Craig Bergeron had the button at his table and put in a minimum raise to 3,200. After the small blind folded, action came to big blind Matthew Waxman.
"You min-raised," said Waxman. "You're just begging for me to double up this hand."
Before the flop came down, Waxman looked at Bergeron. "I'll bet blind, ready?" He fired 2,400 into the pot. Bergeron checked out the ace-high flop, , and then called.
"Want another blind bet?" asked Waxman. "I'll do it again." He bet 6,000 before he saw the turn, which was the .
Bergeron tried to puzzle it out. "I think you have--" he began, but Waxman cut him off before he could finish the statement.
On a flop of , Robert Williamson III moved all in for 20,400. Anthony Licastro called with two pair, [9x.
"What do you have?" he asked Williamson. Williamson tabled for one pair and a draw.
"I have lots of outs," said Williamson.
"You can't get lucky on me every time." Maybe not, but Williamson got lucky this time. Not with the turn , but with the river , which made a straight for Williamson. He doubled up to 51000.
A short time later, at a different table, Ben Roberts was eliminated. He moved in with and said, "Let's see a miracle" after Julien Nuijten called with .
"Let's not," said Nuijten.
There was no miracle for Roberts. The board rolled out , improving neither player. Nuijten's kicker held to send Roberts to the rail.
David Diaz has had a great start to the day, doubling his count from 98,000 to about 200,000 after eliminating Al "Sugar Bear" Barbieri. The flop was already out, , when Diaz bet 5,000. Barbieri check-raised to 10,000 and was called. Barbieri slowed down on the turn , checking and calling a bet. On the river , Barbieri checked again. Diaz put him to the test by moving all in. Barbieri tanked and called, but Diaz had him beat to send Barbieri to the rail.
Diaz suffered a setback in a recent hand. With the board showing , Diaz's opponent bet the river. Diaz tanked and called. He could only shake his hand in disgust when his opponent turned over for trip deuces.
Even despite that loss, Diaz still has 178,000. That's well above average.
Carter Phillips and Jeffery Palarino get all their chips in preflop and an old fashioned showdown ensues.
Palarino shows , leaving Phillips trailing with . The flop comes and Palarino stays in the lead. The turn brings a giving Phillips a flush draw, but the hits on the river and gives Phillips top pair. It's not a flush, but it's good enough to send Palarino to the rail.
The pace of eliminations has been brutally fast to start Day 2 of this event. Some players who brought 60 or more big blinds into the day have been eliminated in the first forty minutes of play. One of those players is Jan Skampa. Skamps was all in with against the of Chris Lindh. The board ran out to give Lindh a full house, tens full of kings, and the best hand.
We knew things were going to be quick to start the day but we didn't expect them to be this quick. The calls of "Winner on [table number]" are punctuating the cricket-chirp of shuffled chips every few minutes. We're already down to 120 players.
Former WSOP Main Event champion Jerry Yang is alive in this field, although his stack is in need of a boost. He got some help from David Sands, who tried to take out the champ wtih . Yang tabled , which held on a board of . Unfortunately, Yang had already lost some of the chips he started the day with, so that double-up pushed him to only 36,000.
Steve Yea got it in good. He put his 20,000 chips on the line with and as called by Marks Flowers with . Unfortunately for Yea, the board ran out to give both players the same full house. Yea goes back to looking for another good hand with which to commit his stack.
After Francois Billard limped from early position, all players passed to Lee Childs in the big blind. Childs raised to 1,800 and was called by Billard. On a flop of Childs had first action and bet 4,100. Billard called.
Both players checked the turn. When the river came , Childs checked again. Billard bet 7,000, then called a check-raise to 20,000. Childs turned over , having turned a set of sevens. They were good.
![[user75032]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
, and then called.
.
, Robert Williamson III moved all in for 20,400. Anthony Licastro called with two pair, 
[9x.
for one pair and a draw.
, but with the river 
, which made a straight for Williamson. He doubled up to 51000.
and said, "Let's see a miracle" after Julien Nuijten called with 
.
, giving Phillips a pair of queens. Herndon is eliminated and Phillips sees his stack grow to 95,000.
, when Diaz bet 5,000. Barbieri check-raised to 10,000 and was called. Barbieri slowed down on the turn 
for trip deuces.
and Palarino stays in the lead. The turn brings a
giving Phillips a flush draw, but the 
Childs had first action and bet 4,100. Billard called.
turn. When the river came 
, Childs checked again. Billard bet 7,000, then called a check-raise to 20,000. Childs turned over 