WSOP $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha: Day 1 - At A Glance

[snoopy1239]

Top 10 'name' chip counts courtesy of worldseriesofpoker.com:

1st  Patrik Antonius -- $206,000
2nd  John Duthie -- $153,000
3rd  Len Ashby -- $122,000
4th  Tim Phan -- $115,000
5th  Scotty Nguyen -- $113,000
6th  Steve Sung -- $101,000
7th  Brian Powell -- $101,000
8th  Young Phan -- $96,700
9th  Todd Brunson -- $94,000
10th  Huckleberry Seed -- $88,000

[Djinn]

A couple of other counts:

Markus Golser  19k
Annie Duke  42k
Martin Wendt  59k

Mr. Wendt just lost a pot and kind of left the area less than delighted - it was Johnny Chan who bet out 6k on a flop, called by Martin.  The turn brought the , and Chan bet the pot - 22,800.  Eventually, call.
River:  .  Chan slowly checks, after counting out his remaining stack (around 22k).  Martin Wendt checks behind and stares at the which Chan shows him for about 30 seconds before mucking his own hand and stalking off for a minute.

[snoopy1239]

A quick browse around the room informs me that Iwan Jones is missing presumed lost, as is Hassin Habib. I also spotted Mark Vos in another tournament, so he's definitely pushing up the daisies. Most worryingly, however, British star Stuart Fox seems to be hiding, hopefully he's just changed seats, although he was very shortstacked.

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Dave Colclough is enjoying a very steady tournament, well above average whilst still staying in touch with the people at the top. Around 80k for the blonde one.

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As Doyle Brunson adds more chips to his ever-increasing stack with a 13k bet on a board, let's take a quick look of some of the chip counts on his table:

Doyle Brunson -- 100,700
Joe Beevers -- 53,500
Dave Callaghan -- 28,000
Thomas Wahlroos -- 19,200

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One table down is Julian Gardner, sometimes forgotten but always a fearsome opponent in any event. He's currently 58,400.

[snoopy1239]

Speaking of Julian Gardner's table, there was an odd hand between Patrick Antonius (who is chipped up to the max) and the chap in Seat 2, Mateyboy check-calling a 4k bet on an Flop before moving all-in (virtually, he had 5k behind) for 11k on the raggy heart Turn.

The former tennis player/model thought and thought in a real calm and composed manner (the Fin barely even flinches) before making the call. However, Mayeyboy assumed it was a re-raise to put him all-in and went to turn his cards over, Antonius stopping him just in time.

"Did you see my cards?" he asked. I think Antonius answered in the negative.

River was a and Mateyboy confidently chucked in his remaining 5k, which Antonius called, reluctantly.

Antonius =

Mateyboy =

Antonius still has 180k though, so not much of a dent made, more a scratch with the car keys.

[snoopy1239]

While Jen kept an eye out for any big hands or amusing anecdotes, I was tapped on the shoulder by a fellow blogger, keen to report a tale of good fortune from former World Champ Joe Hachem, now on 44,000. Apparently he teased a comment out of Scotty Nguyen, the Vietnam pro asking, "What you call that for (no baby thou)?" after Joe Hachem got it in with A-J on a Jack high Flop. Well, it worked, and Hachem got that double through he'd been after.

Meanwhile, another story of woe came in the form of Sam Grizzle, who could only look on as a near 100k pot went sailing over to Robert (I think and hope) Mizrachi, the less famous of the siblings delighted to see his provoke Grizzle into mucking on an board. A little dance and woohoo later (they're either best friends or worst enemies) and Grizzle was left to cry into his remaining stack, even though it's still a rather healthy 65k.

Finally, there was a chop chop on Table Elezra, the High Stakes Poker Man splitting up the spondoolies with popular Frenchman Jan Boubli after the two of them caught trip fours (both with Ace kicker) on a board. Jan was freerolling with a flush draw, but Eli survived. As a result, their counts are pretty much the same, Eli with 43,300, Jan just pipping him with 44,800.

[Djinn]

Thomas Wahlroos is OUT -

Short-stacked, he was all-in on a board against the nuts: Wc .  He had, "A set of Kings and a King high flush draw when the money went in."

One, two, three..."So sick."

[Djinn]

Some Counts as the blinds rise to 800/1,600 (by table grouping):

John Duthie  70,000
Joe Hachem  50,000
Roy Brindley   116,000
Ross Boatman  53,800
Scotty Nguyen  108,000

Barney Boatman  67,000
Patrik Antonius   135,000
Julian Gardner    OUT
Tore Lagerborg   51,000

Surinder Sunar    76,000
Greg Raymer      30,500
Andy Bloch        74,000
Johan Storakers   7,000
Thien Phan         142,000

Johan Storakers got his last 7k in pretty much under the gun with , called by big blind with .
Flop: 
Turn: 
River:     Chop-chop, and I think that stack might be going in again very shortly...

[snoopy1239]

Dewey Tomko is OUT.

