You're not going to find a guy in a bunny suit or dressed like a nun in the $50,000 Players' Championship (unless they lost a substantial prop bet) and for the most part, this field has kept it tasteful when it comes to fashion. There is currently only about a 7 to 1 ratio of players to Ed Hardy shirts, a number that is unfortunately sure to multiply in the coming days.
As we noted earlier, Phil Hellmuth is wearing a lime green polo shirt underneath his usual black jacket. According to our sources, Hellmuth was encouraged to wear the color not by his life coach, but by his recently hired feng-shui expert. Seriously.
Dario Minieri is gaga for Gucci and is donning a brown v-neck sweater covered in the Gucci logo. Also loving logoed designer-wear is Big Game regular David Oppenheim, whose head is covered in a black wool Louis Vuitton beanie.
Jeff Lisandro surprised us, donning a subtle-for-him black button-down with a white embroidered dragon graphic on one side. Justin "Boosted J" Smith, however might want to consider ditching his puffy black bomber jacket-- the material is just a little too "Hefty bag" for us.
In middle position, Michael Binger opened a can of worms with a standard raise. Nick Schulman made the smooth call in the cutoff, and Doyle Brunson came along from the small blind. In the big, though, Mike Watson squeezed the table up to 6,000. Binger and Schulman quickly called, but it wasn't getting through Dolly that easy. Brunson came right back with a four-bet to 30,000, and only Watson called that reraise, heading off to the flop heads-up.
The dealer spread out , and a continuation bet of 70,000 was easily enough for Doyle to take down the pot right there. He's worked his stack to about 190,000.
"You guys are little kids," said David Benyamine with a laugh. "This is where the action is. Limp on the button and take four." That's what Benyamine did in a four-way pot on the first draw: limp and then take four.
"I have a good feeling about this hand too," said Benyamine. But no dice -- he had to fold his hand to a bet and a raise in front of him.
"Fearless and creative" is how much people describe Tom Dwan's playing style. But even durrrr can run into monster hands, and at that point fearlessness and creativity won't go very far. Dwan opened to 1,300 pre-flop from early position and was called by Shawn Buchanan in late position and both blinds. The flop was all diamonds, . Action checked to Buchanan. His bet of 3,200 folded both of the blinds, but not Dwan. Dwan check-raised to 14,700. Buchanan called.
Both players checked the turn. On the river, Dwan tried a bet of 23,500. Buchanan snap-called with the second nut flush, . Dwan showed the and mucked.
There's nothing quite like flopping a big hand, but that's only half of the battle. The other half is getting paid. Phil Ivey, playing single-suited aces, , flopped the nut flush on a board of in a three-way pot. He led out for 6,000. David Benyamine folded but Pat Pezzin called.
Both players checked the turn and the river. Pezzin mucked at showdown to slip to 130,000. Ivey is slightly above the starting stack at about 163,000.
In early position, Eugene Katchalov opened the pot to 1,600. Eric Sagstrom and James Van Alstyne both came along with calls, and it was three handed to the flop.
It came out , and all three players checked. Katchalov checked again when the hit fourth street, and Sagstrom took the opportunity to fire out a bet of 4,200. That was enough to get Van Alstyne out of the way, but Katchalov made the call to see the last card.
It was the , and Katchalov check-called a final bet of 9,000. Sagstrom showed up for the set, and he took the pot as his opponent mucked his inferior holdings.
We picked this hand up on the flop, David Chiu leading out on the board for 2,500 and Sorel Mizzi calling from late position. Chiu fired another 5,500 when the hit the turn and Mizzi came along. Both players checked the on the river.
Mizzi turned up and Chiu mucked. Mizzi is up to 195,000 while Chiu slipped to 123,000.
Just before the last break, floorman Jimmy Somerfield went around to the tables and passed out food vouchers for the players. The participants of WSOP events get a $10 food credit each day during play, but not these high rollers. The dining vouchers for this $50K event are worth a hefty $100 apiece.
Famed penny pincher Jason Mercier was taken aback at the sight of the free money. "How am I supposed to spend $100 in one meal?" He asked. Somerfield was already walking away from the table, but he turned over his shoulder to answer, "You can drink it!" as he headed on to the next set of players.
It turns out that, in fact, players who registered late and were in line together have been put on the same tables in the field, rather than breaking players off of existing tables and then filling in. So, for example, Robert Williamson III, Barry Greenstein, Tony G, Todd Brunson and Eugene Katchalov are all siting together. So are Huck Seed, Amnon Filippi and Lyle Berman.
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, and a continuation bet of 70,000 was easily enough for Doyle to take down the pot right there. He's worked his stack to about 190,000.
. Action checked to Buchanan. His bet of 3,200 folded both of the blinds, but not Dwan. Dwan check-raised to 14,700. Buchanan called.
turn. On the 
river, Dwan tried a bet of 23,500. Buchanan snap-called with the second nut flush, 
and mucked.
, flopped the nut flush on a board of 
in a three-way pot. He led out for 6,000. David Benyamine folded but Pat Pezzin called.
turn and the 
river. Pezzin mucked at showdown to slip to 130,000. Ivey is slightly above the starting stack at about 163,000.
for the set, and he took the pot as his opponent mucked his inferior holdings.
board for 2,500 and Sorel Mizzi calling from late position. Chiu fired another 5,500 when the 
hit the turn and Mizzi came along. Both players checked the 
and Chiu mucked. Mizzi is up to 195,000 while Chiu slipped to 123,000.