By Pauly
Las Vegas, NV

Welcome back to the early morning link dumps. This is a special WSOP Main Event edition, so sit back, roll up a doobie, throw an extra sugar cube into your cup of java and check out some of these items of note….

You gotta love the Girls on the Rail selections thus far. (Wicked Chops Poker)

Peter Eastgate is hanging it up. He no longer wants to be the monkey on the grinder. Can’t blame him. He’s loaded. (PokerStars Blog)

A Few Calculations is more eloquent commentary from Shamus about the evaporation of dead money. (Hard-Boiled Poker)

My buddy Falstaff has a new poetry book out. Be sure to pick it up! It’s also at Lulu.com, so if you haven’t bought Lost Vegas yet, then add his book to your order! (JohnHartness.com)

This is the funniest thing I read this summer… Mickey Doft v.s Daniel Negreanu. (Chip Bitch)

Thanks to Otis for saying kind words about Lost Vegas. (Rapid Eye Reality)

That’s it… NGTFFOMO.

Tags: calculations | check-out-some | daniel-negreanu | download-poker | funniest | Link Dump | lost vegas | mickey-doft | peter-eastgate | poker | Vegas | wicked-chops

After five weeks and 56 preliminary tournaments, the Main Event comes at the end of a long, long jamboree. There’s a massive amount of expectation centred on the $10,000 Championship Event: everyone is wound up for fanfares and fireworks right from the off.

The problem is that the Main Event itself is a monster these days, lasting 13 sleeps until we even settle on a final table. It’s a slow burner where the early stages still have the feeling of preliminary events. Even if you bust on the very first hand, the chances are your vanquisher won’t make the money either.

So it is that the sideshows go on and often provide more of a diversion than the poker itself. Today was day 1B and another 1,489 players showed up at the Amazon and Pavilion Rooms to get their wildest dreams under way. However, half the press room headed off to the Palms mid-way through the day to see Vanessa Selbst and David Williams unveiled as Team PokerStars Pros. When they returned nothing much had changed.

Of course a bunch of players got a bunch of chips, setting themselves up nicely for day two. And a bunch of others bust from the tournament on the first day, vowing to come back next year when it will all be different.

In the former category we can list the Team PokerStars Pros Florian Langmann, who bagged up something like 97,500, Gavin Griffin (97,200), Johnny Lodden (71,000 approx) Mattias De Meulder (65,500) and John Duthie (62,500).

Hats off too to the PokerStars qualifiers and players Juan Sebastian Rico (115,000), Michael Kaufman (94,000) and Gabe Walls in particular, who bagged up about 135,000 tonight and will be near the overnight lead.

Unfortunately, the number of fallen includes Arnaud Mattern (who clearly took an instruction too literally to “break a leg”), as well as Darus Suharto, ElkY, Julien Brecard and Ivan Demidov.

(Other Team PokerStars survivors include: Jorge Arias (35,500), Vadim Markushevski (23,000), Marcello Del Gross (35,000), Orel Hershiser (19,300), Henrique Pinho (63,000), Nuno Coelho (25,000), Jan Heitmann (81,000) and George Lind (35,300). All counts are very approximate and cannot be confirmed until tomorrow.)

Demidov began the day on the ESPN feature table, the same arena that vaulted him to worldwide prominence in 2008 when he finished runner-up in the big one. His departure midway through the afternoon was characteristically polite and understated – much like the manner in which poker also lost one of Demidov’s friends and former adversaries earlier in the day.

In case you missed it, Peter Eastgate, the Team PokerStars Pro and Main Event Champion from 2008 (ie, the only man to outlast Demidov that year) announced today that he will be taking an extended break from poker. You can read Eastgate’s full statement here, but we want to add our own best wishes. It’s been fun covering the Dane on PokerStars Blog.

Tomorrow is day 1C, where Eastgate’s successor Joe Cada will say: “Shuffle up and deal” and then begin his defence of poker’s biggest prize. We’ll be back for all the action from noon.

Don’t forget, you can tailor your PokerStars Blog experience to your particular language preference. It’s also available in Swedish, German, Dutch or Spanish.

If you want to get in touch, to get details on friends and family here in the PokerStars colours, drop us a line at blog@pokerstars.com with a few details and we’ll endeavour to pick them out of tomorrow’s crowd, likely to be as big as today’s.

Video blogs are at PokerStars.tv. All photography from Las Vegas on PokerStars Blog is (c) Joe Giron/Joe Giron Photography.

Tags: amazon | arnaud-mattern | auto-20px | champions-party | david-williams | michael-kaufman | pokerstars | press

There being four days of day ones un’ all, the Jack Effel introduction for players arriving at the Amazon Room for the first time was already becoming familiar. Yesterday we got the original version. It was new and exciting. Greg Raymer was up on stage, his big arm raised aloft with the glinting World Series bracelet wrapped around his wrist for all to see – a beacon above the crowds of heads to which every man and woman could set a course.

Jack Effel

Today we got Phil Gordon in a lady’s tracksuit.

