David Reese Poker Tournament Updates

And so it begins -- $50,000 Players Championship Underway

May 28, '10

The 2010 World Series of Poker is officially underway. Cards are in the air for event No. 2, The $50,000 Poker Players Championship.

The event will rotate every eight hands through eight forms of poker — limit hold’em, Omaha hi-low split-8 or better, seven card razz, seven card stud, seven card stud hi-low split 8 or better, no limit hold’em, pot limit Omaha and 2-7 triple draw lowball.

The tournament will run five days through 90 minute levels. Players will start with 150,000 in tournament chips.

The event’s $50,000 buy-in is the most expensive among the 57 events featured in this year’s WSOP, and the richest entry fee for a North American event.
The inaugural Players Championship was won by Chip Reese in 2006. The trophy was named the “Chip Reese Trophy” following Reese’s death in 2007. Freddy Deeb won the event in 2007, Scotty Nguyen in 2008, and last year David Bach took first place.

Player Tags: Scotty Nguyen,   David Reese,   Doyle Brunson,   David Bach,   Freddy Deeb

Opening Ceremony Honors Chip Reese

May 28, '10

The $50,000 Players Championship event began with a few words from last year’s event winner David Bach, followed by a ceremony honoring the late Chip Reese, for whom the event’s trophy was named after. Doyle Brunson spoke and a video was shown honoring Reese’s life and legacy.

The tournament will start following the ceremony.

Player Tags: David Reese

H.O.R.S.E. World Championship Begins at Noon on Friday

Jun 26, '09

Event No. 49 ($50,000 H.O.R.S.E. world championship) will begin at noon PDT on Friday, June 26. Players will begin with 150,000 in tournament chips. Levels will be 90-minutes long and there will be a 20-minute break after every level. There will be a 90-minute dinner break after the fourth level of play during each day of the event. Limit hold’em, Omaha eight-or-better, razz, seven-card stud, and seven-card stud eight-or-better will be spread during the tournament and the game will change every eight hands. Here is a look at the schedule for the event:

Friday, June 26, noon: Day 1 (play 6 levels)
Saturday, June 27, 2 p.m.: Day 2 (play 6 levels)
Sunday, June 28, 2 p.m.: Day 3 (play 6 levels)
Monday, June 29, 2 p.m.: Day 4 (play down to final table)
Tuesday, June 30, TBD: Final Table

In 2008 this event attracted 148 players and the champion was Scotty Nguyen, who took home $1,989,120 in prize money. CardPlayer.com will bring you full live updates, top-ten chip counts, and results each day from this marquee event, as well as daily news recaps.

Past H.O.R.S.E. Champions:

2006: Chip Reese
2007: Freddy Deeb
2008: Scotty Nguyen

Player Tags: Scotty Nguyen,   David Reese,   Freddy Deeb

$50,000 World Championship of H.O.R.S.E. Begins at 5pm

Jun 25, '08

Today kicks off what has arguably become the most prestigious event of the World Series of Poker, Event No. 45 ($50,000 World Championship of H.O.R.S.E.). Reigning world champion Freddy Deeb comes back at 5 pm to defend his 2007 title while everyone in the poker community is reminded of the great loss suffered with the passing of David "Chip" Reese, the inaugural 2006 world champion.

Here  is a look back at the final hands of the 2006 & 2007 $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. world championship events...

2007 - 38th Annual Word Series of poker

Freddy Deeb Wins the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship ($2,276,832)

On the very next hand, Fitoussi was all in for his final $140,000 on third street. Deeb called and the race was on. In the end Fitoussi was dealt 1032JA89 and Deeb was dealt A745598. Deeb won the second $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. championship, the gold bracelet, and $2,276,832 in prize money. Fitoussi took home $1,278,720 in second-place prize money.

2006 - 37th Annual World Series of Poker

Chip Reese Wins the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Event ($1,716,000)

Reese pushes in and Bloch calls all in.  Reese shows AQ and Bloch turns over 98.  The flop comes J77 and Bloch picks up a straight draw.  The turn is the 4 and the river is the 4.  Reese's ace kicker with a pair of sevens on the board wins the hand. Andy Bloch finishes second and earns $1,029,600 while Chip Reese earns the gold bracelet and $1,716,000.

Player Tags: David Reese,   Andy Bloch,   Bruno Fitoussi,   Freddy Deeb

Notable Eliminations

Jul 13, '07

Michael Binger, Chip Reese and Erik Siedel have all recently been eliminated.

Player Tags: David Reese,   Michael Binger

Bust Outs and Double Ups

Jul 04, '07

Mike Wattel went all-in and was called by Allen Cunningham, who stayed pat with a 9-7.  Wattel was drawing to an eight, but he failed to improve and mucked his hand before he left the table.  Freddy Deeb raised to $10,000 and Sherkhan Farnood went all-in for $59,000 total.  It folded around to Deeb, who called and drew one.  Farnood stood pat with a 10-9. Deeb drew one card and held 8-6-5-3.   He picked up a four, and his 8-6 sent Farnood to the rail.  Deeb, who was very short last level, grew to well above $100,000 this level.  Men "The Master" Nguyen was also eliminated this level.

 Barry Greenstein went all-in for $22,100 and Allen Cunningham called, saying, "I need a card."  Greenstein said, "I need to think."   He decided to stand pat with a J-8, and Allen paired up, showing his 6-6 before mucking his hand.  Chip Reese went all-in and was called, and both players stood pat.  Reese revealed a J-9-5, while his opponent held J-9-8, and Reese doubled up.

Only 24 players remained on four tables, which are all very stacked.

Table 1

Howard Lederer
Chad Brown
Freddy Deeb
Michael Binger

Table 2

Barry Greenstein
Fabrice Soulier
Shawn Sheikhan
Allen Cunningham
Jeffry Lisandro 

Table 3

Tony G
Erik Seidel
Andrew Black
Johnny Chan
Eli Elezra

Table 4

Chip Reese
Thor Hansen
Noel Furlong
Tom Schneider
Chris Ferguson
Todd Brunson
Notable Chip Counts

Todd Brunson	285,000
Jeffrey Lisandro	265,400
Chris Ferguson	202,500
Freddy Deeb	166,000
Chip Reese	162,500
Sean 'Sheiky' Sheikhan	160,000
Andy Black	155,000
Allen Cunningham	150,000
Erik Seidel	147,000
Tony G	134,000
Howard Lederer	90,000
Johnny Chan	79,500
Barry Greenstein	50,000

Player Tags: David Reese,   Barry Greenstein,   Allen Cunningham,   Michael Wattel,   Freddy Deeb

Hour 2 Recap

Jun 24, '07

There’s a lot of action in Amazon Room right now as the second hour of the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event has come to an end. Mike “The Mouth” Matusow is seeing a lot of action on his table as he gets out in front with the early chip lead. But the action doesn’t just stop at the table for Matusow as he has a $10,000 last-longer side bet going with Barry Greenstein. Despite having less chips than “The Mouth”, Greenstein is so confident in his ability to outlast the field that he laid Matusow 7:5 odds from the shorter stack. 

