The mood has lightened considerably since we moved over here to the main arena, and everyone's here having a good time.
There is a group of about a dozen spectators meandering around the table, and nobody seems to mind them just sort of milling about on and off the stage. Shaun Deeb is here serving as a go-between cocktail server for the players, occasionally setting a bottle of water or a Red Bull down on the side tables. He's also holding a scrolling marquis that says, at the moment, "This needs to be on PokerNews". The last message said, "What about Bob?" in honor of emcee and floorman Bob Smith.
The mood is good, and the spirits light, but things are getting a little boring in here. The players just asked to change the game for a little while. "How about a round of PLO?" Frank Kassela suggested. "Shake it up a bit."
Right now, the conversation has switched to the $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. tournament which all three of our finalists are also registered in. That event is bagging up for the night on the other side of the room, and our three players are extremely curious to know how many chips they've been whittled down to while they sit over here playing for a bracelet.
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Frank Kassela completed for 50,000 only to have Vladimir Shchemelev make it 100,000 to go. Kassela put in the third-bet and Shchemelev committed his last 35,000 as both player's boards ran out as follows:
Kassela: / /
Shchemelev: / /
With Shchemelev making quad eights against Kassela's nine-seven, he hit the rail in 4th place for a $61,795 payday as Kassela climbs to 720,000 in chips.
Melville Lewis was the bring-in with the , and Vladimir Shchemelev raised with a . Frank Kassela made it two bets showing a , and Lewis made the call. Shchemelev raised again, Kassela called all in for 150,000 total, and Lewis called the third bet to proceed to fourth street.
Shchemelev fired on fourth street, and Lewis called, but he would fold to one more bet on fifth. Kassela was at risk, and the cards were turned up. Shchemelev had buried, and he pulled an on seventh street to make his ninety-eight. Kassela started with , and he still needed to catch a card to stay alive. His last card was a friendly , and he wins the main pot with a ninety-seven. That triples him up to 450,000, knocking Shchemelev down to 400,000 on the dot.
Our tournament has been moved over to the main featured table, and everything appears to be returning to normal. The lights are flicking back on one at a time, and our internet is blinking green lights at us again.
The players have returned from their scheduled break, and we're now back in action with Level 27 just about to begin.
There's been a power outage in the Amazon Room and at the Rio. Internet is out, tournament clocks are out, and emergency generators are providing limited lighting. The tournament is playing on and we'll be back as soon as possible.
Melville Lewis completed for 40,000 and Vladimir Shchemelev made the call.
Shchemelev bet on fourth street and Lewis called before finding himself all in on fifth for 100,000 with Shchemelev calling as their boards ran out as follows:
Lewis: / /
Shchemelev: / /
With that pot, Lewis doubles through to over 400,000 as Shchemelev slips to 800,000 in chips.
Melville Lewis completed with a seven up, and Maxwell Troy raised with an eight. Lewis put his last 100,000 into the pot, and he was at risk as the boards were run out:
Lewis: ()//()
Troy: ()//(X)
Lewis made a seventy-five to double up to 250,000, and he'll need to do that a couple more times if he hopes to hang around.
Frank Kassela completed for 40,000 and Melville Lewis made the call.
Kassela bet fourth street and Lewis called before leading on fifth with Kassela calling for his last 60,000 as both player's boards ran out as follows:
Kassela: / /
Lewis: / /
With Kassela doubling to 320,000, Lewis slips to 500,000 in chips.
![[user66118]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
/ 
/ 
, and Vladimir Shchemelev raised with a 
. Frank Kassela made it two bets showing a 
--muck--