The WSOP Main Event often reaches beyond just poker players. Just a quick browse of half of the Blue section in the Amazon Room there's two faces that we were surprised to see peeking down at holecards. First, we spotted David Alan Grier. The other day, Grier came in during the $25,000 6-max event and met Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu. For being such a star in his own right, Grier was extremely humble and star struck by the two men he claimed to be his favorite poker players on the planet.
Just one table over from that is NBA basketball star Shawn Marion. Formerly with the Phoenix Suns and now with the Dallas Mavericks, Marion is taking a page from Jordan Farmar of the Los Angeles Lakers, who took to the Main Event felt last year. Marion attended the University of Nevada-Las Vegas where he played before heading to the NBA.
A few years ago you'd see all sorts of wacky outfits at the WSOP. It seemed like half of the field was trying to out-do the rest of the field in terms of vying for attention -- from player, from staff, from railbirds and of course from ESPN.
Times have changed in 2010. On our first pass through Orange (which is admittedly not entirely full yet), we saw only one person wearing anything which remotely says, "Pay attention to me." The rest have their heads down, sunglasses on and are training their focus on the cards and the play at their tables.
Under the gun, Chino Rheem raised to 250. He found three calls including the small blind, and the four players went off to a flop.
It came , and Rheem continued out with a 650-chip bet. This time he found just two callers as the small blind check-folded, and it was three-handed to the turn. Chino checked this time, and the player in middle position bet 900. The next player called before Rheem snuck in a check-raise to 3,000 straight. Both of his opponents called.
That brought them to the river, and Chino fired out 4,400. That folded one player, but the last opponent made the call to see a showdown.
Chino knocked the table in that surrendering way, and his opponent showed him for the set of fours. It was easily good from the looks of it; Chino mucked his hand, and he's down to 22,100 early.
Thus far we've spotted Vitaly Lunkin, Mike Caro, T.J. Cloutier, Dwyte Pilgrim, Andy Black, Johannes Strassman, Kirill Gerasimov, "Action" Bob Hwang, Randy "nanonoko" Lew, David Sklansky, Nikolay Evdakov, Juha Helppi, Eric Kohlmann, Maria Ho and Ray Romano. Yes, that Ray Romano.
Over in the blue section of the Amazon Room we find a table that is the most stacked of what we've witnessed so far.
Team PokerStars Pro Switzerland member Anton Allemann is seated alongside Friend of PokerStars Pierre Neuville.
However it is multiple bracelet winner Dutch Boyd who most will be afraid of as he is in potentially career best form with a bracelet this summer and also an additional two cashes to his name.
Throw in online player Anthony 'D1rtyR1v3r' Nardi and Peter Feldman, and this will definitely be a table to watch!
ESPN's cameras swarmed Greg Raymer's table, as he moved all-in for 23,225 on a flop. His opponent in the three seat made the call with for middle set, while Raymer tabled for top pair and a flush draw.
I liked my chances better before the turn," Raymer said as the fell.
The river was the and Raymer shipped all but 1,200 of his chips across the table. A disastrous start indeed for the 2004 Main Event Champion.
It's only 50/100 but the chips are already flying! Nick Schulman is one who has lost half of his stack in the first level after running into an opponent's full house.
Schulman fired 1,150 on the flop, 3,500 on the turn and 8,000 on the river on a board of . His opponent called along before shoving all in for an additional 10,200 on the river.
Schulman went into the tank but gave it up as his opponent showed . Schulman is down to 15,000.
Deep-stacked poker is what we're playing right now. Each payers started with 300 big blinds in his or her stack. Having stacks that deep tends to make players more cautious than they might otherwise be. Take Steve Wong.
Wong was involved in pot with one opponent who checked the turn, . Wong fired 1,675 into the pot and was called. The river paired the board, . Wong's opponent led hat card for 3,150 and Wong opted to call. His opponent showed for a full house; Wong had a bigger full house with .
"All in and call table 266!" screamed a dealer above the clatter of riffling chips and general main event chit chat.
Our PokerNews reporter rushed over to find Takashi Ogura having all but 600 of his chips in the middle.
Ogura:
Opponent:
The flop of saw Ogura call for a three in broken English, but unfortunately for the Japanese professional player, the turn and river landed the and to see Ogura slip to 600 and his opponent double his 26,600 stack.
At the start of the day, there were 18 tables in the Pavilion Room. But they began breaking into Amazon as soon as cards were in the air. There are only three tables left, and they're headed into the chaos of Amazon momentarily. Don't worry. We haven't lost that many people already. They are sending these players to some of the unsold seats at Amazon tables. Pavilion should be filling up again momentarily with people here for the 1:00 p.m. deepstack.
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, and Rheem continued out with a 650-chip bet. This time he found just two callers as the small blind check-folded, and it was three-handed to the 
turn. Chino checked this time, and the player in middle position bet 900. The next player called before Rheem snuck in a check-raise to 3,000 straight. Both of his opponents called.
river, and Chino fired out 4,400. That folded one player, but the last opponent made the call to see a showdown.
for the set of fours. It was easily good from the looks of it; Chino mucked his hand, and he's down to 22,100 early.
flop. His opponent in the three seat made the call with 
for middle set, while Raymer tabled 
for top pair and a flush draw.
fell.
and Raymer shipped all but 1,200 of his chips across the table. A disastrous start indeed for the 2004 Main Event Champion.
. His opponent called along before shoving all in for an additional 10,200 on the river.
. Wong fired 1,675 into the pot and was called. The river paired the board, 
. Wong's opponent led hat card for 3,150 and Wong opted to call. His opponent showed 
saw Ogura call for a three in broken English, but unfortunately for the Japanese professional player, the turn and river landed the 
and 
to see Ogura slip to 600 and his opponent double his 26,600 stack.