Although the Amazon Room is filled with familiar faces and the tables are shared by friends, the competition is immense and everyone has their eyes on the prize. While most people are trying to take as many chip as possible off of their table mates, others are making table changes to avoid a head-on collision with each other. Todd Brunson took his seat across the table from his father Doyle, but after requesting a table change by the floor staff, both father and son can now focus their aggression on the rest of field and not each other.

During Level 2; Omaha eight-or-better, Darrell Dicken was one of Matusow’s early contributors, donating a decent amount of chips to Matusow’s cause. Both Matusow,  and Dicken limp into a four-handed pot followed by John Phan out of the small blind and the big blind who checked his option. The flop came 7 6 4, and Matusow bets out, Dicken calls, and both the blinds fold behind them. The turn brought the 3 and this time Matusow checks to Dicken who fires out. Matusow called and the river brought the 2. Both players check the river and Matusow turns over 6 4 for two pair and A 3 for the nut low. Dicken who had been playing for the low turns over A 2 for the nut low, and he gets quartered. Matusow takes ¾ of the pot.

The Omaha eight-or-better round also brought a smile to Mike Sexton’s face when he flipped over K K on a K 5 2 K 7 board for quad kings. T.J. Cloutier wasn’t smiling after this hand as he too was playing for the high hand while Mike Sexton scooped the pot.    

Halfway through the second hour, the game switched to Razz and Thor Hansen managed to take a really nice pot off of John Phan. Phan comes in for a raise and Hansen calls behind him. Phan had been betting the whole time with a board of 3 6 J 7 while Hansen had been calling him down to the river with a board of 2 5 J 10. Phan bets the river and Hansen raises him. Phan calls and turns over A 2 8 for the seven-low while Hansen shows 6 4 3for the six-low.

Fifteen Europeans have entered the event and most are household names in the poker community :
Max Pescatori, Jeff Lisandro, Marco Traniello, Rob Hollink, Andy Black, Thor Hansen, Patrick Bueno, Jani Sointula, Patrik Antonius, John Kabbaj, Alex Kravchenko, Gus Hansen, David Benyamine, John Duthie, and Bruno Fitoussi.

That's about 10% of the field. Last year Patrik Antonius was the only European to cash, finishing in 9th place.

This is just a small preview of the action to come over the next five days, so be sure to check back with CardPlayer.com

for more updates and the Pro Blogs of last year’s champion, David “Chip” Reese, and runner-up, Andy Bloch.

Player Tags: John Phan,   Thor Hansen,   T.J. Cloutier,   David Reese,   Barry Greenstein,   Andy Bloch,   Todd Brunson,   Mike Matusow,   Doyle Brunson,   Darrell Dicken

H.O.R.S.E. Play

Jun 24, '07

And now the moment you’ve all been waiting for…the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event is underway. Argued by many to be the defining bracelet of the World Series of Poker, the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event is not only the richest buy-in of the entire tournament, but it also the most difficult to win. Last year, 143 of the best all around poker players came to the Rio in hopes of solidifying their talent and earning the most coveted and respected title in all of poker. David “Chip” Reese claimed the bracelet in 2006 along with the $1,784,640 grand prize, but now the title of the world’s best poker player is up for grabs again, so be sure to check back with CardPlayer.com for more updates and your favorite Pro Blogs.

Player Tags: David Reese

H.O.R.S.E. Day Two Over

Jun 25, '07

The completion of the Razz level has prompted the end of Day 2.

RAZZ

Erick Lindgren made the most of the last level of the day, doubling up his short stack twice.  Both times it was a tight race down to the river.  Against Neal Friets, Lindgren held a 10-7-4-3-A on 6th street while Friets was drawing to an 8-7-3-2 low.  Both players missed, but Friets could only manage a King low.  Against Chris Reslock, Lindgren was drawing to a 7-4-2-A low, already holding two pair against Reslock's 7-6-2-A draw with a Jack.  Lindgren picked up a 3 on the river to make a seven-high low and double his chips back up to over $100,000.

Short stacks Cyndy Violette and Dan Shak also found refuge on the river to double up their short stacks in the last level.

Bill Edler was not so lucky, busting in 53rd place when he ran into Mike Matusow's perfect six low.

The 52 remaining players bagged up their chips for the night and were informed that their tables would be redrawn for tomorrow.  There will be two TV tables tomorrow as ESPN is beefing up the coverage of this massive event.

Amazingly in this star-studded field, the day two chip leader is relative unknown John Hanson, who's tournament winnings to date according to our records wouldn't cover half of the tournament buy-in.  Eli Elezra, Toto Leonidas, and Allen Cunningham are right on his heels though.

Be sure to check out the progress of Chip Reese, Andy Bloch, Huck Seed, and Justin Bonomo as they continue tomorrow in our Pro Blogs section.


Play will resume at 2pm PST

Player Tags: Toto Leonidas,   David Reese,   Erick Lindgren,   Andy Bloch,   Allen Cunningham,   Huck Seed,   Eli Elezra,   Neal Friets,   Cyndy Violette,   Bill Edler,   Dan Shak,   Chris Reslock,   Justin Bonomo,   John Hanson

Levels 25, 26, and 27 -Stud Eight or Better, Hold'em and Omaha Eight or Better

Jun 25, '07

STUD EIGHT OR BETTER

The End of an Era

Table 41 has been broken, sending numerous big name pros to other tables in the H.O.R.S.E. event.  2006 champion Chip Reese joined Amnon Filipi, Rob Mizrachi, Gavin Smith, Bruno Fitoussi, Greg Mueller and Rob Hollink.   Eli Elezra, who is still chip leader but not by nearly as large a margin, moved to table 13 to join Freddy Deeb, David Sklansky, Joe Cassidy and Tuan Le.  Joe Cassidy was later eliminated in that level.

HOLD'EM

Ramdin Not Victor-ious

At the end of the stud eight or better level Victor Ramdin was crippled. The next hand he found himself with most of his stack in on the big blind. "I'm pot committed." When two players raised before action got back to him, Ramdin reluctantly folded. A few hands later Ramdin was all in, with only Gabe Kaplan left to act.  Ramdin revealed his A, prompting Kaplan to call with A 10. Ramdin turned up his other card, the 6, and after he didn't improve he was eliminated from the event.

Gazes Survives

Bill Gazes had only $17,000 left when he raised to $10,000.  Huck Seed reraised to $15,000, and Gazes just called.  With only $2,000 behind, he saw a flop of Q 7 4 and went all-in.  Seed had to call with his 8-8, but Gazes took down the hand with his K Q, making two pair on  the river to lock up the pot. 

