2008 World Series of Poker

39th Annual World Series of Poker Main Event
Day: 1d
Event Info

2008 World Series of Poker

Event Info
Buy-in
$10,000
Entries
6,844
Players Left
9
Next Payout
Place 9
$900,670
Level Info
Level
33
Blinds
120,000 / 240,000
Ante
30,000

Bill Purle: WSOP Savant

Bill Purle, who's currently sitting very comfortably with 107,000 in chips, has had an interesting few weeks. Prior to the Main Event, Bill managed to satellite in via PokerStars. He's here today because of that, and he didn't spend a dime. Bill qualified through the PokerStars steps program, which covered all his expenses to get here as well as his entry fee to play today.

Interestingly enough, this is Bill's fourth World Series of Poker, in which all previous attempts he's been unsuccessful. Though today may only be Day 1, Bill has positioned himself in great shape to make it to Day 2, and he hopes to go deep.

Alexander Kostritsyn Chipping Up

Alexander Kostritsyn just took back to back pots. First on a flop of {J-Diamonds} {5-Hearts} {6-Spades}, a player in middle position bet out 5,100 into a 10,000 pot. Kostritsyn then raised to 20,000 and his opponent folded. At this point Kostritsyn was up to 54,000.

The very next hand, a player moved all in against Kostritsyn and Kostritsyn made the call. Kostritsyn held {9-Clubs} {9-Diamonds} and his opponent held {A-Clubs} {K-Diamonds}. The board ran out {6-Spades} {3-Clubs} {Q-Diamonds} {7-Spades} {2-Diamonds} and after the hand, Kostritsyn moved up to 73,000 in chips.

Tags: Alexander Kostritsyn

Move (n.) [moov] -- An Action Toward an Objective or Goal

A player with just 2,900 shoved from early position, and it folded around to the player in the small blind who called. Ryan D'Angelo then reraised to 8,500 from the big blind. The SB called.

The flop came Q-Q-x. The SB checked, D'Angelo bet 9,000, and his opponent responded by check-raising all in. D'Angelo mucked his cards disgustedly.

The SB showed Q-J for trip queens and eventually took both the main and side pots, eliminating the all-in player.

D'Angelo quizzed his opponent, asking him how he could call 8,000-plus with Q-J.

"Maybe you could have been on a move?" he proposed.

"How could I be on a move? This guy was all in!" answered an incredulous D'Angelo.

The debate continued. Meanwhile, D'Angelo now is down to 10,000.

Tags: Ryan D'Angelo

Cheung Takes a Huge Hit

Robert Cheung raised to 7,000 preflop and was called by a player in the small blind. On a flop of {A-Hearts} {4-Diamonds} {J-Hearts}, Cheung moved all in and was called by the small blind. Cheung had him covered. Cheung held {A-Diamonds} {J-Clubs} and his opponent held {K-Hearts} {10-Hearts}.

The turn fell the {3-Clubs} and river was the {6-Hearts} and Cheung moved down to 14,675 in chips.

Tags: Robert Cheung

Michael Mizrachi Eliminated

Michael Mizrachi
Michael Mizrachi
Michael Mizrachi moved all in for his remaining 10,300 on a board of {J-Clubs}{9-Clubs}{8-Diamonds}. His opponent called with {A-?}{10-?} for an open-ended straight draw while Mizrachi held {K-Clubs}{8-Clubs} for a pair and flush draw. The {Q-Diamonds} on the turn completed his opponent's straight and Mizrachi was unable to improve.

A Voice Spoke Unto Noah

From middle position, Noah Schwartz comes in raising to 1,200. He gets one caller, the player on the button.

The two men watch the flop come down {Q-Hearts} {8-Spades} {4-Clubs}. Schwartz checks over to his opponent, who makes a bet of 2,200. Noah takes it as his cue, and he moves all in for 7,200, which the villain calls. Schwartz turns up {A-Hearts} {8-Diamonds} and is in tough shape versus his opponent's {Q-Clubs} {J-Hearts}. The turn and river -- {9-Diamonds} {2-Clubs} -- provide no help for Schwartz, and he is eliminated from the field.

Tags: Noah Schwartz

Moore Than You Can Stand

We caught up with this one on the turn. With the board showing {Q-Clubs}{4-Hearts}{7-Clubs}{2-Hearts} and a small pile of chips in the middle, a middle-position player had bet and John Moore, after brooding for some time, made the call.

The river brought the {5-Clubs}. The middle-position player bet 8,075 -- something like three-fourths of the pot -- and the action was on Moore. He again took his time, then, after two minutes or so, slid a bet of 32,075 out before him.

"I knew it, man . . . Oh, God." So spoke Moore's opponent. Usually a good sign for the one doing the raising.

He let it go, and Moore is now up near 90,000.

Tags: John Moore

Stone Cold Knockout

Ara Melikian is out of the tournament. His pocket jacks couldn't outrace the A-Q of Steve Austin (no, not that Steve Austin) when the board came out {Q-Diamonds} {9-Spades} {6-Spades} {8-Clubs} {6-Hearts}. Austin picks up additional chips to boost his stack to 124,000 in his quest to become the new Nine Million Dollar Man.

Let It Go, Gus

Gus Hansen
Gus Hansen
Gus Hansen was recently moved into the Blue section of the Amazon Room near a television showing reruns of poker broadcasts. As he watched, the television replayed a hand involving Hansen, in the small blind, and the big blind. Both flopped trip aces, but Hansen's {A-?} {2-?} was badly out-kicked by his opponent's {A-?} {Q-?}.

Hansen turned to one of our field reporters and started analyzing the hand with him. "I just couldn't put him on a bigger ace," Hansen told our field reporter. "I donked off over a million chips. I hope I don't do that this year."

Tags: Gus Hansen