2011 World Series of Poker

Event #1: $500 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'em
Day: 1
Event Info

2011 World Series of Poker

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
q6
Prize
$82,292
Event Info
Buy-in
$500
Prize Pool
$382,500
Entries
850
Level Info
Level
23
Blinds
20,000 / 40,000
Ante
5,000

Chowan's Smiling Now

Level 4 : 100/200, 25 ante

After the button raised to 650, Steve Chowan shoved all in from the small blind for a total of 2,075. Both the big blind and the button called. The two players with chips behind checked every street and the board ran out {2-Diamonds}{2-Hearts}{j-Hearts}{j-Spades}{3-Diamonds}. The button showed {k-Diamonds}{10-Clubs}, the big blind mucked his hand, and Chowan showed {j-Diamonds}{q-Diamonds} for a full house. After the hand the dealer asked Chowan, "Were you smiling after the turn?" and Chowan just grinned as he raked in the chips.

Tags: Steve Chowan

Wild Hand at Savage's Table

Level 4 : 100/200, 25 ante

Chuck Thompson started the action by raising all in UTG for 2,125. A player in middle position called, then Matt Savage went into the tank in the cutoff, eventually opting to call as well. Bob Schindoer then shoved over the top for an additional 8,400. The middle position opponent called, and Savage shook his head and folded {10-Hearts}{10-Diamonds} face up. The three players reveled their hands.

Thompson: {k-Hearts}{9-Hearts}
Schindoer: {q-Clubs}{q-Diamonds}
Opponent: {9-Spades}{9-Clubs}

The flop came {6-Clubs}{4-Hearts}{3-Clubs}, and Schindoer was still in good position to scoop the whole pot after the {7-Spades} turn, but Thompson caught a three outer on the river, spiking the {k-Diamonds} to quadruple up.

The hand left Thompson with 8,600, Schindoer with 13,600, and Savage with around 5,300.

Tags: Bob SchindoerChuck ThompsonMatt Savage

One Very Happy Railbird

Level 4 : 100/200, 25 ante

Martin LaVallie limped from second position, followed by the cutoff and button. The small blind completed and the big blind checked his option to take a flop five ways.

The {J-Clubs}{7-Diamonds}{A-Diamonds} flop was checked around and players saw a {3-Hearts} on the turn. It once again was checked to the cutoff, who this time decided to bet 800. The big blind and LaVallie called.

The {4-Clubs} on the river woke up LaVallie who fired 1,500 when it was checked to him. The cutoff reraised to 5,000 and LaVallie called. The good news for LaVallie was that he had the nuts, a seven high straight holding {5-Diamonds}{6-Diamonds}, against his opponents {7-Clubs}{7-Spades} for a set. The bad news was that because he only flatted the nuts, the floor was called over and issued him a one round penalty.

He doesn't seem to be too upset though as he watches the action from afar because he sits with 31,000 chips and appears to be one of the biggest stacks in the room.

Tags: Martin LaVallie

Zhao's Stack Zooms Upward

Level 4 : 100/200, 25 ante

When we caught up with the action the board already showed {8-Diamonds}{6-Hearts}{2-Diamonds} and three players were still in the hand. The cutoff bet 2,500 and the button shoved all in for a little more than 9,000. The small blind, Diana Zhao, called the all in and the cutoff reluctantly folded his hand. When the cards were flipped up Zhao's {6-Spades}{2-Hearts} was ahead of her opponent's {a-Diamonds}{6-Diamonds}. The cutoff player who had folded let out a groan admitting that he folded {8-}{2-}, but it's hard to blame him given the action. The turn and river brought the {k-Hearts} and {4-Hearts} changing nothing and Zhao raked in a massive pot to bring her stack to around 25,000.

Tags: Diana Zhao

John Pack Up To 25K

Level 4 : 100/200, 25 ante

From early position, John Pack raised to a standard 800 followed by a re-raise to 2,500 from a player in middle position. Pack briefly thought about it and then moved all in with his large stack to easily have his opponent covered.

After a couple minutes of tanking, the player called and flipped over {Q-Hearts}{Q-Diamonds} to Pack's {A-Clubs}{K-Spades}. The queens held up on the flop of {J-Hearts}{6-Hearts}{6-Diamonds}, but the {K-Clubs} on the turn crushed their hopes. The river was a meaningless {4-Clubs}, sending Pack's opponent to the rail.

Pack moved up to 25,000 in chips right before the end of Level 4.

Tags: John Pack

Baker Continuing to Chip Up

Level 4 : 100/200, 25 ante

On a flop of {A-Spades}{K-Clubs}{3-Hearts} Rich Baker called his opponent’s all in. Baker turned up {A-Diamonds}{K-Diamonds} and was ahead of his opponent’s {Q-Hearts}{Q-Diamonds}.

The turn and river fell {K-Hearts} and {3-Spades} and Baker scooped the pot.

Baker is now at 27,000.

McAnulty Busts a Player Just Before Break

Level 4 : 100/200, 25 ante

With the button in seat six, on a {7-Hearts}{6-Diamonds}{5-Clubs} flop and 1875 chips in the pot, the seven and eight seats checked to Patrick McAnulty in the nine seat who fired 1,125. The seven seat check-raised all in for 1,900. The seven seat seemed in pain by the seven seat's action and eventually folded which allowed McAnulty to put the player at risk.

McAnulty: {8-Hearts}{8-Spades}
Opponent: {Q-Diamonds}{Q-Hearts}

The {9-Diamonds} on the turn brought McAnulty's strait and left his opponent drawing dead.

Tags: Patrick McAnulty

Level: 5

Blinds: 150/300

Ante: 25

Okimoto Wins a Race

Level 5 : 150/300, 25 ante

The player first to act preflop decided to go all in for his remaining 4,000 chips. He found an opponent in David Okimoto who flatted from the cutoff. The button and blinds got out of the way and revealed a classic flipping situation.

Okimoto: {Q-Spades}{Q-Clubs}
Opponent: {A-Hearts}{K-Clubs}

Board: {10-Diamonds}{4-Clubs}{J-Hearts}{6-Clubs}{4-Spades}

The clean board bumps Okimoto's stack up to 15,600. However, he is not out of the shadow yet of David Scharf. Sharf is sitting directly to his left and has him covered with about 17,000 chips.

Tags: David OkimotoDavid Scharf