The cards were on their backs pre-flop for a three-way all in at Vanessa Rousso's table. Rousso and another player were both all in, with big stack Maria Ho along for the ride.
Ho:
Rousso:
Opponent:
Ho immediately rapped the table, "good hand," after seeing the flop come down . It gave Rousso the nut flush and made Rousso a nearly uncounterfeitable running low draw. The running low did come in, and , to give Rousso the nut-nut. She eliminated one opponent and put the smallest of dings in Ho's stack.
Michael Binger's been on a rapid upwards ascent all day. He is sitting behind 23,000 in chips after eliminating an opponent in a dueling battle of two pair. The player was all in by fifth street. By the time the showdown came, Binger's opponent had in the hole for aces and jacks. Binger was just slightly better, making aces and kings with .
When we went to dinner three hours ago, only 10% of the field had busted. Several players in the room were wondering just how big the field was going to be going to Day 2.
"Not to worry," we said. "They will start busting in rapid fashion after dinner."
Sure enough, in the first two levels after dinner, more than 200 players hit the rail. Another 100 or so have busted this level, tot he point where all of the Orange tables have broken and five tables in Blue have broken. The tournament has reached the "rubber band" point where the average stack is down to 10 big bets. That's where it'll be the rest of the way. In the stud games, 10 big bets isn't many. Play one pot to the river -- and lose -- and you could easily be cut in half.
The player in the small blind called and Lex Veldhuis put in a raise from the big blind. His opponent called and the flop came down . The mystery player checked and Veldhuis bet, only to find a quick a raise from his opponent. Veldhuis called and the turn was the .
After his opponent bet, Lex immediately raised. His opponent looked a tad dejected when making the call. The hit the river and it was checked to Veldhuis. He bet and his opponent called, mucking when Lex tabled for trips.
Greg Raymer's sitting pretty in this event after dragging a recent pot. We only saw the river action, where Raymer bet his three-club board as first to act and was called. Raymer turned up for an ace-high club flush.
A few hands later, Tom Dwan brought it in with the . Action folded to Raymer as last to act. He was showing the but opted just to fold.
"I had the 9-high," Raymer explained. "Statistically you had the best hand." Then, in a nod to Dwan's reputation, he added, "I didn't think you'd lay down anything that could beat 9-high."
Jesse Rios raised from the hijack and the player on the button made it three bets. The player in the big blind called, as did Rios. The flop came down and it checked around to the player on the button. He bet and was called by both of his opponents, delivering the on the turn. It was checked to Rios and he bet, only getting called by the player on the button. The river was the and Rios' river bet was paid off.
Rios tabled for two pair, good enough to win the pot. He is up to about 46,000 now.
As the field continues to consolidate, winning big pots is become more and more critical. PokerStars Team Online player George Lind is one of the Team Pros that's still hunting for chips out in the Blue Section of Amazon, where almost the entire tournament has now been consolidated. Lind was facing a bet on seventh street. He called and opened his hand.
"I have something," said Lind, seemingly confused about what his final hand was (7-5, for those of you at home). "I'm never folding."
Lind's opponent flashed an ace and a deuce and mucked, allowing Lind to drag the pot and climb to more than 10,000 in chips.
![[user75032]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
. It gave Rousso the nut flush and made Rousso a nearly uncounterfeitable running low draw. The running low did come in, 
and 
/ (X)
in the hole for aces and jacks. Binger was just slightly better, making aces and kings with 
.
hit the river and it was checked to Veldhuis. He bet and his opponent called, mucking when Lex tabled 
for trips.
. Action folded to Raymer as last to act. He was showing the 
but opted just to fold.
for two pair, good enough to win the pot. He is up to about 46,000 now.
