We caught the action on fourth street when David Singer bet and both Al Barbieri and Alan Boston called. On fifth street Singer bet again and both his opponents called. On Sixth street Singer kept betting with the lead but didn't shake any of his opponents. Seventh street was dealt down and with the best board showing Singer bet again. Barbieri made the call and Boston folded his cards.
Barbieri showed his down cards, and took down the pot with two pair as Singer mucked his hand.
There is always one player that has to go first, and today that player was Matt Hawrilenko. Hawrilenko is known to be one of the best online Limit Hold'em players under the handle HOSS_TBF, but live he also has some big results. During the 2009 WSOP he won the $5,000 6-Max No Limit Hold'em tournament raking in just over a million dollars. Hawrilenko has been close to winning a bracelet on numerous occasions with six WSOP final tables behind his name. But that second bracelet isn't going to come in this tournament. There are many more chances this summer and we are sure Hawrilenko will be back for more.
The outspoken Sam Grizzle just sat down at a table with Italian star Max Pescatori who has two WSOP bracelets under his belt and over $3,000,000 in live tournament earnings. Grizzle is known for his antics at the table and he started talking about betting basketball right away.
As you all know the NBA play offs are going on as we speak and Grizzle wanted to know what the second half line was. "Really? The Spurs are only -2.5?", Grizzle said when one of his table mates looked up the line on his iPad. "I might put $100 on it", Grizzle said as he took a look at his down cards. No big bets thus far on the basketball but we'll keep you guys posted as the game goes along between the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The late registration section of the tournament is getting better and better by the minute so it seems. Table #408 is another one of those tough match ups and with two open seats left this could be a very unlucky draw for some late comers.
Seat
Name
1
Dan Shak
2
Jon Turner
5
Richard Ashby
6
Mike Gorodinsky
7
David Benyamine
These players combined have well over $13,000,000 in live tournament earnings and looking to add to their impressive lists of cashes.
Andy Bloch, Kevin Calenzo and Brett Richey just played a three-way pot that saw Bloch fold out on sixth street before the other two players went to the end and Calenzo won the pot.
We picked up the action on fourth street and Richey checked. Bloch checked behind and then Calenzo bet. Both players called. On fifth street, Calenzo was first up with a pair of nines and bet. Both Richey and Bloch called again.
On sixth street, Calenzo checked and Richey bet. This prompted a fold from Bloch before Richey made the call. Then on seventh, Calenzo checked, Richey bet and Calenzo called.
After Calenzo called the bet on seventh, Richey grabbed his up cards, turned the face down and mucked his entire hand. Calenzo showed the from his hole cards for nines and sevens and won the pot.
Calenzo is a regular on the poker tournament circuit, but he only has two career World Series of Poker cashes. He does hold one piece of WSOP jewelry in the form of a WSOP Circuit gold ring coming back in January when he won the Caesars Palace Las Vegas Main Event for $197,451. In total, the New York native has over $600,000 in live tournament earnings.
At the front of the Orange Section in the Amazon Room tables are set up for late entrants to this tournament. One of the tables we just saw had four big name players and will be one to watch.
Seat
Name
3
John Monnette
4
Brandon Cantu
5
Amnon Filippi
8
Rep Porter
John Monnette is coming fresh of a deep run in the $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Low 8-or-Better tournament where he finished in 12th place. He cashed for $10,051, which is peanuts compared to the huge score he had last year winning the $2,500 8-Game tournamen at the WSOP for $278,144. Monnette is a multi game phenom having WSOP cashes in 11 different variations of poker.
Rep Porter also had an amazing WSOP last year winning the $2,500 Seven Card Razz tournament banking $210,615. This wasn't his biggest result at the Rio as he won the 2008 $1,500 Short Handed No Limit Hold'em tournament for $372,843.
Amnon Filippi has a long list of live tournament cashes, his biggest result coming in fourth at the 2007 $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship. Filippi took home $586,080 and notched up many more big cashes over the years. As of today his live tournament earnings are just over $2.8 million.
The final big gun at this table is no other than Brandon Cantu. Cantu already has a small cash at this year's WSOP finishing 102nd in the $1,500 No Limit Hold'em tournament. Cantu had two WSOP bracelets under his belt winning the 2006 $1,500 No Limit Hold'em tournament for $757,839 and the 2009 $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha hi/lo split tournament for $228,867. Cantu's biggest result dates back to 2008 when he won the WPT Bay 101 Championship Event taking home a cool million.
Plenty of big names in this tournament and the list will only get longer. Late registration is open for the first four levels of play.
2012 WSOP Limit Hold'em Championship winner Daniel Idema is also playing today's event and he just needed two floor rulings within one betting street. It's good to get our Stud knowledge brushed up and we were there to get the details.
Idema had the showing and after a raise and some callers he put in four green 25 chips. Idema wanted to make the call but the floor ruled he had to put in a raise to 100. The player who brought it in for 25 called, another player folded and the next player, who had the showing, put in another raise. In between Idema and the re-raiser someone called with the showing and Idema called as well.
We had four players going into fourth street and Idema hit a pair of fives with the . He was first to act since he had a pair showing and checked. The agressor hit the and and his neighbor raised with the . It was back onto Idema who, once again, threw in four green 25 chips only this time the bet was already 200. The floor was called over again and Idema wanted to know if he could pull his chips back or if he had to make the call.
After not agreeing with the first ruling the main tournament supervisor came over and he decided the following. Since it's a limit game, and Idema had already invested half the bet with his four green chips he had to call. "So does that mean I have to call in a No-Limit Hold'em tournament facing an all in when I throw in a 25 chips?" Idema asked. The floor reminded Idema that this was a limit format and that he had to make the call when investing half the bet.
Fifth street got dealt and Idema hit the . He checked as did the player who hit the and after the bet the hand was over after both players folded. Idema lost some chips but gained some knowledge about the betting in Seven Card Stud. To wrap things up here's a look at the hands of the players involved.