John Duthie limped the button and then Hoyt Corkins raised to 10,000. Duthie reraised all in and then Cokins went into the tank. Eventually, he announced a call and with the chips stacks virtually even, the cards were on their backs.
Corkins:
Duthie:
Duthie held the dominating hand and stayed in front on the flop of . The turn brought a nice sweat card with the peeling off to give Corkins a straight and flush draw to go with his pair of aces. The river completed that flush draw with the and the chips were counted down. Corkins was the at-risk player with 84,000 chips and scooped the pot to leave Duthie with just 7,000 chips.
The players are roaming around the Bellini Ballroom here at the Venetian waiting for the last-minute preparations to finish up before things get under way. A slew of famous players will be taking to the felt in just a few minutes including Tony G, Jason Mercier, Daniel Negreanu and Dario Minieri.
Up for grabs is a chance to be at the final table if you win your table. Also, with each elimination is a $5,000 bounty on a player's head. Here's how the bounty leaders look after the first heat.
Scott Seiver - 6 Hoyt Corkins - 4 Faraz Jaka - 4
Jennifer Tilly - 2
Adam Richardson - 1
John Duthie - 1
On one of the first hands of the second heat, Joe Cada opened with a raise to 550. Jason Mercier three-bet to 1,825 and then Matt Glantz four-bet to 4,300. Cada folded and then Mercier tanked for a little bit before folding his hand as well.
With about 14,000 chips in the middle on a board of , Justin Bonomo checked to Phil Laak, who bet 6,625. Bonomo made the call and the hit the felt on the river. Bonomo checked again and Laak checked behind. Bonomo tabled and Laak mucked his hand.
... James Calderaro, who won his way into this event via a live satellite held yesterday in the Venetian poker room. Calderaro made a deep run in last year's WSOP Main Event, finishing in 13th for over $630,000.
Yevgeniy Timoshenko raised to 600 from under the gun and Justin Bonomo called on the button. David Williams called from the small blind and Joe Cassidy from the big blind.
The four players took a flop of and Williams checked. Cassidy checked as well and then Timoshenko fired 1,500. Bonomo flat-called before Williams had another option in mind. He raised to 5,500. Cassidy folded and then Timosheko followed suit after a brief moment in the tank. Bonomo made the call.
The turn was the and both players checked.
The river was the and both players checked once again before Williams tabled the . Bonomo had him beat with the and won the pot. He's now up to about 45,000.