Live Tournament Updates
End Day 1 Official Chip Counts
Level 5: 200-400, 50 ante
Sorted In: Featured Blog, Tournaments, Bellagio, Festa al Lago, Season IX10:44 PM, 10/15/10
Day 1 Draws to a Close
Level 5: 200-400, 50 ante
All the tables have bagged and tagged and the 214 players still alive in the Festa al Lago Main Event have called it a night.
The chip leader appears to be Payman Arjang, who ended the day with an impressive 217,875. The next biggest stack we spotted was that of Peter Braglia, who ended the day with 160,100. There are several players with over 100,000 chips, including Annette Obrestad, Brandon Novena, Men Nguyen, and Amit Makhija.
Complete chip counts will be available later tonight. Check back soon for the official numbers and seat assignments for Day 2, which begins at 12pm tomorrow.
09:00 PM, 10/15/10
Phil Laak Eliminated by Arnaud Mattern
Level 5: 200-400, 50 ante
Arnaud Mattern spent the bulk of his Day 1 sitting on 35,000 chips, but a sudden upswing during the last level of the day helped to push him past the century mark and put him in the top half of the chip counts. He chipped up to 50,000 without showdown, then effectively doubled up in a big pot with Phil Laak late in the day.
We missed the hand, but according to Mattern, Laak raised to 1,050 from under the gun, Kyle Bowker called in the hijack, and Mattern called from the cutoff holding T
T
.
The flop fell 5-4-2 with two diamonds and Laak bet around 3,500. Bowker folded and Mattern called. The turn brought a black 9 and Laak bet 12,000. Mattern called and the river came 6
. Laak shoved all-in for 32,600 and Mattern had a big decision, as he only had Laak covered by 4,000 chips.
After three or four minutes in the tank Mattern called and Laak showed A
K for just ace high. Laak was eliminated and Mattern took the big pot.
Arnaud Mattern - 103,700
Phil Laak - eliminated
08:54 PM, 10/15/10
Damn Yankees
Level 5: 200-400, 50 ante
As the final level of play starts winding down, the attention of the players is shifting to something far more important: baseball. Most people weren't paying too much attention to the ALCS game between the Texans and the Yankees when the Yanks were down four runs.
Now that the game is heating up in the eighth inning with the Yankees up by one run, players and railbirds are both squarely focused on the game, craning in their seats and, in some cases, standing in the aisles in order to watch the action.
Both Shaun Deeb and Matt Stout are sporting Yankees gear to support their team and several other players not decked out in Yankee blue seem invested in the action.
08:14 PM, 10/15/10
WPT Raw Deal Analyst Tony Dunst
Level 5: 200-400, 50 ante
Sorted In: Featured Blog, Tony Dunst, Kimberly Lansing, Tournaments, Bellagio, Festa al Lago, Season IX08:13 PM, 10/15/10
Eli Elezra's Kings Cracked
Level 5: 200-400, 50 ante
Eli Elezra is down to just 5,500 chips after his pocket kings were cracked by an opponent's AK. An ace on the flop spelled disaster for Elezra and he is down to less than 15 big blinds.
07:53 PM, 10/15/10
Tony Utnage vs. Jamie Rosen
Level 5: 200-400, 50 ante
Tony Utnage raises to 900 from under the gun, a player in middle position calls, Jennifer Harman calls from the cutoff, and Jamie Rosen (TheCronic420) calls on the button.
The flop falls 772 and Utnage bets 2,250. Rosen is the only caller and they go heads-up as the turn brings the 3. Utnage bets 5,600 and Rosen calls. The river is the 3 and Utnage checks. Rosen pauses for a moment before betting 11,575, leaving just one 5,000 chip behind. Utnage quickly folds and Rosen takes the pot.
Jamie Rosen - 39,000
07:39 PM, 10/15/10
Joe Sebok Can't Escape the Poker Room
Level 5: 200-400, 50 ante
While most of the field is in Bellagio's Fontana Lounge, there are still a handful of tables in the poker room to handle the overflow. But with so many late registrants, the number of tables stays pretty constant as new players replace those who have busted.
Joe Sebok started the day in the poker room, and has moved four times -- and he is still in the poker room. When his most recent table broke, there were three empty seats in the poker room, and the players drew cards to see who would stick behind. Of course, Sebok drew the wrong card.
On the bright side, Sebok is doing well in the poker room, with about 80,000 in chips.
Joe Sebok - 80,000 (200 bb)
07:22 PM, 10/15/10
Level 5 Begins
Level 5: 200-400, 50 ante
The players return from break to begin Level 5, with increased blinds of 200-400 and a 50 ante. There are currently 292 entrants, and registration remains open until the end of Level 8 (about 5:00 pm tomorrow).
With 231 players remaining, the average chip stack is about 50,500. This is the last level of the night.
07:13 PM, 10/15/10
Mike Watson Eliminated
Level 4: 150-300, 25 ante
Former WPT winner Mike Watson is all in preflop from the big blind with A-A, against an opponent in early position with 8-8. But the board comes 10-7-3-J-9, giving Watson's opponent a jack-high straight to win the pot. Mike Watson is eliminated from the tournament.
Mike Watson - Eliminated
07:10 PM, 10/15/10