Naturally it was for charity, Gordon asking players to pledge one per cent of their winnings to the cause, and the effect of a figure hugging white velour on the already six feet tall Gordon – making him appear even bigger – was eerily persuasive.

Gordon then made way for Effel, his voice switched over to Wrestle Mania mode, perfect for ratcheting up the excitement or selling chops at a meat auction, welcoming everyone to the Main Event and repeating the line, believed only by the terminally romantic, that they were the lucky ones, one-hundredth of one percent of the world’s poker playing population, carrying their ambitions with them.

Then Effel switched back to single tone voice, recounting the same rules as were explained yesterday, ones about telephone calls, internet at the tables, English only, penalty trackers, levels, breaks, dinner breaks, the kind of thing you can drift off to, like the safety briefing on a short-haul 737 or the back stretch of Finger Lakes maiden claimer.

The Amazon room filling up

Once awake again and we were under way, thanks to today’s guest announcer Ashley McCoach. McCoach, from Denver, Colorado, is one of the 1,000 dealers at the World Series. This is her first, making her both Rookie Dealer of the Year and WSOP Most Valuable Dealer, good for a plus one dinner certificate to the Voodoo lounge and a unique watch created by WSOP bracelet designer Steve Soffa. She seemed pleased and was happy announce “shuffle up and deal.”

With the crash of a symbol coming from somewhere day 1B is under way.

*****

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE HOUR

Peter Eastgate to take a break from poker

*****

THE HAS IT TAKEN THIS LONG OF THE HOUR

Today mark’s Annette Obrestad’s first World Series Main Event.

*****

INTERVIEW OF THE HOUR

*****

STAT OF THE HOUR

Players remaining at end of yesterday’s day 1A: 762 (of 1,125)
Percentage of day 1A field eliminated: 32.3%

*****

OUT OF CONTEXT, OR MAYBE NOT, QUOTE OF THE HOUR

“Are your parents here? Good.”

*****

STATISTIC OF THE HOUR

Number of bags of Atomic Fireballs purchased by PokerStars Blog team this morning: 6

*****

STACK OF THE HOUR

A quick reminder that players begin the Main Event with a 30,000 chip stack. That breaks down to:

4 x 5,000 orange chips (20,000)
8 x 1,000 yellow chips (8,000)
2 x 500 blue chips (1,000)
8 x 100 black chips (800)
8 x 25 green chips (200)

Tags: 2010 WSOP | amazon | charity | effel | event | like-the-safety | peter-eastgate | pokerstars | safety | valuable-dealer | voice | world | World Series of Poker | world-series | wrestle-mania

In 2008 he became the poker world champion and a superstar. Now, Peter Eastgate is taking a break from the limelight as he strives for a more relaxed lifestyle.

A job as an elite poker player demands exercise, preparations and a tremendous amount of mental energy. After years of hard work at the biggest poker tournaments around the world, Eastgate, 24, has realized that he does not have the motivation to continue playing professional poker at this time.

As the WSOP Main Event is getting started in Las Vegas, it will therefore be without the former Danish champion. Eastgate has asked PokerStars to issue the following statement about his decision:

“When I started playing poker for a living, it was never my goal to spend the rest of my life as a professional poker player. My goal was to become financially independent. I achieved that by winning the WSOP Main Event in 2008. The period following has taken me on a worldwide tour, where I have seen some amazing places and met many new people; it has been a great experience. In the 20 months following my WSOP win, I feel that I have lost my motivation for playing high level poker along the way and I have decided that now is the time to find out what I want to do with the rest of my life. What this will be, I do not yet know. I have decided to take a break from live tournament poker, and try to focus on Peter Eastgate, the person. I want to thank PokerStars, my friends and family for their support over the last 20 months and for their support in my decision to take a break from poker.”

Since his WSOP win in 2008, Eastgate has been sponsored by PokerStars, the world’s largest poker site. Here’s the reaction of Michael Holmberg, PokerStars Nordics Director:

“We know that poker will miss this world class player and world class role model, but PokerStars has only the deepest respect for Peter’s decision. Poker is about determination and excitement and if Peter lacks this in his game, the right decision is to take a break, Peter has played amongst world champions and he has carried his title in the most admirable fashion. Tournament after tournament, the young poker player from Odense, Denmark has achieved great results and has established himself as one of the greatest natural talents the poker world has ever seen.”

As a result of his success he has the choice to pause his career with a solid financial safety net beneath him. The world championship alone earned him USD $9.15 million, and since then he has collected a substantial amount in tournament winnings. Apart from his extraordinary consistent tournament results, Peter Eastgate has won personal respect all over the world with his straightforward and honest personality.

Tags: career | danish | denmark | eastgate | friends | game | life | poker | pokerstars | PokerStars news | time | Vegas | world

For the people who watch every waking moment of the World Series of Poker, every Day 1 seems the same. Tournament Director Jack Effel gives the same speech. Someone says something about shuffling up and dealing. The starting stacks and blinds are the same. Bill Murray is filming a sequel to Groundhog Day.

