Jim Collopy: /
Perry Friedman: (XX) / - fold
Third Player: (XXX) /
Three players had made it to sixth street when Jim "Mr_BigQueso" Collopy bet out. Perry Friedman, resplendent today in an Asian conical straw hat stamped with his sponsor's logo, folded. The third player called though, and they were dealt their last down cards.
Collopy bet out again on seventh street and his opponent called, but mucked when Collopy turned over a third seven for trips. Collopy scooped the pot and is up to an impressive 8,000 or so.
The number on the board now is 644 - an impressive field - and seeing as we're at Level 3 and registration is now closed, we are assuming that this number is now official.
Just before the break, there was a long, drawn out kerfuffle on one of the central tables which seemed to attract the interest of not only myself, but also players on the neighboring tables. When I arrived, the floor had already been called, one player complaining, rather vehemently, that the dealer had made a mistake and split the pot incorrectly, and that he'd lost out as a result.
Judging by the reaction of the other players at the table, this issue had been bashed out for quite a while already, a rather disgruntled Yuval Bronshtein adding, "We've already wasted 15 minutes, it's screwing up my tournament, just look at the f*** cameras."
"There was no way it was split properly," continued the victim as Bronshtein exhaled a deep sigh.
"The dealer did it right, but in a confusing way," countered another player.
Hopefully the break will have brought this drama to an end, but whether they can check the cameras or not to determine whether the pot was indeed split correctly, is another matter.
We briefly spoke of John Cutter in the last post, but he is yet another veteran in this event who deserves more than a passing mention. Every year there are certain figures roaming the Amazon Room who just stick in your mind, and Cutter is one of them.
Hailing from Montana, he is what one might call "the real deal", and bar riding in on horseback with guns blazing, about as close as we'll get to ever having a genuine cowboy enter an event. He even lives on a ranch!
Sporting a cowboy hat and shirt, he is a constant presence at the Series, and perhaps best known for his partner in crime, Blue, a stunning Australian Shepherd who often accompanies him at the table.
When I asked him how long he'd been playing the World Series, he answered in a thick accent and with a slight smirk, "Fifty years, boy," which although is technically impossible, signifies that he is one of the few players in the building to have predated the World Series.
Now, if only we could get Rutter and Howard "Tahoe" Andrew heads-up, then we'd have a story.
It was less than a week ago when Frank Kassela defeated Allen Kessler to win the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better Championship. Well, the two are back at it today, sitting next to each other at Table #279. Currently, Kessler has about 4,200 while Kassela is down to about 3,300.
He may have dropped down a buy-in or two, but having already triumphed in the $10,000 version of this event, Frank Kassela is back to tackle the littler brother in a bid to add a second bracelet to his newly acquired cabinet.
On his last hand, Kassela raised it up to 75 with and received three callers, before folding to a bet on fourth street by a player with aces. John Cutter was the only caller.
Kessala: {X}{X}/ - folded fourth street
Cutter: {X}{X}/
Unknown: {X}{X}/ - folded fourth street
Unknown: {X}{X}/
On fifth street, however, the action ground to a halt as the player with aces led out again, and Cutter gave it up.
Also on this table is the man who finished second to Kessala in Event #15, Allen Kessler. He's seated directly to the right of his nemesis and is currently on 3,200.
![[user46392]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
/ 
- fold
- folded fourth street
- folded fourth street
