The large number of red T1,000 chips in the middle of the table, along with just a smattering of yellow T5,000 ones, aroused our interest.
The board read and Antonio Buonanno was betting out an astonishingly-hefty-for-Level- 2 9,000. Across the table Ayaz Manji looked as though he was seriously considering it, but in the end he passed.
Manji must have had a good start to the day, but is now back down to an almost smack-on-the-average 30,000. Buonanno is doing rather better on 47,000.
A bad first session for Theodor Lothman saw him rest on exactly 10,000 as the first break approached. He raised utg+1 to 400, called in one spot before Patrick Adrianus Dijk upped it to 1,500. Back to Lothman, who moved his stack all in. The flatter disappeared but Dijk quickly made the call, putting the short stack at risk.
Dijk:
Lothman:
The board ran out giving a decisive double to Lothman and a very playable stack even though it's 10k below the starting one...
We have two Thorsons in the field today - the celebrated William Thorson, winner of many things, and his less well known but no less talented little brother, Jens, who you may remember won a side event at EPT London late last year, and made the last three tables at San Remo.
Neither of them seems to be doing spectacularly well at the moment.
We found Thorson the Younger (Jens) betting out 1,100 from the big blind position on the turn of a board, eliciting an insta-call from the gentleman on the button. The Younger Thorson checked the river, and then folded to a 2,550 bet from the button. Down to 28,000.
At the next table, the Elder Thorson meanwhile made it all the way to the river of a board with four players in the hand. It checked around to the Elder Thorson who bet 725, getting exactly one call. The Elder Thorson turned over for a pair of jacks, but discovered that the caller had rivered two pair with . Down to 24,000.
It started innocently enough with Simon Boss raising to 400 in middle position before Team PokerStars Pro Florian Langmann reraised to 1,400 next to him. Tommy Strand Skalmeras then reraised to 3,000 from the small blind, so far so aggro.
Then Boss wasted little time in putting in the cold 5-bet making it 9,000 and Langmann wisely got out of the way.
Skalmeras looked pained for a moment but then 6-bet to 15,500 which was roughly half his remaining stack. Boss quickly moved all-in and Skalmeras sighed, thought for about 2 more minutes and to the surprise of the table folded his hand.
With under 2,000 in the middle, Niclas Hall and Bikmetov Bulat started a war when the turn fell a jack making the board . The glint of 5k chips brought us over to watch, as the 11,800 in front of Hall was raised all-in by Bulat (around 24,000). This must have been the tail end of a series of turn-based raises, and it remained uncalled. Hall replaced his impressive golden statue on what was left of his stack and lived to fight another hand.
Sami Kelopuro may play in the biggest cash games online but live tournaments prove a very different beast. The flying Finn has had his wings clipped early on after he paid off a 7,600 bet on the river of a board, getting shown for his troubles.
There's only one explanation for the two very large (and three medium) stacks over on Table 41 - and it's the two empty places already carved out by early bustouts. We spotted TD Kevin telling the dealer to hold up should the table consume another player, as this has to be the quickest rate of attrition seen at this tournament yet.
The beneficiaries of the spent stacks:
Luigi-Nicolo Caramatti - 56,000
Juan Jose Pozo Jimenez - 61,500
Having missed this early drama, we did see Soren Kongsgaard three-betting out of the big blind and then betting out 1,850 on the flop to take a pot from Hadsen Fortiai.
Johan Berg looks to be one of earliest casualties of the day after he cold 3-bet all-in for about 18,000 vs a bet of 2,000 and a raise of 6,000 on a board, the initial bettor folded but the raiser quickly called with and Berg's was in hot water. No help on the turn or river and Berg's stack melted away.
![[user46392]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
and Antonio Buonanno was betting out an astonishingly-hefty-for-Level- 2 9,000. Across the table Ayaz Manji looked as though he was seriously considering it, but in the end he passed.
giving a decisive double to Lothman and a very playable stack even though it's 10k below the starting one...
board, eliciting an insta-call from the gentleman on the button. The Younger Thorson checked the 
river, and then folded to a 2,550 bet from the button. Down to 28,000.
. Down to 24,000.
board, getting shown 
for his troubles.
board, the initial bettor folded but the raiser quickly called with 
and Berg's 
