"What are the next blinds, one and two?"
So asked Ayaz Mahmood of the tournament director. The question was about the next blind change, and the TD confirmed that the next level would feature 100,000/200,000 blinds.
We've only just begun this level -- our eighth 40-minute level of the match -- so Mahmood's question seems to indicate he's thinking about how much longer he and Ernst Schmejkal will be able to continue their conservative play.
Level: 20
Blinds: 80,000/160,000
Ante: 0
Ernst Schmejkal raised to 240,000 from the small blind/button, and Ayaz Mahmood called the raise. The flop came monotone -- 
. Mahmood bet 200,000, and Schmejkal called. The turn was the 
. Mahmood bet 250,000 this time, and Schmejkal again called.
The river was the 
. Mahmood pushed out a bet of 550,000, and Schmejkal sat motionless for about a minute. He then began arranging his stacks of chips, finally pushing out three tall stacks of greens (25,000) for a bet of 1.5 million. Mahmood instantly folded.
Schmejkal retakes the lead on that hand, pushing to 4.35 million to Mahmood's 3.33 million.
![[user80015]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Ayaz Mahmood limped in and Ernst Schmejkal checked his option to see a 
flop fall.
Schmejkal checked and Mahmood fired out 125,000 which Schmejkal called.
The 
on the turn and 
on the river were checked through to see Schmejkal table his 
to rake in the pot and move to 3,100,000 in chips.
It was about two-and-a-half hours ago that we saw Ernst Schmejkal all in with a set fives against Mahmood's two pair, and Schmejkal survived. (Here was that hand.) Schmejkal enjoyed a better than 6-to-1 chip advantage after dragging that big pot, but Mahmood battled back and soon retook the chip lead.
We're now moving into the seventh 40-minute level of this match -- the first hand of which was dealt almost four-and-a-half hours ago -- and we've still only had that one instance of a player being all in and at risk of losing.
Level: 19
Blinds: 60,000/120,000
Ante: 0
Ayaz Mahmood limped in from the button and Ernst Schmejkal checked his option.
Mahmood fired out 125,000 on the 
flop with Schmejkal check-calling as the 
landed on the turn.
Schmejkal checked, and Mahmood fired out 325,000 which Schmejkal called before the 
was checked on the river.
Schmejkal tabled his 
for middle pair, but it would be Mahmood's 
to take the pot down and slip to 3,150,000 in chips.
In a limped pot a 
flop was spread with both players checking.
The turn landed the 
and Ernst Schmejkal fired out 125,000 with Ayaz Mahmood making the call.
The river landed the 
and Schmejkal led for 250,000 with Mahmood again calling.
Schmejkal tabled his 
to rake in the pot.
Like a cloud in the sky, the match is still moving, but sometimes it's hard to see the change.
We're seeing a lot of limping from the button -- or perhaps a minimum-raise and call -- followed by a lot of checking on later streets. Not a lot of chip movement, then.
Ayaz Mahmood -- 4.53 million
Ernst Schmejkal -- 3.15 million
Ayaz Mahmood limped in from the button and Ernst Schmejkal checked his option.
The flop fell down 
and Schmejkal check-called a 100,000-chip bet before the repeated on the turn and Schmejkal repeated his check-call of another 100,000-chip bet.
The river landed the 
and after Schmejkal checked, Mahmood grabbed some chips and began to cut them down only to have Schmejkal instantly fold.
