erik moves all-in and tony instacalls...

not sure what they have til they hit their backs...

for Seidel and for bloom

> ... ... AND TONY BLOOM WINS THE THIRD HEAT OF THE FULLTILTPOKER.COM POKER MILLION IX TO REACH HIS THIRD FINAL

120k raise from tony with call from erik ,

... 120k from bloom is called, .. check from erik, all-in from tony, erik folds.

how quickly things can change...

1240 erik
1160 tony

erik limps with to 120k, black kings for tony...reraises and takes

limp from tony, for erik

... check from erik, 60k from tony, called...

... check from erik, tony bets 120k, erik folds

tony limps with ... raise to 140k from erik with , call

.. erik bets and takes, tony down to 640k

quick break for the heads-up duo

1680 eric, 720 tony, 30/60k blinds...

... erik flops top pair with 80k from tony with .. raise to 160k from seidel, tony folds

erik with calls tony's bet with ...

... 60k from tony, called... checked, ... checked...

tony raises to 80k with call from erik ...

> .... tony bets 60k, erik moves all-in and gets called quick time...

...7S... tony takes the pot - up to one million...

erik limps with ..tony with

... check from tony, 40k from erik, tony shoves and erik folds

hand 155

tony raises to 80k with .. erik calls with

> ... tony checks, erik too... 40k from erik, called check from both

- 2060 erik, 340 tony

- ... erik checks, tony bets 60k, erik calls... ... erik bets 70k... tony folds

- tony with raises to 80k... erik with .. calls

tony on the button with ... folds

erik limps with .. raise to 120k from bloom with 10s ... all-in from erik... tony folds

min raise from tony with call from erik with ...

.. 60k from erik, tony passes

limp from erik with ... for tony...

.. tony checks and folds to erik's bet

for tony who raises to 65k, called by erik with ..

... check from erik... tony bets 65k and gets called...

... erik checks, tony moves all-in... erik folds

1620 erik, 780 tony... blinds up to 20/40k

1750 erik

tony raises 65k with , erik reraises to 145k, tony passes.

erik raises , call from tony with ..

A 7 3, check from tony, 60k from erik, called, ... tony moves all-in, erik folds

1715 erik, 685 tony

140th hand

erik raises .. tony calls with ...

..tony bets 65k, erik raised all-in... and tony... folds

erik raises to 60k, for tony who reraises all-in, instafold

tony with raises to 65k, erik calls

> ... tony bets 50k, erik raises to 120k... tony folds

tony raises for erik calls

8h 4d 2h, check from erik, 70k bloom, raise to 140k from erik, tony folds

erik 1790
tony 610

> ... ANNETTE OBRESTAD IS OUT IN THIRD SPOT IN THE THIRD HEAT OF THE FULLTILTPOKER.COM POKER MILLION IX...

- aces on the button for erik, QJ for annette... and she moves all-in... tony folds and annette calls

- erik raises otb with , tony moves all in with eights and erik folds...

- blinds going up to 15/30, 1175 erik, 645 annette, 580 tony

- walk for annette

- annette with raises b-on-b to 50k, tony folds.

- tony raises the button with for seidel in the SB, for annette in the BB

> ... 50k from erik gets the pot

annette with A J raises to 40k and gets no customers.

very next hand... annette limps b-on-b with tony raises , annette reraises all-in and is called...

... ... ... and Tony is up to 670k...

tony raises to 40k with , annette's BB with ... reraises to 310k...tony flips a card, probably the ace as Annette says "that's a lot of respect"

... for erik and for bloom checked, 20k from seidel, called, erik checks behind tony

for annette who limps in the SB... tony raises to 60k with AK and annette folds...

for erik who reraises to 110k, Annette with .. folds

erik 1005, annette 1000, tony 395

sevens on the button for steven who shoves, annette calls in the BB... with nines...

... ... two sevens in the deck... ... AND STEVEN MERRIFIELD IS OUT OF THE THIRD HEAT OF THE FULLTILTPOKER.COM POKER MILLION IX IN FOURTH...

annette raises to 40k with otb but the blinds fold

Erik the first to peer over the million chip mark

board, tony bets 50k with , call from erik with ... tony checks, erik bets 70k, tony folds

tony raises to 40k with steven with moves all-in... tony calls...

.. ... ...

859 erik, 816 annette, 570 bloom, 155 steven

limp from annette otb tony's SB with and steven's BB with ...

> ... annette bets 45k and the fellas fold

end of the level blinds up to 10/20... erik 879, annette 796, steve 455, bloom 270

Tony limps with ... steven with raises to 51k and tony folds

Tony raises - annette in the BB calls... .. tony bets 32k, annette folds

tony with A J on the button raises but the blinds bin

894 erik, 835 annette, 400 steven, 271 tony

annette just on fire at the moment... but Erik still holds a slender chip lead, blinds going to 10/20 soon....

