2:20 p.m. Players have taken their seats and Tournament Director Sam aka TD to the Stars has started player introductions.  Seating and chip counts:

1 - Doyle Brunson – 510k
2 - Patrik Antonius – 650k
3 - Marco Traniello – 420k
4 - Rene Mouritsen – 775k
5 - Tommy Ly – 1.9m
6 - Jonas Flug-Entin – 445k
7 - Steve Sung – 175k
8 - Stephen Ladowski – 360k
9 - Robert Mizrachi – 1m

2:23 p.m.  This is definitely the most crowded the final table area has been yet.  People are completely crammed into the “No-Limit Lounge” (aka the lounge where all you can buy is Milwaukee’s Best Light).  So far no one has placed their foot on my laptop.  Yet.


2:24 p.m. I’m extremely glad that Patrik is sitting with his back to me because it hurts me to look at him.  Seriously, good poker players are supposed to be ugly, not former models. And sitting next to him is Marco Traniello.  Thankfully Robert is there to make me feel better about myself.  Heh. 

2:26 p.m Steve Sung has just raised pot to 105k.  This is 3/4th of his starting stack.  Action was passed to Marco in the big blind.  He thought for awhile before calling.  I’m surprised he didn’t just move in…the flop is Qc10s9s and Marco bet enough to put Steve all in. He called.  Steve has AdAcKc9d for an overpair and gutshot but Marco has flopped a set of Q’s.  Steve’s out in 9th place.  I’m kind of surprised Marco called in that spot preflop against a short-stack; it was a big gamble for ½ of his stack.

2:32 p.m. Marco is mixing it up again, this time against Tommy Ly.  The common perception is that Tommy has been incredibly lucky to get to this point; someone said he plays it like a holdem player playing PLO.  That makes sense since he already has 2 holdem final tables this WSOP.  Marco has moved up close to 3rd place now.

2:44 p.m. Robert limped in, doyle limped, and Patrik raised pot. Robert called and Doyle laid the hammer down with a repot.  Patrik went into the tank before mucking and Robert mucked.  As Doyle scooped in his second pot in a row, it became clear that this is definitely a Doyle-friendly crowd.

2:55 p.m. Jonas Flug-Entin was just elimianted in 8th place when he held K8XX on a 1088 board but his opponent had A8XX.  Flug-Entin

2:56 p.m. TD Sam just referred to fellow TD Charlie "the fat one."  NH, sir.

3:01 p.m. Steven Ladowsky just doubled up.