But for the players who start Day 1B, this is something fresh. It’s either their first World Series of Poker, or it’s something they haven’t done in at least a year. It is, no matter how rote it all seems to grizzled veterans, very important and more than a little exciting.

It is with that ever-important sense of urgency that we enter Day 1B. The PokerStars team is making its way into the Amazon Room and sitting down in front of 30,000 in chips. They will play a total of nine hours today. Including breaks and dinner, they will work for eleven and half hours.

Among the big name PokerStars players who have Day 1B chairs: Florian Langmann, Nuno Coelho, Matthias De Meulder, Marcello Del Grosso, Ivan Demidov, John Duthie, Gavin Griffin, Jan Heitmann, Martin Hruby, Henrique Pinho, Darus Suharto, and George Lind. We’ll also be joined by the PokerStars-sponsored Norwegian comedian Morten Ramm and France’s Julien Brecard.

We can’t start off this day without making mention of some familiar faces who finished well in Day 1A. You might recognize that name at the top.

Chris Moneymaker – 107,425
John Shipley – 100,675
Thierry van den Berg – 99,700
Anton Allemann – 63,500
Sandra Naujoks – 42,600
Grayson Physioc – 36,600
Randy Lew – 33,125
Fatima Moreira de Melo – 32,450
Julian Thew – 30,650
Pierre Neuville – 29,250
Ruben Visser – 23,725
Andre Akkari – 10,850
Thomas Bichon – 5,725

Day 1A’s chip leader finished on 228,200, but folks like Moneymaker, Shipley, and Ven den Berg are in prime position on Day 2.

The cards just went in the air. We’re in the field and will be here until the last river of the day (or until we go into sugar shock form Atomic Fireball consumption).

*****

FIRST HAND OF THE HOUR
Ivan Demidov has returned to the ESPN feature stage he last occupied when he finished second behind Peter Eastgate in 2008. By definition, he lost the last hand he played in that duel, but he came straight out the blocks, got straight back on the horse, and won the opening pot of day 1B.

Demidov raised to 300 from mid-position. Two players (John and Ken) called, taki
taking them to a flop of [3h][3c][2d]. Demidov bet 550 and took it down.

*****

SCANDINAVIAN CROSS COUNTRY SKIING CHAMPIONS ROLLER-SKI RACE AROUND THE PALMS PARKING LOT OF THE HOUR

The Norwegian cross-country ski champion Petter Northug and Marcus Hellner, his Swedish rival, raced this morning around the Palms parking lot on roller skis. It’s a Scandinavian thing. When they’re transplanted to the desert. And there’s no snow.

Northug won the race, tying their personal duel after Hellner won a heads-up poker game on the eve of the Main Event. With both of them successfully progressing through day 1A, they are now considering the player who lasts the longest in the big dance to be the winner.

*****

OUT OF CONTEXT QUOTE OF THE HOUR

“I have never seen her smile. Never.”

*****

STATISTICS OF THE HOUR

Number of flat screen TVs showing the World Cup in the media room: 1
Number of flat screen TV’s show poker: 1
Number of people watching the poker television: 0

Tags: anton-allemann | france | henrique-pinho | media | people | pierre-neuville | poker | pokerstars | sandra-naujoks | World Series of Poker | world-series

Good afternoon all and welcome to the Rio Hotel and Casino Las Vegas for the start of the World Series Main Event. As ever, this is the big one. It’s poker’s richest tournament, its biggest field, its most prestigious prize.

It’s also typically the tournament that launches poker’s newest stars: just ask Joe Cada, Peter Eastgate, Greg Raymer and Chris Moneymaker, who have all gathered every chip available at this monstrous event over the years.

As ever, an army of players have arrived to the Rio fresh from the PokerStars tables, qualifying for the $10,000 event often for no more than a handful of FPPs or less money than you might spend on a couple of beers. The online qualification route to the big dance is still the most efficient path to the millionaire status enjoyed by the most successful.

It could be you. And if it’s not you, we’ll do our best over the coming couple of weeks to introduce to you some of the people who it really could be.

Day one lasts for four days. We have day 1A today, day 1B tomorrow, day 1C on Wednesday and day 1D on Thursday. We then move on to day two, which lasts two days – day 2A on Friday and day 2B on Saturday. And on the seventh day we rest. (And go watch Snoop Dogg at Rain at the Palms.)

Play is due to start at noon in the vast Amazon Room at the Rio, although there is usually a brief delay as more than 2,000 eager players flit around looking for their seats. The tournament officials also like to big this one up – and why not? – and the very process of saying “Shuffle up and deal!” can often take about 15 minutes.

Most likely, play will get started at around 12.15pm and the plan for the day is to play four two-hour levels. And then a bonus half-level. There will also be a 90 minute dinner break tucked in there somewhere, so the day will likely last until around about 11.30pm.

Media restrictions permit us to post one update per hour to PokerStars Blog. And we’ll do precisely that. We’ll be focusing on Team PokerStars Pro, plus the array of PokerStars qualifiers. If you hear any stories, or want us to track anyone in particular, then email us at blog@pokerstars.com.

