Jason Mercier's title defense is off to a great start. He has approximately 17,000 chips after taking down a three-handed pot. Mercier started the action by raising to 400 from under the gun. His callers were the cutoff and the button. The button was chased off of the flop of by a bet of 825 from Mercier, but the cutoff called to the turn. He tanked for more than a minute when Mercier bet 1,800 after the fell, but ultimately mucked his hand.
17,000 chips doesn't put Mercier in the chip lead, but it's a good start to his tournament.
David Saab opened the pot with a raise from middle position. Two seats over, a short-stacked Spanish-speaking player moved all in for his remaining 2,725 chips. When the bet came back around to Saab, he called.
Showdown:
Saab:
Opponent:
"Whooo! Race board!" cheered the grinning Saab. The dealer ran out the community cards: . Finding the board to be of no use for his overcards, Saabb lost the race, sending a courtesy double-up over to his opponent.
Now fully awake and operating at full volume, David Saab announced, "OK, I'm gonna play a hand. You boys ready? Raise!"
He raised to 250. Around to the button, who asked if Saab wanted a call. He reraised to 1,250. Everyone folded back around to Saab, who called. The flop:
While another player at the table whistled in an incredibly shrill and annoying manner, Saab bet out 600 -- and the gent on the button raised to 1,600. Undeterred, Saab stuck all his chips in the middle. A violent bang of frustration on the table, and his opponent folded face-up.
"Whooo!" Saab celebrated as he raked in the pot. "You still love me, right?"
UK poker circuit legend but seldom-do-well-er Albert Sapiano is already down to just 2,500. He saw the flop with two other players. The gent under the gun checked, and the next player along bet 350. Sapiano called from the button, only for the under-the-gun opponent to raise to 1,050. Call, and call.
Come the turn, it checked to the original bettor again who made it 2,000. This time, Sapiano and the under-the-gun player both folded.
It's as though no one really wants to spend six days in the casino, but they'd much rather get rid of all their chips as soon as possible and get outside into the Ligurian sunshine.
The latest one to bite the dust is another unnamed youngster, who got his last in with on the flop and found himself up against one Mr. Lefevre's . The on the turn wasn't enough and the on the river wasn't either, and we are down one more player.