Thursday, May 22, 2014 6:24 PM Local Time
WSOP POY qualifier Matt Stout raises to 1,000 and bracelet winner and Circuit Lac-Leamy Main Event champ Charles Sylvestre reraises to 3,300 from the hijack. Stout fires back, making it 7,200 total to play. Sylvestre calls.
The flop comes and Stout bets 6,9000. Sylvestre gives it a little thought, then folds, giving Stout, who is rocking a New York Rangers hockey jersey, the pot.
"It's Rangers vs. Canadians," tablemate Darren Rabinowitz comments, referencing the two players' hockey affiliations.
Mat Stout - 62,500
Charles Sylvestre - 37,500
Thursday, May 22, 2014 6:05 PM Local Time
Thursday, May 22, 2014 6:04 PM Local Time
After a floor ruling confirms WSOP.com online qualifier Dustin Restuch called rather than raised at-large player Ben Keeline, the pair goes heads-up to the turn.
The dealer reveals the making the board read .
"Bet," Restuch says, sliding out 6,000.
Action is on Ben Keeline and he announces "all-in" putting his last 21,625 into the pot.
Restuch calls and it's time for showdown.
Keeline: for a set
Restuch: for an overpair
"Ok. How much?" Restuch reluctantly asks.
Restuch counts out the 21,625 and the pot heads to Keeline.
Ben Keeline - 56,000
Dustin Restuch - 20,000
Thursday, May 22, 2014 5:59 PM Local Time
Choctaw Main Event Champ Tyler Morris filled us in on how he made his exit from the National Championship. As he tells it, he was heads-up in a pot against WSOP.com online qualifier Stacy Kilcullen on a board of and they got it all-in. Morris held for sixes full, but Kilcullen held for a bigger boat to take the pot.
Stacy Kilcullen - 66,000
Tyler Morris - eliminated
Thursday, May 22, 2014 5:50 PM Local Time
Harrah's Rincon Main Event winner Shahin Edalatdju raises to 700 preflop and gets four callers, including bracelet winner Jesse Martin. On the flop of , Edalatdju checks, while Martin bets 2,025. Everyone else in the hand folds, save for Edalatdju, who comes along for another card.
The turn brings the . Edalatdju checks, Martin bets 3,125, and Edalatdju check-raises to 6,600 total. Martin thinks about it for a while, then calls.
The river brings the and Edalatdju bets 11,000. Martin only has around 13,500 left, and thinks about it a good minute or so before calling.
Edalatdju immediately pushes his hand towards the muck and there is some confusion about whether or not Martin needs to show his hand to win. He eventually turns over a pair of deuces for bottom set. Edalatdju claims he folded a pair of queens.
"Yeah, queens are never good there," Martin remarks as he rakes in the pot.
Jesse Martin - 56,000
Shahin Edalatdju - 32,000
Thursday, May 22, 2014 5:38 PM Local Time
Level: 6
Blinds: 200/400
Ante: 50
Thursday, May 22, 2014 5:24 PM Local Time
At-large qualifier Caufman Talley raises to 700 from early position, reigning Main Event winner Ryan Riess calls from middle position, and Palm Beach Main Event winner Ruslan Dykshtein makes it 1,750 on the button. Talley folds and Riess calls.
The two players check the flop and cehck again when the turn comes . The river pairs teh board with the and Riess bets 2,300. Dykshtein thinks a bit, then calls.
"I have an eight," Riess says. Dykshtein turns over and takes the pot.
Ruslan Dykshtein - 29,000
Ryan Riess - 19,000
Thursday, May 22, 2014 5:23 PM Local Time
Thursday, May 22, 2014 5:11 PM Local Time
There are more than a couple November Niners in today's field, but the 2012 final table is easily the best represented with the top four finishers in the event all playing. These four, Greg Merson, Jesse Sylvia, Jake Balsiger, and Russell Thomas, may have been competitors, but these days they are also good friends.
Thanks to the luck of the table draw, they can all keep close tabs on one another too. Balsiger and Sylvia are both seated at the same table, which you can see in the photo, is just over Merson's shoulder. While Merson recently stood up to watch the duo tangle in a pot together, Thomas is busy a table away picking up chips. He has doubled his starting stack and is currently sitting on around 63,000.
