Will "The Thrill" Failla has arrived, and immediately after his arrival found himself battling for a decent-sized pot.
A player in middle position opened with a raise to 500, and it folded around to the small blind who called. Failla, having just taken his seat in the big blind, called as well, and the trio saw the flop come .
The small blind led by firing a single orange (1,000) chip into the middle. Failla called, and the preflop raiser got out. The turn brought the and a check from the SB. Failla bet 1,500, and after a moment his opponent check-raised his short stack all in.
"Pull it in please," Failla exhaled a bit wearily. The check-raise was to 5,375, meaning Failla owed 3,875 to call. "I do have outs, that's for sure," said Failla. Finally he called, cracking "I hope you have a nine-high flush draw" as he did.
His opponent was in better shape than that, showing for two pair. Failla turned over for both straight and flush draws, but the gave the hand to his opponent.
Afterwards Failla said he'd never have bet the turn if he'd realized how low his opponent was. The Thrill slips to about 14,500 on that one.
A player opened to 525 from early position and the action folded to Joe Caffrey in the small blind who three-bet to 1,725. His opponent tank-called and the flop fell . Caffrey led for 2,100, his opponent raised to 5,200 and Caffrey called.
Caffrey slowed down after the turned, checking to his opponent who bet 5,500. Caffrey called.
Both players checked after the fell on the river and Caffrey's opponent opened for a pair of queens with a king kicker. Caffrey tabled for a pair of queens with an ace kicker however, and raked in a big pot to push his stack to 40,000 chips.
It folded around to the button who raised 3x to 300, and Steve Dannenmann defended from the big blind. The flop came , Dannenmann checked, his opponent bet 300, and Dannenmann called. The turn brought the . This time Dannenmann bet out 375 and the player on the button stuck around.
The river was the . Dannenmann bet 1,125 this time, and after some thought his opponent called once more. Dannenmann showed for tens and his opponent mucked.
The big board is saying we have 424 registered in this WSOP Circuit Main Event thus far, with six of those having already hit the rail during the first three-plus 40-minute levels. That adds up to a total prize pool of over $600,000 at the moment.
Late registration remains open for a little over an hour more -- until 4:00 p.m. -- so there's still time for the numbers to nudge up a little further.
The board was completed when Joe Chaplin led for 3,800. His opponent plopped all of his chips in the middle, raising all in and Chaplin went into the tank. It took nearly two minutes for the dealer to pull the bets in, but when she finally did Chaplin learned that it was 8,100 more to call.
Chaplin indeed called, and mucked when his opponent tabled for a rivered set. He is now down to 13,000 chips.
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.
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.
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?"
.
and a check from the SB. Failla bet 1,500, and after a moment his opponent check-raised his short stack all in.
for two pair. Failla turned over 
for both straight and flush draws, but the 
gave the hand to his opponent.![[user101598]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
. Caffrey led for 2,100, his opponent raised to 5,200 and Caffrey called.
turned, checking to his opponent who bet 5,500. Caffrey called.
fell on the river and Caffrey's opponent opened 
for a pair of queens with a king kicker. Caffrey tabled 
for a pair of queens with an ace kicker however, and raked in a big pot to push his stack to 40,000 chips.
, Dannenmann checked, his opponent bet 300, and Dannenmann called. The turn brought the 
. This time Dannenmann bet out 375 and the player on the button stuck around.
. Dannenmann bet 1,125 this time, and after some thought his opponent called once more. Dannenmann showed 
for tens and his opponent mucked.
for a rivered set. He is now down to 13,000 chips.
and her opponent quickly moved all in for effectively 14,000. She snap-called tabling 
, his opponent fired a bet of 2,000 and Santiago called. The river then brought the 
. Santiago showed 
and took the pot.
. Crane's opponent checked, and Crane pushed out a bet of 2,050. His opponent thought for nearly a minute before letting it go.