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 a flop reading , and the pot around 15,000 in chips, both Ben Sulsky and Brian Rast checked their options, as the fell on the turn. Sulsky then bet out 12,000 which was called, as the completed the board. A moment passed, before Sulsky grabbed a stack of 5,000-chips, and placed them into the middle. The bet covered Rast, as he went into the tank for several minutes. Sulsky sat motionless, looking down at the table, as Rast contemplated his decision.
On a few occasions, Rast looked liking mucking his hand, before bringing back the cards, and thinking some more. He eventually mucked his hand, as he drops down to 55,000 in chips.
While we missed the hand that sent Isaac Haxton to the door, we did see him get crippled earlier in the day by Dan Smith. Haxton wasn't able to rebuild his stack here on day one and a new players was seen in his old seat. Haxton took a walk through the field to talk to some of his fellow poker pros before heading to the rail.
On a board of Brian Hastings had a bet of 11,100 in front of him. The only other player in the hand then put in a reraise to 26,500. Action was back on Hastings and he spread the players bet and thought briefly before reraising to 43,000 total.
The player thought for a bit before asking Hastings, "Show me if I fold?"
"Maybe," Hastings said.
After hearing that, the player quickly folded his hand.
"Choose one," Hastings said, offering the player his hand. The player picked one card and turned it up, it was the .
The other player just shook his head as Hastings raked in the pot.
Matt Salsberg opened to 1,900 from the hijack, and was called by Davidi Kitai, before both players saw the flop come down . Kitai checked his option, before Salsberg threw out a continuation bet of 1,200. Kitai looked over at his opponent, before reaching for some chips, and splashing out a raise to 3,700. It was enough to take down the pot, as Salsberg’s cards flew into the muck.
Chris Hunichen, who you may remember from the final table of Event #6: $1,500 "Millionaire Maker" No-Limit Hold'em was involved in a pot with Christian Harder on a board of . Hunichen had bet 9,200 before Harder reraised him to 30,000.
Hunichen was in the tank for a long time, counting out different denominations of chips before finally Keith Lehr called for a clock.
"I gave you seven minutes already," Lehr said.
"Obviously it's a tough decision," Hunichen said.
"Yeah, that's why I already gave you seven minutes," Lehr replied.
Either way, the floor came over and started the countdown for Hunichen. Near the very end of his time, Hunichen picked up his cards and tossed them into the muck, thus awarding the pot to Harder.