Preflop aggressor Michael Gentili made it 110,000 and only got one caller in Aleksei Opalikhin. The flop of [Kd4cJ] saw both men check.
The turn of saw Opalikhin bet 135,000 and get a call from Gentili (pictured). The river of prompted Gentili to switch it around and bet out 380,000, but Opalikhin called and his was good enough to win a hand which may yet prove to be important in the shake down of this inaugural PokerStars Championship Bahamas Main Event.
Four players went to a turn for the second hand in a row since the resumption of this seven-handed final table here in the $5,300 PokerStars Championship Bahamas Main Event. This one went to the river.
On a board showing , Michael Vela made it 175,000 and got two folds, but Aleksei Opalikhin called with and he was right to do so.
Vela drops a little, while Opalikhin (pictured) continues to read very well indeed.
Christian Harder made it 90,000 from the cutoff, but then Rasmus Glæsel three-bet 225,000. Aleksei Opalikhin cold four-bet to 550,000 and that was enough to take the pot.
Opalikhin has joined Gentili and Harder at the top levels of the leaderboard and there's now a defined gap between those three and the challengers below.
There will be no second Main Event title for John Dibella in the Bahamas, at least not this year.
In what would be his final hand, Christian Harder raised to 90,000 and Cliff Josephy called from the cutoff. When action reached Dibella in the small blind, he moved all in for 235,000 and Harder isolated by moving all in over the top.
Dibella:
Harder:
The 2012 PCA champ got it in good, but he fell behind on the flop. Neither the turn nor river helped Dibella, and he owed out in eighth place for $56,260.
John Dibella just called Aleksei Opalikhin's raise to 115,000 preflop, but on the flop of , got all of his remaining chips into the middle, and Opalikhin called.
Aleksei Opalikhin:
John Dibella:
The turn changed nothing and Dibella looked like he was heading out, but the river saved his tournament life with a chop pot and Dibella was relieved to have enjoyed a stay of execution.
Michael Gentili raised to 85,000 from the cutoff and was met by a three-bet to 225,000 on the button. Both blinds folded, Gentili called, and the flop came down .
Gentili check-called a bet of 275,000, and then check-called one of 375,000 on the turn. When the completed the board on the river, Gentili checked for a third time and Dibella bet 450,000, which left him just six big blinds back.
Gentili called with the for a pair of tens, which beat Dibella's .
Nadya Magnus was down to just 605,000 when she moved all-in over the top of Michael Vela's opening bet of 95,000. Vela alone called off the shove, and it was a classic race once the cards were turned onto their backs.
Nadya Magnus:
Michael Vela:
The flop of saw Vela maintain his lead, but the on the turn gave Magnus 15 outs on the river. A serious sweat for Vela, then. But the river ended Magnus' tournament hopes and she bowed out before the official final table of eight players which is now formed.
Michael Vela raised to 90,000 from middle position and Aleksei Opalikhin called from the button. Both players checked, the dealer burned and turned the , and Vela check-called a bet of 80,000.
When the completed the board on the river, Vela checked again and then quickly called when Opalikhin bet 200,000. Opalikhin tabled the , and Vela turned over the .
"I thought we chopped," he'd soon say. "I forgot about clubs."