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Paul Mattioda Enters Day 2 as the Chip Leader, and the Circuit Grinder is Hoping to Make a Splash on the Big Stage Here Today
Yesterday saw the World Series of Poker return to its roots, with the $2,500 Limit Hold'em tournament bringing players back to the days when a structured betting game was the predominant variant in poker. With 343 runners making their way to the Brasilia Room for along day of limit action, and this field represented a significant increase over the 302 players who entered the event last year.
One player who found himself in both of those fields was Ronnie Bardah, who took down the crown in 2012, along with a gold bracelet and a $182,088 first prize. Bardah was in the house yesterday hoping to defend his title, and after bagging up an above average stack of 30,200 to begin play today, he has positioned himself perfectly to attempt the rarest of feats here at the WSOP: a title defense.
Bardah has work to do in terms of catching the unofficial chip leader, however, as circuit grinder Paul Mattioda emerged from the fray with 57,900 at his disposal. Mattioda will be joined by pros Marco Johnson (46,600), Jon Turner (43,800), Tom Schneider (38,000), David "Bakes" Baker (35,800) on the leaderboard, while 2009 Main Event champion Joe Cada (20,400) is lurking with a slightly below average stack.
The play today promises to be action packed, as the bets get bigger and every street presents an opportunity to extract value. Check out the PokerNews Daily Update video, presented by the sensational Sarah Grant, and when you're finished keep it right here throughout the day for continuous coverage live from the floor of the Rio, as Event #45 ($2,500 Limit Hold'em Six-Handed) continues.
With the action folded around to him in the small blind, an unknown player raised and David "Bakes" Baker defended his big blind with a raise to three bets.
After the other player called, the dealer spread a flop of across the felt. Despite the preflop aggression, both players checked the flop, as well as the on the turn.
When the completed the board on the river, Baker's opponent checked once more, but "Bakes" took down the pot with bet.
Todd Witteles (Seen Here at an Earlier WSOP Final Table)
Todd Witteles called a raise before the flop, and then check-called a bet when the hit the table.
The action repeated itself on the turn, but when the dropped in on the river, Witteles fired out a bet.
His opponent seemed perplexed by the sudden turn of events, and in a rare occurance for a Limit Hold'em tournament, he tanked for over two minutes while pondering his options.
Eventually, Witteles received a call, and he quickly rolled over the for a rivered top pair.
David "Bakes" Baker is Building a Stack Here on Day 2
With the flop reading , Jeffrey Lisandro bet into fellow pro David "Bakes" Baker, who called to see the fall on the turn.
Lisandro, the 2009 WSOP Player of the Year, then slowed down with a check, and the poker phenom gunning for his own Player of the Year honors here in 2013 fired away with a bet. After Lisandro called, the river came , and the action repeated.
Baker tabled the for top two pair on the flop, and his hand was the winner. Don't look now, but the man they call "Bakes" has built an above average stack, and with his world-class ability in all poker variants, we would not be surprised at if he added a Limit Hold'em final table to the four he has already reached this summer.
With the flop reading , Hal Lubarsky checked to a player in the big blind, who tapped the table as well. Rep Porter fired out a bet, and both Lubarksy and the other player came along.
On the , Lubarsky checked once again, as did the other player, and Porter continued with a big bet. Lubarsky flatted, the big blind folded, and the dealer dropped the on the river.
Both players checked down, and Lubarksy rolled over for a busted flush draw. Porter took the pot down with his for just jack-high.
On the flop, Max "The Italian Pirate" Pescatori check-called a bet by Jon Seaman. The action repeated itself on the turn (), and both players checked the river ().
Pescatori rolled over the for a lowly pair, and this was enough to drag the pot.
Todd Witteles and Maria Ho went to the flop along with two other players in a pot that was capped pre flop. The dealer fanned the across the felt and Witteles led out for a bet on the flop. The unknown player called, as did Ho.
On the turn, Witteles slowed down and checked, and when Ho bet out the move folded the third player. Witteles hung around, however, and called to see the fall on the river.
Once again Witteles check-called a bet by Ho, but his was second-best to Ho's .
With the loss, Witteles was crippled, while Ho chipped up significantly. Witteles was eliminated shortly after this clash of premium hands.
Hal Lubarsky, Along With His Hand Reading Assistant, Here on Day 2
Fabrice Soulier moved his last few chips in from under the gun, and three players called, including Hal Lubarsky and Danny Le.
On the flop, an unknown player in the cutoff bet out, Lubarsky flatted, and Le made it two bets to play. The raise forced the cutoff to fold, but Lubarsky came along and the turn came .
Lubarsky fired away with another bet, and Le released his hand, leaving Soulier and Lubarsky to showdown. Unfortunately for Soulier, he was drawing to a chop with his , as Lubarsky revealed the for the nut straight on the turn. After the river came , Lubarsky notched the elimination and padded his stack in the process.
Lubarsky, who is legally blind, plays alongside special assistant Arnie Miller, who helps to read his hand, convey the board cards, and to relay information on bet sizes. After making his WSOP debut in 2007, Lubarsky achieved a certain level of fame on the ESPN broadcasts of the 2008 Main Event.
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across the felt. Despite the preflop aggression, both players checked the flop, as well as the 
on the turn.
completed the board on the river, Baker's opponent checked once more, but "Bakes" took down the pot with bet.
hit the table.
turn, but when the 
dropped in on the river, Witteles fired out a bet.
for a rivered top pair.
, Jeffrey Lisandro bet into fellow pro David "Bakes" Baker, who called to see the 
fall on the turn.
for top two pair on the flop, and his hand was the winner. Don't look now, but the man they call "Bakes" has built an above average stack, and with his world-class ability in all poker variants, we would not be surprised at if he added a Limit Hold'em final table to the four he has already reached this summer.
, Hal Lubarsky checked to a player in the big blind, who tapped the table as well. Rep Porter fired out a bet, and both Lubarksy and the other player came along.
, Lubarsky checked once again, as did the other player, and Porter continued with a big bet. Lubarsky flatted, the big blind folded, and the dealer dropped the 
on the river.
for a busted flush draw. Porter took the pot down with his 
for just jack-high.
turn, Witteles slowed down and checked, and when Ho bet out the move folded the third player. Witteles hung around, however, and called to see the 
fall on the river.
.
, as Lubarsky revealed the 
, and he was ahead of the 
