Farzad Bonyadi opened for 1,000 from UTG, Dario Alioto raised to 3,300 from the button, Nikolay Evdakov flat-called the reraise from the big blind and Bonyadi called as well.
Evdakov rapped pat while Bonyadi and Alioto drew one apiece. Both players checked to Alioto, who bet 10,000. Evdakov tanked for several minutes before folding, while Bonyadi flashed the as his hand sailed into the muck.
There was one player we didn't know at Phil Ivey's table -- the player who recently lost with 8-7 to Tom Dwan's 8-6. That player is now out, losing with 10-9 all in against Ivey's 10-8.
Phil Ivey's feeling pretty good after winning his first bracelet of the 2009 WSOP in this same game a week ago (and thereby winning some sizable prop bets). He's engaging in friendly banter with lots of people around him.
"Hey Phil, I've got 25,000," said John Hennigan from an adjacent table. "Can I get a book?"
"Can you get a book? Yeah, ok," replied Ivey. "I'll give you a 25% book. See, I don't care. That's just the kind of guy I am."
"Thanks Phil," said Hennigan.
"Anything for you, World. $2500 coming my way!"
"I don't have to pay, right?" replied Hennigan.
A few minutes later, Ivey was in a pot against Tom "durrrr" Dwan. Dwan bet 2,200 after the draw and induced a muck from Ivey.
"I should have raised you," Ivey mused. "Would I have won it?"
Dwan mumbled something, then added, "I don't know, I don't play this stupid game."
"That's why I should have raised it," replied Ivey.
Andy Black just doubled through Chino Rheem. Rheem opened for 1,050, then called Black's shove from the blinds for a total of 6,475. Black rapped pat on the draw; Rheem drew one, then mucked when Black opened 8-6-5-3-2.
Black now has about 13,000. Rheem is feeling fine with 40,000.
Mike Matusow just got a phone call -- and it seems it was from none other than the still-yet-to-arrive Poker Brat, Phil Hellmuth. Matusow asked our reporter where Hellmuth's stack was, then went and counted it.
"22,000" he said into his phone. "And the dinner break's coming up."
In the first four hours of play tonight, we lost exactly four players. With another four hours to go, and players still relatively deep-stacked, we're not expecting to lose many more before Day 1 concludes.
Therefore our estimate for players returning on Day 2 is set at 75.