A player on Orange #27 recently won a big pot. He reached into his pocket, fished out a dollar, and tossed it to the dealer.
A few minutes later, he won another big hand with the nuts against the second nuts. He tipped the dealer another dollar. Everyone else at the table must have decided he was onto something, because the dealer now has a stack of about fifteen to twenty dollars in tokes in her tray.
On a flop of , a middle position player led out for 600, Luis Velador reraised to 1,600 and the MP player called. The turn was the . The MP player checked, Velador bet 2,700 and the MP player called. The river was the and both players checked.
The MP player turned up and Velador mucked. After a roller-coaster first two levels, Velador is back to 22,000.
Bart Tichelman at the WSOP-C Tunica Final Table
Bart Tichelman, winner of the 2008 WSOP Circuit Event in Tunica, is playing day 1a and looks to have another strong showing. Having played very little poker since since his big win in Mississippi this January, Tichelman's time is mainly consumed by his career. A CEO and corporate president by day, Tichelman put poker on the back burner until the main event.
He told us on break "my table is a lot tougher than I thought it would be." "I've got [Darrell] Dicken two seats to my left and these guys are all playing well."
Tichelman is about average with just over 22,000 chips.
Thierry van den Berg in Event #44
An opponent checks on a river of and T6 pro Thierry van den Berg bets 5,000 into a 9,000 pot. The opponent calls and turns over . Thierry has for a missed flush and is down to 11,000.
The fire alarm just started going off in the Amazon Room. It's a flashing strobe light, punctuated by a series of high-pitched shrieking sounds. As you might expect, everyone is ignoring it.
Shortly after slipping to 14,000, Barry Greenstein turned a king-high straight with and got it all in against an opponent holding a set of tens. Greenstein's hand held up, and he is back up to 29,000.
Marco Johnson at the final table of Event 48 - $2,000 No Limit Hold'em
After a player in late position opened for 575 Marco Johnson raised to 1,800. The other player reraised to 6,575 and Johnson moved all in for 16,725. The other player called and indeed had pocket aces, leaving Johnson's in dire straits. The board ran out and Johnson's day came to an abrupt end.
"All In" Moments Like This One Are Becoming More and More Frequent
Despite the relatively low blinds compared to the chip stacks, players seem more and more willing to get their chips into the middle. The echoes of "all in and a call" are becoming increasingly frequent as level 2 continues on.
Benjamin Kang, during Event #41
Benjamin Kang and Stephan Gerin got all of their money in on the turn on a board of when Kang pushed for 11,700 and Gerin made the call.
Gerin held for top two pair but Kang held for the nut straight as well as a royal flush draw.
Incredibly the river was the to give Gerin a full house and the pot to leave Kang in bad shape with only 525 chips.
Despite being able to double up to over 1,000, Kang was eliminated a few hands later.
, a middle position player led out for 600, Luis Velador reraised to 1,600 and the MP player called. The turn was the 
. The MP player checked, Velador bet 2,700 and the MP player called. The river was the 
and both players checked. 
and Velador mucked. After a roller-coaster first two levels, Velador is back to 22,000.
and T6 pro Thierry van den Berg bets 5,000 into a 9,000 pot. The opponent calls and turns over 
for a missed flush and is down to 11,000.
and got it all in against an opponent holding a set of tens. Greenstein's hand held up, and he is back up to 29,000.
in dire straits. The board ran out 
and Johnson's day came to an abrupt end.
board.
to Gomes' 
.
to knock Velador down to 11,000 in chips.
for top two pair but Kang held 
for the nut straight as well as a royal flush draw.
