Shawn Cunix raised to 1,225 in the hijack and the cutoff, Ryan D’Angelo (button) and Jean-Robert Bellande (small blind) all called. On the flop, it was checked to D’Angelo who bet 2,500 and only Bellande called. When the hit the turn, Bellande held out a 5,000 chip as he contemplated his bet but it didn’t matter what amount he was planning to put as D’Angelo quickly folded.
We walked on over to the corner of the orange section and saw one player stacking a ton of chips. And we mean a ton. That player is Francesco Nguyen, and he is sitting on about 230,000 in chips, which by our count is the first stack over 200,000 today. We will be sure to keep an eye on how his progress is going.
With a board already in the middle of the table Tony Hachem and another player were battling it out. With over 15,000 worth of chips already in the middle Hachem's opponent bet out 9,000. Hachem then moved all in and was snap called.
Hachem:
Opponent:
After seeing what he was up against Hachem fairly calmly stated "it is what it is" acknowledging to the table that he was in bad shape. There were still a handful of cards Hachem could hit to stay a live; any heart, any ten, and any jack would steal back the hand in Hachem's favor.
Lady luck must have bet on Hachem to go deep this year, because a rang off the deck for the river giving Hachem a winning flush to counter his opponent's pair of queens. Hachem then very graciously went over to his opponent who was now eliminated, and shook his hand and sympathized with his opponent's misfortune. Hachem now sits with almost 100,000 in chips
An interesting hand just now over at Alexandros Karnaos' table. Three players, including Karnaos in the small blind, had built a small pot prior to the arrival of the flop. Karnaos checked, Dwayne Stacey bet 2,500, and both Caywood Vanstratum (button) and Karnaos called.
The turn was the , and Karnaos checked again. Stacey bet 6,000 this time, Vanstratum called, and Karnaos got out.
The river was the , and this time Stacey checked. Vanstratum sat still for a few seconds, then shook his head. "I have no idea where I am in this hand," he said. "I check."
"Full house," said Vanstratum, showing . "Ah, you rivered me," said Vanstratum, tabling his . The table marveled a little at Stacey's hand. "I sure folded a lot better than that before the river!" said Karnaos with a smile.
Vanstratum and Stacey continued to discuss the hand afterwards, with both suggesting they would've have folded had the other at any point shoved the river. In any case, Stacey bumped up to 90,000, Vanstratum slipped to 65,000, and Karnaos maintains his big stack of 135,000.
Janet Callaway opened to 1,600 in late position, and Steven "PiKappRaider" Burkholder moved all in on the button. Callaway quickly called, having Burkholder crushed.
Callaway:
Burkholder:
The board ran , and Burkholder was eliminated from the tournament.
On the river of a board, Ylon Schwartz raised a 5,000 bet to 12,000 but he was called pretty quickly by his opponent. The former November Niner flipped over for a flopped flush but his opponent turned over for the nut flush to scoop the pot.
Schwartz however had already won some pots today and is still up on his starting stack overall.
PokerStars and PokerNews are excited to announce the Exclusive PokerNews Main Event! - $20,000 added tournament.
This tournament takes place on July 17 at 1400 EST.
It has a $10+$1 buy-in, and $20,000 has been added to the prize pool. The structure is very deep: 30,000 starting chips, 15-minute blinds and the levels begin at 50-100.
This tournament is open to all PokerStars players, no matter whether they signed up through PokerNews or not. The only way to play in this tournament is with the password, which will be released at random times during our World Series of Poker Main Event Live Reporting.
If you do not have a PokerStars account, make sure you do sign up through PokerNews and use marketing code “POKERNEWS.COM”. This will ensure your eligibility in any future PokerNews-exclusive promotions, as well as getting you a 100%-up-to-$600 deposit bonus.
Tournament Specifics:
Name: Exclsuive PokerNews Main Event
Date: July 17, 2011, starting at 2:00 PM EST
Game: NLH Freezout (password protected) ID#413428486
Buyin: $10+1
Prize: $20,000 added
Structure: starting @ 50-100, 15-min blinds
Starting stack: 30,000 chips
Password: PNLIVE
Payout: standard
Late reg: 120 mins
We showed up at Chad Batista’s table to see the hijack raise to 3,225 and the button call. Batista then moved all in for 29,750 total from early position and the hijack tanked before he folded. The button also went into the tank but then called to put Batista at risk as the players turned up their hands.
Batista:
Button:
Batista was solidly behind until the board ran out to give Batista a set and he yelled, “YES!” as he gave a fist pump. He then rushed straight to the door of the Amazon room and headed out, only returning a couple of minutes later.
Jamie Gold's original table broke fairly quickly and he has been relocated to the black section of the pavilion room. Before Gold even got the chance to play a hand the ESPN camera crew had sniped his position and began recording.
"You guys come and record me and I haven't even played a hand yet!" exclaimed Gold.
Gold went on to survey his new table, asking who the big stacks were. He was pleased to find that he held the biggest stack at his new table.
"I can't be busted in one hand," said Gold. "I'm glad the cameras are here now because I won't bust in any one single hand"
As Gold said that the camera crew packed up to leave, and strangely enough it was right as Gold entered a pot. Gold tossed out a chip to limp from early position and yelled after the cameras "Oh, NOW you guys are leaving?!"
The limping continued from the button, cutoff, and small blind, and big blind checked his option. The flop came and the blinds checked to Gold who pushed out 2,000. The cutoff called and the rest of the players folded.
The turn brought and Gold bet 3,000. His opponent called and Gold immediately replied with "Nice hand, sir."
The hit the river and both players checked.
"You're good," Gold said as he tabled . Everything came, the spades, the straight, I don't see how I can win this hand. His opponent dejectedly shook his head and showed the table .
Gold was able to scoop the pot and boost his stack to about 95,000.
flop, it was checked to D’Angelo who bet 2,500 and only Bellande called. When the 
hit the turn, Bellande held out a 5,000 chip as he contemplated his bet but it didn’t matter what amount he was planning to put as D’Angelo quickly folded.
board already in the middle of the table Tony Hachem and another player were battling it out. With over 15,000 worth of chips already in the middle Hachem's opponent bet out 9,000. Hachem then moved all in and was snap called.
rang off the deck for the river giving Hachem a winning flush to counter his opponent's pair of queens. Hachem then very graciously went over to his opponent who was now eliminated, and shook his hand and sympathized with his opponent's misfortune. Hachem now sits with almost 100,000 in chips
flop. Karnaos checked, Dwayne Stacey bet 2,500, and both Caywood Vanstratum (button) and Karnaos called.
, and Karnaos checked again. Stacey bet 6,000 this time, Vanstratum called, and Karnaos got out.
, and this time Stacey checked. Vanstratum sat still for a few seconds, then shook his head. "I have no idea where I am in this hand," he said. "I check."
. "Ah, you rivered me," said Vanstratum, tabling his 
, and Burkholder was eliminated from the tournament.
for a flopped flush but his opponent turned over 
to give Batista a set and he yelled, “YES!” as he gave a fist pump. He then rushed straight to the door of the Amazon room and headed out, only returning a couple of minutes later.
and the blinds checked to Gold who pushed out 2,000. The cutoff called and the rest of the players folded.
hit the river and both players checked.
.
