The first of four starting flights kicked off at noon PT on Wednesday from Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas in the $10,000 world championship event.
Poker Hall of Famer Billy Baxter announced "shuffle up and deal" just 45 minutes before the first elimination from the most prestigious tournament in poker.
Jared Rubin: 7♥3♠/6♣2♠4♥10♣/5♣
Tomasz Gluszko: A♥6♠/A♣8♥K♥4♣/10♦
Tomasz Gluszko tossed in a bet on fourth street, and Jared Rubin called. Gluszko bet again on fifth street, Rubin moved all in with a raise, and Gluszko called off.
Rubin had already made a low, and asked the dealer for a five as that would complete his straight draw.
"Don't be greedy," Gluszko told Rubin, but Rubin's greed was rewarded on seventh street when he hit his straight to scoop the pot and double up.
Andrey Zhigalov: XxXx/7♠5♣A♠10♦/Xx
Luke Schwartz: XxXx/4♦6♠2♦9♠/Xx
Four players went to fourth street in a limped pot when Andrey Zhigalov bet. Luke Schwartz then raised and only Zhigalov called.
Schwartz bet again on fifth and Zhigalov called. Both players checked on sixth before Zhigalov bet on seventh. Schwartz folded and Zhigalov took the pot.
Viktor Blom: XxXx/K♥10♥J♦5♥/Xx
Qinghai Pan: XxXx/J♣2♠5♠10♣ - folded on sixth street
A few hands later, Qinghai Pan completed, Viktor Blom raised, and Pan called.
Blom continued betting on fourth, fifth, and sixth streets. Pan called on fourth and fifth, but finally gave up his hand on sixth.
Andrey Zhigalov: XxXx/A♣6♠6♥8♠- folded on sixth street
Luke Schwartz: XxXx/7♦5♣A♦A♥
Phil Hellmuth: XxXx/A♠8♦10♠- folded on fifth street
Alex Livingston: XxXx/8♥J♣Q♦- folded on fifth street
Andrey Zhigalov completed and received three callers in Luke Schwartz, Phil Hellmuth, and Alex Livingston. It checked to Schwartz on fourth street, whose bet got called by all three opponents.
Schwartz bet again on fifth street while he referenced Shanks & Bigfoot's 1999 record Sweet Like Chocolate. Hellmuth and Livingston lost appetite for the pot and mucked, but Zhigalov stuck around with a call.
Schwartz paired his ace on sixth street, taking the betting lead.
"A pair of aces, for me?" he asked the dealer. "You're my favorite dealer now, I couldn't imagine I was first when you announced a pair of aces."
He tossed in a bet before pleading with Zhigalov to fold. "Let me just scoop one pot, I don't even care if you fold now."
Zhigalov complied and mucked his cards, and Schwartz raked in the chips.
Viktor Blom: XxXx/6♥8♦J♦9♠/Xx
Jordan Siegel: XxXx/K♥10♣7♥A♣/Xx
Luke Schwartz: XxXx/6♦3♣J♥ - folded on fifth street
"You can say it's on the ace if you want," Luke Schwartz told the dealer as he covered his eyes without looking at his card on fourth street. He finally took a peek and bet, while Jordan Siegel and Viktor Blom called.
"You can still say it's on the ace," Schwartz repeated, again covering his eyes as fifth street was dealt. Siegel then bet and Blom called, while Schwartz took a minute before folding.
Siegel bet again on sixth and Blom called. Blom then bet and seventh and Siegel called.
"Flush," Blom announced, turning over 9♦4♦3♦ as Siegel slapped the table in frustration before mucking.
Phil Hellmuth: 6♠2♣/5♥9♦4♠3♥/K♠
Jordan Siegel: Q♥Q♣/Q♠5♣9♠8♥/7x
Phil Hellmuth brought in, Jordan Siegel completed, and Hellmuth called once it had folded back to him. Siegel fired bets on fourth and fifth street, both times being called by Hellmuth.
Hellmuth caught a third open wheel card on sixth street, prompting Siegel to slow down and check. Hellmuth bet, and Siegel called after some deliberation.
Siegel checked blind before seventh street, and Hellmuth bet without looking at his seventh card as well. Siegel sighed and called off.
Hellmuth tabled a six-straight, and Siegel lamented his rolled-up queens getting bested before he added his cards to the muck.
Jose Paz-Gutierrez: A♦4♦/A♣J♣J♠5♥/7♥
Jordan Siegel: 3♦3♣/3♥8♦A♥3♠/10♠
Jose Paz-Gutierrez bet on fifth street, and Jordan Siegel raised. Paz-Gutierrez called before he led out again on sixth street. Siegel raised, and Paz-Gutierrez called all-in.
"I was rolled up again," Siegel said as he showed quad threes. Paz-Gutierrez had no outs remaining, and the meaningless seventh cards were turned over before Paz-Gutierrez left the tournament area in disbelief.
Sachin Bhargava: XxXx/Q♠10♦2♥9♣/Xx
David Lin: XxXx/6♦9♥5♥A♣/Xx
Tim Frazin: XxXx/3♦4♣3♠K♦/Xx
David Lin bet on fifth street and Sachin Bhargava called all in, while Tim Frazin also called.
Lin bet again on sixth and Frazin called to create a side pot. Lin then bet on seventh and Frazin folded this time.
Lin turned over J♦8♠7♦ for a straight and low. "I need a queen or a ten," Bhargava said as he showed Q♥10♣ for two pair, but he missed with the 5♠ and was sent to the rail in 14th place.
Qinghai Pan: XxXx/3♦4♦6♣8♣/Xx
Phil Hellmuth: XxXx/8♥9♦6♠3♣/Xx
Qinghai Pan completed and Phil Hellmuth called.
Pan bet on every street and Hellmuth called him down each time. Pan ended up with A♠7♠5♣ for a straight and a low, and Hellmuth mucked as Pan scooped the pot.
