The following players have just shown up:  Lee Markholt, Kenna James, Theo Tran and John Phan.

512 players and counting, registration will close at 1:30 PDT.

...may be eating like one.  That's John Phan's hot dog.  Rumor is he was inspired by Johnny Chan's orange and uses it scratch and sniff style.  It's actually 3 days old.

Like the vast majority of the poker-playing public these days, I prefer big-bet games to limit. My best game, like yours, is no-limit hold ‘em. When I’m playing well—when my table selection is good and my reads are on—chips come my way in great piles. I’ll sense what an opponent feels is an uncallable bet or convince some maniacal fish to fire at the pot yet again after hitting my set.

As much as I enjoy no-limit, I have to admit that it’s really not a game that involves a whole lot of subtlety. Many of the game’s best players come to the table with a single tool—a sledgehammer. They bash and pound their opponents, forcing strings of bad folds and the occasional disastrous call. Watch David Williams or John Pham play a no-limit tournament some time. It’s impressive, but it ain’t pretty.

Today at WSOP we get a reprieve from the relentless cries of “all-in.” There will be no daring and crazy bluffs. There will be no heroic calls.

That’s because today the $50k HORSE event begins. The best in the field will distinguish themselves by finding spots for thinnest of value bets in limit hold ‘em, or by maneuvering for the free card on Fifth Street in seven-stud. They’ll recognize when their draw to a six is a 53 percent favorite over a made 8 in Razz and put in the appropriate raise. They’ll win by continually exploiting the smallest advantages.

Event #19 $2500 No Limit Hold'em has just wrapped up.  Francois Safieddine defeated John Phan to win the bracelet and $521,785.  The final table payouts were:

1. Francois Safieddine  $521,785
2. John Phan  $330,846
3. Marcus Obser  $212,021
4. Devin Porter  $139,794
5. Shawn Hattem  $97,856
6. Lars Bonding  $74,557
7. Humberto Brenes  $55,918
8. Alex Bolotin  $40,773
9. Bertrand Grospellier  $29,124

John Phan got all in preflop against Eric Hershler. The players showed:

John Phan J3

Eric Hershler KK

The board came Q52J9, no help to Phan who was eliminated.

On a flop of 1095, John Phan put Jeff Madsen all in for around 5k. Madsen called all in and the players showed:

John Phan 65

Jeff Madsen AQ

The turn and river came 7J for Madsen to be eliminated. Phan has around 20k.