The field has crested the 400 mark as late arrivals continue to take their seats. New faces in the field include Chad Brown and David Steicke. It's always amazing to see players bust in the first level or two of a big buy-in tournament with a starting stack of more than 400 blinds; ten players have already managed that feat today.
We don't expect too much more movement in Level 2, but in 15 minutes the blinds will be up to75/150. That's still small in relation to the starting stack but stack fluctuations since then should start producing some eliminations.
From under the gun, Andrew Moreno raised to 300. Action folded all the way around to James Van Alstyne in the big blind and he made the call before the dealer placed the on the board. Van Alstyne led for 500 into the 650-chip pot and Moreno made the call.
Fourth street was the and both players checked to see the pair the board on the river. With the pot at 1,650, Van Alstyne over-bet with a wager of 2,000. Moreno tanked for a minute and then gave it up.
Jamie Gold gave an interview to PokerNews this morning, which will be edited tonight and posted on the site tomorrow. Meanwhile Gold is trying his best to go deep today. He got a little bit of value on a board of , Gold's lone opponent checked. Gold bet 350 into a 900-chip pot, then opened for trip jacks after being called.
That small pot pushed Gold just above the 20,000-chip mark, but there's still a long way to go.
On the board of , Melissa Hayden was all in for 13,800. Her opponent tank-called with bottom set, the . Hayden turned the nuts with the . The river completed the board with the and Hayden was able to double up. She's up to about 30,000 now.
With all of the events that have shaken the poker industry in the last two weeks, one question that's been on people's minds is regarding what will happen to sponsorships. Although we certainly don't have any answers, we can report on what we see here at Caesars. None of the Full Tilt Red pros in today's field (Allen Cunningham, Mandy Baker, Eric Froehlich and Erica Schoenberg) are patched. Of the three PokerStars Team Pros -- David Williams, Chad Brown and Dennis Phillips -- only Phillips is wearing his patches.
"Hollywood" Dave Stann is decked out in UB patches as a member of Team UB.
Jamie Gold may not play many tournaments a year but he's showing no hesitation to mix it up today. He opened to 450 pre-flop and was called by two players. Action checked to the last player to act on a board of . That player bet 500; only Gold called. Both players checked the turn. Gold fired a bet of 1,000 on the river and was called. He collected the pot by tabling , two pair aces and sixes.
Frank Kassela was the 2010 WSOP Player of the Year. Today he's out in Level 4. Sitting in the big blind, he got his whole stack into the middle on a flop of holding . His opponent showed , but kings dragged the pot when the river paired sixes to make a bigger two pair.
"Nice hand," said Kassela as he collected his belongings. "Well played."
At a nearby table, a river pair saved Brandon Cantu's tournament. He was all in on the turn of a board with against an opponent's . Cantu looked like he was going to push away from the table after a river until he realized that it was a chopped pot.
![[user75032]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
on the board. Van Alstyne led for 500 into the 650-chip pot and Moreno made the call.
and both players checked to see the 
pair the board on the river. With the pot at 1,650, Van Alstyne over-bet with a wager of 2,000. Moreno tanked for a minute and then gave it up.
, Gold's lone opponent checked. Gold bet 350 into a 900-chip pot, then opened 
for trip jacks after being called.
, Melissa Hayden was all in for 13,800. Her opponent tank-called with bottom set, the 
. That player bet 500; only Gold called. Both players checked the 
turn. Gold fired a bet of 1,000 on the 
river and was called. He collected the pot by tabling 
. His opponent showed 
board with 
against an opponent's 
until he realized that it was a chopped pot.