Event 2 - £2,500 H.O.R.S.E. Day 1 | 2008 World Series of Poker Europe

09-22-2008 15:40 UTC+2

John vs Jean

[user76023]

Razz:

On sixth street, John Juanda bets his board of {2-Hearts}

and Jean-Robert Bellande makes the call with {6-Spades}

. Juanda announces he's betting in the dark as he receives his final card as Bellande looks at his. It's obviously no help as Bellande then quickly mucks his hand.

Tags: John Juanda

09-22-2008 15:35 UTC+2

The dealer's in the H.O.R.S.E. tournament have each been provided with an undersized stack of eight yellow chips, designed to help them keep track of how many hands of each game have been played.

The chips are kept on their left side and moved one at a time to the right after each hand. Once all eight chips have moved to the right side, the stack is reset on the left and the game changed.

09-22-2008 15:32 UTC+2

Enter The Lizard

[user76023]

Tony 'The Lizard' Bloom has just arrived and taken up the last seat on the Table of Doom.

Tags: Tony Bloom

09-22-2008 15:24 UTC+2

A Gus Hansen Hand...

[user76023]

Omaha 8:

On the river of a {5-Diamonds}

board, John Juanda bets 200, Doyle Brunson gives him a wry smile before folding while Max Pescatori squeezes his cards before sighing, "Oh go on then," and making the call. Juanda flips {J-Hearts}

saying, "I've got a Gus Hansen sort of hand." Pescatori mucks and Juanda's nut straight is good for the high with his 7-6-4-3-A also good for the low.

Tags: John Juanda

09-22-2008 15:16 UTC+2

Players Take Their Seats, Take Their Time

[user46298]

Although the official Shuffle Up and Deal has been announced without fuss, a lot of the tables are still filling, the players filling their Player Release forms, moving tables when they are in the wrong seat (happens more often than you'd think). It's a who's who of players we've seen on TV, heard commentating, or noticed never leave the house un-logoed. A selection:

On one table - Erick Lindgren, Mickey Wernick, Joe Beevers, Daniel Negreanu, Bruno Fitoussi, Barry Greenstein, in that seat order. Crikey, That's actually the table nearest me - I could actually reach out an arm and knock over any of their stacks from where I am sitting. That would, of course, violate our professional code.

Back to the players (linked players sharing a table)
Stephen Pearce, Allen Cunningham
Richard Gryko, Torstein Iversen, Paul Jackson
Jan Sjavik, Andreas Hoivold, Jeff Madsen
Andy Bloch
Doyle Brunson, Max Pescatori, John Juanda, Thor Hansen, Chad Brown
Gary Jones
Greg Howard
Woody Deck
David Benyamine

Basically all of the 70-odd runners seem to be instantly recognizable - it's a small field in which to try to bag a bracelet, but a star-studded one.

09-22-2008 15:15 UTC+2

First Blood To Norway

[user76023]

Hold'em:

Doyle Brunson raises to 200 and Thor Hansen calls from the small blind. The flop is {9-Spades}

and Hansen check-calls Brunson's 100 bet. Both then check the {9-Diamonds}

turn and the {3-Hearts}

river where Hansen's {A-Diamonds}

is good.

Meanwhile Jean-Robert Bellande has just sat down on this table where no value appears.

Tags: Thor Hansen

09-22-2008 15:13 UTC+2

Shuffle Up and Deal

[user38449]

Tournament Director Steve Frezer has given the dealers the command to shuffle up and deal, though several seats remain vacant around the room. The game will change every eight hands, progressing through the acronym H.O.R.S.E., which stands for Hold'em, Omaha 8, Razz, Seven Card Stud and Seven Stud 8.

Level: 1

Blinds: 0/0

Ante: 0

09-22-2008 15:08 UTC+2

Nice table...

[user76023]

Norwegian legend walked past me towards table before saying, "Hmmm, nice table!" as he sat down between Max Pescatori and John Juanda with Chad Brown and Doyle Brunson. Table of Doom?

09-22-2008 14:40 UTC+2

Ready-Made Rail

[user46298]

Spectators will have a lot to watch when the HORSE tournament kicks off in about 20 minutes. On one side of the rail, the £1,500 Final, and on the other some fairly snuggly packed tables which will be chock-full of well-known players. Doyle Brunson, for example, was already spotted treading between them, and although our TV screens say there are fewer than 70 players, I expect the first level or so will see numbers rise. With 90 minute levels of limit poker, they are going to get a lot of cards for their money.