Obrestad already has a WSOPE Main Event title to her credit

Players at the 2011 World Series of Poker are now halfway through Level 7 and playing with blinds of 300/600. The fast pace of eliminations hasn’t slowed yet, as tables are breaking in short order. After arriving just before the end of the last level, Phil Hellmuth has fought back a little bit. That’s just one of the highlights from the first hour of Level 7. Here’s a rundown of the rest:

Obrestad Nearing 100,000

Annette Obrestad has not enjoyed her WSOP in Las Vegas this year, as she did not cash in the 14 tournaments she played. Things are going fairly well for Obrestad in the Main Event so far.

A player in late position opened for 1,500 and Obrestad called from the cutoff. The pair checked after seeing a flop of 843. The turn brought the A an her opponent checked. Obrestad bet 2,200 and the other player called. The river brought the J and the intial raiser checked a third time. Obrestad paused for a moment before betting 15,000. After three minutes of thought, her opponent laid down his hand, bringing Obrestad up to 95,000 in chips.

Sammy Farha Busted

Soi Nguyen checked a 986 flop and Sammy Farha open-shoved all-in from the hijack. David O’Neill was next to act and reraised all-in behind him, having Farha covered. Nguyen folded and Farha showed A9 for top pair and the nut flush draw. O’Neill turned over 88 for a set of eights. Farha needed hep and failed to improve as the turn brought the A and the river the K. The 2003 Main Event runner-up headed home early in Level 6 action, while O’Neill chipped up to 121,000.

Ryan Hughes Staying Active

Poker pro Ryan Hughes can accumulate chips in no time thanks to his willingness to stay aggressive and play in plenty of big pots. His style helped him boost his stack up to over 140,000 early in Level 6, but he hit a setback midway through the level.

Hughes opened to 1,500 from the hijack and the player in the cutoff called behind him. The flop fell T86 and Hughes bet 2,400. His opponent raised to 6,800 total and Hughes called. The turn brought the A and Hughes checked. The other player bet 9,300 and Hughes deliberated for a minute or so before calling. The river was the 9 and Hughes checked again. The other player moved all-in for roughly 20,500, prompting Hughes to tank for a good minute or two before mucking his cards.

After the hand, Hughes dropped to a still well-above average 120,000 chips.

Eric Baldwin Busto

With 8,000 in the pot, three players saw a flop of A98. An early position player checked, Eric Baldwin checked, and Matt Livingston bet 2,825. The early position player called, then Baldwin raised to 10,700. Livingston reraised to 22,825, the early position player folded, and Baldwin called.

The turn was the 6, and Baldwin went all-in for just over 20,000. Livingston snap-called and showed AT for the nut flush. Baldwin was drawing dead with JT. The inconsequential river was the 4, and Baldwin’s 2011 WSOP Main Event was over.

After the hand, Livingston was up to 170,000.

Robl Bluffs One

With 15,000 in the pot on a board of J874, a player checked to Andrew Robl on the button. Robl bet 11,500 and the other player called. The river was the 2, and the other player checked to Robl again, and Robl moved all-in for 29,000. After tanking for more than five minutes, his opponent folded. As the pot was pushed to Robl, he showed the T6 for a busted double gutshot straight draw, which had missed.

After the hand, Robl was up to 82,000

Shak Gets Counterfeited

With 9,000 already in the pot and the board showing T94, Dan Shak bet 5,000. His opponent, who in an electric wheelchair and playing out of a rack leaning on the table bumper, announced “all-in” without moving his chips into the middle. Shak, who was wearing Dre Beats headphones, then appeared to go into the tank.

After almost five minutes, Phil Hellmuth, who had just taken his seat at table, piped up. “You know it’s on you, right Dan?”. Shak removed his headphones and then was told his opponent had moved all-in some time ago. Shak called and tabled 44 for a flopped set and his opponent showed KK. The T on the turn gave Shak a full house but the T on the river gave his opponent a bigger full house, tens over kings. After the hand Shak dropped to 117,500.

Squeaky Getting Animated

Michael “Squeaky” Winnett had been quiet through the first level of the day but seems to have found his voice again early in Level 7 Winnett raised to 1,700 from early position and the player in the cutoff called. Action was on the player in the small blind when Winnett took exception to the dealer. “You’re staring at me like it’s on me,” said Winnett. The dealer then turned to the player in the small blind, who called.

“You’d better connect,” Winnett said to the dealer. “If you make me lose this pot we’ll have problems.”

The flop came AQ5 and all three players checked. The turn was the K and the small blind checked. Winnett bet 3,050, the player in the cutoff called, while the small blind folded. The river was the T, putting a flush on the board, and Winnett bet 5,100. His opponent spent a few minutes thinking and counting and re-counting his chips before calling. Winnett showed 22 and was playing the board, but his opponent showed 77 and won the pot with a better flush thanks to his 7 playing.

After the hand, Winnett dropped to 17,875.

Does This Opponent Belong to You?

As players are moved around to new tables, it can often become confusing as to where they are seated, especially after coming back from a break.

Shortly after returning from break, one of the floor men was walking around with a player that could not remember where he was seated. The floor man announced, “We have a lost player. Does anyone recognize this player?”

After a few minutes, Theo Tran spoke up and said that the player was seated next to him. The player, who looked a bit sheepish about the whole incident, was then escorted to his seat. One of his tablemates tried to ease the situation by telling him a story about when the same thing happened to him in another tourney. They all had a laugh, then got back to playing their hands.

Tweet of the Level

One of the hardest moments of a tournament poker player’s year is when their run in the Main Event comes to an end. Gavin Griffin chose to look at the bright side of having some free time on Monday night.

@NHGG: At least I get to watch the home run derby?

Almost as exciting as watching the NBA Skills Challenge.

Notable Chip Counts

Mike Sowers – 209,000
Jimmy Gorham – 208,450
Alexander Mozhnyako – 205,000
Fred Berger – 202,500
David Diaz – 190,000
Eric Appel – 186,000
Victor Ayala – 180,000
Matt Livingston – 170,000
Joshua Mullen – 169,000
Andrew St. Jean – 162,000

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