Level 10 (800/1600/200)
Day 1C entries: 200
Day 1C players remaining: 48
Day 1C average stack: 83,333
Play is ramping up as the last level of the night is winding down. With 10 minutes to go, a final number of hands will be played, after which the remaining players will bag up and return for Day 2 at noon on Sunday.
With few exceptions, the pattern of play at this stage takes one of three paths: raise and take it, raise/re-raise/fold, or raise/re-raise/shove. The following hand is one of the exceptions.
We arrive at the table with the flop already out, reading 8♦4♦4♣. Three players have cards, both blinds and Grant Hinkle (pictured) in the hijack. The blinds check and Hinkle bets 5,500. Both blinds call.
The turn is the 9♥. The small blind checks and the big blind leads the turn for 17,000. Hinkle calls and the small blind calls as well.
The river is the 6♣, which fails to complete the diamond flush draw but makes ten-seven and seven-five possible straights. The small blind checks. After some thought, the big blind checks, and Hinkle checks it back.
Small blind - J♦2♦
Big blind - A♦7♦
Grant Hinkle - A♣8♠
Both blinds held each other's diamond outs, leaving Hinkle's pair of eights as the best hand to take the pot.
Grant Hinkle - 185,600