With so many entrants, it's typical for many Main Event players to arrive at their Day 1 tables and not know any of their competitors. That's not the case for the players at Table 50 in the Pavilion. The table is currently the home of the two most recent North American Poker Tour Main Event winners. In Seat 1 we've got PokerStars Team Pro Vanessa Selbst who took down the NAPT Mohegan Sun back in April. Meanwhile in Seat 3 you can find Tom Marchese who won the Main Event at the tour's February stop at the Venetian.
Put us in line with the players who would rather take a different seat than try their luck against those two.
Five players made it to see the flop; all five checked and they got to see a turn for free. It checked around to a player in mid position who bet 400. William Thorson was the only caller.
They went heads up to the river and this time the mid-position player bet out 1,100. Thorson raised to 6,600, but his opponent instantly announced all in for an additional 10,600. Thorson dwelled up for some minutes, actually, literally scratching his head. Eventually he folded, and dropped to 11,500.
Seat 4 raised to 550 from early position and action folded to Chris Ferguson in the cutoff. The 2000 Main Event Champion looked at his cards, paused and then put in a raise to 1,550. John Phan released from the button and the blinds got out of the way. Action was back on Seat 4 but instead of calling a raise out of position, he decided his best option was to fold. Even with that win, Ferguson is still down a bit sitting with 23,500.
A player in middle position raised to 550 and Kenny Tran popped it to 1,750 on the button. The players in the blinds folded and the middle position four-bet, making it 5,100 to play. Tran took about 30 seconds before making the call.
The flop came down and the middle-position player checked. Tran bet 6,500 and forced a fold from his opponent, chipping up to about 34,000.
With the big blind away from the table, Eddy Sabat limped in from under the gun. A player raised to 600 behind him, and it folded around to Sabat who called the raise.
The flop came , and both players checked. The turn was the . Sabat checked, his opponent bet 900, and Sabat called. The river then brought the . Sabat again checked, and the preflop raiser bet 1,575. Sabat thought a moment, then made the call.
As he called, his opponent sheepishly said "six-high," tossing his cards face down as Sabat tabled his . Sabat now has 32,000.
Action folded around the table to the player seated in the hijack seat and he raised to 525. The cutoff seat then reraised to 1,500. After the button folded, it was Phil Ivey's turn from the small blind. He stared at the cutoff for a second and then four-bet to 4,500. The hijack folded and then the cutoff seat followed suit. Ivey's now up to 53,000 chips.
Jeff Lisandro limped in from middle position and was followed by a limp on the button as both the blinds completed and checked respectively.
The big blind fired out 500 on the flop with only Lisandro making the call as the came on the turn and Lisandro was again faced with a 500-chip bet.
Lisandro however raised it up to 1,200 and the big blind made the call before donking out for 1,200 when the river landed the . Lisandro made the call, but mucked at the sight of the big blind's .
"Thanks for that. I needed it!" stated the big blind as he raked in the pot, while Lisandro just sipped at his coffee as he slipped to 32,300 in chips.
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flop; all five checked and they got to see a 
turn for free. It checked around to a player in mid position who bet 400. William Thorson was the only caller.
river and this time the mid-position player bet out 1,100. Thorson raised to 6,600, but his opponent instantly announced all in for an additional 10,600. Thorson dwelled up for some minutes, actually, literally scratching his head. Eventually he folded, and dropped to 11,500.
and the middle-position player checked. Tran bet 6,500 and forced a fold from his opponent, chipping up to about 34,000.
, and both players checked. The turn was the 
. Sabat checked, his opponent bet 900, and Sabat called. The river then brought the 
. Sabat again checked, and the preflop raiser bet 1,575. Sabat thought a moment, then made the call.
. Sabat now has 32,000.
, John Tabatabai moved all in for 18,400.
forcing Tabatabai to muck and report to the rail.
flop. When the 
came on the turn, a player bet 975 with with all players but one making the call, including Khan and Bari.
and action was checked to Bari, who bet 2,250. The player in the big blind called, and all other players folded.
flop with only Lisandro making the call as the 
. Lisandro made the call, but mucked at the sight of the big blind's