On Day 1 of the Main Event, its rare to see two faces you recognize at the same table. However, at Orange Table 314, we have four faces that we recognize. They are Jordan Rich, Nick Maimone, and two Team Pokerstars Pros from Germany, George Danzer and Jan Heitmann. There are also a couple of empty seats there, so who knows who may join the madness!
Five players, including Annette Obrestad in middle position, limped to see a flop come 
.
It checked to Obrestad who tossed out a bet of 400, and it folded back around to the player sitting to Obrestad's immediate right. He rotated his cards in his hand -- flashing 
-- before tossing them away.
Obrestad adds a few to her stack of 35,000 as we push toward the end of Level 1.
On a board reading 
with 1,000 in the pot already, Jerry Yang led out for 700 from the small blind. His lone opponent in early position called.
The turn brought a 
and Yang led out again - this time for 1,500. His opponent again flatted.
A 
completed the board and Yang decided to slow down and check, prompting a 2,000 bet from his opponent. Yang mucked and slipped to 27,600.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
27,600 | -2,400 |
We've already told you about Purple 362 that features the likes of Matt Glantz, Vanessa Selbst and Barry Shulman. Of those big guns of poker, the player making out the best so far is.... Jason Alexander? That's right. The former Seinfeld star has been playing the Main Event for quite a few years now and is proving once again that he can hang with the best. Alexander faltered a little bit early but has rebounded to build himself quite a hefty stack for the first level of the day.
We came into this hand on a board of 
when Alexander had bet out 6,000 on the river and got a call. Alexander showed 
for trip jacks and took down the pot.
He is sitting with 54,000 and having some early success even though he is sitting at one the toughest tables in the room.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
54,000 | 31,000 |
We just saw the ESPN cameras following a player over to Lex Veldhuis's table, so we went over to see who it was. Sure enough, it was the always entertaining Sammy Farha, who is obviously best known for his 2003 runner up finish to Chris Moneymaker. Farha and Veldhuis are regulars in some of the biggest cash games in the world, and we are expecting plenty of fun out of that table. We will be sure to keep you posted on how they are going.
With already 1,800 in the pot on a 
flop, it appeared as though Faraz Jaka who was in the small blind check-called an 1,100 bet from the player under the gun. On the river, Jaka checked again and his opponent fired 3,000. After a fair bit of thought, Jaka folded but was still sitting with over the starting stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
38,000 | 8,000 |
Earlier we told you guys that Ari Engel had been knocked down to just 4,000, but he has slowly been climbing back and is now almost at half his starting stack. In the latest hand, Engel was in a hand with both of the blinds as the flop came down 
. Both blinds checked to Engel, who fired out 425. The small blind called, and the big blind got out of the way. The 
hit the turn, and this time, the small blind led out for 725. Engel called, and the river brought the 
. This time, Engel face a big bet of 3,300, and after a few moments of thought, he called.
The small blind showed 
for complete air, and Engel showed 
for running two pair. That hand boosted his count back up to 14,000.
With the board reading , a player in early position bet 1,500, a middle position player folded, and Eli Elezra called from the button. Both players checked after the 
came on the turn, but when the hit on the river the first player bet out 2,000. Elezra then raised to 7,200 and the other player called.
Elezra flipped over his 
for the nut flush and his opponent mucked boosting Elezra's stack up to 43,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
43,000 | 13,000 |
We caught up with the action three-handed on the turn with 3,300 in the pot already. The board read 
and Greg Raymer checked from early position, as did Tom Schneider from the cutoff. The player on the button bet 1,200 and Raymer folded. Schneider flatted.
The river fell the and Schneider led out for 1,700. His opponent called and Schneider revealed 
for trip queens. His opponent mucked.
Schneider is up to 35,100.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
35,100 | 5,100 |
Josh Arieh chipped up to over 50,000 very early in level 1, but after this last hand he gave most of them back and fell back to around starting stack.
A player in early position limped and Arieh from the cutoff raised it up to 600. The early position player re-raised to 1,800 and Arieh called.
The flop came down 
and the player checked to Arieh who asked, "Are you just doing that so you can check-raise me again?" The player nervously shook his head and Arieh bet out 1,000. The player just called and the two saw the turn.
This time the player checked to Arieh again who bet out 2,500. The early position player then raised to 6,000 and Arieh just shook his head. He put the money in and said, "Alright, one time."
The river came down 
and the player finally led out for 7,000. Arieh reluctantly tossed in the call and got shown 
for a flopped set.
Arieh nodded his head and said "nice hand" as he tossed over for top pair and the turned nut-flush draw. Arieh still has above starting stack but was very disappointed after the hand for giving away his early double stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
34,000 | -16,000 |
