We've been trying to get a hand with actor and commedian David Alan Grier for most of the day now, but he doesn't seem to be getting involved much. "Tight is right" must be the way Grier is going about things and you can get a grasp on how tight and cautious he's playing by looking at how he played this hand.
Grier had raised preflop and was called. The flop came down and Grier fired a small continuation bet. His opponent called. The turn brought the and both players checked again. The river was the and both players checked once more.
Grier bested his opponent's with pocket queens and won the pot. He's sitting on 24,000 in chips.
He isn't on NBA Jam, but a WSOP bracelet would be just as good!
Facing a raise from the button to 700, Shawn Marion made the call from the big blind while enjoying a massage.
The flop of was checked through to see the land on the turn and Marion follow it with a bet of 1,000.
The river landed the , and as Marion sat up, lifted his tangerine-tinted sunglasses off his nose and over his eyes to look at the board, he tapped the table very lightly indicating a check.
His opponent casually tossed in a 1,000-denomination chip and Marion didn't take too long in making the call only to be shown his opponent's .
Marion shook his head left to right and mucked his hand as he slipped to 29,500 in chips.
"Good hand" Marion stated before his head sunk down within a sweatband or two of his chips.
On a flop of , the action was checked to Michael Gracz by the player in the cutoff as Gracz opted to fire out 2,500.
The cutoff then check-raised to 7,500 and Gracz made the call as the dealer delivered the on the turn.
The cutoff then fired out a huge bet of 25,000 only to have Gracz move all in for 38,175. The cutoff then folded his hand to see Gracz pushed the pot to climb to 80,100 in chips.
Chris Moneymaker was one of four players to see a flop of . Everyone checked to the turn, where Moneymaker was the only player to call a bet of 1,250. When the river fell , Moneymaker's opponent checked. Moneymaker put some chips into the pot. His opponent asked the dealer how much it was.
"6,075," said the dealer, without breaking down the stack.
"Wait, how much did you say?" Moneymaker asked. "There's no way it's that much." The dealer then broke down the stack and indeed the bet was 6,075.
"Wow," said Moneymaker. His opponent then called but couldn't beat Moneymaker's straight, . As Moneymaker collected the pot, he said, "I didn't mean to bet that much."
With the first level done and two hours of playing in the Main Event under everyone's belt, play seemed to loosen up a bit in the second level of the day. Chino Rheem kept himself busy and aggressive, but it ended up doing him in as he busted before reaching this next break. Victor Ramdin also hit the rail and joined his teammate Greg Raymer as one of the big names to fall by the wayside in the early goings on Day 1a.
Surging to the top are Oliver Daeninckx and Thierry van den Berg. Michael Mizrachi has also more than doubled his starting stack and continues to have a great World Series. Only time will tell to see if he can add to his great year with a deep run in the Main Event. Also, Lacey Jones kept climbing as did Isaac Haxton. Both have kept themselves at the top of the leaderboard with constant upward movement.
The end of Level 2 marks the end of registration for Day 1a so soon we should have some numbers on the field size for today. Once those are received, we'll get them all out to you as soon as possible. It is also of note that the tournament staff did some busy work during the last level and made every table nine handed instead of ten. It should help to loosen up play slightly and will surely give players some extra elbow room at the table.
We'll be back in 20 minutes for continued coverage from the 2010 WSOP Main Event. Grab a snack and get right back here.
Steve Wong is up to 49,000 after rivering a perfect wheel card. He had the button for a flop of and called a bet of 800. When his opponent checked the turn, Wong elected to take a free card and checked behind. His opponent also checked the river. That was Wong's cue to fire out a bet of 1,200. His opponent called but couldn't beat a wheel, .
Ted Forrest called a 800-chip preflop raise from out of the small blind to see a flop fall.
Forrest checked and his opponent fired out 1,100 only to have Forrest check-raise to 3,000. Forrest's opponent then moved all in and Forrest made the call for his 9,075 total.
Forrest:
Opponent:
As the ESPN TV crew and cameras halted play for over sixty seconds, the dealer eventually dropped the on the turn to end proceedings.
The river landed the meaningless and Forrest doubled through to 20,050 in chips.
The player on the button raised to 700 and Markus Lehmann was in the big blind. "OK!" said Lehmann, tossing in the call before the flop came down . Lehmann checked and his opponent bet 700. Lehmann called.
The turn brought the and both players checked. The river completed the board with the and both players checked again. Lehmann piped up, "Ace!" and his opponent mucked.
and Grier fired a small continuation bet. His opponent called. The turn brought the 
and both players checked again. The river was the 
and both players checked once more.
with pocket queens and won the pot. He's sitting on 24,000 in chips.
was checked through to see the 
land on the turn and Marion follow it with a bet of 1,000.
, and as Marion sat up, lifted his tangerine-tinted sunglasses off his nose and over his eyes to look at the board, he tapped the table very lightly indicating a check.
.
, the action was checked to Michael Gracz by the player in the cutoff as Gracz opted to fire out 2,500.
on the turn.
. Everyone checked to the 
, Moneymaker's opponent checked. Moneymaker put some chips into the pot. His opponent asked the dealer how much it was.
. As Moneymaker collected the pot, he said, "I didn't mean to bet that much."
flop fall and Barbieri find himself all in for his last 2,300.
to see Barbieri double through to 5,400 in chips.
and called a bet of 800. When his opponent checked the 
river. That was Wong's cue to fire out a bet of 1,200. His opponent called but couldn't beat a wheel, 
.
on the turn to end proceedings.