Don’t forget you can also follow our international cousins: we have people here writing in Spanish, Swedish, German and Dutch.

While we wait for the Main Event action to begin, it’s time to take another look…

AROUND THE TABLES

There’s no doubt that the Main Event is, well, the Main Event, but it’s by no means the only event that has been going on over the past couple of days. Yesterday, the Tournament of Champions played down from 17 to a winner, with Team Pokerstars Pro well represented.

Joe Hachem, Barry Greenstein and Daniel Negreanu took fourth, fifth and six, for $25,000 each, in a tournament won by Huck Seed. You’ll be able to see the action on a television near you soon.

The $10,000 pot limit Omaha Championship reached its conclusion, with Daniel Alaei winning his third bracelet. The Team PokerStars Pro Alex Kravchenko finished in eighth place, winning $85,180 for his third final table appearance of the Series.

Meanwhile the final two “preliminary” events also played down to a final table and will be concluded today. All Italian eyes will be fixed on the $2,500 no limit hold ‘em event, where Salvatore Bonavena, playing his first World Series wearing the PokerStars logo, is chip leader going into the final table.

Bonavena can complete a unique Triple Crown today. He is already a champion on the EPT and the IPT and adding a WSOP bracelet would be a crowning achievement. We’ll keep one eye on that event this afternoon.

*****

QUOTE OF THE HOUR

“Can you use your connections to get me on the feature table?” — anonymous PokerStars qualifier overestimates the influence of PokerStars Blog.

*****

PHOTO OP OF THE HOUR

Several hundred eager players crowding against the Rio hallway ropes waiting to run to their seats in the Amazon Room.

*****

PROMISE OF THE HOUR

“When they tell me I can let you in, I will let you in.” –Security guard to aforementioned hundreds of people crowding against the ropes.

*****

DESCRIPTION OF THE HOUR
“One of the key activists working to protect the rights of poker players everywhere who play our great game.” Jack Effel introduces Greg Raymer.

Tags: amazon | daniel-negreanu | event | italian | people | photo | seats | wsop

Team PokerStars Pro has grown considerably in the last year or so. Of course, there are some of the best-known players in the world on the roster, but also some names you may not be that familiar with… yet. Several of our newer signings have remained under the radar while they built their careers but are now becoming a force to be reckoned with.

Canada’s Pat Pezzin is one, having cashed multiple times in this year’s WSOP already. Now you can add his fellow countryman Anh Van Nguyen to new Team PokerStars Pros taking center stage. Nguyen narrowly missed out on his first WSOP final table last night, busting in tenth place of the $10,000 Limit Hold’em Championship for $32,614.

While that’s a decent payday, it’s by no means the biggest of a poker career that stretches way back to 2001. Originally from Vietnam, Nguyen moved to Canada aged 10 and is currently based in Toronto. Like many successful players before him, he started out as a dealer before becoming a full-time player and now has more than $1million in tournament winnings. The juciest payout to date came when he took home $303,320 for winning a $1,500 side event at the Five Star World Poker Classic here in Las Vegas in 2007.

Yesterday was actually his tenth-ever cash at the WSOP. He’s had two deep runs in the Main Event, coming 106th last year for $40,288, and 46th in 2004 for $45,000 – the year Team PokerStars Pro Greg Raymer won it.

Nguyen likes to get things quietly. Away from poker he enjoys chilling with friends, watching sport and exercising at the gym. But what he digs most of all is spending time at home with his wife and kid. If he keeps chalking up results like yesterday, he’ll have less time to do that.

With the final table in sight, he was unfortunate to bust in tenth. The board read [qs][6h][5c][2h], Nguyen bet and Jameson Painter called. The river was [ah], Painter checked and Nguyen bet. After a dramatic pause, Painter raised it up. Nguyen sighed and tossed in his remaining 34,000, showing [ad][qd] for top two pair, but Painter had rivered the nut flush with [kh][10h]. Congratulations on the deep run.

Team PokerStars Pro had a big presence in day two of the $1,500 HORSE event. Lex Veldhuis, known for his aggressive No Limit play, showed there is more to his game and cashed for $5,779 after busting in 25th place, the last player to depart last night. There were earlier cashes for Pezzin ($4,929), Jason Mercier ($4,281) and Team PokerStars Online’s George Lind ($3,778).

But we still have one horse in the HORSE. Step forward Austrian Team PokerStars Pro Johannes Steindl, who sits in 20th place with 79,500 chips. That’s a little way behind overnight chip leader Konstantin Puchko on 465,000.

Day two of the $1,500 No Limit event concluded with three cashes for PokerStars. Friend of PokerStars Pierre Neuville made it all the way to 42nd of the 2,394 field, cashing for $11,150. He’s now got well over $700,000 in career tournament winnings, and this was his biggest WSOP cash so far. Also making the money in this one were Team PokerStars Pros Pieter de Korver ($2,908) and Martin Hruby ($2,908).

