2012 World Series of Poker

Event 55: $1,000,000 Big One for One Drop
Day: 1
Event Info

2012 World Series of Poker

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
75
Prize
$18,346,673
Event Info
Buy-in
$1,000,000
Prize Pool
$42,666,672
Entries
48
Level Info
Level
22
Blinds
400,000 / 800,000
Ante
100,000

Bulychev Gets Bullied

Ilya Bulychev
Ilya Bulychev

Talal Shakerchi, who was a new edition to the feature table after an outer table broke last level, raised to 90,000 from middle position and cleared the field all the way around to Ilya Bulychev in the big blind. The 34-year-old businessman from Moscow, Russia has been quiet today, but he made the call to see the {9-Spades}{5-Diamonds}{K-Diamonds} flop.

Bulychev proceeded to check-call a bet of 165,000, but then check-folded to a bet of 275,000 on the {Q-Diamonds} turn. It wasn't much of a hand, but it's the first hand we've managed to catch Bulychev playing, so we thought we'd pass it along.

Player Chips Progress
Ilya Bulychev ru
Ilya Bulychev
2,175,000 -245,000
Talal Shakerchi gb
Talal Shakerchi
2,000,000 425,000

Tags: Talal ShakerchiIlya Bulychev

Queens for Lamb in Five-Bet Pot

Ben Lamb
Ben Lamb

From the cutoff seat, Tom Marchese raised to 90,000. Antonio Esfandiari reraised to 210,000 on the button and then play moved to Ben Lamb in the big blind. Lamb put in a reraise and made it 500,000 even with a little over 3.5 million behind. Marchese tanked for a bit with a little over four million behind and then reraised to 875,000. Esfandiari folded, but Lamb studied, then called.

The flop came down {A-Clubs}{J-Hearts}{4-Diamonds} and both players checked to see the {6-Spades} land on the turn. Again, both players checked.

After the {7-Clubs} fell on the river, Lamb checked and Marchese tanked. After a minute or two, Lamb asked, "Do you know I checked?" Marchese nodded.

Another minute or so passed and Marchese checked behind. "Queens," said Lamb, showing the {Q-Diamonds}{Q-Clubs}. Marchese mucked and Lamb won the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Ben Lamb us
Ben Lamb
WSOP 2X Winner
5,400,000 1,335,000
Tom Marchese us
Tom Marchese
WSOP 1X Winner
3,175,000 -985,000

Tags: Ben LambTom MarcheseAntonio Esfandiari

Negreanu's Check-Raise Bluff

Mike Sexton calls Daniel Negreanu's bluff.
Mike Sexton calls Daniel Negreanu's bluff.

Mike Sexton opened to 80,000 from the cutoff, and Daniel Negreanu defended his big blind. The dealer fanned {7-Spades}{j-Hearts}{4-Spades}, Negreanu checked, and Sexton continued for 125,000. Negreanu called.

The turn was the {k-Hearts}, and Negreanu checked again. Sexton fired 250,000, and Negreanu called.

The river was the {3-Clubs}, and Negreanu checked one last time. Sexton bet 275,000, and Negreanu check-raised to 700,000.

"Wow," Sexton blurted.

The poker hall-of-famer went into the tank for the better part of two minutes before finally calling.

"You got it," Negreanu announced.

Sexton tabled {k-Clubs}{q-Clubs}, Negreanu mucked, and Sexton scooped the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Mike Sexton us
Mike Sexton
WSOP 1X Winner
Poker Hall of Famer
4,400,000 1,155,000
Daniel Negreanu ca
Daniel Negreanu
925,000 -1,090,000

Tags: Mike SextonDaniel Negreanu

Limping Under the Gun

Richard Yong limped in from under the gun, Brandon Steven raised to 130,000 on his direct left, and the action folded back to Yong, who called.

The dealer fanned {q-Spades}{j-Hearts}{8-Clubs}, and Yong checked. Steven fired another 130,000, and Yong quickly check-raised to 400,000. Steve tanked for a bit before folding, and Yong raked in the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Brandon Steven us
Brandon Steven
5,300,000 -50,000
Richard Yong my
Richard Yong
2,975,000 305,000

Tags: Richard YongBrandon Steven

More for Mikhail

Mikhail Smirnov
Mikhail Smirnov

Mikhail Smirnov raised to 95,000 from middle position, and John Morgan called quickly from one seat over. All others folded, and the flop came {K-Hearts}{4-Clubs}{K-Spades}. Smirnov fired 215,000, and Morgan again called right away. Both players then checked down the {3-Clubs} turn and {Q-Hearts} river.

Smirnov turned over {A-Diamonds}{A-Hearts}, and Morgan showed his {9-Hearts}{9-Diamonds} as he mucked.

