Welcome to Day 1 of Event 12: $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em. This event is set to be a spectacular one with the biggest names in the game plopping down five figures for a shot at a gold bracelet and World Series of Poker glory.
Last year, Jake Cody won the $25,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship for over $850,000 after he defeated Yevgeniy Timoshenko in the final match. This year's buy-in is 40% of last year's, but that could mean an increase in field size above the 128 entrants that last year received.
The event is set to kick off at 12:00 PM local time and Day 1 will be taking place in the Brasilia Room at the Rio. The tournament is scheduled for three rounds of matches today, beginning at noon, 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM. In similar fashion to Event 3: $3,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em/Pot-Limit Omaha, players will begin with a third of their total starting stack and have two additional lammers worth 10,000 in chips each to be used as add-ons.
Already in the room we've spotted the faces of Daniel Negreanu, Scott Clements, Randy Lew, Darren Elias and Barry Woods. Get ready for another day of great poker and PokerNews will be on hand providing all of the live coverage straight from the felt to your screen.
By now everyone knows about Viktor "Isildur1" Blom. He was a faceless legend in the online realm before he was unveiled to the world at the 2011 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. In 2012 at the PCA, he won the $100,000 Super High Roller and became a legend in the live realm. Now, it's time for Blom to make his first-ever appearance at the World Series of Poker and we'll see if he has what it takes to capture a gold bracelet.
Because this is Blom's first time at the WSOP, we suggest you check out the PokerNews Rookie Roundup article on Blom to get to know him better. One thing is for sure and that's that heads-up poker is his forte and we expect to see some great things out of the young superstar today.
Be sure to stay tuned for the match draw and the kickoff of the event. It's coming right up!
Josh Brikis just managed to bust Juan Ramirez making him the second player to move on to the second round. Brikis told us they got it in for Ramirez's first lammer with against on a flop. The turn was the and the river a keeping Brikis' kicker in play.
After chipping him down for the second lammer Ramirez decided to add another 10,000 to his stack cashing in his final lammer. In the final hand Ramirez raised from the button and Brikis defended his big blind. The flop came down and Brikis checked. Ramirez bet 700 and Brikis made it 1,700. His opponent called.
On the turn a showed up and Brikis bet 3,500. Ramirez moved all in for 13,000 and Brikis made the call holding . Ramirez held for a pair and a flush draw but missed the river when the hit. Brikis moves on to the second round.
Both players had all their chips in play when the final hand played out. Rousso raised from the button to 1,600 and Esfandiari made the call. The flop came down and Esfandiari check-raised the 2,000 continuation bet to 5,200. Rousso tanked for a bit before making the call.
The turn was the and Esfandiari bet 6,600. Rousso tanked once more before shoving all in for around 16,000 chips and Esfandiari snap-called. Rousso tabled against Esfandiari's and the river was the . The players shook hands and Esfandiari filled in his name on the slip that gave him acces to the second round.
As we discussed earlier, this is Viktor "Isildur1" Blom's first-ever World Series of Poker. He was squared off against Andy Bloch in the first round and has just defeated the newly crowned WSOP champion. Here's how it all went down.
With the blinds 400/800, Blom limped on the button and Bloch checked his option. The flop came down and Bloch check-called a bet of 800 to see the land on the turn. Both players checked fourth street and then checked the river when the completed the board. Blom showed the for a pair of twos and Bloch mucked his hand.
A couple hands later in the same blind level, Blom limped the button again and Bloch checked. The flop produced the and Bloch checked. Blom bet 800 and Bloch called. After the fell on the turn, Bloch checked and Blom bet 1,800. Bloch folded.
It was then time for the next level and the blinds increased to 500/1,000. On the first hand of the level, Bloch raised all in for 6,300 after Blom limped the button. Blom snap-called with the and was dominating the for Bloch. The flop, turn and river ran out and Bloch was forced to use his last add-on lammer.
On the very next hand having just reloaded for his final 10,000 in chips, Bloch shoved all in from the button for 10,000 and Blom called. Bloch held the and was once again dominated against Blom's . A board of was run out and Bloch was eliminated.
With his victory, that means Blom has won his first match in his first-ever WSOP tournament. We'll be seeing him in the second round at 4:00 PM.
Right after the final hand Ankush Mandavia said, "That ace-four call was horrible," as both players started discussing the hands. We ran over and wrote down the final hand which played out in the following manner.
Mandavia was down to his final five big blinds and got it in with against . The board ran out and after flopping a set Mandavia got runner-runnered and Baumstein moved on.
"You just got here for this hand, but you missed the big pot," Mandavia said as we listened to Baumstein who laid out the first big pot the two played. In the first level Mandavia raised to 400 and Baumstein called from the big blind. The flop came down and Baumstein check-called 400. The turn was a and both players checked. The river was a and Baumstein checked once more. Mandavia moved all in for 7,800 and Baumstein looked him up with . This cost Mandavia his first lammer.
