Las Vegas, NV
Today is one of the shortest and busiest days of the Main Event. Day 2B included the consolidation of the two largest flights of this years' Main Event. Somehow, they managed to squeeze every single player inside.
But before I begin, here's a quick update on what happened yesterday on Day 2A... 607 players survived Day 2A out of 1,478 players who returned for the re-start. Here's who advanced to Day 3 on Friday...
End of Day 2A - Top 10 Chip Counts:
1 Andrew Andrew (Philippines) - 386,800
2 Eric Cloutier (Quebec,Canada) - 383,500
3 Ed Perry (Beechwood, OH) - 370,000
4 Brandon Demes (Tempe, AZ) - 369,800
5 Miika Puumalainen (Kuopio, Finland) - 361,200
6 Jamie Brown (London, UK) - 360,400
7 Jerry Wong (Plattsburgh, NY) - 348,100
8 Samer Rahman (Bong, Sweden) - 334,700
9 Brian Hansen (Norman, OK) - 333,500
10 Kyle Wilson (Vancouver) - BC, Canada 306,000
Notable Day 2A Survivors:
FBT 287,300
Black, Andrew 215,700
Crowe, Owen 178,000
Warne, Shane 173,700
Sexton, Mike 169,000
Mizzi, Sorel 166,400
Makowsky, Daniel 166,300
Ludovic, Lacay 165,400
Boutin, Burt 153,300
Christian, Dragomir 151,600
Soulier, Fabrice 145,800
Kara Scott 139,500
Brunson, Pamela 139,300
Fricke, Jimmy 138,300
Lunkin, Vitaly 135,900
Sointula, Jani 135,600
Caby, Taylor 133,700
Gruzglin, Vadim 131,800
Rahme, Ray 131,300
DonkeyBomber 123,700
Sebok, Joe 122,800
Jones, Jesse 122,100
Persson, Magnus 114,100
Gardner, Julian 114,100
Raymer, Greg 95,900
Bong, Paul 89,300
Hansen, Thor 86,900
Gorodetskiy, Ilya 85,400
Hood, Harold 85,000
Slotboom, Rolf 82,800
Roux, Anthony 82,700
Baron, Isaac 81,800
Eaton, Jon 80,200
Hua, CK 79,200
Olson, Carl 76,200
Jesus 76,000
Farha, Sam 67,500
Bruel, Patrick 64,500
Pinchot, Dale 64,000
Boatman, Barney 63,200
Edler, Bill 57,300
Young, Jason 57,200
Seidel, Erik 55,600
Bechtel, Jim 55,000
Gallen, Aurelien 40,200
Pagano, Luca 36,900
De Wolf, Roland 21,200
Cohen, Louie 16,900
12:22pm... And They're Off...
Let's get down to Day 2B... where 2,924 players are trying to fade half the field today in order to advance to Day 3.
Due to the overwhelming size of the field, Day 2B started 15 minutes later than usual as the staff scrambled to get everything in place. Every possible table was used (including the poker room and Buzio's) and a few tables were seated 10-handed. The Amazon Room added tables by subtracting spectator walkways and jamming in more tables around the featured table set up. Once those tables are broken, the spectators will be allowed inside the Amazon Ballroom. For now, it's just media and players only.
Even with the delay, Jack Effel managed to hype up Day 2B which he called "The largest re-start in poker history!"
Within seconds of cards going in the air, we heard the first declaration from a dealer of... "All in and a call on table ___!"
1:22pm... Early Exits: Isabelle, Parvis, Lindgren
Chip Leaders: Troy Weber, Jeff Lisandro
Recent Eliminations: Isabelle Mercier, Matt Parvis, Rafe Furst, Erick Lindgren, 2 Eurodonks in soccer jerseys, and 3 guys in PokerStars hats
"Your company stole my money!" Todd Wittless chastised Phil Hellmuth at the featured TV table. Score one for the one of the NeverWin guys who had the cojones to stand up to UB's pitchman. I'm sure that exchange will not going to make the ESPN broadcast.
Tables broke fast as the maintenance staff were literally hauling away empty tables that were stuffed into pedestrian walkways inside the Amazon Ballroom. As soon as they were removed, spectators were allowed inside the Amazon Ballroom. The bustouts occurred at a steady pace. Lots of short stacks going out. A few cooler hands and your usual amount of donkilicious play.
MeanGene is a professional cooler. As soon as he walked by Isabelle's table... she busted.
"I was staring at her bottomless eyes," said MeanGene and now she's on the rail.
Benjo insists that Steve Brecher looks like George W. Bush. Brecher is sitting in front of the press box along with Chainsaw Kessler who is across Prahlad Friedman and one of the guys from the Hendon Mob.
