They may have made it to the final table, and indeed this tournament has been characterized throughout by gentlemanly behavior and a jovial atmosphere, but now that they're here, our players seem to have realized that this is serious, and now they're finding fault.
Terrence Chan was asking Nikki whether the levels are the same length now they're at the final - he's concerned that with all the faffing and slowing down of the action that naturally occurs when cameras and the like are intermittently involved, they won't be getting in the same amount of hands per hour as they were previously. Nikki flatly told him that the levels remained the same throughout, and he settled down once more.
Meanwhile across the table matthew Matros was asking whether he could shift over a little now that they're eight-handed - he seemed to have a table leg or some such getting in his way where he was. He was told it didn't make any difference now, and to go ahead. Some minor shuffling ensued.
Roberto Truijers raised in the cutoff only for Terrence Chan to three-bet from the button. Georgios Kapalas gave up his small blind and headed over to chat with his buddies at the rail, but Matthew Matros in the big blind four-bet. Truijer quickly gave it up but Chan made the call and they saw some community cards.
Matros bet out on every street of the board and turned over at the end. Chan, who'd flat-called every speed with the utmost nonchalance, flipped to take the pot.
Mark Burford, his stack still looking very sad compared to his neighbors', raised under the gun. To his immediate left, Georgios Kapalas reraised. It folded back around to Burford who went all in for a mere 3,000 more; Kapalas matched his bet and they turned the cards over.
Kapalas:
Burford: dominating with , although some Greeks at the rail were calling for diamonds
Flop:
"That doesn't help Georgios," announced TD Nikki, before u-turning, "Oh wait, it does..." once she'd registered the straight draw.
Turn:
River: bink!
Kapalas made his straight and Burford wandered off in disgust as Nikki called after him, "Hang on, Mark!"
Burford's bowl of rice found its way into the middle on the very next hand, moving all in preflop for 13,000 and being called by both blinds (Adrian Dresel-Velasquez and Jason Potter). Despite being up against two opponents, the board was checked down allowing Burford to pick up the pot, and a lifeline, with for top pair.
The action folded around to Mark Burford who raised it up to 20,000 from the cut-off. Matros made it 30,000 in the small blind, Burford raised to 40,000 and Matros called.
Flop:
Matros checked, Burford bet 10,000, and Matros called.
Turn:
Matros bet 20,000, Burford raised to 40,000, Matros three-bet to 60,000, Burford capped, and Matros called.
River:
Neither player seemed to like the river, but when it was checked down it was Matros who took the pot with versus .
Jason Potter (rather confusingly for bloggers, seated right next to Jameson Painter) raised from the button and got a call from Roberto Truijers in the big blind. The rest of Potter's chips went in on the flop.
Truijers:
Potter: ever so slightly ahead for the time being with
"Hold!" Potter ordered.
Turn: {ac]
River:
Potter did better than hold - he improved to a pair of queens and doubled to around 130,000 to stay in the game.
Terrence Chan and Matthew Matros reached a flop where Matros check-raised and Chan called. The turn came the , Mattros bet and Chan folded. Matros continuing with his comeback after being short-stacked 10-handed. He now has 155,000.
By the by, the prize for the biggest downswinger today goes to Jason "JP OSU" Potter. Having started the day as chip leader on 371,000, he goes into the official final table as the short stack on just 97,000.