A dream table
2,490 players returned to the action at the Rio in Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker Main Event’s Day 2B. They were competing for a chance to join the 805 players who qualified yesterday for Day 3 of the tournament. Among the starters, we followed six Titan Poker players.
The three pro players from Team Titan, Christophe Benzimra, Marvin Rettenmaier and Sam Trickett started Day 2B respectively with 36,375; 47,700; and 36,000 chips alongside three online qualifiers, German player Alexander Debus (57.7K), Andras Balogh (65K) and Miklos Szuffa (13,950).
Level 6 – Blinds 250/500 ante 50
The big news from Day 2B was that teammates Marvin Rettenmaier and Sam Trickett were at the same table and with another big name of the poker world, Finnish player Patrik Antonius. Tough table.
Marvin Rettenmaier doubled-up early in the day.
Pavel Stehno raised to 1,500 UTG+1 and two players called from middle position and cut-off. Marvin 3-bet to 5.2K and Stehno 4-bet to 12.5K. Middle position and cut-off players both gave up but Marvin Rettenmaier made it 20,050. After a short while, Stehno pushed all-in. Marvin called and turned AK. His opponent was dominated, holding AQ.
Final board: 10-2-4-7-J
Marvin was up to 102K. We told him that he lost a friend when he left Stehno with a really short stack and Marvin answered: “I wouldn’t mind to lose another 3,000 ones”. Marvin Rettenmaier counted a stack of 95K at the first break of the day.
Sam Trickett took down few small pots to reach 55K in less than 20 minutes into the level.
Then, on a flop 2♥ K♦ 10♣ Sam Trickett opened to 2.7K in early position. Only one player paid in middle position.
Sam bet 5.8K on the turn 8♦ and get called. He fired another 10.4K bet on the river which caused his opponent to fold and Sam was up to 65K when the average was 56K.
Christophe Benzimra
Christophe Benzimra increased his stack slowly to 45K, check-raising a few times preflop and stealing the blinds in position.
Ten minutes before the end of the level, the hi-jack raised to 1,125 and Christophe 3-bet from the cut-off to 3.1K. The big blind called and the hi-jack moved all-in for 7.9K. Christophe made the call and the big blind gave up.
Showdown: Christophe Benzimra: JJ and his opponent AK
Board: J-4-10-K-8 and Christophe busted out a player and finished the level with 53.5K.
Miklos Szuffa eliminated a very short stack with AQ versus KQ and ended the first two hours with 19K.
At the end of the level Alexander Debus was down to 44K and Andras Balogh was up to 70K.
Level 7 – Blinds 300/600 ante 75
Alexander Debus
Alexander Debus won two nice hands in a row to reach 82K. A player in middle position opened to 1,500 and Debus made the call. The button paid as well.
On a rainbow flop Q-Q-2, the pre-flop raiser bet 2,800 and only our German qualifier made the call.
The 6♦ fell on the turn and Debus with AQ decided to just call a new bet of 5.6K from his opponent.
Finally, on the river 3♣ the opponent of Alexander check-called 8.5K and mucked his cards.
The next hand, the Swedish player of the table opened to 1.4K and Alexander Debus 3-bet to 3.6K from the button with A♦ K♦. The Swede made it 9,200 and Debus showed a lot of strenght betting 17,200. The Scandinavian folded instantly.
Andras Balogh, from Hungaria, lost a flip with AJ versus pocket 10s and then came back to 65K in the middle of the level.
During this time his compatriot, Miklos Szuffa succeeded to come back into the tournament when he flopped a quad of Kings against an opponent who had a pair and paid 3 barrels. Szuffa had 58K at the end of the level.
Miklos Szuffa
Marvin Rettenmaier busted an opponent. He raised to 1,400 from the hi-jack position and saw the cut-off player 3-betting to 3,725. Small Blind player 4-bet to 8K. This player just had 28K left behind and Marvin moved all-in. His opponent called with AJ and Marvin won the pot with the best hand and was up to 130K when the average was 59K.
Sam Trickett in small blind and the big blind called a raise preflop from Marvin. On the flop A♦ 6♣ 2♥ Sam and the big blind player checked. Marvin bet 2.1K and got paid twice.
Sam Trickett attacked with a bet of 4.8K on the turn, the 7♣, and took down the pot.
A few minutes later, on a flop of 9♠ Q♠ 5♣, Sam bet 2.4K (BB) and his opponent made the call.
Turn: K♦. Sam check-called 5.1K. River: A♠. Sam Trickett checked to trap his opponent but that one checked behind. Sam showed K♠ 8♠ and won the pot.
The English Team Titan pro completed the level with 75K while the average was 61K.
Christophe raised to 1,500 at the button and got 3-bet by the big blind player to 4K. Call from Benzimra.
