HomeLim Yo Hwan and Michael Van Leeuwen faced a completed board of J♥ 5♠ 8♣ 9♦ 10♣ and a 2000 pot in the middle. Hwan led out for 2100, Van Leeuwen raised to 5000, then Hwan called. Hwan won the pot with a higher straight holding queen-jack against Van Leeuwen’s eight-seven lower straight.
Quite an action-packed morning already with a deepstack still seeing an early shove and elimination. In a preflop raise war between Yen Yau Shern and a player at the cutoff seat, Yau tanked on the all in push then eventually called. When the cards were revealed, the battle was between the cutoff’s A♦ K♥ and Yau’s Q♠ Q♥. The board bricked and Yau eliminated one in the first half hour of the Main Event.
Seems like big bets are seeing the felt early. On a board of A♥ 8♦ 5♣ 4♦, Fred Romeo checked to Kenneth Khoo who bet 1400 into the pot. Romeo called and it was off to the river of Q♥. Romeo checked again, Khoo banged out a 4500 bet, and Romeo called it. Khoo had a sweet set with his 5♥ 5♠.
Jumping over to check out the other table, we saw some big bets cooking things up. On a board of 7♥ A♠ 8♦ 9♠, the small blind player checked, a bet of 525 by Arvin Palmero, raised by Tetsuya Tsuchikawa to 2200, then called by both his opponents. On the river of 10♠, the sb player led again, this time for 3000, raised by Palmero to 7525, then scooped the sizable pot when both the sb player and Tsuchikawa folded.
Gerald Casey is taking his fair share of chips early today. On a board of 8♦ 8♣ 10♠ 3♠ he checked to Kunal Patni then check-raised to 750. Patni called and the dealer delivered the river of 5♣. Casey took the reins and bet 1200. Patni opted to fold.
Fred Romeo took down a nice pot during the first few hands. Romeo limped in then called a 300 raise by the big blind player. At the flop of 7♠ 8♣ 7♥, the big blind continued and led for 400, and Romeo called. At the turn of 7♣, the big blind player continued and bet 1000, and again, Romeo flat-called. Then on the river of 2♥, the big blind checked to Romeo who dropped a 1000 bet in the middle which was good enough for the pot as the bb player folded.
Chips are shuffling all around the poker tables with some notables already getting in some early action. Seen at the felt are Gerald Casey, Daniel Lim, Paawan Bansal, Tetsuya Tsuchikawa, Fulpot’s Lim Yo Hwan, and HKPPA’s Dong Hyun Kim aka Tommy and Camilla Samsing. More players are slowly making their way to the tournament area. We will have more updates on the players as the day progresses.
Shuffle up and deal! Cards are in the air for the Main Event! Good luck to all the players!