Thursday, May 22, 2014 5:05 PM Local Time
2013 bracelet winner Jesse Martin opens from late position for 800. It folds to at-large qualifier Robert Irby and he calls. The big blind sends his cards to the muck and they're off to the flop.
The board brings the and Irby checks. Martin makes it 1,150 and Irby calls.
The comes on the turn and Irby checks again. Martin makes it 2,000 and Irby matches.
Irby checks a third time when the falls. Martin announces a bet to 3,500 as he throws in a single 5,000 chip. Irby calls. Martin tables for a flush and Irby's cards hit the muck.
Jesse Martin - 24,000
Robert Irby - 42,500
Thursday, May 22, 2014 4:55 PM Local Time
We're up to 124 players now that bracelet winner Jared Hamby has arrived and registered. With a few more hours of registration, there is still a shot we match last year's field of 127.
Thursday, May 22, 2014 4:41 PM Local Time
The players are back from their second break of the day. The field is up to 123 players, but we still have until the start of tomorrow before registration officially closes.
Players have two more levels of action until the dinner break. Tournament officials have elected to extend dinner from 60 to 90 minutes so that players have ample time to find food and get back before the home stretch of Day 1 action.
Thursday, May 22, 2014 4:38 PM Local Time
Level: 5
Blinds: 150/300
Ante: 25
Thursday, May 22, 2014 4:26 PM Local Time
Thursday, May 22, 2014 4:20 PM Local Time
In a three-handed pot the board reads . At-large qualifier Phil Hui checks and action is on Lac-Leamy Main Event winner Charles Sylvestre who makes it 700. Jonathan Gaviao, your Harrah's Tunica Main Event winner, calls. Hui follows suit and they're three-handed to the turn.
The dealer reveals the and Hui checks. Sylvestre continues his story, making it 1,700. Gaviao calls as does Hui and it's off to the river.
The river falls and Hui checks a third time. Sylvestre announces "35" and puts out a raise to 3,500. Gaviao folds and Hui calls.
Sylvestre shows and Hui's cards hit the muck.
Charles Sylvestre - 62,500
Phil Hui - 8,000
Thursday, May 22, 2014 4:16 PM Local Time
Thursday, May 22, 2014 3:55 PM Local Time
Thursday, May 22, 2014 3:34 PM Local Time
Level: 4
Blinds: 100/200
Ante: 25
Thursday, May 22, 2014 3:34 PM Local Time
At-large qualifier and four-time ring winner Phil Hui opens for 500 and three players call including Lac-Leamy Main Event winner Charles Sylvestre on the button and at-large qualifier Nolan Burton in the big blind.
The flop falls and Burton checks. It's on Hui and he makes it 700. The cutoff folds and Sylvestre calls from the button. Action is back on Burton and he calls.
They're three-handed to the turn and all players check the .
The river falls and Burton checks. Hui makes it 1,500 and Sylvestre wastes little time announcing raise and throwing in a lone 5,000 chip. Burton's cards reluctantly head to the muck sending the action back Hui's way.
Hui calls and Sylvestre shows for broadway. Hui flashes for two pair and surrenders the pot to Sylvestre.
Charles Sylvestre - 56,000
Phil Hui - 8,500
Thursday, May 22, 2014 3:14 PM Local Time
At-large qualifier John Holley is chipping back up after a rocky start. In a heads-up pot the board is and fellow at-large qualifier Bernard Lee checks. Holley bets out 500 and Lee calls.
The turn falls the and Lee checks again. Holley ups the ante, throwing in a single orange 1,000 chip. Lee calls.
Lee checks a third time when the river falls the . Holley bets out 1,000 again and Lee folds.
On the very next hand Holley opens for 500 from late position. Action is on Valentin Vornicu in the cutoff and he three-bets to 1,200. Sean Stevens four-bets from the button, making it 2,200 to play. Action folds back to Holley in late position and he five-bets all-in for about 11,000.
Vorunicu and Stevens fold and Holley is back at about 15,000 after two consecutive pots go his way.
John Holley - 15,100