Thomas Muehloecker is sat directly across from start-of-day chip leader Frank Patti and all indications are something has gone down between the two.
Details are few and far between at this point, but Muehloecker has made huge strides to start the day, up over 150,000 and into a spot among the leaders.
In the meantime, Patti has lost six-figures and now sits back in the pack around 1.5-times average.
Big stack Ray Cuny raised it up under gun and got one caller in James Gettinger, who had almost as many chips to start the hand. They went heads up to a flop with about 16,000 in the pot, and with a wink and a smile, the 91-year-old Cuny jammed all in.
Gettinger had the , and made the call for his whole 160,000-chip stack. Cuny was on a flush draw, holding the , and looked to be in trouble when the turn left him just one more chance to hit it.
The did the trick, though, and while Gettinger hit the rail, Cuny was suddenly vaulted into a huge chip lead as the first player past 300,000 and counting.
A short-stacked player moved all in for his last 8,500 chips and the action folded to Shashank Jain who tanked for a bit before he three-bet, and that got all the other players to fold right away.
Jain:
Opponent:
The board ran out and Jain raked in the pot to send another one home.
Shorty busted, taking the walk of shame before another did the same. Hollywood Poker Open Director Bill Bruce then took to the microphone to pass on a little information.
Turns out there were 11 people buying before the opening bell and close of registration. Add in seven no-show qualifiers whose buy-ins still get put into the prize pool and the total number of entries is up to 665.
That means a $1,477,025 prize pool was created that will pay 63 spots. A min-cash is a little more than double the entry at $5,317, while Hollywood Poker Open glory and a $332,338 first prize sits up top.
Neil Blumenfield and Pierre Neuville made the World Series of Poker Main Event final table last year, and finished third and seventh respectively. Today Neuville and Blumenfield are sitting side by side in this event, but neither of them managed to win the hand we just watched.
Pierre Neuville limped under the gun - which may or may not have been incidental, as Neuville didn't seem to happy about it - and Bluemnfield called from his direct left. Jonathan Delong raised to 3,500 from middle position and both Neuville and Blumenfield called.
The flop brought out and Neuville checked to Blumenfield who bet 5,000, and only Delong called.
On the turn the hit and both players checked. The river brought out the and Blumenfield lead out for 7,500 and Delong called once again.
Blumenfield showed and Delong turned over to rake in this pot.
and flopped two pair against Pateychuk's nines. Pateychuk was knocked out and Sindelar's up to around six figures.
.
, shorty had the 
, and Anderson faded all trouble on a 
run out to vault into the chip lead and send them both home.
flop with about 16,000 in the pot, and with a wink and a smile, the 91-year-old Cuny jammed all in.
, and made the call for his whole 160,000-chip stack. Cuny was on a flush draw, holding the 
, and looked to be in trouble when the 
turn left him just one more chance to hit it.
did the trick, though, and while Gettinger hit the rail, Cuny was suddenly vaulted into a huge chip lead as the first player past 300,000 and counting.
and Neuville checked to Blumenfield who bet 5,000, and only Delong called.
hit and both players checked. The river brought out the 
and Delong turned over 
to rake in this pot.
