The big stacks clashed, and much sooner than anyone expected.
Just ten minutes after break, Olga Iermolcheva raised to 36,000 from the cutoff and Shakeeb Kazemipur re-raised to 85,000.
The big blind folded and Iermolcheva four-bet to 156,000. Kazemiupur made it 330,000 and Iermolcheva six-bet to 510,000. The crowd, the table, and even Kazemipur were all silent.
The pot was bigger than the rest of the stacks at the table combined.
Then it got bigger.
Kazemipur called and the flop came 7♣ J♦ K♦ . Kazemipur checked and Ermolchova bet 300,000.
Finally, Kazemipur spoke.
“Fold,” Kazemipur said. He sighed again, rubbed his face and exhaled.
A few hands later, the hand was still on Kazemipur’s mind.
“That’s gonna haunt me,” Kazemipur said.
“I wanted her to show a bluff,” Pierce Mckeller said.
“Yeah,” Kazemipur finally smiled. “A five. A five would’ve been good.”
They both looked at Ermolchova but she was as quiet and immutable as she was when the hand played out.
“Pretty sure it was a good fold though,” Kazemipur said.
One thing we do know is that Kazemipur has lost the lead. Kazemipur is now down to 1.5 million while Ermolchova took over pole position with 1.85 million.
Shortly before that hand played out, we lost another player, the last Brazilian.
Fernando Brunca Garcia moved all-in for his last 140,000 and got called by Francisco Rocha.
Garcia showed A♣ 8♠while Rocha tabled K♦ K♠.
The board ran 3♦ 2♥ J♠7♥ Q♣ and the tournament found itself Brazilianless.
Thirteen players remain.
All photos are snapped by Carlos Monti and all words are clacked by Alexander Villegas.
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