Event #2: $40,000 40th Annual No-Limit Holdem

This event is being recorded for future broadcast on ESPN. According to the schedule, there will be two hours devoted to showing this final table on Tuesday, July 28th. Between now and then, ESPN will be editing footage simultaneously shot from numerous cameras positioned around (and inside of) the table. Four are situated on the floor covering all sides of the table. Operators sit with the cameras on platforms with wheels, with a couple of colleagues pushing them around from time to time to reorient their shots. Two more cameras attached to a moveable cranes are capturing high angle shots of the table and crowd. And a seventh camera, located directly above the table, is capturing the "bird's eye" view of the community cards. There are also the hole card cameras built into the table positioned before each player's seat. Those of us here watching the event live are catching glimpses of what all of the cameras are capturing except for those.

Vitaly Lunkin -- 8,175,000 Greg Raymer -- 8,130,000 Isaac Haxton -- 5,620,000 Dani Stern -- 3,740,000

Greg Raymer has the button in Seat 5. Dani Stern raises to 360,000 from the small blind and Vitaly Lunkin makes the call from the big blind. The flop is       and Stern leads out for 500,000. Lunkin calls and the   lands on the turn. Stern checks and Lunkin bets 1,000,000. Stern moves all in for 3,090,000, Lunkin folds, and Stern drags the pot. He's now up to 5,870,000.

Vitaly Lunkin has the button in Seat 9. Dani Stern opens for 300,000, Lunkin calls, and Haxton reraises to 1,050,000 from the small blind. Stern folds, but Lunkin moves all in. Haxton insta-folds and Lunkin wins the pot. Lunkin now holds over 10 million in chips.

A minor, but vocal, contigent are making themselves heard in one section of the bleachers, cheering loudly with each hand won by our chip leader, Vitaly Lunkin. We spotted a Russian flag over there earlier, as well. It was last summer that Lunkin was part of that "Russian invasion" at the WSOP with his victory in Event No. 27 in which he outlasted over 2,700 competitors in a $1,500 no-limit hold'em event. Others representing Mother Russia well last year at the WSOP included Nikolay Evdakov, Alexander Kostritsyn, Alexander Kravchenko, and Ivan Demidov, all of whom had multiple cashes.

Isaac Haxton has the button in Seat 4. Dani Stern gets a walk in the big blind.

Dani Stern has the button in Seat 8. He limped in and Isaac Haxton checked from the big blind. The flop is       and Haxton checks. Stern bets 200,000, Haxton folds, and Stern wins the pot.

Isaac Haxton has the button in Seat 4. Vitaly Lunkin opens for 300,000 and Dani Stern calls from the big blind. The flop is      . Stern checks to Lunkin who bets 250,000. Stern folds and Lunkin wins the pot.

Dani Stern has the button in Seat 8. Greg Raymer raises to 300,000 and wins the blinds and antes.

Isaac Haxton has the button in Seat 4. He raises to 360,000, Greg Raymer reraises to 1,000,000 straight from the small blind, Haxton folds and Raymer wins the pot.