We didn't see the hand, but Allen "Chainsaw" Kessler was making his way through the tournament area and explaining the circumstances surrounding his elimination to a player a few tables away.
"Since when did you start getting it in with draw?" the friend asked of Kessler. Given that he missed this one, we don't expect he'll be anxious to do it again any time soon.
From middle position, 2010 World Series of Poker November NIner John Dolan raised to 2,300. The player in the hijack seat, Dan Hirleman, called, Jordan Young called on the button and the player in the big blind called.
The four players took the flop of 
and the big blind was up first. He checked and Dolan stayed aggressive with a bet of 5,400. After Hirleman folded, Young tanked for a bit and then raised to 50,000. The raise was large enough to put the big blind and Dolan all in if they were to call. After the big blind folded, Dolan flicked his hand in as well and dropped back to 31,000. Young chipped back up a bit to 95,000.
With 13,000 in the pot and a flop of 
, Anh Van Nguyen checked to George Lind III, who promptly bet 5,200. Nguyen made the call and both players proceeded to check the 
turn and 
river. Lind flipped over 
for a pair of aces and Nguyen mucked. Lind, who became a father about a month back, is up to around 90,000.
We don't have the specifics but Mel Judah, who entered the day as one of the extreme short stacks, has been eliminated from the Big Event.
Hasan Habib was one of the short stacks entering Day 2 but just got lucky to received a much-needed double. It began when a player limped in middle position and Seat 2 raised to 4,200. Action folded to Habib on the button and he moved all in for 17,300. The limper got out of the way while Seat 2 made the call:
Seat 2: 
Habib: 
Habib was way behind but not after the 
flop delivered him a set. The 
on the turn gave him a boat and all he needed to do was dodge a king or queen on the river. He did just that as the 
peeled off. Habib is still relatively short with 40,000.
A lot of chips went into the middle on the flop of 
between Jordan Young and Ryan Hughes, although we missed exactly how the betting went. The turn brought the 
and with a little under 40,000 chips in the middle, both Young and Hughes checked to see the 
fall on the river. Young checked and Hughes put him all in. Young went into the tank for a minute or two, but eventually made the call for his last 30,800 and his entire tournament life.
THe choice to call was the correct one as Hughes held just the 
for jack high. Young's 
for trip sevens earned him the pot and it was a big one. He's now over 100,000 in chips after starting with under 50,000 here on Day 2.
Action folded to the player in the cutoff and he put in a raise to 2,200. Pat Pezzin was in the big blind and opted to make the call, leading to a 
flop. Pezzin proceeded to check-call a bet of 2,500 and then both players checked the 
turn. When the was put out on the river, Pezzin fired out 5,300 and the cutoff quickly folded. Pezzin is approaching 100,000.
From middle position, Anh Van Nguyen raised to 2,000. The player in the hijack seat called and Gioi Luong called from the big blind to bring them to the flop of 
. Luong checked to the preflop raiser, Nguyen. He fired a continuation bet of 3,500 and the hijack seat called. Luong folded.
The 
appeared on the turn and Nguyen slowed down with a check to his opponent. The player went for a bet and made his wager 6,500. Nguyen stuck around to see fifth street.
The final card on the board was the 
. Nguyen checked and this time his opponent bet a bit more, making it 12,000. Nguyen wasted little time in making the call holding the for a club flush. His opponent held the and lost the pot.
Nguyen began the day with 62,800 and with this pot, he's up to about 96,000 in chips already in the early goings on Day 2.
There are some interesting table match-ups here on Day 2. Here is a sample of a few:
- Joseph Cheong, Thor Hansen, Nacho Barbero, Joe Tehan
- Marcello Del Grosso, Daivd "ODB" Baker, Jordan Morgan
- Victor Ramdin, Steven Brecher, Vanessa Peng
- Good friends Kathy Liebert and 1983 WSOP Main Event winner Tom McEvoy
- George Lind III, Chris DeMaci, Anh Van Nguyen
- Jerry Yang, Mel Judah, Allen Kessler
In a recent hand on that last table, there was a board reading 
and about 11,500 in the pot when Yang bet 8,500 from the big blind position. His sole opponent in middle position thought long and hard before laying down his hand. Yang, the 2007 WSOP Main Event winner, is up to around 60,000.
![[user66118]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
There was 7,900 in the pot when Dwyte Pilgrim (small blind) and Anthony Trinh (button) took a 
flop. Pilgrim had 9,100 chips left, and he stuck them all in with 
. Trinh quickly called with the 
, having flopped two pair.
The 
turn left Pilgrim drawing dead to the river, and Mr. Pilgrim has been sent to the rail here early on Day 2.
