Event 39: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Day 1 | 2012 World Series of Poker

06-21-2012 14:54 UTC-7

Mizzi Down to Final Lammer

Sorel Mizzi was faced with a 1,975-chip bet with the board reading {6-Hearts} {j-Spades} {7-Diamonds} . Mizzi raised to 6,000, and his opponent tanked for quite some time before raising all in. Mizzi called, only having a few thousand more behind, and the hands were opened.

Mizzi
Opponent

The {10-Clubs} turned, giving Mizzi's opponent a straight, and the {3-Clubs} completed the board. Mizzi shipped his opponent the rest of his chips, and cashed in his last 10,000-chip lammer.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sorel Mizzi	10,000 13,000	13,000

Tags: Sorel Mizzi

06-21-2012 14:43 UTC-7

Negreanu Short

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Mickey Doft

Ismael Bojang raised to 500 in the cutoff and Daniel Negreanu three-bet to 1,800 from the button. Action folded back to Bojang who called, landing a {9-Diamonds} {5-Spades} {2-Hearts} flop.

Bojang check-called a pot-sized bet of 3,900 from Negreanu and the {10-Diamonds} hit the turn. Bojang immediately went all in for 4,475 (with two rebuy chips behind) and Negreanu called.

"Two pair?" asked Negreanu.

Indeed, Bojang tabled {Q-Spades} {10-Clubs} {9-Clubs} {7-Spades} for two pair. Negreanu was behind with {A-Spades} {A-Diamonds} {6-Clubs} {6-Hearts} and was not helped by the {4-Clubs} river.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ismael Bojang	41,000 10,000	10,000

Daniel Negreanu	4,800 8,625	8,625

Tags: Daniel Negreanu Ismael Bojang

06-21-2012 14:41 UTC-7

Ivey Out

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Phil Ivey will have to wait for Event 40 to make his sixth final table of the 2012 WSOP.

Less than ten minutes into Level 3, Phil Ivey grabbed his things, and hit the exit. We can't confirm whether or not he's the first player to bust, but if anything, he's among the first group of eliminations.

Player	Chips	Progress
Phil Ivey	Busted

Tags: Phil Ivey

06-21-2012 14:29 UTC-7

Ivey Crippled Just Before Break

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"The last thing I ever want, is to be all in against Phil Ivey."

David Benyamine and Aubin Cazals limped in, before Phil Ivey raised to 650 out of the big blind. Only Benyamine called. The dealer fanned {10-Diamonds} {4-Diamonds} {j-Hearts} , and Ivey tossed out 1,100. Benyamine raised to 5,000, leaving about 10,000 behind. Ivey shook his head in frustration.

"I'm saving this for the break," Benyamine said, holding up his last 10,000-chip lammer.

"He's so funny," Ivey chuckled.

Ivey grabbed his whole stack and half pump-faked it into the pot, staring at Benyamine. He eventually plopped it forward, moving all in for effectively 15,250.

"I didn't want you to do that," Benyamine said, then called.

"Why?" Ivey asked.

"The last thing I ever want, is to be all in against Phil Ivey," Benyamine answered.

Benyamine
Ivey

Ivey bricked everything as the turn and river were both black kings, and Benyamine shipped the 30,000-chip pot.

"Glad I came early," Ivey said then exited to head to his RV.

Player	Chips	Progress
David Benyamine	42,000 12,000	12,000

Phil Ivey	7,400 22,600	22,600

Tags: David Benyamine Phil Ivey

Level: 3

Blinds: 100/200

Ante: 0

06-21-2012 14:05 UTC-7

Break

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Level 2 : 75/150, 0 ante

The players are now on a 20-minute break.

06-21-2012 13:55 UTC-7

Benba's "Big Timing"

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Level 2 : 75/150, 0 ante

"He's big timing me hard right now," David "Doc" Sands told Sam Stein moments ago. "I can't get anything out of him."

"Yeah," Stein agreed. "I bet that masseuse is paying to massage him."