The other big event yesterday was the start of the $5,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max. Among the 568 field were a decent smattering of Team PokerStars Pros. Only 116 players made it through the day, with Chad Brown sitting in 24th (101,400), George Danzer (57,700) and another Canadian Team Pro Darus Suharto (47,800). Overnight chip leader is Christian Harder on 258,700.

Meanwhile, 482 registered for the $2,500 Pot Limit Hold’em/Omaha, with 126 bagging up at the end of the night. Among them, Team PokerStars Pros Victor Ramdin (48,200) and Michael Keiner (10,600), and Friend of PokerStars Bill Chen (11,500).

As well as the re-starts, today sees the beginning of the $1,000 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Championship, for players aged 50 and above, and the much-anticipated $10,000 Heads up No Limit Hold’em Championship, a favorite for John Duthie, who finished second in this one last year for $386,636.

Good luck to all our players today.

* * * *

Tweets of the Day
@MarcelLuske: sometimes you want but yr not & then again sometimes you dont want but you do, sometimes you dont expect & the unexpected happen,, {; GL (I’ve no idea what he’s on about either)

@FossilMan (Greg Raymer): Got 11,000 all-in with wrap straight draw and two backdoor flush draws. Lost to top pair.

@RealKidPoker (Daniel Negreanu): Sick beat to go broke. Flop A 10 9 I have AA99 vs A9J5. Turn Q river 8. Whatever. Nap time until the 5pm NLH heads up event

@VictoriaCoren: An Italian journalist is coming round to interview me so I’ve put on a fashionable dress. Sometimes I really despise myself.

* * * *

Thought of the Day
(Partizan soccer alert)
COME ON ENGLAND!

* * * *

Previous WSOP Diary entries
WSOP Diary: Love to hate Phil Hellmuth? You gotta see this
WSOP Diary: Classic rub down for Daniel Negreanu
WSOP Diary: Maria Mayrinck, something in the water
WSOP Diary: Who needs a rest anyway?
WSOP Diary: An apology
WSOP Diary: George Danzer just misses first bracelet for PokerStars
WSOP Diary: Negreanu, Danzer eye $10K Lowball bracelet
WSOP Diary: Hold me, darling – this is going to be BIG
WSOP Diary: Why Peter Eastgate is missing from the World Series
WSOP Diary: Ville Wahlbeck joins Team PokerStars Pro
WSOP Diary: Durrr misses biggest-ever poker payday, pros overjoyed
WSOP Diary: Poker’s clean-up operation begins again
WSOP Diary: Manchester United soccer star Darren Fletcher tackles World Series of Poker
WSOP Diary: $10,000 Stud Championsip draws big names
WSOP Diary: Nh, gg, wp Daniel Negreanu, k?
WSOP Diary: Grinding out $1.5million with perfect timing
WSOP Diary: Team Pro Maridu needs Baker, Baker needs dough
WSOP Diary: Viva la revolution in Las Vegas
WSOP Diary: Safari, so good for Noah Boeken
WSOP Diary: Barry Greenstein mixes it up in the $50K
WSOP Diary: Going supersize in Las Vegas

Contact: blog@pokerstars.com

Tags: careers | christian | diary | game | italian | night | online | peter-eastgate | water | wife | world | World Series of Poker

There are some unsung heroes at poker tournaments. They require stamina, strength, patience, skill and have to be good listeners. I’m not talking about the reporters (!), but rather the massage girls and odd boy (not odd as in, er, odd, but odd as in occasional). These people provide a soothing service for poker players needing to relax or get some light ache relief from being hunched over the felt all day and night.

I’m sure the money is not great, although occasionally they work for a ‘big tipper’, but even so the effort these dedicated professionals put in is never in question. I know of one massage lady on the EPT circuit who has been reduced to tears because here hands hurt so much after hours of working constantly on knotted muscles. But no matter how long they’ve been rubbing pimply backs and shoulders, they always have a smile and never grumble. Hats off to them.

Most players never bother to pay for an at-seat massage; others seem to spend most of their days with their chair turned back-to-front and head buried in a cushion as they plot their way to world poker domination. Team PokerStars Pro John Duthie is one, and it was during a massage session earlier this year, at the PCA, that one of my favorite pics of him emerged …

… and that was Duthie on a good hair day!

Another serial massage man is Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu. We’ve seen countless pictures of him so far this WSOP with a massage girl hard at work. Yesterday, during day two of the $2,500 No Limit Hold’em Six-Handed, he was at it again. The blonde massage girl was sitting cross-legged on the floor behind him, working relentlessly on his lower back. These people must have the best personal knowledge of male under garments in the world. They work within inches of exposed, and hopefully clean Calvin Klein. Other top underwear is also available.

Yesterday, the relaxing massage paid off substantially for the Canadian, although he will be a little peeved he did not make it to the real big money. After carving through most of the 1,245-strong field, he bust in 16th place, the last faller of the night, for $23,537 – his second cash of this year’s Series. With first place dishing out a hefty $630,031, Negreanu will probably see his cash as money lost rather then gained.

