Getting dealt pocket aces and then losing to an all-in push from a short stack is a bit unlucky. Getting dealt the rockets twice and losing again to a short stack push, all within just a few table orbits, could be considered downright nasty. Well, Team PokerStars Pro Greg Raymer has just found out what it's like - and nasty it is.

First he found two aces, raised to 90,000 and got a 250,000 push from Brian Townsend holding [as][qs]. The board ran out [ks][10h][9s][js][3d], sending the double up Townsend's way. Then, to rub salt into the Fossilman's wounds, Keith Lehr repeated the trick, this time pushing for 300,000 with [kc][9s] from the big blind. [3c][7d][ks] came on the flop, the [2d] on the turn... and the [9h] on the river. Ouch.

Greg Raymer

But Raymer is made of stern stuff, and still has 2.1 million with blinds at 20,000-40,000 (5,000) so is not in too bad a shape. And let's face it, he's been able to manouevre his way around these big events before.

With just 13 players left, the $40,000 no limit event is homing in on the final table - and Team PokerStars Holland Pro Lex Veldhuis is leading the chase with 5,200,000.

Top ten chip counts:

Lex Veldhuis, Team PokerStars Holland Pro, 5,200,000
Noah Schwartz, 2,950,000
Justin Bonomo, 2,700,000
Alec Torelli, 2,630,000
Greg Raymer, Team PokerStars Pro, 2,560,000
Ted Forrest, 1,740,000
Dani Stern. 1,700,000
Vitaly Lunkin, 1,450,000
Isaac Haxton, 1,150,000
Matthew Marafioti, 820,000