Gene Calden is seated in the Horseshoe Blue section today on Day 1D, making the 100-year-old World War II veteran the oldest participant in Main Event history.
Calden earned his entry through the Moneymaker Tour, and Chris Moneymaker even allowed him to do the ceremonial "Shuffle Up and Deal" to begin the day.
"This is a big pot," Drew "BetOnDrew" Gonzalez said as he was faced with a bet of 8,600 from Richard Hasnip on a board of 5♠6♦Q♦Q♣5♥ and around 30,000 already in the middle.
"I'm going to need a little more. I'm almost there," Gonzalez said as several minutes went off the clock. He eventually removed his Yoda card protector, looked back at his cards, then slammed in a call.
Hasnip showed him 6♣6♥ for a full house and Gonzalez mucked, seeing nearly half his stack slid across the table.
Vincent Iannuzzi and Shyam Ravindran are both seated at this table in the record-setting Main Event, both having also played in 2006. "I think it's a cool story," Iannuzzi said.
In a pot with already 12,000 in the middle, the board on the turn read 9♠6♥10♣6♠ when Randy Lazarus bet 3,000 and Jace Reiken made the call to see the K♥ on the river.
This time Lazarus checked and Reiken checked back, at which point Lazarus showed A♦9♦ for sixes and nines, but it was no good when Reiken tabled J♦J♠ for a superior two-pair.
After Andrew Campbell raised 600 from early position and George Rahim called from the button, Papa Karn made it 1,200 to go from the big blind and both players called.
They looked at a flop of A♠J♠6♥, and it was checked around to Rahim who bet 1,400. Karn folded and Campbell came along.
Rahim bet 2,300 on the 4♠ turn, but couldn't shake Campbell. Both checked the 7♥ river and when Campbell showed ace queen, Rahim folded.
Action folded to the cutoff who raised to 500 only to see Jian Lu toss in a three-bet to 2,000. The cutoff called to bring out the 5♦6♥4♣ flop.
Action checked through and the dealer burned and turned the J♣.
The cutoff checked and Lu put out a bet of 1,500. The cutoff didn't waste much time before calling and seeing the A♣ fall on the river.
The cutoff checked once more and watched as Lu tossed out a single 5,000 chip. The bet was good enough to get a fold out of the cutoff and Lu collected the pot.
Robert Wood opened the action to 700 from under the gun and Ertem Osmanoglu made the call in middle position. The player next to act made the call and it folded to the big blind who came along as well.
The flop fanned out A♣6♣5♥ and the big blind checked to Wood who tossed out a bet of 2,000. Osmanoglu made the call and the other two players let their cards go.
On the 5♠ turn Wood fired again, this time for 2,300. Osmanoglu put in a raise to 6,000 and Wood quickly called. The 10♦ completed the board and both played tapped the table for a showdown. Wood announced "ace", but mucked his cards when Osmanoglu tabled A♥Q♣ for a better kicker to score the pot.
Mir Gaskari in middle position opened, then Kurt Jewell three-bet to 2,400 from the big blind. Gaskari was not done yet, as he four-bet to 6,300. Jewell called.
On the flop K♥2♦6♣, Gaskari continued to bet, adding 4,000 chips to the pot. Jewell did the same, and both players checked the turn J♣.
The river card was the A♣. Once again, Jewell checked. Gaskari checked back, but mucked his cards when Jewell showed Q♦Q♣.
The cutoff position raised to 700. Pamela Cairney all the way from the Alea Glasglow Poker Room in Scotland three-bet to 1,500 and received a call. The flop came A♠2♦2♥ and both players checked.
The turn brought the 6♠ and Cairney bet 2,100 and the cutoff called.
On the river 5♦ Cairney bet 5,000 and the cutoff reraised to 10,000. Cairney called and showed A♦A♣ and had been slow playing the full house. The cutoff had 10♠2♠ for trip deuces.