[user4144]
Whilst I watch the other tables and their flurry of all ins with envious eyes, it has been a relatively slow start in my segment, with most hands reaching a showdown with few chips entering the pot.
In fact, there's been more action on the masseuse front during this opening level with Layne Flack, Phil Ivey and the intriguingly named Leif Force all on the receiving end of a good rub-down.
I must confess, the massages, and the masseuses for that matter, look very inviting today, and there have been a number of different techniques applied. I think I saw one player receiving an earlobe massage earlier, an often overlooked and neglected party of the body when it comes to the massage industry.
[user38449]
Situated in the rear corner of the main floor, Table 7 currently houses Full Tilt pros Chris 'Jesus' Ferguson and John Juanda, along with English pro Mark Friedman. Just behind them, Phil Ivey and Mike McDonald are seated across from each other on Table 5.
In the middle of the room, Ben 'The Milky Bar Kid' Grundy shares a table with Nikolay Evdakov, who cashed a record 10 times at this summer's World Series of Poker, and next door to their table, Jason Newitt sits opposite Leif Force of WSOP fame.
Suffice it to say, there's not an easy table in the room.
[user46298]
There's a special sort of silence which descends upon a table the first time a player puts his whole stack at risk, and halfway into the level it's Brian Johnson whose tournament was on the line. He saw a threeway flop of and when it checked to him in position, bet 400. One of his opponents passed but neighbour Josh Gould check-raised to 1,200. Call.
The turn: Now Gould bet out 1,400, again called by Johnson.
The river: Action slowed at this point - Gould eventually checked, and Johnson moved his remaining 1,825 in. A very long consider later, and Gould laid his hand down, propelling the Englishman with an unexpectedly American accent up over 8,000.
[user46392]
A massive pot gives Dario Alioto a fairly commanding chip lead early doors. After some moderate action on the flop, he then bet a hefty 525 on the turn and then called an even heftier raise to 1,400 from Fredrick Andersson. Alioto check-called Andersson on the river to find that they both had the goods - Andersson's up against Alioto's . The jack played and Alioto raked in the chips while Andersson was down to less than 3,000.
[user46392]
A spot of good luck for David Alaei -- holding he flopped the set and was called all the way down the board by Rene Mouritsen, who just mucked at the end of the hand. "What's his name?" said a disgruntled but good-humored Mouritsen. "I'm going to look him up."
Mouritsen, utterly crippled, moved all in preflop the very next hand, but there were no callers. A few hands later though his shove-for-a-pittance received the inevitable call and he is a goner.
[user4144]
The late arrivals of bracelet winner Layne Flack and Irish Open champion Neil Channing have surely created an unchallenged Table of Doom, which also includes Max Pescatori, Liv Boeree, William Martin and online connoisseur Andrew Teng. If any of my colleagues can topple this table of Trojan warriors then I will happily tip my proverbial hat to them. It only needs me to swipe a stack of chips, and perch myself on the end and the table would be the toughest in history.
[user46298]
"So brutal," is the analysis from Ed Roger, after he finally pays off a river bet of 1,100 from Adam Mario with the board standing . Mario bet out and sat impassively, until flipping the when called and scooping the pot from the of his young opponent.
"He's spiked the miracle on the turn and then I just called on the river," he recaps for the table, before picking up the 75 in blinds the next hand and adding them to his now 4,000 stack.
[user4144]
Players are still trickling in, but I've already witnessed a number of familiar faces hit my segment of the casino. On the closest table, Max Pescatori is sharing a table with Brits William Martin, Andrew Teng and an easy-on-the-eye Liv Boeree. Meanwhile, and just one table up, online whiz Ben Grundy will be locking horns with WSOP ambusher Nikolay Evdakov. Also making their presence felt are the likes of Phil Ivey, Chris Ferguson and Chris Bjorin, as well as experienced homegrown talent such as Graham Wheldon, Graham Pound and Pete Singleton.
[user46392]
Three of France's great poker hopes are sharing a table here in the poker room - young Winamax players Nicolas Levi, EPT winner Arnaud Mattern and Guillaume de la Gorce. With such a concentration of Gallic poker prowess, it promises to be a table to watch...
[user46298]
The odd empty stack remains, but most players were in their seats promptly as Annette Obrestad took the mic to utter the four words which set the decks riffling and the chips clicking into pots, "Shuffle up and deal!" Spotted on the top tier (the Empire Casino is eyecatchingly separated into two levels by a glowing staircase, an interior design centerpiece seen all too rarely these days) taking their seats in timely fashion were Josh Gould, Brian Johnson, James Vogl, David La Ronde, Thor Hansen and Dan Smith, among a whole host of others. Those for whom £10,000 is too expensive a Bracelet Pie are having a shot at this £1,500 slice, while for some it is a warm-up for the Main Event in a week's time.
![[user4144]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
and when it checked to him in position, bet 400. One of his opponents passed but neighbour Josh Gould check-raised to 1,200. Call.
Now Gould bet out 1,400, again called by Johnson.
Action slowed at this point - Gould eventually checked, and Johnson moved his remaining 1,825 in. A very long consider later, and Gould laid his hand down, propelling the Englishman with an unexpectedly American accent up over 8,000.
flop, he then bet a hefty 525 on the 
turn and then called an even heftier raise to 1,400 from Fredrick Andersson. Alioto check-called Andersson on the 
river to find that they both had the goods - Andersson's 
up against Alioto's 
he flopped the set and was called all the way down the 
board by Rene Mouritsen, who just mucked at the end of the hand. "What's his name?" said a disgruntled but good-humored Mouritsen. "I'm going to look him up."
of his young opponent.