Five players saw a flop for the minimum including Steve Zolotow from the big blind. The flop came down 
and the small blind checked. Zolotow was next in line and fired 1,200. One by one, each of his opponents folded and Zolotow scooped the pot to move to 32,200 in chips.
In 2003, Chris Moneymaker shocked the World when he beat Sammy Farha heads-up to win the WSOP Main Event, proving that, with a bit of luck and a little determination, anyone could become World Champion.
Having qualified for just a few bucks, he subsequently encouraged an army of poker fanatics to take to the online felt, in a bid to qualify for the World Series for a paltry sum in the hope of emulating the remarkable achievements of "the man that changed poker".
Seven years on, and the Moneymaker effect remains prominent in the Rio, a huge percentage of the 7,000 plus field having earned entry from the comfort of their own home. One of those players in orange section is Mandy Card of London, England. Making her debut in both Vegas, and the World Series, she qualified for just $8.80, and is now realizing her dream here today in the Amazon Room.
What's more, she has got off to a lucrative start, and returned from the dinner break with 43,000. Perhaps thinking that she is going to be a pushover, Card has used her image to her advantage, and slowly, but surely, worked her way back up from her initial dip to 21,000.
In one hand, she cold four-bet pocket tens preflop, and was called by the second raiser. She checked an 
flop, but then bet a 
turn. Her opponent spent little time in folding 
face-up and declaring confidently, "I know you have aces."
As long as her opponents aren't following the action from their iPhones/iPads, Card will be looking to continue using her tight image to increase her stack even further, and, who knows, maybe she'll be able to turn that $8.80 into a November Nine spot and become the 2010 WSOP World Champion. She won't be the only one who has had that dream.
Robert Varkonyi was faced with an all in bet with the board reading 
. Varkonyi was deep in the tank when we arrived at the table, but eventually made the call.
His opponent rolled over 
for the nut-flush and Varkonyi frowned, flashed 
before mucking his cards.
The pot was a sizable one, but the former Main Event champion is still healthy with 26,000 chips.
Jonathan Little raised enough to put his opponent in Seat 4 all in for about 10,000. Seat 4 made the call and flipped over 
. Little then turned over 
for the same hand, which induced a chuckle from the table.
The flop came down 
and Little smiled as he said, "Freeroll," referring to the fact that he couldn't lose the hand but could win if it came runner-runner diamonds. The table suddenly became tense as the dealer burned and turned the 
.
It was going to be a chop pot afterall. Little still has some work to do as he is down to just 13,000.
On the turn with the board reading 
, the small blind fired 500 and then Allen Kessler, who was acting from the big blind, called. The third player in the hand folded before the river card came the .
On the river, the small blind checked and Kessler fired 1,000. His opponent folded and Kessler won the pot.
"I won a pot?" said Kessler, surprised at what had just occurred. "That's awesome. First time I've bet the river in a while."
Kessler has had himself a great World Series so far. He's tenth in the Player of the Year rankings and has himself eight cashes this summer, including one final table where he came second to POY point leader Frank Kassela for $276,485. His success this summer isn't just on the WSOP-branded felt. Kessler played a Bellagio VI Cup event the other day, the $1,000 H.O.R.S.E. event, and bested the field of 44 players to take home $13,608 for first place.
Kessler is still short in this one, with only 5,050 chips, but if anyone knows how to grind out a tournament it's Allen Kessler.
Tony Hachem was down to just under 4,000 chips and was sitting in the cutoff when a middle position player raised to 900. Hachem, in the cutoff, re-raised all in with his opponent making the call after getting a count.
Hachem: 
Opponent: 
Hachem was ahead, but not for long. The flop came 
and Hachem began to collect his things as the board ran out with the 
on the turn and the 
on the river.
Hachem said "Look at this, this is so sick. Nice hand, mate." He shook hands with the players at his table, saying, "Nice playing with you boys" until he got to the player who knocked him out, when he said, "Nice suckout."
An under-the-gun player raised to 800 and the next player made the call. Jennifer Harman made the call as was from middle position and the three of them took a flop of 
.
The original raiser fired 1,200 and the next player raised to 2,600. Harman reraised and made it 6,600. The original raiser mucked, but the next player put in another reraise to 14,600. Harman went into the tank for several minutes before eventually giving it up and dropping back to 27,000 in chips.
Seat 1 got all of his chips in preflop with 
and was called by Mikael Thuritz's superior 
. The board ran out and Thuritz sent a player to the rail while increasing his own stack to 35,000.
George Danzer has enjoyed a little post-prandial buoying of his stack after knocking out a short stack in a classic coinflip.
Danzer:
Soon-to-be-busted player: 
Board: 
Danzer moved up to a comfortable 43,000.
J.J. Liu opened with a raise to 800 from middle position. The player to her left then tossed out a single orange (5,000) chip, declaring he was raising to 2,500. The table folded back around to Liu who gave her opponent a quick look, then gathered calling chips and set them forward.
The flop came . Another quick look from Liu, then a bet of 3,100. Her opponent -- down to his last 4,500 -- sat back, exasperated, and after a minute tossed his cards away. "Why not a king?" he asked plaintively.
Liu quietly added the new chips to her stack. She's up to 63,000 now.
