Thursday, 28th March 2024 12:16
Home / Uncategorized / WSOP Main Event Day 7: Hoisting the PokerStars flag above the Amazon (Room)
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It’s amazing how much you can learn after 30 seconds in the Amazon Room. Within just a few steps in the door today, we saw what equated to a giant PokerStars flag flying over Table 376. Stuck to Theo Jorgensen’s shirt was the PokerStars logo. Well, well, well.

“I mean,” said one member of media, noting the significance, “he boxed Gus Hansen.”

“And he won,” said another.

And he is starting Day 7 as the chip leader of the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event.

It’s not as if Jorgensen isn’t familiar with the PokerStars world. He’s made two final tables on the PokerStars European Poker Tour. It’s not as if he is unfamiliar with the WSOP. He has a PLO bracelet from 2008. This was something that was bound to happen.

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Theo Jorgensen

We noted all of this as Jack Effel was welcoming the 78 players to Day 7 with some serious words. “The next couple of days are going to be tough,” he said. “Dreams are going to be shattered, and dreams are going to be made.”

The goal, Effel said, was to trim the the field from 78 down to 27 today. However, as we have come to learn, nothing is set in stone here. “Just realize there could be some changes,” Effel warned.

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Jack Effel rocks the mic

One major change we expected at noon was that this would be the first day we would start without Brazilian Team PokerStars Pro Gualter Salles in the room. He managed to prove us wrong.

Salles, recovering well from a chest cold he picked up while playing, is here sweating Brazilian PokerStars player Eduardo Parras.

“I have a piece of him,” Salles said with a smile. He apparently feeling much better today.

Parras is sitting on the same table with Jorgensen, a man who is going to be fun to watch today. With the first orbit, he was involved in a pot worth more than 1.5 million.

He and PokerStras player James Manning saw a flop of 2♣ Jâ™  Q♥ for 130,000 apiece. Both players checked. On the 2♥ turn, Manning check-called 200,000. The J♣ came on the river, Manning checked again. That’s when Jorgensen put out 500,000. Manning tanked hard.

“You either got a jack or you got nothing,” said the American. “It’s not really like a value bet at all. It doesn’t look like you want a call.”

Jorgensen sat silent while the ESPN cameras swarmed around the table.

Manning continued, “If I call, are you going to turn over a jack?”

Jorgensen bit his upper lip and looked into space.

Manning was relentless. “Are tens any good?”

Jorgensen gave up nothing we could see, but finally Manning made the call.

Jorgensen finally spoke. “Good call,” he said and turned over A♥ 9♥ for the busted flush draw. Manning dutifully turned over two red tens.

“Can’t play scared,” Manning said.

That’s how this day began.

*****

FACT OF THE HOUR

Everyone who remains in the field is guaranteed a six-figure payday.

******

ELIMINATION OF THE HOUR

The adventures of Jean-Robert Bellande have come to an end. After a brief spell on the feature table, he moved in on the button with Q♦ 10♦ and was called by Duy le with A♣ Q♣ . Bellande was out of his chair calling for cards and after the Kâ™  4â™  3♥ flop he’d need them. He needed a ten or running cards. The turn came 5♣ , the river J♦ . To warm applause JRB shook hands with the rest of the table before making his way out of this World Series Main Event.

*****

TRIPLE-UP, DOUBLE-ELIMINATION OF THE HOUR

It’s the toughest skill to master in poker: getting aces when an opponent has pocket kings. But if you can do that already, you might like to take it even higher, and get aces when one opponent has kings and another has already shoved with Q♥ J♥ .

The man with that particular mad skill today is Eduardo Parras who just managed to eliminate two similar-stacked players and all-but triple himself up.

Richard Morgan opened from under-the-gun, Habib Khanis moved all in from his left, and Parras re-shoved. Khanis called.

Morgan: K♦ K♠
Khanis: Q♥ J♥
Parras: A♠ A♥

The flop was blank: 9♠ 2♦ 2♥ but the turn gave hope to Khanis. It came 8♥ and he instantly deployed his One Time Chip, begging the dealer for a 10. But the river was the 7♠ and the aces held. Morgan and Khanis hit the rail and sent the Brazilians wild.

Theo Jorgensen, also on that table, had started the Brazilian finger-clicking when he saw Parras’ aces (the click that has followed Alex Gomes around his great run of the past few years). And Jorgensen also had the last word on the hand. “I folded ace-ten,” Jorgensen said. “They were suited. I would have lost but I would have outplayed them somehow.”

*****

OUT OF CONTEXT QUOTE OF THE HOUR

“Other people might have peed their pants there. But I’m stronger than that.”

*****

NEARLY COMPLETE INFORMATION HAND OF THE HOUR

Our Swedish blogger Lina bounced into the room with a giant smile on her face. She was obviously proud of herself. She announced Team PokerStars Pro Johnny Lodden was up to 3.5 million.

“I have the hand!” she declared. “With cards and everything!”

This was quite a moment for all of us. Our little girl was all grown up.

According to Lina (who managed to get the cards, but not the names of everybody involved….), the pot was raised and called before it got to Lodden on the button. With two million in his stack, Lodden called. On a flop of 9♣ 5♥ 4â™  , it was checked, bet once to 250,000, and then raised to 590,000 bby Lodden. The original raiser folded, but Lodden got called in the cut-off. Both players checked the 7♣ turn. On the Aâ™  river, Lodden faced a bet of 600,000. It was a tough spot for Lodden, but he called with A♣ J♥ , and that was a winner against Qâ™  10â™  .

That’s the hand…with cards and everything.

*****

JOE GIRON PHOTO SERIES OF THE HOUR

Scene: PokerStars qualifier Nicolas Babel all-in, winning, celebrating.

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*****

ATOMIC FIREBALL FACT OF THE HOUR

This is what it looks like when The Official Candy of the PokerStars Blog is created.

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