This event was a decent one for Team PokerStars Pro. As well as Negreanu, there were cashes for Florian Langmann ($6,156), Maria Mayrinck ($5,669), Johannes Steindl ($5,211), and an impressive 23rd-place finish from Team PokerStars Online player Dustin Schmidt for $18,612. Steve Cowley leads the field heading in to day three of this one.

Moving around the Rio yesterday there were mixed fortunes for Team Pro. Holland’s Marcel Luske, resplendent in his usual smart suit, was looking to push deep in day two of the $1,500 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, but was unable to make the cash.

He had been struggling and was then crippled in a hand against Mark Janeczek:

Luske: [8d][7s] X/[8c][4h][jc][3c]
Janeczek: [as][2d][3h]/[3s][6d][5c][5h]

Luske called bets from Janeczek on sixth and seventh streets but was unable to beat Janeczek’s two pair or his six low. The Dutchman was flying out of the door soon after.

The big starting tournament of the day was the $10,000 Limit Hold’em Championship. 171 players dug deep to enter this one, including a large group of Team PokerStars Pros. Barry Greenstein, Lex Veldhuis, Noah Boeken, Anh Van Nguyen, Greg DeBora, Vanessa Rousso, Alex Kravchenko, Chad Brown, Jason Mercier, Andre Akkari, Pat Pezzin, Negreanu, Team PokerStars Online’s George Lind and Friend of PokerStars Bill Chen. Breathe out.

Of that lot, a fair few made it to the overnight chips counts, topped by a certain Jeffrey Lisandro on 130,900. Canada’s Van Nguyen has 82,500, DeBora (68,000), Akkari (49,300), Greenstein (40,900), Chen (36,600), Rousso (32,300), Pezzin (15,800), Brown 15,500) and Veldhuis (13,100).

Negreanu went out after not playing much – he was concentrating on the aforementioned $2,500 No Limit event. His stack was blinding off and he popped over to lose the last of it in a hand with Veldhuis.

“Take it, fish!” he joked as he shipped the chips over.

Event number 28, the $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha also began yesterday, with 596 walking through the door. Among them, a first sighting of the WSOP so far this year of former World Champion and Team PokerStars Pro Joe Hachem. He bagged up 23,700 and will be joined for day two today by fellow Team Pros ElkY (41,300), Thomas Bichon (40,000), Sandra Naujoks (17,200) and Humberto Brenes (13,700). Top of the pops is Loren Klein with 187,300.

Two new events kick off today: a $1,500 No Limit Hold’em, and $1,500 HORSE. Good luck to all our PokerStars players.

* * * *

Tweets of the Day
@FossilMan (Greg Raymer): Ate with Cheryl at Mint Indian per recommendation of Augie from 2+2.com. Mango chicken is good, but Kathmandu chili chicken is better. But both pale in comparison to my beautiful wife! I love you, honey!!!

@RealKidPoker (Daniel Negreanu): I just made. A. Flush. Yeeeeeeeesssss! (He’d been complaining all week that he never made a flush).

@MarcinHorecki: In Tallinn for PokerStars Baltic Festival. Plan to take it down and go to WSOP

* * * *

Thought of the Day
Back rubs for the win

* * * *

Previous WSOP Diary entries
WSOP Diary: Maria Mayrinck, something in the water
WSOP Diary: Who needs a rest anyway?
WSOP Diary: An apology
WSOP Diary: George Danzer just misses first bracelet for PokerStars
WSOP Diary: Negreanu, Danzer eye $10K Lowball bracelet
WSOP Diary: Hold me, darling – this is going to be BIG
WSOP Diary: Why Peter Eastgate is missing from the World Series
WSOP Diary: Ville Wahlbeck joins Team PokerStars Pro
WSOP Diary: Durrr misses biggest-ever poker payday, pros overjoyed
WSOP Diary: Poker’s clean-up operation begins again
WSOP Diary: Manchester United soccer star Darren Fletcher tackles World Series of Poker
WSOP Diary: $10,000 Stud Championsip draws big names
WSOP Diary: Nh, gg, wp Daniel Negreanu, k?
WSOP Diary: Grinding out $1.5million with perfect timing
WSOP Diary: Team Pro Maridu needs Baker, Baker needs dough
WSOP Diary: Viva la revolution in Las Vegas
WSOP Diary: Safari, so good for Noah Boeken
WSOP Diary: Barry Greenstein mixes it up in the $50K
WSOP Diary: Going supersize in Las Vegas

Contact: blog@pokerstars.com

Tags: diary | ept | indian | janeczek | marcel-luske | vanessa-rousso | Vegas | world

I’m convinced there’s something in the water in Maria Mayrinck’s household. Her boyfriend, David ‘WhooooKidd’ Baker, is ripping up the World Series of Poker, cashing four times already for more than $600,000, including a bracelet in the in $10,000 2-7 NL Draw Lowball. The man is running as hot as a tin roof in Las Vegas.

