For some of these players Level 5 started on Monday, for others Wednesday, but it concluded only moments ago for all of them. The words "All in and a call!" rang through the Amazon and Pavillion rooms every few minutes as short stacks attempted to get something going here on Day 2A of the Main Event.
Two short-stacks enjoying early double-ups were Dennis Phillips and Howard "Tahoe" Andrew, the latter doubling through Sam Farha. Rather than shoving for her last 5,500 over her opponent's three-bet, Tiffany Michelle mistakenly flat-called, but found a seven from heaven on the flop, making her a set and snapping off her opponent's pocket aces to double her back to her 30,000 starting stack.
This hour's most notable elimination was Hall of Famer Mike Sexton. Sexton looked good to triple up when he got his stack in with pocket kings against pocket queens and pocket nines, however, a nine hit the flop, leading his lucky opponent to launch into an obnoxious celebration.
We've only played but an hour, but the players have just been sent on their first break. We'll see you in twenty minutes.
David "Devilfish" Ulliott raised from late position to 1,200 and found three callers including David Sklansky in the small blind to see a flop of .
Action checked to Ulliott who fired 3,000. The cutoff folded as did Sklansky but the big blind made the call.
The turn was the and the big blind checked to Ulliott fired another 3,000 with his opponent making the call as the completed the board. Again it was checked to Ulliott who bet 10,000, but his opponent gave it up.
Ulliott claimed he had a queen-high flush as his opponent said he folded a king.
"Good fold, good fold," chirped Ulliott as he moved up to 53,000.
A player opened for 1,300 from under the gun -- a bit more than a 3x raise -- and Johnny Chan called from the button. Then the player in the big blind reraised to 5,000, and both the original raiser and Chan called.
The flop came . It checked to Chan who bet 5,000, and only the player in the big blind called. The turn brought the . This time Chan's opponent took the initiative, betting 11,000. Chan thought about it, then called.
The river was the . Chan's opponent checked, and Chan didn't hesitate before setting out a stack of about 17,000 -- enough to put his opponent all in. His opponent folded, saying he had hearts.
The 1987 and 1988 WSOP Main Event winner continues his good start to the 2010 ME. He has about 172,000 as we draw near the end of Level 5.
Facing a raise to 1,025, Jonathan Tamayo three-bet to 3,000 from the big blind.
His opponent jammed all in for roughly 20,000 and Tamayo made the call.
Tamayo:
Opponent:
The flop left Tamayo in trouble needing one of his two remaining kings or a combination of backdoor straight or flush cards.
Fortunately for Tamayo, the dealer delivered the on the turn to complete one of his backdoor draws, and when the landed on the river, Tamayo eliminated his opponent while climbing to 63,500 in chips.
Dave Stann raised from early position to 1,050, and both Jamie Rosen and Matt Marafioti called from the small and big blind, respectively. The ESPN cameras were rolling as the dealer burned a card.
The three men took a flop of , and the blinds checked to the raiser. Stann continued out with 2,025 and Rosen quickly folded. Marafioti fumbled with his chips, though, rocking back and forth from a rather aggressive massage that he's in the middle of. Finally, he collected 7,650 chips and slid them into the pot on a check-raise. Stann didn't like it, throwing his arms up into the air. With a heavy sigh, he shuffled a handful of chips and rhetorically asked, "Right here? You wanna do it right here?"
After another few seconds, though, "Hollywood" Dave folded and the camera crew dispersed.
Greg Mueller was all in preflop for 10,400 with the . His opponent held the . The board ran out and Mueller successfully doubled to about 21,000 in chips.
A middle position player raised to 1,100, Jason Gray made the call from the button and the big blind called as well. The flop came down . The big blind checked, Mr. Middle Position bet 2,100, Gray called and the big blind folded. The turn paired the board with the and both players checked. The river fall the and they checked it down one more time.
Gray turned over and it was good to take down the pot. He's up to 72,500.
A player in middle position opened with a raise and it folded around to Gabe Kaplan who called from the big blind. The flop came . Kaplan checked, his opponent bet 1,050, and Kaplan called.
The turn brought the , pairing the board. Kaplan checked again, and his opponent tossed out a single orange (5,000) chip, announcing a bet of 2,200. Kaplan sat for a moment, then set out his remaining stack of chips -- about 11,500 -- in front of him.
"All in?" asked the dealer of Kaplan. Kind of an obvious answer to that one. Kaplan chuckled and held his hands open to indicate that he didn't have anything else to put in the middle.
"Oh, all right," he said with a grin, and started to reach in his pocket to find more to bet. The players and dealer all laughed.
Meanwhile, Kaplan's opponent was in the tank, and after a couple of minutes let his hand go. Kaplan has chipped up to nearly 17,000.
![[user25067]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
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and the big blind checked to Ulliott fired another 3,000 with his opponent making the call as the 
completed the board. Again it was checked to Ulliott who bet 10,000, but his opponent gave it up.
. It checked to Chan who bet 5,000, and only the player in the big blind called. The turn brought the 
. This time Chan's opponent took the initiative, betting 11,000. Chan thought about it, then called.
. Chan's opponent checked, and Chan didn't hesitate before setting out a stack of about 17,000 -- enough to put his opponent all in. His opponent folded, saying he had hearts.
flop left Tamayo in trouble needing one of his two remaining kings or a combination of backdoor straight or flush cards.
on the turn to complete one of his backdoor draws, and when the 
landed on the river, Tamayo eliminated his opponent while climbing to 63,500 in chips.
unable to best his opponent's 
on a final board reading 
to see Hollink double his opponent up while slipping to 10,300 in chips.
and Mueller successfully doubled to about 21,000 in chips.
and both players checked. The river fall the 
and they checked it down one more time.
, pairing the board. Kaplan checked again, and his opponent tossed out a single orange (5,000) chip, announcing a bet of 2,200. Kaplan sat for a moment, then set out his remaining stack of chips -- about 11,500 -- in front of him.