OMAHA EIGHT OR BETTER

Eliminations

Doyle Brunson went into the final table of this event last year as the chip leader.  He won't have the same opportunity this year, for he was eliminated this past level. Patrik Antonius and "Captain" Tom Franklin also hit the rail this level.

Tournament Info

Only 78 players remain in the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event.   Almost fifty people have hit the rail since play restarted  for the day at 2 p.m.  The players are currently on dinner break, and will return at 9 p.m.
Notable Chip Counts

Eli Elezra	500,000
Allen Cunningham	350,000
Freddy Deeb	324,000
John Juanda	285,000
David Williams	285,000
Chip Reese	280,000
Annie Duke	270,000
Andy Bloch	260,000
Mike Matusow	250,000
Tuan Le	243,000
Phil Ivey	235,000
Phil Hellmuth Jr	230,000
Cyndy Violette	230,000
Barry Greenstein	230,000
Scotty Nguyen	210,000
Huckleberry Seed	210,000
David Sklansky	208,000
Gavin Smith	200,000
Phil Laak	191,000
Toto Leonidas	185,000
Robert Mizrachi	180,000
Daniel Negreanu	180,000
Gabe Kaplan	165,000
Erick Lindgren	165,000
Greg Raymer	158,000
Chris Ferguson	148,000
John Hennigan	145,000
Isabelle Mercier	120,000
Dewey Tomko	120,000
Erik Seidel	105,000
Todd Brunson	85,000
Sam Grizzle	63,000
Howard Lederer	18,000

Player Tags: Tom Franklin,   David Reese,   Bill Gazes,   Huck Seed,   Doyle Brunson,   Victor Ramdin,   Eli Elezra,   Patrik Antonius

Level 23 and 24 - Razz and Stud

Jun 25, '07

RAZZ

Table 41

In addition to housing to last year's champion, Chip Reese, and the chip leader , Eli Elezra, table 41 has seen a veritable whose who of big-name pros come and go.  When Carlos Mortonsen busted, Darrell Dicken replaced him.  David Grey took the former seat of Chad Brown.  This table seems unstoppable, but with tables breaking at an increasingly quick pace, this table is next in line.  When it goes it will unleash some of the toughest in the game onto the other tables.

Farnood Busted By Trips

Doyle Brunson eliminated Sherkhan Farnood during the razz level.  Amazingly, Doyle held trip aces in his hand, but also had a jack-high low that was good enough to win the pot and send Farnood to the rail.

Dan Harmetz  and T.J. Cloutier were also eliminated during the razz level.

STUD

Zolotow's Favorite: Position

Steve Zolotow was on a shorter than average stack when he announced that he was merely trying to survive through the seven card stud games, so that he could use the button and the positional advantage it offers.

Fade To Grey

A short stacked David Grey was battling for his tournament life at the treacherous table 41.  He got the last of his chips is after three cards against Chip Reese, who was showing a 10 with (J 8 )J. Unfortunately for Grey, Reese held (Q Q) in the hole and called his all-in.  Grey did not improve and Reese sent him to the rail.

Only 96 players remain in the event. With payouts beginning at 16th place, the money is still a ways off. But with such an incredible field, the mix of games and the amazing amount of money on the line, this is already one of the most  entertaining  and interesting events of the year. Make sure to catch all the action every hour here at Cardplayer.com.

Daniel Negreanu	180,000
Max Pescatori	158,000
Greg Raymer	158,000
Chris Ferguson	148,000
John Hennigan	145,000
Isabelle Mercier	120,000
Todd Brunson	85,000
Howard Lederer	55,000

Player Tags: T.J. Cloutier,   David Reese,   Steve Zolotow,   Doyle Brunson,   Eli Elezra,   David Grey,   Sherkhan Farnood,   Darrell Dicken,   Dan Harmetz

Levels 21 and 22- Hold'em and Omaha Eight or Better

Jun 25, '07

HOLD'EM

41 Stays Tough

Tony G busted out last level, and his replacement at table 41 was 2006 champion David "Chip" Reese.

D'Agostino Busts

With a board of J 8 4 4 2 T.J. Cloutier bet into the short-stacked John D'Agostino. D'Agostino barely had more than the $5,000 that Cloutier bet, and eventually decided to go all in.  Cloutier quickly called with A A, and D'Agostino mucked his hand. 

Levi Eliminated

David Levi was eliminated when he flopped a pair of tens holding 10-8.  Betting the whole way down, the board ended up reading 10-9-x-x-8, giving Levi two-pair.  Levi's opponent called his all-in on the river and revealed Q-J, for a rivered straight, winning the pot and sending Levi to the rail.

Carlos Mortonsen was also eliminated during the hold'em level.

OMAHA EIGHT OR BETTER

Violette Stayin Alive

Cyndy Violette flopped trip sixes and filled up with a king on the turn.  She got paid off with  her boat when Eli Elezra made a broadway straight on the river.

Buster Brown

Chad Brown was eliminated by Elezra's ten-high straight during the omaha eight or better level.  The board read 10 7 5 9 K, with Elezra holding the A 9 8 6.

Huckleberry Seed	197,000
Daniel Negreanu	180,000
Phil Hellmuth Jr	160,000
Ted Forrest	158,000
Chris Ferguson	150,000
John Hennigan	145,000
Kenny Tran	145,000
Greg "FBT" Mueller	140,000
Doyle Brunson	128,000
Erik Seidel	127,000
Gabe Kaplan	122,000
Chris Reslock	122,000
David Sklansky	120,000
Dewey Tomko	112,000
Joe Tehan	112,000
Scotty Nguyen	111,000
Steve Zolotow	85,000
Todd Brunson	85,000
Freddy Deeb	82,000
Michael Mizrachi	78,000
Jason Lester	78,000

Player Tags: David Reese,   David Levi,   John D'Agostino,   Cyndy Violette

H.O.R.S.E. Day Two

Jun 25, '07

Play is set to resume at 2 p.m. in the $50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E. event. Of the 148 that started only 127 remain.  Eli Elezra is the chip leader going into day two, but with plenty of play left it is still anybodies tournament.  Make sure to check in for hourly updates and the Pro Blogs of 2006 champ Chip Reese, runner up Andy Bloch,  Justin Bonomo and Huck Seed here at Cardplayer.com.

Player Tags: David Reese,   Andy Bloch,   Huck Seed,   Eli Elezra,   Justin Bonomo

H.O.R.S.E. Day Three To Begin

Jun 26, '07

The remaining 52 players are set to return at 2 p.m. With the money only 35 eliminations away the atmosphere is sure to become more tense.  With copious amounts of money and respect on the line, this tournament means a lot to the players and this is sure to show in the intensity of their focus.  Make sure to check in throughout  the day for hourly updates and the Pro Blogs of Justin Bonomo, Andy Bloch, Chip Reese and Huck Seed here at Cardplayer.com.

