39th Annual World Series of Poker Main Event Day 1d | 2008 World Series of Poker

07-07-2008 10:21 UTC-7

Official Day 1d Chip Counts Released

After a marathon of data entry by WSOP staff, the results for Day 1d, the fourth and final starting day of the 2008 Main Event, have been tabulated. 1,352 of the day's 2,400-plus starters were still around when play halted, led by Steve Austin at 149,000 in chips. The top ten for Day 1d action is as follows:

Steve Austin 149,000
Mohamad Kowssarie 146,000
David Stucke 140,525
Sami Rustom 140,450
Dylan Linde 138,425
Nikolay Losev 127,225
Victor Ramdin 124,600
Samir Shakhtoor 122,875
Christian Choi 122,225
Charles Dolan 121,625

Chip counts for the majority of the 1,352 Day 1d survivors have now been posted, though file updating and error correcting processes continue.

Tags: Steve Austin

39th Annual World Series of Poker Main Event

Day 1d Completed

07-07-2008 00:58 UTC-7

That's a Wrap

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The final bell has sounded, and the chip bags are on the tables. Day 1d is over. If the big board is to be believed, 1,362 players survived the day and will advance to Day 2b, to be played on Wednesday. Chip counts for all of the survivors will be posted as soon as we have them.

Tomorrow marks a lull in the action here at the Rio, with no Main Event play scheduled. The only tournament on the calendar is the Casino Employees' Event. Main Event action picks up at noon PT on Tuesday with Day 2a, the combined field of all of the Day 1a and Day 1b survivors. Follow all the action on PokerNews then!

07-07-2008 00:53 UTC-7

Ace Rings True for Bell

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The player under the gun limped, another called, then Duncan Bell raised to 2,000. Both called. All checked the {J-Clubs}

flop. The turn brought the {2-Clubs}

. All checked again.

The river was the {6-Spades}

. The under the gun player bet 2,000, the other player folded, and Bell considered a moment before making the call.

The UTG hesitated, and Bell turned up the {A-Spades}

. That ace was enough, and his opponent mucked.

Bell has 75,000.

Tags: Duncan Bell

07-07-2008 00:48 UTC-7

Busto Insurance

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How do you make sure you make it to Day 2? You try not to play any hands at the end of Day 1. A recent hand in the Blue section took over ten minutes to complete, and it never made it past the flop. It seems that several players at the table were stalling, so they would be assured of making Day 2 and not busting in the waning moments of Day 1.

One of the other players at the table wasn't so thrilled, and asked the dealer to call a floorperson. That floorperson than called the clock on two different people in the same hand, and remains stationed at the table for the remainder of the level (as of this writing, another six minutes). Each player will have only 30 seconds to make a decision through the end of the night.

07-07-2008 00:48 UTC-7

The Amazing Phil Laak

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Move over Antonio, there's a new magician in town...

We've got to give some credit to one of our frequent Shoutbox posters, "fastasleep," for sparking the following investigation, as it looks like we've been duped by the very clever Phil Laak...

On our WSOP registration list for Day 1d, Phil was slated to be in Amazon Blue, Table 33, Seat 8. Our reporters then scanned the area and informed us that he was nowhere to be found. Perhaps an error with the registration list? No worries... it happens. He'll turn up eventually, right?

Hours had passed and there was still no sign of Laak when we noticed fastasleep's Shout Box post:

fastasleep [37 minutes ago]:
"Guys - what's up with Phil Laak....I read a news article that saud [sic] he showed up today with an altered appearance, courtesy of a latex mask, make-up, and a false mustache....? Did anyone get any pictures?"

To borrow one of Phil's most frequently used lines, "Sick... So sick."

At this point, we started doing some investigative reporting and spoke with a few players at the table who'd been there all day.

"Was Phil Laak in the eight seat to start the day?" we asked Alejandro Parada and Cary Anderson.

"Never," said Parada. "That guy was old and he never said a word."

"The guy in that seat came in late, but he was real old. I watch that show I Bet You all the time and I'm sure it wasn't Laak," said Anderson.

A brief discussion ensued at the table and soon thereafter, Anderson altered his original supposition:

"You know, the more I think about it, the guy had a big scar... like a big worm. He wore a Texas hat, but I think he was older. I don't know -- it's possible, I guess," he added.

Moments later, Anderson put the pieces of the puzzle together, giving us the following explanation (paraphrased):

"You know, the guy did come in late and when the dealer asked for his ID, he didn't have any. They then called the floor over and the man in question had a quick discussion with the floorperson away from the table before eventually returning to his seat. 'He's OK,' said the floorman to the table and the player took his seat without saying a single word."

The conversation sparked whispers and "What-ifs" amongst the remaining players on Table 33 and suddenly, the mystery was solved...

The dealer at the table had been sifting through the registration cards of fallen victims amidst the commotion and then he found it... Amazon Blue 33, Seat 8 -- Phil Laak.

Needless to say, we missed his bust-out hand.

A clever stunt made for TV? Perhaps... An "I Bet You" prop bet with Antonio Esfandiari? Certainly plausible.... Being Phil Laak and playing an entire Day 1 of the WSOP Main Event incognito? Ab-so-freakin-lutely awesome.

Mr. Phil Laak . . . PokerNews salutes you!

Tags: Phil Laak

07-07-2008 00:44 UTC-7

Harman Picking Up Chips Late

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Preflop, a late position player raised to 1,200 and then Jennifer Harman reraised to 2,900 from the big blind.

On a flop of {J-Spades}

, Harman bet out 3,500 and her opponent raised all in for 12,025. Harman made the call.

Harman showed {A-Diamonds}

and her opponent {K-Spades}

.

The turn of the {Q-Clubs}

and river of the {4-Spades}

helped neither player and Harman moved up to 68,000 in chips.

Tags: Jennifer Harman

07-07-2008 00:41 UTC-7

Bad Time to Be a Cowboy

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You play in an event like the Main Event and you can wait all day for a hand. You look down at two kings, you manage to get all the money in the middle...and you're up against aces. Whattya do? You go broke, that's what you do, and David Stucke scoops up your chips. At least that's what happened in a hand a few moments ago that pushed Stucke's stack up to 125,000.

07-07-2008 00:34 UTC-7

Whit Whittles at Mercier's Stack

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Whit Blanton and Jason Mercier were just involved in a large pot when Blanton, whom Mercier had covered, was all in on a flop of {Q-Hearts}

.

Mercier: {4-Hearts}

Blanton:

Both had flopped flush draws. Mercier had a pair, and Blanton had an open-ended straight draw. The turn was the {A-Hearts}

, giving Blanton the better flush, and the {3-Spades}

on the end didn't matter.

Blanton has zoomed up to 93,000, while Mercier has fallen back down to 17,000.

Tags: Jason Mercier Whit Blanton

07-07-2008 00:31 UTC-7

The Other Lederer

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We've mentioned Howard Lederer's name several times today, but haven't talked at all about Robert Lederer (no relation, as far as we know). Lederer raised preflop to 1,200 and was called only by the big blind. Both players checked when the flop came {Q-Spades}

. On the turn {Q-Clubs}

, the big blind checked again, inducing a bet of 2,500 from Lederer. The big blind then raised to 7,500 and Lederer made the call.

The river fell {Q-Hearts}

. The big blind checked to Lederer, who fired out 10,000. It was a crying call for the big blind, whose {9-Hearts}