Oh, by the by... it seems we officially have 1,489 unofficial runners today. We're still waiting for the paperwork to be quintuple checked, though.
What's left of them are back here inside the Amazon Room after a little evening dining. They've managed to survive three levels of peril, two-thirds of the way to making Day 2 of the Main Event. We're scheduled for another level and a half of poker here tonight with the chip bags coming out midway through Level 5 once again.
The players have taken their seats... there must have been a long line at Buzio's. There are a fair number of empty chairs still, but it won't remain that way for long. The cards are back in the air, and we're back in business, baby.
Most players seem to have that glazed "I'm so full I could nap for the rest of the day," look on their faces, but not Perry Friedman. He's returned with a spring in his step and was last seen pushing all in for 12,125 on a flop. After a brief dwell, his opponent made the fold, and Friedman began reconstructing a now 20,000 plus stack.
Chris Bell was faced with a 2,200-chip bet with the board reading . He called, and the river brought the . Bell's opponent slowed down, check-calling 6,600 from Bell.
Bell tabled for jacks and fives and his opponent mucked. Bell is now up to 52,000 chips.
Hm, we're still a little full from dinner, and we were too slow to get over to the table to catch any of the action. So we'll tell you what we know.
There was a board of out on the table, and Paul Knebel had been all in at some point along the way against two opponents. After the river, Alex Michaels moved all in for 12,300 himself, and Roberto Romanello made the call to put both players at risk.
Showdown
Knebel:
Michaels:
Romanello:
Michaels had flopped a full house with his pocket jacks, and Romanello paid it off with his overpair. Knebel's ace-high was third-best, and he was eliminated. Romanello tumbles down to 44,000, and Michaels is now a force at the table with about 133,000 in front of him.
Table 5 has shaped up into an interesting one to watch. We've got Dan Harrington sitting next to Batman (not Christian Bale, Val Kilmer, Michael Keaton or Adam West). Batman is sipping a sugar free Redbull. While we have no doubt that the caped crusader needs his energy drinks, we're not positive he'd choose the sugar free version, furthering our suspicions that he's just a regular person dressing up to get media attention. It's working.
Eugene Todd is also at the table, and is his usual quiet self, despite what his Twitter feed might tell you.
A few people had limped in before Ben Vinson made it 1,400 from the button. One player called in mid position and they saw a flop of . The mid-position player checked, Vinson bet 3,075, Mr. Mid Position called, and they were at the turn.
Mr. Mid Position checked again on the turn and this time Vinson checked behind. On the river, though, Mr. Mid Position bet out 6,250. Vinson tanked up for a while, but eventually called, squinting uncertainly at the board as he did so. And indeed, he had reason to squint - his opponent turned over for a flush and Vinson mucked.
All the same, Vinson is still among our bigger stacks at the moment - he was left with a very healthy 62,000 after that.
A player in middle position raised to 1,175 before Jason Riesenberg made the call from the next seat. The small blind also called and the flop came down .
The small blind didn't waste any time and just fired out a bet of 2,000. Only Riesenberg made the call to see the fall on the turn. The small blind then fired 6,000 and Riesenberg called once more, leaving himself with about 11,000 in chips.
The river completed the board with the and the small blind fired 10,000. Riesenberg tanked for several minutes, knowing that this very well could mean the tournament for him if he called and lost. He asked the player if he had two pair and also asked him if he always shook as much as he was. Eventually though, Riesenberg let it go.
Having made consecutive finals in 2003 and 2004, Dan Harrington is one of the legends of WSOP, and a real veteran of the game. He's also one of these players who can build up chips without you noticing. Most of the time he'll be folding, but then you look away for one moment, glance back and he has doubled his stack. That's the situation here as Harrington, who was previously on 12,000, has suddenly jumped up to 24,000 from seemingly nowhere.
I did, at least, manage to catch a small hand, like a frustrated detective finally unearthing a lead. With the flop reading , Harrington called a bet of 700 before checking down the turn and before showing . His opponent held . This put him up to 26,000 and well further away from the danger zone.
On the flop of , Todd Witteles fired 1,500 into Hac Dang, who made the call after thinking about it for a tiny bit. The turn brought the and Witteles fired 4,000. Dang called again.
The river completed the board with the and both players checked. Witteles held the for a busted flush draw and lost to Dang's for top pair.
Witteles dropped to 64,500 and Dang moved to 59,000.
.
flop. After a brief dwell, his opponent made the fold, and Friedman began reconstructing a now 20,000 plus stack.
. He called, and the river brought the 
for jacks and fives and his opponent mucked. Bell is now up to 52,000 chips.
out on the table, and Paul Knebel had been all in at some point along the way against two opponents. After the river, Alex Michaels moved all in for 12,300 himself, and Roberto Romanello made the call to put both players at risk.
. The mid-position player checked, Vinson bet 3,075, Mr. Mid Position called, and they were at the turn.
turn and this time Vinson checked behind. On the 
river, though, Mr. Mid Position bet out 6,250. Vinson tanked up for a while, but eventually called, squinting uncertainly at the board as he did so. And indeed, he had reason to squint - his opponent turned over 
for a flush and Vinson mucked.
.
, Harrington called a bet of 700 before checking down the 
turn and 
before showing 
. His opponent held 
. This put him up to 26,000 and well further away from the danger zone.
, Todd Witteles fired 1,500 into Hac Dang, who made the call after thinking about it for a tiny bit. The turn brought the 
and Witteles fired 4,000. Dang called again.
for top pair.
