The buzz inside the walls of the Rio extends beyond just the tournaments on the 2013 World Series of Poker schedule. Online poker in Nevada is a very, very hot topic right now, and WSOP.com is making a lot of noise.
While the site has yet to launch, you can head to the Lambada Room of the Rio or look for one of the beautiful and friendly WSOP.com ladies walking the hallways to sign up for a free, personal WSOP.com online poker account. This is a great way to get a jump on the site's registration, and plenty of people have already taken this opportunity.
What's more is that the WSOP will be hosting daily raffles for everyone that has taken the time to register for WSOP.com at the Rio. What can you win? Plenty of fantastic prizes including 36 WSOP seats!
Players 21 years of age and older who sign up for a WSOP.com account will automatically be entered into the “36-Seat Giveaway” where a randomly-selected winner will win a seat into the next day’s first WSOP gold bracelet event. One of the events eligible in this promotion is the $111,111 One Drop High Roller No-Limit Hold’em tournament that is expected to feature a $10,000,000 prize pool and allow you to play poker with the biggest names in the game. In total, $182,333 in WSOP seats, including a seat to the WSOP Main Event, are being given away during this one-of-a-kind WSOP.com promotion.
In addition to the 36-Seat Giveaway, a “Hot Seat” promotion will allow any player who signs up for a WSOP.com online account and wears their WSOP.com patch on their chest at the table while playing an event to be randomly selected to receive 500 bonus dollars deposited directly into their WSOP.com online account once the site has received all regulatory approvals and launches.
With 62 WSOP gold bracelet events and three winners promised for the Main Event, this promotion includes $32,000 worth of value to those participating.
With 5,200 in the middle and the first three community cards showing , Shaun Deeb pushed out a pot-sized bet from the big blind, then "King" Dan Smith raised to 19,000 from the cutoff seat. Deeb responded with a pot-sized reraise, and Smith called all in for 67,000.
Deeb had for a seven-high straight with both flush and higher straight redraws, and Smith showed with no redraw. Fortunately for Smith the turn was the and the river the , and he survived with a chop.
The pace of eliminations have slowed considerably in Level 12, with Padraig Parkinson being the most recent to hit the rail. Just 55 players remain, with the top 42 making the cash.
Following a button raise by Wei Kai Chung, Lucas Vandenbelt defended his big blind with a call and the pair saw the flop come . Vandenbelt checked, Chung bet 5,500, Vandenbelt check-raised to 15,700, and Chang called. The turn brought the and a bet of 17,200 from Vandenbelt, called by Chang. The then fell on the river, and when Vandenbelt shoved all in for 62,300, Chung tossed away his hand.
Players are back in their seats and cards are in the air once again. Just 51 of them remain, meaning with nine more eliminations the money bubble will burst.
Three players — Freddy Deeb (big blind), Lee Goldman (cutoff), and Event #2: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em (Eight-Handed) winner Trevor Pope (button) — saw a flop come , and Deeb took the initiative by betting 10,000. Goldman called the bet, then Pope raised all in for 50,700. Deeb responded by reraising all in himself, and Goldman released his hand.
Deeb:
Pope:
Both had a queen, Pope had a second pair with his eight, and Deeb had the nut flush draw. The turn then brought the , filling up Pope and making the river no matter.