This has been Peter Eastgate’s hour.
Though the past 60 minutes was cut by one-third due to a break, Eastgate has used this time to pull out to a better than 3-1 chip lead over Ivan Demidov.
Though humble, Eastgate was confident coming into the match tonight. Just before he sat down, he spoke to our video blog team. Check out the interview below.
Watch WSOP Final Table: Peter Pre HU Interview on PokerStars.tv
Leaving the Penn and Teller Theater, even when players are on a break, is an uncomfortable proposition. One wrong turn in the Rio labyrinth can send a wanderer in the wrong direction for just long enough to miss one hand.
And one hand is all it takes.
Take for instance the last twenty minute break. The closest watering hole to this theater is the adjacent Starbucks. It’s staying open eight hours longer than usual to accommodate the fatigued spectators and media. The line was 20 people deep and the barista was slinging caffeine with all speed.
As the stragglers checked their watches and got ready to make tracks for the heads-up match, the barista fired up one of his machines. To addled minds with questionable hearing, the steam machine sounded like a thousand-strong crowd in rapture.
No one wants to miss that one moment. With the blinds at 400,000/800,000/100,000, it could happen anytime. Now, the entire crowd has re-settled in for this last hour and watched Peter Eastgate go on a run to take him up over the 100,000,000 mark in chips.
Eastgate broke that psychological barrier when he took down a sizeable pot that played out as follows: Eastgate limped, Demidov raised 1.95 million and Eastgate called. The flop showed 9h-7s-6d and Demidov continuation bet 3.625, which Eastgate called. The turn was Js and both players checked, seeing a Qs on the river. Demidov found the bet and fired 7 million at it, but Eastgate was going nowhere, called, and showed J-8s for a pair of jacks. Demidov’s A-10 was no good.
Apart from a small pot for the Russian when he made a seven-high straight, it’s been a one-sided level so far. Eastgate has managed to strong-arm his way past Demidov in most pre-flop confrontations and even when they get all the way to the river, Eastgate is finding the better hand. In one such example, Demidov raised 2 million pre-flop, and Eastgate called. The flop came 10h-6h-Jh and both players checked all the way to showdown when turn and river came 7d-3s. Eastgate showed 5c-6c for a pair of sixes. And they were good.
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