Patrik Zidek opened to 5,000 and Alex Keating called in the small blind. Jovan Kenjic then three-bet to 21,000 and Zidek jammed for around 60,000, Keating folded and Kenjic snap-called.
Patrik Zidek: A♦Q♥
Jovan Kenjic: A♠K♥
The dominated ace of Zidek failed to connect on the J♠7♥4♠2♦7♣ board and that sent the Czech to the rail.
Tobias Peters raised to 5,500 on the button and Francisco Benitez called in the small blind. Aylar Lie then moved all in for 45,000 in the big blind and only Peters called.
Aylar Lie: A♥J♠
Tobias Peters: K♥K♠
Lie had run into Peters' kings with her tournament life on the line, but the 6♣A♣J♥ flop gave her the lead with two pair. The board ran out 2♠6♠ and Lie doubled up.
At the same time at another table, Ren Lin raised to 5,000 under the gun before Axel Junker moved all in for 32,000. "Merry Christmas, my friend," Lin said before calling.
Axel Junker: A♥10♠
Ren Lin: 3♥3♣
Junker also hit an ace on the 4♠A♣J♦ flop, while the rest of the board came 6♣4♦ to secure his double up.
"Ay, ay, ay. Gamble too much," Lin said as he handed over the pot.
On a completed board of K♥K♣4♣J♠7♠, Maria Lampropulos moved all-in for 160,500 out of the small blind. There were around 135,000 in the pot and David Miscikowski went deep into the tank before he eventually called.
Lampropulos tabled the A♦K♦ for trips kings and Miscikowski's A♣J♣ for kings and jacks was no good.
Alexander Norden three-bet to 16,000 and Safwane Bahri called, which led them to the K♥9♦8♦ flop. Bahri check-called for 13,000 and the Q♣ turn went check, check. Bahri then bet the J♥ river for 25,000 and Norden folded.
Leon Verhoef moved all in for 35,500 in early position and Adrian Mateos called on the button.
Leon Verhoef: A♥A♣
Adrian Mateos: A♠K♠
Mateos could only laugh after Verhoef showed him aces. The flop came 3♥8♦10♣, and Mateos was already drawing dead by the 4♠ turn as the 9♦ river was a mere formality before Verhoef took in his double up.
Three players piled their chips into the middle preflop with Axel Junker and Francesco Pagliazzo at risk against Bruno Desimoni.
Axel Junker: 10♣10♦
Francesco Pagliazzo: A♣J♣
Bruno Desimoni: A♠K♥
Desimoni took the lead on the A♥Q♣9♣ flop, leaving Junker with two outs. Pagliazzo had the nut flush draw still but bricked on the 4♥ turn as well as 5♥ river for both shorter stacks to bust.
With the cards already exposed on a board of 9♣5♦2♣10♥8♣, the stacks were counted for Ercan Yildiz and Sergiu Covrig. The former had flopped two pair with the 9♥5♥ but saw his stack diminished to crumbs, as Yildiz' 10♣7♣ had rivered a flush.
Yildiz doubled for 121,000 and Covrig headed into the break with just a handful of big blinds at his disposal.
Aliaksandr Shylko raised to 5,500 in the hijack and was called by Omar Eljach in the cutoff, as well as Eric Tsai and Borys Rozhanovsky in the blinds.
The flop came Q♦J♦7♦ and Rozhanovskyi opened to 12,000. Shylko folded, but Eljach called. Tsai then raised to 42,500 and Rozhanovskyi called, while Eljach got out of the way.
Tsai moved all in for 85,000 on the 8♥ turn and Rozhanovskyi snap-called, turning over A♦9♥ for the nut flush draw. Tsai had 5♦4♦ for the flopped flush and needed to avoid another diamond on the river to double.
The dealer flipped over the 4♥ and Tsai earned the pot and a double up before the table headed off on break.