Notable Chip Counts

Toto Leonidas	621,000
Eli Elezra	568,000
Allen Cunningham	549,000
Kenny Tran	544,000
Justin Bonomo	508,000
Mike Matusow	456,000
Phil Ivey	436,000
Amnon Filippi	429,000
Andy Bloch	425,000
Phil Hellmuth Jr	412,000
John Juanda	410,000
Max Pescatori	396,000
Freddy Deeb	357,000
Robert Mizrachi	338,000
David Singer	332,000
Chip Reese	332,000
Daniel Negreanu	307,000
Greg Raymer	287,000
Huckleberry Seed	278,000
Thor Hansen	275,000
Barry Greenstein	275,000
David Williams	203,000
Erik Seidel	194,000
Gabe Kaplan	186,000
Joe Tehan	166,000
Annie Duke	165,000
Dewey Tomko	119,000
Erick Lindgren	99,000
Scotty Nguyen	72,000
Cyndy Violette	60,000
David Sklansky	47,000
Isabelle Mercier	41,000

Player Tags: David Reese,   Andy Bloch,   Huck Seed,   Justin Bonomo

Hour 2 Recap

Jun 24, '07

There’s a lot of action in Amazon Room right now as the second hour of the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event has come to an end. Mike “The Mouth” Matusow is seeing a lot of action on his table as he gets out in front with the early chip lead. But the action doesn’t just stop at the table for Matusow as he has a $10,000 last-longer side bet going with Barry Greenstein. Despite having less chips than “The Mouth”, Greenstein is so confident in his ability to outlast the field that he laid Matusow 7:5 odds from the shorter stack. 

Although the Amazon Room is filled with familiar faces and the tables are shared by friends, the competition is immense and everyone has their eyes on the prize. While most people are trying to take as many chip as possible off of their table mates, others are making table changes to avoid a head-on collision with each other. Todd Brunson took his seat across the table from his father Doyle, but after requesting a table change by the floor staff, both father and son can now focus their aggression on the rest of field and not each other.

During Level 2; Omaha eight-or-better, Darrell Dicken was one of Matusow’s early contributors, donating a decent amount of chips to Matusow’s cause. Both Matusow,  and Dicken limp into a four-handed pot followed by John Phan out of the small blind and the big blind who checked his option. The flop came 7 6 4, and Matusow bets out, Dicken calls, and both the blinds fold behind them. The turn brought the 3 and this time Matusow checks to Dicken who fires out. Matusow called and the river brought the 2. Both players check the river and Matusow turns over 6 4 for two pair and A 3 for the nut low. Dicken who had been playing for the low turns over A 2 for the nut low, and he gets quartered. Matusow takes ¾ of the pot.

The Omaha eight-or-better round also brought a smile to Mike Sexton’s face when he flipped over K K on a K 5 2 K 7 board for quad kings. T.J. Cloutier wasn’t smiling after this hand as he too was playing for the high hand while Mike Sexton scooped the pot.    

Halfway through the second hour, the game switched to Razz and Thor Hansen managed to take a really nice pot off of John Phan. Phan comes in for a raise and Hansen calls behind him. Phan had been betting the whole time with a board of 3 6 J 7 while Hansen had been calling him down to the river with a board of 2 5 J 10. Phan bets the river and Hansen raises him. Phan calls and turns over A 2 8 for the seven-low while Hansen shows 6 4 3for the six-low.

Fifteen Europeans have entered the event and most are household names in the poker community :
Max Pescatori, Jeff Lisandro, Marco Traniello, Rob Hollink, Andy Black, Thor Hansen, Patrick Bueno, Jani Sointula, Patrik Antonius, John Kabbaj, Alex Kravchenko, Gus Hansen, David Benyamine, John Duthie, and Bruno Fitoussi.

That's about 10% of the field. Last year Patrik Antonius was the only European to cash, finishing in 9th place.

This is just a small preview of the action to come over the next five days, so be sure to check back with CardPlayer.com

for more updates and the Pro Blogs of last year’s champion, David “Chip” Reese, and runner-up, Andy Bloch.

Player Tags: John Phan,   Thor Hansen,   T.J. Cloutier,   David Reese,   Barry Greenstein,   Andy Bloch,   Todd Brunson,   Mike Matusow,   Doyle Brunson,   Darrell Dicken

H.O.R.S.E. Play

Jun 24, '07

And now the moment you’ve all been waiting for…the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event is underway. Argued by many to be the defining bracelet of the World Series of Poker, the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event is not only the richest buy-in of the entire tournament, but it also the most difficult to win. Last year, 143 of the best all around poker players came to the Rio in hopes of solidifying their talent and earning the most coveted and respected title in all of poker. David “Chip” Reese claimed the bracelet in 2006 along with the $1,784,640 grand prize, but now the title of the world’s best poker player is up for grabs again, so be sure to check back with CardPlayer.com for more updates and your favorite Pro Blogs.

Player Tags: David Reese

H.O.R.S.E. Day Two Over

Jun 25, '07

The completion of the Razz level has prompted the end of Day 2.

RAZZ

Erick Lindgren made the most of the last level of the day, doubling up his short stack twice.  Both times it was a tight race down to the river.  Against Neal Friets, Lindgren held a 10-7-4-3-A on 6th street while Friets was drawing to an 8-7-3-2 low.  Both players missed, but Friets could only manage a King low.  Against Chris Reslock, Lindgren was drawing to a 7-4-2-A low, already holding two pair against Reslock's 7-6-2-A draw with a Jack.  Lindgren picked up a 3 on the river to make a seven-high low and double his chips back up to over $100,000.

Short stacks Cyndy Violette and Dan Shak also found refuge on the river to double up their short stacks in the last level.

Bill Edler was not so lucky, busting in 53rd place when he ran into Mike Matusow's perfect six low.

The 52 remaining players bagged up their chips for the night and were informed that their tables would be redrawn for tomorrow.  There will be two TV tables tomorrow as ESPN is beefing up the coverage of this massive event.

Amazingly in this star-studded field, the day two chip leader is relative unknown John Hanson, who's tournament winnings to date according to our records wouldn't cover half of the tournament buy-in.  Eli Elezra, Toto Leonidas, and Allen Cunningham are right on his heels though.

Be sure to check out the progress of Chip Reese, Andy Bloch, Huck Seed, and Justin Bonomo as they continue tomorrow in our Pro Blogs section.


