We don't know exactly how the action went, but we know Huy Nguyen who was second in chips going into the hand, had his opponent all in and at risk. Nguyen held while his short stacked opponent wielded .
A flop allowed Nguyen to breathe a little easier as all he had to do now was fade an ace or running diamonds. A on the turn brought more assurance, but the on the river caused all of that to go away. Nguyen now had to send over 111,000 of his chips to his lucky opponent.
Have you ever wondered how Maria Ho's journey began before she discovered this wonderful world of poker? She tells us all about it in the first of a two-part series of Seat Open.
Table 439 seems to be a magnet for some of the best in today's field. Local pro Eric Davis, Dan Smith, Christian Harder, Joseph Cappello, and Maria Ho are all sharing shoulder space, and we decided to record and entire orbit of action at this death table. Here is what happened.
Hand 1: It was battle of the blinds after everyone folded to the two left of the button. Davis in the small blind completed the blind and the big blind was kind enough to check so both players saw a flop. With a board exposed, Davis placed a bet that would put his short stacked opponent all in and at risk. The big blind declined the offer and opted to fold.
Hand 2: This recent hand started with action folding to Cappello in the hijack who decided that moving all in was the best move. Smith folded in the cut-off, and action was on Davis who took his time measuring his possibilities. In the end though Davis moved all in. The blinds folded and both player's cards were tabled.
Davis:
Cappello:
With a board running out and Cappello failing to improve he was sent packing.
Hand 3: Christian Harder opened for 8,000 and stole the blinds and antes.
Hand 4: Maria Ho started the action out by raising to 8,000 and action folded around to the button who after some self-convincing made the call. The blinds folded and both players were witness to a flop. Ho moved all in, essentially putting her short stacked opponent all in. Ho's opponent snap called and flipped over for a pair of jacks with a nut flush draw. Ho tabled for a weaker pair, and no flush draw. Ho would need a 10 if she wanted to deliver the knock out blow.
A on the turn gave a non-heart queen as a potential out for Ho, but it didn't matter as the rattled off the deck for the river. Ho sits with about 270,000 after the hand, just a minor set back
Hand 5: Maria Ho was at it again the very next hand opening for 8,500 from under the gun. Davis then quickly raised to 21,500. The rest of the table folded and it was back on Ho. Ho folded face up, and struck a deal with Davis to pay $5 to see his hole cards. Davis agreed and showed as he pocketed a Lincoln. Apparently the two players had done this before with Davis paying Ho to see her cards.
Hand 6: One of the short stacks at the table started the hand out by moving all in for 28,500. Action folded to Ho on the button and she placed the call. Cards were tabled, and it was Ho who was ahead.
Ho:
Opponent:
A board plopped out of the deck and Ho was awarded the fairly sizable pot.
Hand 7: Maria Ho can't stay out of a pot it seems. It was battle of the blinds with the table folding around. Ho raised to 11,000 and the big blind folded.
Hand 8: Yet again we saw Maria Ho getting involved in a pot, this time from the button after everyone else had folded. She demanded 8,500 to anyone who want to see a flop. The small blind folded, and Smith in the big blind moved all in. Ho completed the call and yet again possessed . Smith was forced to table a weaker hand, .
A flop was spread furthering Ho's lead on the hand. A on the turn gave Smith a straight-draw. The on the river though is what ended up stealing the hand away from Ho.
Hand 9: A player in middle position raised it up to 11,000 and the player in the hijack moved all in for 46,000. The initial raiser snap called and showed , while his opponent could only muster up . With a board running out the short stack was eliminated. Many good lucks and good byes were wished and he made his way to the rail
We just saw Noah Vaillancourt eliminate an unknown opponent. The board showed and Vaillancourt held for a rivered straight and his opponent's pair of nines didn't hold.
In one of the most tense moments of the tournament so far Maria Ho and Dan Smith played a hand that saw a big swing in chips and lasted ten minutes.
Ho opened for 6,500 in middle position and Dan Smith popped it to 16,500 behind her. The blinds folded and Ho called after some short consideration. The flop fell , Ho checked and Smith bet 15,500. Ho called and turn came . Both players checked to the river and Ho checked a third time.
Smith spent a few minutes in the tank before he slid out a bet of 45,500. Ho tanked even longer - a solid four minutes - and the tournament grew silent around her. A few players stood up from the table and players from neighboring tables walked over the check the action.
With all eyes on her, Ho announced call and Smith tabled for a stone bluff. Ho turned up and she took the pot.
Noah Vaillencourt started the day with a yo-yoing stack. Getting up big, then getting knocked low, but it seems like he has found his groove. Recently we saw him raising a bet of 7,000 to 22,500 from late position against his opponent on a board. A call was made and both players got to see the appear on the river.
Vaillencourt's opponent checked, and he opted to fire out a pot sized bet of 44,500. Action flipped back to the early position player who took his time deciding what he wanted to do. He measured out the bet, eyeballed all the chips in play, and when he finished doing that he did it all over again. Eventually after a substantial amount of time had passed Vaillencourt's opponent folded.
Vaillencourt immediately grinned from ear to ear and showed the table a . Was Vaillencourt bluffing? or was he bluffing with the best hand? We do not know, and neither does Vaillencourt's opponent.
![[user198174]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
.
flop allowed Nguyen to breathe a little easier as all he had to do now was fade an ace or running diamonds. A 
on the turn brought more assurance, but the 
on the river caused all of that to go away. Nguyen now had to send over 111,000 of his chips to his lucky opponent.
flop. Ho moved all in, essentially putting her short stacked opponent all in. Ho's opponent snap called and flipped over 
for a pair of jacks with a nut flush draw. Ho tabled 
rattled off the deck for the river. Ho sits with about 270,000 after the hand, just a minor set back
face up, and struck a deal with Davis to pay $5 to see his hole cards. Davis agreed and showed 
as he pocketed a Lincoln. Apparently the two players had done this before with Davis paying Ho to see her cards.
. Smith was forced to table a weaker hand, 
.
flop was spread furthering Ho's lead on the hand. A 
on the river though is what ended up stealing the hand away from Ho.
board running out the short stack was eliminated. Many good lucks and good byes were wished and he made his way to the rail
. Both players checked to the 
appear on the river.