Greg Raymer finds himself near the top after Day 1
The inaugural ten-game event at the WSOP is one day old, and it's already proven to be quite the success. An impressive 431 players turned up, making this -- we're assuming but fairly confident here -- the largest ten-game tournament in the world with a prize pool just shy of $1 million.
Spread the games the fish like to play and you're sure to attract the sharks, and we had no shortage of sharp-toothed poker players here today. World Champs? Had those. Greg Raymer, Joe Hachem, and John Juanda all played and survived, while Scotty Nguyen came and went rather quickly this afternoon. Math whizzes? How about Bill Chen and David Sklansky at the same table to start the day. Bracelet winners? By the bunches. Just to name a few, Steve Billirakis, John Kabbaj, Jeff Lisandro, Greg Mueller, Dutch Boyd, Erick Lindgren, Jason Mercier, and Frank Kassela all played. A few new 2011 bracelet winners like Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier and Eugene Katchalov were here, too. John Monnette, who won his first bracelet about fifteen hours prior to the start of this event, was also in the field, but his day was a short one. Even a few of the old guard like Sam Grizzle and Mickey Appleman showed up to play this new event.
When the chip bags came out after eight levels, there was a clog at the top of the chip counts. For now, it looks like Rob Hollink's 49,100 chips are good enough to give him the overnight lead, though a few tables were playing big pots right as the night ended. Also in the mix of leaders are Brandon Adams (39,975), Grizzle (40,100), Jordan Morgan (39,000), and Jean-Robert Bellande (38,475).
Only about 162 players survived this brisk opening day, and they'll be back inside the Amazon Room for Day 2 at 3:00 P.M. tomorrow. We'll be there too, and we hope you'll join us for some more ten-game action. Until then, all that's left is goodnight.
We lost track of Cyndy Violette a bit, but she's popped back up on our radar. In the last limit pot, she opened with a raise, and Sam Grizzle made the call in position. Grizzle called a bet on the flop. When Violette bet again on the turn, he raised, and Violette called the extra bet. She check-called after the on fifth street, too.
Grizzle tabled the surprise , and that pot moves him up to 42,000 and into contention for the chip lead. Violette is far from that with just 5,000 chips left.
Jimmy Fricke just got himself crippled in a three-way stud pot. We're not sure if Binger called or completed on third street, but we know Matt Glantz raised behind him. Fricke called, Binger reraised, and both Glantz and Fricke called. We joined live on fourth street.
Fricke: (x-x) / / (x)
Matt Glantz: (x-x) / -- MUCK
Michael Binger: (x-x) / / (x)
Binger bet fourth street, and both opponents called. On fifth, Glantz folded to a bet, but Fricke raised and Binger bet-called. On sixth, Binger paired his door card and fired again, and Fricke called. On seventh street, Fricke called one last bullet.
Binger turned up for kings full, and Fricke's muck knocks him all the way back to just 2,000.
A player opened to 600 before Michael Mizrachi three-bet to 1,500. A couple seats over, a third player reraised all in for 4,875. Mizrachi called him down, and both players took one card. Mizrachi broke a jack, and the at-risk player broke a queen.
The player all in drew to , and MIzrachi's was live for the knockout. His last card paired though, and another on Mizrachi's board means his opponent has doubled up.
After that slip, Mizrachi is left with just about 3,300 chips.
When we walked up to the table, McLean Karr was squeezing all in for 5,325 in front of a raise and a call. The initial raiser called the shove, the caller folded, and Karr was heads-up for his tournament life.
The caller turned stood pat and turned up , and Karr showed his first four cards: He was drawing live to the eight, and he peeled his last card: .
"Wee," Karr said, the beneficiary of a fresh double-up. He's back over 11,500 now, back in the game.
We were late to the party for this hand, only walking up as the dealer put the turn card down on a board. Cole South checked, then called a bet of 1,900 from Bellande. On the river, the was pretty safe, and Bellande bet another 4,300. South check-called there, too, and Bellande showed him for the nuts.
That pot pushes JRB up to 51,000, the big stack in the room.
![[user122394]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
flop. When Violette bet again on the 
turn, he raised, and Violette called the extra bet. She check-called after the 
on fifth street, too.
, and that pot moves him up to 42,000 and into contention for the chip lead. Violette is far from that with just 5,000 chips left.
/ (x)
-- MUCK
/ (x)
for kings full, and Fricke's muck knocks him all the way back to just 2,000.
, and MIzrachi's 
board. Cole South checked, then called a bet of 1,900 from Bellande. On the river, the 
was pretty safe, and Bellande bet another 4,300. South check-called there, too, and Bellande showed him 
