Ryan Laplante, who has already picked up one cash and one final table at this year's WSOP, has been taking control over on table 282 and is now up to 35,000 in chips.
On a board that read , the player in the cutoff led out for 600 before Laplante raised to 2,150 from the button. The cutoff player called, then checked to Laplante on the river of the . Laplante bet out 2,750 and after two minutes in the tank, the cutoff player folded. Laplante flashed before raking in the pot.
One of the trademarks of Laplante is his love of pink. Every time he's played here at the Rio, he's been wearing a pink hoodie and a pink Burberry cap. Between hands, Laplante also told us that he's donating 1% of his winnings to OneDrop and Bad Beat on Cancer, the official charities of the WSOP. Run deep, sir!
We mentioned 1978 World Champ Bobby Baldwin earlier, and we thought that might be our opening to present you with the following charts that highlight the WSOP in the 1970s. It's no wonder Baldwin is labeled a living legend, considering he graces all three charts:
After an under-the-gun player raised to 275 and received three callers, Bernard Lee called from the big blind to make it five-way action to the flop. The UTG continuation bet 1,000, only Lee called, and the hit the turn, which both players checked.
The river saw Lee lead out for 1,725, and the UTG call with ; however, Lee rolled over for a straight and the win. For those keeping counts, Lee has managed to crack aces twice in the last hour of play!
The action folded around to 2008 WSOP Ladies Event champion Svetlana Gromenkova on table 288, who raised to 350 from middle position. Another player in late position called, but then Roberto Romanello re-raised to 1,600.
Gromenkova came back with a four-bet worth 3,350, forcing the late position out of the way before Romanello called, making it heads-up to the flop of . From there, Romanello folded after Gromenkova fired out 6,000.
We're not sure of the details, but David Singer recently passed by our desk and through the exit doors. We did a quick check of his former seat, and we can confirm that Singer has been eliminated from the Main Event.
Jason Potter had taken a small hit to his stack early on in this level, but he's now back up to just over 28,000 after this hand played out on 284.
The player in the UTG +1 position raised to 250 and another player in middle position called, as well as Potter from the hijack position and the player in the small blind to make it four-handed to the flop of .
The other three checked to Potter, who led out for 750, but only the small blind came along to the turn of the , which both players checked before the small blind checked again on the river of the , but folded after Potter opened for 750.
Yevgeniy Timoshenko has been seen scooping a pot nearly every time we walk by his table.
Just now, the board read and the player in the small blind led into two opponents, including Timoshenko in the big blind position, for 625. Timoshenko thought for a bit before raising to 2,400. The opponent in position got out of the way and the initial bettor folded as well.
Action folded to the player in the cutoff and he raised to 300, which Ted Forrest called from the big blind. When the flop fell , Forrest check-called a bet of 350, and the appeared on the turn.
Both players checked to see the follow on the river. Forrest was first to act and bet 950, which was quickly raised to 2,750 by the cutoff. Forrest made the call only to muck when the cutoff showed for a flopped full house.
Dan Harringto raised to 300 from late position and was called by the cutoff and the small blind to see a flop of which was checked around, as was the turn.
On the river, it was checked to the cutoff a third time and he bet 550, the small blind folded but Harrington made the call - only to be shown for a rivered two pair. Not a great start for the former Main Event champion but there's a long way to go yet.