In January 2018, Vanessa Selbst announced her retirement from being a full time poker player. Her retirement was met with some skepticism and criticism from the poker community, despite her proclamation that should would never quit playing poker. Six months later, Selbst has entered her first poker tournament at the World Series of Poker. Sasha Salinger asks what brought her to the World Series of Poker, how many tournaments Vanessa Selbst will play over the Series, and what life is like post-full time poker.
2018 World Series of Poker
Len Ashby raised to 60,000 from under the gun, Ben Yu called from the cutoff and the flop came down ![]()
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.
Ashby checked, Yu bet 60,000 and Ashby called. The turn was the
, both players checked, the river was the
and Ashby bet 105,000. Yu called after a few moments and Ashby shrugged.
Yu showed ![]()
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for a flush and Ashby mucked.
| Joueur | Jetons | Progression |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,260,000
435,000
|
435,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
125,000
220,000
|
220,000 |
In a battle of the blinds, Craig Varnell and Ryan Tosoc headed to the ![]()
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turn and Varnell bet 88,000, Tosoc called. The
on the river completed the board and Varnell checked, Tosoc checked behind.
Varnell announced two pair and showed the ![]()
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, which was good enough to claim the pot.
| Joueur | Jetons | Progression |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,040,000
135,000
|
135,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
605,000
360,000
|
360,000 |
|
|
||
With the flop reading ![]()
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, David Prociak bet 55,000 from the small blind and Luis Velador called from the cutoff.
The turn was the
and Prociak shoved for 90,000. Velador called with ![]()
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for multiple straight draws, while Prociak led with ![]()
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for a set of sixes.
The river was the
, giving Prociak sixes full of sevens to double through Velador.
| Joueur | Jetons | Progression |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,860,000
190,000
|
190,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
375,000
215,000
|
215,000 |
|
|
||
On the tail end of a heads-up pot between Ben Yu and Konstantin Beylin in the hijack, the board showed ![]()
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and Yu bet 175,000. Beylin called and mucked when Yu flashed ![]()
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for a flopped full house.
No big hands happened on the other tables and the next hand saw Yu raise it up to 55,000 once more. He picked up no fewer than three callers in Omar Zazay in the cutoff, Sam Soverel on the button and Len Ashby in the small blind.
There was no betting action on the ![]()
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flop and
turn. The
river was checked through to Zazay, who made it 125,000 to go. That ended up taking down the pot uncontested.
| Joueur | Jetons | Progression |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,825,000
205,000
|
205,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,135,000
135,000
|
135,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,000,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
640,000
160,000
|
160,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
345,000
155,000
|
155,000 |
Grazvydas Kontautas opened to 40,000 from the button, Michael Song reraised to 130,000 from the big blind and Kontautas called.
The flop fell ![]()
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, Song put in his remaining 43,000 and Kontautas called with ![]()
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. Song was ahead with ![]()
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.
Kontautas picked up a lot of outs with
turn, but the
river further improved Song to a set to double up.
| Joueur | Jetons | Progression |
|---|---|---|
|
|
500,000
285,000
|
285,000 |
|
|
356,000
101,000
|
101,000 |
Bogdan Capitan raised it up and Paul Volpe reraised the pot on the button, Capitan moved all in and Volpe called for his last 276,000.
Paul Volpe: ![]()
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Bogdan Capitan: ![]()
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The ![]()
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flop gave Volpe top set and the
turn left Capitan with all but a ten to deal the final blow to Volpe. Instead, it was the blank
that appeared on the river, ensuring Volpe's double two off the money.
| Joueur | Jetons | Progression |
|---|---|---|
|
|
582,000
152,000
|
152,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
400,000
245,000
|
245,000 |
Following a flop of ![]()
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, Joshua Ladines was all in from the big blind after a series of bets and raises for about 370,000 with ![]()
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for the nut flush draw. Luis Velador gave him action in middle position with ![]()
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for bottom set.
The
turn and
river completed the board, no help to Ladines, locking up the elimination for Velador.
| Joueur | Jetons | Progression |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,050,000
444,000
|
444,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
Eliminé | |
Since several players complained about the different time spent per hand on the remaining five tables, tournament staff has decided to start the hand-for-hand process three off the money. For each hand played, two minutes will be taken off the clock.
Luis Velador raised to 50,000 from the cutoff, David Prociak reraised to 170,000 from the small blind and Velador called.
The flop came down ![]()
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, Prociak bet 100,000 and Velador called.
The turn was the
, Prociak bet 240,000 and Velador called.
The river was the
, Prociak checked, Velador shoved for 293,000 and Prociak called.
Velador tabled ![]()
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for a set of kings, Prociak mucked and Velador doubled up.
| Joueur | Jetons | Progression |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,606,000
801,000
|
801,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
160,000
970,000
|
970,000 |
|
|
||