Jess and BJ: It's Not a Sequel, It's a Reboot!

Level 5: 200-400, 50 ante

Official Chips Count and Seating Assignments

Level 5: 200-400, 50 ante

Day 1 Ends With Ryan D'Angelo Leading

Level 5: 200-400, 50 ante

Day 1 of the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic drew to a quick close with players at each table seeing only two hands after the clock was stopped with fifteen minutes left in the level.

The chips were bagged and tagged and the clock says there are around 330 of the 391 registered players remaining in the field.

Thanks to a big pot against Joseph Cheong late in Level 5, Ryan D'Angelo is the end of day chip leader with 192,500 chips.  Ami Alibay is close behind him though with 185,200.  Albert Kim appears to round out the top three with 157,100 chips.

Other notables who ended the day near the top of the counts include Antonio Esfandiari, Phil Ivey, Justin Young, Michael Gracz, Matt Keikoan, and Kirk Morrison.

We'll have official chip counts and Day 2 seat assignments in a little while.  Day 2 play will get underway in the Fontana Lounge at 12pm on Saturday.

Lighting Fires with Antonio Esfandiari

Level 5: 200-400, 50 ante

Lessons In Grinding

Level 5: 200-400, 50 ante

Joseph Cheong Eliminated

Level 5: 200-400, 50 ante

We missed the action, but Barry Greenstein informed us that Joseph Cheong six-bet all-in with A-J only to run into Ryan D'Angelo's pocket jacks.  Cheong is now out and D'Angelo appears to be the chip leader with around 170,000.

Jason Potter Eliminated by Steve Burkholder in Massive Pot

Level 5: 200-400, 50 ante

Elky Grospellier raises to 950 from the hijack, the player in the cutoff calls, and Jason Potter raises to 3,375 on the button.  Steve Burkholder is in the small blind and makes it 8,600 to go.  Grospellier folds, the cutoff folds, and Potter takes a minute to count out a ver yprecise raise to 15,175.

Burkholder does not back down and makes it 30,000 to go.  Potter quickly announces he is all-in and Burkholder just as quickly announces, "call."

Burkholder turns over AK and he is racing with Potter's JJ.  

"It was one of those spots," Potter says to Burkholder.

The board runs out K7328 and Burkholder pairs his king to take the pot, eliminate Potter, and jump to 125,000 in chips.

Kimberly and Madsen Freestylin'

Level 5: 200-400, 50 ante

Kathy Liebert's Plans

Level 5: 200-400, 50 ante

Phil Ivey Gets Aggressive

Level 5: 200-400, 50 ante

With 4,500 chips in the pot and the board reading Q72, a player in middle position bets 2,500 and Phil Ivey instantly tosses in five gray 5,000 chips--enough to put the other player all-in for his remaining 16,725 chips.

The other player takes a couple of minutes to mull over the hand.  While he is deep in thought, Ivey lets out a big yawn, glances around the room, and seems to give his opponent little to no regard whatsoever.

Eventually, the other player folds and Ivey silently collects another pot to add to his already substantial stack.