With a little of 20,000 in the pot and a board reading , Niel Mittelman checked from the small blind and Canada's Pouliot Serge moved all in for 17,000 from the button. It did the trick as Mittelman released his hand. Serge chipped up to 37,000 while Mittelman preserved his 17,200 stack.
A couple tables over, there was 9,000 in the pot and a board reading when Olivier Busquet checked from the small blind and 2016 GPI Player of the Year David Peters bet 5,200 from the cutoff. Busquet gave it some thought, but ultimately released his hand. With that, Peters is up to 36,000 while Busquet fell to 27,500.
Finally, over at Table 9, Pawel Zielony raised to 400 from early position and Vojtech Ruzicka, who if you recall finished fifth in the 2016 World Series of Poker Main Event back in November, three-bet to 1,400 from the hijack. The Netherlands' Arjen Hulskotte flatted from the cutoff, the button and blinds all folded, and Zielony put in the additional 1,000 to see a flop.
Two checks saw Hulskotte bet 2,000, and both Zielony and Ruzicka folded. Ruzicka fell to 33,000 after the hand while Hulskotte got back to the 30,000 starting stack.
Sharman Olshan was first to act and raised to 400. Mike McDonald called from middle position and Hrair Janian over called from the big blind.
All three of them checked on and the hit the turn. Janian bet out 1,100 and Olshan instantly folded. McDonald called in position.
The completed the board and Janian bet out 2,100. McDonald tanked for a bit and eventually called. Janian showed and McDonald tabled to rake in the pot.
On a board reading , with about 3,000 in the pot, Patrik Pavelko led out for 1,600 from the small blind.
Morris Dadoun was in middle position and raised to 4,000. Pavelko immediately moved all in for 16,000 and Dadoun quickly called.
Dadoun tabled for the nut flush, while Pavelko showed for two pair, kings and sixes.
The river was the and Dadoun's flush held, sending Pavelko to the rail. As he was stacking his chips, Dadoun had a big smile on his face and innocently waved goodbye to Pavelko on his way out.
Leo Yan Ho Cheng (pictured) and Mike Leah got involved in a big pot with massive repercussions for one of the two popular players.
We joined the action with 9,625 chips in the middle and just Cheng and Leah awaiting the flop of . Cheng was checked to by Leah, with the Canadian out of position, both in middle position. Cheng made it 2,000 and was called. The turn of Cheng made it 3,500 and again Leah called.
The river of saw Cheng checked to by Leah for a third time and he moved all-in for 6,875. Leah called pretty quickly and mucked to Cheng's winning hand of . When asked what he was holding, Leah told the table:
"Ace with a nut flush draw." Leah said, and he drops to 9,400 chips. Cheng is right back into contention after an early dip himself, as he now goes back over starting stack with 33,000.
Nick Petrangelo was in the cutoff on a board of . His opponent in middle position checked, and Petrangelo bet what looked like a little less than 3,000 into a pot of about 5,000. His opponent flicked a T5,000 chip in and Petrangelo turned over . His opponent had trips though: .
After the hand, it sounded like the player with trips said he was meaning to raise.
Several more players have entered the field, including Canada's Mike Watson. Watson took down last year's Main Event for a whopping $728,325 after making a deal heads-up with Anthony Gregg.
Watson walked in with Mike McDonald who also took his seat. McDonald finished runner-up at the PCA in 2014 for $1,064,865 and also came in 8th place for $217,320 in the $100,000 Super High Roller.
A big hand developed between Daniel Koop and the infamous Cliff Josephy, who finished third in the 2016 WSOP Main Event for over $3.4 million before only cashing once since....when he won a $5,200 event at the Five Diamond Classic for $163,250!
The pot began to build preflop when Koop made it 400 from the dealer button, only for Josephy to raise to 1,500 in the small blind. That raise was called by Koop and the pair went heads up to a flop of . Josephy continued for 1,200 and got a quick call. The turn of got a check from each player, but on the river of , Josephy led out for 3,300. Koop couldn't call, and Josephy's win brings him back up to almost starting stack on 29,500.
Despite losing the pot, Koop remains around the top of the pecking order at 46,775.
The 2016 World Series of Poker Main Event attracted 6,737 players, but in the end it was Qui Nguyen who topped them all to become poker's latest world champion. However, had a coin flip gone differently with 12 players remaining, it could have very well been Wisconsin's Mike Shin who ran over the final table.
On Day 7 of the WSOP Main Event, Vojtech Ruzicka raised to 800,000 from the cutoff and Shin called from the small blind. Nguyen then three-bet to 2.7 million from the big blind, Ruzicka called, and Shin four-bet jammed for 14.1 million. Nguyen tanked for three minutes before making the call, and Ruzicka got out of the way.
Shin:
Nguyen:
Unfortunately for Shin, the board ran out and he was out in 12th place for $427,930. It was far and away the largest score of his career and brought his lifetime earnings up to $571,260, which vaulted him to 13th on Wisconsin's all-time money list.
"A little disappointed because obviously I was so close to it, but like I said before, if you'd have told me at the start of the tournament I'd get 12, I would have been stoked," Shin previously said of his elimination. "I try not to think about it. I don't think it's going to go away though. I think about that hand though, every single day, every single hour. I'm thinking about it at this moment."
Shin's disappointment in missing out on the November Nines seems to have disappeared, and he is more than excited to be having fun in the sun. That's because Shin left frigid Milwaukee, which is in the single digits, and is in action here on Day 1a of the PokerStars Championship Bahamas looking for his first PokerStars-related cash.
Sergio Aido cashed in nine countries last year, including his native Spain, and he's fighting hard to make sure he stays in the hunt early on Day 1a of the PokerStars Championships Bahamas Main Event.
Preflop, Aido was the aggressor as he made it 450 to go from middle position. Dutch player Arjen Hulskotte was one of two players to call. The flop of saw Aido continue for 800, and this time only Hulskotte came long for the ride. On the turn of , however, Aido's chunky bet of 2,200 chips took down the pot and he bounces up to 25,400 after a tricky start. Despite losing the hand, Hulskotte is very stable on 29,500.
, Niel Mittelman checked from the small blind and Canada's Pouliot Serge moved all in for 17,000 from the button. It did the trick as Mittelman released his hand. Serge chipped up to 37,000 while Mittelman preserved his 17,200 stack.
when Olivier Busquet checked from the small blind and 2016 GPI Player of the Year David Peters bet 5,200 from the cutoff. Busquet gave it some thought, but ultimately released his hand. With that, Peters is up to 36,000 while Busquet fell to 27,500.
flop. 
and the 
hit the turn. Janian bet out 1,100 and Olshan instantly folded. McDonald called in position.
completed the board and Janian bet out 2,100. McDonald tanked for a bit and eventually called. Janian showed 
and McDonald tabled 
to rake in the pot.
for two pair, kings and sixes. 
saw Cheng checked to by Leah for a third time and he moved all-in for 6,875. Leah called pretty quickly and mucked to Cheng's winning hand of 
. When asked what he was holding, Leah told the table: 
. His opponent in middle position checked, and Petrangelo bet what looked like a little less than 3,000 into a pot of about 5,000. His opponent flicked a T5,000 chip in and Petrangelo turned over 
. His opponent had trips though: 
saw Aido continue for 800, and this time only Hulskotte came long for the ride. On the turn of 
