One name that's well-known in poker circles -- but escaped our attention the first two days -- is that of Tab Duchateau. Duchateau is the tournament director at the Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ. Under Duchateau's stewardship, the Borgata has become an industry leader and one of the pre-eminent destinations for big buy-in poker tournaments in the northeastern United States.
Duchateau does not often play tournaments himself (this morning on an internet forum he posted that he has new respect for people who do so for a living) but he's poised for a deep run here at Mohegan. He recently wound up all in pre-flop against Frank Vizza. Vizza had red tens but Duchateau had black aces. His aces were best on a board of , doubling his stack to about 210,000 chips.
Donnie Peters
Mr. Phillips
Dennis Phillips limped in from early position and then fellow Team PokerStars Pro Marcello Del Grosso raised from the button to 16,000. Phillips was the only caller.
The two took a flop of and Phillips checked. Del Grosso checked behind.
The turn card was the and again, both check. After the hit the river, both players checked it down once more. Phillips turned up two sixes and beat Del Grosso's to scoop the pot.
Del Grosso dropped back a tad to 200,000 while Phillips moved to 135,000.
Donnie Peters
Phil Ivey raised to 10,000 from under the gun. Stephen Affron called from the cutoff seat and the two took a flop of . Ivey checked and Affron bet out 20,000. Ivey reached for a pile of blue T5,000 chips and stuck them over the betting line to put Affron all in if he were to make the call. After a minute, Affron did make the call.
Ivey rolled up bottom set with the and was ahead of Affron's . The turn and river were the and and that was it for Affron. Ivey collected the chips to increase to 405,000 while Affron walked to the rail mumbling, "Well, that's Ivey for ya."
Donnie Peters
Action folded to Richard Austin on the button and he raised to 12,000. Todd Terry reraised from the small blind to 36,000. Austin moved all in and Terry quickly called, tabling the . Austin held the .
The board ran out and Terry spiked broadway on the river. He moved up to 470,000 chips by sending Austin packing.
Donnie Peters
On a flop of , Tim West and Robert Rosen got all of the chips in the middle. West held against the of Rosen.
The turn completed the flush for West when the fell and then the river completed the board with the . Rosen had less chips than West and was eliminated from the event. West bumped himself to nearly 200,000 chips.
Kwickfish
Paul Wasicka is outfitted in full Victory Poker gear today but there's not likely to be a victory for him any time soon. He and Anton Talle got it all in pre-flop, with Wasicka turning up pocket kings. Bad news for Wasicka: Talle had the aces, . Aces held. When the stacks were counted down, Wasicka had to ship 99,800 to Talle, leaving himself with fewer than 10,000 chips.
Donnie Peters
Quinn Do was all in preflop with pocket jacks against the of Lars Bonding. Do was the player at risk and ended up eliminated from the event after an ace fell on the turn to give Bonding the hand.
Donnie Peters
Rousso
On a flop of , Vanessa Rousso checked to Dennis Tuttle. Tuttle fired 15,000 and Rousso tanked for a little bit and then made the call.
The turn card was the and the river was the . Both players checked on both streets. Rousso saw Tuttle turn up the and then she turned up her for a better ace high to win the pot.
Donnie Peters
From middle position, Phil Ivey raised to 10,000. Todd Terry called out of the big blind and then the flop came down . Terry check-called a continuation bet of 15,000 from Ivey.
The turn card was the and Terry checked. Ivey checked behind. The river was the and Terry checked again. Ivey checked behind once more. Terry revealed the for sevens and threes before Ivey mucked his hand.
JohnnyBax
Cliff "JohnnyBax" Josephy is a man who usually lets his money do the talking. We wonder what thoughts were going through his mind after losing a battle of the blinds to Joe Nemeth.
Josephy limped in on the small blind, then called Nemeth's big blind raise to 14,000. Josephy check-called 16,700 on the flop and 35,000 on the turn. He checked the river as well, prompting Nemeth to say, "Kings". He tabled , having made a pair of kings on the river. Josephy silently tossed his cards into the muck but didn't seem pleased.
, doubling his stack to about 210,000 chips.
and Phillips checked. Del Grosso checked behind.
and again, both check. After the 
hit the river, both players checked it down once more. Phillips turned up two sixes and beat Del Grosso's 
to scoop the pot.
. Ivey checked and Affron bet out 20,000. Ivey reached for a pile of blue T5,000 chips and stuck them over the betting line to put Affron all in if he were to make the call. After a minute, Affron did make the call.
. The turn and river were the 
and 
and that was it for Affron. Ivey collected the chips to increase to 405,000 while Affron walked to the rail mumbling, "Well, that's Ivey for ya."
. Austin held the 
and Terry spiked broadway on the river. He moved up to 470,000 chips by sending Austin packing.
, Tim West and Robert Rosen got all of the chips in the middle. West held 
against the 
. Rosen had less chips than West and was eliminated from the event. West bumped himself to nearly 200,000 chips.
of Lars Bonding. Do was the player at risk and ended up eliminated from the event after an ace fell on the turn to give Bonding the hand.
, Vanessa Rousso checked to Dennis Tuttle. Tuttle fired 15,000 and Rousso tanked for a little bit and then made the call.
and the river was the 
for a better ace high to win the pot.
. Terry check-called a continuation bet of 15,000 from Ivey.
for sevens and threes before Ivey mucked his hand.
flop and 35,000 on the 
, having made a pair of kings on the river. Josephy silently tossed his cards into the muck but didn't seem pleased.
