The starting half of the yellow section has filled all the way in with tables, and we've spotted some more faces we like to follow. Prince Gaspard has joined the action, as has John Juanda, Kyle Bowker, Steve Sung, and WSOP-C ring winner A.J. Jejelowo. We also see Michele Limongi, the third-place finisher in the other mixed-game event that ended last night.
The number has shot up to 302 on the board, though, and we're overflowing into the other yellow section. A new group of tables is set to join the action at the start of this upcoming level, and we see a ton of notables over there, too.
American Team PokerStars Pro Chad Brown raised to 125 from UTG +1 and the action folded around to an opponent on the button who called before the blinds got out of the way.
Brown stood pat and the opponent drew two cards before leading out for 500 after Brown checked to him. Brown took another look at his cards and chuckled before folding his hand, but the opponent was only too happy to show that he had "number two" - !
Frank Kassela raised the button, and Jeff Sarwer three-bet from the small blind. Kassela called. Each of them took one card, and Sarwer bet out. Kassela raised, and Sarwer called. He needed one more card, while Kassela stood pat and bet. Sarwer called, and the two men patted and checked it down on the last round.
Kassela showed , and it was good enough to take the pot and move him up over his starting stack by just a few chips.
On a flop that read , an opponent in early position led out to Tom Franklin who called before leading out to him again on the turn of the . Franklin raised and the opponent called before check-calling Franklin's bet on the river of the .
Franklin showed down for trips to take down the pot against the opponent's two pair with .
After a raised pot preflop, Al Barbieri, Layne Flack and an opponent on the button all drew two cards before Barbieri opened from the small blind. Flack called from the big blind, as did the button before all three players drew one card on the second draw.
Barbieri bet, Flack made it two bets and the button folded before Barbieri called and drew one on the last draw. Flack elected to stand pat, then Barbieri check-called Flack's bet, but his was no good against Flack's badugi of .
John Monnette raised from the button, and both the small and big blinds called to proceed to the drawing rounds. The small blind took one card, the big blind two, and Monnette patted. Check-check, then a bet from Monnette. Call-call. The draws and the betting were the exact same on the second round, and the small blind patted on the third draw. The big blind took one, and Monnette took his cue to break his hand and take one more card. The small blind bet, the big blind folded, and Monnette called to see the cards.
The small blind showed but Monnette had managed a to take the pot.
It appears we forgot to mention the table with Layne Flack and Al Barbieri in our tables to watch a moment ago. The two have been jawing at each other since they sat down, sitting right next to each other and giggling like school boys. We counted at least 14 F-words in the thirty seconds we were standing beside them.
Limit Hold'em
In a battle of the blinds, Barbieri and Flack each put in four preflop bets apice. The dealer spread out , and both players checked through to the turn. Barbieri checked again, and he called a bet from Flack. That action repeated on the river with Barbieri check-calling one last bet.
"Do you have two jacks?" Flack asked. Barbieri showed his , and Flack continued, "Because I got three queens. That's a slow night at Layne Flack's house." He rolled over , ahead all the way. Mark him down for 8,400 here in the early going.
Pat Pezzin raised from under the gun and the action folded around to the player in the big blind who called before drawing two. Pezzin drew one, then led out after the big blind checked to him. However, the big blind check-raised and Pezzin called before drawing one after the big blind stood pat.
The big blind check-called Pezzin's bet, then stood pat again on the final draw while Pezzin took one. The big blind checked, Pezzin bet and the big blind called, tabling a badugi of . Pezzin mucked his hand.
Our field reporter picked up the action on a board that read ; the opponent checked to Shaun Deeb who bet after the turn and the opponent called before the opponent check-called Deeb again after the river of the .
Deeb tabled for the straight and the opponent mucked his hand.
The player under the gun raised and the action folded around to American Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier who called from the big blind to go heads-up to the flop of . Mercier opened, the UTG made it two bets and Mercier called before leading out again on the turn of the . Mercier bet, but this time the UTG folded.
![[user135779]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
!
, and it was good enough to take the pot and move him up over his starting stack by just a few chips.
. Franklin raised and the opponent called before check-calling Franklin's bet on the river of the 
.
for trips to take down the pot against the opponent's two pair with 
.
was no good against Flack's badugi of 
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to take the pot.
turn. Barbieri checked again, and he called a bet from Flack. That action repeated on the 
, ahead all the way. Mark him down for 8,400 here in the early going.
; the opponent checked to Shaun Deeb who bet after the turn and the opponent called before the opponent check-called Deeb again after the river of the 
.
. Mercier opened, the UTG made it two bets and Mercier called before leading out again on the turn of the