After an early position raise, Maria Ho made it three bets and it folded back to her opponent who called. Ho's opponent took two on the first draw and she one, then both drew a single card on each of the last two draws.
When checked to after the first draw, Ho bet and was called. Both players checked after the second draw, then after the third Ho's opponent led with a bet and she called him.
After she called, Ho's opponent showed he paired up on the end, flashing his , and Ho scooped the chips.
The big board is currently showing 236 players have registered thus far, meaning the total field has already exceeded that of last year's 228 in this same event. Late registration remains open through the beginning of Level 5.
Luke Schwartz raised from middle position and both blinds called, then all three players drew two cards. It checked to Schwartz who bet, and only the big blind stuck around. Both drew one on the next draw, and Schwartz's opponent checked called his bet.
On the last draw the big blind took one, Schwartz stood pat, and both checked. "Nine-seven," said Schwartz tabling his . "Good," nodded his opponent, who sent his cards dealerward.
We walked up to the table in the middle of the hand, so we aren't sure what draw they were on, but here's what we do know. David "Bakes" Baker and Mike Leah were in a pot heads up that saw both players have 600 chips, or four bets, in front of them. Leah drew two, Baker drew one, and before both players had looked at their cards, Leah had checked and Baker had bet in the dark. Leah called, and the exact same dark action happened again on the next draw. This time, however, Leah folded, and Baker spiked down the , jokingly saying "I was still way ahead."
Phil Galfond was a late arrival, and he's already seen his stack slide down into the danger zone in the early going.
Just now Galfond raised from middle position and got a single caller from the big blind. Both drew two on the first round, with Galfond's opponent then check-raising him and Galfond calling. Galfond would draw one card on each of the last two rounds while his opponent stood pat. The big blind bet on the second and Galfond called, then both checked on the end.
At showdown the big blind turned over , and Galfond mucked, now down to just over 1,000.
, and Ho scooped the chips.
, jokingly saying "I was still way ahead."
