In the middle of one hand, a player getting a massage challenged another to bet on who was going to win the hand. "Okay, who is going to win?" said the other. "The guy in with the blue glasses," came the reply. "But he folded already!" "Doesn't matter... he folded a winner, ask him after."
When the hand was over they did ask Mr. Blue Glasses what he had folded, but he declined to say. "Look at him, he doesn't want to admit he folded a winner!" said the prop-bettor.
About that time a second massage therapist was passing by, and he immediately flagged her down. "Can I get a massage?" he asked, his question provoking laughter as he was already getting one.
Unsure because he was already being taken care of, the player insisted he wanted two at once, and soon he had his wish.
Three-time WSOP bracelet winner and The Theory of Poker author David Sklansky is here. He currently has used both of his add-on chips and sits with about 3,300 with which to play. One of the beauties of the WSOP, of course, is how newcomers and amateurs can sit down with bracelet winners and long-time established pros and compete on a level playing field.
Unsurprisingly, Sklansky and his tablemates are currently engaged in a series of trivia-slash-quiz-bowl-type challenges, the latest coming from a player sitting across the table from Sklansky. "What percentage of 7-foot tall American-born men between the ages of 20 and 30 are playing in the NBA?" he asked.
The table thought a moment, then Sklansky had an answer. "I'll tell you one thing, it's a lot higher than the percentage of 6-foot men!" The table laughed, and the fellow proposing the question offered a statistic that made it sound like a surprisingly high percentage indeed.
"That shows a flaw in that sport..." continued Sklansky. Luckily there's no such "flaw" here, as anyone -- tall and short, expert and novice -- can play at the World Series of Poker.
We came into a pot where Mike Matusow moved all in on a flop of and was called by Chris Bjorin.
Matusow showed for aces full and Bjorin showed for the same thing. All the aces in the deck were accounted for, and after the turn all the dueces were as well. The turn killed any low outs for Bjorin, and after the meaningless on the river, the two chopped it up.
Matusow is short but alive with 2,600 and Bjorin is still around starting stack
David Benyamine has taken a seat here at the start of Level 3, and has been active from the get-go. Just now he limped in from middle position and the button followed suit. The blinds came along as well, then all four checked the flop. The turn brought the and when it checked to Benyamine he bet 300. The button folded, the small blind called, the big blind pushed all in for his last 1,300 in play, Benyamine called the reraise, and the small blind committed the last of his available chips, too.
SB
BB
Benyamine
"I am not safe," said the big blind with a smile. "You are not safe," agreed Benyamine, eyeing his nut low plus diamond flush draw. The BB had the SB's club flush draw to worry about as well, although he might've drawn a higher straight, too. The river was the , though, meaning Benyamine won the low half of the pot, and his two opponents split the high half with their identical straights.
Benyamine has about 2,700 already, with both 1,500 add-ons behind.
We came in to this hand when Tom Schneider had moved the last of his stack to the middle on a flop. Schneider held another all in player held and another player had .
The turn and river were kind to Schneider as the and gave him a straight for half the high and the nut-low for half the low. Schneider came out of the pot with 2,500 and although he is grinding the short stack, he has lived to fight for another pot early here on Day 1.
Bryan Micon and his tablemates are trying to estimate an over/under for the number of entrants we'll ultimately see in this one. The big board is currently showing that 848 players have ponied up the $1,500 to play. It sounds like the consensus as Micon's table is over 900 will be showing for sure, perhaps even pushing 1,000.
As they talked, a hand arose in which a player limped from the cutoff and both blinds called, with Micon in the BB. The flop came three low hearts -- -- and it checked to the cutoff who bet 100. Only Micon called. The turn was the , bringing a bet of 100 from Micon. His opponent raised the pot, and after some thought Micon let it go. His opponent showed his hand -- -- as he scooped the small pot.
Micon has close to 2,000 in play, plus two 1,500 add-on chips behind as we approach the end of Level 2.
and was called by Chris Bjorin.
for aces full and Bjorin showed 
for the same thing. All the aces in the deck were accounted for, and after the turn 
all the dueces were as well. The turn killed any low outs for Bjorin, and after the meaningless 
on the river, the two chopped it up.
flop. The turn brought the 
and when it checked to Benyamine he bet 300. The button folded, the small blind called, the big blind pushed all in for his last 1,300 in play, Benyamine called the reraise, and the small blind committed the last of his available chips, too.
, though, meaning Benyamine won the low half of the pot, and his two opponents split the high half with their identical straights.
flop. Schneider held 
and another player had 
gave him a straight for half the high and the nut-low for half the low. Schneider came out of the pot with 2,500 and although he is grinding the short stack, he has lived to fight for another pot early here on Day 1.
-- and it checked to the cutoff who bet 100. Only Micon called. The turn was the 