Main Event Day 1 | 2011 North American Poker Tour Mohegan Sun

04-10-2011 00:20 UTC

Player	Chips	Progress
Vanessa Rousso	152,000 24,000	24,000

Jason Mercier	115,000 6,000	6,000

Victor Ramdin	110,000 15,000	15,000

Eugene Katchalov	85,000 25,000	25,000

Vanessa Selbst	77,000 35,000	35,000

Pat Pezzin	39,000 -35,000	-35,000

George Lind III	39,000 -3,000	-3,000

Jonathan Duhamel	35,000 7,000	7,000

Andrew Brokos	34,500 -8,000	-8,000

Joe Cada	24,500 500	500

Greg DeBora	23,000 6,000	6,000

Barry Greenstein	21,000 -35,000	-35,000

Kevin Thurman	14,000

On the flop of {10-Spades} {5-Spades} {3-Spades} , Jason Mercier bet 3,150. Jerry Wong raised to 8,000 and the third player in the hand behind him made the call. Action got back to Mercier and he tanked for a bit before reraising to 20,300. Action fell back on Wong and he took a minute before moving all in for 76,625. The third player in the hand gave it up and Mercier snap-called with the {10-Hearts} {10-Clubs} . Wong tabled the {A-Spades} {2-Spades} for a flush and straight draw.

The turn brought the {9-Spades} , which completed the flush for Wong. He wasn't in the clear yet as Mercier could pair the board to win the hand. It wasn't in the cards for Mercier as the river completed the board with the {8-Clubs} and he couldn't fill up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jerry Wong	170,000

Jason Mercier	30,000 -85,000	-85,000

Tags: Jerry Wong Jason Mercier

04-10-2011 00:31 UTC

Mermelstein Crushes DeWitt

donpeters

Level 8 : 400/800, 100 ante

Aaron Mermelstein shoved the river on a board of {9-Spades} {4-Spades} {2-Spades} {2-Hearts} {8-Clubs} into Jason DeWitt. DeWitt tanked long and hard before making the call for 55,075. Mermelstein showed the {9-Diamonds} {2-Diamonds} for a full house and DeWitt mucked.

DeWitt was knocked all the way back to 3,000 in chips and was eliminated a few hands later. Mermelstein now has about 145,000 in chips.

Tags: Aaron Mermelstein Jason DeWitt

04-10-2011 00:47 UTC

Mermelstein Shows Ace High

donpeters

Level 8 : 400/800, 100 ante

From middle position, Aaron Mermelstein raised to 2,050. Jeff Papola called from the button and the player in the big blind also called. The flop came down {K-Diamonds} {Q-Spades} {4-Hearts} and the big blind checked. Mermelstein bet 3,200 and Papola folded. The big blind made the call.

The turn card was the {3-Spades} and the big blind bet 6,500. Mermelstein raised to 25,000 right away. His opponent tanked and tanked, eventually folding. Mermelstein showed the {A-Diamonds} {J-Spades} for just ace high and won the pot.

Tags: Aaron Mermelstein Jeff Papola

04-10-2011 00:48 UTC

Runner-Runner Nines for Mercier

donpeters

Level 8 : 400/800, 100 ante

Jason Mercier just doubled up with the {A-Hearts} {9-Spades} against two queens. Mercier was all in preflop for 13,150 and the board ran out {J-Diamonds} {2-Spades} {2-Hearts} {9-Diamonds} {9-Hearts} to give him the double up.

Tags: Jason Mercier

04-10-2011 00:49 UTC

Lee Doubles

Mickey Doft

An under-the-gun player opened to 1,700 and found two callers from middle position, including Bernard Lee. The player in the small blind popped it to 6,900 and action folded to Lee. He shoved for roughly 44,000 and his the other caller got out of the way. The player in the small blind called with pocket jacks, racing with Lee's {A-Hearts} {K-Hearts} .

Fortunately for Lee, the board ran out {8-} {8-} {2-} {K-} {7-} to secure to the double as Day 1 nears its end.

Player	Chips	Progress
Bernard Lee	93,000 62,000	62,000

Tags: Bernard Lee

04-10-2011 00:50 UTC

Monsterpotten Moves Tryba into the Lead

[user66118]

Level 8 : 400/800, 100 ante

We were late to the party, but we'll tell you what we know. On a {J-Clubs} {7-Spades} {3-Spades} flop, a betting war broke out three ways between Chris Tryba, Eugene Katchalov, and Mehrdad Yousefzadeh. Everyone's money went in, Tryba's 53,200, Katchalov's ~75,000, and Yousefzadeh with the covering stack and the best hand.

