Event 1 - £1,500 No Limit Hold'em Day 1a | 2008 World Series of Poker Europe

09-19-2008 19:59 UTC+2

Battle of the Brits

[user46392]

A move that failed to pay off for Pete Linton has dropped him down to a still-respectable-but-not-as-much-as-he-had-before 20,000. He raised from the button, only for Rumit Somaiya to reraise from the big blind to around 2,000. Unfazed, Linton made it a hefty 6,300 -- all of his yellow 1,000 denomination chips. To which Somaiya announced all in. Linton looked surprised. "All in?" A humorless nod from Somaiya. Without a second glance at his cards, Linton passed.

Somaiya now up to a chip-lead-contending 35,000.

Tags: Pete Linton Rumit Somaiya

Level: 6

Blinds: 200/400

Ante: 50

09-19-2008 20:05 UTC+2

Double-Ups All Around

[user46392]

Mohammed Hassan has doubled up to 7,300, all in preflop with a lackluster {A-Diamonds}

against an opponent's even more lackluster {Q-Spades}

, with no help for either player from the {J-Diamonds}

board.

Meanwhile Hoa Ngo has doubled up again with pocket aces that flopped trips and turned quads. He now has a comfortable 16,000.

09-19-2008 20:06 UTC+2

Oh, Mahoney...

[user46298]

A strange hand cut short Stefan Hachmeister's rollercoaster chip ride, but in much more spectator-pleasing style than his previous preflop all-ins. This time Dennis O'Mahoney limped preflop, as did he in later position.

The flop: {8-Spades}

Attention drifted, somewhat, as right next to me tablemate Willie Tann was chatting to a friend - when he suddenly looked at his neighbor and remarked, "Oh, you're all in!" And he was - the 4,000 or so left in his stack was the bet facing the Irishman, who was staring at him intently.

"I've played this really, really badly by limping," he chided himself, clearly not about to make a happy call - but call he did, showing {A-Diamonds}

. Hachmeister flipped the {8-Hearts}

for the flopped set, and stood up to wait for the deck to deal his fate.

Turn: {J-Spades}

"Spade," requested O'Mahoney.
River: {3-Spades}

Now the rest of the table made sad faces but Hachmeister took his exit in his stride.

09-19-2008 20:09 UTC+2

Gwinner Takes All

[user46392]

Henrik Gwinner has knocked out a short-stacked opponent who moved all in on an {8-Diamonds}

flop. His opponent was holding {K-Hearts}

for top pair, but he was drawing pretty thin against Gwinner's {K-Clubs}

and after exactly no miracles occurred on the {Q-Spades}

turn and

river, Gwinner was up to around 17,500.

Tags: Henrik Gwinner

09-19-2008 20:14 UTC+2

Cantu Takes One Out

[user4144]

In addition to winning a nice pot off William Martin earlier, Brandon Cantu eliminated an opponent just moments ago after hitting a straight with {10-Diamonds}

on a

board. Although his opponent had made a set of eights, it wasn't good enough, and the {K-Diamonds}

on the river provided no extra help.

Cantu now up to... er, actually, I'm not totally sure as he appears reluctant to stack his chips. I bet his mother was always asking him to clean his bedroom when he was a teenager.

Tags: Brandon Cantu

09-19-2008 20:17 UTC+2

Lucky Sevens

[user46392]

...Or not, depending on how you look at it.

Karsten Johansen raised under the gun only for Paul Ephremsen to push all in from the button to cover Johansen. After some hesitation, Johansen pushed his remaining chips in. Ephremsen threw down {7-Hearts}

. To which Johansen chuckled wearily, and flipped over {7-Diamonds}

. A clinical {A-Clubs}

board later, and both players took their chips back, a little unsatisfied, but both of them still in the running.

Tags: Karsten Johansen Paul Ephremsen

09-19-2008 20:28 UTC+2

Bebber Makes Quads, Kerrigan Makes His Exit

[user46392]

Flamboyantly-coiffed Michael Bebber has enjoyed a most decisive double-up courtesy of a demoralized Jim Kerrigan. Bebber got his chips in preflop, and with a sigh Kerrigan said, " Come on, what am I up against?" Bebber showed {7-Clubs}

, merely racing against Kerrigan's {A-Diamonds}

, until the flop came out.

Board: a quad-tastic {7-Hearts}

Kerrigan, now very short, made his last stand a few hands later and then headed for the rail.

Tags: Jim Kerrigan Michael Bebber

09-19-2008 20:30 UTC+2

Carl Hostrup Moves and Moves

[user46298]

Immediately after he was moved to a table upstairs, unpredictable Dane Carl Hostrup got pretty active with his short stack. All in preflop twice in two hands -- the first over a Timoshenko preflop raise (which was discarded quicker than an empty crisp packet) - but the second over a John Kabbaj preflop reraise. Denis O'Mahoney had made it 1,100 to go, raised to 3,900 by Kabbaj -- with a smile Hostrup's chips sallied forth again. O'Mahoney gurned a little bit and then passed, but Kabbaj called -- only for them to show down {A-Diamonds}

and

respectively. Chop chop.

09-19-2008 20:31 UTC+2

Ian Frazer Eliminated

[user4144]

Ian "The Raiser" Frazer is now out after clashing with the enigmatic Davood Mehrmand.

On an {A-Diamonds}

flop and with around 2,000 in the pot, Frazer led for 1,000, but Mehrmand put his opponent to the test by making it a total of 3,000 to play.

"How much have you got?" requested Frazer, gesticulating Mehrmand to move his hands and reveal his stack.

"What difference does it make?" asked Mehrmand as he sat back.

"Oh, it makes a difference," replied Frazer intensely.

After sizing up his options, Frazer pushed all in for 5,000 with {A-Spades}