Board =

Tomko =

Opponent =

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After the break, these are the current chip counts:

Surinder Sunar -- 63,800
Jani Sointula -- 23,400
Johan Storakers -- 9,500
Jonas Flug-entin -- 130,000
Tim Phan -- 151,100
Andy Bloch -- 70,000
Greg Raymer -- 37,900
Patrick Antonius -- 134,500
Kristian Kjondal -- 43,300
Chris Reslock -- 12,000
Adrian Walsh -- 65,000
Annie Duke -- 132,000
Huck Seed -- 48,800
Barny Boatman -- 69,000
Michael Binger -- 59,000
P Charalmbous -- 45,000
Paul Jackson -- 21,000
Robert Mizrachi -- 133,900
Joe Beevers -- 45,600
Johnny Chan -- 29,000
Phil Hellmuth -- 41,800
Jan Boubli -- 61,500
Minh Ly -- 3,200
Eli Elezra -- 30,400
Tore Lagerborg -- 163,400
Donnacha O'Dea -- 38,300
David Chui -- 46,900
Dave Colclough -- 38,000
Marco Traniello -- 119,300
Thor Hansen -- 46,200
John Duthie -- 135,000
Scotty Nguyen -- 87,000

Doyle Brunson, Dave Sklansky and Dave Callaghan are also still in.

[snoopy1239]

Didn't catch the hands, but as I trundling back into the cardroom, I couldn't help but notice (1) a vacant Johnny Chan seat and (2) a Barny Boatman milling around the rail looking none too chuffed.

Fellow Brits Dave Colclough, in the meantime has jumped up to 115k in what he admits is "a bit of a rollercoaster ride".

Even then, as I departed, he took another nice little pot with a 6k to 20k re-raise on a board, his young opponent folding with a grimace.

[Djinn]

I was going to mention Patrik Antonius and Annie Duke as players with leading stacks...

But then this enormous hand went down in which a short stack busted and Fabrice Soulier was knocked to the felt, and to give you some idea of the size of this pot - Fabrice had 160k at the beginning of the hand...

It all kicked off on the flop of - bet, raise, re-raise, Fabrice moved in with the nuts and a flush redraw - - and the gent pictured below called with Tens in his hand for a set of Tens, no redraw.  I only heard the "oooh!" in both celebration and sympathy coming from that table and Paul Jackson filled in the details.

There is a new American chip leader by a good ways with 355,000, mid-stacking, saying, "You have to excuse me, this is my first Pot Limit Omaha tournament," with Paul Jackson giving him this look:  http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=25222.msg512241#msg512241

[snoopy1239]

The Anti-Hellmuth Association are going to love this one, the Poker Brat going barmy after being outdrawn by his table neighbour, the massage cushion even taking a pounding as Phil hurls it at his chair in disgust.

"F***ing hell," he exclaims. "Unf***ing believable."

A quick glance at the board and we see K-Q-A-2-9. There are no hands available as they've already been mucked, but Hellmuth was there to fill the world in on his misfortune...

"What a sucker. Call my raise with Ace Jack Five f***ing Three. Amatuer."

But how did he lose, I hear you cry. Well, once again, Phil provided me with free commentary...

"(To dealer) You found diamond diamond for him. Thank you, dealer! When do we change the dealer?

[snoopy1239]

Lots of action during these latter stages, first Phil Hellmuth's exit, which he took semi-well.

Down to around 20,500, Hellmuth announces , "raise it up" and bets the pot.

Early position limper and Monte Carlo EPT Grand Finalist, Kristian Kjondal, makes the call after already investing 3k, clearly keen to get rid of the Poker Brat.

Hellmuth =

Kjondal =

"I'm all-in!" he exclaims to a player on his former table.

Flop =

"Hey, we've both flopped the nuts," he observes.

Turn =

River =

"(To player on former table) Don't worry, flopped the nuts and still lost, nothing unusual about that."

To make matters worse, Hellmuth had to pay the masseuse and hang around while she went to find some change.

[snoopy1239]

Climber of the day is one Mr John Duthie of Poker Million and EPT fame. Down to just 8,500 not too long ago, the Duthster now finds himself on the enviable sum of 150k (circa). After doubling through a couple of times, he crosses swords with Tim Phan, all-in with vs. on a Flop, the Turn and River was enough to elicit a "Yeah, baby (apt with Scotty Nguyen next door)" from Duthie and, of course, the pot.

[Djinn]

A couple of counts, estimated as they were being shoveled into their end-of-day bags...

Dave Colclough  96,500
Annie Duke      150,000
Martin Wendt     42,000
Dario Alioto         66,000
Joe Beevers       54,000
Patrik Antonius  210,000
Thien Phan        64,000
Scotty Nguyen   190,000
Greg Raymer      125,000
Paul Jackson       62,000
Roy Brindley      231,000

I also heard that chip-leader (probable) Kenneth Strandli just won the Norwegian Pot Limit Omaha Championship, and so was encouraged by the Norwegians for this one... thanks to Henning for the tip off that this is the man on Omaha form...