We're not sure how it happened, but Jay "Seabeast" Kinkade is back up to almost 30,000. He and David Steicke (an Aussie of sorts himself) are battling it out for the early chip lead here on Day 1a. Steicke is just a smidgen off the lead with about 29,000.
David Steicke
We approached the table with David Steicke calling a bet of 1,000 on a flop of , before the peeled on the turn.
A bet of 2,500 sent Steicke into the tank for a very long time before he splashed 7,500 into the middle, leaving himself just 5,000 behind. His opponent quickly moved all in and Steicke insta-called.
Steicke:
Opponent:
The river bricked the and Steicke doubles up once again to now find himself with 28,000 chips.
Jay "Seabeast" Kinkade
Australia's number one online player, Jay "SEABEAST" Kinkade had chipped up nicely in the early stages of this tournament but we just caught him in a hand where he was faced with a bet of 3,400 on the river on a board of .
Kinkade made a quick call, but cringed when his opponent tabled for the straight. Kinkade slips to 14,000.
Shawn Buchanan was recently spotted chatting to some buddies on his way out the door after his recent elimination from the tournament.
We wandered over to his empty chair and his ex-tablemates informed us he pushed his flush draw into top pair and when the turn and river bricked out, he was sent to the rail.
Young Phan
It's been down, then up, and now down again for Young Phan today. He was heads-up and out of position for a flop of . He and his opponent both checked to the turn, where Phan checked a second time. He considered a bet of 1,000 from his opponent forhalf a minute before calling.
The river was the . Phan checked a third time and was faced with a bet of 2,000. He chose to call and was shown the second nuts, . We presume he did not have an ace-high flush as he quickly mucked his hand.
James Potter
With a raise from the cutoff to 400, James Potter announced a re-raise to 1,350 from the small blind.
"I was going to make it one thousand more but I decided to give you a discount!" chirped Potter as his opponent made a quick call.
Potter checked in the dark as the flop came down . His opponent checked behind and the free card on the turn was the .
"Now I have to bet because you checked..." said Potter and tossed out 1,100. His opponent called once again, and both players were content to check down the river.
Potter flipped for jacks and fours which was good to take down the pot. He's chipped up nicely in the first two levels and will head to the break with around 18,000 chips.