Friday, May 8, 2015 9:07 PM Local Time
Chico Pho gets his last roughly 22,000 in preflop against one of the tournament's newest entries, Ryan Lenaghan. Pho is ahead, but at risk holding against Lenaghan's .
The flop nails Lenaghan, coming and improving him to a set. The turn and river are no help to Pho as they come the and . With that, Pho is eliminated.
Ryan Lenaghan - 17,500
Chico Pho - Eliminated
Friday, May 8, 2015 8:59 PM Local Time
With a raise to 1,000 in front of them, Joe McDermott reraises to 4,000, and Alex Masek comes in with another raise to 10,000. The initial raiser folds while McDermott matches the bet to see the flop.
It comes , and Masek moves all in. It's about a half-pot bet to McDermott, and he calls with the covering stack.
McDermott:
Masek:
Masek is out front, but it's a scary fade. The turn is a safe , leaving McDermott dead to ten outs. The is one of them, and that river card is the last of Masek's day. McDermott's straight ushers him off to the rail, and it would be a surprise if he doesn't return to try again during tomorrow's Day 1B flight.
Alex Masek - Eliminated
Friday, May 8, 2015 8:56 PM Local Time
There is about 14,000 in the pot on the river, and the board reads . Sean Small is in the tank, facing an all-in bet of 52,000.
Small thinks for over five full minutes, and then someone at the table calls the clock. As his time is winding down, he reluctantly pushes out a stack of chips to call. His opponent turns over for a pair of sevens, and Small turns over for top pair. His opponent is eliminated from the tournament, and Small collects the big pot.
Sean Small - 155,000
Friday, May 8, 2015 8:52 PM Local Time
Level 12 marks the last level before registration closes in Flight A. Players looking to get in on the opening day of action have until roughly 9:45 p.m. local time to do so.
Friday, May 8, 2015 8:50 PM Local Time
Level: 12
Blinds: 600/1,200
Ante: 200
Friday, May 8, 2015 8:50 PM Local Time
Larry Wright and Val Vornicu get into an all-in preflop confrontation. Wright is at risk for his last 32,100. He shows [khj], and he's in good shape against Vornicu's .
The flop comes , giving Vornicu an inside straight draw. The turn is the , adding a flush draw for Vornicu. But the river is he , and Wright wins the pot with his pocket kings.
Larry Wright - 65,000
Val Vornicu - 36,000
Friday, May 8, 2015 8:37 PM Local Time
Brian Borne opens to 2,800 in early position before Alex Masek three-bets all in for 12,800. When it folds back around to Borne, he tanks for a short while before flicking the call into the pot.
Borne:
Masek:
"Well, there it is," someone at the table surmises. "A classic race situation."
One doesn't win a record eight Circuit rings without knowing how to navigate a coin flip, and Masek proved equal to the task once again. The flop drew a loud reaction from the rest of the table, and Borne was suddenly drawing dead to runner-runner. Masek, for his part, sat quietly, struggling to force back a wry smile.
The turn was the and the river a needling , and Masek drags the double-up pot to bounce back over his starting stack once again.
Alex Masek - 28,000
Friday, May 8, 2015 8:37 PM Local Time
The board reads and Brandon Newsome (pictured) is out of position in a heads-up pot against Allen Carter. Carter leads for 4,000 and Brandon Newsome shoves for 33,300 total. Carter thinks for a minute or two before he calls.
Carter: for two pair
Newsome: for an overpair
The dealer burns and turns the completing the board. Newsome is eliminated while Carter reclaims his place among the chip leaders.
Allen Carter - 158,000
Brandon Newsome - Eliminated
Friday, May 8, 2015 8:24 PM Local Time
Four-time ring winner Caufman Talley raises to 2,000 from late position. It folds around to the big blind. He calls and proceeds to check in the dark.
The flop comes and action is on Talley. He checks as well and they head to the turn.
The big blind checks again when the turn is the . Talley bets 3,000. The big blind calls..
The river is the and the big blind checks a third time. Talley shoves for his last 13,100. The big blind flashes the and folds.
Caufman Talley - 37,000
Friday, May 8, 2015 8:21 PM Local Time
There is about 8,500 in the pot on the river, and the board reads . Captain Tom Franklin bets 3,500. Loni Harwood thinks for a minute, then tosses out a call. Franklin announces, "Queen," and shows for a queen-high flush. Harwood mucks, and Franklin takes the pot.
