Nick Nickoletopoulos is working hard for every chip in his stack. The last three hands we witnessed probably gave him some whiplash.
The stage was set at table #35 about two-thirds of the way into level 9. With blinds 800/1,600 and a chip average at just over 107K, Nick pushed all-in from UTG for approximately 100,000 chips. Most of the players folded but when the action came to Stéphane Lacasse, he wasted no time in shoving all in as well, for less, with 85,100. Everyone else folded and the two players tabled their hands.
Nick: 
Stéphane: 
This classic match-up between a Broadway pair and Big Slick is always a coin toss. The dealer laid out the first four cards of the board: 
. Nick was feeling pretty good until the river punched through his heart: 
, giving Stéphane top-top and delivering a crushing blow to Nick’s stack.
With only 9,800 chips left, Nick looked soulfully at the button which was deposited two seats to his right, making him the next big blind. Reluctantly throwing 1,600 to the dealer as ante and pushing another 1,600 in front of him, he left no one at the table wondering what he was going to do when the action came around to him in this hand. Once the cards were dealt, almost everyone folded except Alexandre Nadeau-Lévesque who made a minimum raise to 3,200. The small blind folded, leaving Nick alone with Alexandre. Nick called and pushed his small stack forward and tabled a decent hand: 
. Alexandre threw in his own cards: 
and the flop came out: 
.
Nick was doing great and was glad to see any hopes for a flush on Alexandre’s side evaporate. The turn made Nick cringe a bit: 
and everyone sat back down when the 
showed up on the river, completing a straight on the board: split pot!
Unwavering, and now small blind, Nick was already holding his stack in one hand when the third hand started. Everyone folded to Nick who, for the third consecutive hand, went all-in. This time his all-in was worth 6,800 chips. Chip Leader Ramsey Belmaaza was on his left, and big blind, so he called immediately and the hands were tabled.
Nick: 
Ramsey: 
Board: 
So Nick doubles-up, sits down and now gets ready to grind ahead…
