It's still early, and although there have been a handful of exits, most of our runners are still on around their starting stacks. However, a few people have been getting involved, and some movement is evident already.
Going up - Manuel Bevand and Laurence Houghton.
Going down - ElkY, Kenny Hallaert and Mario Adinolfi.
After Peter Bosen limped from middle position, Shaun Deeb raised his button to 400. The blinds folded, and Bosen made the call. He checked the flop, then called Deeb's bet of 550. Both players checked the turn. The river paired the board, and Bosen tried to steal the pot for 1,200 chips. No dice as Deeb quickly made the call. "Ace," said Bosen, turning over . Deeb's was good enough to win the pot.
With a field somewhat light on well-known pros today, there are plenty of tables with only one or two recognizable faces. But not Table 29. That one's stacked, and since it's at the back of the room, it's not going to break today. It's only going to get tougher as a few players chip up.
Table 29
Seat 1: Sami "LarsLuzak" Kelopuro (who has chips on the table but has yet to arrive)
Seat 3: Kenny Hallaert
Seat 5: Roberto Romanello
Seat 6: Derek Lerner
Seat 7: Ilari Tahkokallio
Seat 9: Nikolay Evdakov
Seat 10: Benjamin "NeverScaredB" Wilinofsky
Juha Helppi was our first exit today, the pot was 4-bet pre before the rest of the money went in on an 8-high flop. Helppi had but ran into a rascally Russian who held and avoided the two remaining kings in the deck.
Cheerful young Canadian Ben Wilinofsky has managed to up his stack a little early doors.
We caught up with him on the turn of a board. Kenny Hallaert checked to Wilinofsky, and then called the Canadian's 400 bet. They saw a river and Hallaert checked again. This time Wilinofsky fired 1,100 and again Hallaert called, but mucked when WIlinofsky turned over for a flush.
When we arrived on the flop, there was 1,600 in the pot and four players looking at a board. Michele Limongi checked his small blind, another player checked, and Kevin MacPhee bet 1,050. Only Limongi joined him to the turn. It went check-check, but when the river paired the board, Limongi bet out 3,125. MacPhee made a swift call, but when Limongi just tapped the table and nodded rather than turn up his hand, Kevin still hesitated to show. The deal prompted Limongi to table his cards, and he could only show for ten-high. That meant MacPhee had made an excellent call with to scoop the pot with king-high.
Johan Storakers opened preflop to 275, Vadim Markushevski made the call on the button and the big blind also called.
All three checked the flop before the came on the turn, the big blind now fired out 500, Storakers passed but Markushevski raised to 1,425 with the big blind calling fairly quickly.
The river was the and now the big blind bet again but a very small 1,425, Markushevski made the call and the big blind showed a missed which was never going to be any good against the Belarus Pro's .
There were terrific scenes in Vegas just over a year ago when Dutchman Marc Naalden won a bracelet, complete with scenes of a carnival atmosphere. Today, however Naalden is in a much more subdued mood, quietly getting down to business. He just check-raised a 2,050 bet to 5,500 (pretty hefty at this stage) on the turn of a board getting a fold from his opponent though Naalden did not look too happy about it.
button in Safari
Dario Mineri fired out a bet of 5,700 on the river against Veli-Pekka Tapani but the Finn found a call.
flop, then called Deeb's bet of 550. Both players checked the 
turn. The 
river paired the board, and Bosen tried to steal the pot for 1,200 chips. No dice as Deeb quickly made the call. "Ace," said Bosen, turning over 
. Deeb's 
was good enough to win the pot.
board. Kenny Hallaert checked to Wilinofsky, and then called the Canadian's 400 bet. They saw a 
river and Hallaert checked again. This time Wilinofsky fired 1,100 and again Hallaert called, but mucked when WIlinofsky turned over 
board. Michele Limongi checked his small blind, another player checked, and Kevin MacPhee bet 1,050. Only Limongi joined him to the 
river paired the board, Limongi bet out 3,125. MacPhee made a swift call, but when Limongi just tapped the table and nodded rather than turn up his hand, Kevin still hesitated to show. The deal prompted Limongi to table his cards, and he could only show 
to scoop the pot with king-high.
flop before the 
came on the turn, the big blind now fired out 500, Storakers passed but Markushevski raised to 1,425 with the big blind calling fairly quickly.
.
board getting a fold from his opponent though Naalden did not look too happy about it.
