Arnaud Mattern opened to 75 preflop, receiving one caller before the button 3-bet to 325. Mattern made the call while the third player folded.
The flop came and both players checked, Mattern also checked the to his opponent who bet 450, resulting in a quick call from the Frenchman. The river seemed to change nothing and again Mattern checked, facing this time a bet of 700.
Taking several minutes, Mattern made a reluctant call and then saw the bad news come at him like a Daily Mail headline, the button showed to scoop. Mattern drops to 1,500.
Phil Ivey has already moved his stack to 4,000 after picking up an early couple of pots from his table. We just wandered over to see a pot of 650 in the middle and a board of laid out in the middle. A player checked to Ivey and he bet 300. After a first-level two-minute tank, the player mucked his hand and Ivey won the pot.
When durrrr arrived at his table, I couldn't help but notice that a few phones left their pockets as people frantically alerted their friends to the news. Obviously, they waited a few moments, so as not to look uncool.
However, I possibly shouldn't read too much into that observation, as when Sorel Mizzi joined in the fun, durrrr too began texting on his phone.
Nevertheless, it's great to see such big names pros here in the Empire, and judging by the star-struck look on his neighbour's face, durrrr's presence is certainly a plus point that many young players will take home.
Three players saw the flop come down . The first player checked and Scott Fischman also checked. Barny Boatman fired 50 and only Fischman called.
The turn brought the and Fischman checked. Boatman fired 125 and was raised to 300 by Fischman. Boatman made the call.
The river completed the board with the and Fischman fired 600. After a minute, Boatman moved all in. Fischman quickly called.
"You got three-four?" asked Boatman.
Fischman shook his head no and tabled a better hand, for the nut straight. Boatman showed the for a flopped set. Boatman was covered by Fischman and hit the rail on an early exit. Fischman's got 6,000 chips now.
We've already lost Barny Boatman thanks for Scott Fischman turning a straight on one of the tables up in the Shadow Bar room, a table that also contained Kyle Bowker and Peter Jetten. Danny Wong just entered the room and took a seat at the same table making it quite powerful.
In a multi-way pot (I believe Jack Powell raised the hijack to 125), four players checked a flop, only for Sorel Mizzi to fire 300 from the button on the turn. Just one player called.
The river was a , and Mizzi bet again, this time 600, but was swiftly checked-raised to 1,500. Mizzi made the call with before chopping up the pot versus .
Mizzi has lost a few early pots, though, and is closer to the 2,000 mark.
Tucked away in the far corner of the balcony is the Huck Seed/Andrew Teng table but they're sharing it with the very unconvetional play of Albert Sapiano. The latter is known for flummoxing opponents with seeming odd lines, he plays poker recreationally having made all his money in the honey business and is known in poker circles as 'The Honey Man'.
Teng however just picked up a pot, raising to 100 preflop and getting called by Sapiano and the big blind, though both folded to his 225 continuation bet on the board.
On the turn, the board read between Kyle Bowker and Danny Wong. Bowker checked and Wong bet 450. Bowker raised to 1,200 and Wong moved all in. Bowker called with the for a flopped straight. Wong held top two with the .
The river paired the board, but it did so with the , not a king or an eight that Wong needed and he dropped to about 600 chips. Bowker is up to about 5,600.
Ali Masterman was keen to reveal his recent double up, his tone a mixture of relief and elation.
According to the horse's mouth, Masterman opened with , and bet every street of a board. His opponent put him all on the river with , but Masterman found the call.
"You've got to get chips in these tournaments," he concluded.
![[user76023]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
and both players checked, Mattern also checked the 
to his opponent who bet 450, resulting in a quick call from the Frenchman. The river 
seemed to change nothing and again Mattern checked, facing this time a bet of 700.
to scoop. Mattern drops to 1,500.
laid out in the middle. A player checked to Ivey and he bet 300. After a first-level two-minute tank, the player mucked his hand and Ivey won the pot.
. The first player checked and Scott Fischman also checked. Barny Boatman fired 50 and only Fischman called.
and Fischman checked. Boatman fired 125 and was raised to 300 by Fischman. Boatman made the call.
and Fischman fired 600. After a minute, Boatman moved all in. Fischman quickly called.
for a flopped set. Boatman was covered by Fischman and hit the rail on an early exit. Fischman's got 6,000 chips now.
turn. Just one player called.
before chopping up the pot versus 
.
between Kyle Bowker and Danny Wong. Bowker checked and Wong bet 450. Bowker raised to 1,200 and Wong moved all in. Bowker called with the 
for a flopped straight. Wong held top two with the 
, not a king or an eight that Wong needed and he dropped to about 600 chips. Bowker is up to about 5,600.
, but Masterman found the call.