Thursday, May 28, 2015 3:50 PM Local Time
Jonathan Duhamel (pictured) is quite short on chips when he gets his remainder into the pot preflop holding . Ludovic Geilich wakes up with the dominating , though, and he makes the call with his big stack.
The board runs out blank for Duhamel, and he'll have just a few minutes to unwind before the $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout begins on the other side of the room.
Thursday, May 28, 2015 3:38 PM Local Time
"Hey Chris," Joseph Cheong (pictured) leans back in his chair and draws the attention of Chris Moorman at the adjacent table. "How much you got?"
Moorman hops up to chat. "About forty-five," he says. "Peaking."
The two smirk and exchange more small talk, and Cheong can see Moorman eying up his stack too. "Fifty-five or something," Cheong says. He began the day with more than twice that, so things haven't been going particularly well during the first two levels. Cheong, though, is in good spirits. "What's the opposite of peaking?" he asks with a smile. "Valley-ing?"
Thursday, May 28, 2015 3:34 PM Local Time
There's been no shortage of action at the stacked Table 370 that includes the likes of Chris Moorman, Stephen Chidwick, and Martin Jacobson.
In the most recent pot, Jacobson opens to 3,600 from the hijack seat. Faraz Jaka is in the small blind, and he announces, "Ninety-two," as he flicks two orange chips into the pot. Jacobson wants to play for more, though, and he four-bets to 16,300. Jaka pauses to consider, then five-bet shoves for about 60,000 total. Jacobson quickly surrenders.
Jaka - 79,000
Jacobson - 165,000
Thursday, May 28, 2015 3:13 PM Local Time
Phil Hellmuth and Lee Markholt, who is seated directly to Hellmuth's left, have been involved in a number of hands early on in Day 2.
Their latest battle leaves Hellmuth with around 23,000 in chips.
With the board showing , both players check the turn. The river comes and, once again, both players check. Markholt shows before Hellmuth mucks his hand.
Phil Hellmuth - 23,000
Lee Markholt - 47,000
Thursday, May 28, 2015 3:12 PM Local Time
Dan Smith is down around 15 big blinds when he shoves all in. Next behind him, Sam Greenwood (pictured) reshoves all in, and the rest of the tables folds.
Dan Smith shows , and Sam Greenwood . There is no help for Dan Smith, and he leaves the tournament.
Sam Greenwood - 141,000
Thursday, May 28, 2015 3:05 PM Local Time
Thursday, May 28, 2015 3:03 PM Local Time
Level: 12
Blinds: 800/1,600
Ante: 200
Thursday, May 28, 2015 2:58 PM Local Time
Brian Hastings is sitting with more than 180,000 in chips after taking down two consecutive pots.
With the board showing , Hastings and Ryan Colley both checked the river before Hastings flipped for the winning straight.
On the very next hand, Hastings raises preflop in the big blind and is called by the small blind. On the flop , Hastings fires 3,500 after the small blind checks. The small blind calls and the turn comes .
Once again, the small blind checks, and this time, Hastings fires 10,000. The small blind calls and the river falls . For a third time, the small blind checks and Hastings fires the third barrel, this time 18,000. The small blind folds and Hastings rakes in the pot, putting him above the 180,000 mark.
Ryan Colley - 35,000
Thursday, May 28, 2015 2:57 PM Local Time
The board reads and Phil Hellmuth checks to his only opponent, Barry Hutter. He puts all his orange chips in, enough for Phil Hellmuth's whole stack. After two minutes or so, Hellmuth folds the face-up. Hutter shows him the .
Barry Hutter - 135,000
Phil Hellmuth - 36,000
Thursday, May 28, 2015 2:42 PM Local Time
Noah Schwartz and Hiren Patel both have around 25,0000 chips to start the hand, and they get it all in on a coin flip. It's Schwartz with and Patel with the pair, turning over .
The board runs out , and Patel wins with a set of tens. When the chips are counted down, his stack is slightly larger, so Schwartz has been sent off during the day's opening level.
Patel - 55,000
Schwartz - Eliminated
Thursday, May 28, 2015 2:34 PM Local Time
There are four players in the pot (~12,000) when Adam Levy bets 5,200 at the flop. Only Jonathan Jaffe takes the effort to call.
It's Jaffe that bets 6,600 on the turn . Adam Levy just makes the call. On the river we see . Jaffe takes another step with a bet of 10,000. It takes a minute or so before Adam Levy puts 10,000 in with . That's the winning hand against from Jonathan Jaffe.
Jonathan Jaffe - 159,000
Adam Levy - 71,000
Thursday, May 28, 2015 2:30 PM Local Time
Under the gun, John Hennigan (pictured) moves all in for about 25,000 total. Two seats over, Francis Obadun calls, and the rest of the table folds out the way. With Hennigan's tournament life on the line, the cards are shown down.
Hennigan:
Obadun:
The board runs , and Hennigan doubles up with a straight.
Hennigan - 53,000
Obadun - 68,000
Thursday, May 28, 2015 2:29 PM Local Time
Martin Jacobson raises to 2,700 in middle position. Chris Moorman in the small blind reraises to 5,100 and Jacobson calls. The flop falls . Moorman bets 4,100 and Jacobson calls. The turn is the and Moorman goes all in. Jacobson mucks his cards.
Moorman – 54,000
Jacobson – 166,000
Thursday, May 28, 2015 2:24 PM Local Time
David Benefield puts his last ~8,000 chips into the middle preflop holding , and Hunter Frey gives him action holding .
The board runs out , and Benefield is unable to find a double. He's been eliminated.
Frey - 51,000
Benefield - Eliminated
Thursday, May 28, 2015 2:12 PM Local Time
First in from middle position, Byron Kaverman opens to 2,700. In the small blind, Artem Metalidi three-bet shoves for 31,500. Kaverman tanks for a long while before calling for about half his own stack.
"Pair," Metalidi says. But Kaverman has one, too.
Kaverman:
Metalidi:
The board runs , and Metalidi has been eliminated.
Kaverman - 102,000
Metalidi - Eliminated
Thursday, May 28, 2015 2:11 PM Local Time
In the first hand of the day it's Sam Soverel that raises to 2,500. When the action gets to Nick Phoenix, he reraises to 8,000. Sam Soverel asks how much Phoenix is playing just before he makes it 14,000, Phoenix calls.
At the flop , Soverel bets enough to put Phoenix all-in. He folds after a minute.
Sam Soverel - 83,000
Nick Phoenix - 27,000
Thursday, May 28, 2015 2:03 PM Local Time
Day 2 is under way inside the Amazon Room. There are 171 players remaining, and 45 of them will earn a share of the $1.98 million prizepool.
Thursday, May 28, 2015 2:02 PM Local Time
Level: 11
Blinds: 600/1,200
Ante: 200
Thursday, May 28, 2015 9:38 AM Local Time
A star-studded field of 422 players in the $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em event has been narrowed to 171, but many notable players are advancing to Day 2 with their eyes on the $466,120 first place prize and a WSOP bracelet.
A grueling ten levels of play, which started at 4 p.m. Wednesday, ended around 3 a.m. Thursday with Darryl Ronconi as the chip leader with 211,100. Ronconi has 12 WSOP cashes to his name, totaling more than $900,000.
Former Main Event champions Greg Merson and Martin Jacobson remain in contention with above average stacks. Also returning for Day 2 will be Joseph Cheong, Brian Rast, Jonathan Jaffe, Eddy Sabat, Jay Farber, Antonio Esfandiari, and Phil Hellmuth.
Live Updates from Day 2 begin at 2:00 PM PDT.