Play will resume at 2pm PST

Player Tags: Toto Leonidas,   David Reese,   Erick Lindgren,   Andy Bloch,   Allen Cunningham,   Huck Seed,   Eli Elezra,   Neal Friets,   Cyndy Violette,   Bill Edler,   Dan Shak,   Chris Reslock,   Justin Bonomo,   John Hanson

Levels 25, 26, and 27 -Stud Eight or Better, Hold'em and Omaha Eight or Better

Jun 25, '07

STUD EIGHT OR BETTER

The End of an Era

Table 41 has been broken, sending numerous big name pros to other tables in the H.O.R.S.E. event.  2006 champion Chip Reese joined Amnon Filipi, Rob Mizrachi, Gavin Smith, Bruno Fitoussi, Greg Mueller and Rob Hollink.   Eli Elezra, who is still chip leader but not by nearly as large a margin, moved to table 13 to join Freddy Deeb, David Sklansky, Joe Cassidy and Tuan Le.  Joe Cassidy was later eliminated in that level.

HOLD'EM

Ramdin Not Victor-ious

At the end of the stud eight or better level Victor Ramdin was crippled. The next hand he found himself with most of his stack in on the big blind. "I'm pot committed." When two players raised before action got back to him, Ramdin reluctantly folded. A few hands later Ramdin was all in, with only Gabe Kaplan left to act.  Ramdin revealed his A, prompting Kaplan to call with A 10. Ramdin turned up his other card, the 6, and after he didn't improve he was eliminated from the event.

Gazes Survives

Bill Gazes had only $17,000 left when he raised to $10,000.  Huck Seed reraised to $15,000, and Gazes just called.  With only $2,000 behind, he saw a flop of Q 7 4 and went all-in.  Seed had to call with his 8-8, but Gazes took down the hand with his K Q, making two pair on  the river to lock up the pot. 

OMAHA EIGHT OR BETTER

Eliminations

Doyle Brunson went into the final table of this event last year as the chip leader.  He won't have the same opportunity this year, for he was eliminated this past level. Patrik Antonius and "Captain" Tom Franklin also hit the rail this level.

Tournament Info

Only 78 players remain in the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event.   Almost fifty people have hit the rail since play restarted  for the day at 2 p.m.  The players are currently on dinner break, and will return at 9 p.m.
Notable Chip Counts

Eli Elezra	500,000
Allen Cunningham	350,000
Freddy Deeb	324,000
John Juanda	285,000
David Williams	285,000
Chip Reese	280,000
Annie Duke	270,000
Andy Bloch	260,000
Mike Matusow	250,000
Tuan Le	243,000
Phil Ivey	235,000
Phil Hellmuth Jr	230,000
Cyndy Violette	230,000
Barry Greenstein	230,000
Scotty Nguyen	210,000
Huckleberry Seed	210,000
David Sklansky	208,000
Gavin Smith	200,000
Phil Laak	191,000
Toto Leonidas	185,000
Robert Mizrachi	180,000
Daniel Negreanu	180,000
Gabe Kaplan	165,000
Erick Lindgren	165,000
Greg Raymer	158,000
Chris Ferguson	148,000
John Hennigan	145,000
Isabelle Mercier	120,000
Dewey Tomko	120,000
Erik Seidel	105,000
Todd Brunson	85,000
Sam Grizzle	63,000
Howard Lederer	18,000

Player Tags: Tom Franklin,   David Reese,   Bill Gazes,   Huck Seed,   Doyle Brunson,   Victor Ramdin,   Eli Elezra,   Patrik Antonius

Level 23 and 24 - Razz and Stud

Jun 25, '07

RAZZ

Table 41

In addition to housing to last year's champion, Chip Reese, and the chip leader , Eli Elezra, table 41 has seen a veritable whose who of big-name pros come and go.  When Carlos Mortonsen busted, Darrell Dicken replaced him.  David Grey took the former seat of Chad Brown.  This table seems unstoppable, but with tables breaking at an increasingly quick pace, this table is next in line.  When it goes it will unleash some of the toughest in the game onto the other tables.

Farnood Busted By Trips

Doyle Brunson eliminated Sherkhan Farnood during the razz level.  Amazingly, Doyle held trip aces in his hand, but also had a jack-high low that was good enough to win the pot and send Farnood to the rail.

Dan Harmetz  and T.J. Cloutier were also eliminated during the razz level.

STUD

Zolotow's Favorite: Position

Steve Zolotow was on a shorter than average stack when he announced that he was merely trying to survive through the seven card stud games, so that he could use the button and the positional advantage it offers.

Fade To Grey

A short stacked David Grey was battling for his tournament life at the treacherous table 41.  He got the last of his chips is after three cards against Chip Reese, who was showing a 10 with (J 8 )J. Unfortunately for Grey, Reese held (Q Q) in the hole and called his all-in.  Grey did not improve and Reese sent him to the rail.

Only 96 players remain in the event. With payouts beginning at 16th place, the money is still a ways off. But with such an incredible field, the mix of games and the amazing amount of money on the line, this is already one of the most  entertaining  and interesting events of the year. Make sure to catch all the action every hour here at Cardplayer.com.

Daniel Negreanu	180,000
Max Pescatori	158,000
Greg Raymer	158,000
Chris Ferguson	148,000
John Hennigan	145,000
Isabelle Mercier	120,000
Todd Brunson	85,000
Howard Lederer	55,000

Player Tags: T.J. Cloutier,   David Reese,   Steve Zolotow,   Doyle Brunson,   Eli Elezra,   David Grey,   Sherkhan Farnood,   Darrell Dicken,   Dan Harmetz

Levels 21 and 22- Hold'em and Omaha Eight or Better

Jun 25, '07

HOLD'EM

41 Stays Tough

Tony G busted out last level, and his replacement at table 41 was 2006 champion David "Chip" Reese.

D'Agostino Busts

With a board of J 8 4 4 2 T.J. Cloutier bet into the short-stacked John D'Agostino. D'Agostino barely had more than the $5,000 that Cloutier bet, and eventually decided to go all in.  Cloutier quickly called with A A, and D'Agostino mucked his hand. 

Levi Eliminated

David Levi was eliminated when he flopped a pair of tens holding 10-8.  Betting the whole way down, the board ended up reading 10-9-x-x-8, giving Levi two-pair.  Levi's opponent called his all-in on the river and revealed Q-J, for a rivered straight, winning the pot and sending Levi to the rail.

Carlos Mortonsen was also eliminated during the hold'em level.

OMAHA EIGHT OR BETTER

Violette Stayin Alive

Cyndy Violette flopped trip sixes and filled up with a king on the turn.  She got paid off with  her boat when Eli Elezra made a broadway straight on the river.

Buster Brown

Chad Brown was eliminated by Elezra's ten-high straight during the omaha eight or better level.  The board read 10 7 5 9 K, with Elezra holding the A 9 8 6.

