We found Kathy Liebert nonchalantly betting out 5,000 on the river of a 
board and then sat there for a while, bopping to the private party inside her headphones. Across the table on the button, Adam Fletcher looked terribly sad. He called anyway, but he was right to be unhappy - Liebert turned over 
to Fletcher's own 
with a lower kicker (it looked like an eight) and took the pot, increasing her stack to 67,000.
We picked up the action on the turn with the board showing 
. Rudy Blondeau was first to go, and he put out a bet of 4,600 into a pot of about 6,500. Two seats over, his lone opponent, Dan Smith made the call.
That brought them to the 
river, and Blondeau slowly checked. Smith was already shaking his head, and he quickly checked behind to see Blondeau table the 
. Another big shake of the head, and Smith rainbow-mucked with a frown.
He's back to about 51,000 now, moving Blondeau up over 80,000.
From the hijack seat, Phil Ivey raised to 1,700 and was called by Nicolas Levi on the button. The two saw the flop come down 
and Ivey checked. Levi fired 2,000 and Ivey called.
After the fell on the turn, Ivey checked again. Levi fired 6,200 and Ivey mucked, slipping back down to 95,000. Levi improved to 165,000.
The 2008 WSOPE Main Event Champion, John Juanda, has been eliminated early on in a bit of a cooler. He got his stack in with pocket queens but ran into Freddy Deeb's pocket kings from the next seat.
In what is one of many formidable line-ups here today, Phil Laak opened for 1,200 from the hijack, Barny Boatman called the cut-off and James Keys three-bet to 3,600 on the button. Erik Cajelais called in the small blind, Laak folded, and Boatman joined the party.
Much like my early dates as a teenager, the promise of action quickly fizzled out as Keys took down the pot uncontested with a bet of 4,375 on the 
flop.
I don't think we've heard too much from him in previous updates, but Keys is highly rated young player in the UK, and someone who is destined to follow in the footstep of Jake Cody, Toby Lewis and James Mitchell by picking up a major win. He finalled this event in its inaugural year, so perhaps he'll improve on that finish this time around and reap the rewards his talent deserves.
With the board reading 
, Nick Schulman checked to Greg Mueller. He bet out 6,500 which was about the size of the pot. Schulman fought back with more aggression, check raising to 19,000. Mueller thought and thought, but eventually tossed his hand away and Schulman won the pot. He's up to 112,000 while Mueller dropped back to 53,000.
Dominic Kay is a British Pro who made the final table here in 2007 (6th for £152,040) but he came back with a short 14,500 stack today. He would've been dreaming about getting off to a good start last night and if you count doubling-up first hand then I think that's just what happened.
He told me that he raised with 
and was called by Jason Gray in the BB. The flop came ten high and three low and Gray check-raised Kay all-in. Kay made a good call as Gray just had a pair of three's and the board bricked out.
Gregory Merson has been crippled down to just over a 1,000 chips after getting his stack in on a 
board against the flopped second nut holding of 
that belonged to Darren Woods. The 
turn changed nothing while the river simply added insuult to injury.
Fabian Quoss raised it up to 1,500 from early position and Sam Stein made the call. Both players checked the 
flop, only for Quoss to lead for 2,850 and 2,700 on the 
turn and 
river.
Stein called both bets with 
, but Quoss had the same hand, , and the pot was chopped.
Phil Laak came over to see his belle, Jeniffer Tilly, just before play started to wish her luck and to say he was only sat two tables along. He then went on to jokingly threaten the table "If any of you mess with my lady, I'll come after you!"
"With your arm in that sling, it'd be easy to get away" responded Anton Wigg.
Laak need not worry as Tilly can take care of herself and even if she couldn't his best buddy (Antonio Esfandiari) is there to take care of any business that needs taking care of.
