There could be fireworks approaching on Table 310 as Andreas Hoivold finds himself seated next door to the ever-active William Thorson.
Like his fellow Scandinavian, Hoivold has an impressive record with over $1.5 million in tournament winnings including a Poker Million final, multiple GUKPT finals, and an EPT title in his cabinet after winning Dortmund in 2007 for €672,000. He is also one of the few European pros to have made an appearance on celebrated cash game show High Stakes Poker.
With just 12,000 in chips, he's currently struggling, but if he can increase his stack to something more playable, we could see some intriguing encounters between the two Scandinavians. My prediction? Sparks are gonna fly.
The Rio is frigid to begin with, but Table 63 in the Pavilion is one of a few tables that are situated directly underneath an air conditioning vent. There's enough cold wind coming down on the table to make the light fixture above it swing and the hair on players' heads to blow.
It's cold.
The players at Table 63 have responded by taking matters into their own hands. Rather than asking casino staff to turn down the heat, they all ordered up Snuggies, which were just delivered to their table. They might look silly, but they're warm and looking silly together.
On a flop of , Seat 6 bet out 600 and Steve Billirakis called from middle position, as did the big blind. All players checked the on the turn and the came on the river.
The big blind bet 1,750 and Seat 6 folded. Billirakis then raised to 6,250 and put the pressure back on the big blind. It proved to be too much and the big blind released. Meanwhile, Billirakis took down the pot and is up to 78,000.
A player under the gun limped, Jeff Shulman raised to 750 from middle position, and all but the limper skedaddled.
The flop came . The UTG player checked, and Shulman -- on the short side to start this hand with less than 11,000 -- bet 1,000. His opponent then checked-raised to 2,300, and Shulman called.
By this point the camera crew had begun to edge their way over to the table, sensing a possible bustout hand of a 2009 November Niner. The turn brought the . The UTG player checked again, and an undeterred Shulman bet 2,400. His opponent called.
The river was the , pairing the board. Shulman's opponent again checked, and Shulman pushed his remaining 5,000 forward. His opponent, showing a bit of nervousness before the cameras, cut out the chips to call.
Shulman turned over for a full house, and his opponent mucked.
As the cameras moved on, seeking other prey, Shulman stacked his new stack of 22,000.
An under the gun player raised to 600 and action folded to Ylon Schwartz on the button who made the call. Both blinds got out of the way and the flop came . The under the gun player threw out a continuation bet of 1,000 and Schwartz gave it up. Schwartz is holding steady with 28,000.
Maybe it's his Scandinavian roots showing through, but William Thorson appears to be involved in more hands than a manicurist. On his latest encounter, Thorson (UTG+1) checked the turn of an board before leading out 8,400 on the river, a thousand or two more than what was already in the pot.
Without hesitation, his opponent dropped two orange chips into the middle, but swiftly folded upon being shown for ze nuts.
The Thorson roller coaster continues; he's up to 35,000.
No sooner than he had knocked out a player to put him back up to near his starting stack, the downward slide began again for everyone's favorite singing Swede William Thorson.
We're not sure who did the betting, but Thorson (cutoff) and his one opponent (small blind) put 1,200 apiece into the pot on the flop. They both checked the turn and indeed checked the river as well before Thorson revealed . His opponent turned over for winning trips, and Thorson dropped back to 22,000.
Catching the action on the board of and the pot sitting at around 18,000, both Phil Ivey and his opponent checked the action.
The river landed the and Ivey slid in a stack of 5,000- and 1,000-denomination chips into the pot amounting to a bet of roughly 38,000 to effectively put his opponent all in for his last 12,000.
Ivey's eyes darted back-and-forth at his lone opponent on his direct left, the ESPN TV camera crew, the pot and at anything that seemed to move within his peripheral vision.
"Wow!" gasped Ivey's opponent as the camera switched solely on him and another few minutes went by.
"I have a big hand!" he added before flashing a card at Ivey.
Ivey remained in his emotionless seated position as his eyes darted faster than the excitement meter on Allen Kessler soars after registering a min-cash!
Eventually Ivey's opponent tossed in his face up while uttering, "Go ahead man!"
Ivey pushed his cards towards the muck and collected the pot to send him to 62,000 in chips.
![[user4144]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
, Seat 6 bet out 600 and Steve Billirakis called from middle position, as did the big blind. All players checked the 
on the turn and the 
came on the river.
the action checked to Alex Kravchenko in middle position. The Russian player fired a 2,600-chip bet into a pot with 5,000 chips.
and Kravchenko check-folded to a 5,600-chip bet fired by the player on the button.
, pairing the board. Shulman's opponent again checked, and Shulman pushed his remaining 5,000 forward. His opponent, showing a bit of nervousness before the cameras, cut out the chips to call.
board before leading out 8,400 on the 
river, a thousand or two more than what was already in the pot.
for ze nuts.
river as well before Thorson revealed 
. His opponent turned over 
and Ivey slid in a stack of 5,000- and 1,000-denomination chips into the pot amounting to a bet of roughly 38,000 to effectively put his opponent all in for his last 12,000.