Bracelet winner Aaron Steury busted out on the first hand back from dinner break, when he said he check-raised the nut flush draw from the big blind and then barreled off on the turn and river, only to see an opponent with a lower flush draw run a straight and call him.
Alex Barill bet 3,000 from the big blind on a flop, and Steve Williams called in middle position. Barill checked the turn, and Williams bet 6,000. Barill called, seeing a put a four-straight on board. He checked, and Williams flipped 10,000 into the middle. Barill thought it over for a minute or so and dropped in a call.
Williams showed for a flopped straight, and Barill mucked.
Players can no longer reenter the tournament if they bust out, and with an unofficial count of 184 Day 1b runners, that puts the tournament total at 288.
Gerold Saeman checked from early position on a flop, and a middle-position opponent bet 3,200. Saeman used both hands to slide his stacks forward, and he was insta-called for 14,725.
Saeman:
Opponent:
The board failed to pair for Saeman's opponent, keeping the straight best.
Win Tran opened to 1,050 in early position and saw the player on his left make it 4,000. Tran put the player all in for 13,800, and he called instantly with . Tran showed .
"Ace," the player with aces called.
"You want an ace, too?" Tran said with a laugh.
"Gettin' a little greedy," someone chimed in.
No ace appeared, but neither did a king as the board ran out .
Nick Pupillo is another player who had a rough go of it on Day 1a, punting off a couple of bullets in the early going and then being forced to pack it in for the day.
He's off to a better start on Day 1b, as he just doubled up on a board of . We arrived for the aftermath of the hand as the dealer counted out Pupillo's double, but he still had face-up in front of him against an opponent who had showed down .