Calvin Anderson raised, David Chiu called from the button and Justin Smith called from the big blind. Smith and Chiu took two cards each while Anderson took one.
Smith checked to Anderson who bet and both his opponents called.
On the second draw Smith took two again, Anderson stood pat and Chiu took two as well. Anderson bet after Smith had checked, Chiu called and Smith folded.
On the final draw Anderson stood pat again, Chiu drew one and folded when Anderson bet again.
George Danzer opened the cutoff and and Matt Glantz three-bet from the small blind. Daniel Negreanu folded his big blind and Danzer called. The flop came down and Glantz continued. Danzer raised the action and Glantz called to see a turn. The dealer put out the on the turn, pairing the board. Glantz checked, Danzer bet, and Glantz called.
The hit the river and Glantz check-called one final bet.
"Queen high," said Danzer, rolling over .
Glantz showed for tens and jacks and the best hand. Glantz picked up the pot and now has about 157,000 in chips.
Brian Rast opened to 1,200 on the button, and Phil Ivey defended his big blind. The two saw a flop, and Ivey check-called 1,800. Rast upped the stakes to 5,000 on the turn, but Ivey was undeterred. On the river, the action really picked up, with Ivey check-raising to 30,000 after Rast fired 11,500. Rast took his time, thinking for awhile before tossing in a raise to 85,000. Now it was Ivey's turn to tank. After a few minutes of cutting chips, he ducked his head flicked his cards into the muck.
Rast has already claimed one win in this event, taking it down in 2011 for $1.7 million. He's off to a good start on his quest for number two.
The 2014 WSOP's incarnation of the $50,000 Poker Players Championship is underway, but prior to its start PokerNews put together a list of players to look out for as things get up and running. The original list, which can be viewed here, is comprised of eight players, but here we're only going to examine three of them (courtesy of Marty Derbyshire), all of whom are currently in the field.
George Danzer
If you haven't heard the name George Danzer at the 2014 WSOP already, you simply haven't been paying attention.
Danzer has two bracelet wins and has jumped out to a 300-plus point lead in the 2014 WSOP Player of the Year race. The bracelets came in the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo and $10,000 Seven Card Razz events, games that are both a part of the Players Championship eight-game mix. Plus, Danzer placed fifth in the $10,000 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw and narrowly missed another final table finishing ninth in the $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Six Handed event.
If there's anybody that's prepared for this event, it's Danzer.
"How about George Danzer?" said 2011 $50,000 Poker Players Championship winner Brian Rast. "This is a guy that is playing well and running well. That's what you're looking for."
Calvin Anderson
With a summer that already includes a bracelet win in the $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo and final table appearances in the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo and $10,000 H.O.R.S.E, a lot of the sharps are all over Calvin Anderson in an event like the $50k Poker Players Championship.
"Calvin Anderson is a guy who has been playing well all series," said Rast. "I played with him for a little while in the Dealers Choice. He plays all the games. That's really key: Knowing all the games."
Anderson also started the series with a deep run in the $25,000 No-Limit Hold'em Mixed-Max event and is coming off a big 2013 WSOP where he had six cashes in everything from six-handed no-limit Hold'em to 2-7 triple draw lowball.
Benjamin Yu
Benjamin Yu is not exactly a household name. But with deep runs in the $1,500 H.O.R.S.E, $10,000 H.O.R.S.E, $1,500 Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball and $1,500 Seven Card Razz event already this year, his is a name that is certainly on the radar of the mixed-game specialists here in Las Vegas.
Dating back to 2008, Yu has collected a total of 20 WSOP cashes for $268,524 and put the mixed-game world on notice in April of this year with a runner-up finish in the PokerStars European Poker Tour's H.O.R.S.E Championships at the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo.
Matt Glantz: / /
Luis Velador: / — fold
Danzer: / /
Danzer was the bring-in, and then Glantz completed. Velador called, and Danzer called to take action to fourth street. On fourth, Velador led with a bet, Danzer called, and Glantz called. Then on fifth, Velador checked, which raised some eyebrows and brought about some laughs after action checked to Glantz, he bet, and Velador folded.
"Aces up?" joked Glantz to Velador, who laughed back as he tossed his cards to the muck. Danzer then called.
On sixth street, Glantz check-called a bet from Danzer before the players received their down cards on seventh street. Glantz checked, Danzer bet, and Glantz folded.
We caught the action on fourth street when Jeff Lisandro bet and Jeremy Ausmus called. On fifth Lisandro bet again and Ausmus called. Sixth street gave Lisandro a pair of kings showing and a bet on that street was enough to take this pot down.
Jeremy Ausmus: / --fold
Jeff Lisandro: /
Lisandro finished seventh in the $1,500 Limit Hold'em just a few hours ago and you can follow the conclusion of this event right here.