Showdown
Tryba: {A-Spades} {9-Spades}
Katchalov: {7-} {7-}
Yousefzadeh: {J-} {J-}

Tryba was sort of stuck in the middle during the betting, and he ended up having little choice but to commit his full stack on the draw. Katchalov would have given anything to have nine outs to work with, but he was drawing dead to the case seven.

Turn: {4-Hearts}

That's a miss, and Yousefzadeh was on the verge of taking an enormous lead on this Day 1.

River: {Q-Spades}

That smacks Tryba right in the spades, giving him a big triple up and the chip lead. Katchalov was pretty gloomy as he shipped the rest of his chips across the felt, and Yousefzadeh collected the side pot to minimize his losses.

Tryba was pretty humble in victory. As we walked away from the table, we could hear him talking about how lucky he got. Pointing to Katchalov's vacant seat, he said, "The best player in the tournament just got knocked out. He's good, I'm just lucky." Lucky or good, Tryba is the chip leader with 180,000 now.

Tags: Chris Tryba Eugene Katchalov Mehrdad Yousefzadeh

04-10-2011 01:04 UTC

Day 1 Complete With Tryba Leading The Way

Mickey Doft

Level 8 : 400/800, 100 ante

After eight levels of play, Day 1 of the 2011 North American Poker Tour Mohegan Sun is complete. A field of 387 came to play, creating a prize pool of $1,746,330 and a $450,000 first-place prize. Only 230 will be returning for Day 2 and at the top of counts is Chris Tryba with 173,400. (There is one player who listed 217,000, but we are skeptical...)

Tryba won a huge pot near the end of Level 8 to vault to the chip lead. The board read {J-Clubs} {7-Spades} {3-Spades} and it hit three players. Team PokerStars Pro Eugene Katchalov held middle set of sevens, one-time chip leader Mehrdad Yousefzadeh held top set of jacks, and Tryba help {A-Spades} {9-Spades} for a flush draw. It got there in a big way as the river brought the {Q-Spades} , much to Tryba's delight.

Not far behind is PokerStars Team Pro Vanessa Rousso with 125,300. Late in the day, Rousso absolutely caught fire during what she called, "The sickest level of her life." Also with six figures is PokerStars Team Pro Victor Ramdin (123,000), Adam Junglen (117,600), Mike "Little Man" Sica (112,700), John D'Agostino (112,500) and Carlos Moretensen (107,400).

Still in the field is 2010 North American Poker Tour Mohegan Sun Champion Vanessa Selbst. She bagged up 87,600 and will be looking for the back-to-back. Others that will be returning for Day 2 are Faraz Jaka (54,500), PokerStars Team Pro Jason Mercier (30,800), Amnon Filippi (29,000), Jeff Madsen (26,200), and Matt Glantz (12,200).

On the other end of the spectrum, several big names were unable to make it through to Day 2. Team PokerStars Pros Chris Moneymaker, Daniel Negreanu, and David Williams could not get anything going at all and were eliminated early on. Joining them on the rail as the day went on were Bryn Kenney, Kathy Liebert, Melanie Weisner, Dan Heimiller, Chau Giang, and Erick Lindgren.

Play resumes tomorrow at Noon EST where we expect another eight levels to be played. Be sure to keep it here with PokerNews as we continute to provide all of the exciting action. Until then, good night from Connecticut!

04-10-2011 02:45 UTC

Day 1 Chip Counts

Mickey Doft

Player	Chips	Progress
Chris Tryba	173,400

Jerry Wong	165,000

Aaron Mermelstein	147,500

Mehrdad Yousefzadeh	131,700 -3,300	-3,300
	128,700
Vanessa Rousso	125,800 500	500

	125,400
Victor Ramdin	123,100 13,100	13,100

Adam Junglen	117,600 200	200
	116,000
Eric Buchman	115,300 17,300	17,300

Mike Sica	112,700

John D'Agostino	112,500
Nenad Medic	112,300 58,300	58,300

Taylor von Kriegenbergh	112,025 25	25

Aaron Overton	111,700 23,700	23,700
Carlos Mortensen	107,400

Dan Shak	101,100
	100,900
Greg Dyer	100,500
Kevin Eyster	99,800

David Weisberger	96,200
David Robinson	94,700 64,700	64,700
Andrew Weisner	94,400
Adam Geyer	94,000 44,000	44,000