2001 WSOP Main Event Champion Carlos Mortensen got off to a nice start today, building a stack up over 45,000 in the early going.
He'd slipped back a bit though before recently running 
into Michael Shelton's 
to find himself on the rail before dinner.
A player in early position opened for 1,000 and was called by another player directly behind him. Action then folded around to Yevgeniy Timoshenko, who, deliberate as always, took his time and three-bet to 2,500. The original raiser quickly folded and so did the caller after some thought.
Timoshenko still hasn't really received any momentum today - he is still sitting a bit below the starting stack with 27,500.
We caught up to see three player including Everett Carlton looking at a flop of 
.
All three checked their option and the turn paired the board with the 
. The first player led out for 1,000 and the second folded. Carlton opted to raise to 3,000 from the cutoff and his opponent called.
The river was the 
and both players checked.
"Two pair," said Carlton's opponent showing 
.
"Me too," said Carlton, who tabled 
for a better two pair. Carlton is currently sitting on one of the bigger stacks in the room with about 76,000 in chips.
A player raised from middle position and got two callers, the button and Mikhail Shalamov in the big blind. The flop came 
and when checked to the original raiser continued for 1,100, and only Shalamov stuck around.
The turn was the 
. Shalamov checked quickly, then after a lengthy pause his opponent checked as well. The river brought the 
. Shalamov rechecked his cards, then tossed out a bet of 1,500. His opponent waited about a half-minute, then raised to 3,300, and Shalamov instantly folded, conceding the hand.
We have a handful of former main event champions in the field today, and we just rounded up their counts to let you guys know how they are doing. Three who are doing well so far, Peter Eastgate, Dan Harrington, and Carlos Mortensen, are sequestered from the rest of the field over in the Blue Section as the three "featured" tables.
The 2002 World Series of Poker Main Event champion Robert Varkonyi is currently seated in the orange section of the Amazon Room. We found him limp from under the gun plus one and have one other player follow suit. The small blind completed and the big blind checked his option.
The four players saw 
and the blinds checked to Varkonyi who bet 400. The fourth player folded and the small blind called. The big blind also flung away his hand and the two were heads up to the turn. They both checked the 
and did so again on the 
river.
"I have a pair of eights," said Varkonyi, showing 
.
Varkonyi's opponent showed 
for eights with a higher kicker and the pot was pushed to the opposite side of the table from Varkonyi.
A player in middle position limped in and was raised to 900 by Brandon Croft in the hijack seat. Directly behind *him* was Erik Seidel in the cutoff, who also came along for a three-way pot.
The flop came 
and both players checked to Seidel, who fired 2,000 into the middle. The original limper folded, but Croft then check-raised all in for 6,575 total. Seidel let out a long sigh and committed calling chips.
Seidel: 
for the nut flush draw.
Croft: 
for a pair of eights and an open-ender.
The 
turn and river bricked out for Seidel and Croft doubled up.
Seidel is back down to 27,000 in chips.
Over in the Tan section we found Mike McDonalad competing in a hand. His oppoennt Dan Schacher raised it up to 725 from middle position and Mike McDonald made the call from the big blind. The dealer then exposed a 
flop prompting a bet of around 1,000 from McDonald. Schacher made the call and both players were allowed to see the turn.
The on the fourth street saw McDonald bet out 1,825. Schacher managed to make the call at the same time McDonald was placing the bet and we were off to the river. The landed on the river and both players, fearful of each other patted the felt for checks.
Schacher commented on how he thought he was ahead and flipped over 
for a pair of jacks with an ace kicker. McDonald mucked and Schacher claimed the pot.
A few tables away sits Scott Abrams who was also getting involved in a hand. The flop read 
and Abrams checked to the bettor, a player in later position and he bet out 2,350. Abrams was the only other player in the hand and made the call.
The 
on the turn brought with it checks from each player. It wasn't until Abrams checked on the river that his opponent bet out 1,875. Abrams made the call and his opponent said "I have nothing", and mucked. Abrams was forced to show his cards and exposed 
for a pair of tens.
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