The tables are breaking out of the far yellow section, and soon the field will all be together in one group of tables. Before they all scatter, here are a few counts from that section.
We can't give you the specifics, but we saw a few bets being dragged into the pot when we walked up just after the opening round of betting. We picked up the action live on fourth between Jeff Sarwer and the player to his right.
Sarwer: (x-x) / / (x)
Opponent: (x-x) / / (x)
On fourth, Sarwer checked, then raised when his opponent made the bet. The ten picked up the lead on fifth street, but he checked again and called another bet from Sarwer. On sixth, Sarwer was forced to call a bet, and his opponent led back out on seventh. Sarwer raised now, and his opponent called.
Sarwer showed up () / , and he's drawn to a tidy six-low. It was good, and it boosts Sarwer back up to his starting stack for the first time today. He had just 700 chips left from 7,500 during the first level.
We hadn't checked on John Kabbaj in a while, so we wandered over just as he was involved in what would be his final hand. He must have been short, because he was all in by the time we walked up on fourth street. Steve Diano and another player were also in the pot, but they'd check it down.
On seventh street, Diano showed buried for a ninety-eight. Mr. Opponent had that beat with [3x4x6] in the hole for an eighty-six. Kabbaj couldn't win with , and he's outta here just after dinner.
The big board shows 431 runners, a damn impressive turnout for this inaugural 10-game event. We're still waiting for the official numbers from the WSOP, and we'll post the field size and prize pool as soon as we know it.
Also of note: Phil Hellmuth has taken his seat at one of the near tables.
Freddy Deeb and Tom Schneider checked all the way to the river on a board. On the last street, Deeb checked again, and Schneider made a small bet of 400.
Deeb analyzed it, "I think you have ace-queen-jack-ten." With that, he splashed the call into the pot. Schneider showed -- the nuts. The two men shared a laugh, but it's Schneider with the last one, stacking the pot to climb right back to his starting stack of 7,500.
Jen Harman is here. And George Lind wishes she wasn't.
Lind completed with the up, and Harman three-bet with the . Lind came along, and they dealt out thusly:
Lind: (x-x) / / (x)
Harman: (x-x) / / (x)
Lind bet his lead on fourth street, and he did the same on fifth. Harman called both of those bets, and she and Lind checked through sixth street. On seventh, Lind bet again, and Harman got in a raise to force Lind to put in two bets.
Harman revealed underneath, and her flush was good enough to take her stack up to 10,000.
We're halfway through this Day 1, and the players are off for their second break. This one is the half-hour mini dinner break, and play will resume at 9:50 P.M.
Greg Raymer opened with a raise from the middle seat, and the button three-bet it. In the small blind, James Mackey put in the fourth bet, and both Raymer and the button called.
Raymer took two cards, the other guys took one, and Mackey led out. Raymer called, the button raised, and both Mackey and Raymer called the extra bet. On the second draw, Mackey took one card, Raymer two, and the button patted and bet. Mackey check-called while Raymer check-folded. Heads-up now, Mackey still needed to draw one, and he liked what he saw. He made the last bet, and the button called.
Mackey turned over , and the wheel is good in any game. It's particularly good here, scooping the pot to Mackey and pushing him up to about 11,000. Raymer is back down to 9,100.
Scotty Nguyen was down to just 500 lonely chips when his final hand started, a badugi hand. Nguyen was all in before the draw, up against two players. He took two-one-one on the three drawing rounds, while his eventual knocker-out took one card twice, then stood pat.
At showdown, Nguyen revealed that his last draw had betrayed him, showing . His opponent tabled a strong , easily enough to send Nguyen packing, baby.
/ (x)
/ (x)
) / 
, and he's outta here just after dinner.
board. On the last street, Deeb checked again, and Schneider made a small bet of 400.
up, and Harman three-bet with the 
. Lind came along, and they dealt out thusly:
/ (x)
/ (x)
underneath, and her flush was good enough to take her stack up to 10,000.
. His opponent tabled a strong 
, easily enough to send Nguyen packing, baby.