We spotted Men "The Master" Nguyen amidst the massive Pavilion Room and he was living up to his nickname during the few hands we witnessed. We watched Nguyen raise to 300 from early position and force folds around the table.
On the next hand, The Master raised to 300 again, this time from under-the-gun and he found one caller in the big blind. The flop fell and Nguyen led out for a bet of 550. His opponent flashed a as he mucked his hand and Nguyen reciprocated by showing the .
After these two wins Nguyen now sits with 3,950 chips.
We passed by a table and heard a player remark about the "family pot" that was being built. After a player in middle position raised to 250, Tim Dolan and three other players made the call and we went five-handed to the flop.
Flop:
Completing the home game vibe, all five players checked when they saw the first three cards, and the dealer turned the . This time Dolan decided to take control of the hand, firing a bet of 350 at his opponents. The big blind player raised it up, making it 725 to go, and Dolan made the call.
River:
Dolan tapped the table for a check and the big blind continued with the aggression, sliding a bet of 1,625 into the pot. This move prompted Dolan to go deep into the tank and he thought things over for a full two minutes. During this time, the big blind player began to fidget noticeably and perhaps this physical tell motivated Dolan to make the call, because he tossed a single chip into the middle.
The big blind player announced "nice call" and turned over his for a missed draw. Dolan flipped up for just a single pair and a confidence building call.
We caught up on a hand that typifies the unorthodox style of play found in the smaller buy-in events here at the WSOP. After the button and the small blind limped in, John Kulish made a huge overbet and made it 750 to go, good for the standard 15x raise here in the 2nd level of play.
He picked up one caller from the button player and before the dealer had even spread the flop, Kulish had placed his remaining 1,750 into the middle.
Flop:
Facing an all-in bet made in the dark, the small blind was faced with a tough decision and he must have put Kulish on a pure bluff, because he called with just for middle pair. Kulish stood up to reveal his , and after the turn and river came and respectively, he had scored the double-up by taking a highly unusual line in the hand.
Tom Dwan doesn't seem terribly concerned with playing every hand during these first couple levels. He is often absent from his seat when we walk by. However, Dwan seems to be doing alright with the hands he does play, as his stack is currently about 5,000.
We got to Sam Trickett's table as he and four other players took a flop of . An opponent bet out 175, and Trickett raised it to 600. Everyone else folded, but the original better called. The turn came the , and Trickett's opponent checked to him. Trickett fired out 800, and his opponent thought for about 20 seconds before sliding his big stack in. Trickett called off his remaining stack, and was in a domination position.
Trickett:
Opponent:
Trickett had outflopped his opponent, and was able to dodge the river, as it came . Trickett doubled up to 6,700 after the hand.
With just under 2,500 in the pot and the board reading , a player in the big blind bet 600 chips. Jon "PearlJammer" Turner went into the tank for a little while before ultimately deciding to look the big blind up.
The player tabled his for a rivered flush and Turner tossed his cards into the muck.
After a player in middle position opened for 125, three players made the call, including professional Bill Chen. The flop came and Chen open-shoved for his last 700 chips. This power move by the short stacked Chen forced the other three players to muck and he climbed back to 1,200 with the win.
On a flop reading , Liv Boeree bet 150 and her lone opponent raised to 1,000 straight. Boeree tanked but then shoved for her remaining stack and her opponent called.
Boeree:
Opponent:
Boeree was ahead with a better ace-high but needed to fade clubs to stay alive. The turn paired her hand, but a cruel gave her opponent a flush and sent her to the rail.
and Nguyen led out for a bet of 550. His opponent flashed a 
as he mucked his hand and Nguyen reciprocated by showing the 
.
for a missed draw. Dolan flipped up 
for just a single pair and a confidence building call.
for middle pair. Kulish stood up to reveal his 
respectively, he had scored the double-up by taking a highly unusual line in the hand.
, and Trickett's opponent checked to him. Trickett fired out 800, and his opponent thought for about 20 seconds before sliding his big stack in. Trickett called off his remaining stack, and was in a domination position.
. Trickett doubled up to 6,700 after the hand.
, a player in the big blind bet 600 chips. Jon "PearlJammer" Turner went into the tank for a little while before ultimately deciding to look the big blind up.
gave her opponent a flush and sent her to the rail.