It appears tensions are a bit high here, even in the first level.
In a four-way pot at one table just before Level 1 came to a close, the floor had to be called to calm down two players embroiled in an argument. One was so tense he was getting a massage at the table. But the real tension was all about him leaning in so far, the player to his left couldn't see the chip stacks of those he was involved in the pot with.
Asking the player to move back a little was met with much resistance until a floor person was brought in to settle things.
"We need to work together here," he said. "Can't we all just get along."
Veteran pro Bobby Suer made the trip to Oklahama for this WSOPC event and apparently brought his rule book with him. When one opponent spent the early part of a hand telling a story from a previous tournament he'd played here, Suer was quick to chime in.
"I raised, then he re-raised, then I re-raised, then he re-raised, so I said I'm all in," explained the storyteller.
"I hope I have aces here," added Suer. "That's binding right?"
"I was just telling a story," the player retorted.
"I don't think it matters," added Suer. "Verbal is binding."
In the end it didn't matter, as both folded the hand with a smile.
The Prince of Poker just took his seat here in Choctaw and the familiar sound of his laugh is already filling the tournament area.
The always entertaining Scotty Nguyen, who won the 1998 WSOP Main Event, limped in with a chuckle from the small blind in just his second hand since taking his seat.
Both he and the Big Blind checked the flop. But when the Big Blind fired out a 100 chip at the turn, Scotty couldn't help but laugh.
"Come on Baby," he said, tossing in call. "You have to beat aces to win."
The river was met with checks by both players as Scotty turned over for trips.
"I lied," he said with a smile. "But at least I checked. I don't want to hurt you too early."
We've had a steady stream of players in line at the registration desk since the tournament began. We won't have any official numbers for a while, but we do know that we are currently over 600 players.
We took a stroll through the second tournament room and we found Gavin Smith's chair empty. The floorman informed us that he had already busted at some point in the second level. We hope to see him in the evening flight.
It seems Team PokerStars Pro Chad Brown is in Durant for the duration.
Not only is the Brown here for the WSOPC Circuit Main Event, recently picking up a good sized pot in the early going with a 1k C-bet on a flop after a Limper and the Big Blind called his 475 chip small-blind raise, but it appears Brown will be back in April for a poker series of his own.
The Chad Brown Poker Challenge runs April 19-29 right here at the Choctaw Casino with the veteran pro hosting more than 30 events ranging in buy-ins from $175+$25 all the way up to a $1900+$100 Main Event.
[user196975]
Raja Kattamuri on the sickest heater of his life.
Raja Kattamuri has been on the sickest heater of his life. In nine events at Choctaw he has claimed two WSOPC gold rings in addition to two other final tables - a 2nd and 6th place finish. He's in the field today and is sitting just above the starting stack.
We asked him about playing the Heads Up event and the PLO event simultaneously last night. "It was definitely a challenge for me, but also really fun. I wanted to win one, but I definitely exceeded my goals."
"In the PLO event I would just play on the breaks of the Heads Up event and when I finished my match. I really just wanted to keep an above average stack. I was willing to gamble a bit more and got a bit fortunate in some spots," Kattumuri said.
We asked what would make him satisfied with this event. "Of course you know the answer to that one. I'll be happy with a Final Table appearance."
![[user127999]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
flop. But when the Big Blind fired out a 100 chip at the 
turn, Scotty couldn't help but laugh.
river was met with checks by both players as Scotty turned over 
for trips.
flop after a Limper and the Big Blind called his 475 chip small-blind raise, but it appears Brown will be back in April for a poker series of his own.
