And that’s a wrap folks, we’re done for the day and players are now in the process of tagging and bagging their chips. The tournament will recommence at 12.10pm tomorrow where we should burst the bubble, hit the money spots and should hopefully be playing down to the final table. Tune in then for more bad beats, bold bets and big bluffs.

William Jones

If there was going to be any last minute fireworks then they were surely coming from Table 2 – the dubbed Table of Death. It’s the last hand for them for the night before we bag em and tag em, and it starts off innocuous enough…

Victor Chong is the chip leader and he makes a min raise to 6100 from UTG. He is called by Gordon Huntly to his immediate left, William Jones on the button and Raiden Kan in the big blind.

The flop comes down 3♣ 3♠ 9♦ and the action is checked around to Jones who takes a stab for 13,300. After Kan folds, Chong decides to add some juice, making it 38,100. With Huntly folding, the raising war continues as Jones three-bets, Chong comes over the top again,Jones responds with a five-bet and Chong shoves into a snap call.

When all the smoke has cleared and both players turn over their hands Chong’s 6♥ 3♥ trips will need to hit a one-outer against Jones’ 9♠ 9♥ full house. With no miracle for Chong on the A♦ turn and 10♥ river, we now have a surprise chip leader. Jones’ stack climbs to 389,000 and Chong slips down to 123,100.

Chong can only chuckle and says “Good hand, bro” to his opponent and has all night to shake the pummeling off before resuming play again tomorrow.

With the day drawing to a close, players are beginning to batten down the hatches and lock it up. With around 45 protagonists still in contention and the money bubble not rearing it’s head until tomorrow no one wants to go out this late in the proceedings. Danny McDonagh has just announced last six hands so there is still time for a bit of last minute carnage, but don’t hold your breath.

David Steicke

David Steicke makes it 8,000 to go from early position, Elton Tsang calls from middle position as does the Big Blind. Both the Big Blind and Steicke check the King-high flop and needing no further encouragement Tsang counts out a bet and slides 13,500 over the line. The Big Blind folds and Steicke check-raises all-in for 50,000 and Tsang doesn’t waste any time and quickly calls.

While Steicke has paired his King he has kicker problems and his King Seven is trailing to Tsang’s King Jack. There is no lucky number Seven on the turn or river and Steicke heads for the rail.

Victor Chong

Things have come to a head over on the volatile table 2 with Mikael Rosen becoming our latest tournament casualty after a well-tossed grenade from
Victor Chong blew up in the Swede’s face.

Rosen lit the fuse with an opening raise of 7,200 and the fizzing bomb lands at the feet of Chong, who coolly picks it up and hurls it back with interest, making it 11,000 more to go. Quick as a flash Rosen bats it back, four-betting to 26,000.
Sensing an explosion is imminent Chong moves all-in and hunkers down to await the big bang, which comes as soon as Rosen makes the call and the cards go on their backs.

Victor Chong: K♣ K♥
Mikael Rosen: A♥ K♦

It would appear Rosen has walked into a world of hurt, inadvertently stepping into the middle of the Chong minefield. There is no help for the Swede when the board runs out 10♥ 9♥ 3♠ J♠ 8♦ and the resulting explosion blows him out of the tournament. Chong has plenty more ammunition to continue his MPCC assault and is now up to an impressive 309,000, making him our new chip leader.

Elton Tsang

After taking down the blinds and antes uncontested with a button raise to 6,000 Elton Tsang tries his luck the very next hand, again making it 6,000 to go from the cutoff. However, this time Marcus Lau has the button and he means to use it and three-bets to 14,000. Tsang quickly calls the extra 8,000 and we go heads up to a flop of A♦ A♣ 8♣.

Lau fires out another 14,000 bet after Tsang checks, only to be check-raised another 16,000 on top. With a stack of just 27,000 Lau doesn’t have many options available to him and looks searchingly over at his opponent and asks the traditional ‘Will you show me if I fold?’

Tsang yawns languidly and goes back to looking impassive, causing Lau to flash him the 6♣ before grudgingly folding. This elicits a chuckle from Tsang, who promptly flips over K♠ 10♦ for a King-high bluff. “That’s so sick…” mutters Lau, with a shake of the head.

David Steicke

After a middle position raise to 6500 and call from Sunny Jung in the low-jack, David Steicke woke up with Q♠ Q♦ and shipped his 36,500 stack. The original raiser steps aside and leaves Jung to call with his monster stack in front of him.

The Korean decides to gamble with K♣ 10♣ and a flop of Q♥ J♥ 4♦ gives him the up-and-down straight draw while handing Steicke a set of queens. The turn 8♣ and river K♦ keeps Steicke’s MPCC hopes alive while Jung’s stack takes the small dent in its stride.