... 20k from annette with , tony folds K4

annette limps on the button with kings, tony and steven are in the blinds

... annette fires and the blinds bin it

45k raise from steven with , annette with in the SB... reraises big and takes it

erik limps in the SB with A 4, annette's BB with ... checked, .. erik bets 20k and annette passes

> flop, tony bets 37k with annette with ... smelling a rat perhaps as she pops it up to 280k and takes - relentless says Neil Channing in the commentary box

- Tony fires 22k call from original limper annette with ... ... 50k from bloom takes the pot

40k raise from erik holding red tens b-on-b, annette calls wth ... checked down...

> - the ace on the river is a painful card for bloom (A5) against erik (A3) erik checks it, tony bets, reraised to 145k by erik, and bloom takes a long time but makes the call... big hand in the game there.

erik now holding 951k with tony at the foot with 229k

steven raised J 9, reraise from seidel with Q 10 to 56k, annette with fires to 130k... steven folds... so does Erik...

sorting out the chips and chairs at the table at the mo

devil open shoves with , steven calls on the button with jacks ...

.. ... .. AND DEVILFISH'S RETURN TO POKER MILLION ENDS IN FIFTH SPOT IN HEAT THREE...

aces for annette now who opens with 20k... erik's bb with .. ... 30k from annette... erik raises to 70k... annette moves all-in...and takes it... annette in second spot with 685k, erik in front with 766k...

for annette, who likes the look of the flop, 45k pot post-flop with steven in with .. both check, .. steven bets 34k... annette calls... ... steven fires 80k... a 200k raise from Annette takes it

AK raise to 22k from steven on fish's BB... nope...

the seats are shifted now we're five-handed... the camera able to get a lovely shot of Devilfish's shiny grey shoes - Neil asked him where he got them from... a shoe shop was the devil's reply... standard

ooooh, this is mega-frustrating with the internet... and ROBERTO ROMANELLO is a goner now...

- erik 861, 483 steven, 480 tony, ann 466, 110 devil

- 24k raise from roberto , erik calls with , ...could be curtains for roberto... he bets 24k, erik raises to 52k... roberto moves all-in... and erik calls...

... and its ALL OVER FOR ROBERTO ROMANELLO HE'S THE THIRD PLAYER OUT OF THE THIRD HEAT OF THE FULLTILTPOKER.COM POKER MILLION IX

- erik raises pocket kings... no takers

- Fish's big blind with 110k... annette raises in the SB with Q 9... Devil folds with a three in his hand...

- annette raises with , its erik's BB with Qs /p>

- 27k takes it for annette

top three now of 607 erik, 495 tony, 483 steven

devil raises otb, tony in the SB ... reraise to 79k, devil calls

.. tony checks, devil bets 60k... tony reraises all-in... devil lays it down

hand 67: annette min raises with , tony's bb with

... check from tony, 32k from annette, tony folds

erik with K2 raises it and devil calls with ... ... 35k from erik takes it

roberto raises in the cut off with KJ, call from steven on the button with , erik reraises to 60k with red eights in the SB, roberto folds... steven calls... ... 85k from erik, steven folds and erik now chip leader with 577k

fed and watered, the six remaining players return...

the players are on a one hour break now

535 steven, annette 501, 433 erik, 369 bloom, 336 roberto, 226 devil

steven raises with , reraise to 40k from G with black nines, bloom folds pocket eights... steven shoved and tony called...

.. .. ... AND TONY G IS THE SECOND PLAYER OUT OF THE THIRD HEAT OF FULLTILTPOKER.COM POKER MILLION XI

annette raises otb with .. tony g reraises with ... annette folds

devil raises into tens for bloom, reraises all-in... steven has ... and calls... devil folds...

ace has been passed... ... ... ... bloom up to 366k third in chips, annette 516, 433 erik... steven with 274k...

previously...
devil (BB) bets 12k with on the .. annette (OTB) reraises to 35k with ... called... ... 58k from annette, devil folds...

devil (BB) bets 12k with on the .. annette (OTB) reraises to 35k with ... ... 58k from annette, devil folds...

466 annette, 454 steven, 392 erik, rob 361, devil 291, tony g 249, tony b 187

.. check from annette with and from tony with black fours and bloom with .. annette bets 30k... G folds, bloom calls... ... annette bets 54k... bloom folds

again, the net fails us... annette with some pocket pairs...

roberto raises to 15k with sevens, annette follows aces with queens - reraise to 39k... roberto folds

steven with raises to 14k, annette on the button with aces, reraises to 37k... steven folds

Devilfish played an Austin Powers prank on Erik Seidel in the break there as the American tried to steal 40 winks, devil crept up on him and burst a paper bag to ruin his dreams...

