Event 34 - $1,500 No Limit Hold'em Day 1 | 2009 World Series of Poker

06-16-2009 11:56 UTC-12

Forget About That Advance on Your Allowance

Shamus

This strange-but-true story sounds like a variation on Lucky You. Or perhaps Oedipus Rex.

A father, Roger Robinson, and son, Carl Miller, registered at separate times for this tournament. A couple of table changes later and they were seated at the same table. No shinola.

Then came a hand in which a short-stacked Robinson pushed all in, and Miller woke up with pocket aces. He made the call, and ended up knocking out Dad.

06-16-2009 11:52 UTC-12

Mackey Back (for Now)

Shamus

Just before the break, James Mackey managed to double his stack up over 4,000, getting it all in with {A-Hearts}

versus his opponent's {J-Hearts}

.

The flop was {4-Clubs}

and the turn the {3-Diamonds}

. But the river brought the {K-Spades}

and Mackey hangs on.

Tags: James Mackey

Level: 5

Blinds: 100/200

Ante: 25

06-16-2009 11:27 UTC-12

Break Time

Shamus

Players are taking another 20-minute break. There are currently 1,100 left in the field.

06-16-2009 11:24 UTC-12

Meanwhile in the Miranda

Shamus

Just got back from a long walk over to the Miranda room. Saw Allen Cunningham with 16,500, Jason Mercier with 4,500, Katja Thater with 7,000, Thor Hansen with 9,500, and Allen Kessler with about 6,500.

James Mackey, Paul Darden, and T.J. Cloutier are at one table in the Miranda room. Mackey and Darden just split a pot in which Mackey was all in. Darden is at about 15,000, while Mackey has about 1,000. Cloutier is low, too, with about 3,000.

Someone just asked the dealer at that table about the name on his nametag -- Hercules. "Is that you're given name?" "It is," said the dealer. The table laughed, a respite from the Herculean task before them.

06-16-2009 11:15 UTC-12

Raising to Know Where You're At

Shamus

Phil Hellmuth limped in from early position, and a player behind him raised to 700. It folded back around to Hellmuth who shoved his entire stack, a reraise to about 4,500.

"I'm steaming right now. I can't even see straight. What country are we in?" said Hellmuth. His opponent folded, and Hellmuth showed his {A-Clubs}

.

Hellmuth has 6,500.

Tags: Phil Hellmuth

06-16-2009 10:57 UTC-12

Money (That's What I Want)

Shamus

The top 216 finishers in Event No. 34 will get paid, with the payouts going from $2,745 for those finishing 172nd-216th all of the way up to over half a million dollars for the last player standing.

The total prize pool is $2,859,675, with over $1.6 million of that going to the nine who make the final table. Here's what those players will earn:

1st -- $521,932
2nd -- $322,371
3rd -- $213,046
4th -- $150,133
5th -- $112,957
6th -- $89,222
7th -- $74,352
8th -- $65,487
9th -- $60,335

Click the "Prizepool and Payouts" tab for the full payout schedule.

06-16-2009 10:46 UTC-12

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

Shamus

"Oh my God. I can't believe what just happened.... Okay, fish number one just limped in with aces. Then fish number two just called with queen-jack from the button..."

Thus began yet another bustout story from Event No. 34. We're only 15 minutes into the fourth level, but it appears we have already lost over a third of our starting field of 2,095. At the moment, 1,330 players remain.

06-16-2009 10:42 UTC-12

The Magician's Trick Revealed

Shamus

We caught up with this curious hand on the turn with the board showing {8-Hearts}

. Alex Kravchenko checked, Antonio "The Magician" Esfandiari bet 750, and Kravchenko called. That made the pot about 2,000.

The river brought the {7-Hearts}

, and Kravchenko again checked. Esfandiari then shoved his whole stack -- 5,100 -- the big overbet sending Kravchenko into the tank. Finally the Russian emerged to make the call, turning over just {A-Hearts}