Event 1: $500 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'em
Day 1 Started
2012 World Series of Poker
Event 1: $500 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'em
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2012 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$500
Prize Pool
$329,400
Entries
732
Level
21
Blinds
12,000 / 24,000
Ante
4,000
The 2012 World Series of Poker Has Arrived!!
Hello everyone! We are coming to you from beautiful sunny Las Vegas! It's that time of year again. The hallways of the Rio Pavilion are buzzing with excitement, there's hardly any room to walk anywhere, and the World Series of Poker is back for another year! Today we are starting with Event 1: $500 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'em.
Last year, 850 casino employees ponied up the $500 entry fee, and after three days of play, Sean Drake emerged above the rest, taking home the first bracelet of the summer, along with $82,292! We will be sure to keep tabs on him, and any other famous names in the field.
Play will be underway shortly in the Amazon room, and the energy in the room is palpable. We will play through 11 levels today, before the players bag and tag their chips. Whoever survives Day 1 will come back tomorrow at 1 pm for day 2. We are ready to get things going here at the Rio! Get ready for another awesome series, and stay tuned to Pokernews for your updates all summer long!
Level: 1
Blinds: 25/50
Ante: 0
Shuffle Up And Deal
Level 1
: 25/50, 0 ante
The players are in their seats, and we are ready to start the 2012 WSOP! The cards are in the air, and our first bracelet event is underway!
An Early Double Up
It only took two hands for one lucky player to double up, and that player was Joe Lavenia. We only came to the table when we heard "all in and call" from the dealer, and we saw that Lavenia has his opponent dominated, as the two players got their money in preflop.
Lavenia: 
Opponent: 
The board ran out 
, and neither player reacted too heavily. The biggest reaction came from another player at the table, who said he folded a six for a full house. Regardless, Lavenia collected the chips, and has an early head start in the field.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
6,000 |
Stewart Flops a Boat
WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart was in action early, and he has upped his stack to about 5,000. When we came to the table, the board read out 
. After facing a bet of 600, Stewart moved the rest of his chips in, 1,925 in total. His opponent tanked for a minute or so, then asked Stewart if he would show if he folded. Stewart oblidged, and his opponent let his hand go. Stewart showed 
for a flopped full house, and his opponent breathed a sigh of relief.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
5,000 |
The Champ is Here
In our latest run through of hte room, we found defending champion Sean Drake. We will be sure to keep our eye on him to see if he can defend his title against this large field.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
3,000 |
Aces Hold
We managed to catch up to the action at table 428 in time to witness the beginnings of a growing pot. With about 900 chips already in the middle two players were allowed to see a 
flop. The player in middle position was first to act, and opted to check. Erica Falcone on the button then pushed out a bet of 725, to which the player in middle position quickly put out a reraise of 1,800. Falcone moved all in and was called.
Falcone tabled 
and her opponent showed 
. Falcone's aces were ahead going to the turn and just needed to avoid a king. With a 
falling on the turn and a 
landing on the river Falcone secured her double up.
Karina Jett Flying High Early
Level 1
: 25/50, 0 ante
We just spotted Karina Jett in the field, and she has already doubled her chip stack. Jett is one of the most experienced players in the tournament, so seeing her with chips is a site for sore eyes for the rest of the players at her table.
Level: 2
Blinds: 50/100
Ante: 0