It's the little differences, you know?

When the levels in the EPT Grand Final change, string orchestra music shoots from the speakers like a covey of quail. It's a light--but not whimsical--indication that it's time for the price of the game to edge up. Just after the dinner break, a side tournament kicked off. To help distinguish between the events, the tournament directors needed a different sound to indicate the changing of the levels. Their choice? Yello's "Oh Yeah." So, every 30 minutes, the clitter clatter of chips is broken up by a "bomp-bomp-chicka-chicka."

Andy Black, demure as ever, is on the move in more ways than one. Despite being on an upward chip trend, he's also been moved to a new table. That table now features Jonathan Little, Greg Raymer, and Black in a row (more on this in a moment). Still a long way to go, but should Black and Chad Brown make it to the final table, I call first dibs on the bad Black and Tan puns.

Team PokerStars' newest member Noah Boeken has been unnaturally quiet today, though is managing to hold on as he sits at Table 4, the toughest in the room. It features not only Boeken, but Carlos Moretensen, Joe Beevers, and Chad Brown, all of whom have sizable stacks.


Noah Boeken

Last night, we featured doctorin2010's t-shirt ("I would check-raise my own Grandma") at the end of the day. As it turns out, he's been pretty serious today and moved up to a sizable stack as we enter the second half of play.


doctorin2010

Finally, a special moment shared by Andy Black and Greg Raymer. A few minutes ago, I noticed Greg stalking the room for a fresh bottle of Evian. He found one and returned to his table. Later, I came back and discovered the water had turned a conspicuous shade of yellow. Any number of jokes could've been made about the drink, and Black saw fit to take the most obvious route when addressing the crowd about Greg's drink choice and its bodily source. Not one to be outdone, Greg picked up the bottle and offered Black a drink.

"I'm feeling a bit sick," Black said.


Black eyes up Raymer's yellow drink

Turns out it was white tea. Go figure.

Bomp-bomp. Chicka-chicka.