Along with David "ODB" Baker, yet another WSOP bracelet winner has been spotted playing Day 1b of The Giant: French poker pro Fabrice Soulier.
Soulier has come close to doubling his WSOP jewellery this year. The 2017 World Series of Poker isn't even midway through but Soulier has already had two decent shots for the bracelet.
Soulier first finished fourth in the Event #9: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship, earning $118,340. Then he proved his mixed-game abilities in the Event #21: $1,500 8-Game Mix 6-Handed, taking another $58,968 for third.
It's the vanilla no-limit hold'em tonight for Soulier, but he's an accomplished player in the most popular poker game too.
The term "cooler" is often featured in many poker stories when players meet with their mates away from the tables. Over the first few weeks of the 2017 World Series of Poker, there surely have already been hundreds and thousands of coolers to report on. But not many could compete with the one that has just emerged on Table 611.
With the board reading , three players put their money in. If a full house is considered a very strong hand, this time it wasn't the case.
Two players turned over their boats, but they had to surrender their stacks to Kiambu Fisher. "I can't believe I'm second in this hand," said one of his victims whose was no good. Well, another player turned over only to find out he was third in this hand.
Fisher had flopped the goods with and got his straight flush paid like not many players before him.
Brian Johnson, who wasn't involved in the James Bond type of hand, joked: "Take my name, I'm the story."
Some tables are quiet and some have a class joker who keeps the others entertained, talking away as the poker game proceeds.
Table 644 has Raymond Speck who the table agrees is a funny guy and they all seem to be having a fun time.
In a recent hand, three players saw a flop of and Speck and his neighbor Sam Kim called a bet. Speck was excited that a big pot was breaking out.
The turn card was the and a bet of 3,200 got a call from Speck again joking, “I’ve got enough big blinds to call.”
Kim, though, had other ideas and moved all in for over 20,000. That got a fold from the original aggressor and some jokey admonishment from Speck, who did eventually muck.
The Giant may be primarily aimed at recreational players, setting an affordable buy-in and scheduling it to work around family and work commitments, but a number of professional players can see the value and the fun of playing this event.
Ylon Schwartz is in the field today, perhaps most famous for his fourth-place finish in the 2008 Main Event in 2008 for $ 3,794,974.
In a recent hand, Schwartz opened for 700 and picked up calls from the players in the blinds.
The flop of did not tempt Schwartz into a continuation bet. The turn card saw a 1,100 bet from the player on the small blind and that took the pot.
The tournament field is split between the Miranda and Pavilion Rooms. A quick walk through the Pavilion section offered a look at some players who are already known in the poker world.
Jamie Kerstetter and Alex Keating are playing on the same table.
Fabrice Soulier is bust, Guo Dong has just sat down with a stack, and Ylon Schwartz got a lucky treble-up.
Schwartz was all in for his last 1,100 and picked up two callers. “How many times can I reenter?” he wanted to know.
A bet on the flop from one of them got it heads up. His opponent had king-queen and Schwartz jack-three. Both had hit a piece and, when the turn brought more outs, Schwartz said, “Here it comes!”
The river was another three to give Schwartz trips and postpone any need for a rebuy.
, three players put their money in. If a full house is considered a very strong hand, this time it wasn't the case. 
was no good. Well, another player turned over 
only to find out he was third in this hand.
and got his straight flush paid like not many players before him.
and a bet of 3,200 got a call from Speck again joking, “I’ve got enough big blinds to call.”
did not tempt Schwartz into a continuation bet. The turn card 
saw a 1,100 bet from the player on the small blind and that took the pot.
