They say you've got to win those big coin flips, but Kevin MacPhee just lost possibly the biggest of the day so far, all in with versus but unable to survive an board. His assassin was Matt Nieberg, who is now one of the early pace-setters with circa 12,000 in chips.
Like Frank Bruno and Mike Tyson in the twilight of their careers, Sam Trickett and Marc Goodwin have both hit the deck and been eliminated from today's event. Incredibly, it was just one punch that took them both out, Trickett pushing all in with but running into and the of Marc Goodwin. The tens held, and the two UK pros were gone.
Disclaimer: Former table mate Alex Rousso supplied the details.
Marty Smyth's elimination came after he got his fairly shallow stack in on a board with against in a blind on blind battle. No jack on the turn or river and that was all she wrote for the former bracelet and Irish Open winner.
Warren Wooldridge has been eliminated from today's event. The former Luton runner-up and WSOP finalist three-bet pocket queens preflop (275 to 775, according to a former table mate), before pushing all in on an ace high flop. His opponent, however, was trapping with Big Slick, and called quicker than a cheetah on Concord. A lady-less turn and river, and Wooldrige was toast.
Ramsey Ajram was nursing a short stack earlier so it was a surprise to see him presiding over a 10,000 chip stack this early in the start of the third level.
"I doubled up then tripled up in the first two hands," Ajram gleefully told us.
"I had against then the next hand I had against and on a board where we all got it in and I held."
Matthew Parvis was just crushed after running a flush draw into a bigger flush draw before he stuck the last of his chips in from the small blind. He moved all in over the top of a late-position raise and the player called. Unfortunately for Parvis, his was dominated by the for his opponent.
The board ran out and Parvis has been sent back to the desk.
Jerome Bradpiece, who won the second ever GUKPT event back in 2007 for £121,600, has endured somewhat of a roller coaster ride during these opening levels.
His first loop-the-loop came prior to the break, his open with three-bet and Bradpiece making the call. Bradpiece check-raised a flop, before getting it all in on the turn, his opponent failing to improve with and doubling Bradpiece through.
Soon after, Bradpiece locked horns with Andriena Nutt, a name you could be hearing a lot of is she goes deep (you'll have to trust me on that). After calling a raise with (suited) in the big blind, (Nutt called on the button), Bradpiece check-raised a 200 lead to 700 and Nutt made the call. On the turn, he bet 1,100 before check-calling 1,600 on the river and being shown .
"I got lucky though to get it back," he replied, having returned to a 4,000 stack. "She [Nutt] raised to 125 on the button, the small blind called and I three-bet from the big blind. She called and the small blind folded. Check, check on the flop, then I bet 600 on the turn. She moved all in, I called, but she had . river."
Upon the conclusion of the tale, Bradpiece returned to his seat with a cheeky grin on his face, accompanied, I'm sure, with a huge sense of relief.