Thursday, July 8, 2010 10:14 PM Local Time
It folded around to the gentleman on the button who raised to 1,000. Jan Sjavik made the call in the big blind and they saw an flop. Sjavik checked and the button gentleman bet 1,200 - but Sjavik went all in and the button folded.
Sjavik remains hovering on 11,000 or so.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 10:10 PM Local Time
When we arrived at the table the flop spread , one player moved all in, and Aaron Gustavson called.
Showdown
Gustavson:
Opponent:
The turn, brought the second par for Gustavson and the in the river sealed it.
Gustavson is now up to 140,000 chips.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 10:09 PM Local Time
We just came on a hand involving 2000 WSOP Main Event Champion Chris "Jesus" Ferguson. Fifth street had been dealt, leaving a board of . There was about 7,000 in the middle, and Ferguson had fired a bet of 4,500 from his big blind position.
His opponent on the button thought a while. "I just have to see," he said finally, making the call. And Jesus revealed . Ferguson's straight was good as his opponent mucked.
Ferguson sits with 45,500.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 10:07 PM Local Time
Vanessa Selbst has been pretty quiet today. However, she was just involved in a hand while in the big blind against a player under the gun.
We caught up to see a flop of with Selbst's opponent betting 1,000. Selbst raised to 2,600 and was called.
Selbst called a bet of 3,000 when the came on the turn. When the river brought the Selbst's opponent check-called a bet of 11,400 from Selbst.
When it was time to see some cards, Selbst showed while her opponent showed .
As she was collecting her chips, Selbst said "You got lucky on the turn, I got lucky on the river."
Selbst is now up to 45,000 chips.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 10:05 PM Local Time
A brief raising war between Anton Wigg (hijack) and one other player (button) culminated in Wigg going all in. HIs opponent folded with a look of some regret on his face.
Wigg has battled his way back up to an impressive 21,500 from the 7,000 we found him with a little before the break.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 10:03 PM Local Time
It's that time in the evening when we trudge around the room looking for big stacks, many of whom will be unknown to your average viewer. Over here in the orange section, however, it is familiar face Vanessa Rousso who seems to be running amok, her stack having increased to the 135,000 mark. Rousso's only competitor is Dan Springfield, his sumptuous 153,000 stack making him the chip leader in the quadrant.
The chasing pack is strong, but still quite a way behind the leaders: Sergey Chernykh has 95,000, Omar McFarlane 105,000, Alex Aram 112,000, and bracelet winner Matt Keikoan 104,000. Also looking confident is Josh Arieh with 75,000.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 10:01 PM Local Time
On a flop of , Phil Ivey had an opponent all in for her last 12,075.
Ivey:
Opponent:
With Ivey trailing, but still possessing plenty of outs with his straight flush draw, the turn and river would unfortunately land the and to see Ivey double his opponent up while slipping to 24,000 in chips.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 9:56 PM Local Time
Erik Cajelais opened with a raise to 1,100 from the button, and got one caller from the big blind.
The flop came . The big blind checked, Cajelais tossed out 2,000, and his opponent called. Both then checked the turn.
The river brought the , and the big blind promptly put out a bet of 6,000. Cajelais sat for a moment looking like he might give it up, then carved out a raise to 17,000. His opponent sat and stared for a while, then began talking.
"You're making a move," he said, shaking his head. "What do you have behind, sir?" Cajelais lifted his tatooed arms to show about 10,000. His opponent held his head in his hands for a full minute, then with a grimace tossed his cards away.
Cajelais moves to 38,000.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 9:56 PM Local Time
On a flop of , the player in Seat 6 bet 6,000 and Bruce Buffer moved all in for a total of 10,025. Seat 6 made the call and they turned over their cards:
Seat 6:
Buffer:
Buffer had flopped top set but his opponent has both straight and flush draws. The on the turn changed nothing. Buffer needed to dodge a lot of harmful cards on the river and managed to do so when the hit. He now sits with 31,000.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 9:55 PM Local Time
Robert Varkonyi and an opponent on his direct right were all in preflop at our feature table moments ago. The play paused so the cameras could catch up, but once they were there it was go time:
Varkonyi:
Opponent:
"You watch he'll get four tens," Varkonyi's opponent predicted. "Then he'll get the jerky."
Four tens do not get you jerky and Varkonyi could not make quads once the flop fell . He could chop though, and that possibility became a reality with the on the turn. The river brought a meaningless , and the cameras dispersed due to the anticlimactic nature of the pot.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 9:25 PM Local Time
Just one half of a level remains in the final Day 1 of the 2010 Main Event, and although the tournament cannot be won today, players can surely jockey themselves into positions to go deep.
