Marco Leonzio just played two hands in a row, winning a small one but then losing a slightly larger one.
Both times Leonzio was the initial aggressor. First up, he opened to 180,000 and Roberto Romanello decided to give him a spin from the small blind. After a promising start, though, they proceeded to check down the board. Leonzio turned over for a rivered pair, and it was good enough to win the pot.
Next hand, Leonzio raised under the gun and this time Marcin Horecki called in the big blind. Horecki check-called 220,000 from Leonzio on the flop and then checked again on the turn. Leonzio checked behind this time, looking suddenly completely uninterested in the hand, and they saw a river. Horecki now very carefully counted out a 430,000 bet and pushed it across the line. Leonzio duly folded, and Horecki got the pot.
Horecki's roller coaster ride continues - he's at 3.55 million now. Leonzio is at 4.5 million - still in second place, but the lowest he's been all day.
Emilliano Bono, after his set-based double through, has not been sitting on his laurels, but getting involved with his short stack even though any confrontation could well be his last.
He was given the full stare-down treatment by Roberto Romanello just now, after raising under the gun. His raise method was especially unusual this time - always one for counting out multiple random stacks before betting a different amount, Bono this time cut off 175k, added one 25k, took it off again, added it, took it off, added it, took it off, then bet 195k total.
Only big blind Romanello seemed genuinely interested, fixing him with a long look and asking repeatedly, "You have a big hand? You have a strong hand?"
In reply, Bono merely sighed.
"Very strong I think. I got a good hand," Romanello said, laying it down and appearing disappointed that he didn't get a peek at his opponent's cards, despite offering to show his own.
We are going to run the risk of sounding like a stuck record by constantly reporting on Roberto Romanello but we can't help it if he is the man of the moment.
Although his mouth is quieter than usual, his betting and aggression at the table is just as loud. He raised from under the gun to 135,000 and only Peter Skripka called from the small blind. A flop of saw Skripka check fold to a 175,000 continuation bet from Mr Romanello.
Two hands later the action folded to him in the small blind and after asking Emilliano Bono how many chips he had in his stack, and then ribbing him over how he said "one meeelion," he made it 135,000 to play, resulting in Bono folding and showing
Romanello is still our chip leader with just under 6,000,000
It folded around to Emilliano Bono in the small blind, who went all in for 850,000. Marcin Horecki in the big blind sat back in his chair.
"Do you want me to call?" he asked.
"I play for wins tournament, only this," Bono told him.
Horecki announced call and the media stormed the stage.
Bono:
Horecki:
Board:
There was the usual round of high-volume celebrating in Italain, napkin on head, as Bono doubled to around 2 million. Horecki is down to 2.45 million and looking rather less cheery than he did back when he was chip leader.
Roberto Romanello has doubled up to a mighty 5,480,000 after a game of button-chicken with Peter Skripka. Since regaining a large stack, Skripka had been very active, and a raise on the button to 170k was nothing surprising. Romanello counted off a stack of 100k chips and threw it in from the small blind. The raise was to 605k. Skripka looked down at his stack, considered this bet, and then announced, "All in."
Romanello snap-called, showing . Skripka showed and acknowledged the legitimate hand with a calm table-tap as the board came down raising Romanello to the lead.
Marcin Horecki raised to 140,000 on the button and Peter Skripka called in the big blind. They both checked the flop and Skripka checked again on the turn. Horecki bet 105,000, but Skripka now check-raised to 275,000. Horecki sat there riffling chips for a few moments before making the call.
The river was the and this time Skripka bet out 925,000. Horecki took his time but eventually passed, dropping to 3 million or so. Skripka is our current chip leader on 5.2 million.
Roberto Romanello has seen his stack swell by more than one million chips after making a great call on the river against Marco Leonzio.
Romanello raised from the cutoff to 125,000 and only Leonzio, in the big blind, came along for the ride. A flop of was met with a check from both players but Leonzio came out betting to the tune of 230,000 when the appeared on the turn. Roberto made the call, meaning we would see a river card.
The river was the and Leonzio quickly bet 700,000. Romanello counted out the chips and placed them in front of him. A call would leave him with just 10 big blinds but he made it anyway and was rewarded by Leonzio mucking his hand without even showing what he held!
Romanello turned over and mucked his other hole card before telling Leonzio, "I've said it before in this tournament. Do not bluff the Romanello."
At this point Emilliano Bono said, "Let's tell him in Italian in case he don't understand," which they did, much to the ammusement of the large number of supporters on the rail.
Horecki vs. Leonzio again - this time the Polish Team Pro raised to 120k preflop and Marco Leonzio called on the button. A flop of gave Leonzio an opportunity to raise Horecki's lead of 150k to 410k, and Horecki laid his hand down.
Leonzio hasn't played many pots so far today, but the overnight chip leader has won most of those he's been involved in.
Roberto Romanello raised to 135k preflop, called by Emilliano Bono to his direct left. A flop of saw a quick bet from Romanello and a not-so-quick pass from Bono.