A player in late position made it 1,200 and Matt Savage in the small blind made the call. The dealer flattened out a flop and it was here that both players checked. A fell on the turn, allowing Savage to seemingly take control of the hand and bet out 1,500. After a mild tank session his opponent called.
The river however slowed Savage down as he opted to simply knuckle. Savage's opponent then bet out 800. Savage immediately said call and flipped over for a pair of kings. Savage's opponent showed for a weaker pair, and the losing hand. Savage now sits around 64,000 in chips.
We caught up with the action four-handed on a flop where it was checked to Greg Mueller who bet 1,100 in the hijack and only the small blind stuck around. Both players checked the turn and the small blind check-called another Mueller bet of 2,000 on the river. Mueller flipped over for kings up which was good to take down the pot and get some thinnish value on the end of the double-paired board.
We just caught a cooler hand that would make Mr. Freeze from the Batman series cringe. Amnon Filippi and Marcelo Mesqueu were heads up on a board that read . Mesqueu checked to Filippi, who bet out 3,700. Mesqueu called, and the pot had about 11,000 in it.
The river came the , and Mesqueu checked one more time. Filippi threw out an over bet of 16,000, and Mesqueu thought for just a few seconds before announcing all in. Filippi SNAP called and showed for flopped quads. Mesqueu shook his head, and showed for a flopped full house.
Filippi missed the reveal, and when he was told what Mesqueu, he was understandably shocked. "Wow thats just so sick. I was praying he had queens. When I saw the first six I was happy. When I saw the second I was like damn I'm not going to make any money."
Well he certainly did. Filippi and Mesqueu were virtually even in chips, with Filippi barely having him covered. He now has over 100,000.
It folded around to Christopher Bolek in the small blind who raised to 1,400. Jeffrey Lisandro, sitting in the big blind with mirrored glasses and his characteristic hat, made the call. The flop came . Bolek bet 1,800. Lisandro rechecked his cards, and called the bet.
The turn brought the , pairing the board. This time Bolek bet 4,100, then Lisandro made it 9,000 to go. Bolek hesitated, then called.
The river was the , and both players quickly checked. Bolek tabled for queens and sixes, and Lisandro mucked.
Lisandro has about 44,000 now, while Bolek chips up over 80,000.
As we were wandering the Orange Section of the Pavilion, we happened to notice a big stack that just so happens to belong to Mike Carson, who won a bracelet back at the 2000 WSOP in Event #18 $3,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em. All told, Carson has six WSOP cashes totaling $280,235.
With a stack of over 120,000, we'll certainly be keeping an eye on Carson throughout Day 2b.
2001 Main Event Champion Carlos Mortensen started the day with with over 100,000 chips and has since gained even more to get up around 130,000. While Carlos has had a good start to the day, we did catch this hand where he lost a few after some big bets failed him.
A player in middle position raised it up to 1,200 and got a call from the small blind. Mortensen re-raised from the big blind to 5,200, the middle position player called, and the small blind folded.
The flop came down and Mortensen bet out 4,850. The middle position player thought for a bit and made the call to see the turn. Both players (after quite a bit of thinking) checked and the river came
Mortensen checked again, the middle position player bet 3,200 and Mortensen reluctantly called. The middle position player showed and Mortensen mucked. He has fallen to around 112,000 which is just about what he started the day with. Still double average and with the knowledge of how to win the Main Event, Mortensen is as dangerous a player as we have in the field today
A middle position player opened for 1,100 and Jeff Shulman, also in middle position, moved all in for his last 5,300. The opener made the call to put Shulman at risk as the players turned up their hands.
Shulman:
Opponent:
Shulman was slighty ahead and stayed in front on the flop although his opponent picked up an inside-straight draw. The on the turn was as good of a card as Shulman could have asked for as his opponent would now need a ten and a ten only to deliver the knockout. The river was the and Shulman secured the double up but was still short with not much more than a third of the original starting stack.
flop and it was here that both players checked. A 
fell on the turn, allowing Savage to seemingly take control of the hand and bet out 1,500. After a mild tank session his opponent called.
river however slowed Savage down as he opted to simply knuckle. Savage's opponent then bet out 800. Savage immediately said call and flipped over 
for a pair of kings. Savage's opponent showed 
flop where it was checked to Greg Mueller who bet 1,100 in the hijack and only the small blind stuck around. Both players checked the 
river. Mueller flipped over 
for kings up which was good to take down the pot and get some thinnish value on the end of the double-paired board.
. Mesqueu checked to Filippi, who bet out 3,700. Mesqueu called, and the pot had about 11,000 in it.
, and Mesqueu checked one more time. Filippi threw out an over bet of 16,000, and Mesqueu thought for just a few seconds before announcing all in. Filippi SNAP called and showed 
for flopped quads. Mesqueu shook his head, and showed 
for a flopped full house.
for queens and sixes, and Lisandro mucked.
and Mortensen bet out 4,850. The middle position player thought for a bit and made the call to see the 
and Mortensen mucked. He has fallen to around 112,000 which is just about what he started the day with. Still double average and with the knowledge of how to win the Main Event, Mortensen is as dangerous a player as we have in the field today
flop although his opponent picked up an inside-straight draw. The 
on the turn was as good of a card as Shulman could have asked for as his opponent would now need a ten and a ten only to deliver the knockout. The river was the 
and Shulman secured the double up but was still short with not much more than a third of the original starting stack.