It would seem that Nick Petrangelo and David Peters feel they did not play enough hands against each other yesterday in the $100,000 Challenge so have decided to get into it again today.
The action started innocuously enough with Petrangelo completing the small blind and Peters checking his option in the big blind with the flop falling .
This is where the fireworks began however with Petrangelo leading for 100 and Peters raising to 325. Petrangelo shot Peters a look and tossed in the call, checking the turn.
Needing no further encouragement Peters fired out a bet of 625. Petrangelo reached for chips and check-raised to 2.600 in total and it was Peters turn to glance over at his tablemate, though he did eventually make the call.
The hit the river and Petrangelo led for 7,500. Peters mulled it over but eventually elected to fold.
Following a button raise to 250 Connor Drinan made it 1,150 to go from the small blind. After Roger Flueckiger folded from the big blind the button called to take the action heads-up to a flop of .
Drinan led out for 800, which was enough to get his opponent to give it up.
Registration remains open all day. In fact, players are able to register till the end of Level 8 so they even have 90 minutes tomorrow to decide to sign up.
We caught the action heads-up on a flop of with Jordan Westmorland, sitting on the button, leading out for 500 into a pot of 600. Westmorland’s opponent made the call so it was off to the turn, which came down to pair the board.
This brought another check from the out of position player and Westmorland fired the second barrel of 1,000, which after some careful contemplation was again called by Westmorland’s opponent.
The river was checked to Westmorland for the third time and he fired the third barrel for a bet of 2,500. Westmorland’s opponent check-raised to 5,000 and the US player let it go pretty quickly. The player obligingly flashed so Westmorland dodged a bullet there.
We have spotted several more familiar faces with Daniel Laidlaw, Connor Drinan, and Raiden Kan littered around the poker room.
Two more high rollers Mikita Badziakouski and Mike Watson are seated together for today’s starting flight, which should prove interesting.
Preflop it was Badziakouski who kicked off the action with a min-raise from middle position with an opponent sitting on the button three-betting to 625 in total. Watson folded from the small blind and after the big blind bowed out Badziakouski made the call.
Badziakouski checked the over to the aggressor who checked it back and the dealer burned and turned the bringing another check from Badziakouski. The button bet 850 and Badziakouski bowed out.
After spending all day yesterday playing together in the $100,000 Challenge Nick Petrangelo and David Peters are both tablemates and neighbors in today’s starting flight.
The two players are in the small and big blind respectively and following an under the gun min-raise and a call both Petrangelo and Peters came along for the ride for some four-way action.
It was all check on the flop so it was off to the turn before the first bet was made with the under the gun raiser leading out for 525. That was enough to get everyone else to bow out and the under the gun player raked in the pot.
We caught the action on the river in a hand between Kitty Kuo and Jordan Westmorland.
With the community cards reading and over 5,600 in the pot Kuo, sitting in the cutoff was facing a Westmorland river bet of 4,000. Kuo looked interested but did eventually lay it down.
“Good fold,” quipped Westmorland, scooping in the pot.
The field is massive for Day 1c already, with a lot of notables in there. A lot of the high rollers that are in town have decided to play today. Nick Petrangelo and David Peters sit right next to each other, just like coming Saturday when they take their seats at the $100,000 Challenge final table.
The late arrivals are still trickling in but most players are in their seats and there is an audible buzz surrounding Crown’s Las Vegas poker room. Notables in today's field include Melbourne regular Dennis Huntly, high-stakes specialist Ben Tollerene, Taiwan’s Kitty Kuo, Hong Kong’s Alan Lau, Macau-based Winfred Yu, Jordon Westmoreland, Sebastian Clot, Roger Flueckiger and the UK’s Charlie Carrel and Stephen Chidwick.
Defending Champion Ari Engel has just uttered the four most exciting words in tournament poker and it is time to shuffle up and deal.