If players thought the Pavillion Room looked a little low on pros, then their hopes of an "easy" day have just been blasted out of the water as Internet superstars Hac Dang and Phil Galfond take their seats.
Commonly known by their online aliases of "Trex313" and "OMGClayAiken" respectively, Dang and Galfond are two of the virtual felt's most fearsome players, and now they're looking to transfer their "mad skillz" onto the baize of the Rio.
Galfond already has a bracelet when he won the $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha back in 2008, and Dang went deep in last year's Main Event, so maybe this year they'll go that one step further and ensure that the online world is represented come November.
After struggling earlier on, Tuan Le is back up to 21,500 thanks to a turned flush. Le got it all in on a flop with versus before making his flush on the turn and dodging a boat on the river.
Robert Williamson III just won a modest pot against Hac Dang. We got to their table to see Williamson bet 250 into a pot of with Dang making the call. The two players checked the on the turn as well as the on the river.
Williamson showed and Dang mucked, sending Williamson to 30,400 with Dang at 27,300.
We arrived at Keith Sexton's tabled and there was 1,200 chips in the pot with the board reading . Sexton's opponent bet 7,500 (yes, 7,500) before it was Sexton's turn to act. He thought about his decision for a bit and then moved all in for about 18,000. His opponent folded and Sexton won the pot to move to 27,000 in chips.
Well, that's our cue to scurry over there. When we walked up, there was a turned board of out on the table, and Kevin Ayow was all in for about 27,000 total. His opponent had gotten the chips in there with , but his aces were in trouble. Ayow tabled for two pair, and there was a long pause while the dealer waited for an ESPN camera to come film the final card. After about two minutes of standing around, everyone decided to just go ahead and run out the river: .
That's a double up for Ayow, up to about 55,000 as his opponent slides down around 5,000.
Action folded all the way around to the small blind and he raised to 675. Tom Schneider was flamboyantly dressed in the big blind and made the call. The flop came down and both players checked to see the land on the turn. Both players checked again.
The river completed the board with the and the small blind checked. Schneider fired 500 and his opponent open-folded pocket tens. Schneider returned the favor and showed the for a pair of queens and raked in the pot. He's on 33,600.
Despite an impressive second place finish in an earlier bracelet event, Dan Shak's World Series of Poker has come to an abrupt end just moments ago. We don't know where the chips went in, but when he departed, Shak had on a board, but was pipped by his opponent who held .
We arrived in time to see Shawn Buchanan on the button and betting 1,000 into a board of after being checked to by his opponent in the small blind. The player in the small blind then raised to 2,400 and Buchanan made the call.
The river was the and the small blind went all in, though he had Buchanan covered. Buchanan thought about it for a while before folding, leaving himself with just 11,600 chips.
The action folded around to Matt Stout in middle position who raised it up to 550, only for a player in late position to bump it up to 1,550. Stout called leading to an flop where he proceeded to check-call a bet of 1,725.
On the turn, Stout turned aggressor by reaching into his stack and betting 4,500. His opponent thought for longer than Rodin's "The Thinker," but eventually made the fold.
Stout threw his hand into the middle, so the mystery of his hole cards will remain just that, but we do know that he now has 44,000 as a result.
![[user4144]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
flop with 
versus 
before making his flush on the 
turn and dodging a boat on the 
river.
on the turn as well as the 
. Sexton's opponent bet 7,500 (yes, 7,500) before it was Sexton's turn to act. He thought about his decision for a bit and then moved all in for about 18,000. His opponent folded and Sexton won the pot to move to 27,000 in chips.
out on the table, and Kevin Ayow was all in for about 27,000 total. His opponent had gotten the chips in there with 
, but his aces were in trouble. Ayow tabled 
and the small blind checked. Schneider fired 500 and his opponent open-folded pocket tens. Schneider returned the favor and showed the 
board, but was pipped by his opponent who held 
after being checked to by his opponent in the small blind. The player in the small blind then raised to 2,400 and Buchanan made the call.