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Level 6: 1,200/2,400  with a 400 ante
Entries: 86

There was a conversation going on in between hands at Table 93, and everyone there was craning their necks across at the adjacent Table 92.

“I don’t know,” Olivier Busquet said from his seat at 93. “I see at least a couple over there.”

“How many?” someone asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe half the table?”

It wasn’t immediately clear what the topic was, but Busquet clarified as he prompted Jason Mercier, who just sat down at Table 92. “Jason, how many do you think graduated college? We only have one over here.”

Table 93 is loaded with poker firepower, featuring Dan Smith, James Calderaro, Ryan Laplante, Sam Panzica, Dan Colman, Ory Hen, and Busquet. Only one of them graduated college, and it was the man who started the conversation, Busquet.

Table 92 holds Jonathan Jaffe, Dan Shak, John Racener, Mercier, Nick Schulman, Anthony Spinella, and Bryce Yockey — a group of above-average intelligence by any measure. Only Shak and Yockey are college grads from the that list, though.

The conversation continued at Table 92, with Jaffe mentioning something about his college experience.

“Did you even go?” Mercier asked.

“Eh. Kind of. For a couple weeks.”

A similar conversation was taking place at Table 93 between Smith and Calderaro. “You want to go back?” Calderaro asked at the point. “I’ll send you back.”

“Really?!” Smith asked.

“Genius like you? Yeah.”

$25,500 Big 4 High Roller
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Level 6: 1,200/2,400  with a 400 ante
Entries: 86

Igor Merda got his last 31,000 all in preflop and found himself in dire straits against defending champ Marvin Rettenmaier.

Merda:
Rettenmaier:

Merda was looking for a high five, but Rettenmaier was more than happy to leave him hanging as the board ran out .

Marvin Rettenmaier – 115,000 (48 bb)
Igor Merda  – Eliminated

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Nick Schulman raised to 4,000 from early position and John Racener defended his big blind to see a flop.

Racener check-called a bet of just 2,500 and then both players checked the turn as well as the river.

Racener tabled the and it was good as Schulman mucked his cards.

Nick Schulman – 300,000 (150 bb)
John Racener – 70,000 (35 bb)

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Entries: 81

Chris “Big Huni” Hunichen raised to 5,000 under the gun and Igor Merda called from the button. Both blinds got out of the way and the flop fell .

Hunichen check-called a bet of 5,000 and then action went check-check on both the turn and river.

Hunichen tabled the for ace-king high and it was good as Merda ditched his hand.

Chris Hunichen – 165,000 (82.5 bb)
Igor Merda – 37,000 (18.5 bb)

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Entries: 76

Marvin Rettenmaier is the defending Champion of this event, and he’s just taken his seat in the field in a bit to repeat. He joined a table that contains Shawn Cunix, Taylor Paur, Chris Hunichen, and Jonathan Little, who is back for his second attempt this afternoon.

Rettenmaier is a gregarious and nomadic German pro who’s become a fixture in major tournaments on this side of the Atlantic. His breakout into the elite tier came in 2012 when he won the seven-figure top prize at the WPT Championship, and he followed that up by winning the first event of the subsequent season, too.

Rettenmaier has more than $6 million in total live earnings, with nearly $800,000 of that coming courtesy of his victory here last year.

Marvin Rettenmaier – 100,000 (50 bb)

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Entries: 76

With around 40,000 in the pot and a board reading , Harrison Gimbel checked from the big blind and Nick Petrangelo bet 35,000 under the gun. Mike Leah flatted and Gimbel got out of the way.

When the paired the board on the river, Petrangelo moved all in and Leah snap-called off for 123,000. Petrangelo went to muck even before Leah showed his full house.

However, since it was an all-in situation he was obligated to show his hand, which the dealer revealed to be the .

Mike Leah – 355,000 (177.5 bb)
Nick Petrangelo – 80,000 (40 bb)

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With five players in the hand and around 25,000 in the pot, the flop read . The two players in the blinds both checked and Matt Glantz bet 11,000 from the under-the-gun position. Erik Seidel called from middle position, Shaun Deeb folded from the hijack, and the blinds got out of the way to make it heads-up action to the turn.

Both players checked and the completed the board on the river. Again both players checked and Glantz tabled the . It was good as Seidel simply sent his hand to the muck.

Matt Glantz – 145,000 (90.5 bb)
Erik Seidel – 80,000 (50 bb)

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David Peters had just 24,200 chips left when he got his stack into the middle preflop against Mohsin Charania.

Peters:
Charania:

The board ran out , and the jack on the river was enough grant Peters a double.

It’s not a huge pot in the grand scheme, but it’s a big one for both players. Charania dropped more than half his stack in that exchange.

David Peters – 52,000 (33 bb)
Mohsin Charania – 20,000 (13 bb)

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Level 4: 800/1,600  with a 200 ante
Entries: 74

Ryan Riess raised to 3,500 under the gun and Scott Wright called from the button. Giuseppe Iadisernia came along from the big blind and three players saw a flop of .

Two checks saw Wright bet 7,000, and Iadisernia check-raised to 15,000. That chased Riess from the hand, and it appeared Wright meant to call but accidentally included an extra T5,000 chip. As such, it was more than half the raise so he was forced to three-bet it to 23,000.

Iadisernia just called and then both players checked the turn. When the paired the board on the river, Iadisernia checked and then folded when Wright bet 35,000.

Scott Wright – 150,000 (94 bb)
Giuseppe Iadisernia – 117,000 (73 bb)

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Level 4: 800/1,600  with a 200 ante
Entries: 69

Doug Polk recently took his seat in the tournament, and after a recent hand he’s probably wishing he’d waited a bit longer.

It began when he raised to 3,600 from the hijack and Giuseppe Iadisernia called from the button. Both blinds folded and the flop came down .

Polk led out for 4,000, Iadisernia raised to 12,000, and Polk called to see the turn. Polk checked and Iadisernia bet 26,000, which left him just 26,300 behind.

Polk announced an all-in check-raise and Iadisernia quickly called off.

Polk:
Iadisernia:

Polk had turned the nuts, but Iadisernia was drawing to a Royal Flush. The river was gin for Iadisernia, who made his flush to double up.

“Alright, good start,” Polk joked as his opponent was pushed the pot.

Giuseppe Iadisernia – 140,000 (87.5 bb)
Doug Polk – 40,000 (25 bb)