The only carryover from the conditions I have grown used to here was in the high limit cash game area where players continued to bet and raise as if the main event was still a month a way. Ken Lehr and Chris Moneymaker were there, but Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were not. Just after midnight last night, I saw them battling it out with Daniel Alaei and Gabe Thaler much to the delight of the railbirds. Ben had a huge stack of bills behind him. Matt appeared nearly felted. 

As the players found their seats just prior to the noon start, they were greeted by a bottle of water and a Milwaukee’s Best Light flashlight. That’s what $10,000 buys you. In fifteen minutes of wandering I saw a grand total of seven pros: Huck Seed, Mel Judah, Marcel Luske (who is at the featured table), Michael Mizrachi, Lamar Wilkinson, and T.J. Cloutier, who I discovered was only there to give some guy some money. He doesn’t play until Sunday.

On the first hand of the day I watched Grinder raise to $300. An unknown player reraised from the small blind to $1,200 and Grinder called. The flop came 7-6-4, and Dead Money checked. Grinder bet $1,200, and D.M. called. The turn was a 6. Same action as before. D.M. checked, Grinder bet, and D.M. called. The river was a 10, and by this point even I knew what D.M. had. He had played his A-K about as badly as possible, but at least he was smart enough to fold on the river when Grinder bet $5,000. That’s how the pros build their stacks early, taking advantage of weak play.

The greater story on this day and throughout the main event could be that of Ronald Lee. When he arrived at Table #161, he informed the dealer that he had turned 21 TODAY. The dealer gave him a high five and said, “You’re going to be the youngest World Series of Poker champion ever.” It could happen, which is the genius of this event. Anything can happen, and over the course of the next ten days it undoubtedly will.

2. Steve Sung has quietly proven himself to be one of the better all-around players in the game.
The first time I met Steve he was playing a late night Chinese Poker game with Nam Le, JC Tran, and Danny Wong in Reno.  Steve has several final table appearances in the last six months, including two $100k+ cashes in December.  He placed 12th and 23rd in the main events at Foxwoods and Mandalay Bay, with an elite eight appearance in the Mirage Heads-up event in between. Steve's game seems to closely resemble Nam's, but he might actually be the best all-around player of the four (at least currently). 

Steve has already made a final table in the $1,500 7-Card Stud event this summer, placing third.  Today, he will be one of the players standing in Doyle's way at the $10,000 PLO final table.  He's entering play as the short-stack, but you can never count out this quiet and unassuming pro because of his strength: patience.

3. Robert may be the best player of the Mizrachi brothers
Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi has definitely earned the respect of his peers with back-to-back WPT victories last season.  Youngest brother Eric has yet to break through.  But Robert (like Sung), has quietly had a great career as a professional poker player.  To the casual observer, Robert may still be in Mike's shadow, but no one on the tour thinks so.  Robert has a number of big scores (including two cashes in the $500k range) in no-limit holdem,  but his mixed-game ability has turned the heads of more than a few people.

He already has four cashes this summer including Omaha 8OB and Omaha 8OB/Stud 8OB.  He made both the $2,500 and $5,000 HORSE final tables.  He's now at his third final table of the series.  He has just over 1m chips and will begin play in 2nd place in the $10,000 PLO World Championship. 

4. Michael Craig has played his way to another final table
Michael has not played in many events, but now has three cashes and two final tables under his belt.  He is an incredible student of the game, and it looks like his work on the Full Tilt Poker Strategy Guide has paid off.  After finishing seventh in the $1,500 Mixed Holdem event, I'm sure Michael will be fighting it out until the very end in the $1,000 SHOE.