Phil Hellmuth is normally louder than a foghorn when he enters a card room, but today he just slipped into his seat on the balcony quieter than a nun in a library. In fact, I haven't heard him say a single word yet, so perhaps the Poker Brat is fully focused coming into this year's WSOPE and approaching the Series with a slightly different mentality.
Hellmuth has been located, though, and has enjoyed a fruitful, if intriguing start. I joined the action on the flop, Hellmuth (small blind) check-raising his opponent's UTG lead of 350 to 1,650. A call was made.
Both players checked the turn, only for Hellmuth to lead out for 2,200 on the river. Again, his foe made the call.
"Pair of kings," announced Hellmuth confidently. His opponent mucked and Hellmuth showed . He now has 11,000.
Everyone's favourite circus show, Phil Hellmuth has just taken his seat on the table overlooking the balcony. No Julius Caesar or General Patton or even MMA gear this time. Joined on his table is Ben Grundy, he of nose-bleed PLO high stakes fames, while Justin Smith has finally been given a seat before his table was immediately broken and he's been moved next to Annette Obrestad.
We meandered past Vanessa Rousso just as she was becoming involved in a pot. From what we could gather it looks like she was the preflop raiser from under the gun, and she had one opponent in the young man to her direct right. The two of them took a flop of , and Rousso very slowly checked. Her opponent bet 850, and Rousso paused for another minute or two. She cut out the calling chips and broke down her remaining stack to assess the potential damage. After another minute or so, she placed them gently into the pot.
The peeled off on fourth street, and Rousso again checked... eventually. Her opponent bet 1,875, and Rousso spent another two or three minutes in the tank before finally surrendering her cards to the muck. She's left with right at 9,000 now, doing slightly better than her beau Chad Brown. The two are sitting back-to-back at adjacent tables, and Brown has some catching up to do with his 7,100 chips.
Team Full Tilt Pro John Juanda broke his folded arms to throw out a bet of 400. Scott Montgomery, small blind, made the call and the river came the a queen to complete a board.
Montgomery checked once again, triggering a bet of 600. Montgomery deliberated for a moment before making the call, but soon mucked his hand upon seeing that he'd hopped on a tour bus through Valuetown versus Juanda's .
It looks as though Juanda has closed in on that 10,000 mark, whilst Montgomery had around his starting stack.
If you'd like to read up a little bit on the history of the WSOP Europe, check out the WSOP-E Preview Article we wrote up a couple days ago. It'll let you know who's got the most cashes, the most final tables and the most money earned along with some insight as to how the WSOP-E is building since its inception in 2007.
Well Tom Dwan will have to wait at least until the £5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event before he can win his first bracelet as he's just been eliminated in the 6-max.
Dwan had bet 450 on the only to find himself being check-raised to 1,200. Dwan then reraised to 2,350 with just 2,600 behind but found his opponent setting him all-in.
Dwan immediately called with but his opponent turned over for the flopped nut straight. "Durrrr" needed another seven or six to house up but neither was forthcoming on the turn or river.
At least he can get a couple of days sightseeing in.
Andy Bloch has dropped a decent chunk of chips already in this tournament, he just check-caleld bets of 600 on the turn and 1,350 on the river of a board only to be shown as a result. Bloch let out a sigh upon seeing his opponent's full house and dropped to 3,700.
The big board shows that we've got 268 players registered for this event thus far. Not bad for a room that only holds 204, right? That's a fine turnout for this opening event, and even better, there's still time to register as an alternate. The window will stay open until the end of the first break, just less than an hour from now. If you're around Leicester Square and have £2,650 to wang on a tournament (as you say), get down to the Empire and get yourself signed up!
It seemed as though nobody wanted to deliver me a big hand as every time I approached a potentially big pot, the player quickly mucked upon my arrival to almost comedic effect. There was one exception, however.
Over by the rail, Peter Jetten had reached the river of a board from the cut-off. With around 2,750 waiting patiently in the middle, Jetten carefully picked up 2,200 and slid the chips across the felt.
His opponent (button) made the call, but before he'd barely had chance to reach for chips, Jetten revealed his for the rivered full house. To show the table how unlucky he'd been, the button flipped onto the felt.
Jetten, who is perhaps one of the best players that the general public don't know, is now back up to 8,000 after a few early stumbles.
For the third hand in a row, Andrew Lichtenberger raised preflop. This time he was under the gun and made it 300 to go. His only customer came from the player in the big blind.
The flop came down and the big blind checked. Lichtenberger fired 500 as his continuation bet and his opponent check-raised to 1,500 rather quickly. Lichtenberger thought for a bit, eyeing his opponent's stack size. He then made it 3,000 to go and his opponent moved all in. Lichtenberger quickly met him with a call, tabling the flopped nuts with the . His opponent held the .
The turn was the and that ended things. The river completed the board with the to give Lichtenberger a full house. He had his opponent covered and moved his stack up to 18,500 in chips.
button in Safari
flop, Hellmuth (small blind) check-raising his opponent's UTG lead of 350 to 1,650. A call was made.
turn, only for Hellmuth to lead out for 2,200 on the 
river. Again, his foe made the call.
. He now has 11,000.
peeled off on fourth street, and Rousso again checked... eventually. Her opponent bet 1,875, and Rousso spent another two or three minutes in the tank before finally surrendering her cards to the muck. She's left with right at 9,000 now, doing slightly better than her beau Chad Brown. The two are sitting back-to-back at adjacent tables, and Brown has some catching up to do with his 7,100 chips.
board.
.
but his opponent turned over 
turn or 
river.
as a result. Bloch let out a sigh upon seeing his opponent's full house and dropped to 3,700.
board from the cut-off. With around 2,750 waiting patiently in the middle, Jetten carefully picked up 2,200 and slid the chips across the felt.
for the rivered full house. To show the table how unlucky he'd been, the button flipped 
onto the felt.
. His opponent held the 
and that ended things. The river completed the board with the 
