His seat barely warm, Eric Buchman was just involved in a preflop all-in battle versus a short stack.
After Buchman opened with a raise of 800 from the button, the small blind called, then the big blind pushed all in for what appeared to be about 7,500. Buchman instantly announced he was reraising all in as well, sending the SB into the tank for some time before he let his hand go.
Buchman showed and his opponent tabled . The flop came . "Perfect," said Buchman's opponent sarcastically. The turn was the -- not perfect, but not bad either, for Buchman's foe. But the river was the , sending Buchman's opponent railward.
Buchman quickly chips up to 29,000 after that one.
Registration for this event closed moments ago, but Eric Buchman snuck in just in time to play. Buchman is of course a member of the 2009 November Nine and last year at the 2010 WSOP he won his first bracelet in a $2,000 limit hold'em event.
Matt Matros opened with a raise from the cutoff and got one caller from the small blind. The flop came , and after Matros's opponent called his continuation bet the pot sat at about 3,000.
Both players then checked the turn and river. Matros showed , and tapped the felt in acknowledgment when his opponent showed for tens.
Matros counted his remaining stack afterwards, finding himself down to about 17,500.
Mike "Gags30" Gagliano never got it going today and was down to just 6,500 when he three-bet shoved with . Unfortunately his opponent snapped it off with and the board did not improve his hand.
Travell "T" Thomas won a WSOP-C ring here at Caesars just three days ago, and the 30-year old business owner from Buffalo, NY is battling for a second.
Just moments ago he was faced with a raise to 525 from a player in early position and a call from another player in middle position. Thomas called from the blinds and after the flop fell he led for 1,050. The original raiser quickly folded, while Thomas' other opponent stopped to think for a moment.
"I don't want your action, sir," Thomas told him.
His opponent obliged, folding his hand and Thomas opened .
"My favorite hand," he professed.
"Really?" the original raiser blurted. "How did eights become your favorite hand?"
Russell Crane has been struggling so far this afternoon, but just won a small one to help in his comeback efforts.
Preflop action had built a pot of about 2,500 when the flop came , bringing checks from both Crane and his opponent. The turn was the . Crane's opponent checked, and Crane pushed out a bet of 2,050. His opponent thought for nearly a minute before letting it go.
We just saw the conclusion of an interesting hand involving Andy Santiago. Santiago had gotten our attention already, actually, even before the tourney began. Allow us to explain.
Yesterday evening, Santiago stopped by the media desk to deliver what he called an "affidavit" -- a hand-written note that began as follows: "Call it a proclamation, prediction or a premonition! I will win the Main Event!"
The statement went on to relate details of Santiago's previous best WSOP Circuit finish, a runner-up to his friend Frank Panetta in a $300 NLH event in 2008 here in Atlantic City for which he earned $42,824. He adds how he's especially focused and with the support of his children and girlfriend believes this year's Main Event is his for the taking:
"The big one this year... IT'S MINE!"
Santiago got off to a good start today, and had already built up an above-average stack when the hand we witnessed took place. With about 6,000 in the pot and the board showing , his opponent fired a bet of 2,000 and Santiago called. The river then brought the and a 6,500 bet from the other side of the table.
"6,500?" Santiago asked aloud. "I really don't know where I'm at," he added. "Queens? Kings?"
Suddenly he had made his decision. "I call," he said, waiting to see his opponent flip over . Santiago showed and took the pot.
Steeled by the power of positive thinking, Santiago appears to know exactly where he's at. And with more than 50,000, we know where he's at for the moment, too -- atop the chip counts.
and his opponent tabled 
. The flop came 
. "Perfect," said Buchman's opponent sarcastically. The turn was the 
-- not perfect, but not bad either, for Buchman's foe. But the river was the 
, sending Buchman's opponent railward.![[user101598]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
, and after Matros's opponent called his continuation bet the pot sat at about 3,000.
turn and 
river. Matros showed 
, and tapped the felt in acknowledgment when his opponent showed 
for tens.
. Unfortunately his opponent snapped it off with 
and the board did not improve his hand.
.
. Crane's opponent checked, and Crane pushed out a bet of 2,050. His opponent thought for nearly a minute before letting it go.
. She called.