The tournament clock currently says 306 players are registered for this event, but that number should increase significantly over the next couple of hours. The tournament staff has more than a dozen tables set up for late registrants, and we're guessing the total will be around last year's 477.
Level: 2
Triple Draw 2-7 - Hold'em - Omaha 8 50 100 100-200
Razz - Stud - Stud 8 25 25 100 100-200
No-Limit Hold'em - PLO (No Ante) 25 50
Stud Eight or Better:
In the last hand before the level change, we found Jason Mercier in a heads-up pot. He had three babies and a king showing against his opponent's three babies and a nine. Mercier fired bets on sixth and seventh streets, and his opponent called.
Mercier: 
/
Opponent: 
/
Mercier had the low, and his pair of threes were good for the scoop.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
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8,500
1,000
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1,000 |
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| Player | Chips | Progress |
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7,500 | |
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7,500 | |
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7,500 | |
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7,500 | |
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7,500 | |
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7,500 | |
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7,500 | |
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7,500 | |
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7,500 | |
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7,500 | |
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7,500 | |
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7,500 | |
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7,500 | |
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7,500 | |
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7,500 | |
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7,500 | |
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7,500 | |
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7,500 | |
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In the 2500 8game I think a full 30% of the field is russian. The motherland loves playing all the gamesFollow @scott_seiver
2-7 Triple Draw
Allen Kessler, Abe Mosseri, and another player were involved in a pot after the second draw. Mosseri stood pat, the player under the gun drew one, and Kessler did the same. Mosseri bet, the player under the gun called, and Kessler, on the button, raised. Mosseri called. The other player asked if it was bad if all his cards were the same suit.
"Flushes are bad," Kessler confirmed. The player called anyway.
Mosseri broke his hand, the under-the-gun player drew one again, and Kessler stood pat. Everyone checked the river, and Kessler rolled over his hand.
Kessler: 
Mosseri: 
The man known as "Chainsaw" dragged a sizable pot with his eight-six low.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
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8,550
1,050
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1,050 |
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6,600
-900
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-900 |
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2-7 Triple Draw
It's been awhile since we've seen Russian pro Alexander Kostritsyn at the World Series of Poker. Between 2008-2011 he racked up 14 WSOP cashes for $1,030,059, but last year he was nowhere to be found. We know that Kostritsyn started a family not too long ago, and of course he is one of online poker's premiere players at the nosebleeds. Fortunately for the railbirds, Kostritsyn has taken a break from the online grind and is back in Vegas to chase WSOP gold.
We caught Kostritsyn in a recent 2-7 Triple Draw hand when he raised to 200 from the button and then called when Mike Leah three-bet to 400. Both players drew one and Kostritsyn called a bet from Leah.
Leah drew another one while Kostritsyn stood pat. Leah proceeded to check-call a bet before drawing one final time. Kostritsyn stood pat.
Leah squeezed out his card and then took the initiative by betting. Kostritsyn seemed to know he was in trouble but made the call nonetheless. Leah tabled 
for an eight-six low and it was good as Kostritsyn sent his cards to the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
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7,300
500
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500 |
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6,300
-1,200
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-1,200 |
Not a lot of players can say they have six bracelets; in fact, there are only 11 players in history that have six or more. One of them is Layne Flack, who has 33 career WSOP cashes totaling $2,573,501.
Born in Rapid City, South Dakota, Flacks first and only job was as a poker dealer in Montana. Now the man known as “Back-to-Back” Flack is a Las Vegas resident who receives cards from countless dealer. So, what’s the story behind the nickname?
It stems from Flack’s back-to-back bracelet wins at the 2003 WSOP. If you recall, that year Phil Hellmuth and Ted Forrest won three bracelets apiece, so Flack’s performance was a bit overshadowed, which is a shame.
Flack actually won his first bracelet at the 1999 WSOP Event #12 $3,000 Pot-Limit Hold’em for $224,400, and then followed that up with two wins in 2002—Event #4 $2,000 No Limit Hold’em for $303,880 and Event #19 $1,500 No Limit Hold’em for $268,020.
The following year Flack earned his nickname when he captured his fourth ring in Event #18 $2,500 Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, which was good for $119,260, and a week later, got number five after taking down Event #25 $1,500 Limit Hold’em Shootout for $120,000.
Toss in a win in the 2008 WSOP Event #34 $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha w/ Rebuys for $577,725 and you have an impressive résumé with six pieces of gold.
Flack is in today’s field seeking his seventh bracelet, and you can rest assured we’ll be keeping an eye on him as the day progresses.
Stud
"Downtown" Chad Brown, who has more than a few stud cashes to his name, gathered some chips in that game over at Table 105.
His opponent bet into him showing three clubs on fifth street, and Brown called with a queen and a jack on his board. Both players checked on sixth street, and did likewise on seventh.
Brown: 
/
Opponent: 
/
/
"Couldn't catch that last club," Brown's opponent said, and Brown's two pair took the pot.
The player in seat 4 also made it a point to say he'd slowrolled Brown earlier when he didn't realize he had the nut flush in hold'em, but Brown seemed to have taken no offense to the breach of poker etiquette.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
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7,700
200
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200 |
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| Player | Chips | Progress |
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7,500 | |
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7,500 | |
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