WSOP Day 4: $2,000 No Limit Hold'em and $10,000 Mixed

So yesterday I started off working the $2,000 NLHE event at 12pm. The field got to 1,592 players and only a handful of them were well known. Most of the big players were still playing the $1,000 rebuy event, the $5,000 mixed hold'em event, the $1,500 omaha-8 event, or they were waiting until 5pm to play the big $10,000 mixed event. I worked the event until dinner break and I hate to say it, but the field reporters really got on my nerves. Some of them were doing really well, but some just sucked, plain and simple. I had hands I couldn't blog, players I couldn't track, and the communication sucked. I was so glad to make it to the dinner break and had hopes that after we all met with our boss, things would get better after the break.

During dinner, I got a call from my boss and he wanted to switch me over to the $10,000 mixed event. I happily jumped to the opportunity. The field was stacked and the games were different, I really was looking forward to covering this event.

We pushed through day one pretty quickly. There are 94 players left out of 192 that entered. And let me tell you, this is the who's who of poker. Every table (playing 8-handed) held at least six well known players. All the big stars and all the top cash game players came out for this event. It really drew the players that thought they'd have an edge in the game, and of course your other rich folk that could handle it. We start day two later on at 3pm and will play down to the final eight. It might be a long day, but I'm pretty excited for it as it is a stacked field.

Now, I want to talk about some hands next from Jan von Halle, Katja Thater's husband. Earlier in the WSOP, during the $10,000 PLHE event that I covered von Halle had the action checked to him on the river. he then checked behind so we would have a showdown. To everyone's bedazzlement, von Halle turned over the stone cold nuts... A ROYAL FLUSH! The floor came over and repremanded him for possible collusion and the other players at the table were stunned. Word spread and the buzz began. I guess people make mistakes in poker sometimes, which is understandable.

But then... he messed up again, big time. This time playing 2-7 triple draw in the $10,000 mixed event yesterday. After the second draw, von Halle turned over his hand as he didn't realize there was still another drawing and betting round. When he turned his hand over, he showed 3-4-5-6-7. Johnny Chan was the other player in the hand and saw von Halle's hand and then bet to put him all in. Von Halle called and then the pot was pushed the Chan and von Halle was eliminated. Those of you who know 2-7 triple draw will see that von Halle held a straight and straights count against you, so Chan's eight or nine low won the hand. Another big mistake on the world's biggest stage for von Halle. This time it cost him his tournament.

I'm not really sure what he was doing on either hand and either was anyone else. it's only the 8th event at the series this year and he's already had two big mistakes. I wonder if there will be more to come.

My favorite player Marcel Luske is still in the field and I am rooting for him to take it down. I'm also hoping Tony G does very well as he is basically the head of PokerNews. Good luck to both these players and everyone else in the field. Phil Ivey is also left and a big favorite of mine.