Late registration has closed, and it wasn't long after we returned from break that we saw that 11-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, as usual clad in black from head to toe, had joined the party. Soon after his arrival was moved to a new table... Black #1, fittingly.
Immediately after his arrival at the table, Hellmuth became involved in a three-way hand. After the trio had built a small pot preflop, the flop came . It checked to Hellmuth who bet 1,500, and the player sitting to his left raised to 4,050. The third player folded, and Hellmuth called the raise.
Both players then checked the turn and river. Hellmuth tabled for sevens and fours, and his opponent mucked. "I should have pushed the flop," said Hellmuth afterwards as he gathered his chips. Despite the late start, he's already built up to 28,000.
Dan "Wretchy" Martin opened to 350, Ryan Fair three-bet to 1,250 on the button, and Martin called. The flop came down , and Martin check-called a 1,375-chip bet from Fair.
Both players checked the on the turn, and Wretchy led for 1,800 after the fell on the river. Fair raised to 5,300, and Martin called. Fair opened up , and Martin mucked.
Eric Froehlich opened for 525 from the cutoff, and it folded to the player in the small blind who reraised to 1,625. The big blind got out, and Froehlich called. The flop came and Froehlich's opponent led for 1,725. Froehlich called.
The turn then brought the and a check from the SB. Froehlich took a moment, then bet 3,300. The small blind waited about 15 seconds, then said he was all in, producing one of those oh-hell-was-hoping-not-to-hear-that grins from E-Fro. Froehlich quickly mucked, leaving himself about 6,200.
We caught some small pots around the room. The first was a hand between Jason Mercier and Faraz Jaka. The flop had run out . Mercier checked from the small blind, Faraz bet 600 from the button, and Mercier called. The hit on the turn and both players checked. The river brought the and Mercier bet 225. Jaka called and Mercier held a to take down the pot with a pair of queens.
Another small pot was between Jeff Madsen and three other players. There was a raise to 425 preflop and we caught action with a flop of . Both players in the blinds checked and Madsen bet 1,125 from under the gun. A player in middle position called and the other opponents folded. The hit on the turn and Madsen bet 3,125. His opponent folded and Madsen shipped the pot.
Blair Hinkle tripled no more than ten minutes ago, and now he is down to less than a thousand chips.
Hinkle was sitting in the small blind, and a player on the button opened the pot for standard raise. Hinkle three-bet to 1,300, his opponent four-bet to around 3,000, and Hinkle called.
The flop came down , and Hinkle checked to his opponent who fired 2,700. Hinkle check-jammed for around 10,000, and his opponent snapped it off.
Opponent:
Hinkle:
Hinkle needed an ace or a king, but received neither as the board ran , .
We caught up with the action to find a player all in for 7,450 on a board of . Vanessa Rousso was contemplating a call. Eventually she pushed out a stack to make the call. Her opponent turned up for a flopped set of eights, and Rousso mucked her cards.
Rousso took a hit with that hand but is still sitting above starting stack.
Dan "Wretchy" Martin had just been moved to Chino Rheem's table when the two of them immediately tangled in a hand. We picked up the action after the flop with Rheem (small blind, Seat 2) firing a bet. "We gonna do this all day?" asked Martin from across the table (hijack, seat 5) before making the call. That made the pot about 5,000.
The turn brought the and another bet from Rheem, this time for 3,800. Martin deliberated a bit and then called once again. The river was the . Rheem looked across the felt to gauge Martin's reaction to the river card, then looked down and eventually checked. Martin quickly fired a bet of 8,500, leaving himself just about 2,000 behind.
Rheem went into the tank, then emerged ready to talk about it. He went through aloud the possible hands Martin could have. "Lay it down man," said Martin. "You think I'm going to come in here and bluff you from the get-go?" "Yes," said Rheem steadily. "Yes, I do."
Rheem asked Martin if he'd show his hand if he folded. "Nah," said Martin with a grin. "I don't know how that would affect the table dynamic." They continued for a couple more minutes before Rheem finally sent his cards to the muck.
"C'mon Wretchy... show," said Rheem. "I'll tweet it later," laughed Martin, who began composing the message out loud: "Just moved to new table," he said. "Beat Chino in a big pot..."
Martin has about 24,000 now, while Rheem slips to 8,500. Those interested in more details might check in over @Wretchy. Just remember, though, Martin knows @ChinoRheem is reading, too.
![[user38338]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
. It checked to Hellmuth who bet 1,500, and the player sitting to his left raised to 4,050. The third player folded, and Hellmuth called the raise.
turn and 
river. Hellmuth tabled 
for sevens and fours, and his opponent mucked. "I should have pushed the flop," said Hellmuth afterwards as he gathered his chips. Despite the late start, he's already built up to 28,000.
, and Martin check-called a 1,375-chip bet from Fair.
on the turn, and Wretchy led for 1,800 after the 
fell on the river. Fair raised to 5,300, and Martin called. Fair opened up 
to take down the pot with a pair of queens.
. Both players in the blinds checked and Madsen bet 1,125 from under the gun. A player in middle position called and the other opponents folded. The 
hit on the turn and Madsen bet 3,125. His opponent folded and Madsen shipped the pot.
, 
.
. Vanessa Rousso was contemplating a call. Eventually she pushed out a stack to make the call. Her opponent turned up 
. Rheem looked across the felt to gauge Martin's reaction to the river card, then looked down and eventually checked. Martin quickly fired a bet of 8,500, leaving himself just about 2,000 behind.