Jason Mercier raised from early position, and fellow Team PokerStars Pro Dario Minieri kept him company. They tried to go all in preflop, but the dealer explained that wasn't really allowed in limit poker. Mercier bet and Minieri called all three streets of a board. Mercier showed for the nut low, and Minieri held for the nut flush. Chop it up, and on to the next one.
Tony G just joined Barry Greenstein's table with a very healthy stack. He started chatting with the Bear about some money he's made on last-longer prop bets in this event. Apparently, Tony G got odds from David Benyamine and Phil Ivey on a last-longer with David Benyamine.
The G then started eyeing the Bear's stack. "We could probably do a last-longer too," Tony said. "Even money."
"I don't play to last longer," replied Greenstein. "I play to win. Anyway, you're getting too good. They were thinking about the old Tony. Though sometimes you can lose your patience."
"Anything can happen," said Tony.
"The Tony G of three or four years ago, I laugh," continued the Bear. By the time we left the table they had not booked any action.
Team PokerStars Pro is being represented by a full international contingent today. Dario Minieri, on Team Italy, is holding court near the rail. Costa Rican Humberto Brenes and his shark are making a splash, and Russian Alex Kravchenko is quietly intimidating as usual. Johannes Steindl, who makes up 100% of Team Austria, was seated one table over from Team Germany member George Danzer earlier in the event, but their tables were both broken just before dinner.
Steindl is in much better shape after this recent triple up. After one limper, Steindl raised. A player in late position stuck in another raise, and the limper and Steindl both called. The flop fell and the first player to act check-folded when Steindl bet and the other player raised. Johannes moved all in for another half bet. Steindl tabled for a flopped straight. His opponent was not so happy to see his in bad shape. The turn and river bricked and Steindl more than doubled up.
We couldn't keep up with the bets and the raises at Phil Hellmuth's table. With three people involved in a side pot and the fourth looking to win a piece of the main pot, there were a bunch of bets that went in on a board. The river drew one bet from each of the side-pot players. Incredibly, each -- including Hellmuth -- had in his hand for a wheel, although none had a to go with it. For the main pot, the all-in player tabled two fours, having made a set that was no good.
Hellmuth is low in his chair at the moment, scrolling through his iPod.
Chad Brown is now seated with Brock Parker and Mel Judah at a corner table in the Blue section. At a recent hand at their table, the under-the-gun player said, "Joke. Misdeal," before folding. Several more players folded in turn but the dealer became confused and dropped the stub, exposing several cards in the deck. Some players at the table believed at that point that the hand was indeed a mis-deal but Chad Brown was not one of them. He requested a floor for a ruling.
The floor that came to the table ruled a mis-deal, much to Brown's unhappiness and consternation. He requested that a supervisor come and make a ruling. That person did eventually arrive and ruled that the stub should be re-shuffled.
As the hand played out, Brown won three-quarters of the pot with on a board of . The dealer had some problems quartering the pot, but with Brown's help eventually got it done. The table applauded.
"I'm from Florida," said the dealer. "We don't deal much Omaha."
For his part in the whole episode, the under-the-gun player said he had never intended to cause any problem. "I'm not saying another word," he promised.
Maybe the Ivey stare is too much to take on a full stomach. David Sklansky and David Benyamine have both vacated their seats at his table in the last few minutes.
David Bach recently joined former WSOP TD Matt Savage's table in the center of the Blue Section. The two were part of a three-way flop that came down . Both checked to the third player and then called one bet. It was the same action on the turn, with Savage verbally checking and Bach silently rapping the table before calling a bet.
On the river , Savage led into his two opponents. Bach folded, but the third player raised. Savage dejectedly open-mucked and then threw in the rest of his cards without calling the last bet.
Savage looks to be down to about 3,000 chips after losing that hand.
Tony G check-called a bet from his lone opponent on a flop. Same action after the turn. Then the G led out on the river, and the other player just called. Tony held , giving him the nut straight. His opponent flashed aces on their way to the muck.
Some time before dinner, Team PokerStars Pro George Danzer joined PokerStars Team Online Pro George Lind at a table in the Blue Section. The two were chatting with each other very amiably. Back from dinner, however, the two Georges are a study in contrasts. Lind still seems quite chipper, sitting behind a stack of 11,500 chips. Danzer, on the other hand, is sunk deep into his chair, holding his face in his hands as his stack has shrunk to just 800 chips. Danzer was stone silent while considering whether to go with a hand after a player raised to 400 and another player called; Lind was the one chuckling when Danzer finally wrinkled his face in disgust and threw the hand away.
It's unclear how much longer these two Team PokerStars Pros will be seated next to each other, but for now it seems that Lind has the best seat.