The clock is running, and has been for the last several minutes although things are still a bit discombobulated at the ESPN featured table. The lights are extremely dim onstage and the players are having a bit of difficulty seeing their cards. A decision was just made to pause the clock until the lighting situation can be rectified.
That was fast. Doyle Brunson got his last chips in on the first hand. Daniel Negreanu put him to the test with , and Brunson called all in with . "Oh, the old jack-high call," Negreanu laughed.
The board ran out . At first Brunson thought he'd hit on the river, but then he realized Negreanu had made a runner-runner flush to win the hand and eliminate the Godfather.
The players are sitting in the same configuration they were yesterday, although the Hellmuth/Matusow table has moved over to the main stage while the Brunson/Negreanu table is now stationed outside the Jack Link's Lounge. When we reach 18 players, there will be a full re-draw.
ESPN Featured Table
Seat 1: Mike Matusow
Seat 2: Allen Cunningham
Seat 3: Mike Sexton
Seat 4: Phil Hellmuth
Seat 5: Dan Harrington
Seat 6: -OPEN-
Seat 7: Barry Greenstein
Seat 8: -OPEN-
Seat 9: Scotty Nguyen
Table 2
Seat 1: Joe Hachem
Seat 2: Doyle Brunson
Seat 3: Howard Lederer
Seat 4: T.J. Cloutier
Seat 5: Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier
Seat 6: -OPEN-
Seat 7: Annie Duke
Seat 8: Daniel Negreanu
Seat 9: Antonio Esfandiari
Table 3
Seat 1: Huck Seed
Seat 2: -OPEN-
Seat 3: Jennifer Harman
Seat 4: Joe Cada
Seat 5: Erik Seidel
Seat 6: Chris Ferguson
Seat 7:-OPEN-
Seat 8: Johnny Chan
Seat 9: Andrew Barton
Yesterday afternoon, five members of our 27-player field saw their chip stacks reduced to nothing, leaving us 22 contenders for the title of "Champion of Champions." In about thirty minutes' time they'll return to the Amazon Room, which, at the moment is extraordinarily quiet and sparsely populated. ESPN's cameras are in place here on the main stage-- they'll be live-streaming the featured table action on ESPN3 this afternoon, while we'll be ringside on all three tables bringing you up-to-the minute action.
Erik Seidel comes into play as the chip leader with more than 72,000 in his stack. He is closely trailed by Johnny Chan and Mike Matusow, while on the other end of the spectrum, Doyle Brunson, Joe Cada, and Annie Duke are looking to double up early in order to remain in contention.
Check back with us at Noon Pacific time as we begin the march through another four levels of play.