"He" is 2011 November Niner and World Series of Poker Player of the Year Ben "Benba" Lamb. Lamb, who won this event last year, has only played in three WSOP events prior to today, admitting on Twitter that he's never been a tournament grinder:

BenbaLamb Ben Lamb For those asking why I'm not playing a ton of events? I never have focused on tournaments during the wsop. I usually play more cash. But... June 07 2012

Lamb has been seen playing the $500/$1,500 PLO game here at the Rio, and we're sure that he's been able to lock up a seat in a few private games as well. We won't leave you hanging though, the "but..." in his tweet was followed by...

BenbaLamb Ben Lamb I will be playing the #onedrop $1 million buy in! Excited to play such a prestigious event for such a great cause! #onetimeforonedrop June 07 2012

Benba gunna Benba.

Tags: Ben Lamb

06-21-2012 13:44 UTC-7

Kornuth Takes a Hit, Still Well Above Starting Stack

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When we reached Table 9, the board had already been completed {10-Diamonds} {q-Spades} {7-Diamonds} {k-Hearts} {q-Diamonds} , and Chance Kornuth was faced with a pot-sized bet of more than 10,000. Kornuth was tanking for a bit before he noticed that his opponent was holding his rebuy chip.

"Rebuy chip in hand?" Kornuth asked, laughing. "Ohhhhhhhh buddy."

Kornuth tanked for a little longer, before tossing a few chips forward, signaling a call.

His opponent tabled {q-Hearts} {j-Clubs} {10-Hearts} {9-Diamonds} for a full house, and Kornuth mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Chance Kornuth	44,000 11,000	11,000

Tags: Chance Kornuth

06-21-2012 13:42 UTC-7

Negreanu Sliding

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Mickey Doft

Ben Grundy raised to 375 under the gun and was called by another player in early position and Daniel Negreanu in the cutoff. The player on the button raised the pot to 2,100, receiving calls from only Grundy and Negreanu.

The flop came down {6-Spades} {3-Hearts} {2-Clubs} and action checked to the button who bet the pot, 6,900. Grundy folded, Negreanu called, and the {A-Hearts} hit the turn. A check from Negreanu led to the player on the button moving all in.

"And I only called just in case an ace came," Negreanu said. "Pocket kings."

Negreanu folded and is down to about 13,500.

Player	Chips	Progress
Daniel Negreanu	13,425 8,575	8,575

Tags: Ben Grundy Daniel Negreanu

06-21-2012 13:23 UTC-7

Alaei Off To Excellent Start

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Mickey Doft

Daniel Alaei knows something about winning this tournament. In 2010, he bested a field of 346 to claim his third World Series of Poker bracelet, as well as $780,559.

We arrived at his table and found Alaei stacking chips from the player on his left. The final board read {9-Spades} {9-Diamonds} {8-Diamonds} {5-Hearts} {7-Hearts} and Alaei's {A-Hearts} {A-Spades} {3-Spades} {3-Clubs} had bested his opponents {K-Hearts} {Q-Spades} {J-Clubs} {3-Hearts} .

As we were counting his chips, a pot developed the very next hand (it was still during Level 1). It started with an Alaei raise to 250 from the cutoff and a call from the player on the button (the same player he had just forced to use a rebuy chip). Erik Seidel called from the big blind, too, and the flop came down {9-Hearts} {6-Spades} {4-Spades} .

Seidel checked it to Alaei who bet 650. Only the player on the button came along to see the {7-Clubs} turn. A check from Alaei led to a pot-sized bet of 2,100 from his opponent. Alaei took a few moments before he raised the pot, getting his opponent to call all in for 9,100.

Alaei: {J-Diamonds} {9-Diamonds} {7-Spades} {3-Spades}
Opponent: {J-Clubs} {10-Spades} {8-Spades} {4-Hearts}

Alaei held top two pair with a flush and straight draw, but was behind his opponent's ten-high straight and better flush draw. However, the {9-Clubs} hit the river to give Alaei a full house with nines full of sevens, forcing the player on his left to use his last remaining rebuy chip.

"You are giving away all your secrets," said Vanessa Selbst with a smile on her face. "Now we know how you do it all the time."