We were checking in on Maya Geller’s table but saw that she kept on peering over at an adjacent table with beau Patrik Antonius so we went over there to check out what was going on.
Turns out Antonius was in a decent sized pot where he bet 7,500 on the turn of a board and Anton Ionel check-called him. Both players checked the on the river and Ionel turned over for aces up. Antonius seemed slightly frustrated and mucked his hand but was still sitting on a fairly healthy stack as was Geller
We caught up with the action to see Jason Lester and another player calling the preflop all in of the player in the small blind. The flop came down and Lester checked for the sidepot. His opponent checked back and the turn brought . The action went check-check once again.
The river put two pair on the board, bringing the .
"Four thousand," announced Lester, tossing in one orange, 5,000 denomination chip. His opponent played with his chips for a bit, tossing around the notion of calling before mucking his hand.
Lester flipped over which was way ahead of his all in opponent, who held and thus played the board.
"Getting some big hands today, Jason", chimed in Mike Matusow from across the table.
"I know," replied Lester. "I've gotten more hands today than I usually get in an entire tournament". Getting hands or not, Jason Lester is now sitting above double starting stack, holding around 68,000 in chips.
Andrew Lichtenberger had seen his opponent check-raise to 2,325 on a flop in a blind on blind battle. "Luckychewy" made the call and then called another 2,325 on the turn.
The river was the and the small blind checked, Lichtenberger bet 3,600 and found his opponent tanking before making the call.
The youngster flipped and it was good enough to secure the pot.
[user101598]
Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi upon eliminating
The action checked to 2010 November Niner Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi, who moved all in for his last 5,000 or so from the small blind. Robin Fisher quickly called in the big blind, and the hands were opened.
Mizrachi:
Fisher:
"I'm good at this part," Mizrachi joked while the players were waiting for the ESPN cameras to reach the table.
Once they did, the dealer rapped the table and fanned , giving Mizrachi an open-ended straight draw. The on the turn took away Mizrachi's outs to a nine, but now any queen would counterfeit Fisher.
It was not to be for Mizrachi. The bricked on the river, eliminating him from the 2011 Main Event. He graciously shooked hands with everyone at the table, did an exit interview, then hit the rail.
Erick Lindgren hasn't had much luck so far today. He started out with having Patrik Antonius to his left, and while he's fine to look at, he's not the best person to be out of position against. After their table broke, he was moved over to the orange section, where he has been hovering around 20,000 all day. However, he just won a nice pot to get back over his starting stack.
Lindgren raised on the button to 600, and the small blind came back with a raise to 2,000. Lindgren made the call, and together they saw a flop of . The small blind took little time before firing out one orange chip, a 5,000 bet. Lindgren thought for about 10 seconds before chucking in the call. The hit the turn, and after reaching for his chips looking like he would bet, the small blind checked. Lindgren thought for a few seconds and decided it was his turn to bet 5,000. His opponent looked back at his hand a couple of times, then shook his head and tossed in his cards. Lindgren collected the pot, upping his stack to 35,000.
A player in early position raised to 700 and received calls from Scott Seiver in middle position, the button, and the big blind. All four players checked after the flop came and again after the turn brought the .
When the hit on the river the first two players checked again but Seiver tossed out the smallest possible bet, 300 chips. The button and big blind both folded the the last player involved wasn't going to let Seiver get away with highway robbery and called.
The other player showed his and Seiver revealed his so it was tens and eights with an ace kicker for both and they chopped up the pot.
Maxim Lykov is off to a strong start on Day 1b of the World Series of Poker Main Event. After picking up a pot with big slick minutes before, he was dealt queens on the button. A player in middle position raised to 800 and Lykov reraised to 2,200. His opponent moved all in for around 16,000 and Lykov made the call. Lykov turned over and his opponent turned over .
The board ran out and Lykov took down the pot. He now sits with around 73,000 in chips.
Lykov has had a great 2011 when it comes to live tournaments. In January he took third in the PCA $25,000 High Roller event for $369,490. In May he took fourth at the EPT San Remo No-Limit Hold'em Main Event for $290,000. Just this month he won his first ever gold bracelet in the $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em event for $648,880. He outlasted the biggest crowd of this year's series with 4,576 people playing in the event.
Other PokerStars Pros are out there building up their stacks as well. Dario Minieri was down to just 10,000 chips before the second break of the day. He has run it up to 60,000 in chips after doubling up through an opponent holding to make a straight.
Nacho Barbero has been eliminated from the Main Event. The player under the gun opened for 950 and Nacho Barbero put whatever he was watching on his iPad on pause to move all in for 5,425 on the button. His opponent made the call.
Barbero held and his opponent held . The board ran out and Barbero was sent to the rail.
Be sure to follow all of the action with Team PokerStars here on PokerNews and on PokerStarsblog.com.
On a board Jon Aguiar fired out a 3,500 chip bet into a pot of around 6,000. Aguiar stared down his opponent while he contemplated making a call. Eventually Aguiar's opponent made the call and both players saw the . It was here that both players knuckled.
Aguiar's opponent flipped over for the queen high flush. Aguiar was slightly disgusted and scoughed as he mucked.
Mac Sohrabi was extremely short, and open-shoved his last couple thousand or so from late position. Garry Gates called, putting him at risk, and the hands were tabled.
Sohrabi:
Gates:
The flop was fairly dry, but the on the turn gave Sohrabi one extra out. He thought he was drawing dead however, and started to leave the table.
Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi grinned at Gates. "Here it comes," he said, alluding to one of the four queens in the deck.
"It's a small pot." Gates shrugged.
The river was not a queen, rather it was the , and Sohrabi was eliminated from the Main Event.
board and Anton Ionel check-called him. Both players checked the 
on the river and Ionel turned over 
for aces up. Antonius seemed slightly frustrated and mucked his hand but was still sitting on a fairly healthy stack as was Geller
and Lester checked for the sidepot. His opponent checked back and the turn brought 
. The action went check-check once again.
.
which was way ahead of his all in opponent, who held 
and thus played the board.
flop in a blind on blind battle. "Luckychewy" made the call and then called another 2,325 on the 
turn.
and the small blind checked, Lichtenberger bet 3,600 and found his opponent tanking before making the call.
and it was good enough to secure the pot.
on the turn took away Mizrachi's outs to a nine, but now any queen would counterfeit Fisher.
. The small blind took little time before firing out one orange chip, a 5,000 bet. Lindgren thought for about 10 seconds before chucking in the call. The 
and again after the turn brought the 
.
hit on the river the first two players checked again but Seiver tossed out the smallest possible bet, 300 chips. The button and big blind both folded the the last player involved wasn't going to let Seiver get away with highway robbery and called.
to make a straight.
. The board ran out 
board Jon Aguiar fired out a 3,500 chip bet into a pot of around 6,000. Aguiar stared down his opponent while he contemplated making a call. Eventually Aguiar's opponent made the call and both players saw the 
, and Sohrabi was eliminated from the Main Event.