blonde poker forum

No problem, folks, we like poker.  Really, really like it.  But I must add that this will be the LAST Vegas Live Update, as I must leave for 2 days and I have absolutely, totally forbidden Snoopy from doing anything until I get back - at which point we fly home and will watch the brave blondeites from a distance...

SPOTTED, in alphabetical order

Ian Bradley
Bad Girl
Steve Vladar (who played yesterday)
Carlo Citrone
Peter Costa
Freddy Deeb
Scott Fischman
Alan Goehring
Joe Hachem
Isabelle Mercier
Max Pescatori
Chip Reese
Jani Sointula
Robert Varkonyi
Cyndy Violette

And that's just skimming the top of the alternate-packed field...

Here's a rather frighteningly close-up photo of Ariston for you - he's sat right by the rail and collared me on the way to the back-right quadrant... sitting with 11,000, this has not been the result of slow start-of-comp play, but he said "I've had Ahrt Kd three times, KsKd once, lost on them all.  Then I see a flop with Ad 4d, flop the nut flush, and get my chips back."

Also found:

Conor Tate,
Pab
Dave
Kevin O'Connell
Ariston

pics on page 4ish of Interactive thread...

Breaking Numerical News Now -

Nolan Dalla himself just announced that, + or - 5, the total number of runners in this years WSOP Main Event is 8778!

What a field...

Found on recent walkabout with At-It Bradley (who's waiting for his sixth alternate table to become available) :
B4Matt
Jeff Buffenbarger  (wearing one of those oil-slick Star Trek visors)
Lennox Lewis  (followed by full-on team of TV guys)

Ariston is OUT in the first level.  Again.  And steaming about it. 

His chips were taken by a Pocket Aces Triple Whammy (in others' hands, not his).  The first chunk went when he had 9d 9s and flopped a set, but the Ace on the flop also brought the Button with his Aspades Ac a set...lucky for him they both played slowly.

Then, after someone had exposed an Ace while folding, and another guy dwelled in an "I have an Ace" sort of way before passing, Ariston found Kd Kh in the small blind.  It folded to the button, who raised, Ariston re-raised, the third raise came and before you could say, "10,000 chips" it was all in the middle.  Button man had th other two Aces again, and that was basically that.

Not a happy chappy, and probably avoiding the poker tables for the rest of today.

OK, where to start... :hello: from Chris Bruce to his Mrs!  His news so far:  got down to 7,000 after running QQ into KK on a Jack-high flop, then, first hand after the break, he picked up the wonderful 3c 6h on the big blind.  The button had flat called the 100, and when the flop came 3 4 6 he bet 500.  The button called.
Turn:  J   He bet 1,000, the button called.
River:  Q  He bet 1,000, the button called.  With his Aces...

Yes, among others:

Conor Tate   8,400
Kathy Liebert  15,500
Freddy Deeb   13,800
Isabelle Mercier  8,300
Pab                  2,850
Jeff Buffenbarger  13,500
Bad Girl             18,050
Simon Young     9,250

Both  Boatmen are playing today - Barney currently on 14,200, have yet to spot Ross...

A couple more counts for you before I try to seek out your requests:

Paul Vicary     6,900
Carlo Citrone  10,250
Scott Fischman  10,600   (I think I must have got in shot while lurking at his table, for a particularly narky sound guy gave me an imperious wave away.  I didn't move.)
Robert Varkonyi   7,400

Meanwhile, I have been reliably informed (I hope) by a William Hill's guy, that Xuyen 'Bad Girl' Pham is stacked up after dodging a set versus set all-in predicament - quads on the river

Found an Ian Woodley (5,900 chips) who said the personless stack on his table at that moment belonged to Peter Costa - so (for Chili!) his stack is 12,100.

Blair Rodman -- 16,600
Nick Slade -- 17,100
Pab -- 10,025
Peter Costa -- 10,800
Freddie Deeb -- 24,900
Conor Tate -- 6,150
Dave Gent -- 16,275
Mukesh Morjaria -- 17,075
Chip Reese -- 3,350

Board = Aspades 7d Ac 2d 3h

2,000 in the pot

Mateyboy bets 700, Nick Slade makes it 3,550

Mateyboy calls after a lenghty dwell and wins the pot with Ahrt 8s

My inclination is that Nick held a missed draw of some kind.

Vince Van Patten and Erick Lindgren have both been eliminated from the comp.

As I arrived today, I overheard an interesting conversation between two fello journalists.

Apparantly, Harrah's have disqualified a player for putting chips in his pocket.

Marcel Luske -- 36,900
Max Pescatori -- 8,350
Mark Williamson III -- 5,325
Surinder Sunar -- 35,075
Jani Sanitula (sp?) -- 10,150
Cyndy Violette -- 5,200
John D'Agostino -- 12,125
Barney Boatman -- 23,000

X Pham -- 10,000
Tony Cascarino -- 22,000
Chris Bruce -- 4,000
Simon Young -- 15,600
Kathy Liebert -- 17,050
Kevin O'Connell -- 8,775
Fari Badimansour -- 12,550

Chris Bruce raises to 700 preflop, 1 caller.