2:22pm... The Devil Walks the Line
Chip Leaders: Troy Weber, Carter King, David Benyamine, ELKY
Recent Eliminations: Math champion Bill Chen, PokerStars Team Pro Victor Ramdin, E-Fro, Paul Darden, German pro Sebastian Ruthenberg, online pro Andrew Robl
I watched the last 7 tables in front of Buzio's during the end of the first level. A few international players were in mix including Nacho Barbero from Agrentina and Germany's Ben Kang.
As I made my way back towards the other rooms... I passed the Devil in the hallway carrying a white plastic bag with him. He glared at me and I quickly looked away as I felt a burning sensation on my soul. The Devil was super short to start Day 2B and he failed to make it to the first break. Mean Gene snapped a photo of him in the hallway doing the walk of shame. Otis is convinced that the Devil will now hang out in front of his hotel for the remainder of the WSOP.
Two people were using the internet pay-kiosks in the hallway to play online poker. One guy ad eight tables up. Junkie.
The Milwuakee's Beast Maidens were passing out free hats in the hallway, while a couple of sorority girls were getting drunk off of the free wine sample in front of the gift shop.
Scott Ian and Phil Ivey were among the big names left in the Miranda Room.
The worst thing I hate about the press box? Pros lingering after they bust out. It's one thing to vent a bad beat or a frustrating bustout to your friends or your fellow countrymen so they can get properly updated, but it's something else to whine and moan and linger around. It's like they think you're only here to cover them and only them.
Almost 2,000 players are on a break. The hallways are a zoo and the toilets are a madhouse. The smoking area out back became shaded by the thick cloud of second hand smoke from several hundred chain-smokers. The heavy smoke created a cloud cover that blocked out all the sun.
3:22pm... 600 Eliminated?
Chip Leaders: Troy Weber, Josh Arieh, David Benyamine
Recent Eliminations: DanDruff, Vanessa ROusso, Jon Little, Shannon Shorr, Steve Wong, Jeff Markley and Gank
Shorties: Lee Childs and Neil 'Bad Beat' Channing
Bluff's Jeff Markley was taken out by Elky. That French kid runs good, eh? SO much for the cover jinx. If you don't know, Elky was on the latest cover of Bluff.
The big borad reads 3,006 players left (overall), which means 2,358 are approximately in the field on Day 2B. Then again, the bustouts are happening a steady pace it's hard to keep up. That number could be much lower.
Quote of the Day in the press box? "Watching models puke up In-N-Out burger would give me such a boner," said Benjo.
4:20pm... Smoke Break & Dinner Break
Chip Leaders: Troy Weber, Josh Arieh, David Benyamine
Recent Eliminations: Alex Outhred, Rob Hollink, Scotty Nguyen, Christian De Leon, and Kathy Liebert
At this point, we're heading into the dinner break (playing only four levels today), and there are less than 2850 players left overall.
Hellmuth continues to hold court at the featured TV table where the ESPN suits are praying Helluth has a meltdown to spruce up the episodes. Out on the secondary table, there's the Grinder, Dennis Phillips, and Maridu. Everyone's spicy Brazilian dish took a hit when she lost a pot that she admitted she played poorly. Plenty of Dennis Phillips clones on the rail clad in white oxfords and red St. Louis hats. One older clone wandered over to Maridu and asked her for her autograph. She happily signed his red hat.
Peter Eastgate is sitting at a table near the crossroads of the Amazon Ballroom. ESPN's cameras are hounding his table as the defending champion gets a thorough massage. The rail is three and four deep as spectators elbow for position to catch a camera phone pic of the youngest ever Main Event champion.
Howard Lederer is sitting in front of the press box and he's rapidly ascending the leaderboard due to a glitch. That extra 0 can be the difference between a short stack and a decent one.
Dutch pro Rob Hollink is dunzo along with everyone's favorite sloppy drunk Scoty Nguyen.
And today's smoke break is brought to you by...
* * * * *
5:20pm... 2,095...
At the break, there are a shade under 2,100 players remaining. With two more levels to go, the field should dip under 1,600. I hope. I have a lot of under bets at that level.
On the dinner break, I went back to my hotel room. When the dinner breaks are 90 minutes, players take advantage of the longer break to rest up in their rooms, especially with a break in the late afternoon. When I exited the elevator of my hotel, standing right in front of the elevator was former Main Event champion Berry Johnston. He was noshing on ice cream and snubbed me when I nodded at him, to let him know that U knew who he was.
I walked back to the Rio with a steady stream of players from the Palms and Gold Coast. I overheard a fair share of bad beats and post-dinner strategy plans.
Players usually loosen up after a dinner break, let's hope that's the case.
6:45pm... Under 2,000 Remaining...
