One of the most famous poker players in the world and Team PokerStars Pro is Daniel Negreanu. Viktor Blom is an up-and-coming superstar in the game who has been speculated as being the man behind the mask of new Team PokerStars Pro "Isildur1". Whether or not that's true, we don't know (but the identity of "Isildur1" will be revealed January 8 here at PCA). What we do know is that Blom just took a lot of chips from Mr. Negreanu.
Negreanu fired 12,500 with the flop reading . Blom made the call and the turn card came the . Negreanu checked and Blom bet 35,000. Negreanu made the call.
The river completed the board with the and Negreanu checked again. Blom fired 87,500. After a little bit, Negreanu said that he wished he knew if Blom watched poker on TV. Negreanu then tanked for a bit more before making the call.
Blom tabled the for two pair and Negreanu shook his head, sending his cards into the muck.
Sorel Mizzi has just doubled up through Ashton Griffin to climb back close to his starting stack. We missed how the action went down, but Griffin's pocket eights flopped top set on the . The lead would not last, however, as the turn gave Mizzi and his the nuts. He needed to fade a board pair to double up, and the was safe and sound.
Mizzi's back up to 244,000 now, while Griffin has been knocked all the way down around 82,000.
We picked up a heads-up pot just as the dealer was spreading out on the flop. Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier was first to act, and he check-called a bet of 11,000 from his lone opponent, Andrew Robl.
The turn drew checks from both players, and they check-checked the river as well. ElkY tabled for the full house, and Robl just smirked. A minute later, he piped up, "Trapping me... that's not cool. I thought we were, like, old friends."
ElkY sent him a smirk right back. "Set the trap," he answered.
"Trappy-lappy-trappy!" Phil Laak nearly-yelled his own addition to the conversation.
Hoyt Corkins opened to 6,200 from early position, and he found calls from Bryn Kenney and Phil Laak. Over in the big blind, however, Jason Mercier was busy thinking sinister thoughts. After a couple minutes, he cut out a big reraise to 102,400 (80% of his stack) and slid it across the betting line. Corkins gave him a gaze before folding, but Kenney decided to put Mercier all in for the 20,600 he had behind. Laak folded and Mercier quickly called, and the cards were on their backs:
Kenney:
Mercier:
The board ran safe for Mercier, coming to secure his double up. He's back to 252,000, while Kenney has dropped back to a still-healthy 445,000 or so.
From early position, Tom Marchese raised to 7,000. Team PokerStars Pro Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier made the call from the cutoff seat and then fellow Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier reraised to 19,200 from the small blind. When action got back to Marchese, he moved all in for 89,100. Grospellier folded and Mercier made the call.
Mercier tabled the and was up against the two overcards for Marchese. Marchese had the .
The board ran out and kept Mercier's jacks best. Marchese was sent to the rail as Mercier moved himself up to 360,000 in chips.
Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu check-raised Vivek Rajkumar's bet to 40,000 on the flop of . Rajkumar made the call and the turn brought the . Negreanu fired 48,000 and Rajkumar called again.
The river completed the board with the and both players checked. Negreanu tabled the for top pair, top kicker. Rajkumar flashed and mucked his hand. Negreanu moved to 420,000 while Rajkumar slipped back to about 525,000.
With the final board reading , Hoyt Corkins and Bryn Kenney had a massive pot in the middle of the table. Corkins fired 100,000 and Kenney moved all in, having Corkins well covered for his last 100,000 or so. After a long time in the tank, Corkins made the call.
Kenney turned over the for top set and Corkins showed the . Kenney had the better set of the two and won the pot. Corkins was eliminated while Kenney took the chip lead, booming his way to 710,000 in chips.
Mike "Timex" McDonald raised to 7,500 and Matt Glantz flat-called. Sorel Mizzi reraised to 23,000 and then McDonald moved all in for 154,600. Glantz folded and after a minute in the tank, Mizzi also folded. McDonald is back to about 190,000.
. Blom made the call and the turn card came the 
. Negreanu checked and Blom bet 35,000. Negreanu made the call.
and Negreanu checked again. Blom fired 87,500. After a little bit, Negreanu said that he wished he knew if Blom watched poker on TV. Negreanu then tanked for a bit more before making the call.
for two pair and Negreanu shook his head, sending his cards into the muck.![[user66118]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
. The lead would not last, however, as the 
turn gave Mizzi and his 
the nuts. He needed to fade a board pair to double up, and the 
was safe and sound.
turn drew checks from both players, and they check-checked the 
river as well. ElkY tabled 
to secure his double up. He's back to 252,000, while Kenney has dropped back to a still-healthy 445,000 or so.
.
and kept Mercier's jacks best. Marchese was sent to the rail as Mercier moved himself up to 360,000 in chips.
. Rajkumar made the call and the turn brought the 
and both players checked. Negreanu tabled the 
and mucked his hand. Negreanu moved to 420,000 while Rajkumar slipped back to about 525,000.
for top set and Corkins showed the 
. Kenney had the better set of the two and won the pot. Corkins was eliminated while Kenney took the chip lead, booming his way to 710,000 in chips.