We arrived at the table just in time to see Phil Ivey make an important decision. He was heads up at the turn with a board. Ivey checked, his opponent bet 3,500 and Ivey took his time to raise to 7,000.
His opponent counted all his chips, pulled back his 3,500 bet and moved all in for 13,650. Ivey called and tabled .
His opponent tabled and stood up from the table, hoping to celebrate his double up. But the poker gods and the dealer had different plans; the river came and Ivey stacked his opponent.
Players continue to bust at a rapid clip, with Joe Bartholdi among the several to go out during the last few minutes.
We're about 10 minutes from the end of Level 8 and the next break, and the total number of players has already sunk below 310, suggesting we may not be watching too much more poker once Level 9 begins.
If the night ends soon enough, we may get to see some of those Fourth of July celebrations when we leave the Rio later on. Play will be halted for Day 1a once the field shrinks to about 261 (or 15% of the number that started the day).
The average stack right now stands at a little less than 17,000.
As the total number of players left in our Day 1a field shrinks toward 300, Annie LePage has been eliminated.
All in with and up against two opponents — one with and the other — the community cards brought three clubs to give the latter a winning flush, and LePage hits the rail.
David Chicotsky's Event 59 run has ended. The final board read , Chicotsky held , and his opponent . The "Maven" provides details of how they got there below:
TheMavenVT David ChicotskyJust busted, 12bb I raise kk 900 at 200/400, bb defends q10. Flop q high we get it allin, turn q, river q. Gg.July 04 2012
There was about 4,500 in the middle. Three players were vying for the pot, with Terrence Chan in the small blind and his two opponents sitting under the gun and in the cutoff. The flop had come , and Chan and the UTG player had both checked.
The player in the cutoff took a long time to act, enough for the dealer to remind him the action was on him, although he was full aware. He started carving out chips to bet, then abruptly checked.
The turn then brought the and a bet of 2,200 from Chan. The player under the gun folded, then Chan's lone remaining opponent took his time again before pushing out a bet of 3,775. The dealer again intervened, pointing out a minimum-raise would be to 4,400, and once that was corrected, Chan made the call.
The river was the and when Chan checked his opponent pushed all in. Chan half-smiled, half-grimaced.
"That was quite the Hollywood play, sir," he said as he counted out his chips, ultimately taking a couple of minutes to decide what to do. Finally he pushed his hand away, conceding the pot and preserving his small stack.
The long days of tournament poker can wear on anyone, especially if you play 40 events or more. We like to give readers an inside perspective of what a normal day of tournament poker is like.
Today we're pulling back the curtains and giving you an inside look at one of the game's best players in the world - none other than Phil Ivey.
Hand 1 - Ivey's stack is somewhere in the 22,000 range. He folded preflop, picked up his phone and sent a couple texts from his Black Berry. Before the hand is over Ivey had three bottles of water delivered to him - and not from a cocktail server.
Hand 2 - He folded preflop and hadn't noticed us hovering by the table yet. He has a grin on his face and seems to be enjoying himself. He put his phone down and looked around the room. Then produced a second phone - an iPhone - and began texting on that.
Hand 3 - He tossed his cards away preflop and was nodding his head to a song only he could hear.
Hand 4 - Again Ivey folded preflop and went back to his Black Berry. He sent another text or two and it was time for the next hand.
Hand 5 - During the shuffle a new player arrived at the table and definitely noticed that Ivey was this table. Ivey gave the new player no more than a two second glance. From under the gun Ivey opened for 600 and action folded all the way around.
Hand 6 - For the first time since we arrived at the table Ivey watched each player in order as they all folded to his big blind. Ivey got a walk and stacked a few more green chips.
Hand 7 - During the deal Ivey took his time to tidy up his stack and get a quick count. Ivey was up to around 24,000 and watched and a middle position player opened for 800. Ivey folded and went back to texting on his Black Berry.
Hand 8 - He was on the button and took a deep stretch, leaning all the way back in his chair. He studied the tournament clock for a moment and looked back to the table where a middle position player opened for 800. Ivey folded and then picked up his iPhone.
Hand 9 - The under the gun player opened for 800, the same middle position player called, Ivey called from the cutoff, the player on the button called and both blinds decided to play too. The flop came , both blinds checked, the middle position player bet 1,500 and Ivey folded.
There was about 2,200 in the middle following a flop. J.J. Liu checked, her opponent bet 1,300, and Liu called. Both then checked the turn. The river brought a third ace, the , and this time Liu bet 1,300. Her opponent quickly called.
Liu showed for sevens full of aces, but her opponent had for a better full house and claimed the pot.
Joe Bartholdi just found himself all in for 5,925 and at risk against two opponents, one of whom had him covered. Bartholdi held , his short-stacked foe , and the one with the most to start the hand .
The flop came . "Nine or a spade would be fun," said Bartholdi. The on the turn fulfilled that criteria. Then the river made things even more fun for Bartholdi, enabling him to nearly triple up as another player was eliminated.
![[user196975]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
board. Ivey checked, his opponent bet 3,500 and Ivey took his time to raise to 7,000.
.
and stood up from the table, hoping to celebrate his double up. But the poker gods and the dealer had different plans; the river came 
and Ivey stacked his opponent.
and up against two opponents — one with 
— the community cards brought three clubs to give the latter a winning flush, and LePage hits the rail.
, Chicotsky held 
and a bet of 2,200 from Chan. The player under the gun folded, then Chan's lone remaining opponent took his time again before pushing out a bet of 3,775. The dealer again intervened, pointing out a minimum-raise would be to 4,400, and once that was corrected, Chan made the call.
and when Chan checked his opponent pushed all in. Chan half-smiled, half-grimaced.
, both blinds checked, the middle position player bet 1,500 and Ivey folded.
for sevens full of aces, but her opponent had 
for a better full house and claimed the pot.
on the turn fulfilled that criteria. Then the 
river made things even more fun for Bartholdi, enabling him to nearly triple up as another player was eliminated.