Tom Franklin - 146,000
Loni Harwood - 117,000
Friday, May 8, 2015 8:12 PM Local Time
Level: 11
Blinds: 500/1,000
Ante: 100
Friday, May 8, 2015 8:11 PM Local Time
John Dolan opens for 1,800 from middle position. Bay Haught three-bets from the cutoff making it 4,000 to go. The button and blinds fold while Dolan calls. They are heads up.
The pair sees a flop of and Dolan checks. Haught bets 5,000. Dolan calls.
The turn is the . Dolan checks again. Haught keeps up her story, betting out 10,000. Dolan takes some time to think before he finds a fold. Haught rakes the pot, but not before flashing .
Bay Haught - 42,500
John Dolan - 81,000
Friday, May 8, 2015 8:03 PM Local Time
Tom Franklin opens to 2,200 under the gun, and three players call to see a flop. It comes . Franklin continues out with 4,100, and now only the big blind wants to proceed. He check-calls, and it's heads up to the turn. Franklin fires another 8,000, and the big blind tanks and grumbles and folds.
Whatever "Captain Tom" had for dinner, it's working. Franklin has been particularly active this level, chipping his way up over 150,000 and sitting pretty among the biggest stacks in the room.
Tom Franklin - 152,000
Friday, May 8, 2015 7:51 PM Local Time
Action begins on Michael Rocco under the gun, and he opens with a raise to 7,800, leaving just 100 behind. The cutoff calls, as does Ray Henson (pictured) in the big blind, and it's three-handed to the flop.
It comes . Henson moves all in for his last 3,800, Rocco does the same with his solitary black chip, and the cutoff calls to put both men at risk.
Henson:
Rocco:
Cutoff:
Henson's pair of kings have him ahead, while both opponents are drawing dead to their two outers.
The turn is the and the river the , and Rocco is out of chips. He's been eliminated, while Henson nearly triples up to about 32,000.
Friday, May 8, 2015 7:47 PM Local Time
Eight-time ring winner Alex Masek opens the action for 3,000 from early position. James Moon comes along for the ride from the cutoff. The button and blinds fold and Masek and Moon see a flop.
The board comes and Masek, who's shortstacked, shoves. Moon calls and they expose their hands.
Masek: for two pair
Moon: for a pair of kings
The board runs out and and Masek wins the pot.
---
The very next hand Masek is under the gun. He open shoves for his last 8,100. It folds all the way around to Caufman Talley on the button. He calls while the blinds fold.
Masek:
Talley:
The board runs out improving Masek to a pair of queens. He wins the pot and doubles for the second straight hand.
Alex Masek - 18,000
Friday, May 8, 2015 7:31 PM Local Time
Level: 10
Blinds: 400/800
Ante: 100
Friday, May 8, 2015 6:30 PM Local Time
The clock has run out on Level 9, and the players have been dismissed for their one-hour dinner break. Action will resume at 7:30 PM local time.
Friday, May 8, 2015 6:28 PM Local Time
Table 36 has quickly become the toughest table in town. Thanks to a few table breaks around the room, there is now a fearsome foursome occupying seats two through five: Sean Small, Ray Henson, Michael Rocco, and DJ MacKinnon.
Between them, the four men have nearly $2 million in WSOP earnings, including 75 WSOP cashes and 40 WSOP Circuit cashes. There are certainly easier tables to be found than this one.
Friday, May 8, 2015 6:06 PM Local Time
In a limped pot, Andy Spears is in the small blind while all-time Circuit ring leader Alex Masek is in the big blind. The flop reads and Spears leads for 900. Masek calls and they see the turn.
Fourth street is the . Spears leads again, this time for 2,100. Masek calls and it's time for the river.
The board completes with the . Spears keeps the pressure on, betting 4,500. Masek folds and Spears wins the pot.
Andy Spears - 27,000
Alex Masek - 33,500
Friday, May 8, 2015 6:00 PM Local Time
Lily Kiletto was just spotted in the field, but only just barely. Arriving just in time to see her stand up make an exit, it appears that Kiletto ran her into a dominating . No help on board means an early end to Kiletto's Day 1A, though she has the opportunity to try one more time should she so choose.