On Tuesday night, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event continued airing on ESPN. This time, Day 2A was highlighted and featured nine former Main Event champions gunning for a repeat performance. Embattled PokerStars pro Daniel Negreanu was seated at the feature table.
On a board of 4-9-Q-A, Adam Fisher 3bet all-in with A-J and received a call from Negreanu, who held A-Q for top two pair. Fisher was drawing dead to the river and exited the feature table. Elsewhere in the field, 2009 WSOP Main Event runner-up Darvin Moon checked in on reigning champ Joe Cada and ESPN commentator Norman Chad drooled over cash game pro Patrik Antonius, who was seated at Table 2: “Patrik and I go to the same health club. He just works out a few more days a week than I do.” Interestingly, Antonius had never cashed in the Main Event entering 2010.
Erik Seidel knocked out an opponent with A-K against K-9 to move to nearly double the starting stack of 30,000 and Daniel Alaei doubled up through Leo Margets after winning a race with K-Q against pocket sevens. Meanwhile, former Main Event champ Scotty Nguyen moved all-in with pocket fives on a flop of A-5-A and doubled up through a player holding A-4. ESPN featured the progress of 1986 Under 10 World Youth Chess Champion Jeff Sarwer, who received more coverage than many brand name pros.
Negreanu promptly dropped one-third of his stack after bluffing with 7-6 of diamonds on a board of A-2-Q-8 with two clubs. A third club hit on the river to give Tony Utnage a flush and he scooped the 100,000-chip pot. Others in action on Day 2A that received face time on ESPN included reigning WSOP Europe Main Event champ Barry Shulman, Barry’s wife Allyn, and Pasha and Antonio Esfandiari.
Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi and Robert Mizrachi both survived Day 2A in an impressive feat. Not so fortunate was Ted Forrest, who was all-in with pocket fives against A-K. His opponent spiked a king on the turn and an ace on the river to send the weight loss prop bet winner to the rail. Also departing was Dennis Phillips, whose A-J could not draw out on pocket sevens.
During the second one-hour episode, which aired at 10:00pm ET on ESPN, Day 2A resumed with Johnny Chan laying it down in a hand against Vitaly Lunkin. Then, 2003 WSOP Main Event champ Chris Moneymaker called the clock on an opponent, but didn’t realize that the action was actually on him. Moneymaker eventually called and his opponent insta-mucked. Alaei hit the rails with A-2 against pocket eights when his foe flopped a set.
UB.com pros Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin and Billy “Patrolman35” Kopp continued their Day 2A march and in the Jack Link’s Beef Jerky Wild Card Hand, Negreanu scooped a pot holding just six-high. Negreanu’s nemesis Annie Duke took down a hand with a straight flush against a full house, while fellow female star Heather Sue Mercer won a pot. Mercer, a former college football kicker, sued Duke University for discrimination and was awarded $2 million. However, because of a Supreme Court decision saying that Title IX cases are not subject to punitive damages, she received no money.
Antonius, who is competing against Tom “durrrr” Dwan in the ongoing Durrrr Challenge, cracked pocket aces with 5-3. Antonius flopped two pair and ESPN commentator Lon McEachern noted, “Let the wamboozling begin.” Antonius’ chip stack rose to nearly 300,000 as a result, or 10 times the starting stack.
The feature table grew tougher with the addition of bracelet winner Praz Bansi and Negreanu’s failed bluffs continued. After check-calling a bet of 3,200 with K-J on a flop of 10-7-9, Negreanu and Charles Hook checked a four on the turn. When a five hit on the river, Negreanu bet 6,800 with air and Hook, holding 9-8 for a pair of nines, made the call. Negreanu’s chip stack was slashed to 29,000.
Next week at 9:00pm ET on ESPN, catch two hours of coverage devoted to Day 2B.