Townsend: other side of the camera today
Added to the novelty of the final-table bubbler announcing the action, the commentary on the live feed is currently being provided by wooden-spoon winner (he was first out on Day 1) and other half of Kara Scott, Brian Townsend. In a completely unbiased way, of course.
Kassouf: he likes
Four players made it to a flop, which William Kassouf must have liked the look of as he announced, "All in". All the others passed, though, and he took it down right there.
As play kicked off today, a man with a microphone in a tuxedo said to me, "Now I feel a bit sad." I asked him why, and discovered that the announcer for the final table's major action is none other than Philip Baker, ninth-place finisher in this very event! I had failed to recognize the popular player in his penguin suit, but there he is -- talking through the all-ins of the players he was just hours ago seated at the table alongside.
Confident Andrew Pantling can't seem to stay out of pots in these early stages of the final table. He just called Atanas Gueorguiev's button raise in the big blind and check-raised him off the flop.
The next hand he limped in the small blind, while Kara Scott checked her option. They both checked the flop, but Scott bet the turn when it was checked to her, as well as the river (125,000). Pantling considered the river bet, but paid off her two pair -- she held -- eventually.
A curious hand between the chip leader Andrew Pantling and dweller extraordinaire William Kassouf.
Pantling raised from the cutoff (he'd raised the button the previous hand and received no callers), and Kassouf thought about it for a while, blinking rapidly, and then called.
Flop:
Kassouf checked, and then called a big bet from Pantling.
Turn:
Pantling announced, "All in", and Kassouf went into the tank. He checked his hole cards, very slowly, one by one. He thought about some more. Then he passed.
Scott: busy
Kara Scott raised under the gun, and then stared resolutely down at the table. Everyone passed and she grinned widely as she raked in the blinds.
The next hand, Christer Johansson raised and found a caller in Lee Brooke-Pearce on the button. Small blind Pantling passed, but on the big blind, Kara Scott moved all in. Once again, she stared down at the felt. She has some serious respect at this final table, though -- both players passed and she picked up a chunky pot.
Moments after Andy Bradshaw's exit, another short stack declared himself all in preflop. It was Bradley Verburg, and he was being stared at by chip leader Andrew Pantling. Pantling made the call with and found himself up against the of the all-in player.
The board came , pairing Pantling's jack and busting Verburg.
At this point, someone on the rail could be heard saying, "This is all gonna be over in two hours!"
Very first hand, Andy Bradshaw raised and it folded around to Atanas Gueorguiev, who reraised all in. Bradshaw called all in, and then wandered off to chat with some people at the rail.
Bradshaw:
Gueorguiev:
Board:
Thus we lose our first runner, and we continue seven-handed.