Long stretches of boredom with moments of sheer terror. It’s an expression that’s been used so many times to describe all sorts of scenarios, but if the long stretches between the action in this main event have been the ‘boredom’, the last half an hour has provided the terror – at least for some of the players involved.

First PokerStars player Darus Suharto doubled up with kings over Joe Bishop’s ace-queen. It was a make or break shuffle for Darus who leapt from being the short stack to the relative safety of the main pack. Joe Bishop was then involved again, with Kelly Kim this time who held pocket eights to Joe’s 7-8. Another bad hand for Joe, culminating with a hand against PokerStars player David Rheem, which would seal Bishop’s demise.

Darus Suharto

Bishop had moved all-in with Ac3h for 2.4m which Chino called with pocket deuces. The flop was rose tinted for Bishop, making two pairs on the Ah3c5s flop. But also lurking was the straight draw for Rheem which his vocal supporters knew all too well. The Qc on the turn made Bishop walk away unable to look. He had good reason or the incredible was about to happen, a 4h on the river, making Rheem his straight and busting Bishop in 11th place.

David 'Chino' Rheem

The hand was followed by cheering and a general scrum for places on the main feature table stage where right now the remaining ten players prepare to play on into the night until one more of them is eliminated.

No more ‘boredom’, a touch of terror for sure, but mainly excitement here as the main event closes in on its finale.