December 04 2011, Chad Holloway

The 2011 World Poker Tour Prague continued on Saturday with Day 2 action from the largest European WPT event in history. The original field of 571 players, which created a “1,753,200 prize pool and surpassed the WPT Vienna from Season IX as the largest event ever, had been reduced to 124 players on Day 2. Casey Kastle began the day with the lead with 356,800 in chips. After an intense day of action, that field had been reduced to 62 players, with Martins Adeniya best positioned to capture the “450,000 first-place prize with 849,000 in chips.

Adeniya got off to a quick start on Day 2 as he eliminated a resilient foe in just the second level of the day. In that hand, Adeniya raised and was met with a three-bet by Michael Tureniec. Adeniya then four-bet, Tureniec moved all-in for 80,000, and Adeniya called with . Tureniec was way behind with and failed to improve. Just like that, Adeniya was up to 310,000 and never looked back.

Obviously action was fierce at the Kings Casino in the Corinthian Hotel in Prague as the remaining field looked to make the top 63 and guarantee a payday. It didn’t take long for the eliminations to mount, with a laundry list of notables joining Tureniec on the rail including Martin Staszko, John Eames, James Akenhead, Bryn Kenney, Lukas Berglund, Toby Lewis, Eoghan O’Dea, and Steve O’Dwyer.

O’Dwyer pushed with big slick and resulted in a former WPT Champ, Mike Watson, taking over the chip lead. According to the WPT Live Reporting Team, Watson raised to 11,000 under the gun and O’Dwyer called from the hijack. Michael “Timex” McDonald was next to act in the cutoff and three-bet to 31,000, which prompted Watson to four-bet to 51,000. O’Dwyer responded by moving all-in for 250,500, McDonald folded, and Watson made the call for his tournament life.

Showdown
Watson:
O’Dwyer:

O’Dwyer held a quality hand, but he was in desperate need of an ace. Unfortunately, the board ran out and Watson took over the chip lead with 578,000. O’Dwyer was left with just 75,000 and was eliminated a few hands later after his was cracked by Watson’s , when the board ran out .

It was a quick fall for O’Dwyer, made all the more painful by the proximity of the money bubble, which burst a short time later. Action folded to Thomas Frandsen in the small blind and he shoved all-in for 113,000. Yury Gulyy was in the big blind and called off his shorter stack of 90,000.

Showdown
Frandsen:
Gulyy:

Gulyy was in a dominating position and primed to double, but that all changed when the flop came down . Neither the turn nor river helped Gulyy and he became the official bubble boy, assuring the remaining 63 players a payday of at least “6,400.

Those who’ve made the money and advance to Day 3 include Grayson Ramage (83,000), Casey Kastle (120,000), Eugene Katchalov (120,000), Moritz Kranich (139,200), Jamie Rosen (383,000), and Karen Sarkisyan (743,000).

Day 3 will commence on Sunday at 1400 CET (0500 PST) as the remaining 62 players look to make the WPT final table. Be sure to return to PokerNews for the daily recap of the action

*Photo courtesy of the World Poker Tour.

Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook today!

Follow Chad Holloway on Twitter – @ChadAHolloway

Fri, 07/22/2011 – 22:40 – PokerPages Staff

A tactic used by many players is the check-raise technique. This can allow players to build up a larger pot than usual by potentially adding a second cycle of betting to the round.

How it Works
When the first player in a betting round checks, they pass on the opportunity to bet for the time being. The check-raiser checks during the initial betting round with the intention of raising any subsequent bet. This will increase the poker bets in the pot. Check raising is also is an effective tactic used to try to scare off other players.

Warning Signs
The check-raiser uses this technique for one of two reasons, either they are in possession of a monster hand and want to maximize the profitability, or they are bluffing. Keep a close eye on your opponents and utilize the PokerStars notes feature to work out why your opponent is check raising.

Differences in Opinion
While this practice may be frowned upon in some arenas, it continues amidst dividing opinion. Poker Hall of Famer Doyle Brunson is dead against check raising because he believes that it is always more profitable to bet any quality hand. His reasoning is solid; if your opponents do not bet, they get to see the next card free. It also gives away your hand strength.

For more poker information and poker rules for beginner poker players, visit PokerSchoolOnline – the home to future champions.