Huckleberry Seed	197,000
Daniel Negreanu	180,000
Phil Hellmuth Jr	160,000
Ted Forrest	158,000
Chris Ferguson	150,000
John Hennigan	145,000
Kenny Tran	145,000
Greg "FBT" Mueller	140,000
Doyle Brunson	128,000
Erik Seidel	127,000
Gabe Kaplan	122,000
Chris Reslock	122,000
David Sklansky	120,000
Dewey Tomko	112,000
Joe Tehan	112,000
Scotty Nguyen	111,000
Steve Zolotow	85,000
Todd Brunson	85,000
Freddy Deeb	82,000
Michael Mizrachi	78,000
Jason Lester	78,000

Player Tags: David Reese,   David Levi,   John D'Agostino,   Cyndy Violette

H.O.R.S.E. Day Two

Jun 25, '07

Play is set to resume at 2 p.m. in the $50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E. event. Of the 148 that started only 127 remain.  Eli Elezra is the chip leader going into day two, but with plenty of play left it is still anybodies tournament.  Make sure to check in for hourly updates and the Pro Blogs of 2006 champ Chip Reese, runner up Andy Bloch,  Justin Bonomo and Huck Seed here at Cardplayer.com.

Player Tags: David Reese,   Andy Bloch,   Huck Seed,   Eli Elezra,   Justin Bonomo

H.O.R.S.E. Day Three To Begin

Jun 26, '07

The remaining 52 players are set to return at 2 p.m. With the money only 35 eliminations away the atmosphere is sure to become more tense.  With copious amounts of money and respect on the line, this tournament means a lot to the players and this is sure to show in the intensity of their focus.  Make sure to check in throughout  the day for hourly updates and the Pro Blogs of Justin Bonomo, Andy Bloch, Chip Reese and Huck Seed here at Cardplayer.com.

Notable Chip Counts

Toto Leonidas	621,000
Eli Elezra	568,000
Allen Cunningham	549,000
Kenny Tran	544,000
Justin Bonomo	508,000
Mike Matusow	456,000
Phil Ivey	436,000
Amnon Filippi	429,000
Andy Bloch	425,000
Phil Hellmuth Jr	412,000
John Juanda	410,000
Max Pescatori	396,000
Freddy Deeb	357,000
Robert Mizrachi	338,000
David Singer	332,000
Chip Reese	332,000
Daniel Negreanu	307,000
Greg Raymer	287,000
Huckleberry Seed	278,000
Thor Hansen	275,000
Barry Greenstein	275,000
David Williams	203,000
Erik Seidel	194,000
Gabe Kaplan	186,000
Joe Tehan	166,000
Annie Duke	165,000
Dewey Tomko	119,000
Erick Lindgren	99,000
Scotty Nguyen	72,000
Cyndy Violette	60,000
David Sklansky	47,000
Isabelle Mercier	41,000

Player Tags: David Reese,   Andy Bloch,   Huck Seed,   Justin Bonomo

Hour 2 Recap

Jun 24, '07

There’s a lot of action in Amazon Room right now as the second hour of the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event has come to an end. Mike “The Mouth” Matusow is seeing a lot of action on his table as he gets out in front with the early chip lead. But the action doesn’t just stop at the table for Matusow as he has a $10,000 last-longer side bet going with Barry Greenstein. Despite having less chips than “The Mouth”, Greenstein is so confident in his ability to outlast the field that he laid Matusow 7:5 odds from the shorter stack. 

Although the Amazon Room is filled with familiar faces and the tables are shared by friends, the competition is immense and everyone has their eyes on the prize. While most people are trying to take as many chip as possible off of their table mates, others are making table changes to avoid a head-on collision with each other. Todd Brunson took his seat across the table from his father Doyle, but after requesting a table change by the floor staff, both father and son can now focus their aggression on the rest of field and not each other.

During Level 2; Omaha eight-or-better, Darrell Dicken was one of Matusow’s early contributors, donating a decent amount of chips to Matusow’s cause. Both Matusow,  and Dicken limp into a four-handed pot followed by John Phan out of the small blind and the big blind who checked his option. The flop came 7 6 4, and Matusow bets out, Dicken calls, and both the blinds fold behind them. The turn brought the 3 and this time Matusow checks to Dicken who fires out. Matusow called and the river brought the 2. Both players check the river and Matusow turns over 6 4 for two pair and A 3 for the nut low. Dicken who had been playing for the low turns over A 2 for the nut low, and he gets quartered. Matusow takes ¾ of the pot.

The Omaha eight-or-better round also brought a smile to Mike Sexton’s face when he flipped over K K on a K 5 2 K 7 board for quad kings. T.J. Cloutier wasn’t smiling after this hand as he too was playing for the high hand while Mike Sexton scooped the pot.    

Halfway through the second hour, the game switched to Razz and Thor Hansen managed to take a really nice pot off of John Phan. Phan comes in for a raise and Hansen calls behind him. Phan had been betting the whole time with a board of 3 6 J 7 while Hansen had been calling him down to the river with a board of 2 5 J 10. Phan bets the river and Hansen raises him. Phan calls and turns over A 2 8 for the seven-low while Hansen shows 6 4 3for the six-low.

Fifteen Europeans have entered the event and most are household names in the poker community :
Max Pescatori, Jeff Lisandro, Marco Traniello, Rob Hollink, Andy Black, Thor Hansen, Patrick Bueno, Jani Sointula, Patrik Antonius, John Kabbaj, Alex Kravchenko, Gus Hansen, David Benyamine, John Duthie, and Bruno Fitoussi.

That's about 10% of the field. Last year Patrik Antonius was the only European to cash, finishing in 9th place.

This is just a small preview of the action to come over the next five days, so be sure to check back with CardPlayer.com

for more updates and the Pro Blogs of last year’s champion, David “Chip” Reese, and runner-up, Andy Bloch.

Player Tags: John Phan,   Thor Hansen,   T.J. Cloutier,   David Reese,   Barry Greenstein,   Andy Bloch,   Todd Brunson,   Mike Matusow,   Doyle Brunson,   Darrell Dicken

H.O.R.S.E. Play

Jun 24, '07

And now the moment you’ve all been waiting for…the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event is underway. Argued by many to be the defining bracelet of the World Series of Poker, the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event is not only the richest buy-in of the entire tournament, but it also the most difficult to win. Last year, 143 of the best all around poker players came to the Rio in hopes of solidifying their talent and earning the most coveted and respected title in all of poker. David “Chip” Reese claimed the bracelet in 2006 along with the $1,784,640 grand prize, but now the title of the world’s best poker player is up for grabs again, so be sure to check back with CardPlayer.com for more updates and your favorite Pro Blogs.

Player Tags: David Reese

H.O.R.S.E. Day Two Over

Jun 25, '07

The completion of the Razz level has prompted the end of Day 2.

