Championship Day 1 | 2007 L.A Poker Classic / WPT Event Season 5

02-25-2007 02:40 UTC-8

Into the Wee Hours...

Action has slowed WAY down and the room becomes more subdued the later the hour becomes. It seems like everyone is just trying to survive to the end of the day.

02-25-2007 03:04 UTC-8

Kelli Griggs Eliminated

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WPT Ladies Night runner-up Kelli Griggs was just eliminated from the tournament, bidding a hasty exit through the front doors. No post-bustout schmoozing for her!

Tags: Kelli Griggs

02-25-2007 03:06 UTC-8

Late-Night Bustouts

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Alex Jacob, John Phan, and Michael Gracz have been eliminated.

02-25-2007 03:18 UTC-8

50 Tables and Counting

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Just as they made an announcement that there were 50 tables left, another just broke. So make that 49 tables and counting or roughly 440+ players left in the mix.

02-25-2007 03:25 UTC-8

If you are still up following along with the action, feel free to check out our various video segments by clicking on the Video Gallery link on the right hand side of this page. Day 1's videos include interviews with Daniel Negreanu, Crispin Leyser, Steve Dannenmann, Greg FTB Mueller, Mike Matusow, Brad Booth, Jeff Madsen, and Joe Sebok.

Tags: Brad Booth Crispin Leyser Daniel Negreanu Greg FTB Mueller Jeff Madsen Joe Sebok Mike Matusow Steve Dannenmann Videos

02-25-2007 03:27 UTC-8

Jennifer Tilly Eliminated

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Jennifer Tilly was just eliminated from the tournament and hopped over to boyfriend Phil Laak's table to tell him the bad news.

On a flop of A-K-X, Tilly held A-J and moved all in. Daniel Alaei called with Q-Q and spiked another queen on the turn to take her out on a wicked beat.

Tags: Daniel Alaei Elimination Jennifer Tilly

02-25-2007 03:29 UTC-8

Break Time Again

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Players are headed out for another 15 minute break following the end of Level 6. When play resumes, blinds will be 300-600 with a 75 ante. Approximately 419 players remain in the field.

Level: 7

Blinds: 300/600

Ante: 75

02-25-2007 03:56 UTC-8

30 More Minutes of Play

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There are roughly 30 more minutes of play left in Day 1. The ballroom is somewhat quiet for a poker tournament as the remaining players are conserving what little energy they have left for the final stretch. Media row is amost empty and the real action is downstairs in the poker room where the side cash games are in full swing for a Saturday night in the City of Angels. The cash games are always juicy at Commerce, but during the L.A. Poker Classic, the games get a little more interesting when all the Las Vegas pros come to town along with pros from all over the world who want to feast on the local fish with deep pockets.

02-25-2007 04:06 UTC-8

Short Stack Survivors

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After sitting on a stack under 5000 chips for most of the evening, Steve Brecher has made a valiant comeback and is now up to nearly 24K. Chip and a chair, baby.

The shortest stack in the room right now appears to be Mike Wattel, who has less than 2000 chips left.

Tags: MIke Wattel Steve Brecher