All the chips went into the middle after the big blind shoved for 96,000 and was called by John Wellendorf.
Big Blind: 7♣6♣
John Wellendorf: A♥J♣
Wellendorf was ahead, and technically still was after the flop of 8♣5♣5♥, but statistically, the big blind had a 65% chance of victory by hitting any four, six, seven, eight, or club.
The J♥ reduced the number of outs for the big blind on the turn and the K♦ river petered out any hopes for the big blind.
Harry Lodge and Michael Holtz are both seated at the same table in the Monster Stack, and they are also both playing the $500 WSOP Online PLO Bracelet Event. Fortunately, they are not seated at the same table in that game, but there is still a lot of back-and-forth banter between the two.
Lodge also wanted the world to know that it is his first-ever PLO cash and he is very proud of that achievement, it even earned him a pat on the back from Holtz.
Poker Hall of Famer Jennifer Harman has seen the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in all of its iterations. Harman won two bracelets when the World Series played at Binion's Horseshoe in downtown Las Vegas and made several final tables after the transition to Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in the mid-2000s.
Now, 27 years after her first WSOP final table in 1996, Harman finds herself at yet another World Series rendition at the rebranded Horseshoe Casino on the Strip. And while the golden U-shaped emblem outside the hotel is by and large the same, Harman said the modern venue doesn't compare to the WSOP's original home.
"It was such a cool atmosphere playing at Binion's; it's just nothing like that," Harman told PokerNews. "Now it's just like, you know, poker blew up and it's more ... it's still a really cool atmosphere, but it's just different. It's not a small room, musty, that kind of stuff. But it's still really cool. Poker's still really popular, so that's a pretty awesome thing."
PokerNews caught up with Harman last week as she played Day 1 of Event #25: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship at the 2023 WSOP to ask about her summer schedule, pick for the Poker Hall of Fame and her memories with the late Doyle Brunson.
The board read 5♠8♣A♦9♣7♣ and Zachary Duce bet 120,000. Mearl Wisehart reraised all in from the cutoff and an early position player put all his chips in as well. Duce called them both.
Mearl Wisehart: 6♣5♣ for the straight flush
Early Position: A♥5♥ for two pair
Zachary Duce: 8x8x for a set of eights
Wisehart raked in a big pot, while Duce earned a small side pot.
All the chips went into the middle preflop after the early-position player five-bet all in for 785,000 which was called by Patrick Clarke in the cutoff.
Early Position: A♥A♦
Patrick Clarke: K♣K♥
Clarke was in rough shape. There was no help with the first four community cards of 10♣8♥2♣J♥, but the K♦ on the river gave Clarke a set to the disbelief of the early-position player who threw their sunglasses high in the air which landed in a tablemate's lap.
Clarke dragged in a gigantic pot and the early position player dejectedly headed to the cash desk.
After the preflop action folded around the table, a player on the button raised 100,000 against the two blinds.
The small blind folded, and then high drama began. Anthony Lamps was in the big blind and responded to the button aggression with a three-bet to 235,000, which the button called.
The dealer fanned 2♣2♥5♠ on the board, and Lamps fired 125,000 into the pot. His opponent on the button took his time before making the call. The turn produced 6♠, and Lamps ramped up the betting to 225,000, which received another call.
Things got highly interesting on the river when 10♣ arrived on the board. Without much hesitation, Lamps moved all in for his remaining 334,000, which put his tournament on the line because his opponent had him covered. The player on the button immediately asked for a count, and the dealer confirmed Lamps’ chip count.
Lamps’ opponent went in the tank, using more than a minute to go over the hand. He shrugged a few times, and quietly talked through the hand to himself. He then counted out 334,000 from his stack and put them aside, all the while looking at the board.
Meanwhile, Lamps was frozen in his seat, moving just to breathe. The moment of truth arrived and the player on the button made the call, leading to Lamps to table A♣A♠. His opponent grimaced and showed Q♠Q♣, as the dealer pushed the massive pot to Lamps.
Ashley "PokerFace Ash" Frank opened to 45,000 from early position and was called by the big blind to go to a flop of K♠J♠Q♠.
Frank continued for 25,000 and her opponent check-called to see the turn K♣. Both players then decided to check and went straight to the river 5♠. The big blind checked once more to Frank who then placed out a bet of 75,000.
After a few moments of thought, her opponent decided to lay it down and she was awarded the pot.
