Event #28: $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha
Day 1 Started
2010 World Series of Poker
Event #28: $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2010 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$2,500
Prize Pool
$1,370,800
Entries
596
Level
28
Blinds
30,000 / 60,000
Ante
0
The Action Game
In his early strategy text on the game, Bob Ciaffone dubbed Omaha "The Action Game." Indeed, we're expecting plenty of action today as Event No. 28, the $2,500 buy-in Pot-Limit Omaha event, gets underway.
With six ways to make a hand -- choosing two of one's four hole cards to go with three community cards -- the post-flop possibilities go on and on. Combine that with pot-limit betting and a rebuy-like format, and it is fair to expect we'll be seeing players mixing it up early and often today.
We say "rebuy-like" because as was the case last year in this event, we have something resembling a "rebuy" format, although the tourney is not technically a rebuy event. Players will begin with 1,500 chips to start, plus three "add-on" chips each worth 2,000. Those can be cashed in any time up until the end of Level 4, at which point uncashed add-on chips will be automatically added to the players' stacks. (That's a slight change from 2009, when players began with 2,500-chip stacks with two 2,500 add-ons.)
Last year J.C. Tran won the second of his two WSOP bracelets in this event. There were 436 entrants all told, and Tran earned $235,685 for his triumph.
Come back at noon local time when the action begins!
Level: 1
Blinds: 25/25
Ante: 0
"Raise Pot!"
We're underway! The first hands of Event No. 28, the $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha event, are being dealt. Won't be long before we start hearing that familiar refrain at PLO events from players, "Raise pot!"
At the moment the big board shows 400 players registered for this one. However, registration is open through the first two one-hour levels, so we'll see if this year's field exceeds that of 2009 when 436 came to play.
Several familiar faces in the crowd for this one. We'll do a quick tour and let you know who is here in just a few.
Notables in the Field
A quick look aound the room has revealed a number of notable players. Lee Watkinson, Robert Williamson III, David "Devilfish" Ulliott, T.J. Cloutier, Mike Sexton, Jonathan Little, Andy Black, Scott Seiver, and Tom Schneider are just a few of the recognizable faces in the masses.
Players are still trickling in, so we expect even more big names to fill the empty seats.
Catching Katja
A player in middle position raised to 75, and the table folded back around to Team PokerStars Pro Katja Thater who called from the big blind.
Not surprising to see Thater here. The 2007 WSOP $1,500 Razz event winner often plays in the non-hold'em events. Indeed, at the most recent PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Thater won a $1,000 buy-in mixed (8-game) event.
The flop came 
. Thater checked, her opponent bet 200, and Thater called. Both players then checked the 
turn.
The river brought the 
. Thater checked, and her opponent bet 600. The German pro thought for a beat, then made the call. Her opponent tabled 
for sixes full of aces, and Thater mucked.
Thater quickly tumbles down under 700 on that one, but she still has all three of her "add-on" chips (each worth 2,000) behind.
Who Else Likes PLO?
A few more action-seekers who have come out for today's PLO event to report. 2009 WSOP Main Event final tablist Kevin Schaffel is here. So are Noah Boeken, Ted Lawson, Sorel Mizzi, Josh Arieh, Tom McEvoy, Gavin Griffen, Cliff Josephy, Tony Cousineau, and winner of this year's $10,000 Seven-Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better Championship (Event No. 15), Frank Kassela.
Also here are Adam Junglen, Chip Jett, Andy Black, Soheil Samsheddin, Scott Montgomery, Erica Schoenberg, Eric Lynch, Eli Elezra, Sam Stein, and PLO specialist Robert Williamson III.
We think the "specialist" tag is safely applied to RW3. Williamson has one WSOP bracelet to his credit -- the $5,000 buy-in PLO event in 2002. He's also made five other final tables in PLO events at the WSOP, including two runner-ups.
More Faces in the Crowd
John Spadavecchia, Nam Le, Mike Sowers, Ilya Gorodetsky, Ben Roberts, Stefan Rapp, Carlos Mortensen, John Duthie, J.P. Kelly, Kevin Saul, Matt Stout, and Raymond Davis are also here.
See the chip counts page for a full list of folks we are tracking. One note -- during our first four levels of play, those counts will be reflecting the number of chips players have in play, but not the "add-on" chips they have behind, so those counts won't necessarily reflect players' relative positions until after we get to level 5.
Meanwhile, we will try to let you know in the hand reports how many of those add-on chips players have left when we mention their counts.
Khan Calls All In
Hevad Khan raised under the gun to 75 and was called by the players in Seat 5, Seat 6, David "Devilfish" Ulliott, and both blinds.
The flop came down 
and everyone checked. When the 
hit the turn, the big blind bet 300 and only Khan made the call.
The on the river inspired the big blind to put in a hefty stack of chips, which was enough to put Khan all in, even though he had a couple rebuy chips in reserve. Khan though about it before slamming his whole stack into the pot.
The big blind turned over 
for a straight. Khan tabled 
for the same straight and the two chopped the pot.
Black Uses All of His Rebuy Chips
Andy Black has used all of his rebuy chips at once in order to give himself a big stack. He is currently sitting with about 6,850.