Erik was having a little snooze in the break there and Devilfish sneaked up on him and burst a paper bag... pretty Austin Powers that

Steven Merrifield just described Devilfish as "a real life Austin Powers..."

end of the second level, blinds up to 3/6k...

for annette open raises, roberto calls with ,

...check, 13k from annette, roberto folds

steven with A J raises to 10k, reraised to 27k by annette with air... takes

erik raises otb with , annette with calls, tony calls with ...

... annette checks, tony too, 15k from erik, annette calls, tony folds, ... checked, ... annette goes for chips... 26k from her is called...

couple of hands while the internet blows up...

erik open raises with , bloom calls otb with , steven's bb with ... , 24k from tony, steven calls, erik folds, ... tony bets 48k... called... ... steven checks, as does tony

pocket eights otb for roberto who raises, flat call from steven with fives in the SB, erik with - ... checked, ... steven fires 24k, erik folds, roberto does the same...

roberto raises 9k utg with A Q, into steven's jacks in second position, annette calls with Q J, devil's SB with ...

... 26k from annette, devil folds, as does roberto, and then steven

erik raises , 27k reraise from annette with ... erik folds

> ... annette bets 14k with ... roberto has and folds

devil raises with ... annette calls with ... checked, ... annette checks, devil bets and takes

steven raises to 10k... and takes

annette raises with jacks and tony g calls with ... ... checked, ... checked, ... checked

441 roberto, steven 391, erik 384, 344 bloom, annette 297, 275 devil, 268 tony g

queens for roberto who raises to, nines for mike, fives for seidel, and for G...AD for devil... .. 36k from mike, seidel, G and devil fold, roberto reraises 119k... mike reraises all-in and roberto calls...

>... MIKE MATUSOW IS THE FIRST PLAYER OUT OF THE THIRD HEAT OF FULLTILTPOKER.COM POKER MILLION IX

roberto gets frisky with pocket threes on a flop, reraising erik who has ..erik calls...5H checked, .. erik bets 60k into 172k... roberto passes

annette with raises to 5k, devil with pocket fours calls, as does bloom

... annette's bet takes it

annette with raises to 5k, reraise from devil to 20k... we don't see with what though as annette bins straight away

mike with raises, erik reraises to 17k with ... passed back to mike, who passes

5k raise from roberto , call from steven with ... tony with the sevens now calls... ... tony checks, 8k from roberto, steven folds... tony calls... ... check from tony, 23k from roberto, tony folds

tony G limps , 10k raise from bloom with , steven with pocket sevens otb calls... blinds fold...4S ... 18k from bloom, steven folds... as does G

devil limps with roberto calls with .. erik's bb with ... ... checked, 4k from erik, call from devil, roberto folds... ... erik checks, as does devil...

roberto limps in with , steven calls with .. ... checked, gets 6k from steven, roberto folds

tony g is commiserating with mike over his loss with aces... it's not really going down too well

annette raises to 9k, call from devil with otb

... 7k from annette takes it

mike down to 183k - Erik back to the table

erik has left the table... not sure why...

mike limps with aces, steven raises with ... call from devil , mike reraises with the bullets, steven calls, back to devil... he folds... ... steven checks, mike bets 36k... steven calls... .. mike checks, steven likewise... .. steven bets 47k... mike calls...

roberto raises to 6k with another pair for mike... queens this time, flat calls...Tony with calls .. checked... ... tony checks, roberto checks, 13k from mike, tony and roberto pass

devil raises to 6k with Q 10, roberto with 7 8 reraises, mike folds pocket fours, the blinds fold, as does devil...

devil limps with ... steven calls with in the SB, BB for erik with ... all checked, , 4k from erik, up to 10k from devil, steven folds, erik calls... ... checked...

the glass always seems to get dirtier at Sky for some reason... lil break while the smudges are cleaned up

steven raises with , call from the blinds - fish with .. bloom with ...

... 7k from fish, 16k from bloom, steven folds, fish calls, ... 34k from bloom, fish calls... . check from fish, tony bets 88k... Devil taking a long while over this one... and he finally folds...

> .. fish with bets 11k, roberto folds A3, G folds AQ... first blood to the man in the suit

quite a bit of recent history between a lot of these players from the poker lounge which they were all discussing beforehand...

The table is complete now...

1 Tony G
2 Devilfish
3 Tony Bloom

Devilfish definitely wins the heat in terms of the fashion stakes - he's wearing a very sharp suit today, looks like he means business! The banter is flying about in the green room, Mike says he's barely slept and is not ready to play all day - Annette said "what makes you think you will be playing all day?"

The third heat of the FullTiltPoker.com Poker Million IX gets underway at around 11am - and it's a cracking line-up to finish the first trio of heats.
Five players have drawn their seats so far:

4 Roberto Romanello
5 Mike Matusow
6 Steven Merrifield
7 Erik Seidel
8 Annette Obrestad

We're still waiting for Tony Bloom, Tony G and Devilfish...