Tommy Vedes, who brought his own chair to sit in, is the Boss of his Office.
We just walked by table 24 where Tommy Vedes is sitting on an enormous leather desk chair that one might find in the office of a big time corporate CEO. We don't know how he got it in here, but he is surely the envy of every uncomfortable poker player stuck in the same rigid chair for today's ten hours of play. When we asked Vedes about the chair, he said, "I got it at Office Max, bro. $200, whatever, it's worth it."
We also aren't sure whether this is technically legal to do, so we'll see if he gets to keep his throne or if he has to sit in the same chair as the rest of us peasants.
On a flop of , an unknown player in the big blind bet 450 and was called by rap sensation and poker aficionado, Nelly. The big blind continued to make bet, of 825 and 2,025 respectively, on the turn and river, both of which Nelly called.
Showdown
Big Blind:
Nelly:
Both players had held queen high until the six on the river filled Nelly up, allowing him to take down the pot.
The Russians have had a good WSOP this year, most recently when Team PokerStars Pro Max Lykov took down the final $1,000 preliminary event just a few days ago. The first Russian to ever win a bracelet though was his teammate Alex Kravchenko, the latter winning the $1,500 08 event back in 2007.
Kravchenko also made the final table of the main event that year, finishing in fourth place in the event for over $1.8 million dollars. Kravchenko is back again today, though he just lost a small pot, check-calling a 375 bet on a flop before check-folding to an 800 chip bet on the turn.
Three-time WSOP bracelet winner Lyle Berman (hijack) and his neighbor (cutoff) had built a pot of about 2,000 when the flop came . Berman checked, his opponent bet 1,025, and Berman called. Both then checked the turn.
The river brought the and a bet of 2,500 from Berman, prompting a fold from his opponent. Berman, who took fifth in the WSOP Main Event in 1989 (won by Phil Hellmuth), has gotten off to a positive start in his quest to match or improve on that finish. He now has 34,000.
From under the gun, Romanian Team PokerStars Pro Toni Judet raised to 250 before the flop; the action then folded around to Tracy Belcastro who re-raised to 1,250 from the button. The big blind also called, then checked along with Judet after the flop of .
Belcastro fired out 2,500, the big blind called and Judet folded before the big blind and Belcastro checked down both the turn of the and the river . Belcastro rolled up and the big blind mucked.
"Kings again?" Jennifer Tilly exclaimed. If that's true, then Belcastro's off to a great start!
With 800 in the pot preflop, Prahlad Friedman and his opponent in the cutoff, Frank Jordan, saw a flop of . Friedman bet 400, Jordan called, and the appeared on the turn. Friedman immediately led out for 1,500, but was quickly raised to 4,000 by Jordan. Friedman opted for a three-bet to 12,500, Jordan four-bet all in for 28,550, and Friedman made the call.
Showdown
Friedman:
Jordan:
Friedman had turned a set, but little did he know that it also gave Jordan the nut straight. Jordan was the player all in and at risk, meaning he needed to avoid the board pairing on the river to stay alive. Lucky for him, and unlucky for Friedman, the blanked.
Friedman was left with just 3,150 after the hand; meanwhile, Jordan got an early boost to 58,500.
We only walked up to catch the tail end of this pot but it was a pretty big one for the first level of the day. There was already 11,000 or so in the pot when we saw the river card fall on a board. It was heads-up, and a player we don't recognize check-called a bet of 5,000 from Andrew Chen.
At showdown, Chen tabled his for the set, and it was good enough to pull the pot to give him some early breathing room. Mark him down for 41,000 now.
As we walked past table 296, we spotted founder of ChipMeUp, Rayan Nathan, who had just called a middle position player's raise of 250. There were no other takers, so Rayan and his opponent went heads-up to the flop of .
The player led out for 350 and Nathan called before calling his opponent's bet of 850 on the turn of the . However, when the dealer produced the on the river, Nathan folded after his adversary fired out 2,100.
We picked up a little pot on a flop as the player in position bet 200. The big blind check-called, but Brad Booth squeezed in a check-raise to 700. The bettor called, the big blind folded, and it was heads-up to the turn. Booth bet 800 now, and that was called too, and the landed on the river. Booth put out 3,000 this time, and his opponent finally surrendered.
Booth went ahead and showed his early , and that pot pushes him just above his starting stack.
, an unknown player in the big blind bet 450 and was called by rap sensation and poker aficionado, Nelly. The big blind continued to make bet, of 825 and 2,025 respectively, on the 
turn and 
river, both of which Nelly called.
flop before check-folding to an 800 chip bet on the 
turn.
turn.
and a bet of 2,500 from Berman, prompting a fold from his opponent. Berman, who took fifth in the WSOP Main Event in 1989 (won by Phil Hellmuth), has gotten off to a positive start in his quest to match or improve on that finish. He now has 34,000.
.
and the river 
. Belcastro rolled up 
and the big blind mucked.
blanked.
board. It was heads-up, and a player we don't recognize check-called a bet of 5,000 from Andrew Chen.
for the set, and it was good enough to pull the pot to give him some early breathing room. Mark him down for 41,000 now.
. However, when the dealer produced the 
on the river, Nathan folded after his adversary fired out 2,100.
flop as the player in position bet 200. The big blind check-called, but Brad Booth squeezed in a check-raise to 700. The bettor called, the big blind folded, and it was heads-up to the 
turn. Booth bet 800 now, and that was called too, and the