Ben Lamb (seen here playing the $111,111 One-Drop)
With the flop showing , Ben Lamb bet out 500 from the big blind, and was called by the player sitting under the gun plus one, before their opponent in the cut-off, bumped it up to 1,100. Both players called, as the fell on the turn. The action checked around to the cut-off, who threw in another bet of 2,000, which was called, before firing out another 5,000 on the river, as he faced back-to-back checks.
Lamb quickly called, as the player in-between mucked his hand. The player in the cut-off then tabled his for trip jacks, awarding him the pot.
We came to the table and noticed Diego Sanchez sitting on about half his original starting stack. The flop was already dealt and the turn just hit felt. Sanchez checked from the small blind to his opponent in the hijack seat. The player bet 700 and Sanchez answered with a raise to 2,100.
Sanchez checked the river and his opponent checked by turning over his hand which was . Sanchez obviously not pleased with the river ace and reluctantly sent his cards to the muck.
We caught up to Ben Lamb on a board of . There, Lamb put out a bet of 2,200. Almost instantly, the only other player in the hand put out a bet of 11,000. Lamb leaned over the table, wide eyed, and studied his opponent and his chip stack. After a few seconds, the player picked up his phone and began texting.
"Sir, you can't do that when you're in a hand," the dealer warned the player. Quickly he put his phone down, face down on the edge of the table.
"Yeah you're hand's dead buddy," Lamb joked to him. "I think that's the actual rule. But I won't call it on you."
Eventually, after a few more seconds Lamb ended up folding his hand. "Now would be a good time to show a bluff," someone at the table told the pot winner, but he didn't oblige. Even after losing that small pot, Lamb is getting off to a great start here in the 2013 Main Event as he is close to double his starting stack already.
We arrived at table with the flop spread out . Four players, including Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi checked their options to the player on the button, who bet out 550. The big blind called, before Mizrachi raised it up to 3,500. The players in the cut-off, as well as the one on the button, were the only two to call, as the fell on the turn.
Mizrachi then instantly fired out a bet of 16,000, which saw the cut-off immediately release his hand, before the option fell on the button. He tanked for several minutes, contemplating what to do.
“Run it twice?” joked Mizrachi, as he casually sat there, waiting on his opponent.
“I would’ve done that,” replied the player in the cut-off, who had folded to the bet on the turn.
A few more minutes passed, before the player on the button moved all in for 24,000, and was snap called, as both players tabled their cards.
Mizrachi:
Opponent:
Mizrachi had flopped the nut straight, but had to dodge a club on the river to win the massive pot. The came on the river, sealing the deal for Mizrachi, who moves up to 85,000 in chips, and sending a player to the rail.
“I knew that he had that. A king-high flush draw. That’s why I bet so big,” said Mizrachi, stacking up his new found wealth.
The board read and Schneider had the laid out in front of him for top two pair. Unfortunately for him, Sbrissa held the for a flopped set. Schneider was looking for either an ace or queen on the river to eliminate Sbrissa, but he'd only find the useless .
Schneider must have gotten off to a quick start here on Day 1c because, despite that loss, he is still sitting with a stack of 20,500.
You can read about the details of their chance encounter by following the preceding link, but sufficed to say the chances of two players who hail from the same area of India, who speak the same regional dialect, finding one another among the masses at the WSOP was a sight to behold.
After getting to know Eapen a little better, we discovered that the gregarious software developer from Stamford, Connecticut has a true passion for the game of poker, as he told us how much his wife Priyanka, and their four children, enjoyed reading about his WSOP exploits.
With the third Day 1 flight of the Main Event now underway, fate seems to have spoken once again, as Eapen was recently spotted in the Brasilia Room competing in the most important poker tournament in the world.
We watched Eapen open for 300 from middle position, and then call a raise of 900 from the player in the hijack. The flop fell , and Eapen check-folded to a continuation bet. Despite this minor setback, Eapen was sporting his usual smile and seemed to be enjoying every second of his latest foray into the wilds of the World Series of Poker.
The 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event champ Jamie Gold, who topped the largest field in Main Event history, has been spotted in the Orange Section.
"First day in Vegas," Gold told our reporter. He then explained that he had recently moved to Florida where he is working to open two casinos, one in the Palm Beach area and one in Miami. While he may not play as much as he used to, poker is clearly on the former champ's mind.