WSOP 2014 Event #57 - The Big One Kicks Off, Trickett in the Lead

A total of 42 players registered for the 2014 $1,000,000 Big One for One Drop, or WSOP Event #57, falling short of expectations. Still, the future winner has no reason not to be satisfied with $37,333,338 in the prize pool and $15,306,668 up for grabs as the first prize – even if Antonio Esfandiari’s record of 2012 will not be broken this time.

Sam Trickett

In the course of the first day, 11 players got eliminated, the first of which being David Einhorn. 2012 Big One 3rd finisher Einhorn 3-bet to 51.000 late on Level 1 (1,000/3,000/6,000) to be called by Big One runner-up and original raiser Sam Trickett. The flop came 2 J 6, Einhorn opened to 75.000 and Trickett called. Einhorn bet 175.000 on the 3 turn, Trickett tanked a bit before raising to 475,000, Einhorn 3-bet to 775.000 and Trickett called. The river came Q, Einhorn bet 850.000, Trickett shoved and Einhorn snap-called.

Einhorn: J J
Trickett: 4 5

While Einhorn flopped top set, Trickett showed a straight and Einhorn left astonished.

Soon after, more excitement took place in the tournament, if not directly connected to a hand or elimination. At table 356, Daniel ‘jungleman12’ Cates and Doug ‘WCGRider’ Polk got into a fight (guest starring Jason Mercier):

Daniel "jungleman12" Cates

Cates: You're just a d****bag.
Polk: If you want to play I'll play you any game heads up right now.
Mercier: I'll play both of you heads up in any game besides hold'em. [All laugh]
Cates [to Mercier]: I'll play you heads up no-limit hold'em and one other game. [To Polk]: Congratulations on being better than me after you beat me once at one game. Let's play some other games. You said I coached you for only three hours ever, but I know it was way more. You're a f***ing prick.
Polk: You're too unreal. Can we just not do this? Last night your mother even called to congratulate me.
Mercier: Is that true?
Cates: That's actually true.

What lead to the somewhat absurd conversation is a mystery; Cates had previously talked in an interview about Polk in a more positive manner, if with the notion that their relationship has become less friendly.

The next elimination occurred only on Level 6 (3,000/10,000/20,000), when Phil Galfond railed Stanley Choi before Trickett eliminated Igor Kurganov and Vanessa Selbst. On Level 9 (5,000/20,000/40,000), Max Altergott followed but only minutes before Brian Rast. Philipp Gruissem and Mercier also had to join the rail, to be followed by Niklas Heinecker and Dan Smith.

In the very last hand of the day, Galfond raised to 105,000, Rono Lo called from the Button and Phil Ivey 3-bet to 320,000 from the Small Blind. Galfond tanked a bit before calling and so did Lo, being left with only 80,000 in chips. The flop came A Q 7, Ivey bet 500,000, Galfond folded after just 20 seconds of tanking and Lo called all-in.

Ivey: A T
Lo: 2 2

Turn: T
River: 8

Lo was eliminated and 31 players survived the day. Trickett is in the lead with 13,400,000 in chips, followed by Macau high stakes cash game regular Tom Hall with 9,125,000. The impressive line-up also includes Ivey, Dan Colman, Daniel Negreanu, Esfandiari, Erik Seidel and John Juanda, among others.

Chip counts:

1st: Sam Trickett – 13,400,000
2nd: Tom Hall – 9,125,000
3rd: Phil Ivey – 7,675,000
4th: Daniel Colman – 6,875,000
5th: Antonio Esfandiari – 6,725,000
6th: Noah Schwartz – 6,275,000
7th: Rick Salomon – 5,890,000
8th: David Sands – 4,615,000
9th: Phil Galfond – 4,390,000
10th: Daniel Negreanu – 4,270,000
11th: Erik Seidel – 4,250,000
12th: Brandon Steven – 4,205,000
13th: Tobias Reinkemeier – 4,125,000
14th: Doug Polk – 3,885,000
15th: Connor Drinan – 3,685,000
16th: Gabe Kaplan – 3,475,000
17th: Tony Gregg – 3,415,000
18th: Isaac Haxton – 3,370,000
19th: John Juanda – 3,215,000
20th: Cary Katz – 2,945,000
21st: Paul Newey – 2,845,000
22nd: Bill Klein – 2,840,000
23rd: Erick Lindgren – 2,175,000
24th: Christoph Vogelsang – 2,060,000
25th: John Morgan – 1,800,000
26th: Talal Shakerchi – 1,685,000
27th: Daniel Cates – 1,670,000
28th: Greg Merson – 1,625,000
29th: Scott Seiver – 1,165,000
30th: Guy Laliberté – 1,030,000
31st: Jean-Robert Bellande – 1,005,000

Prizes:

1st: $15,306,668
2nd: $8,288,001
3rd: $4,480,001
4th: $2,800,000
5th: $2,053,334
6th: $1,680,000
7th: $1,418,667
8th: $1,306,667