2010 World Series of Poker

Event #2: $50,000 Poker Player's Championship
Day: 1
Event Info

2010 World Series of Poker

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
q5
Prize
$1,559,046
Event Info
Buy-in
$50,000
Prize Pool
$5,568,000
Entries
116
Level Info
Level
28
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
30,000

More on the Late Registrant Controversy

There are now fifteen late registrants milling around the tournament floor, waiting for Level 2. Tournament Director Jack Effel was overheard stating that he didn't want to put players at any short-handed tables and potentially give someone an advantage over the field. We've also heard that the plan is to break individual players off of existing tables to create new tables and then to fill in the late registrants at the existing tables in order to preserve the randomness of the table draw.

Quaaaaaaads

Stud:

Ted Lawson (X) (X) {3-Diamonds}
David Benyamine (X) (X) {10-Hearts}{2-Clubs}{7-Diamonds}{7-Clubs} (X)
Yuval Bronshtein (X) (X) {Q-Hearts}{A-Spades}{9-Spades}{A-Clubs} (X)

Ted Lawson had the bring-in, David Benyamine completed and Yuval Bronshtein raised. Lawson folded and Benyamine called. Bronshtein led out on fourth, fifth, and sixth streets, Benyamine calling him down.

When the river cards were dealt, Bronshtein led out again and Benyamine gave up his hand. Bronshtein showed {A-Hearts}{A-Diamonds} for quad aces.

"Last card?" asked Benyamine as he laid eyes on Bronshtein's hand.

"Nope, had it," Bronshtein replied. He's up to 155,000 while Benyamine is on 145,000.

Tags: Yuval BronshteinDavid BenyamineTed Lawson

Early Controversy

It didn't take even a single level in the first open event for players to find a controversy at the 2010 World Series of Poker. Here's what we've been able to piece together:

There is a group of player who registered late for this event. The group includes Lyle Berman, Robert Williamson III, Tony G, Todd Brunson, Barry Greenstein, Huck Seed, Amnon Filippi and Josh Arieh. Arieh said that the line at the cage was the reason that he bought in late; others were in the same line behind Arieh. Nick Schulman, in front of Arieh in line, was apparently the last person to get in "on time".

Rule 12 for the 2010 WSOP reads in relevant part,

"A late registrant is defined as a player that registers for an event after the Tournament has officially started. Any player registering for an event after all initial tables allocated for that tournament have been filled will begin play at the start of the subsequent level."

The late group has been told they'll be allowed to enter play at the start of Level 2. The odd thing about that decision is that there are four empty tables along the rail with chip stacks, cards and dealers sitting at them. Those tables were in the field at the start of play but for some reason are not being considered as part of the initial table allocation at this time.

"I don't mind," said Tony G when we asked him about the controversy. "Rules are rules."

Ivey Inching Up

Phil Ivey
Phil Ivey

Razz:

Pat Pezzin (X) (X) {K-}
Yuval Bronshtein (X) (X) {8-} {6-}{8-}{Q-} (X)
Phil Ivey (X) (X) {2-}{10-}{Q-}{4-} (X)

Pat Pezzin brought it in with a king, Yuval Bronshtein completed, Phil Ivey raised, Pezzin ducked out of the way and Bronshtein called. Bronshtein made the low board on fourth and led out, Ivey making the call. On fifth, Bronshtein paired eights while Ivey caught a queen. Ivey checked, Bronshtein bet and Ivey called. Ivey led out on sixth and earned a call, but on seventh street, Bronshtein gave up his hand after Ivey put in one final bet.

Ivey is up to 170,000 while Bronshtein is down to 143,000.

Tags: Pat PezzinPhil IveyYuval Bronshtein

Giang Kicks Lawson

Limit Hold'em:

Under the gun, Ted Lawson open-limped, and David Benyamine followed suit in the next seat over. Chau Giang limped his button, and Phil Ivey knocked the table to take a free four-way flop from his big blind.

The dealer spread out {7-Spades} {2-Diamonds} {9-Diamonds}, and Lawson was the one to fire the first bet. Benyamine folded, but Giang put in a raise. That was enough to fold Ivey as well, while Lawson called the extra bet to proceed in the hand.

Fourth street came the {8-Clubs}, and Lawson check-called a bet of 1,600 there, and another one on the {7-Hearts} river. Giang showed up {J-Spades} {9-Spades} for top pair, and it was good. Lawson flashed the {9-Hearts}, but his kicker apparently wasn't up to snuff as he sent his cards back into the muck.

Giang - 165,000
Lawson - 140,000

Tags: Chau GiangTed Lawson

Five to the Flop

Omaha 8/b:

Daniel Alaei, Ted Forrest, Erick Lindgren, Mike Matusow and Eli Elezra all saw a {J-Diamonds}{10-Spades}{2-Spades} flop. Alaei led out from the big blind for 800, Forrest called from UTG, Lindgren raised to 1,600, Matusow cold-called the two bets and Elezra made it 2,400 to go. Alaei called, Forrest folded and both Lindgren and Matusow called. All four remaining players checked the {2-Hearts} on the turn. The river was the {3-Hearts} and Alaei checked to Lindgren, who bet 1,600. Matusow and Alaei both called.

Alaei turned over {K-Clubs}{K-Spades}{Q-Diamonds}{5-Clubs} and made a surprising scoop, as neither of his opponents made a low. Alaei is up to 178,000 from his 150,000 starting stack.

Tags: Daniel AlaeiMike MatusowErick LindgrenEli ElezraTed Forrest

Enter durrrr

One of the newest arrivals into the field is none other than internet legend Tom "durrrr" Dwan. He took his seat at Daniel Negreanu's table just in time for the game to change to razz.

"You want low cards," Negreanu jokingly explained to Dwan. "All low cards. Straights, flushes, doesn't matter." Dwan, a regular in high-stakes mixed games online, just smiled and took his seat.

Tags: Tom DwanDaniel Negreanu

Presto Holds on a Dangerous Board

Limit Hold'em:

Phil "OMGClayAiken" Galfond raised from middle position and Justin "Boosted J" Smith looked him up from the big blind. Galfond check-raised the {J-Spades}{8-Clubs}{3-Spades} flop and Smith called. Both players checked the {9-Spades} on the turn, and when the {8-Hearts} hit the river, Smith check-called one more bet from Galfond.

Galfond couldn't have felt too good about his hand as he rolled over {5-Spades}{5-Diamonds}, but much to his surprise, Smith mucked and he took down the pot.

Tags: Justin SmithPhil Galfond

Cowboys for the Gunslinger

Limit Hold'em:

Joe Serock opened for a raise and David Bach defended his big blind. Bach checked the {Q-Diamonds}{8-Diamonds}{7-Spades} flop over to Serock, who bet out. Bach raised and Serock called. Bach led out with bet when the {4-Clubs} hit the turn, Serock making the call. The river was the {2-Diamonds} and Bach bet again. Serock called, mucking as soon as he laid eyes on Bach's {K-Hearts}{K-Diamonds}.

Tags: David BachJoe Serock