The tournament clock has been paused while our nine final tablists step out for a 45-minute dinner break. Play shall resume at approximately 8:38 p.m. local time.
As Tony G correctly observed, "It looked like filth", Simon Kullenberg finding at just the right time and moving over the top of Ralf Steiner's opening raise of 6,100.
"Schneller, quick, two hands in ten minutes," commented a frustrated Tony G as Steiner tanked. After asking for a count (an impatient Tony G gave him the answer - 26,900), Steiner made the call and flipped .
"Seven from heaven?" suggested Tony G, much to the amusement of the crowd, but it wasn't to be, as a board hit the felt to leave Steiner achingly short.
I joined the action just prior to the flop, but I sensed Kristian Svensson had limped from the hijack, before flat-calling a bet of 8,500 from Simon Kullenberg in the big blind.
On the flop, Kullenberg paused for what felt like an age, before continue betting 10,000. Before his chips had barely touched the green of the baize, Svensson was announcing all in, confidently pushing his stack forward and declaring, "30,300."
After a while, Kullenberg made the fold ("phone a friend," suggested Tony G at one stage), leaving himself just 27,000 behind, but would have been even more dismayed to see Svensson reveal .
"Phew, thank you for folding," said a relieved Svensson. "Don't make out you were bluffing," added Tony G, "you had a nice hand."
As Vladislav Bakalov pushed all in preflop from UTG, big blind Richard Pols asked how he was feeling. "Not sure, but I feel better about my hand now you've asked," he replied, at which point, Bessi Bessy made a deep reach and pushed in his remaining stack. "All in, with a little more," he confirmed.
After everyone folded, Bakalov inquired as to his hand. "I have the snowmen," answered Bessy as he flipped . "Sigh, another coinflip," complained Bakalov tabling , although I feel he should have been relieved to be in a 50-50 situation.
Nevertheless, the board was emphatic, Bessy picking up the pot with a decisive full house. "Take a photo of this," he requested, sticking his two cards on his forehead with the aid of nothing but beads of sweat. "This is my internet name, wherever I play."
Roberto Calandro announced all in for 13,700, and Richard Pols in the small blind thought about it for a moment. "I gamble one time," he eventually decided, and called.