Well, it would appear as though my threat to streak the event unless I see some action sharpish didn't fall on stony ground, two players on the end table dispelling my theory that they were saying "Look, here comes the PokerNews blogger, quick, take the chips back," and hiding the action from me.
The hand that has saved the Empire Casino from my naked flash involved Per Ummer and (according to the player list) Sergey Rybachenko. With just over 10k in the pot and the board reading , Sergey was faced with a 6k bet from Per on the river.
However, although he only had second pair with his Pocket Tens, Sergey obviously spotted something we didn't as he was able to make what was ultimately a very good call.
Per shook his head and mucked. "I don't need see your hand," said Per, but he was overruled by the dealer, and the rest of the table, who correctly claimed that in order to win the pot, the hand had to be revealed.
THE SPORTSMAN -- UK circuit player (and big winner this year in English festival Main Event) Dave Smith has been eliminated - with the . He was, however, down to just 2,425, and the pot was pretty small preflop - it looked like he might have raised to 600 and been called by his knocker-outer Joe Serock.
The flop: , with Dave's opponent holding the . No help from the turn or river and we're down one more here at the Sportsman, which is starting to fill with a small early-evening gambling crowd.
Serock picked up another nice pot, this time from neighbour David Williams, just before the cameras came to catch the knockout: I caught the hand at the river with 10k+ already in the pot.
The board: . A 7k bet on the river was paid off by Williams, only for him to be shown and bump his opponent up to 44,000.
Glancing at the chip counts from downstairs and the other casinos where today's event is being held, I must confess to being slightly jealous, our chip leader being Jennifer Harman with just 35k.
In fact, I'm yet to see an exit, with the big orange 5k chips rarely entering a pot. It all seems very cagey with players very wary of making a mistake. Perhaps that will all change in the near future, but at the moment, my action-hungry eyes will remain on the look out.
If nothing changes soon, I'm going to have to become the first player to streak at the World Series... and no one wants to see that. So be warned, players - let's see action, and make it snappy!
THE FIFTY-- Each table here at the Fifty seems to have developed its own personality, with some stone-cold silent (the Erik Seidel/Nik Jedlicka/Nenad Medic table comes to mind) while others are engaged in spirited conversation. In the back of the room, the table of online wizards including Sorel "Imper1um" Mizzi and Jeff "ActionJeff" Garza is chatting about... what else... online gaming and the whole "NewBodog" fiasco, while over at Greg Raymer's table, he's reveling his tablemates with his infamous "I got robbed at Bellagio" tale. Over at Table 15, currently captained by Liz Lieu's large stack, several of her male opponents are enjoying head massages as they stare each other down (it really does look quite ridiculous).
My condolences, Vicky Coren fans, but the reigning EPT London champ seems to only have eyes for one Erick Lindgren. Currently seated next door to one another, the two seem to be giggling, socialising and generally having a ruddy good time. At one point, Erick Lindgren even put his arm around Vicky on request.
Is this the start of more than a blossoming friendship, or is it (especially if they have spouses) just my imagination running wild?
Either way, they're both still plugging away here at the Empire Casino, Vicky with 19,000 and Erick with 17,850.
Patrick Bruel took down another big pot from Sarah Taylor after doubling up. The two have been shipping chips back-and-forth to each other over the past three hours. It's been more like a tennis match that a poker tournament. Every time I walk over to their table, a stack of 5,000 orange chips disappears from Bruel's stack and shows up in front of Taylor and then I return to see the same stack sitting in front of Bruel.
This is Heather Wells. Heather won a $540 satellite on Bodog, and is here playing while her husband sits home and minds their 5 month old baby. Just 10 weeks ago, the roles were reversed, and Heather was at home looking after the baby, while her husband Brian was playing in the Main Event after winning a seat on Bodog also.
Heather runs a 'bling' business that 'blings out' cell phones, glasses....whatever you got. Oh, and as for her own bling, Heather is sporting a ring with a Diamond on it that could have its own ZIP code.