We walked up to Raymond Dandrea's table to see him in the middle of a big pot for this stage of the tournament. There was about 5,500 in the middle, and the dealer had already completed a board of . Dandrea was first to act, and he fired out 2,700. His opponent tanked for about a minute before calling, and Dandrea let out a sigh before table for bottom pair.
His opponent rolled over for a rivered straight, and he collected the pot, while Dandrea falls to 14,000.
When you think of tournament grinders, Aaron Massey is one of the first names that come to mind if you are a follower of the circuit. Massey seemingly spends the entire year on the road grinding tournaments, and this year is no different, as he already has seven cashes under his belt this year, including a $73,000 score at the Chicago Poker Classic, where he won a $1,000 heads up tournament.
Well Massey just sat down at his table, and he will surely be one of the names to keep an eye out for today.
We mention earlier that we saw Chactow Main Event Champion Jeff Fielder walking around, but that he hadn't taken his seat. Well, he has just sat down, and will be looking for his Circuit Main Event title in as many months.
Jeff Fielder has enjoyed a great start to this event, getting his stack up to 29,000 from it's original 20,000. We just caught a hand that helped him pad that stack.
Fielder started the action by raising to 350 in the cutoff, and he got a call from the button and the big blind. The flop came down , and it was checked to Fielder, who put out a c-bet of 500. The button folded, but the big blind came along to see the hit the turn. Both players checked, and the river brought the .
It was checked to Fielder again, who assembled a big bet of 1,650, and slid it into the middle. It didn't take long for that bet to produce a fold. and Fielder was all smiles as he took in another pot.
Facing a raise of an unknown amount, Allen Kessler three bet it to 1,100 from the cutoff. The button called, and it was back to the original raiser. He put out a four bet to 3,700, and it was back to Kessler. Kessler wasted little time in firing out a five bet to 8,800. The button folded, and the first raiser moved all in, having Kessler covered. Kessler shrugged, made the call, and asked "do you have aces?"
Kessler:
Opponent:
Kessler caught no help on the flop, coming , and the hand was over when the hit the turn. The meaningless river was the , and Kessler gathered his things and headed for the exits.
On his way out, Kessler said "I had already three bet him four times in situations just like that there was no chance I was folding."
Kessler will have the chance to reenter tonight, tomorrow, or Sunday morning.
. Dandrea was first to act, and he fired out 2,700. His opponent tanked for about a minute before calling, and Dandrea let out a sigh before table 
for bottom pair.
for a rivered straight, and he collected the pot, while Dandrea falls to 14,000.
, and it was checked to Fielder, who put out a c-bet of 500. The button folded, but the big blind came along to see the 
hit the turn. Both players checked, and the river brought the 
.
, and the hand was over when the 
hit the turn. The meaningless river was the