2012 World Series of Poker

Event 10: $5,000 Seven Card Stud
Day: 1
Event Info

2012 World Series of Poker

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
aqj6j89
Prize
$190,826
Event Info
Buy-in
$5,000
Prize Pool
$681,500
Entries
145
Level Info
Level
26
Limits
30,000 / 60,000
Ante
7,000

The Celtics Won, Grinder

Level 4 : 200/400, 50 ante
Michael Mizrachi - easier to smile when receiving a massage
Michael Mizrachi - easier to smile when receiving a massage

The NBA game just ended with the Heat missing a game-winning basket — much to the delight of the world's biggest Celtics fan, Chris Amaral.

Amaral is seated just one table away from Michael Mizrachi who is a huge Miami Heat fan. And he couldn't resist a big needle.

"Woo!" Amaral yelled as the final horn sounded. Even louder, his big voice boomed through the Amazon Room: "Hey, I'm in a hand right now. Somebody find the Grinder and tell him the Celtics WON!" Just a second later, he added, "Oh, and eat s***!"

Even Mizrachi had to smirk a bit at Amaral's antics.

Tags: Chris AmaralMichael Mizrachi

Updated Chip Counts

Player Chips Progress
Andy Bloch us
Andy Bloch
WSOP 1X Winner
31,000 7,000
Frank Kassela us
Frank Kassela
WSOP 3X Winner
25,000 -6,000
Freddie Ellis us
Freddie Ellis
WSOP 1X Winner
24,500 15,500
Jon Turner us
Jon Turner
22,500 6,500
Paul Volpe us
Paul Volpe
WSOP 3X Winner
21,000 8,500
Allen Bari us
Allen Bari
WSOP 1X Winner
19,500 4,300
Justin Bonomo us
Justin Bonomo
WSOP 3X Winner
19,000 -2,000
Dan Kelly us
Dan Kelly
19,000 14,500
Andrey Zaichenko ru
Andrey Zaichenko
WSOP 1X Winner
18,000 1,500
Cyndy Violette us
Cyndy Violette
WSOP 1X Winner
17,500 500
Jerrod Ankenman us
Jerrod Ankenman
WSOP 1X Winner
17,000 -1,500
Michael Mizrachi us
Michael Mizrachi
WSOP 5X Winner
16,000 1,000
David Baker
David Baker
15,000 -5,500
Daniel Negreanu ca
Daniel Negreanu
14,500 -4,500
Eugene Katchalov ua
Eugene Katchalov
13,000 -2,000
Chris Amaral us
Chris Amaral
11,500
Bill Chen us
Bill Chen
WSOP 2X Winner
10,500 -7,500
Victor Ramdin us
Victor Ramdin
10,500 3,000
Bryan Devonshire us
Bryan Devonshire
9,500 -6,000
Brett Richey us
Brett Richey
9,500 -5,500
Chris Tryba us
Chris Tryba
WSOP 1X Winner
7,500 -8,500
Mike Leah ca
Mike Leah
WSOP 1X Winner
7,000 -8,500
Steve Billirakis us
Steve Billirakis
WSOP 2X Winner
5,500 -4,500

Where'd That Come From?

Ivey: (x-x) / {6-Hearts}{j-Spades}{3-Hearts}{2-Clubs} / (x)
Barbero: (x-x) / {j-Diamonds}{k-Spades}{q-Clubs}{5-Diamonds} / (x)

We didn't get to the table until the sixth card had been dealt, but we saw that PokerStars pro Nacho Barbero had bet out, and Ivey had made the call. One other player was in the hand, and he called as well. The last card was dealt, and Barbero bet out again. This time, Ivey raised, and the other player folded. It was back to Barbero, who sat back in his chair with a confused look on his face. Eventually, he put out a reraise, and Ivey quickly made the call.

Barbero showed {10-Diamonds}{k-Diamonds}{2-Diamonds} for three diamonds in the hole, which made a flush for him. Ivey looked confused as he mucked, and another player at the table chimed in "Where'd that come from?" Regardless, Ivey is down to 12,000, which Barbero is up to 24,000.

Player Chips Progress
Nacho Barbero ar
Nacho Barbero
24,000 9,000
Phil Ivey us
Phil Ivey
WSOP 10X Winner
Poker Hall of Famer
12,100 -900

Tags: Nacho BarberoPhil Ivey

Level: 4

Limits: 200/400

Ante: 50

Riskky Business

John D'Agostino was getting pretty short on chips until this pot with Scott "BigRiskky" Clements. We picked up the action as Cyndy Violette was involved in their three-way pot.

Clements: (x-x) / {7-Spades} {6-Hearts} {3-Spades} {10-Clubs} / (x)
Violette: (x-x) / {5-Hearts} {A-Spades} {Q-Diamonds} {10-Spades} / (x)
D'Agostino: (x-x) / {Q-Clubs} {2-Spades} {7-Hearts} {6-Clubs} / (x)

On third street, D'Agostino tried to raise, but there was some confusion and he ended up flatting instead. Violette bet her lead on fourth, D'Agostino raised, and both Clements and Violette called. D'Agostino got another bet in on fifth street, then another on sixth. On sixth, though, Clements found a raise, and that folded Violette out of the way. D'Agostino called the extra bet, though, then check-called one last bet on seventh.

Clements tabled Clements: {6-Diamonds} {6-Spades} {4-Diamonds} / {7-Spades} {6-Hearts} {3-Spades} {10-Clubs} as he announced his trip sixes. They were no good. D'Agostino rolled over {Q-Hearts} {Q-Spades} {3-Clubs} / {Q-Clubs} {2-Spades} {7-Hearts} {6-Clubs}, and his set of ladies were the best set.

