Thursday, July 8, 2010 7:33 PM Local Time
There was about 5,000 in the pot with a board reading when Humberto Brenes bet 2,400. His sole opponent on the button looked as if he might make the call but opted to muck. The win gave Brenes' stack a boost to around 57,000.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 5:57 PM Local Time
What did we learn the last two hours?
LeBron James is a member of the Miami Heat, Phil Ivey and Emmitt Smith are to dine together and Brent Baldrey has a lot of chips.
150,000 chips to be exact.
2005 Main Event Champion Joe Hachem hit the door, and so too did the player he beat heads up to win the title; Steve Dannenmann. Cliff "JohnnyBax" Josephy, Blair Hinkle, Jose Nacho Barbero and Anna Wroblewski also reported to the rail during Level 3.
Anh Van Nguyen (94,000) and Johannes Steindl (98,000) are on the up and up, while Phil Ivey has slipped all the way down to the starting stack.
The prizepool was announced during the level, and this year's Main Event champion will bank $8,944,138. This of course comes with the bracelet, the fame and a load of sponsorship deals.
Unless you decline them...
We are now on a 90-minute dinner break which puts the cards back in the air at roughly 8:25 p.m. PST. If you want to know where we're going to eat dinner, you'll just have to wait for our Decision at our [URL="www.twitter.com/pokernews"+]twitter page[/URL].
Just kidding, but you should follow us anyway!
Thursday, July 8, 2010 5:54 PM Local Time
We arrived to see a flop reading and Frank Kassela all in to cover his opponent. She seemed to have been dwelling up for some time. "Can I use a lifeline?" she asked unhappily.
She tanked up for a little longer, and eventually folded face up. Kassela showed her for the Right Decision.
"That's what I thought," she said, satisified.
Kassela edged up to 60,000.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 5:51 PM Local Time
John Juanda was all in preflop with the . He was up against the of Jason Calacanis, who can recently be seen on an episode of PokerStars' The Big Game. The board ran out and that was it for Juanda.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 5:50 PM Local Time
With five cashes, three final tables, and two bracelets, it hasn't been a bad year for Frank Kassela, and barring some miracle from the Poker Gods, we should be seeing his enlarged face in the Rio corridors next year as we make our daily jaunt to Starbucks.
However, 2010 could get even better for Kassela, as he's currently plugging away in today's field in a final effort to make it bracelet #3. At time of writing, he has 58,000 in chips, and so will be in great shape when players return from the upcoming dinner break.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 5:48 PM Local Time
On a board reading Amanda Musumeci checked to the player on the button, who bet 1,500. Amanda Musumeci raised to 4,200 and was called.
The river brought the into play and Musumeci led out for 6,375, leaving just 21,000 behind. The player on the button raised to 13,000 and Musumeci folded.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 5:48 PM Local Time
Phil Ivey raised from the cutoff seat to 800 and the big blind made the call. The flop came down and the big blind fired 1,200. Ivey made the call.
The turn added the to the board and the big blind fired 2,000. Ivey again made the call.
The river completed the board with the and the big blind checked. Ivey fired a bet of 6,000 and his opponent paid it off. Ivey tabled the and his opponent showed that he was ahead on the flop with the for bottom two pair. His hand was counterfeited though and Ivey won the pot to push his stack back to 34,000 in chips.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 5:47 PM Local Time
Jason Alexander fired out 1,000 on a flop and was called by his opponent before the dealer dropped the on the turn.
Alexander tossed in a 5,000-denomination chip and his opponent again made the call as the river landed the .
Alexander checked, his opponent fired out 7,000 and Alexander made the call tabling his to best his opponent's and collect the pot to send him to 33,000 in chips.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 5:47 PM Local Time
The ESPN cameras continue to circle, looking for interesting hands to include in the Day 1 coverage later this summer. Occasionally the presence of the cameras appears to unnerve some players, while others are clearly quite comfortable to be in the spotlight.
Recently there was a hand in which a player opened with a raise to 800. "All right," said David Tuchman, noting the presence of the camera at his table. "This is for the cameras," he said, and reraised to 2,150. It folded around and his opponent, perhaps taking Tuchman's comment into account, reraised again to 7,000.
Tuchman then made it 12,000, at which point his opponent decided he didn't like this program anymore and shut it down. Tuchman showed his hand -- to the camera, that is: pocket aces.
Tuchman is sitting with 32,000 as we edge close to the end of the level and the dinner break.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 5:45 PM Local Time
An under-the-gun player limped, the cutoff seat limped, the button limped and then action moved to Phil Ivey in the big blind. He squeezed in a raise to 1,800. The player under the gun called and the cutoff called. The button folded.
