A lot of no-limit hold'em players decry limit hold'em as a game in which it's nearly impossible to pressure a player off a hand. That's not true, of course, but the fixed-limit nature of the betting does make it easier to get to showdown with a marginal hand.
Alexander Kravchenko opened pre-flop from middle position with a raise. Action passed to Howard Lederer on the button. He put in a re-raise that cleared out the blinds and isolated the action heads-up with Kravchenko.
Kravchenko check-called a bet on a flop of . When the turn came , he checked and then raised after Lederer bet. Lederer gave the raise a moment's consideration before tossing a call into the pot.
Both players checked the river after it paired the board, . Kravchenko shook his head and said, "Just king-high," tabling . Lederer had "just ace-high," , and took down the pot.
Norman Chad was one of the first players to act after a player brought it in and a second player, showing an 8, just called. Chad completed with a 7, only to have John Juanda raise next to act. One player called with a 4, bringing the action back to the limper.
"See what you started?" that player said to Chad.
"Years ago I ran a poker school," Chad replied. "He enrolled. We threw him out on Day 2 because we didn't like the way he played."
The original limper then called and Chad called as well for four players to fourth street. "This is the skill part," said Juanda. He excelled at that part; he and one other player caught good. Chad and the limper caught bad and folded to Juanda's bet.
Juanda and the sole remaining player checked fifth street when both caught bad. At sixth street, Juanda caught another baby. His last opponent folded at that point.
Juanda is up to 10,000 in chips. Chad has about 10,500.
We caught up with the action on the flop. Cyndy Violette bet and Dario Alioto raised. Violette called and check-called Alioto's bet on the turn. The same action took place on the river and Alioto quietly said, "You win."
"What?" responded Violette.
"You win," answered Alioto.
"Well that's good news!" said an excited Violette.
She is up to 6,500, while Alioto slipped to 6,000.
As the field continues to consolidate, winning big pots is become more and more critical. PokerStars Team Online player George Lind is one of the Team Pros that's still hunting for chips out in the Blue Section of Amazon, where almost the entire tournament has now been consolidated. Lind was facing a bet on seventh street. He called and opened his hand.
"I have something," said Lind, seemingly confused about what his final hand was (7-5, for those of you at home). "I'm never folding."
Lind's opponent flashed an ace and a deuce and mucked, allowing Lind to drag the pot and climb to more than 10,000 in chips.
Jesse Rios raised from the hijack and the player on the button made it three bets. The player in the big blind called, as did Rios. The flop came down and it checked around to the player on the button. He bet and was called by both of his opponents, delivering the on the turn. It was checked to Rios and he bet, only getting called by the player on the button. The river was the and Rios' river bet was paid off.
Rios tabled for two pair, good enough to win the pot. He is up to about 46,000 now.
Greg Raymer's sitting pretty in this event after dragging a recent pot. We only saw the river action, where Raymer bet his three-club board as first to act and was called. Raymer turned up for an ace-high club flush.
A few hands later, Tom Dwan brought it in with the . Action folded to Raymer as last to act. He was showing the but opted just to fold.
"I had the 9-high," Raymer explained. "Statistically you had the best hand." Then, in a nod to Dwan's reputation, he added, "I didn't think you'd lay down anything that could beat 9-high."
The player in the small blind called and Lex Veldhuis put in a raise from the big blind. His opponent called and the flop came down . The mystery player checked and Veldhuis bet, only to find a quick a raise from his opponent. Veldhuis called and the turn was the .
After his opponent bet, Lex immediately raised. His opponent looked a tad dejected when making the call. The hit the river and it was checked to Veldhuis. He bet and his opponent called, mucking when Lex tabled for trips.
When we went to dinner three hours ago, only 10% of the field had busted. Several players in the room were wondering just how big the field was going to be going to Day 2.
"Not to worry," we said. "They will start busting in rapid fashion after dinner."
Sure enough, in the first two levels after dinner, more than 200 players hit the rail. Another 100 or so have busted this level, tot he point where all of the Orange tables have broken and five tables in Blue have broken. The tournament has reached the "rubber band" point where the average stack is down to 10 big bets. That's where it'll be the rest of the way. In the stud games, 10 big bets isn't many. Play one pot to the river -- and lose -- and you could easily be cut in half.
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. When the turn came 
, he checked and then raised after Lederer bet. Lederer gave the raise a moment's consideration before tossing a call into the pot.
. Kravchenko shook his head and said, "Just king-high," tabling 
. Lederer had "just ace-high," 
, and took down the pot.
flop. Cyndy Violette bet and Dario Alioto raised. Violette called and check-called Alioto's bet on the 
turn. The same action took place on the 
/ (X)
/ (X)
and it checked around to the player on the button. He bet and was called by both of his opponents, delivering the 
and Rios' river bet was paid off.
/ (X)
. Action folded to Raymer as last to act. He was showing the 
but opted just to fold.