[user75032]
Do you like poker? Then you're going to love what we have in store for you today. It's Day 1 of the $10,000 World Championship No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw. This is one of the purest forms of poker you're going to find anywhere on the planet. Chau Giang, playing this game at the 2004 World Series of Poker, memorably remarked, "I love poker," during an intense hand.
Last year, this event was a $5,000 rebuy event that drew 85 runners and was won by Mike "the Mouth" Matusow. With the elimination of all rebuy events at the 2009 World Series of Poker, the price tag on this event has been bumped up to $10,000. We expect similar numbers of runners as last year, and you better believe that almost every entrant is going to be a recognizable face.
Play gets underway at 5pm local time. See you then!
[user75032]
Cards are in the air. Players are starting with 10,000 tournament chips and two "rebuy" buttons worth an additional 10,000 tournament chips each that can be used at any time during the first three levels. If the rebuy chips have not been redeemed by the end of the third level, they will be automatically redeemed at that time.
[user25067]
OK, so we realize in an event this specialized and elite, every table is going to be pretty tough, but here are some of the more lethal combinations we spotted on our first trip around the Brasilia Room.
Table 243: Brett Richey, Mike Matusow, Jacobo Fernandez, Archie Karas
Table 247: Dario Alioto, Sami "LarsLuzak" Kelopuro, Dario Minieri, Nikolay Evdakov, Farzad Bonyadi
Table 248: Johnny Chan, David Grey, Erick Lindgren
Table 249: Greg Raymer, Chino Rheem, Tim Phan, Andy Black, and seven-time bracelet winner Billy Baxter
[user75032]
As previously mentioned, Mike Matusow won this event last year when it was a $5,000 rebuy event. He wasted no time telling all of his tablemates about his win last year and how great it was to have "guys like Ivey" dropping "hundred-balls" into the tournament.
One table over is another recent champion -- Huck Seed, winner of the 2009 NBC Heads-Up Invitational Tournament. Sam Grizzle is seated at Seed's table and was not very impressed by Seed's accomplishment.
"Hey Huck," said Grizzle. "Congrats on that tournament that they 'gave' you. Better be glad I wasn't there. Wish I'd be so lucky to get a girl heads-up for the win."
Matusow heard Grizzle and turned around to challenge Grizzle's assertion. "Sam, that girl is lot better than you. You think she just makes every final table on accident?"
Grizzle was unconvinced. "You need to take some more of that medication Mike. You're losing it."
Matusow pressed the point further by remarking that Rousso "is the best girl no-limit hold'em player right now" before turning his attention back to his cards.
[user25067]
Gus Hansen has been somewhat famously absent from the WSOP thus far, as he elected to stay in Europe and sweat a VERY substantial bet on the French Open (which he unfortunately lost). However, Gus has made an appearance at today's event, and is presently chatting to David Benyamine and Daniel Alaei over at Table 244.
"Gus! Are you signed up?" queried Amnon Filippi.
"I look around and I see a hell of a lot of wannabe superstars. I'm not sure yet," he replied.
Hansen still seems to be wandering about but should he pony up $10K and take a seat, we'll let you know.
[user25067]
Yan Chen made it 300 to go from the cutoff, Freddy Deeb reraised to 1,300 from the big blind and Chen made the call. Deeb drew one while Chen rapped pat.
After the draw, Deeb asked Chen how much he had behind. Chen motioned to his stack, revealing about 4,100 plus his two red add-on chips.
Deeb bet a single 5,000 chip, setting Chen in. Chen gave up his hand and Deeb took it down, increasing his stack to 13,000 (plus his two add-on chips).
[user75032]
Ok, my field reporter swears that this is a newsworthy bit of information to post to the blog: Mickey Appleman has shown up to the tournament, and he is NOT (we repeat, NOT) wearing his trademark Horseshoe jacket. Our crack team of analysts is feverishly working at an undisclosed location north of town trying to figure out what this could mean.
In more relevant news, Tom "durrrr" Dwan has not yet arrived, despite apparently being already registered for the tournament.
[user25067]
Justin "Boosted J" Smith opened for 400 from the cutoff, Tom Schneider called from the button and the big blind came along as well. Each player drew one card.
The action was checked to Schneider, who bet 1,100. The big blind mucked, and Smith made the call.
Schneider rolled over 9-8-5-4-3 and Smith mucked. "Donkeybomber" is now up to 14,500 (plus his two add-on chips).
[user75032]
Many of the players in today's event elected to redeem their rebuy chips right away. As a result we've had some significant pots already, including a recent pot between Huck Seed and Sam Grizzle.
After a button raise to 300, Seed re-raised to 1,350 from the small blind before Sam Grizzle put in a third raise to 4,850. Only Seed called. Seed drew first and took one card. Grizzle rapped pat.
After the draw, Seed led out for 15,000, sending Grizzle into the tank for about three minutes. Finally Grizzle threw in the matching number of chips. Seed turned over his hand and spread it... revealing 7-7-6-4-2, a pair of sevens. It seemed from the reveal that Seed bet his hand dark.
Grizzle let out a sigh of relief and turned over 9-7-6-5-3 to take down the pot.
Mike Matusow watched the action and was impressed by Seed's move. "What a salesman," remarked Matusow. "You're smiling, you're laughing, you've got your legs spread... you had me sold." Seed just smiled.
"Then again, anyone who tries to bluff Sam is an idiot," Matusow continued. "When Sam comes in here with new clothes on and new shoes, you know not to try to bluff him."
Because Seed missed that memo, his stack is down to about 8,500. Grizzle has moved to about 45,000.
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