Brandon Cantu is down to about 570,000 chips now. He opened his button for 100,000, then tanked when Lee Watkinson reraised to 300,000. Cantu eventually folded, prompting Watkinson to show two cards -- .
We've had seven hands of heads-up play so far, with Lee Watkinson having the decided advantage. He's had three walks, and taken down another pot by potting preflop after Brandon Cantu opened for 100,000. Watkinson also got a small pot for the minimum preflop and a small turn bet after action otherwise checked down.
We had one chopped pot. The only other pot was limped by Watkinson who then folded to a pot-sized raised from Cantu. Cantu is down to about 700,000.
It was a brutally stunning collapse and elimination for Mathieu Jacqmin. He had the chip lead just ten minutes ago. Now he's out in third place.
Jacqmin started the preflop action by raising pot from the small blind. Lee Watkinson called from the big blind to a flop of . Jacqmin checked to Watkinson, who fired out for pot. Jacqmin then check-raised all in and was dismayed to see Watkinson quickly call!
Watkinson:
Jacqmin:
Watkinson flopped the nuts, a set of queens. He had to fade non-pairing spades and a running low draw. The brought part of the running low draw home, but the river bricked to send Jacqmin to the rail in third place.
Look out, Brandon Cantu and Mathieu Jacqmin. Lee Watkinson has the chip lead now and that's very dangerous for both of you. Watkinson raised his button to 125,000 and was called only by Jacqmin. Both players checked the flop. On the turn , Jacqmin led out for 250,000. Watkinson won the pot by raising that bet to 600,000 and drawing a fold out of Jacqmin.
Watkinson is now leading with 1.6 million. Jacqmin is down to 1.075 million.
Mathieu Jacqmin raised to 110,000 and was called by Lee Watkinson. Both players checked the flop. When the turn fell , Jacqmin led out for 120,000. Watkinson called.
On to the river the players went. Jacqmin fired a second bullet, putting 350,000 chips up for grabs. Watkinson tanked before calling with top set, . Jacqmin turned over , a pair of a aces and an eight-low. The pot was chopped.
"Nice call," Jacqmin told Watkinson after the hand.
We had our first three-way limped pot of three-handed play. On an all-big flop of , Lee Watkinson checked to Brandon Cantu, who bet 120,000 (pot). Mathieu Jacqmin then raised to 400,000, folding Watkinson.
Cantu tanked for a bit before declaring, "Fold." Then he added, "Will you show me" as he opened three cards and for three pair. Jacqmin obligingly showed .
The very next hand, Cantu limped his small blind and then called a pot-sized raise to 120,000 from Mathieu. On a flop of , Cantu angrily slammed the table and mucked his cards first to act.
The stacks have evened out a bit to start the level. Lee Watkinson took down back-to-back small (raised) pots, one from each of Brandon Cantu and Mathieu Jacqmin. After those pots, the counts stand as: