Event 22 - $3,000 H.O.R.S.E. Day 1 | 2008 World Series of Poker

06-11-2008 03:19 UTC-7

5pm Start for H.O.R.S.E. Event

[user33020]

The first H.O.R.S.E. event of the 2008 WSOP, Wednesday's $3,000 buy in tournament, will get underway at 5pm PDT in the Amazon Room. This one's a great event, featuring rotating rounds of hold'em, Omaha-8, razz, stud and stud-8, and serves as a great warmup for the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship coming up later in the series.

Last year's event, which was held at a lower $2,500 buy-in, drew 382 entrants and was won by James Richberg, who captured the bracelet and $238,881 in winnings.

Tags: James Richberg

06-11-2008 16:48 UTC-7

Players Taking Their Seats

[user42991]

Players are now beginning to take their seats for today's event. This year's structure is different from H.O.R.S.E. events of years past. In past years, players would play an entire level at one game and then switch games at the end of the level. Now, each table will play eight hands of a game and switch to the next game. This should make for a better balance in play.

Cards should be in the air in about 10 minutes or so.

06-11-2008 16:54 UTC-7

Allen Kessler Seeking Advice

[user42991]

Allen Kessler just stopped by the press booth asking, likely in jest, for advice for today's event. One person yelled out, "Just win!" I personally recommended to not play a rolled-up set in razz.

Players continue to file in. We should be started shortly.

Level: 1

Blinds: 0/0

Ante: 0

06-11-2008 17:00 UTC-7

Saddle Up Your Horses!

[user42991]

Cards are in the air for this event. We will start with Limit Hold'em on all tables.

06-11-2008 17:04 UTC-7

Today's Lineup

[user67765]

We expect today's field to contain quite a number of professionals as this is the first H.O.R.S.E. event of this year's WSOP. So far today we've spotted the likes of Mike Sexton, Allen Kessler, Andy Bloch, Greg Raymer, Berry Johnston, David Williams, Chris Reslock, Phil Gordon, Dewey Tomko and Kenna James.

We have a lot more names that have pre-registered but have yet to take their seats. Nearly every table is starting with at least one empty stack.

06-11-2008 17:11 UTC-7

More Names...

[user67765]

David Benyamine, Alexander Kostritsyn, Ted Forrest, Blair Rodman, Katja Thater, David Sklansky, Linda Johnson, Perry Friedman, Marco Traniello and Jean-Robert Bellande have all taken their seats in today's HORSE event.

06-11-2008 17:15 UTC-7

Today's Format

[user67765]

Players will rotate through each game every eight hands, regardless of the betting limits. Of course the five games are hold'em, Omaha hi-lo, razz, stud and stud eight or better.

Each player started with 6,000 in chips.

06-11-2008 17:25 UTC-7

Benyamine Sits With Bricks of Cash

[user67765]

David Benyamine has lost about 800 chips on the first Holdem hand of the day. He flashed the {8-Spades}

on a board of {J-Diamonds}

for the straight but his opponent flipped over {10-Clubs}

for the rivered full house.

Benyamine currently has about $60,000 in cash in front of him which are his winnings from the final table of the $5,000 No Limit 2-7 Draw event which he was recently eliminated from. The bricks are just sitting on the table - perhaps he's trying to intimidate some of his inexperienced opponents?

Tags: David Benyamine

06-11-2008 17:34 UTC-7

We're Overflowing!

[user67765]

Originally we started with chips on only seven of the eight seats on each table, but since the start of play the eight seat has been quickly filled by late arrivals. We've now filled the orange quadrant of tables here in the Amazon Room and we're overflowing into the blue section with new tables starting up.

It could be a bigger field than expected!