Mandavia went on to tell his the other big hand. Baumstein min-raised from the button to 1,600 and Mandavia moved all in for 18,000. Baumstein immediately corrected him saying it was 16,500 and after a good three minutes of bickering both players still couldn't agree on the bet size. Baumstein ended up making the call with and Mandavia kept stating how bad this was. Mandavia had and the board ran out giving Baumstein a flush and a commanding chip lead. The final hand was described above and Baumstein moves on to the second round.
Jason Koon, runner up in the $3,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em/Pot-Limit Omaha event, just lost his first round match against Brian Green. Was was kind enough to give us the details of the match that almost went his way. Koon explained he was down early but managed to chip up giving him a 42,000-18,000 chip lead on the 400/800 level.
"I min-raised to 1,600 on the button and that sweetheart called," Koon started his story of the hand that could've ended the match. The flop came down with two clubs and Green checked to Koon who bet 2,000. "He just moved all in for like 16,300," Koon laughed as he made the call with . He was up against and a hit the turn right away turning the tables on this match.
In the 500/1,000 level Koon was down to 18,000 and Green raised the button to 2,500. Koon moved all in and Green called with . Koon showed and didn't manage to survive. Green moves on to the second round.
Upon winning his match, Eric Froehlich had a suggestion for the tournament staff on how to handle the fact that so many players have been getting byes in these heads-up events. Here's what Froehlich suggested and we'll use this event for an example.
With 152 players signing up for the event and 128 needed for the next round, 104 players were granted first-round byes and 48 players had to play what was essentially a "play-in match" into the tournament. Froehlich suggested that those 48 players each get a $5,000 refund (half of their buy-in) because they are stuck playing an extra match. This makes this extra match a satellite of sorts into the tournament.
Another thing this would do is allow a smaller percentage of the field to be paid out. In this case, 32 players are going to be paid and some of the players feel a min-cash just isn't worth it. If Froehlich's suggestion was used, the real field size would be 128 and thus 16 players paid out, making the money mean a lot more when you get there and also more up top for the winner.
The tournament director on site that Froehlich voiced this suggestion to seemed very receiving and mentioned he'd pass on the word to the appropriate authories, which is World Series of Poker Tournament Director Jack Effel. We'll let you know if anything comes of this in the future.
We are down to 128! The final first round match just finished with Isaac Haxton beating Daniel Morgen. In the final hand Morgan min-raised from the button and Haxton moved all in. Morgan called and after counting down the stack both players were dead even in chips. This was gonna be the final hand no matter what! Well, they could still chop of course but that's not a very likely scenario.
Haxton showed against Morgan's and the board ran out giving Haxton a pair of aces and the win. "Good game man, you played well," Haxton complimented his opponent who said, "Cheers man," as he walked away.
Play will resume at 4:00 PM local time with the second round. We are going to play three rounds today getting the field down to 32 players. Players who survive this day will be in the money.
Antonio Esfandiari just beat Isaac Haxton heads up. In the 400/800 level we caught a hand in which Haxton raised the button to 1,600 and Esfandiari called. The flop came down and Esfandiari check-called a 2,100 chip bet. The turn was the and Esfandiari check-called 5,200. The river was the and both players checked. Esfandiari showed and took down the pot.
We ran over to the table as both players got up from their seats and Esfandiari told us what happened in the final hand. "I raised the button to 2,200 and he called," Esfandiari started his explanation. The flop came down and Esfandiari's 3,400 continuation bet got raised to 6,400. Esfandiari put Haxton all in for 10,000 more and he called with . Esfandiari showed and the turn, the , and river, the , didn't change the outcome.
"See one of you fish cakes soon!" Esfandiari said laughingly to Mercier and Godshall. One of these players will be his next opponent.
against 
on a 
flop. The turn was the 
and the river a 
and Esfandiari check-raised the 2,000 continuation bet to 5,200. Rousso tanked for a bit before making the call.
and Esfandiari bet 6,600. Rousso tanked once more before shoving all in for around 16,000 chips and Esfandiari snap-called. Rousso tabled 
against Esfandiari's 
and the river was the 
. The players shook hands and Esfandiari filled in his name on the slip that gave him acces to the second round.
and Bloch check-called a bet of 800 to see the 
land on the turn. Both players checked fourth street and then checked the river when the 
completed the board. Blom showed the 
for a pair of twos and Bloch mucked his hand.
and Bloch checked. Blom bet 800 and Bloch called. After the 
fell on the turn, Bloch checked and Blom bet 1,800. Bloch folded.
and was dominating the 
. A board of 
against 
. The board ran out 
and Mandavia kept stating how bad this was. Mandavia had 
and the board ran out 
giving Baumstein a flush and a commanding chip lead. The final hand was described above and Baumstein moves on to the second round.
and didn't manage to survive. Green moves on to the second round.
and the board ran out 
and Esfandiari check-called 5,200. The river was the 
and both players checked. Esfandiari showed