Team PokerStars Pro Mayrinck has been his biggest supporter – despite having to miss that Lowball final table as she was playing the LAPT event in Peru – and now it’s her turn to put on a show. She finished well in the $2,500 No Limit six-handed event last night, bagging up 77,200 and nicely positioned towards the top of the 156 survivors from an impressive 1,245 entries.

It seems there really is something in the water. It’s called good Karma. You see, Mayrinck is on an environmental mission here at the WSOP to conserve plastic. Thousands and thousands of plastic water bottles are used then dumped each day by players and she wants to cut that down.

“I really want to make players more aware in helping the environment and use less plastic water bottles during the Series,” she said. “I’ve been Tweeting about it and said that I will be giving out bottles to people who ask me for one so they can fill up and take to/from home to the Rio with water so not waste so much plastic. This is something that is very important to me.”

It’s a worthy cause and one we support. Let’s hope the water Karma continues through today’s day two of the tournament. They’re 30 short of the money right now.

Still in, and doing super well is Team PokerStars Pro Florian Langmann on 111,500, and Daniel Negreanu (53,000) who, as usual, attracted a big rail to his table.

This event drew a huge list of Team Pros. As well as the three above, all the following were unable to make progress: ElkY, Barry Greenstein, Hevad Khan, Andre Akkari, Vanessa Rousso, Johannes Steindl, Lex Veldhuis, Alex Kravchenko, Jason Mercier, Gavin Griffin, Humberto Brenes and Bill Chen.

Veldhuis was a little unlucky, getting his money in with pocket kings against Jeremy Ausmus’ ace-king – with an ace falling on the river. Brenes was all in with [9h][9d] and up against Ben Maerefat’s [ah][qh], and the board ran [6d][7s][3s][qc][7c] to send The Shark home.

Meanwhile, in the first day of the $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Low-8 or Better, Team PokerStars Pro Marcel Luske bagged up 22,800, one of 208 from 644 starters to get through. Unfortunately for PokerStars, George Lind, Greg Raymer, JP Kelly, Chad Brown
Vanessa Rousso, Jason Mericer and Michael Keiner were not among them.

Finaly, respect to Sammy Farha who took down the $10,000 Omaha Hi-Low Split 8 or Better event for $488,237 after a marathon final table that only wrapped up at around 7am this morning. Congratulations, too, to Brit James Dempsey who got $301,790 for second place, just short of winning his second WSOP bracelet within weeks.

* * * *

Tweets of the Day
@RealKidPoker (Daniel Negreanu): Ha just realized I traded 5pct with Yuegi Zhu in the Omaha and he finished third. Nice job man!

@DocPoker (Michael Keiner): Busted in Level 6 with 3 terrible beats in a row. Good news: now i can play the PLO tomorrow.

@Maridu (Maria Mayrinck): Table change & none other then phil ivey to my left, srsly?

@aakkari (Andre Akkari): Who limp call with AK in the 6 handed Wsop tournament should be banned of the Wsop forever!

* * * *

Thought of the Day
Give me some of that water

* * * *

Previous WSOP Diary entries
WSOP Diary: Who needs a rest anyway?
WSOP Diary: An apology
WSOP Diary: George Danzer just misses first bracelet for PokerStars
WSOP Diary: Negreanu, Danzer eye $10K Lowball bracelet
WSOP Diary: Hold me, darling – this is going to be BIG
WSOP Diary: Why Peter Eastgate is missing from the World Series
WSOP Diary: Ville Wahlbeck joins Team PokerStars Pro
WSOP Diary: Durrr misses biggest-ever poker payday, pros overjoyed
WSOP Diary: Poker’s clean-up operation begins again
WSOP Diary: Manchester United soccer star Darren Fletcher tackles World Series of Poker
WSOP Diary: $10,000 Stud Championsip draws big names
WSOP Diary: Nh, gg, wp Daniel Negreanu, k?
WSOP Diary: Grinding out $1.5million with perfect timing
WSOP Diary: Team Pro Maridu needs Baker, Baker needs dough
WSOP Diary: Viva la revolution in Las Vegas
WSOP Diary: Safari, so good for Noah Boeken
WSOP Diary: Barry Greenstein mixes it up in the $50K
WSOP Diary: Going supersize in Las Vegas

Contact: blog@pokerstars.com

Tags: daniel-negreanu | darren-fletcher | mayrinck | peter-eastgate | river | vanessa-rousso | world-series

Along with many other media outlets, we may have given the impression in earlier reports (and on Twitter, in the bars etc) that England was going to whip the USA’s backside in the soccer World Cup. We may have implied victory was certain given that we (I’m English, obviously) invented the game, have mega-star striker Wayne Rooney on top form and are far superior to our trans-Atlantic cousins in every area of the pitch. Some readers may have been left with the distinct understanding that it was only a matter of how many goals England would win by. We have been asked to point out that these reports were misleading. We apologize.

While we always strive to be accurate and fair, we missed one important fact in our earlier reports: Robert ‘The Clown’ Green is the England goalkeeper.

