This year marks the first year that players were allowed re-entry of any kind into the $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em Seniors Event Championship, and that is partly the cause of the swelling field size.
According to the tournament clock there are 4,613 players in play, already 114 players more than the field size last year. And with registration open until the start of Level 7 (~6:10pm) we could expect a huge field by the time registration closes.
A player in middle position opened to 300. Action folded to Wawrzyniak on the button who moved all in for 1,575. The small blind folded and so did the big blind. The player in middle position quickly called.
''Do you have a pair?'' Wawrzyniak asked.
His opponent didn't answer, but tabled his hand instead.
Wawrzyniak:
Opponent:
The board ran out and Wawrzyniak got his double-up.
When we got to the table one player had moved all in on a board of and Gene Arriet called quickly tabling .
However Arriet's opponent showed for top set. There was much murmuring at the table even before the came on the river for Arriet to eliminate his opponent and boost his stack back over starting.
"Was that our 'One Time' for the tournament?" someone asked Arriet.
A player under the gun announced an all-in raise for a total of 1,000. When the action reached Bill Papadopoulos in the big blind, he didn't take long to make the call.
Bill Papadopoulos:
Opponent:
The board came , and with the better pair Papadopoulos sent his opponent to the exit.
Chris Bjorin, in the hijack, opened to 400. The player in the button was the only caller.
The dealer spread a flop of . Bjorin bet 400 and the button stuck around. On the turn, Bjorin checked. The button bet 800, and Bjorin check-raised all in for a total of 3,100.
The button tanked for a while, but ultimately decided to send his hand to the muck and Bjorin picked up the pot.
Billy Maxwell raised under the gun to 350 and got one caller, a lady in the cutoff. The player on the button then three-bet all in for 2,100 and both players called.
The remaining two active players checked down a board of and all cards were exposed.
The all-in player showed while the female player showed . However, Maxwell had rivered a flush with and added the eliminated players' chips to his stack.
The word on everyone's lips in the Seniors Event is how fast the structure is today. We were caught ogling a stack of around 30,000 at a table in Pavilion, which caused someone to pipe up: "Hey, looks like you're a celebrity."
Someone appeared to have been making the most of the structure, and we asked Rich Endicott how he amassed such a stack earlier on Day 1.
"Just write one thing down," he said, "Aggression."
and Wawrzyniak got his double-up.
and Gene Arriet called quickly tabling 
. 
for top set. There was much murmuring at the table even before the 
came on the river for Arriet to eliminate his opponent and boost his stack back over starting.
, and with the better pair Papadopoulos sent his opponent to the exit.
. Bjorin bet 400 and the button stuck around. On the 
turn, Bjorin checked. The button bet 800, and Bjorin check-raised all in for a total of 3,100.
and all cards were exposed.
while the female player showed 
. However, Maxwell had rivered a flush with 
and added the eliminated players' chips to his stack.