DeWitt Doubles, Sands Squeezes, and a Monster Chip Leader Emerges
![[user66118]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Table Talk - 10:35 PM
"I doubt you'll find a 10/25 game. It's Monday night, ya know," Brett Richey said to a player on his right, obviously looking for some action after Day 1 ends. "Maybe 5/10 no-limit."
After another moment, he added, "There's always blackjack," with a wry smirk.
Bell Gets That Shove-y Feeling - 10:40 PM
We walked up to a flop of 
to see the first player check. Chris Bell was second, and he put out a bet of 3,300 into a pot of about that much. Next door, Chad Batista called, and the action was back on the first checker. He snuck in a check-raise to 11,000, but Bell was having none of it. The pro moved all in with a covering reraise to about 50,000 total. Batista quickly mucked, and the check-raiser tanked and folded away as well.
Mark Bell down for close to 70,000 now.
DeWitt Doubles Through Souther – 10:42 PM
Will Souther raised to 1,600 from middle position and Jason DeWitt went all in for 8,150 from the cutoff. Action folded around to Souther and he went into the tank for about three minutes. Finally, he decided to flip one of his card protectors to determine whether to call or not, but on the first attempt it bounced off the table. On attempt #2, it landed on the call side and Souther revealed 
. DeWitt smoothly rolled over 
and successfully doubled through when the board ran out a safe, though not without a sweat, 
.
DeWitt: Up to about 20,000
Souther: Down to about 23,000
One Good Hand Deserves Another - 10:49 PM
We made it to the table on the turn as the board read 
. Keven Stammen checked to Jason Mercier, then called a bet of 5,350, just about pot-sized from the looks of it. Stammen flatted, and the 
landed on the river. Stammen let Mercier bet it again, 13,700 this time before shooting a smirking glare across the table. After a minute, he called.
"Tens," said Mercier, and it looked like he flashed 
for a set. It was no good, though; Stammen tabled 
for the straight, and Mercier tapped the felt as he shipped him the pot.
Both men are right around 64,000 now.
Sands Doubles Through Brown – 11:01 PM
Dave "Doc" Sands opened the pot with a raise from early position and next to act, Bernard Lee made it 4,100 to go. Chad Brown popped it to 12,100 from the cutoff and action folded back around to Sands. He shoved for an additional 19,900 and Lee folded. Brown went into the tank for about three minutes and called, showing 
. Sands tabled and won the race when the board ran out 
.
Sands: Up to about 65,000
Brown: Down to about 105,000
Squeeze for Sands - 11:06 PM
Barry Greenstein was in middle position and raised to 1,500. The cutoff seat and small blind called before Dave "Doc" Sands reraised from the big blind to 6,800. Greenstein and the other two folded allowing Sands to squeeze out a pot and increase to 69,000 in chips.
Berg Loses One - 11:09 PM
On the board of 
, one player checked to Eli Berg. Berg fired 5,000 and his opponent called. The river brought the 
and both players checked. Berg mucked his hand after he saw the 
from his opponent and dropped back to 34,000 in chips.
BoostedJ Makin' Moves - 11:15 PM
Four players were in action on the flop of . Ryan Welch checked and Justin Smith checked. The next player checked and then the last player fired 2,550. Welch made the call before action got back to Smith and he went into the tank. After his thought process was complete, Smith put in a raise to 8,400. The player behind him folded before the original bettor made the call. Welch also folded.
The turn was the and Smith tanked for quite some time. Eventually he tossed out a bet of 18,000 and that sent the other player into the tank. A couple minutes went by and then the player folded. Smith picked up the pot and moved his stack to 93,000.
Jewell and Medic Chop - 11:19 PM
After Nenad Medic raised from the hijack seat to 1,600, Kurt Jewell reraised from the button to 4,050. Medic made the call and the flop came down 
. Both players checked to see the fall on the turn.
Medic checked the turn and Jewell fired out 4,500. Medic made the call.
The river was the and Medic checked. Jewell fired out 8,600 and Medic tank-called. When the hands were revealed, both players tabled the 
and chopped up the pot.
Souther Still Heading South – 11:20 PM
We caught up with the action on a 
flop. The first player checked and Will Souther bet 2,200. Tom Koral called and the other player folded, landing the 
on the turn. Souther bet 3,500 and Koral called again, leading to the river card. Souther bet 6,000 and Koral tried to get a little information from Souther, who gladly told Koral that he had air. Whether that led to it or not, Koral called and upon seeing Souther’s , showed to win the pot and move to about 62,000. Souther slipped to roughly 18,000.
Monster Pot Ends the Level - 11:25 PM
Blair Hinkle raised to open the pot to 1,600, and Ryan Julius made the call next door. Around on the button, a third player squeezed in a raise to 4,900 total, and Hinkle called. That sent the action back to Julius, and he wasn't going anywhere either. Looking at the re-raiser on the button, he asked, “How much you playing there, buddy?” When the player moved his hands out of the way, Julius cut out a reraise to 16,900 and slid it forward. The button five-bet right back to 37,000, folding the monkey in the middle and once again sending the action back to Julius. “All in,” he said after a moment, the ol' six-bet.
A sour look came across the button's face like he'd just bitten into a lemon. He had about 130,000 total chips to start the hand, among the chip leaders. In fact, Julius was one of the only players in the room who had him covered. After a moment to make sure, he double-checked his hole cards and slid all of his chips into the middle. With about 450bb up for grabs, the cards were on their backs:
Julius:
Button:
Julius saw the first, but it wasn't as bad as it looked. The full flop rolled out a very exciting , giving both men their sets and putting the button two cards from the exit. He would need the case king to avoid that fate. The turn and river were both deuces, however, the spade and the diamond respectively, and we've thusly lost one of our big stacks.
We've traded it for a massive stack, though, as Ryan Julius is now firmly in command of this Day 1. He looks to have about 285,000 right now, but we'll have to get a better count when he tidies up his stacks.