Brandyn Trenholm raised to 1,100 from the hijack, and was called by the button and the big blind.
Action checked to Trenholm on a flop, and he bet 2,200. The button folded, but the big blind check-raised all in for 9,500. Trenholm called.
Brandyn Trenholm:
Opponent:
"Don't write this one up!" Trenholm said with a grin.
Trenholm pulled ahead on the turn, but his two pair needed to dodge a spade or a ten to secure the elimination. The was safe, and he knocked out his opponent.
"Horrible calls are how you win tournaments!" Trenholm said, laughing, after shipping in the pot.
A player raised to 1,100 from under-the-gun, and PokerNews Live Reporting Manager Yori Epskamp three-bet to 2,800 in middle position. His opponent called, and the two saw a flop together.
Both players checked to the turn, where the under-the-gun player bet 3,200. Epskamp called.
The under-the-gun player bet 4,000 on the river, and Epskamp responded with an all in shove for 17,200. His opponent tanked, then folded, and Epskamp flashed the before bringing in the pot.
The 50th Annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) kicks off today with $500 buy-in Event #1: Casino Employees Event. The tournament is open to those who either work in casinos or in the gaming industry, and thanks to their sportsbook in New Jersey, DraftKings personnel are permitted to play.
They’ll be well represented in their first year of eligibility as a team of six players traveled from the East Coast to compete for the summer’s first bracelet. PokerNews caught up with each DraftKings employee – one of which is already a WSOP bracelet winner – talk about the opening event of the 2019 WSOP.
Asad Abdullah
Age: 25
DraftKings Position: Software Engineer
Having worked at DraftKings for a little under a year and a half, the Casino Employees event will be Asad Abdullah’s first-ever WSOP tournament.
“I’m pretty excited to play in the Casino Employee event,” said Abdullah, who graduated from California State University Northridge with a bachelors in Computer Science. “I do frequently play $1-$2 NLHE and occasionally $2-$5 NLHE, mostly at Chaser’s Poker Room in New Hampshire and Twin River Casino in Rhode Island. I will also venture a little further out and play at Foxwoods on occasion. I also plan on spending a good amount of time at the Encore in Boston once it opens up.”
According to Abdullah, who enjoys both board and video games, he first learned poker with some childhood friends.
“We didn’t really play for money, just tried to see who could build up the biggest stack,” he explained. “I started actually learning and understanding poker strategy about a year ago … I read a bunch of books, joined some training sites and really started to understand poker from a strategic point of view, all while discussing what I’d learnt with [the DraftKings team].”
So aside from himself, which DraftKings team member does he expect to last the longest?
“This is a tough question. I think I’d have to go with Steve Rose,” he said. “He is a very solid player and has the patience and discipline to make a deep run in this event.”
The Merit Poker RETRO Cup has over $4.000.000 in guarantees and runs September 3-16. It features a $5,000 Main Event with $2,000,000 guaranteed!
The Merit Poker Room offers some unique amenities:
The best professional staff in the world
Free 24/7 amazing food, fresh fruit, deserts, spirits, and beverages
Lots of recreational players; making the game even more entertaining
Taking place in beautiful Cyprus, you can count on plenty of sunshine, the cleanest sea, a magnificent private beach, an all-inclusive 5-star hotel, and various activities to keep the players, their friends, and families busy.
Get ready for the real poker experience and royal holiday on the Mediterranean coast! Check out all the information about the event at meritpoker.com.
A player in the lojack checked a flop over to PokerNews Live Reporter Brandyn Trenholm on the button, who tossed in a bet of 3,000 into a pot of around 7,000. His opponent called.
The fell on the turn, and the lojack checked. Trenholm bet 3,000, and his opponent called again.
The lojack checked the river, and Trenholm sighed and said, "That's probably the worst card in the deck for me," before checking back.
The lojack tabled for a busted draw, and Trenholm won with his .
From under-the-gun, Phill Duggan, a WSOP Circuit dealer, bet 6,000 into a pot of around 10,000 on a board, only to met with a raise to 12,000 from an opponent on the button. Duggan tossed in a call.
Duggan checked the river over to the button, who bet 15,000. Duggan didn't take long to make the call.
The button tabled , but Duggan's rivered two pair and earned him the pot.