WSOP Hands of the Day: Spectacular Three-Way Action

World Series of Poker / Short-Stacked Shamus / 13 July 2011 / Leave a Comment

A wild Day 2b at the 2011 WSOP Main Event (Photo credit: PokerNews / WSOP.com)

Like the previous Day Two, Day 2b of the 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event saw lots of chip movement and eliminations occurring, with just 1,042 of the 2,490 players who started the day surviving. If my math is correct, that means there will be 1,864 players returning on Thursday for Day 3 when the entire field is finally combined as one. Ben Lamb and Kevin Saul will be the chip leaders when play resumes, both hovering right around 550,000-chip mark.

Choosing these WSOP Hands of the Day has been an interesting exercise. Sometimes the hands have been ones in which intriguing strategic decisions have been made. Meanwhile, others have been key hands in which momentum shifts or the fate of a given tournament is altered. Then there are what I sometimes call "spectacle" hands -- crazy, wild ones in which the cards are dealt in such a way so as to all but ensure players wind up in huge confrontations in which tourney lives are put at risk.

On Tuesday there were three different hands, each involving three players, that provided a great deal of "spectacle" to be experienced by players and observers alike. These were hands that had everyone in the press box buzzing for a while afterwards as we related to one another details of what had happened. Rather than choose just one, I thought I'd briefly share all three, thereby hopefully giving a sense of the excitement and drama that marked Day 2b of the 2011 WSOP Main Event.

The first of the three came during Level 7 (blinds 300/600, ante 75) and involved high-stakes cash game regular Gabe Thaler and two opponents.

Preflop back-and-forthing led to an almost inevitable conclusion, given the three players' hands. Both of Thaler's opponents were all in, with Thaler having each covered. When they tabled their hands, Thaler showed As-Ac, one opponent Ks-Kc, and the other Kd-Kh!

The flop came 10h-8s-7s, making a queen-high straight impossible and also ruling out any heart or diamond four-flushes. Prospects for a double-knockout and big chip-up looked especially good for Thaler. But the turn was the Jh and river the 9h, meaning all three ended up playing the straight on the board and chopping the pot! Rather than come away with 150,000 or more, Thaler ended the hand back around 60,000. (He'd end the day with 95,000.)

The second three-way hand involved Victor Ramdin, also occurring during Level 7 just after Thaler's hand. In this one, Ramdin started the hand with about 150,000, having his two opponents well covered. Here the trio got all of the lesser-stacked players' chips in the middle following a 9c-7h-6h flop. Ramdin held 10d-8d for the flopped straight, while one opponent had Ah-3h for a nut flush draw and the other 9h-8h for an open-ended straight flush draw.

In what almost sounds more like a pot-limit Omaha hand than a hold'em hand, Ramdin managed to fade the turn -- the Kc -- but the 4h landed on the river, giving the big main pot to the nut flush holder and the smaller side pot to Ramdin's other opponent. Rather than catapult to the chip lead with about 375,000, Ramdin was left with 75,000. (He'd bounce back, though, and end the day with an above-average stack of 172,400.)

The last of the three hands I'd like to share from Tuesday involved Ben Lamb, the man who'll enter Day 3 as overall chip leader. This one took place during Level 9 (500/1,000/100). Lamb began Day 2b with the most chips among the returners, and was still the big leader when this one started with Lamb opening with a button raise to 2,400 and getting two callers from the blinds.

The flop came monotone -- 5d-8d-6d -- and after the small blind checked, the BB shoved for 14,000. Lamb, noting that the small blind only had 35,000 behind, raised enough to put him all in, and he called as well. Lamb had 8s-5x for two pair, but the small blind had flopped a flush with his Kd-4d. Meanwhile, the big blind was drawing to a better flush with his Ad-5x.

But the turn brought the case 5x, giving Lamb a full house. The SB actually had one straight-flush out to survive, but the river was the Kc, and Lamb's great day -- and Series -- continued.

Today is a day off for everyone, and we'll take a day off from WSOP Hands of the Day tomorrow as well. Unless, of course, a really wild one comes up during this afternoon's Media Tournament... ;)