Event 57 - $10,000 World Championship No Limit Hold'em Day 1a | 2009 World Series of Poker

07-03-2009 14:47 UTC-12

Another Sick Cooler

A player on the button opened the pot with a raise to 900, and Troy Gibson made the call from the big blind. The flop rolled out {K-Spades}

and Gibson checked. His opponent made a continuation bet of 1,100 and he called.

The turn card was the {K-Clubs}

to pair the board. Gibson checked again, this time calling a bet of 1,200. The river card came the {4-Hearts}

, and it didn't really look like an exciting card, but it sure brought the action. Gibson checked again, and this time his opponent made a real bet, flicking out 6,000 chips. Gibson paused for a moment before moving all in with the covering stack. The other player instantly called, turning over {A-Clubs}

for the top full house. But it was no good. Gibson tabled {K-Diamonds}

for the stone-cold four-of-a-kind kings.

The table all stood from their chairs, some with their hands over their mouths and faces, and some passing along the story to adjacent tables. Brad Garrett was clutching his chest. "My heart was beating," he said, "and I wasn't even in the hand!"

Tags: Troy Gibson

07-03-2009 14:50 UTC-12

Naujoks Attracts the Fellas... Again

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A player in middle position bet 1,600 on a flop of {5-Hearts}

and Sandra Naujoks raised the action to 5,000 from late position. She got the call and both players checked the {Q-Hearts}

on the turn.

When her opponent checked the {5-Spades}

on the river, Naujoks tossed 5,000 more into the pot and got the call. Naujoks turned over {K-Hearts}

, besting her opponent's {10-?}

. Naujoks now has 51,600.

07-03-2009 14:59 UTC-12

Yang Enjoys Relocation

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With tables continuing to break fast, we have found Jerry Yang being moved to Johnny Chan's table.

Only a few hands since arriving, Yang opened with a raise to 900 before Steve Paul-Ambrose made it 2,550 to go.

The crowd started to gather as Yang cut down the chips to make the call and threw in the necessary amounts before checking the {2-Spades}

flop.

Paul-Ambrose splashed the pot with a bet amounting 8,500 to effectively put Yang all in.

"I'm all in" announced Yang as a brigade of cameras and media came rushing to his table like a replica of the running of the bulls.

With Yang only all in for 5,300, Paul-Ambrose took back a few chips and rolled over his {9-Clubs}

.

"This is the hand I won the World Series with" announced Yang as he stood up and rolled the {8-Clubs}

, followed by the {8-Diamonds}

.

As Yang leaned over the table, he would see the {K-Hearts}

peel on the turn to give Paul-Ambrose an additional two outs, but when the river landed the {5-Spades}

Yang screamed out "YES!!!" to double to 17,000 and change.

07-03-2009 15:00 UTC-12

Lana Wanna Bust Kaplan

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We join a heads-up pot in progress with the flop showing {5-Spades}

. Gabe Kaplan checked, and Lana Maier fired out 1,325 chips in a technicolor string across the felt. Kaplan made the call, and the {9-Clubs}

fell on the turn. Kaplan led out this time, slipping 3,575 chips into the pot, and leaving just a single orange chip worth 5,000 behind. Maier took a quick pause before calling.

On the river, the {2-Spades}

drew a check from Kaplan. Maier figured now was the time, and she bet the 5,000 required to put her opponent all in. He wouldn't take the bait though, returning his cards to the muck and saving that orange chip for a better spot.

Maier is up to 68,000. And now just looking back at the table one more time, we can see that Kaplan has been eliminated in the meantime.

Tags: Gabe Kaplan Lana Maier

07-03-2009 15:05 UTC-12

Orel Hershiser Eliminated

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After a flop of {J-Clubs}

Orel Hershiser was all in with {9-?}

against the {J-?}

of Luke Patten.

The board filled out {J-Clubs}

giving Patten the better two pair.

Hershiser gave Patten a signed baseball incased in glass after his elimination. Patten appreciated the gesture, however, the englishman admitted that he had no idea who Orel Hershiser was.

Tags: Orel Hershiser

07-03-2009 15:05 UTC-12

Fellows Falls

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In a battle of the short stacks, Zac Fellows and Farzad Rouhani got their chips in the middle on a board of {J-Hearts}

.

Fellows turned over {A-Diamonds}

for top pair and found himself drawing dead against Rouhani's made straight with the {9-Diamonds}

. The

sealed the hand on the river and Fellows exited the Amazon Room while Rouhani stacked up 14,300 in chips.

07-03-2009 15:06 UTC-12

Break it Down

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We're at the end of another level, and it's time for the last 20-minute break of Day 1a.

Level: 4

Blinds: 150/300

Ante: 25

07-03-2009 15:27 UTC-12

One More Level

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We're back in action for the last level of the night with 921 players remaining. We'll play on for another 120 minutes before bagging and tagging for a four-night soak. The players who survive Day 1a will be back for Day 2a on July 7th.

07-03-2009 15:34 UTC-12