Mickey DoftJason Mercier decided to be a Houston Texans fan for the day
We arrived at Table 2 during a flurry of raises between Jason Mercier (in the small blind) and Jeff Gross (in the big blind).
We were informed that Tom Marchese opened with a raise to 3,500 under the gun and Mercier re-raised to 9,700 from the small blind. Gross made it 24,500 to go from the big blind, forcing a fold from Marchese. Mercier made it 43,100 before Gross came back over the top to 87,500. Mercier went all in for 188,600, sending Gross into the tank for a good three minutes before he called.
Mercier:
Gross:
Plenty of paint hit the table, but the board provided no help to Gross.
Brandon Steven opened for 3,200 under the gun and received a call from Dan Shak, who was next to act. Action the folded around to Tobias Reinkemeier in the big blind and he called, making it three-way action to the flop. Reinkemeier checked, Steven bet 5,700, and Shak raised to 16,500. Reinkemeier folded, Steven called, and it was heads up to the turn, which both players checked.
When the appeared on the river, Steven checked and Shak fired out four blue T5,000 chips for a bet of 20,000. Steven considered it for a moment and then conceded the hand. Shak then flashed and took down the pot.
Antonio Esfandiari and Phil Ivey recently played a friendly little game of "Johnny Lodden Thinks," but there thinker was not the Team PokerStars Pro, rather it was PokerStars Team Online Member Isaac Haxton.
The questioned posed to Haxton was: How many one-night stands will there be in the country of the Bahamas tonight?
"It depends on how many people bust this tournament," Philipp Gruissem joked.
Let the bidding begin!
Esfandiari: "Two."
Ivey: "Five."
Esfandiari: "Ten."
Ivey: "Twelve."
Esfandiari: "Fifteen."
Ivey: "Wait."
At that point, Ivey asked Esfandiari to review the rules. For those of you playing at home, if Ivey said "buy" at this moment, then he would have fifteen one-night stands and under. The bidding continued up to 24.
Ivey: "Twenty-five."
Esfandiari: "Bye? Or twenty-five?"
Ivey: "Twenty-five."
Finally, Esfandiari bid 51, and Ivey bought the number and the under.
Haxton's number? 3,000.
The entire table erupted with laughter.
"Maybe in Hong Kong..." Gruissem needled.
"Three-thousand one-night stands tonight." Ivey echoed, staring at Haxton.
Esfandiari won this round, but we're sure Ivey will be back for more.
Today's field is chalk full of poker pros, and pretty much everyone is well known. If there is a mystery man in the field, it's Greg Jensen. Little is known about Jensen, who appears to meet the "rich businessman" criteria, other than the fact that he's opted to put up $100K to play against poker's best.
In a recent hand, Jensen opened for 3,000 under the gun and cleared the field all the way to Team PokerStars Pro Jonathan Duhamel, who opted to defend from the big blind. Both players proceeded to check the flop, and then Duhamel led out for 3,000 on the turn. Jensen snap-called and then watched Duhamel up his bet to 6,500 on the river. Jensen took a little longer to call this time, and he likely wished he hadn't as Duhamel flipped over to take the pot.
On a board of , Jason Mercier led out for 42,500 - about a pot-sized bet. David "Doc" Sands went deep in the tank, and about two minutes later, he made the call.
Mercier showed for effectively ace-high, and Sands tabled for jacks and tens.
After the hand, Daniel Negreanu warned Sands about tanking, telling him that he had used part of his time bank and that Negreanu will call the clock on him in the future if he continues to tank for two or three minutes at a time.
With nearly 20,000 in the pot and a board reading , Jason Somerville checked from middle position and Bill Perkins, who has been quite active here today, fired out a bet of 12,000. After a moment of deliberation, Somerville made the call and then checked the river. Perkins took the opportunity to fire out 30,000, and Somerville hit the tank.
The young pro thought for a solid two minutes before dropping in a call, and Perkins simply said, "Good call." Somerville then tabled and Perkins, who is receiving a massage, tossed his cards to the muck.
Jason Somerville opened to 7,000 from under the gun, Timothy Adams called on the button, and Jason Koon called from the big blind. The flop fell , Koon checked, and Somerville continued for 7,000. Only Koon called.
The turn was the , Koon checked again, and Somerville tossed out 18,500. Koon called.
The river was the , both players checked, and Koon showed . Somerville had him beat with .
As the field grows, we'll continue to provide an updated table and seat draw. Among those to take their seats recently are Erik Seidel, Cary Katz, Igor Kurganov and Tobias Reinkemeier.
Phil Ivey opened to 3,000 in late position, Philipp Gruissem defended his big blind, and the flop fell . Gruissem checked, Ivey tossed out 5,100, and Gruissem check-raised to 16,000. Ivey called.
The turn was the , both players checked, and the completed the board. Both players checked again, and Gruissem mucked his hand. Ivey mucked as well.
The very next hand, Ivey opened to 3,000. Isaac Haxton defended his big blind, and the flop was . Haxton check-folded, and Ivey raked in the pot.
board provided no help to Gross.
turn, which both players checked.
appeared on the river, Steven checked and Shak fired out four blue T5,000 chips for a bet of 20,000. Steven considered it for a moment and then conceded the hand. Shak then flashed 
and took down the pot.
![[user101598]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
flop, and then Duhamel led out for 3,000 on the 
for effectively ace-high, and Sands tabled 
for jacks and tens.
, Jason Somerville checked from middle position and Bill Perkins, who has been quite active here today, fired out a bet of 12,000. After a moment of deliberation, Somerville made the call and then checked the 
river. Perkins took the opportunity to fire out 30,000, and Somerville hit the tank.
, Koon checked, and Somerville continued for 7,000. Only Koon called.
, Koon checked again, and Somerville tossed out 18,500. Koon called.
, both players checked, and Koon showed 
. Gruissem checked, Ivey tossed out 5,100, and Gruissem check-raised to 16,000. Ivey called.
. Haxton check-folded, and Ivey raked in the pot.