The match started according to script, with England going one goal up within five minutes. But then that incredible moment that blew this blog’s credibility, and that of many other media outlets, out of the water. Green failed to stop a weak, trickling shot that my grandmother could have saved… with her legs tied together and wearing a blindfold.

As punishment for our erroneous reporting, this blog has agreed to pay substantial damages and costs to the ‘Center for Broken Sports Bettors Who Trusted PokerStars Blog’, a now overflowing establishment in downtown Las Vegas.

We promise never to crow and brag about England again. That would be unforgivable.

* * * *

England is brilliant at poker! We’ve been whipping everyone here in Las Vegas. The US has never had such a beating in its own back yard.

Whoops, here we go again. But in this case we do have something worth celebrating… three WSOP bracelets so far for England, with Richard Ashby the latest to bag his in the $1,500 7-Card Stud yesterday. He joins James Dempsey and Praz Bansi in this year’s poker elite.

The Stud was a pretty tough field. Team PokerStars Pro Pat Pezzin, who seems to be cashing here at the WSOP for fun, made it through to the final, while Alex Kravchenko missed his second final of the Series by a whisker, busting in ninth for a $10,057 cash.

Pezzin, from Canada, has been around for a few years now, but is making a name for himself under the PokerStars colors. He made $16,826 yesterday for his seventh-place finish. He lost an early pot against Christine Pietsch that left him in danger, and he finally crashed in two quick hands. Dan Heimiller had been the aggressor all the way down to seventh street and Pezzin bet. He got two callers and turned over two pair, sixes and sevens. Heimiller mucked, but Richard Ashby turned over two pair, aces and fours to leave the Team Pro on just 20,000. A few hands later Sorel Mizzi completed, Pezzin raised all in, Mizzi called:

Mizzi: [JS][10H][JD][6C][JH][3S][9D] for trip jacks
Pezzin: [ac][6s][6d][9h][2h][kd][10d] for a pair of sixes

Ashby ($140,467) went on to beat Pietsch ($86,756) heads-up.

There was no joy for Team PokerStars Pro in day two of the $2,500 Limit Hold’em. While ElkY, Noah Boeken, Andre Akkari and Team PokerStars Online’s George Lind had hopes of at least making the money, none got there.

In day one of the $10,000 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better Championship, a big group of Team Pros gathered. Of the 212 starters, 154 made it through to day 2, including George Danzer – who came third in the $10K Lowball a few days back – on 91,700, Kravchenko (78,100), Barry Greenstein (49,800), Pezzin (23,600) and Chad Brown (12,900). Top of the pops overnight is Eugene Katchalov with 123,200.

Yesterday was also the starter for another huge $1,000 No Limit event. This drew an impressive 1,931 players. To get a feeling for how big these events are, see our previous coverage here and here.

Of the masses, 290 got through to day 2, with Team PokerStars Pro Arnaud Mattern in good shape with 39,950 and Veronica Dabul from Argentina on 33,400. Today’s day 1B promises another bumper turnout.

Good luck to all PokerStars players taking to the felt today.

* * * *

Tweets of the Day
@VanessaRousso: I have really important things to work on today….like my tan!! Hoping the clouds clear soon so I can get some sun and shoot some hoops!

@JasonMercier: Busto 10k o8. Struggling so far this wsop

@RealKidPoker (Daniel Negreanu): Just laid down the best hand for half of a gigantic pot and my head is spinning. One of the weirdest hands ever. Seemed like an easy fold.

and finally…

@aakkari (Andre Akkari): Now the commentator said that the USA goal is a matter of time, i agree, maybe in 10 years…

… quickly followed by…

@aakkari: Lolol Goallllll!!!!

* * * *

Thought of the Day
If Robert Green played poker, we’d all be rich

* * * *

Previous WSOP Diary entries
WSOP Diary: George Danzer just misses first bracelet for PokerStars
WSOP Diary: Negreanu, Danzer eye $10K Lowball bracelet
WSOP Diary: Hold me, darling – this is going to be BIG
WSOP Diary: Why Peter Eastgate is missing from the World Series
WSOP Diary: Ville Wahlbeck joins Team PokerStars Pro
WSOP Diary: Durrr misses biggest-ever poker payday, pros overjoyed
WSOP Diary: Poker’s clean-up operation begins again
WSOP Diary: Manchester United soccer star Darren Fletcher tackles World Series of Poker
WSOP Diary: $10,000 Stud Championsip draws big names
WSOP Diary: Nh, gg, wp Daniel Negreanu, k?
WSOP Diary: Grinding out $1.5million with perfect timing
WSOP Diary: Team Pro Maridu needs Baker, Baker needs dough
WSOP Diary: Viva la revolution in Las Vegas
WSOP Diary: Safari, so good for Noah Boeken
WSOP Diary: Barry Greenstein mixes it up in the $50K
WSOP Diary: Going supersize in Las Vegas

Contact: blog@pokerstars.com

Tags: america | argentina | clouds | diary | game | george-danzer | michael | money | peter-eastgate | pokerstars | soccer | water | world-series