That exchange has allowed D'Agostino to climb out of the basement and back up to about 11,500.

Player Chips Progress
Scott Clements us
Scott Clements
WSOP 3X Winner
19,000 -3,500
John D'Agostino us
John D'Agostino
11,500 6,500

Tags: John D'AgostinoCyndy VioletteScott Clements

Kassela Continues to Climb

Frank Kassela
Frank Kassela

Frank Kassela is no stranger to Stud. Back in 2010 when he captured the Player of the Year honors, the father of five captured two bracelets in Stud events: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better Championship for $447,446 and $2,500 Razz for $214,085. While neither of those are in the same variant as today's tournament, Kassela is well on his way to a third bracelet.

In a recent hand, Kassela brought it in only to have a player in Seat 6 complete. Both the player in Seat 4 and Kassela came along for the ride, and then the latter led out after taking the lead on the turn, which both his opponents called.

Kassela: {2-Spades}{4-Clubs} / {3-Spades}{A-Spades}{5-Hearts}{6-Diamonds} / {6-Spades}
Seat 6: (x-x) / {Q-Diamonds}{8-Hearts}{A-Diamonds}
Seat 4: {10-Hearts}{Q-Spades}{8-Spades} / {10-Diamonds}{J-Hearts}{7-Hearts}{6-Clubs}

Fifth street saw Seat 6 check and Seat 4 fire out a bet. Kassela put in a raise, Seat 6 folded and Seat 4 made the call. Kassela proceeded to bet sixth, Seat 4 raised and a call ensued. Seventh saw Kassela slow down with a check-call, and he seemed somewhat surprised his straight was good against his opponent's two pair.

Player Chips Progress
Frank Kassela us
Frank Kassela
WSOP 3X Winner
31,000 1,500

Tags: Frank Kassela

Sweating the Game

Level 3 : 200/400, 50 ante
Chris Amaral
Chris Amaral

The NBA Eastern Conference Finals are on the TV along the far wall, and it's turned into quite a game.

Phil Ivey just showed up, and his seat is in front of the TV, facing away. As such, Ivey is spending 80% of his time turned away from the action at his table as he sweats the last few minutes of the game. It's possible he has a larger investment in the game on TV than the $5,000 he put up for a seat in this Event #10.

Also in the room is Chris Amaral, one of the biggest Celtics fans you'll see. And by "biggest", we mean the Celtics jersey the towering Amaral is wearing is likely sized XXXL. He too is spending most of his time watching the TV screen, but he's a little more vocal than Ivey.

"Yes! Kevin Garnett baby!" he just yelled loudly across the relatively quiet tournament floor. "Hey, how about we get some surround sound set up for this game?"

We've got a few Heat fans in the field, too. Most notably, Michael Mizrachi hasn't looked back at his poker table in at least three minutes as his eyes are likewise glued to the screen.

We're used to this sight here in the Amazon Room. Players putting up five or ten thousand dollars to play in a poker tournament that they're not at all interested in.

Tags: Chris AmaralMichael MizrachiPhil Ivey

Breaking Down The Stacked Tables

Level 3 : 200/400, 50 ante

Everywhere you look in this event, you will find bracelet winners. It's tough to find a table that doesn't have one, but we wanted to find out which table has the most bracelet winners. Three tables stood out to us.

Table 365
Dan Kelly- 2010- $25,000 No-Limit Holdem Six Handed

Daniel Negreanu- 1998- $2,000 Pot Limit Hold'em, 2003- $2,000 S.H.O.E, 2004- $2,000 Limit Hold'em, 2008- $2,000 Limit Hold'em

Frank Kassela- 2010- $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better Championship, 2010- $2,500 Razz

Table 351

Phil Ivey- 2000- $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha, 2002- $2,500 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo, 2002- $2,000 S.H.O.E., 2002- $1,500 7 Card Stud, 2005- $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha, 2009- $2,500 No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball, 2009- $2,500 Omaha Hi/Lo / 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo, 2010- $3,000 H.O.R.S.E.

Corey Zeidman- 2012- $1500 Stud Hi/Lo

Josh Arieh- 1999- $3,000 Limit Hold'em, 2005- $2,000 Pot Limit Omaha

While these two tables each have three, Table 362 has both of them beat, as they have bracelet winners in half of the seats in play.

Owais Ahmed- 2011- $2,500 Omaha hold 'em/Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo

John Hennigan- 2002- $2,000 H.O.R.S.E., 2004- $5,000 Limit Hold'em

Jeff Lisandro- 2007- $2,000 Seven-Card Stud, 2009- $1,500 Seven-Card Stud, 2009- $10,000 World Championship Seven-Card Stud H/L-8, 2009- $2,500 Razz, 2010- WSOPE £5,250 Pot-Limit Omaha

Perry Friedman- 2002- $1,500 Limit Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better

Harman Clawing Back

After a player brought it in with the {2-Clubs}, Stephen Su completed and found a lone caller in the form of Jen Harman. The latter proceeded to call abet on the turn, and then watched Su fire out another bet on fifth street. This time Harman pushed back with two bets and Su hit the tank. After about 40 seconds he conceded the hand and allowed Harman to take down the pot.

Su: (x-x) / {Q-Diamonds}{2-Diamonds}{9-Hearts}
Harman: (x-x) / {9-Spades}{5-Diamonds}{7-Hearts}

It wasn't much, but it was a start in the right direction for Harman after she lost 2/3 of her stack in the first two levels.

Player Chips Progress
Stephen Su
Stephen Su
20,000
Jen Harman
Jen Harman
7,000 500

Tags: Jen HarmanStephen Su