#20 Heads upSimon Brooke, our current "Player of the Series" leader is drawn against Gabriel Lemmito.
Gabriel won 3 medals last year and has already secured a Gold Medal and bracelet this year.
Simon, "Top of the Pots, Brooke has himself a Silver Medal from earlier in the week and is looking to hold/extend his lead and go one better to get the Gold.
The match starts slow and steady, flops not being seen without a standard 3x raise to 125 and then ainly being taken by turn without show down.
Simon takes an early lead and works his way up to 6.4k but no pots over 600.
With the blinds increasing, Simon continues to eat away at Gabriel and is looking relaxed. Gabriel is getting visibly frustrated after losing a few pots at showdown.
With pots getting bigger now, Simon loses a few and finds himself down to 2.4k but the play remains steady and sensible from both and he begins the grind.
A few hands later, with blinds at 75/150 Simon is down to 1.7k.
But, in the next five minutes, he takes a few pots on the river without showdown and, when blinds increase to 200/400, he goes all in for 3.4k and Gabriel calls!
Gabriel is unimpressed to see that Simon has
and he turns over As
first card out helps Gabriel somewhat but Simon still out in front.
The board runs out fairly safe and easy for Simon -
and he doubles to 6.8k.
From there, he didn"t really look back and, within a few hands, Gabriel has moved all in for 3.2k.
Simon checks his stack and the maths and makes the call.
Simon has
Gabriel As
Gabriel still ahead but needs to avoid queen"s, 9"s and 10"s.
turn!! and it is all but over for Gabriel as Simon makes the straight leaving Gabriel needing a queen to make the better straight - Simon not celebrating yet...
on the river and Simon wins the hand and this round of HU.
Mr Simon "Top of the Pots" Brooke advances to the next round.
Well played to both of them and good luck to Simon.