RAZZ

Erick Lindgren made the most of the last level of the day, doubling up his short stack twice.  Both times it was a tight race down to the river.  Against Neal Friets, Lindgren held a 10-7-4-3-A on 6th street while Friets was drawing to an 8-7-3-2 low.  Both players missed, but Friets could only manage a King low.  Against Chris Reslock, Lindgren was drawing to a 7-4-2-A low, already holding two pair against Reslock's 7-6-2-A draw with a Jack.  Lindgren picked up a 3 on the river to make a seven-high low and double his chips back up to over $100,000.

Short stacks Cyndy Violette and Dan Shak also found refuge on the river to double up their short stacks in the last level.

Bill Edler was not so lucky, busting in 53rd place when he ran into Mike Matusow's perfect six low.

The 52 remaining players bagged up their chips for the night and were informed that their tables would be redrawn for tomorrow.  There will be two TV tables tomorrow as ESPN is beefing up the coverage of this massive event.

Amazingly in this star-studded field, the day two chip leader is relative unknown John Hanson, who's tournament winnings to date according to our records wouldn't cover half of the tournament buy-in.  Eli Elezra, Toto Leonidas, and Allen Cunningham are right on his heels though.

Be sure to check out the progress of Chip Reese, Andy Bloch, Huck Seed, and Justin Bonomo as they continue tomorrow in our Pro Blogs section.


Play will resume at 2pm PST

Player Tags: Toto Leonidas,   David Reese,   Erick Lindgren,   Andy Bloch,   Allen Cunningham,   Huck Seed,   Eli Elezra,   Neal Friets,   Cyndy Violette,   Bill Edler,   Dan Shak,   Chris Reslock,   Justin Bonomo,   John Hanson

Levels 25, 26, and 27 -Stud Eight or Better, Hold'em and Omaha Eight or Better

Jun 25, '07

STUD EIGHT OR BETTER

The End of an Era

Table 41 has been broken, sending numerous big name pros to other tables in the H.O.R.S.E. event.  2006 champion Chip Reese joined Amnon Filipi, Rob Mizrachi, Gavin Smith, Bruno Fitoussi, Greg Mueller and Rob Hollink.   Eli Elezra, who is still chip leader but not by nearly as large a margin, moved to table 13 to join Freddy Deeb, David Sklansky, Joe Cassidy and Tuan Le.  Joe Cassidy was later eliminated in that level.

HOLD'EM

Ramdin Not Victor-ious

At the end of the stud eight or better level Victor Ramdin was crippled. The next hand he found himself with most of his stack in on the big blind. "I'm pot committed." When two players raised before action got back to him, Ramdin reluctantly folded. A few hands later Ramdin was all in, with only Gabe Kaplan left to act.  Ramdin revealed his A, prompting Kaplan to call with A 10. Ramdin turned up his other card, the 6, and after he didn't improve he was eliminated from the event.

Gazes Survives

Bill Gazes had only $17,000 left when he raised to $10,000.  Huck Seed reraised to $15,000, and Gazes just called.  With only $2,000 behind, he saw a flop of Q 7 4 and went all-in.  Seed had to call with his 8-8, but Gazes took down the hand with his K Q, making two pair on  the river to lock up the pot. 

OMAHA EIGHT OR BETTER

Eliminations

Doyle Brunson went into the final table of this event last year as the chip leader.  He won't have the same opportunity this year, for he was eliminated this past level. Patrik Antonius and "Captain" Tom Franklin also hit the rail this level.

Tournament Info

Only 78 players remain in the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event.   Almost fifty people have hit the rail since play restarted  for the day at 2 p.m.  The players are currently on dinner break, and will return at 9 p.m.
Notable Chip Counts

Eli Elezra	500,000
Allen Cunningham	350,000
Freddy Deeb	324,000
John Juanda	285,000
David Williams	285,000
Chip Reese	280,000
Annie Duke	270,000
Andy Bloch	260,000
Mike Matusow	250,000
Tuan Le	243,000
Phil Ivey	235,000
Phil Hellmuth Jr	230,000
Cyndy Violette	230,000
Barry Greenstein	230,000
Scotty Nguyen	210,000
Huckleberry Seed	210,000
David Sklansky	208,000
Gavin Smith	200,000
Phil Laak	191,000
Toto Leonidas	185,000
Robert Mizrachi	180,000
Daniel Negreanu	180,000
Gabe Kaplan	165,000
Erick Lindgren	165,000
Greg Raymer	158,000
Chris Ferguson	148,000
John Hennigan	145,000
Isabelle Mercier	120,000
Dewey Tomko	120,000
Erik Seidel	105,000
Todd Brunson	85,000
Sam Grizzle	63,000
Howard Lederer	18,000

Player Tags: Tom Franklin,   David Reese,   Bill Gazes,   Huck Seed,   Doyle Brunson,   Victor Ramdin,   Eli Elezra,   Patrik Antonius

Level 23 and 24 - Razz and Stud

Jun 25, '07

RAZZ

Table 41

In addition to housing to last year's champion, Chip Reese, and the chip leader , Eli Elezra, table 41 has seen a veritable whose who of big-name pros come and go.  When Carlos Mortonsen busted, Darrell Dicken replaced him.  David Grey took the former seat of Chad Brown.  This table seems unstoppable, but with tables breaking at an increasingly quick pace, this table is next in line.  When it goes it will unleash some of the toughest in the game onto the other tables.

Farnood Busted By Trips

Doyle Brunson eliminated Sherkhan Farnood during the razz level.  Amazingly, Doyle held trip aces in his hand, but also had a jack-high low that was good enough to win the pot and send Farnood to the rail.

Dan Harmetz  and T.J. Cloutier were also eliminated during the razz level.

STUD

Zolotow's Favorite: Position

Steve Zolotow was on a shorter than average stack when he announced that he was merely trying to survive through the seven card stud games, so that he could use the button and the positional advantage it offers.

Fade To Grey

A short stacked David Grey was battling for his tournament life at the treacherous table 41.  He got the last of his chips is after three cards against Chip Reese, who was showing a 10 with (J 8 )J. Unfortunately for Grey, Reese held (Q Q) in the hole and called his all-in.  Grey did not improve and Reese sent him to the rail.

Only 96 players remain in the event. With payouts beginning at 16th place, the money is still a ways off. But with such an incredible field, the mix of games and the amazing amount of money on the line, this is already one of the most  entertaining  and interesting events of the year. Make sure to catch all the action every hour here at Cardplayer.com.

Daniel Negreanu	180,000
Max Pescatori	158,000
Greg Raymer	158,000
Chris Ferguson	148,000
John Hennigan	145,000
Isabelle Mercier	120,000
Todd Brunson	85,000
Howard Lederer	55,000

Player Tags: T.J. Cloutier,   David Reese,   Steve Zolotow,   Doyle Brunson,   Eli Elezra,   David Grey,   Sherkhan Farnood,   Darrell Dicken,   Dan Harmetz

Levels 21 and 22- Hold'em and Omaha Eight or Better

Jun 25, '07

HOLD'EM

41 Stays Tough

Tony G busted out last level, and his replacement at table 41 was 2006 champion David "Chip" Reese.

