to 80,000 in the big blind. Hachem needed to think it over for a bit, and he took his first Time Bank to ponder. He was clocked on that one too, and the dealer began counting down his last ten seconds.
"I fold," Hachem said quietly, looking very frustrated. The dealer didn't hear him initially, so Hachem made it clear: "Pass, pass, pass." The dealer raked in his cards, pushed the pot to Tony G, and now Hachem is getting quite short himself.