Flop = Tc 9s 3c

MB checks, Chris bets 1k, MB makes it 2k, Chris folds.

Paul Wolfe -- 2,950
Chip Reese -- 7,350
Pete Costa -- 7,900
Dave Gent -- 15,750
Victor Ramdin -- 10,825

Peter Costa calls a preflop raise of 600 from the button.

Flop = Qh 2h Td

MB bets 1k, Peter calls instantly.

Turn = 8h

MB bets 2k, Peter thinks for ages before folding.

A couple of limpers, Ramdin checks his big blind.

Flop = 8s 3s 6h

MB bets 1.2k, Ramdin calls.

Turn = 2c

MB bets 2k, Ramdin calls.

River = 2s

MB checks, Ramdin bets 3.5k, MB folds.

"That was the worst river for me," commented a smug Ramdin.

Max Prescatori is OUT.

A-K vs 7-7

No help

Bah. Lennox Lewis is OUT.

He limped under the gun with A-T and couldn't release top pair when Cecilia Mortensen's A-Q also hit an Ace high flop.

"It looked like he was getting board," commented Bradley

Speaking of Ian Bradley, he is on 12,500

Bradley raises to 600, MB makes it 12,000, and the Big Blind calls.

The dealer collects the chips before being reminded that Ian still needs to call.

Ian does indeed call, but folds to the Big Blind's bet on a 4h 4s 8s 2d board after all three had checked the raggy flop.

Mark Herron -- 5,760
Blair Rodman -- 7,600
Nick Slade -- 11,450
Isabelle Mercier -- 10,925
Conor Tate -- 12,050

This guy just rushed into the media room blaring on about a 2-outer.

And the culprit?... Chris Moneymaker.

Flop = 9-6-3

MB moves in for 2k, just hundred left behind.

Moneymaker dwells momentarily before making the call with 8-8 - from what I understand, the shrapnel also went in.

Turn = 8

------------------------ dinner break --------------------------

Players will return at 20.15

Wayne Marsh -- 10,050
Barney Boatman -- 26,150
Cyndy Violette -- 4,750
Marcel Luske -- 47,200
Jani Sointula -- 4,300
Peter Costa -- 22,500

Great comeback from Peter Costa.

He was down to 6k at one point, but has shot up to 22k after flopping K-K-9 with K-9 (MB had a 9), and A-A-8 with 8-8 (MB held A-K).

Conro Tate -- 8,250
Alan Goehring -- 7,100
Cecilia Mortensen -- 37,050
Blair Rodman -- 3,450
Huck Seed -- 25,175
Johnny Chan -- 14,625
Mark Herron -- 4,125
Isabelle Mercier -- 8,925
Ian Bradley -- 12,150
Jeff Buffenbarger -- 24,000
Nick Slade -- 10,500

Cecilia Mortensen, who is 37,050, raised 700 from the cut-off. Mateyboy limper smooth calls.

Flop = 4c 2h Kc

MB bets 700, Mortensen calls.

Turn = 7c

MB bets out again, this time 1.5k, and Carlos' other half concedes the pot.

Cyndy Violette is up to 10,850.

She's on the edge and there appear to be quite a few spectators railing her, so I inquired into what happened.

Apparantly, and remember my source isn't necessarily the most reliable, she hit a one outer.

A-A v A-J, all-in on a J-J-rag flop, Ace on the Turn.

Paul 'Pab' Foltyn is OUT

Peter Costa raises to 700 preflop, Mateyboy calls on the button.

Both check the J-8-3 rainbow flop, and the 5 Turn.

River brings a Queen and, as I thought he would, Peter bets out 1.3k.

Mateyboy calls and Peter mucks, so no hands seen.

Costa -- 28,325

It appears as though Wayne Marsh is OUT.

Victor Ramdin -- 20,200
Simon Young -- 27,300
Cyndy Violette -- 20,900
Tony Cascarino -- 26,925
Mick Herron -- 10,325
Ted Forest -- 37,150
Kevin O'Connell -- 20,700

It appears as though Bad Girl Pham has been eliminated from this year's Main Event.

Peter Costa has sunk to 13,225 after missing 3 flops with A-K and a flush draw with J-Q suited.

Kathy Liebert (now on a new table) -- 19,400

Dave Gent (armed with headphones - perhaps listening to 'Eye of the Tiger'?) -- 7,550

Joe Hachem (still on the feature table) -- 30-35,000

Robert Varkonyi (just taken down a 14k pot with a 6k river bet on a board of J-T-Q-K-9) -- 40,100

Chip Reese (has been shortstacked ever since I arrived) -- 3,925

Peter Costa is down to 4,050 after calling a 4.5k river bet on a board of Td Jh Jd 7c 5d

Peter showed Pocket Nines, MB flipped Ad 3d for the flush.

Correction required on this hand.

