The buzz inside the walls of the Rio extends beyond just the tournaments on the 2013 World Series of Poker schedule. Online poker in Nevada is a very, very hot topic right now, and WSOP.com is making a lot of noise.
While the site has yet to launch, you can head to the Lambada Room of the Rio or look for one of the beautiful and friendly WSOP.com ladies walking the hallways to sign up for a free, personal WSOP.com online poker account. This is a great way to get a jump on the site's registration, and plenty of people have already taken this opportunity.
What's more is that the WSOP will be hosting daily raffles for everyone that has taken the time to register for WSOP.com at the Rio. What can you win? Plenty of fantastic prizes including 36 WSOP seats!
Players 21 years of age and older who sign up for a WSOP.com account will automatically be entered into the “36-Seat Giveaway” where a randomly-selected winner will win a seat into the next day’s first WSOP gold bracelet event. One of the events eligible in this promotion is the $111,111 One Drop High Roller No-Limit Hold’em tournament that is expected to feature a $10,000,000 prize pool and allow you to play poker with the biggest names in the game. In total, $182,333 in WSOP seats, including a seat to the WSOP Main Event, are being given away during this one-of-a-kind WSOP.com promotion.
In addition to the 36-Seat Giveaway, a “Hot Seat” promotion will allow any player who signs up for a WSOP.com online account and wears their WSOP.com patch on their chest at the table while playing an event to be randomly selected to receive 500 bonus dollars deposited directly into their WSOP.com online account once the site has received all regulatory approvals and launches.
With 62 WSOP gold bracelet events and three winners promised for the Main Event, this promotion includes $32,000 worth of value to those participating.
Brent Keller opened the pot by completing with his up. Next to act Adam Szalay made it two bets with his up.
On fourth, Szalay bet and Keller called. The same action was repeated on fifth. On sixth street Keller picked up the betting lead when Szalay pair and he bet. Szalay reraised, leaving himself only 6,500 chips behind. Keller called.
On seventh, Keller put Szalay all in and eventually Szalay called.
"Smooth eight," Keller said. That smooth eight was good enough to best Szalay's nine-eight low and he was sent home in 11th place.
After losing the majority of his chips with a board when an opponent made a seven-six with a board, Joel Alpert got his last few thousand in a few hands later with up. Frankie O'Dell and Rick Fuller played a side pot in which O'Dell had the lead with until pairing sixth.
O'Dell:
Fuller:
Alpert:
Fuller took the lead with a bet, and O'Dell called. Both players checked seventh street. Alpert, meanwhile had already gotten out of his seat after getting dealt a hideous board. Fuller showed for a nine-eight, and O'Dell couldn't beat it.
Sergey Altbregin found himself all in against Ivan Schertzer on fifth street. Altbregin looked good when he turned over for an eight-four low, but Schertzer was stronger, turning over for a seven-six low.
Fortunately Altbregin was still live with a draw to the nuts, but his last two cards were a and a , not improving his hand and eliminating him from the tournament in 13th place.
Jim Wheatley, showing , got a short-stacked Tommy Chen, showing all in on fifth street.
"Six draw versus a seven draw," Brent Keller remarked. Indeed, Chen turned over , and Wheatley had . Chen double paired, leaving his original five cards to stand as his hand, a jack-low. Wheatley was a bit more fortunate, catching an eight and a nine, more than enough to send Chen to the rail.
With an showing, Bryan Campanello completed the bet. In the next seat over David Bach raised with his showing. Action folded back around and Campanello called.
On fourth street Campanello bet and Bach called. The same action occurred on fifth street. Sixth street came and Bach bet, which Campanello called. On seventh street Bach bet again and Campanello called.
"Eighty-five," Campanello said showing his from the hole.
Bach flashed his for an eighty-six, just one card worse than Campanello.
Sebastian Pauli and Frankie O'Dell started a third street raising war that ended with Frankie O'Dell all in. The boards ran out as follows:
O'Dell:
Pauli:
O'Dell made an eight-seven low and it was good for a double up through Pauli.
On the very next hand Randy Ohel earned himself a double up through David Bach. Back completed with a up. Ohel called with a .
Ohel bet when he received a on fourth, Back called receiving a . On fifth, Ohel paired with another . Bach bet with his , Ohel called. Sixth street was a for Ohel and a for Bach. Bach bet, Ohel moved all in, and Bach called.
"I paired," Bach said. "But I can't fold just incase you had three sevens."
Ohel showed his made seven-six low with his under and Bach was already drawing dead as he could only make an eight low.
After those two hands, Ohel and O'Dell are both still short, but now a little less short.