Chip Leaders: Troy Weber, Josh Arieh, David Benyamine
Recent Eliminations: Gavin Griffin, Lee Childs, Brett Richey, Howard Lederer, The Grinder
Shorties: Humberto Brenes
A bunch of mayhem unfolded... three-way all in with AA vs. KK vs. KK. One of the guys with Kings four-flushed on the river and won the monsterpotten. He screamed, "Heart! Heart!" And one of them spiked.
With about thirty minutes into this level after the dinner break, there's not much to report aside from this is the time when people start disappearing.
7:45pm... Ivey Rising; Eastagte Falling
Chip Leaders: Phil Ivey, Troy Weber, Brian Lemke
Recent Eliminations: David Sklansky, Maya Geller, Robert Williamson, AprStyles
Shorties: Defending champion Peter Eastgate
French actress Alexia Portal is sitting at a table in front of the press box. She doubled with Aces vs. Kings. Also near us is Cyndy Violette and her lucky stones.
But that's not all... Phil Ivey has chips. Look out. He's closing in on 250K, but Troy Weber is over 400K ad nearing 420K.
Little Stevie Chidwick is sitting in the audience at the secondary table. He's sweating on his friend Maridu. If you don't know, Chidwick supposedly won 100 different seats to the Main Event last year. I wonder how many he won this year.
Humberto is quiet and shortstacked. Once the cameras pass by, he perks up. For now, the chark is starving.
The Big Randy is over 100K and as long as he doesn't do anything stupid, he should squeak into Day 3.
Helllmuth continues to draw a crowd at the TV table, and Peter Eastgate is also shortstacked. He's been attracting all the gawkers and picture hounds.
I wandered into the poker kitchen where one-eyed Michalski has set up shop. Not only was their a bird flying around, but I also saw Eskimo Clark wandering around aimlessly. Last night, around 3am Benjo spotted Eskimo throwing wadded up pieces of paper at a cash game table.
8:45pm... Last Level; 1,750 to Go
Chip Leaders: Phil Ivey, Troy Weber, Brian Lemke, Elky
Recent Eliminations: Johnny Lodden, Durrrr, Bryan Devonshire, Ylon Schwartz, Bernard Lee, and Tim Vance
Shorties: Defending champion Peter Eastgate
At the start of Level 9, there were less than 1,750 players left.
I took a tour of Brasilia. I watched a couple of hands of Nicolas Levi's table. He has around 170K. Most of the cameras were surrounding Bill Gazes table, even though he had a stack that was slightly below average. Jen Harman, Cahu Giang, and Noah Boeken were among some of the familiar faces I knew.
And Durrrrr is out. Now he can focus on nosebleed cash games and try to finish his 50K hand challenge against Patrik Antonius before next year's WSOP begins.
9:45pm... Under 1,600...
Chip Leaders: Phil Ivey, Troy Weber, Brian Lemke, Elky
Recent Eliminations: Marlon Wayans and David Plastik
Shorties: Devilfish and Eastgate
Paul Wasicka was moved next to Joe Hachem. Peter Eastgate is on life support. Phil Ivey is getting most if not all of the attention in the room.
The field has dwindled to under 1,600. With less than an hour to play, I'm hoping it dips below 1,500 so I can collect a winning prop bet.
I was told that the staff prefers a field under 1,500 so that way, they won't have to use the Miranda ballroom and they can contain Day 3's entire field to just the Amazon Room and Brasilia.
10:45pm... Day 2B Complete
Chip Leaders: Phil Ivey, Troy Weber, Elky
Recent Eliminations: Hal Lubarsky, Paul Magriel, Marlon Wayans
And action for Day 2B has come to a halt. There wasn't too much of significance to report over the final level. The pace of most of the day was very quick with rapid fire eliminations. However, that pace slowed down as players nitted it up in order to say they made Day 3.
Tomorrow is a rare day off so Day 3 will kick off at noon on Friday. Both Day 2s will combine and I heard rumors that they will try to play down to 750 players on Saturday... even if it takes an extra level (six instead of five).
End Day 2B Top 10 Chips:Stay tuned for a recap....
1 Amir Lehavot (Weston, FL) - 610,500
2 Peter DeBaene (Shelby Township, MI) - 465,000
3 Troy Weber (West Terre Haute, IN) - 453,200
4 Dan Bilzerian (Tampa, FL) - 439,500
5 Franklin Grigsby n (Austin, TX) - 424,400
6 Gabe Walls (Billings, MT) - 417,900
7 Mikael Thuritz (Los Angeles, CA) - 395,400
8 Jason Brice (Sugar Land, TX) - 376,100
9 John Hammer (Coquitlam, BC, Canada) - 359,400
10 Phil Ivey (Las Vegas, NV) - 346,200
Original content written and provided by Pauly from Tao of Poker at www.taopoker.com. All rights reserved. RSS feeds are for non-commercial use only.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment