[user38449]
Ben Savage is down to 18,300 early after a quiescent Hassam Rahim Mansour took a pot from him holding baby suited connectors.
The under-the-gun player opened with a raise to 300 and Savage (UTG+1) made the call. Mansour called from middle position and the three opponents saw the flop come .
Action was then checked around to Mansour who fired a 675 bet. The original raiser tossed his cards into the muck pile, but Savage stuck around to see the turn, which brought the .
Another check, bet (1,000), call sequence sent the hand to the river () where Savage checked again. Before Mansour could act, Savage needled, "Firing again..." Sure enough, Mansour counted out a 2,500 bet and slid the chips into the middle.
"Aggressive these people, aren't they?" (According to PokerStars' player list, Mansour resides in Canada). "Where you from?" Savage asked.
Not willing to give up any additional information, Mansour remained silent and Savage eventually made the call prompting Mansour to table the winning hand -- .
[user67765]
2009 Aussie Millions Champ Stewart Scott
We've spotted a couple of other champs in the field with 2009 Aussie Millions winner Stewart Scott recently taking his seat, while Isaac Galazan is also amongst today's field.
Galazan is a WSOP bracelet winner from back in 2005 where he won $315,125 in Event #6 $2,500 No Limit Holdem where he overcame 548 players and the likes of Antonio Esfandiari, David Singer and Harry Demetriou on the final table to capture the title.
We'll be keeping a close eye on the progress of these guys today!
[user75032]
We passed by Emad Tahtouh's table to see a huge pot in progess. There were 4,500 chips up for grabs with the board showing . Four players, including Tahtouh and Dan Schreiber, were contesting the pot.
The big blind checked to Tahtouh, who made a bet of 3,800. It was enough to fold the third player in the hand and Schreiber, but the big blind paid to see another card.
That card was the . The big blind seized the opportunity to lead into Tahtouh for 6,500. Tahtouh studied his opponent for about a minute before folding face up. His stack is down to about 18,000 as a result.
[user67765]
Emad Tahtouh
Event though there is little room between tables, Emad Tahtouh has only just noticed fellow Australian and PokerStars Pro Grant Levy sitting directly behind him.
"Hey mate, how you going?" said Tahtouh before taking a look at Levy's tough table and comparing it to his own which is also rather solid with the likes of Wally Sombero, Eric Assadourian and Dan Schreiber.
He then joked to Levy "Hey, I'll swap you you Eric for Dodds?" which brought a chuckle from the table before Tahtouh returned to his own seat and commented to Assadourian, "Man, that table is worse than ours!"
[user75032]
We caught up with November Niner (and instant poker celebrity) James Akenhead with a flop of and 900 chips already in the middle of the table. Akenhead was playing from the big blind and checked to his lone opponent, the under-the-gun player, who bet 600. Akenhead called.
The turn fell and again Akenhead checked. This time his opponent bet 1,500, a bet that Akenhead check-raised to 3,500. On a non-threatening board, this check-raise reeked of strength but his opponent wanted to see one more card and called.
The river fell . Akenhead made a value bet of 2,000, then showed down the Hammer, , for two pair, sevens and deuces. His opponent disgustedly flipped into the muck.
[user67765]
Johnny Chan
Rasmus Akerblom raised it up from the button to 300 and Johnny Chan defended his big blind with a call.
The went to a flop of and Chan checked and then called the bet of 400 by Akerblom. The turn was the and this time Chan led out for 800. Akerblom deliberated for several minutes before committing to a call.
The river was the and Chan fired out 2,000 with Akerblom snap-calling this time around.
Chan tabled for the flush to take it down. He's now back up to 22,000 chips.
[user75032]
If there's an elimination in the first twenty minutes of play of a 200-big-blind tournament, it's usually a cooler. Mark Cornwell is the early beneficiary of such a hand. He flopped a set of deuces on a board and made quad deuces with the turn . Cornwell's unlucky opponent had the second nuts, for a full house queens full of deuces, and couldn't get away from the hand.
We're not sure when all the chips went in the middle but we do know they're all in Cornwell's stack now. He's up to 43,000. Other early movers include Eric Assadourian and Wally Sombero.
[user67765]
Catching the action on a flop of in what appeared to be a limped pot, the play checked over to Dave Ewing who fired 325. After a couple of folds, Rick Kroesen made the call in the big blind.
The turn brought the and Kroesen checked to Ewing who made it 650. Kroesen made the call once again.
The river was the and Kroesen led out for 1,125 with Ewing quickly looking him up. Kroesen tabled for the rivered flush for a nice big blind special to rake in the pot.
[user75032]
Apart from the Table of Death in the center of the room, there are plenty of other well-known pro in attendance for tihs Day 1a flight. A random sampling would include David Chiu, Emanuel Seal, November Niner James Akenhead, Jay "SEABEAST" Kinkade, former world champion Mansour Matloubi, Manila poker legend Wally Sombero and Vivek Rajkumar.
[user67765]
David Steicke
With around fifteen tables in action there are plenty of heavily-stacked tables out there today. One which caught our eye in particular was the one featuring Joel Dodds (Seat 1), David Steicke (Seat 2), Grant Levy (Seat 4), Rasmus Akerblom (Seat 6) and Johnny Chan (Seat 8).
They haven't wasted any time in getting busy in an interesting early pot.
Levy opened to 275 from early position before Akerblom made it 750 to go. Johnny Chan made the call on the button and play folded around to David Steicke in the big blind who made it 3,500.
Levy sat in the tank for a minute or two before making a reluctant fold. Akerblom folded but Chan tossed out calling chips.
The flop landed and Steicke tossed out a colorful bet of 6,625 - one chip of every denomination. Chan slammed his cards into the muck in frustration as Steicke starts were he left off from the APT a few days ago to collect a nice early pot.
![[user38449]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
. 
.
) where Savage checked again. Before Mansour could act, Savage needled, "Firing again..." Sure enough, Mansour counted out a 2,500 bet and slid the chips into the middle.
.
. Four players, including Tahtouh and Dan Schreiber, were contesting the pot.
. The big blind seized the opportunity to lead into Tahtouh for 6,500. Tahtouh studied his opponent for about a minute before folding 
face up. His stack is down to about 18,000 as a result.
and again Akenhead checked. This time his opponent bet 1,500, a bet that Akenhead check-raised to 3,500. On a non-threatening board, this check-raise reeked of strength but his opponent wanted to see one more card and called.
, for two pair, sevens and deuces. His opponent disgustedly flipped 
into the muck.
and Chan fired out 2,000 with Akerblom snap-calling this time around.
for the flush to take it down. He's now back up to 22,000 chips.
board and made quad deuces with the turn 
and Kroesen checked to Ewing who made it 650. Kroesen made the call once again.
and Steicke tossed out a colorful bet of 6,625 - one chip of every denomination. Chan slammed his cards into the muck in frustration as Steicke starts were he left off from the APT a few days ago to collect a nice early pot.