The opening day of the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship has been completed with 95 of the world's finest mixed game players coming together to compete for the title that everyone wants, the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy.
We knew it was going to be slow going in the early stages with only four players sent to the rail from today's action. Steve Zolotow, Alexander Kostritsyn, David Singer and Dan Shak will be taking a closer look at tomorrow's schedule of events as the remaining 91 players will have their diaries booked for 4 p.m. tomorrow for Day 2 of the H.O.R.S.E event.
The field will most likely be led by Hasan Habib who sat behind 387,000 chips late in the day. Justin Smith, Martin Vallo, Farzad Bonyadi and Chris Ferguson round out a likely top five.
Join us again tomorrow from 4 p.m. as the action starts to get a little more serious as the stakes are raised and the fight for survival becomes more intense. We look forward to your company then!
Gabe Kaplan and John Kabbaj limped in before Dan Shak came in with a raise from the button. John Juanda called from the small blind, Jason Gray called from the big blind and both Kaplan and Kabbaj called the additional bet.
It was five-handed to the flop, which came down . The action was checked to Kaplan, who bet. Kabbaj raised, Shak called all in for 2,400, and both Juanda and Gray folded. The turn was the and Kaplan check-called a bet from Kabbaj. He did the same when the river fell the .
Kabbaj turned over for a set of sevens. Kaplan mucked and Shak headed to the rail.
Phil Ivey raised from middle position, Gus Hansen called from the small blind and Alexander Jung called from the big blind. The flop came down and the action was checked to Ivey, who bet. Hansen called and Jung folded. The fell on the turn and Hansen check-called a bet from Ivey. The river was the and Hansen checked again. Ivey bet and Hansen came in with a raise. Ivey made the call.
Hansen showed , having rivered a Broadway straight. Ivey mucked and Hansen scooped the pot.
Hansen is up to 170,000 while Ivey's stack fell to 125,000.
Chris Ferguson raised from middle position before Justin Bonomo put in a three-bet from the big blind. Ferguson made the call and they took a flop of .
Bonomo led out with a bet before Ferguson raised. Bonomo reraised and Ferguson called. The turn brought the and Bonomo fired again. This time Ferguson just flat called.
The fell on the river and Bonomo fired a third barrel however Ferguson put in the raise. Bonomo paid him off only to see Ferguson table for the full house. Bonomo mucked and slips 110,000 with Ferguson now up to a healthy 242,000.
We caught the action on fourth street with Scotty Nguyen firing bets on all streets with David Benyamine calling him down until the river where he check-folded.
Benyamine flashed (-X) for an eight-low as Nguyen kept it friendly as flashed () for a seventy-six.
Nguyen collects the pot to move to 147,000 with Benyamine at 220,000 chips.
Ali Eslami limped in from early position, David Bach limped from the cutoff, Gus Hansen raised from the button, Andy Bloch called from the small blind and both Eslami and Bach called the additional bet. The flop came down . The action was checked to David Bach, who bet. Hansen raised, Bloch folded, Eslami called and Bach called. The turn came the and Eslami checked to Bach, who fired again. Hansen folded and Eslami called. The river was the and this time Eslami led out. Bach thought for a moment before deciding to raise and Eslami made the call.
Bach showed for two pair nines and deuces, but Eslami had him crushed with for trip deuces. Eslami raked in the pot and got a much-needed chip infusion, his stack now up to 63,000.
David Chiu was the bring in with Eli Elezra completing before firing bets on every street. On the river, Elezra bet in the dark with Chiu making the call.
Elezra flipped () () for a seventy-five low to collect the pot and all but double up to 38,000 chips.