Phil Ivey is trying to grind his way through this limit Omaha Hi/Lo field. He's also eyeing a platter of prop bets and considering which WSOP event he's going to play next. He was discussing several of these items with Howard Lederer.
Ivey is likely to be in the field for tomorrow's $5,000 NLHE shootout, but is worried that if he makes the final table of this event, the two will conflict. He noted he'd just have to quickly dispatch his first shootout table before returning for this tournament to start the final table.
It's going to take a lot of pots for Ivey to even make it to this final table. He did get one small scoop in a three-way pot, by betting the turn and taking the pot down uncontested. But the next pot Ivey played went all the way to showdown and resulted in a chop.
Team PokerStars Pro member Dario Minieri is speeding up the chip counts this afternoon. He raised after one limper, and both the big blind and the limper called. The big blind checked, and the limper took over the aggression with a bet on the flop. Dario took it right back with a raise. The first player called both bets, and the first bettor declined to call one more. The turn came the , and the big blind check-called Minieri's bet. After the on the river, Dario's opponent checked to him again, and this time, when the Italian bet, he folded. Minieri scooped the 10.5k pot without having to sweat a showdown. The PokerStars Pro is up to 36k now after starting with less than 12k an hour ago.
Phil Hellmuth seems to really have taken offense to one player at his table. Hellmuth raised a recent hand pre-flop, then pointed at the player and said, "I know you're calling me. It's too big a hand." Hellmuth's opponent did indeed call.
On a flop of {ks] , Hellmuth's single bet was enough to win the pot. "That's something," he said. "Kings up. Finally a legitimate hand."
The very next hand, Hellmuth raised again. Everyone folded. "This hand I wouldn't have minded gambling with you," Hellmuth told his nemesis.
Erick Lindgren has a little more work to do after running into an opponent's full house and doubling that player up. The players were three-way to a raised flop of . One of Lindgren's opponents bet; Lindgren and the other player called.
The turn paired the board . That was Lindgren's key to raise after the same opponent led out; that player was quickly all for 100 more. Lindgren called but couldn't beat his opponent's kings full, . The river blanked out, shipping a 12,000-chip pot away from E-Dog.
Berry Johnston was lucky to get any part of the pot after a flop of . Johnston's made two pair, but an opponent made a better two-pair with . The board came running low cards, , giving each player the same low. One-quarter for Johnston was better than nothing.
Ted Forrest and Amnon Filippi got into a battle of the blinds of after Forrest open-raised the small blind, and Filippi called. Forrest checked the flop, and then check-raised when Filippi bet. Amnon called, and then flat called a bet after the turn. The river was the completing a runner-runner flush draw and putting a low on the board. Forrest checked, and then called a bet. But Ted could only muck when he was that Amnon had indeed gotten there with the nut club draw holding . After the nice 12,800 boost to his stack, Filippi is up to 43,000. Forrest is down to 12,500.
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It's been noted many times that poker isn't a game played by many women. In today's field, there are only a very small handful of women still alive. Cyndy Violette is one of them. Her stack got a small boost in a three-way limped pot. Violette, the small blind, had first action and bet a flop of . One opponent folded; the second called. Both players then checked the turn and river. Violette used and from her handto make two pair, aces and queens, to take down the pot.
David Bach was second to act when he raised and picked up calls from the button and big blind. The flop fell , and the big blind checked. Bach bet, and both players called. Same action after the on the turn. The river fell the , and the big blind checked a third time. Bach bet again, and this time, when the big button called, the big blind folded. Bach showed for the low half of the pot. His opponent took the high half with for two pair. After adding a few chips to his stack from the chopped pot, Bach is back over 60,000.