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.
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 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!
It was folded around to the button who raised to 250 and Pat Pezzin called from the big blind. Both players checked the flop and Pezzin decided to lead out for 350 on the turn. The button quickly folded as Pezzin took down the small pot to increase his stakc a bit.
Action folded to Mickey Appleman on the button who raised to 200. Both the players in the small and big blind called and saw the flop come . The blinds checked it over to Appleman who bet 500. The small blind folded but the big blind decided to call. When the hit on the river the big blind checked again and Appleman tossed out a bet of 1,000 which was a bit too rich for the big blind and he let his cards slip into the muck.
After the hand Appleman was just above the starting stack with 32,500.
It has been a rough first level for McLean Karr and things didn't get any better for him when he got all of his chips in the middle preflop holding against Clayton Newman's .
The board fell and just like that Karr's Main Event hopes were dashed. He was sent to the rail while Newman scooped a pot that brought him up to 44,000.
Table 336 in the Orange Section, which already had Miami John Cernuto and Jeff ‘yellowsub’ Williams seated next to eachother got a familiar foe who just sat down to the other side of Williams. It was none other than Eli Elezra who joined as this table is emerging as another tough one.
Not to be outdone, the table with Bill Chen and Josh Brikis just had Chris Oliver take a seat there as well making another potential table of death.
Also in the purple section of the Amazon Room is a table with 2004 Main Event Champion Greg Raymer, 2007 WSOP Player of the Year Tom Schneider, Olivier Busquet, David "The Maven" Chicotsky, and Eugene "fishosaurusREX" Yanayt who is a high-stakes triple-draw specialist.
We just caught a hand where Busquet crippled Chicotsky to end Level 1.
On a flop of Chicotsky checked to Busquet who bet out 5,000. Chicotsky called and the two saw the on the turn. Both checked and the river came Chicotsky again checked and Busquet put out a hefty bet of 13,000. Chicotsky made the call and Busquet showed for the flopped flush. Chicotsky mucked and has fallen to under 10,000, less than one third of his starting stack. Busquet on the other hand is nearly double with 48,000.
when Alexander had bet out 6,000 on the river and got a call. Alexander showed 
for trip jacks and took down the pot.
with 1,000 in the pot already, Jerry Yang led out for 700 from the small blind. His lone opponent in early position called.
and Yang led out again - this time for 1,500. His opponent again flatted.
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.
.
-- before tossing them away.
flop and Pezzin decided to lead out for 350 on the 
. The blinds checked it over to Appleman who bet 500. The small blind folded but the big blind decided to call. When the 
hit on the river the big blind checked again and Appleman tossed out a bet of 1,000 which was a bit too rich for the big blind and he let his cards slip into the muck.
.
and just like that Karr's Main Event hopes were dashed. He was sent to the rail while Newman scooped a pot that brought him up to 44,000.
Chicotsky again checked and Busquet put out a hefty bet of 13,000. Chicotsky made the call and Busquet showed 
for the flopped flush. Chicotsky mucked and has fallen to under 10,000, less than one third of his starting stack. Busquet on the other hand is nearly double with 48,000.