Day 1 of Event #28: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em ended last night on the verge of the money bubble, and just seven of the 223 players returning for Day 2 will go home empty-handed. One of the players who won't have to worry about such a fate is Jason Duval, a Canadian player who emerged onto the live scene only a year ago but already has racked up over $300,000 in cashes.
Duval leads a diverse group of players at the top of the leaderboard. Among our top 15 stacks, one can find two Canadians (Duval and Chris Lastiwka, 103,800), a Lithuanian (Mantas Visockis, 135,600), a Dutchman (Tobias Peters, 115,000) and four Brits (Craig McCorkell - 117,800, Christopher Brammer - 100,500, Ash Mason - 96,600, Rupert Elder, 93,500). Also lurking among the top stacks is respected American pro Eric Baldwin (95,900).
By the end of ten levels today, we'll know who the leaders are in the race for the bracelet and the $521,202 first prize. Be sure to tune in to PokerNews as we bring you all of the important updates that develop throughout the day.
Men "The Master" Nguyen got it all in with against an opponent with in a battle of the blinds. His opponent improved to a pair of threes on the flop, and a turn gave him trips. Nguyen needed a nine, but the river came , filling his opponent up and sending The Master to the rail.
Phil Collins was facing a bet of 6,600 from an opponent after a flop of . He made the call. The turn was a , and Collins again checked. His opponent bet 15,800, and Collins took his time before calling. A river led two both players checking. Collins showed for aces up, and he extended his chip lead.
A player moved all in from middle position, and Eric Baldwin came over the top with his own all in from the small blind. The big blind made the call.
Baldwin:
Big blind:
Middle position:
The flop came , giving "basebaldy" a commanding lead. A turn gave the short stack hope with a gutshot, but another ace came on the river for good measure.
We found TJ Cloutier counting out his stack with in front of him. His opponent had on a board of , so now it was only a question of who had more chips. Cloutier had his opponent slightly covered, and he's now above the average stack.
Olivier Busquet got all in with against Eoghan O'Dea's . We're not sure when the chips went in, but we do know the board ran out , and Busquet's tens were inferior to O'Dea's queens.
Masayuki Nagata finished him off with against Busquet's .
Austin Apicella pushed all in from the cutoff with , and Tommy Townsend called from the small blind with . The board ran out , and Apicella was out.
Meanwhile, Robert Lum pushed his short stack all in from the small blind after Dan Martin opened for a raise from late position. Makoto Yoshimichi went all in from the big blind, and Martin called.
Yoshimichi:
Lum:
Martin:
The flop came , and Martin took a hammerlock on the hand. The turn and river were and , and Martin took two scalps in one hand.
Back at Table 415, another all in was underway. Barry Allen had open shoved with , and Daniel Bishop called with . The tens held up to cripple Allen, as he slightly covered Bishop.
Finally, David Adler had limped his and ran into the nightmare scenario. Masayuki Nagata had flopped two pair with on a board and the two got it all in. The aces didn't improve, and Adler hit the rail.
Frederick Li moved all in from under the gun. Action folded around to James Lee in the big blind who after some thought made the call. Li was behind and he needed to catch up with his . Lee had made the call with .
After the board ran out, both players had made a pair of aces, but Lee had the better kicker and he sent Li packing to the payout desk.
against an opponent with 
in a battle of the blinds. His opponent improved to a pair of threes on the 
flop, and a 
turn gave him trips. Nguyen needed a nine, but the river came 
, filling his opponent up and sending The Master to the rail.
. He made the call. The turn was a 
, and Collins again checked. His opponent bet 15,800, and Collins took his time before calling. A 
for aces up, and he extended his chip lead.
in front of him. His opponent had 
on a board of 
, so now it was only a question of who had more chips. Cloutier had his opponent slightly covered, and he's now above the average stack.
flop, and Baldwin bet 18,000. Yoshimichi moved all in, and Baldwin made the call.
on the turn didn't provide it. The river was the 
, eliminating Baldwin from the tournament.
, and Busquet's tens were inferior to O'Dea's queens.
, and Martin took two scalps in one hand.
, and Daniel Bishop called with 
on a 
