With his stack hovering around 1,300 Phil Hellmuth raised to 500 in early position. As the player in the big blind thought it over Hellmuth said, "It's 300 to outflop me, and it'd make a great story." The big blind made the call and they saw a flop of K-J-7 and the BB set Phil all-in for his last 575. Phil made the call...and they both showed down A-10. Neither had a flush draw so they chopped the pot.
A few hands later it was Phil in the big blind, facing a raise from the button and an all-in re-raise from the small blind. Hellmuth called for his last 900, the button folded, and Phil found his A-Q dominated by the small blind's pocket queens. The 9-10-J flop gave both players an open-ended straight draw, and that's how Phil escaped, when an eight hit on the turn.
Never to see the glass as half-full, Phil said, "I can't believe I didn't find a king!" He's still at 1,300.
Shannon Elizabeth is off to a great start in this tournament, nearly tripling her stack to 8,500 in the first three hours. Elizabeth is also intently scribbling notes on the proceedings at her table on a small pad of paper.
Steve Paul-Ambrose makes it 600 from early position and the cutoff calls. The flop is and Paul-Ambrose goes all in for his last 425 and is called. Paul-Ambrose has to but instead of a split, the board runner-runners to take out Paul-Ambrose.
Erik Seidel
The blinds are 100/200. Erik Seidel limps in from early position and it is folded around to the small blind, who goes all in for a total of 300.
James Van Alstyne calls from the big blind and Seidel wants to raise. Van Alstyne says he can't raise, as he has already acted on his hand and the raise he is facing is less than the full amount required to reopen the betting. The floor is called over and rules that the seven-time bracelet winner IS allowed to raise.
He makes it 1200 and Van Alstyne folds.
Seidel has
SB shows
The board reads and Seidel wins the pot with a Broadway straight.
Facing a raise in the cutoff David Plastik made it 3,000 to go and the cutoff called. The flop came and the cutoff checked. Plastik moved in the rest of his chips and the other player called. Plastik flipped over and his opponent held . The on the turn gave Plastik a full house and upped his stack to 7,800.
James Van Alstyne made it 600 to go, Erik Seidel pushed all in for 3125 total and Van Alstyne called. Seidel showed 10-10 against Van Alstyne's A-A. The board was no help for Seidel and he was out the door. After the hand Van Alstyne had about 15,000.
Just before the break, Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier's opponent makes a move into him with A-10 on a board of J-4-6-2. ElkY is holding 2-2 and, of course, calls. The river is a ten and ElkY is up to 52,000.