A couple of good friends have built up sizable stacks through the first four levels. Jason Mercier (115,000) and Allen Bari (88,000) are amongst our leaders. Mercier's run good spilled over into the sporting world as well - his favorite NBA team, the Miami Heat, picked up LeBron James.
Please, run better Mr. Mercier.
Conversely, success in the sporting world has spilled onto the felt. Dutchman Michiel Sijpkens is atop our chip counts with 170,000 to his name, but we're sure he'd trade that for a victory on Sunday against Spain in the World Cup Final. In a perfect world, the orange crush would continue in both events.
We briefly mentioned some ladies in the field today, but there are two in particular that are off to a good start. Both Vanessa Rousso (82,000) and J.J. Liu (70,000) are comfortably above starting stack and will look to chip up even more during our last half level.
This is our final 20-minute break of the evening and when we return the cards will be in the air for just one more hour.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 9:21 PM Local Time
Phil Ivey raised to 800 from the hijack seat and the big blind made the call. After the flop came down , the big blind check-folded to a bet of 1,100 from Mr. Ivey.
Ivey's now got 36,500 chips.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 9:21 PM Local Time
Noah Boeken had his last 8,000 chips in the middle preflop and ran into trouble when his found itself up against the of another player at the table.
The board ran out and while Boeken had picked up some additional outs on the turn, he was unable to improve his hand and has been eliminated just before the end of Level 4.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 9:20 PM Local Time
When we arrived at the table the flop spread and Aaron Gustavson ended up all in.
Gustavson tabled pocket deuces and his opponent showed . The turn card was a and the river brought a to the table.
Gustavson knocked out his opponent and is now up to 96,000 chips.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 9:19 PM Local Time
Phil Ivey raised to 800 from the cutoff seat and the button called as did the small blind. After the flop came down , action checked to Ivey and he bet 1,600. Both his opponents folded and the "Ivey, Ivey, Ivey!" cheers roared from behind him.
"Sweet," said Ivey with a smile as he scooped the pot.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 9:16 PM Local Time
With adout 15,000 chips in the middle, Julian Foussard fired 15,000 into Allen Cunningham. Cunningham tanked for a while as the ESPN cameras rolled before making the call. The river brought the to pair the board and Foussard checked. Cunningham checked behind.
Foussard tabled the for kings and fours with an ace and Cunningham mucked. Foussard's now up to 167,000 in chips while Cunningham dropped to 58,000.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 9:14 PM Local Time
Eddy Sabat was just now playing a hand at his rather cacophonous table.
Layne Flack and Shawn Sheikhan on either side of him provide plenty of chatter. But a player across the table had out his iPad as well and was playing somewhat loudly a funky rhythmic groove for all to enjoy-slash-endure. The Tournament Director had to come over to ask the player to turn the music down, much to the chagrin of Flack and Sheikhan.
Meanwhile, Sabat found himself involved in a battle over a sizable pot with an opponent. He'd called a turn bet from his foe with the board showing . The river then came the , and Sabat's opponent fired another bet of 5,125, leaving himself not so much behind.
Sabat thought about it then called, and his opponent showed for the rivered pair of queens. Sabat mucked. "Gross," he exhaled.
"Nothin' like putting your tournament on the line with the old queen-high!" chirped Flack, enjoying the scene. Sabat now has 45,000.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 9:09 PM Local Time
Seat 4 raised to 900 from early position and action was on 97-year-old Jack Ury. "900," said the dealer.
"How much," replied Ury.
"900," helped the gentleman next to Ury, "He doesn't hear too good."
"I don't walk too good either," Ury said as he made the call. The flop came down and Seat 4 bet 1,100. Ury mucked and is still sitting with around 32,000.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 9:05 PM Local Time
With the board reading , Steve "MrSmokey1" Billirakis was faced with a 8,400-chip bet from an opponent in the small blind. He called.
The on the river paired the board and Billirakis' opponent led for 13,200. Billirakis tanked for a bit before moving all in, forcing his opponent to go deep into the tank. Over five minutes passed by before his opponent released his cards, prompting the dealer to ship Billirakis the pot.
Billirakis is back over six digits with that hand, sitting at 106,000 chips.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 9:05 PM Local Time
There was a straight on board -- -- and about 12,000 in the middle.
Jason Mercier sat with his familiar backwards cap, head lowered, and 11,800 chips spilled in front of him. His opponent sat brooding for a couple of minutes as the other players watched, and a cameraman recorded all.
Finally with some anguish Mercier's opponent made the call. Mercier quickly tabled his cards. "Seven-high straight," said the dealer at the sight of his . Mercier gathered the chips. He's now moved up to 115,000.