After 10 levels of action, Day 1b of the 2012 Sands Bethlehem DeepStack Extravaganzana Main Event has reached its end. A total of 118 entries were in play today and combined with Day 1a's 70 entrants, the total field size is 188. Roughly 45 players survived Day 1b and on top of the counts by a healthy margin is Micah Raskin with 346,900.
Raskin is followed by Tam Minh Nguyen (190,800), Brian Shaw (152,400), Edward Pham (145,600), and William Tonking (144,800). Others who survived the day include Pradeep Deshpande (83,100), Vinny Pahuja (77,400), and Matt Brady (20,500).
Among those who showed up only for Day 1b but won't be returning tomorrow are Andy Frankenberger, Todd Terry, Shawn Busse, and Craig Bergeron. Several players gave it a second and third try on Day 1b, but fell short of making Day 2 - Matt Glantz, Dan Buzgon, and Theo Tran to name a few.
The remaining 70 players or so will be back at it tomorrow at noon local time and will play until a final table of nine is reached. Thanks for keeping it here at PokerNews and be sure to check back with us tomorrow.
Vinny Pahuja just earned a needed double-up here at the start of Level 10. After Pajuha had opened with a raise to 2,500, he saw an opponent reraise to 6,000 from the button. Pahuja reraised again almost all in, his opponent shoved, and Pahuja called.
Pahuja was in good shape with versus his opponent's , and when the board rolled out nine-high — — Pahuja had survived.
So said Andy Frankenberger to us just now, moments after his rapid elimination from the tournament at the hands of Carlos Chadha-Villamarin.
We were just a short while ago telling about Andy Frankenberger's longer-than-expected trip to Bethlehem in a post titled "To Make a Long Story Short."
Well, to make a short story a little longer, in his final hand Frankenberger found himself trying to represent a flush he didn't have when a third spade had hit the board on the river, but Chadha-Villamarin called him with second pair of queens to take the last of his chips.
We just witnessed a huge three-way hand involving Micah Raskin and Charles Furey again, with John Heaton in the mix as well.
The hand began with an under-the-gun raise from Heaton, and when it folded around to a short-stacked Furey on the button he pushed all in. Raskin called Furey's reraise from the small blind, then when it folded to Heaton he reraised again for 24,200 more.
Raskin tanked for a while before calling Heaton's reraise, then stood and as the dealer burned a card and began to deal the flop. "You got me, you got me!" he said to the dealer, and everyone watched the first three community cards come .
Raskin checked, and when Heaton pushed all in Raskin was quick with the call.
"It would be sick if you had pocket jacks," said someone from across the table. "Of course," nodded Raskin with a grin as he tabled his for a flopped set. Heaton then turned over his with understandably less enthusiasm, and Furey showed his in a similarly dejected way.
The turn was the and river the , and both Furey and Heaton were eliminated. Raskin held his hands aloft for a moment, then sat down to gather his chips, kissing his bracelet before beginning the business of stacking. He explained to us afterwards how he'd picked up the bracelet in Las Vegas, and was wearing it when he final tabled the 2012 EPT San Remo Main Event a couple of months ago where he took sixth place.
Raskin grabs the Day 1b chip lead with that hand, which appears to have pushed him up around 215,000.
See below for photographic, start-to-finish highlights of what has thus far proven the biggest hand of Day 1b.
Brian Smida raised to 550 from middle position and Robert Bowers called from the cutoff seat. Sean Lippel then reraised to 2,100 from the button, and when the blinds got out, both Smida and Bowers called.
The flop came monotone — — and all three checked. The turn was the , and when Smida checked, Bowers made a tiny bet of 400. Lippel hesitated for a bit, then called. Smida then thought for a moment before pushing his hand away.
The river was the . The action on Bowers, he bet again... again just 400. When Lippel hesitated once more, the table couldn't suppress a laugh at Lippel's quandary. Chuckling himself and shaking his head, Lippel let his hand go, and amid pleas to "show the bluff," Bowers took the pot.
Micah Raskin entered the tournament room a little bit late and was looking for his seat.
Well, he found it and picked up on his first hand. With the flop reading , Raskin and Charles Furey went back and forth in a raising war, culminating with Raskin all in and at risk. Unfortunately for him, Furey held .
The turn was no help to Raskin and the river improved Furey to a full house. Raskin went to re-enter and has just taken his new seat.
Mickey DoftStarting Stack in the Sands Deepstack Extravaganza
Welcome to PokerNews' day 1b coverage of the 2012 Sands Bethlehem DeepStack Extravaganzana Main Event. Friday's Day 1a drew 70 entrants and after 10 levels of play, Chris Klodnicki led the remaining 25 players with 228,000.
We expect about 100 entrants to take to the felt today, including several players from Day 1a who came up short of making it to Day 1b. Among those we expect to see giving it another shot today include Matt Glantz, Cherish Andrews, Theo Tran, Dan Buzgon, and David Paredes. Craig Bergeron and Vinny Pahuja are expected among the new faces in the field.
Play is set to kickoff at noon local time, about 15 minutes from now. Be sure to keep it here throughout the day as we play 10 levels again to see who makes it through to Day 2.
versus his opponent's 
, and when the board rolled out nine-high — 
— Pahuja had survived.
.
with understandably less enthusiasm, and Furey showed his 
in a similarly dejected way.
, and both Furey and Heaton were eliminated. Raskin held his hands aloft for a moment, then sat down to gather his chips, kissing his bracelet before beginning the business of stacking. He explained to us afterwards how he'd picked up the bracelet in Las Vegas, and was wearing it when he final tabled the 
— and all three checked. The turn was the 
. The action on Bowers, he bet again... again just 400. When Lippel hesitated once more, the table couldn't suppress a laugh at Lippel's quandary. Chuckling himself and shaking his head, Lippel let his hand go, and amid pleas to "show the bluff," Bowers took the pot.
, Raskin and Charles Furey went back and forth in a raising war, culminating with Raskin all in and at risk. Unfortunately for him, Furey held 
.
turn was no help to Raskin and the 
river improved Furey to a full house. Raskin went to re-enter and has just taken his new seat.