If Brandon Schaeffer does actually win his second EPT here he might look back to one hand in particular which breathed life back into his tournament after it looked destined for a post-dinner, pre-desert exit.

He’s in the far corner of the cardroom on a table with relatively little give. Andy Black sits on his left, Pascal Perrault is opposite, so too Johann Storakers. In terms of Black and Schaeffer one has the chips and is raising everything, the other is left looking for a Hail Mary play – it’s Brandon with the raw end of the deal – a little over 6,500 and the looming prospect of a slow walk back to the hotel.

Then that hand came up.

Moving all-in Brandon found Andy Black, who’s pleasure it was to have the button, re-raising and effectively isolating Brandon from the seat three player who took the Black move as a polite invitation to leave the hand.

Brandon showed his J-T of clubs with Andy ahead with pocket kings. The flop brought a jack and a club. Brandon would still need help. He got it – a club in the turn, another on the river to flush the kings back from whence they came, doubling up the American. Stirring stuff.

“You get it in bad and suck out!” said Brandon afterwards - that was his trick, he said. “Andy Black had been playing every hand and I thought my J-T move was in a good spot. But he had kings! (pause for brief laughter). The turn was great though (second slight pause for laughter).” Then, “Yeah!”

It marked a turning point for Brandon. Doubling up seemed to agree with him and a string of pre-flop bets followed, each uncontested, the momentum turning his way and taking his stack passed the 20k mark.