The board was actually Td Jh Jc 7c 5d (just two diamonds on the board)

Therefore, Mateyboy had just Ace high meaning Peter made a cracking call with the Pocket Nines.

As a result (and with a few chips added due to another recent pot), Peter Costa is back up to 28,000

Constant shorstacker, Chip Reese, has been eliminated from the competition.

We've lost Nick Slade and Blair Rodman

Vic Kanwar -- 21,225
Alan Goehring -- 7,450
Cyndy Violette -- 22,100
Mark Herron -- 13,200
Victor Ramdin -- 16,650
Blair Rodman -- OUT
Barney Boatman -- 24,100
Johnny Chan -- 4,300
Surinder Sunar -- 33,025
Cecilia Mortensen -- 14,450
Scott Fischman -- 9,450
Nick Slade -- OUT
Conor Tate -- 11,600
Tony Cascarino -- 11,600
Isabelle Mericer -- 4,250

Mark Herron made a great call to climb up to 13,200

The flop was T-7-4

A flush came on the Turn and a deuce on the River, but, even though Scott Fischman was showing considerable strengh throughout, he still managed to call the final bet 3,000 with T-8.

Fischman mucked, but Mark reckoned he had "something like Pocket Sixes".

Chris Moneymaker is OUT

Freddie Deeb -- 45,050
Marcel Luske -- 38,475
Peter Costa -- 27,050
Barney Boatman -- 30,000

Isabelle Mericer is OUT.

Her hand was A-J.

The final Level is just starting.

There are 1090 players left (109 tables)

Blinds are at 200/400

And the averag stack is 20,917

Apologies for the delay, it took me quite a while to get these. Anyhow, here goes:

Cecilia Mortensen -- 9,300
Simon Young -- 22,375
Ted Forest -- 31,000
Micky Herron -- 25,400
Mark Herron -- 38,000
Joe Cassidy -- 27,850
Peter Costa -- 28,000
Jeff Buffenbarger -- 55,000
Cyndy Violette -- 23,200
Robert Varkonyi -- 55,000
Johnny Chan -- OUT
Surinder Sunar -- 46,500
Marcel Luske -- 19,900
Conor Tate -- 11,425
Tony Cascarino -- 26,775
Huck Seed -- 28,250
Vic Kanwar -- 15,650
Victor Ramdin -- 14,600
Amarillo Slim -- 3,050
Kevin O'Connell -- 17,700

Jeff Buffenbarger has climbed up to an impressive 55k.

First off he eliminated a female player with A-T on a Q-T-2-5-T board.

Incredibly, his opponent just flat called each bet with A-Q (?), before calling all-in on the river.

The he moved someone off a hand with a flush and open ended straight draw.

The board was 4d 5d Qd Aspades

Jeff had the 3d 6d and, after Mateyboy had minimum raised his bet on the turn, Jeff moved all-in. Mateyboy folded.

And just now, I saw him reraise preflop from the big blind with Pocket Queens. Unfortunately, he received no action.

Amarillo Slim reraises all-in for around 10k

The original raiser folds and Amarillo reveals the 4s

Surinder Sunar just doubled up a Mateyboy.

All the chips moved in on a 3-6-6 rainbow flop.

Surinder's Pocket Fours failed to outdraw Mateyboy's Pocket Tens.

He's still running well though as Mateyboy was relatively shortstacked.

Just to confirm...

Johnny Chan is OUT

Just witnessed a rather relieved young lad survive an all-in with A-3 vs A-K. 3 on the flop.

Meanwhile, it looks like we've had two exit.

Firstly, blondeite Dave Gent is a gonna.

Secondly, Marcel Luske has been eliminated by Marcel Luske in a top pair vs set encounter.

Thomas Dunwood is currently on 50,000

And, as expected, as we close in on the end of the day, play tightens up and everyone becomes a lot more cagey.

Nobody wants to exit at this point in the competition, so don't expect players to be bluffing away their chips.

Victor Ramdin is OUT

Oddly, the feature table has being going all day. Other times, like when Scotty Nguyen was in the spotlight, it was discarded half way through the day.

Anyhow, Joe Hachem is still on it and looks as though he's a dead cert to return for Day 2 as he's surpassed the 50,000 mark.

The screen currently reads:

Tables: 91
Players: 910
Average Stack: 25,054
Time: 3 mins

The day's play has finished.

Conor Tate -- 23,000
Simon Young -- 17,700
Robert Isanhour -- 4,350
Peter Costa -- 29,075
Mark Herron -- 72,150
Micky Herron -- 19,000
Surinder Sunar -- 51,525

Micky Herron was on more, but he lost a 10k+ pot near the end with A-K vs K-K

Meanwhile, Conor's Jacks vs Aces hand was pretty straight forward. Everyone told Conor that the raiser was a maniac, which he might well have been, but this time he had Aces.

Fortunately, Conor flopped a set which held up when all the chips moved in.

Another one to add to the list...

Tony Cascarino -- 28,850

Also worth noting, Midlander Fari Badimansour has made it through to Day 2.

Stick a fork in me

Over and out