D'Agostino Busts

With a board of J 8 4 4 2 T.J. Cloutier bet into the short-stacked John D'Agostino. D'Agostino barely had more than the $5,000 that Cloutier bet, and eventually decided to go all in.  Cloutier quickly called with A A, and D'Agostino mucked his hand. 

Levi Eliminated

David Levi was eliminated when he flopped a pair of tens holding 10-8.  Betting the whole way down, the board ended up reading 10-9-x-x-8, giving Levi two-pair.  Levi's opponent called his all-in on the river and revealed Q-J, for a rivered straight, winning the pot and sending Levi to the rail.

Carlos Mortonsen was also eliminated during the hold'em level.

OMAHA EIGHT OR BETTER

Violette Stayin Alive

Cyndy Violette flopped trip sixes and filled up with a king on the turn.  She got paid off with  her boat when Eli Elezra made a broadway straight on the river.

Buster Brown

Chad Brown was eliminated by Elezra's ten-high straight during the omaha eight or better level.  The board read 10 7 5 9 K, with Elezra holding the A 9 8 6.

Huckleberry Seed	197,000
Daniel Negreanu	180,000
Phil Hellmuth Jr	160,000
Ted Forrest	158,000
Chris Ferguson	150,000
John Hennigan	145,000
Kenny Tran	145,000
Greg "FBT" Mueller	140,000
Doyle Brunson	128,000
Erik Seidel	127,000
Gabe Kaplan	122,000
Chris Reslock	122,000
David Sklansky	120,000
Dewey Tomko	112,000
Joe Tehan	112,000
Scotty Nguyen	111,000
Steve Zolotow	85,000
Todd Brunson	85,000
Freddy Deeb	82,000
Michael Mizrachi	78,000
Jason Lester	78,000

Player Tags: David Reese,   David Levi,   John D'Agostino,   Cyndy Violette

H.O.R.S.E. Day Two

Jun 25, '07

Play is set to resume at 2 p.m. in the $50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E. event. Of the 148 that started only 127 remain.  Eli Elezra is the chip leader going into day two, but with plenty of play left it is still anybodies tournament.  Make sure to check in for hourly updates and the Pro Blogs of 2006 champ Chip Reese, runner up Andy Bloch,  Justin Bonomo and Huck Seed here at Cardplayer.com.

Player Tags: David Reese,   Andy Bloch,   Huck Seed,   Eli Elezra,   Justin Bonomo

H.O.R.S.E. Day Three To Begin

Jun 26, '07

The remaining 52 players are set to return at 2 p.m. With the money only 35 eliminations away the atmosphere is sure to become more tense.  With copious amounts of money and respect on the line, this tournament means a lot to the players and this is sure to show in the intensity of their focus.  Make sure to check in throughout  the day for hourly updates and the Pro Blogs of Justin Bonomo, Andy Bloch, Chip Reese and Huck Seed here at Cardplayer.com.

Notable Chip Counts

Toto Leonidas	621,000
Eli Elezra	568,000
Allen Cunningham	549,000
Kenny Tran	544,000
Justin Bonomo	508,000
Mike Matusow	456,000
Phil Ivey	436,000
Amnon Filippi	429,000
Andy Bloch	425,000
Phil Hellmuth Jr	412,000
John Juanda	410,000
Max Pescatori	396,000
Freddy Deeb	357,000
Robert Mizrachi	338,000
David Singer	332,000
Chip Reese	332,000
Daniel Negreanu	307,000
Greg Raymer	287,000
Huckleberry Seed	278,000
Thor Hansen	275,000
Barry Greenstein	275,000
David Williams	203,000
Erik Seidel	194,000
Gabe Kaplan	186,000
Joe Tehan	166,000
Annie Duke	165,000
Dewey Tomko	119,000
Erick Lindgren	99,000
Scotty Nguyen	72,000
Cyndy Violette	60,000
David Sklansky	47,000
Isabelle Mercier	41,000

Player Tags: David Reese,   Andy Bloch,   Huck Seed,   Justin Bonomo

Stud Hour One

Jun 19, '07

Play got underway shortly after 5 p.m. in the $2,000 Seven Card Stud event. 27 tables began the day, meaning around 217 entrants. The field consists mostly of stud specialists like Allen Kessler and Cory Zeidman, but is peppered with fabled mixed-game players such as Chip Reese.  Reese is sharing the felt with Thor Hansen and Mark Gregorich, making his table incredibly tough.  Jeffrey Lisandro is sat at table 103 with Jim McManus.   Cyndy Viollete strolled in slightly late and joined Paul Darden at table 109.  A number of other notable players are in the field as well, from Robert Mizrachi to Tom Franklin to Kirill Gerasimov, this field has players of every (legal) age and from various places around the world. 

Other Europeans in the field include Marcel Luske, Andreas Fritz, Rolf Slotboom and Michael Keiner.

Action is somewhat slow to start, with $5 chips still in play, but make sure to check back here at Cardplayer.com to catch the action as it heats up.

Player Tags: Thor Hansen,   David Reese,   Mark Gregorich,   Allen Kessler,   Cory Zeidman

Getting Cozier

Jun 11, '07

11 of the 43 tables that began the day have been broken.  There are currently 256 players remaining.  Erik Seidel, Erick Lindgren, and Chip Reese have all seen their tournaments end early tonight.

David Williams also seems to be having a tough time getting going.  Ernie Scherer and another player chopped up some of Williams chips after Scherer bested Williams's low with a perfect 6.  Eric "Rizen" Lynch is seeing his fortunes rise after tripling up in a nice pot.  Lynch was all in on 5th street with a board of A522 against his opponent's 410A9, and Q6810.  On the river his opponents stated they had Aces, and an 8-7 low repspectively.  Lynch revealed he had two pair, fives and twos and an 8-6-5-2-A low, which was good enough for the scoop.

Play will continue until 3am PST

Player Tags: Erik Seidel,   David Reese,   Erick Lindgren,   Ernie Scherer III,   David Williams,   Eric Lynch

Play Begins

Jun 11, '07

Play got underway at 5 p.m. in Event 20, the $2,000 Seven Card Stud Eight or Better event.  The only seven card stud eight or better event last year was won by Patrick Poels.  Seeing as eight or better is a game commonly included in high stakes mixed games, its a safe bet that big names in mixed games, like Chip Reese, will be in the field, as well as stud regulars like Alan Kessler. Make sure to check in on all the action every hour here at Cardplayer.com.

Player Tags: David Reese,   Patrick Poels,   Allen Kessler