Golden Gates Casino allows for players to reenter as much as they like during the Day 1 flights — unlike the usual one per starting flight at most MSPT stops — and one man has already opted to reenter, that being Todd "Odds" Hagen.
Also jumping in action are circuit grinder Daniel "Duma" Lowery and Chris Maxwell, who took sixth in the $360 MSPT Regional earlier this week.
Travis Northrope limped from early position and Danny Gonzalez did the same. Ryan Simoneau then raised to 700 from the hijack, Steve Abo called from the cutoff, and the button and blinds all folded. Northrope and Gonzalez both got out of the way, so it was heads-up action to the flop.
Simoneau check-called a bet of 800, and then both players checked the turn as well as the river.
Simoneau rolled over the , but it was no good as Abo held the .
A huge hand just went down at Table 9 that resulted in Lou Mortellarr hitting the rail and Bruce Russell taking over the early chip lead.
We picked up action on the board, and it appeared that both Mike Hassab and Russell checked. Another player then bet, Mortellarr called, and Hassab check-raised to 4,000. Russell then check-raised all in, and the original bettor got out of the way. Mortellarr thought long and hard before calling off for 20,000, and Hassab shook his head before folding what he claimed was a king-high flush.
Mortellarr:
Russell:
Russell held the goods, but Mortellarr was drawing to a gutshot straight flush. Unfortunately for him, it didn't come in as the blanked on the river.
MSPT Team Pro Matt Alexander opened for 500 from middle position and the player on the button called. Ben Keeline came along from the big blind and three players took a flop of . Keeline checked, Alexander bet 600, and the button folded.
Keeline called and then checked the turn. Alexander did the same, which brought about the on the river. Keeline tossed out a bet of 2,100, and Alexander conceded the hand.
All told, Aaron has $2,591,403 in lifetime tournament earnings, while Ralph, who drew a tough seat between Bryan Devonshire and MSPT Team Pro Matt Kirby, has $356,648. That's not too surprising considering Ralph took up the game long after his little brother, but regardless both siblings, who're a part of the Big Cock Poker stable, have made a name for themselves on the circuit.
We noticed Todd "Odds" Hagen, who was the first elimination of the day, was no longer in the seat he'd taken when he reentered. Sure enough, a check with his friend Jason Bender confirmed that he'd been eliminated from the Main Event for a second time.
Bender didn't recall Hagen's bustout hand, but did say he was crippled after he flopped a flush draw with and was up against a player with top pair. The two put some chips in on the flop, and then more on the turn, which unbeknownst to Hagen gave his opponent two pair. The river wasn't the heart Hagen was looking for, but it did give him a pair, which ended up inspiring to pay off his opponent.
We're not sure how the preflop action played out, but we do know three players each put in a hefty 11,000 to see the flop, which came down . Michael Gill checked, Adam Wilbur moved all in, and Nicholas Trimble folded. Gill snap-called and Wilbur discovered the bad news.
Wilbur:
Gill:
Wilbur made a move at the pot with a mere gutshot, and Gill snapped him off with a set. The turn was of no consequence, but the river was as Wilbur spiked the perfect card to more than double through a disappointed Gill.
flop.
turn as well as the 
river.
, but it was no good as Abo held the 
.
blanked on the river.
. Keeline checked, Alexander bet 600, and the button folded.
turn. Alexander did the same, which brought about the 
on the river. Keeline tossed out a bet of 2,100, and Alexander conceded the hand.
and was up against a player with top pair. The two put some chips in on the flop, and then more on the 
turn, which unbeknownst to Hagen gave his opponent two pair. The 
river wasn't the heart Hagen was looking for, but it did give him a pair, which ended up inspiring to pay off his opponent.
. Michael Gill checked, Adam Wilbur moved all in, and Nicholas Trimble folded. Gill snap-called and Wilbur discovered the bad news.
turn was of no consequence, but the 