$5,150 Championship Main Event Day 1 | 2008 WSOP Circuit Event - Lake Tahoe

11-14-2008 18:35 UTC-7

Norman Can't Catch Fox

[user65508]

After a series of raise and reraises, the action was on Dustin Fox, who asked Ken Norman, "How much do you have left?" A count revealed Norman held 4,075, and Fox deliberated before he laid his hand down. Norman, disgusted by the fold, flashed pocket rockets and asked, "How can you lay that down?" The pot was around 5,000 before the lay down, and Norman stacked a decent sized pot while wishing he would have gotten a call.

Tags: Ken Norman

11-14-2008 18:27 UTC-7

Jeff Don't Get Mad, Son

[user38449]

"Dear God... Please help me dodge an ace just this once."

Jeff Madsen and a single opponent traded preflop raises until all of the money found its way into the middle; Madsen's with {Q-Diamonds}

and his opponent's with {A-Clubs}

.

Miles ahead before the flop, Madsen cringed when the {4-Hearts}

flop delivered an ace for his opponent.

The {2-Spades}

fell on the turn, making a chop possible. Madsen's calls for a five fell on deaf ears as the river delivered the {8-Hearts}

.

"Good game," Madsen said before exiting the tournament area.

Tags: Jeff Madsen

11-14-2008 18:20 UTC-7

Things are Getting Testy on Table 39

[user38449]

Two unknown players just got into it over on Table 39, providing some feature entertainment for the other seven players at the table.

On a board showing {3-Clubs}

, one of the players moved all in on a bluff holding {A-Hearts}

and was called by his opponent, who tabled {9-Clubs}

.

The

then hit on the turn, giving the bluffer the best hand. The river blanked, and the player with ace-jack took down the pot.

As the dealer sorted out the pot, the player with pocket nines shouted, "Man, how you play that sh*t?"

His nemesis replied, "There was a ten on the board. You could've folded!"

They went back and forth: "I had the best hand, a pair and a flush draw!"

"You didn't think I had a club?"

As the not-so-friendly banter carried on, others at the table just smiled.

11-14-2008 18:13 UTC-7

Brady Scrapes a Well Earned Pot

[user65508]

With a dangerous board of {9-Diamonds}

, Matt Brady studied his opponents long and hard, before committing an additional 2,000 chips. Once the call was made the player from middle position checked out and threw his cards in the muck, the other sheepishly turn over {J-Clubs}

, while Brady tabled {A-Diamonds}

. "I wasn't sure if you would check a nine there" commented Brady. The read was good and the pot was pushed to Brady.

The two then struck up the discussion about if the players were really going to come back from dinner for just one more level before concluding for the night. No announcements have been made on the situation yet.

Tags: Matt Brady

11-14-2008 18:05 UTC-7

Muchnik Sly Like a Fox

[user38449]

Mark Muchnik and Dustin Fox are quickly developing a history with one another. This time around, it was Muchnik who got the best of his arch rival:

Aaron Kanter limped into the pot for 200 and when the action arrived on Fox, he kicked it up to 800. Everyone folded around the table to Muchnik, who tossed in a huge raise, making it a total of 6,800 to play. Kanter folded, sending it back around to Fox, who made the call.

The flop came {10-Spades}

and Muchnik open-shoved all in for his last 9,225.

"Do you really have it every single time against me?" Fox asked, as he considered the call.

"I may," was Muchnik's sly reply.

Fox asked for a count and eventually made the call, tabling {J-Clubs}

; Muchnik flipped over bullets - {A-Clubs}

.

The turn and river blanked out {K-Clubs}

,

, leaving Fox with just 14,600 in chips while Muchnik improved to 33,000.

Tags: Dustin Fox Mark Muchnik

11-14-2008 17:50 UTC-7

Musical Chairs

[user38449]

We lost another table during the break and as a result, Robert Cheung has been moved to the seat right in between Sabyl Cohen-Landrum and Jeff Madsen.

There are currently 108 players remaining in the tournament spread across 12 tournament tables.

Tags: Jeff Madsen

11-14-2008 17:42 UTC-7

Play Resumes

[user38449]

The players have returned from break and the cards are back in the air.

We wandered through the tournament area during the break and spotted the top two chip stacks sitting at the same table. Ty Stewart (58,000) and David "Big H" Paul are sitting just one empty seat away from each other. If these two get involved in a big hand, we could end up one with monster chip leader.

Level: 5

Blinds: 100/200

Ante: 25

11-14-2008 17:27 UTC-7

15-Minute Break

[user38449]

The tournament clock has been paused while the players embark on their second 15-minute break of the day.

11-14-2008 17:18 UTC-7

Second

[user65508]

When asked, the collective brains at table 31, led by Tim Vance, tried to piece together Jerry Yang's elimination hand. This is the result:

Jerry Yang picked up queens in the blinds, and had a couple of limpers come along, before raising an additional 1,000. The bet was enough to eliminate one limper. The flop spread {8-?}

and the former Main Event Champion shoved his remaining short stack towards the middle. Unfortunately for him, the remaining limper, Neal Cooke of Loveland, Colorado hit the flop as he held {9-?}

in the hole. The board ran out with no help to Yang and ended his day.

At the start of the day Yang gave the ceremonious call of, "Shuffle up and deal". In his address to the field, he remarked that he had never been to Lake Tahoe, but loved the city based on his trip so far. He now has more time to explore the beautiful piece of country that is known for it's skiing and many other leisure activities.

The eliminations of both Johnny Chan and Jerry Yang leaves Chris 'Jesus' Ferguson as the lone remaining world champion left in the field.

Tags: Jerry Yang