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

So Long Soulier

Fabrice Soulier was short-stacked, but found what looked to be a good spot when he held {A-?}{5-?} and the board showed {7-Diamonds}{K-Clubs}{A-Spades}{A-Hearts}. Soulier got all of his chips in the middle, but unfortunately was up against an opponent holding pocket sevens for the full house.

The river was the {4-Spades}, and Soulier is out.

Tags: Fabrice Soulier

Loh Goes Clubbin'

Paul Loh
Paul Loh
Paul Loh just called a player's all-in bet with {A-Clubs} {7-Clubs}. That player being Simon Beijer and he held {K-?} {K-?}.

The flop was {K-Clubs} {10-Hearts} {9-Clubs}. Beijer flopped top set, but Loh had a flush draw.

The turn was the {6-Clubs} and gave Loh his flush. Beijer rooted for the board to pair, but when the {A-Diamonds} hit the river, he was eliminated. He smacked his fist on the table and left the room.

Will Souther was on the next table over. He asked Loh his name and then told him that he had chip envy.

Souther also asked if he gave Loh a lap dance, would Loh give him 20,000 chips? The two tables chuckled as Souther continues to liven up his section.

Tags: Paul LohSimon Beijer

Carlos Mortensen Gives Some Back

All the money went in after a {K-Spades} {J-Spades} {5-Spades} flop and that's when Mortensen learned that his {K-Hearts} {Q-Diamonds} was drawing very thin against his opponent's {9-Spades} {8-Spades} and flopped flush. The board ran out {2-Diamonds} {2-Clubs} and Mortensen doubled his opponent to around 48,000. Carlos still has 105,000.

The Other Lederer

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} {9-Spades} {8-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} {9-Diamonds} was no match for Lederer's {J-Clubs} {J-Spades}.

"Wow," said the big blind. "That was a sick river."

Whit Whittles at Mercier's Stack

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}{6-Clubs}{7-Hearts}.

Mercier: {4-Hearts}{6-Hearts}
Blanton: {5-Hearts}{8-Hearts}

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 MercierWhit Blanton

Bad Time to Be a Cowboy

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.

Harman Picking Up Chips Late

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} {6-Clubs} {6-Diamonds}, Harman bet out 3,500 and her opponent raised all in for 12,025. Harman made the call.

Harman showed {A-Diamonds} {A-Spades} and her opponent {K-Spades} {J-Clubs}.

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

The Amazing Phil Laak

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

Busto Insurance

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.