The action folded around to Aaron Mermelstein in the small blind who just limped in. Ramon Colillas was in the big blind and chose to raise it up to 23,000. Mermelstein called and the dealer fanned the flop of .
Mermelstein check-called a bet of 18,000 from Colillas and the landed on the turn. Mermelstein checked again and Colillas went to cut out another bet which prompted a quick fold from Mermelstein.
Cliff Josephy and Arjun Srinivas were engaged in a battle of the big stacks. The board showed , Josephy checked to Srinivas who bet 48,000 into the pot of about 78,000. Josephy made the call.
The turn brought the , and Josephy checked once more. Srinivas bet 110,000. After some thought, Josephy called again.
The final card was the , Josephy checked one more time. Srinivas fired the final bullet for 180,000. Josephy thought it over before deciding to let it go.
After a player in early position raised to 16,000, Andrew "AJ" Kelsall moved all in for his last 196,000 from the hijack and was called by Rene Knapp on the button. The early position player folded and the always friendly Philadelphia sports fan was at risk.
Andrew Kelsall:
Rene Knapp:
Kelsall was in great shape until the flop gave Knapp a set of jacks.
The turn and river couldn't bail Kelsall out and his day in the Main Event was ended quickly.
Dan Smith opened under the gun to 18,000 and was called by Danny Hannawa in middle position. Eric Most, from the small blind, three-bet to 72,000. Smith and Hannawa both called.
The flop came and after Hannawa checked, Smith bet 60,000. Hannawa got out of the way and Most called.
The turn brought the and after Smith bet 120,000, Most shoved and and Smith called with the rest of his stack.
Dan Smith:
Eric Most:
While Smith had Most completely dominated on the flop, the turn had them chopping but drawing to one another's potentially better full houses.
Each player dodged disaster on the river and were forced to chop it up, earning Hannawa's dead money plus the blinds.
PokerNews spent a few hands with Wesley Fei, better known as "Wes" from the Hustler Casino Live stream, before his table broke inside the Bally's blue section.
Hand 1: Joshua Rothberg opened to 18,000 in late position and Fei defended out of the big blind. The flop of checked through and Fei led out with a bet of 50,000 on the turn to win the pot without a fight.
Hand 2: The action folded to Fei in the small blind and he raised to 18,000. Craig Casino folded face-up out of the big blind to send another pot to Fei.
"Always lucky!" Fei laughed as he scooped in the blinds.
Hand 3: Dean Sanderson raised to 20,000 from early position and Brian Kirschner called in late position, while Fei folded from the button and the big blind also came along. Sanderson continued with a bet of 25,000 on the flop of and both of his opponents folded.
Hand 4: Kirschner opened to 17,000 in late position and Fei folded in the cutoff before the button also called. The small blind then three-bet jammed to win the hand without going to a flop.
Hand 5: Fei opened to 17,000 from the hijack and only the small blind called. The small blind checked on the flop of and Fei bet 15,000. The small blind raised to 48,000 and Fei took a moment before calling. The small blind sized up to 90,000 on the turn and Fei laid it down.
"You bluff me that hand?" Fei later asked his opponent, who said it wasn't a bluff.
Hand 6: In the last hand before the table broke, Fei folded in middle position before the button raised to 18,000 to see the big blind call. The flop of checked through and the same action took place on the turn. The big blind led out for 21,000 on the river and folded when his opponent bumped it up to 73,000.