2009 World Series of Poker

Event 57 - $10,000 World Championship No Limit Hold'em
Day: 1a
Event Info

2009 World Series of Poker

Event Info
Buy-in
$10,000
Entries
6,494
Players Left
9
Next Payout
Place 9
$1,263,602
Level Info
Level
33
Blinds
120,000 / 240,000
Ante
30,000

Controvery on Orange 87

We understand that putting up $10,000 to play in the World Series of Poker Main Event can be very stressful. It's expected that tempers will flare at time. But we're really at a loss to describe what just happened on Orange 87.

As best we can tell one player felt another player was stalling. It started just before the dinner break, when the stalling player admitted to stalling the last minute before dinner. That infuriated a player three seats to his left, who wound up catching a bigger big blind after dinner than he would have before dinner.

The two apparently had words, and the stalling player felt "egged on" by his antagonizer and began to take more time to make each decision.

"I'm going to call a clock on you every time," the antagonizer declared. "Look at you! You're such a superstar. There aren't even any cameras here. All you're doing is ******* *** on the table. It's just poker masturbation."

Another player at the table agreed. A floor was summoned, who pulled the stalling player aside for a few quiet words. When they came back to the table, the ESPN cameras had arrived.

"Look, the cameras are here!" the antagonizer said. "Now you can perform your idiocy for the cameras."

The stalling player quickly turned to the floor, aggrieved at the remarks of the antagonizer. The floor handed out a one-hand penalty and pulled the antagonizer aside as well.

Never a dull moment at the World Series of Poker Main Event!

(Another) Sexton Chips Up

On a board of {2-Spades}{3-Spades}{Q-Spades}{J-Hearts}, Paul Sexton splashed the pot with two orange 5,000-denomination chips.

His only opponent in the hand pushed all in for only a few thousand more with Sexton making the call.

Sexton: {2-Hearts}{2-Clubs}
Opponent: {K-Hearts}{K-Diamonds}

With Sexton out-flopping his opponent, he would have to fade only two of the remaining kings in the deck. When the river peeled the {A-Diamonds}, his opponent was on the rail.

As Sexton raked in the pot with his flopped bottom set, he climbed to over 62,000 in chips.

That Kind of Day for Smith

We walked past Gavin Smith's table and he was kind enough to share a hand with us.

"I just flopped quads," he said.

"Did you get paid?" we asked.

"No. I limped with aces under-the-gun and the flop came ace-ace-ten. It checked around and the {5-Diamonds} came on the turn. I bet about half the pot and everyone folded. At least I didn't lose with them."

Smith's stack stands at around 20,000.

So Long, Freddy Deeb

Freddy Deeb has joined the ranks of railbirds here in Level 3. The hand developed slowly, with a preflop raise of 900 that was called in three spots. On a flop of {q-Spades} {k-Clubs} {4-Diamonds}, a player's 2,200-chip bet was called by Keven Stammen and Deeb. All players checked the {10-Spades} turn.

The river fell {Q-Diamonds}. Stammen checked to Deeb, whose bet of 6,000 folded the third player in the hand. Stammen check-raised to 37,000, but as Deeb was only playing 11,000 behind it was effectively 11,000 back to him. He called all in with a Broadway straight, {A-Hearts} {J-Diamonds}. It was no good. Stammen showed down {K-Diamonds} {Q-Clubs}, a full house. He took the pot and sent Deb crashing out of the Main Event.

David Grey Loses a Few Chips

When action folded to the small blind, he limped into the pot and David Grey checked his option.

The board fell {8-Spades}{A-Diamonds}{7-Clubs}, the small blind checked and Grey bet out 300. The small blind check-raised to 1000, Grey folded.

"You have an ace?" Grey asked.

"Ace-eight," came the response.

"Ace-eight? Really? Wow. I just had an eight." Grey now has just 26,500 chips.

Who's Laughing Now?

We pick up the action on the turn in a heads-up pot over on the Funny Table.

The board showed {8-Hearts} {Q-Hearts} {5-Diamonds} {9-Spades}, and there were about 3,000 chips already in the pot. Brad Garrett led out with a bet of 2,000, and Aaron Wilt took a long pause to consider his options. After about two minutes, he moved all in for ~12,000, and Garrett quickly said, "I'll call you."

Wilt tabled {8-Spades} {8-Diamonds} and simultaneously asked, "You have a straight?" Garrett affirmed Wilt's suspicions and tabled {6-Spades} {7-Spades}. The all-in player was asking for a board pair while Garrett was begging, "Don't do it. Please. Come on, give me a ten. Give me a ten." The dealer obliged him and spiked the {10-Spades} down on the turn, locking up the pot and the knockout for Garrett.

He's back up to about 36,000 now.

Tags: Brad Garrett

Not So Hot in Here

The day is over for Nelly
The day is over for Nelly
The remainder of Nelly's stack went in the middle on a {J-?} {9-?} {9-?} flop. Nelly turned up {Q-?} {Q-?} but was well behind Jeremy Ausmus' {9-?} {10-?}. Nelly couldn't find another queen on the turn or river and hit the rail.

Yang Takes a Beating

Jerry Yang bet 2,700 on a flop of {K-Diamonds}{8-Diamonds}{5-Clubs} and his opponent raised to 6,525. Yang called and then checked the {5-Diamonds} on the turn.

His opponent led for 8,000 and Yang check-raised to 20,000. When his opponent moved all in for an additional 6,100, Yang called.

Yang: {K-Spades}{Q-Diamonds}
Opponent: {8-Spades}{8-Hearts}

The {J-Spades} on the river provided no help and Yang saw his stack slip to 6,600.

Mike Gracz Calls Opponent's Bluff

On a board of {6-Hearts} {3-Clubs} {2-Diamonds} {Q-Hearts} {3-Hearts}, Mike Gracz checked from the big blind and the button fired out a bet of 5,500.

Gracz took his time, shuffling his chips while thinking for a solid 60 seconds. He then made the call.

His opponent tapped the felt and said, "You win." Gracz flipped {Q-Diamonds} {7-Diamonds} and his opponent tossed his cards into the muck.

Mike Gracz - 37,000

Tags: Mike Gracz

Sexton Chips Up

Catching the action on the river with the board reading {3-Clubs}{J-Spades}{K-Diamonds}{9-Spades}{K-Clubs}, Mike Sexton was faced with a hefty pot-sized bet of 2,075.

Looking his opponent up and down, and then back at the board, Sexton eventually made the call to see his opponent table {Q-Spades}{J-Hearts}.

Sexton, however, tabled {A-Clubs}{J-Diamonds} for the same two-pair, but with a better kicker, to take down the pot and climb back to 22,200 in chips.