The flop came down and Ivey checked. The next player bet 2,500 and the cutoff folded. Ivey made the call.
The turn brought the and both players checked before the fell on the river to put four clubs on board. Ivey fired 6,000.
"How many clubs are out there?" said Ivey's opponent. "6,000? I call."
Ivey nodded his head and his opponent tabled the . Ivey mucked and dropped to 24,000 in chips.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 5:45 PM Local Time
When we arrived at the table the board spread and Robert Varkonyi fired a 7,000-chip bet. From the cutoff sea, his opponent called.
The river card was a and Varkonyi fired the same bet and his opponent tanked. After a few minutes he eventually folded.
Varkonyi is now up to 47,000 chips.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 5:41 PM Local Time
From early position, Phil Ivey raised to 800 and the button made the call. The flop came down and a bet of 1,300 was all Ivey needed to win the pot right then and there.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 5:37 PM Local Time
My old gym partner Audley Harrison was just involved in a pot, the professional boxer calling a raise of 1,300 from the button before reaching a flop.
Both players checked, only for Harrison to reach down with those giant paws and make a "little bet" of 1,050 on the turn. His opponent called.
On the river, his opponent checked once again, and although he went to pull out some more chips, his spider senses inexplicably tingled at the last second and he made the check.
It was ultimately the right decision as his opponent revealed for the flopped set and turned boat. I don't know if Harrison checked an ace or not, but if he did, it was a lucky escape as his opponent played his hand slower than a slug through treacle.
Harrison - 38,000
Thursday, July 8, 2010 5:36 PM Local Time
LeBron James just announced that he is headed to the Miami Heat. A few people booed, a few stood up, clapped and cheered while others just started up the chatter about how stacked the Heat now are with Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade and James together on one team.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 5:33 PM Local Time
Four players saw the flop come down and action was checked by the first player. Phil Ivey was next up and fired 600. The player after him called and the other two folded. The turn brought the and Ivey check-folded to a bet of 1,500 from his opponent.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 5:30 PM Local Time
Jason Potter made a late position raise to 725 and was three-bet to 1,900 by Josh Arieh in the cutoff. The player on the button called and Potter excused himself from the hand.
Arieh bet 2,325 on a . He was re-raised by the button to 6,600 and made the call.
The turn was the and Arieh checked to his opponent, who bet 10,00. Arieh said "Hand's that good, huh?" before raising all in to 19,400, getting called.
Arieh:
Opponent:
Arieh had flopped a flush and the kept him ahead of his opponent's kings. He doubled up and is now sitting with 57,500 chips.
When the hand was over, Jason Potter looked at Arieh and said, "Three-betting me with 5/6 suited?"
Arieh responded by saying "I promise I won't do it again."
Thursday, July 8, 2010 5:27 PM Local Time
When we arrived at the table the flop read and there were 2,000 chips in the pot. In early position, Scott Montgomery fired a 1,000-chip bet and was called by one opponent.
The turn card was a and Montgomery fired a 2,000-chip bet. His opponent eventually folded and the Canadian player took the pot.
Annette Obrestad is railing her friend, and when Montgomery threw the cards to the muck, while he was talking with her, he accidentally flipped to ...
Montgomery is now up to 21,300 chips.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 5:24 PM Local Time
On a flop of , Eddy Sabat checked and the player on the button bet 1,600. Sabat made the call and the turn was the . This time the button led out for 4,025 after Sabat had checked. Once again, Sabat made the call and then checked as the river came the .
The button checked behind and Sabat showed for a straight. The button flashed a before mucking. With that win, Sabat broke the 70,000 chip mark.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 5:22 PM Local Time
Christmas came early for A.J. Kowalski just moments ago as he flopped quads with on an board. But flopping a monster is one thing; getting paid off is another, and Kowalski was treated to both as all the monies went in on the turn, his poor, unwitting foe turning over for the turned boat.
A knaveless later and Kowalski was back over his starting stack with 32,000.
"Can I ask you a question?" inquired Hanz Azaria, sadly not in the voice of Chief Wiggum or Moe Szyslak.
Pause.
"How'd you like the flop?"
Thursday, July 8, 2010 5:20 PM Local Time
We only caught the tail of the hand, but we managed to ascertain that Andreas Hoivold was holding which was good enough to double up on the board. We believe that the chips went in on the flop and his opponent was holding a flush draw which failed to come in.
Hoivold doubled to a below-starting-stack but still very manageable 20,000 or so.