Player Chips Progress
Mikhail Smirnov ru
Mikhail Smirnov
4,800,000 420,000
John Morgan us
John Morgan
2,550,000 -320,000

Tags: John MorganMikhail Smirnov

Level: 9

Blinds: 20,000/40,000

Ante: 5,000

Chip Counts

Player Chips Progress
Phil Hellmuth us
Phil Hellmuth
WSOP Main Event Champion
WSOP 17X Winner
Poker Hall of Famer
8,140,000 -910,000
Brian Rast us
Brian Rast
WSOP 6X Winner
Poker Hall of Famer
7,650,000 -500,000
Frederic Banjout
Frederic Banjout
7,575,000 -825,000
Sam Trickett gb
Sam Trickett
7,245,000 1,315,000
Guy Laliberté ca
Guy Laliberté
6,400,000
Antonio Esfandiari us
Antonio Esfandiari
WSOP 3X Winner
6,120,000 320,000
Gus Hansen dk
Gus Hansen
WSOP 1X Winner
5,738,000 138,000
Brandon Steven us
Brandon Steven
5,350,000 120,000
David Einhorn us
David Einhorn
5,190,000 40,000
Bobby Baldwin us
Bobby Baldwin
Poker Hall of Famer
4,990,000 90,000
Philipp Gruissem de
Philipp Gruissem
WSOP 1X Winner
4,415,000 765,000
Mikhail Smirnov ru
Mikhail Smirnov
4,380,000 280,000
Jason Mercier us
Jason Mercier
4,270,000 -30,000
Tom Marchese us
Tom Marchese
WSOP 1X Winner
4,160,000 -520,000
Ben Lamb us
Ben Lamb
WSOP 2X Winner
4,065,000 -335,000
Rick Salomon us
Rick Salomon
3,500,000 300,000
Dan Shak us
Dan Shak
3,390,000 350,000
Robert Bright
Robert Bright
3,305,000 75,000
Mike Sexton us
Mike Sexton
WSOP 1X Winner
Poker Hall of Famer
3,245,000 425,000
Tom Dwan us
Tom Dwan
3,210,000 20,000
Phil Ivey us
Phil Ivey
WSOP 10X Winner
Poker Hall of Famer
3,210,000 545,000
Tobias Reinkemeier de
Tobias Reinkemeier
3,180,000 480,000
Cary Katz us
Cary Katz
3,175,000 175,000
Noah Schwartz us
Noah Schwartz
WSOP 1X Winner
2,935,000 935,000
Paul Newey gb
Paul Newey
2,880,000 230,000

Read full

Break

Level 8 : 15,000/30,000, 5,000 ante

The players are on their last 20-minute break of the night. Following the completion of this break, the field will play one more 60-minute level before bagging and tagging for the night.

Feature Table Fireworks

Tobias Reinkemeier
Tobias Reinkemeier

Things have been relatively quiet over at the Feature Table, but a hand just developed that may have been the biggest of the day at that particular table. We caught the action on the {J-Hearts}{5-Clubs}{3-Spades} flop when Guy Laliberté checked from the small blind and Tobias Reinkemeier bet 125,000 from the cutoff.

Laliberté responded with a check-raise to 425,000, Reinkemeier called, and it was off to the {6-Hearts} turn. Laliberté has been active and aggressive when he does play, and he continued that pattern by firing out 800,000. Reinkemeier thought for a brief moment and then put in the call.

The {4-Diamonds} river didn't see Laliberté miss a beat as he repeated his bet of 800,000. This time Reinkemeier looked at him inquisitively. "Guy, what are you doing? Do you have a straight?" Reinkemeier asked.

Laliberté remained silent as the minutes ticked by. Reinkemeier cut out chips, then went back to his cards, all in what appeared to be an attempt to get a reaction from Laliberté. "Are you gonna show?" he asked in one last-ditch attempt.

Laliberté did not respond and did not show when Reinkemeier ultimately folded.

Player Chips Progress
Guy Laliberté ca
Guy Laliberté
6,400,000
Tobias Reinkemeier de
Tobias Reinkemeier
2,700,000

Tags: Guy LalibertéTobias Reinkemeier

Rast the Earner

Brian Rast
Brian Rast

From under the gun, Brian Rast opened with a raise to 75,000. A couple spots over, Giovanni Guarascio made the call. David Einhorn also called after action folded to him. He was acting from the big blind.

The flop came down {5-Clubs}{4-Clubs}{4-Hearts} and Einhorn checked. Rast bet 160,000 and Guarascio made the call. Einhorn folded.

The turn was the {8-Hearts} and Rast checked to his opponent. Guarascio checked back and the river completed the board with the {6-Spades}. Rast bet 150,000 and Guarascio folded.

On the next hand, Guarascio raised preflop and Rast called from the big blind to see the flop come down {Q-Diamonds}{10-Hearts}{4-Spades}. Rast checked and Guarascio bet 110,000. Rast called.

The {A-Hearts} landed on the turn and Rast passed over the action to Guarascio. He fired 215,000 and Rast called.

After the {8-Clubs} finished off the board on the river, Rast bet 450,000. Guarascio took a few moments, but decided to fold and Rast scooped the pot. With these two back-to-back pots, Rast has moved over 8.1 million.

Rast's good buddy, Antonio Esfandiari, peeked over as Rast was stacking up the pot and said, "Rasty the earner! All this guy does is earn, earn earn."

Player Chips Progress
Brian Rast us
Brian Rast
WSOP 6X Winner
Poker Hall of Famer
8,150,000 510,000
David Einhorn us
David Einhorn
5,150,000 340,000
Giovanni Guarascio ca
Giovanni Guarascio
1,400,000 -400,000

Tags: Brian RastAntonio EsfandiariGiovanni GuarascioDavid Einhorn