| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
154,000
1,000
|
1,000 |
|
||
|
142,000 | |
|
130,000 | |
|
118,000 | |
|
||
|
111,000 | |
![[user253757]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
We heard Daniel Negreanu and his tablemates avidly discussing the unlikely victory posted by Michael Malm, who recently took down Event #8, ($2,500 Eight-Game Mix), for a first prize of $225,104, without even knowing how to play a few of the games being spread in that tournament.
Sticking around to hear some interesting banter, we also saw "Kid Poker" scoop a couple pots of his own, and although Negreanu ran well in both hands, he would be the first to tell you that he also got unlucky.
First, Negreanu limped in after action folded to him in the small blind. Fellow Canadian Mark Radoja checked his option from the big blind, and the flop fell 
. Negreanu then led out for a small bet, and Radoja insta-folded.
"Sheesh!," said Negreanu, while tabling his 
for straight and flush draws. "Great flop... I was ready to go there."
On the next hand, Negreanu called a preflop raise of 3,400 from the button, and playing a three-way flop he saw the dealer spread the 
across the felt.
Both players checked to Negreanu, and his 5,000 wager earned him the pot.
"Again!," said Negreanu, obviously displeased that he had not found at least one caller with his 
. "A set of tens and nothin'!"
Despite not being able to parlay these great flops into monster pots, Negreanu has steadily climbed the chip counts throughout the day, and he now holds one of the largest stacks in the room.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
153,000
-1,000
|
-1,000 |
|
|
||
On the 
board, one player checked, and then Dan O'Brien fired a bet of 3,400. A third player behind O'Brien called, then the first player folded.
The river was the , and O'Brien led for 9,600. After a few moments in the tank, his opponent folded, and O'Brien won the pot. He moved to about 112,000 in chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
112,000
4,000
|
4,000 |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
136,000
55,000
|
55,000 |
|
130,000
28,000
|
28,000 |
|
|
128,000
98,500
|
98,500 |
|
114,000
-11,000
|
-11,000 |
|
112,000
9,000
|
9,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
||
We just watched Ben Lamb's last hand of the night, and it wasn't particularly pretty.
The drama began before the flop, after Lamb raised to 1,350 from the cutoff. Russian pro Andrey Gully opted for a three-bet, and he made it 3,200 to play. Lamb decided to ship the rest of his stack, which was on the short side anyway, into the middle, and Gully snap-called.
Showdown:
Lamb: 
Gully: 
Lamb was behind but live, and it would be up to the board cards to decide each player's fate.
Flop: 
Lamb took the lead with his two pair, and Gully was now left searching the deck for a ten or running pair cards to catch up.
Turn: 
The perfect card for Gully dropped in, and the 
on the river sealed the win. Lamb hit the rail short of a cash after eight long levels of shorthanded play, while Gully improved his position as this Day 1 nears its conclusion.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
39,500
39,500
|
39,500 |
|
Busted | |
|
||
Gavin Smith just keeps dropping one-liner bombs after bombs. This recent one came after Matt Marafioti, who is wearing all white, stood up a few tables over.
"Hey Marafioti!" yelled Smith. "Does your sister not need her pants today?"
Then, Andrew Robl stood up a few moments later and Smith caught him in eyesight.
"Hey Andrew Robl! I wanna fight you now!" yelled Smith. "I just lost a pot, I'm ready!"
Athanasios Polychronopoulos and Faraz Jaka stood up from their table and started stretching. The two seemed to catch eyes and then began doing jumping jacks to get the blood flowing. Also standing at the same table, Terrence Chan jumped in, but it got even better. On the adjacent table was Gavin Smith. He saw the three doing jumping jacks, popped out of his chair and started doing jumping jacks of his own. The four continued for about 10 seconds before the first three stopped. Smith went on for a few more, and then got his needle in after he "outlasted" them.
"I'd outlast all of you f***ers!" yelled Smith after finishing his jumping jacks a few moments after the other three had already finished.
A conversation had been brewing on the table with Gavin Smith, Blake Purvis and Mark Herm about drinking. After some back and forth, Smith and Purvis invited Herm to come out drinking with them all night, asking if Herm thought he could last with them.
"Back in my day, I could probably out drink you," said Herm.
"Your day?!?! When the f*** was your day??!?!" ripped back Smith. "You're a 20-something year old kid and you're talking about your f***ing day?!?!?"
From the cutoff seat, Josh Brikis raised to 1,500. Chris Klodnicki called from the big blind, then checked the 
flop. Brikis checked behind.
The turn was the 
, and Klodnicki led for 1,500. Brikis called.
The river was the , and Klodnicki checked. Brikis fired 3,800, and Klodnicki called.
Brikis tabled the 
for a flush, and Klodnicki mucked his hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
36,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
|
28,000
7,000
|
7,000 |
|
|
||
At the age of 73 years young, T.J. Cloutier has been playing poker since before many of the players in this field were even born, and despite the rapid evolution on game theory inspired by the online generation, Cloutier can still tangle when it comes to tournament poker.
We caught up with Cloutier, the holder of six gold WSOP bracelets and two runner-up finishes in the Main Event (1985 & 2000), as he did battle with a player more than 45 years his junior.
On the flop of 
, the youngster led out for 3,300 and watched as the wizened veteran raised it up to 9,300, all the while dangling his tipping dollars above his stack.
Cloutier's opponent eventually called the raise, bringing the to the board on the turn. The young player, shrouded in the hooded sweatshirt that is now a symbol for his generation of poker players as much as the lit cigarette was to Cloutier's, elected to slow down this time and he tapped the table for a check.
A bet of 12,000 later by Cloutier and the hand was over, but not before the legend of poker rolled over the 
for a little psychological reinforcement. As the old pro knows better than most, it's always best to leave them thinking you're raises are backed by strength. Makes stealing from them later on that much easier.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
62,500
45,000
|
45,000 |
|
||
