Team PokerStars Pro David Williams busted when he played on Day 1 so we were surprised to see his name in the official start of day chip counts. When we roamed over to his supposed seat at the start of the day, it definitely wasn’t the aforementioned Williams.
Instead, it was another player named David Williams who we spoke to for a bit and got to know from Sykesville, Maryland. He told us that he’s been confused for the PokerStars Pro in the past. In fact, he said that PokerStars Williams has been credited with some of his past cashes.
In any case, Williams, who started the day with 49,325, has steadily chipped up to 104,000 so far today. If he is able to cash in this tournament, hopefully he gets the credit on his poker resume.
We have another great story over in the Pavilion today. At Table 16 is our friend Ray Del Cueto, better known around the tournament trail as "Tampa Bay Ray". He's a gregarious 68-year-old fellow from Bradenton Beach, Florida, and he's here today chasing the dream.
Del Cueto started this Day 2 with 57,600, but based on a quick chat, it sounds like he's really just glad to be here regardless of his chip count. In 1997, Del Cueto was diagnosed with bladder cancer, which he caught early and soundly beat. Three years later, though, the disease tried again, and Del Cueto was forced to fight another battle, this time with prostate cancer. Once again, an early catch led to a full recovery, and Del Cueto has been cancer free for more than ten years now. In the last fifteen years, he's become quite a proponent of screening and early detection, and he's always more than happy to give a quick prostate lesson to anyone willing to listen.
It was during his recovery period that Del Cueto took to poker, grinding online at first, then joining in the Florida poker rush that has been building for the last couple years. In February of this year, he played the first World Series of Poker Circuit event held in Florida, hosted by the Palm Beach Kennel Club. Del Cueto notched his first-ever live tournament cash there, earning himself a gold ring and $28,800 for a win in a $345 event. He cashed once more down there in Palm Beach, and he won a $500 online satellite to qualify his way into this 2011 Main Event.
Del Cueto's Day 2 has started off well enough, and his stack has increased up over 60,000 after the first break. His daughters Julie and Kristy are watching from back home with his grandchildren Elly and Matthew, and they're likely not the only ones rooting for Tampa Bay Ray today. He's got a tough table, but he does have direct position on Allen Cunningham.
Matt Stout and Guillaume Rivet were heads-up with the board reading . Both players checked, and the turn was the . Stout led for 2,000, and Rivet called.
The river was the , and Stout leg again - this time for 4,750. Rivet mucked, and Stout took the pot.
The very next hand, Rivet opened to1,300 from the cutoff, a player on the button called, and Stout called out of the small blind. The flop fell , Stout checked, and Rivet continued for 2,200. Only Stout called, and the turn was the . Both players checked.
The two knuckled again after the completed the board, and Stout tabled . Rivet mucked, and Stout raked in another pot.
It was folded around to Jorge Arias who raised to 1,500 on the button and Jeff Shulman called from the big blind. We’re not quite sure how the betting went on the flop as the action was quick but Shulman ended up all in and at risk for his last 11,000 or so.
Shulman:
Arias:
Shulman had Arias dominated preflop with a bigger ace and although they both paired that ace on the flop, Arias paired his eight as well to make two pair and the lead. Shulman wasn’t dead yet though but the on the turn and on the river were of no help to him and sealed his fate as he was eliminated.
. Both players checked, and the turn was the 
. Stout led for 2,000, and Rivet called.
, and Stout leg again - this time for 4,750. Rivet mucked, and Stout took the pot.
, Stout checked, and Rivet continued for 2,200. Only Stout called, and the turn was the 
. Both players checked.
completed the board, and Stout tabled 
. Rivet mucked, and Stout raked in another pot.
flop as the action was quick but Shulman ended up all in and at risk for his last 11,000 or so.
on the turn and 
on the river were of no help to him and sealed his fate as he was eliminated.
