The $1,500 Limit Hold'em is looking like it will be a fairly bijou sort of affair compared to its big, no limit brother over in the Pavilion Room, but all of the blue section and much of the orange have been prepared chips and dealers so far, so our field is not exactly going to be trivial either.
Perhaps because the average age of the field is a little higher, or perhaps because the 5pm start time inclines them more towards a leisurely attitude, players are being a little slow trickling in. Nevertheless, we expect this limit party to get started within 10 minutes or so.
No-limit may be the choice of the modern generation, but there are still numerous pros who consider limit to be the more skillful game. However, and despite this claim, few 'big guns' have taken their seat, making today's $1,500 Limit event one of the less popular tournaments for those with 'star status.' Is is it a lack of prestige, excitement, or perhaps a simple clash with other events that are being played out simultaneously? Either way, if we are correct to associate talent with notoriety, this could be a softer-than-usual field, and a great opportunity for the success-hungry field to join that elite group of bracelet winners.
A quick scour of the room, however, did uncover a few names: Phil Gordon, Barry Schulman, Marco Traniello, Eric Rizen and Jimmy Fricke are present, as is 2008 Champion Jimmy Shultz who introduced himself with an outstretched paw as I passed. I also couldn't help but notice Ylon Schwartz, his loud, fuzzy hair making him an unmissable character.
On closer inspection, this field has some pedigree.
In addition to the aforementioned luminaries, we've now spotted EPT London winner Aaron Gustavson, Player of the (Last) Year Jeff Lisandro, the Netherlands' first ever bracelet winner Rob Hollink, and 2008 November Niner Ylon Schwartz.
Things are suddenly looking very interesting in the Amazon Room.
In the absence of Phil Hellmuth, who remains entwined in his battle for bracelet gold across the other side of the room, several players have trickled in fashionably late, the likes of Roberto Romanello, Cristiano Blanco, Bill Chen, Michael Craig and Flying Dutchman Marcel Lukse all taking their seat.
Also in the thick of the action is Justin Bonomo: I just saw get three streets of value with on an board, his defeated foe check-calling all the way throwing his hand into the muck on the river.
Maria Ho, who went deep in the 2007 Main Event, is one of few female players to have taken their seat here today. Ho's enjoyed a solid start, four-betting preflop before being called on all three streets of an board. You'd assume she was ahead all the way, but her foe flipped to signify that he'd been pipped to the post on the river.
Phil Gordon and Stefan Rapp have been tangling in what amounts to a fairly serious way, for level 1.
Phil Gordon was the opening raiser, and Rapp reraised; Gordon called and they went heads up to the flop.
Gordon checked in the dark but called a bet from Rapp; Gordon checked again on the turn and this time Rapp checked behind. The river was the and Gordon check-called another bet from Rapp. They turned their cards over.
Rapp:
Gordon:
"You checked the turn?" said Rapp incredulously.
"I was gonna check-raise you," Gordon lamented as the pot went to Rapp.
The back-and-forth between them continued, as Gordon told Rapp about a limit hand he'd once played, where he'd had his opponent so tilted that he got 27 bets in after the queen-high, rainbow flop. Gordno was holding pocket queens to his opponent's . The turn was a king, the river a jack, making his opponent a Broadway straight.
With a near five million in tournament winnings and a record that would induce RSI if scrolled through, Dewey Tomko is perhaps one of the most underrated players in the game, and a dark hose for snapping up a bracelet. Today, he's giving limit a go, and is currently residing on a table in the very centre of the quadrant.
Passing through, I spotted Tomko engulfed in a hand, calling an UTG+1 raise preflop from middle position and reaching a three-way flop along with the big blind. The initial aggressor continuation bet, but then checked down a turn and river upon receiving two callers. In the end, it was the big blind who took it down, showing to scoop a small, but handy pot.
![[user46392]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
on an 
board, his defeated foe check-calling all the way throwing his hand into the muck on the river.
preflop before being called on all three streets of an 
flop.
and Gordon check-called another bet from Rapp. They turned their cards over.
. The turn was a king, the river a jack, making his opponent a Broadway straight.
turn and 
river upon receiving two callers. In the end, it was the big blind who took it down, showing 