Flop Q♥ 3♥ 6♦
Big blind bet 6 K and Benzimra paid.
Turn: 3♥
Big blind checked and Benzimra put 8K in the middle of the table. His opponent gave up and Benzimra won this one.
Benzimra won another one few minutes later. Christoph Benzimra raised in early position and was paid by the cut-off and button players.
Flop: K♥ Q♠ J♦
Christophe continuation-bet to 3.1K. Button player called. Both players checked the turn and the river and Benzimra’s hand was the winning one. He was up to 75K and finished the level with 69K.
During this time Alexander Debus in the Amazon Room reached 100K. Cut-off player raised and Debus made the call from the button with KQ. Both players checked when the flop appeared as 9-9-10. On the queen at the turn, the cut-off bet and Debus made the call. On the river, a blank, same action and Debus beat the Q7 of his opponent to end the level with 105K.
Balogh and Zsuffa had the same stack that they had at the end of the previous level.
Level 8 – Blinds 300-600 ante 100 -
Sam Trickett and Joe Hachem
At the beginning of the level, Sam Trickett eliminated a short stack with AQ versus AJ for a 10K profit.
Joe Hachem, world champion of the Main Event few years ago came over to Marvin’s and Sam table to complete the “dream table” with Patrik Antonius.
Sam Trickett spent more than one hour with no big action until the very end of the level, just before the 90 minute dinner break.
Sam Trickett with a stack of 65K at that precise moment, raised to 2K in middle position. A player called. The big blind 3-bet to 7.2K. Sam Trickett decided to make it more expensive and 4-bet to 13.2K. Only the big blind paid the Englishman.
Flop: 3♠ A♦ 7♠
Big blind check-called Sam’s bet of 5.8K.
Turn: 6♦
Another check-call from the big blind for 10.2K.
River: 10♠
Big blind player immediately moved all-in and Sam Trickett quietly asked the Dealer: “Did he say All-in ?” Yes! was the answer and Sam Trickett called in one second showing K♠ 8♠ for a flush, with the same cards as before. His opponent shook his head and left the tournament area. He mucked his cards so we don’t know what he held. Sam Trickett collected the chips and climbed to 133K.
Christophe Benzimra busted out a player and was up to 101K. The Frenchman raised to 2,100 at the cut-off and with 9♥ 7♥ and the small blind called.
Flop: 2♣ 10♠ J♠
Both players checked.
Turn: 8♣
Small blind player bet 3.6K. Christophe raised to 8.5K and his opponent 3-bet 24K. Christophe Benzimra moved all-in and his opponent insta-called.
Christophe had the straight and his opponent, with K♣ Q♣ was drawing and still had a lot of outs to win the hand.
The river was the 7♦ and Christophe Benzimra doubled up.
Alexander Debus was at 130K at the same time thanks to pocket Aces. He 4-bet pre-flop to make a 12.5K profit. The cut-off raised to 1,600. The small blind called and Alexander completed with Q♠ 9♠
Flop: 10-J-2
Small blind check, Alexander opened and the cut-off paid while the small blind quit the hand.
Turn: 5♠ and Alexander Debus bet one more time and was called.
The river was a king and Alexander made his straight and fired a last barrel. He got called by his opponent who mucked his cards.
Andras Balogh
Andras Balogh was down to 50K after having lost 15K with KJ in a flop with jack high card. His opponent held QQ and took down the pot.
He finally finished the level with 80K. He won a big pot with pocket Jacks which he 3-barreled and got paid until the river. His opponent didn’t show his cards.
Marvin Rettenmaier and Patrick Antonius
Marvin Rettenmaier still had 125K at the dinner-break. Miklos Szuffa changed tables and we lost him for a while. We found him back at the last level of the day.
Average: 77,023
Level 9 – Blinds 500/1000 ante 100
Marvin Rettenmaier called the raise (2.2K) from UTG player at the hi-jack. Patrik Antonius called from the hi-jack.
Flop: A♥ 7♥ 3♣
UTG checked, Marvin checked and Antonius opened to 5.2K. The player UTG folded and Marvin reraised to 12.6K. Antonius took a long time and finally made the call.
Turn: 3♠
Marvin bet again and put 16.6K more into the pot and Antonius paid after 3 minutes.
River: 5♣
Marvin Rettenmaier fired a 37.2K bet and Patrik Antonius couldn’t call this last one and gave up. Later we learnt that Marvin Rettenmaier had pocket Aces and Antonius a 7. Marvin was up to 140K.
He lost few small pots and ended the level with 120K.
Christophe Benzimra changed tables and poker room to find his place in the Amazon Room. After this change the Frenchman was really active, “a real machine” as one of his new opponents commented.
A player in late position raised to 2,600. Christophe made the call from the button with 88 and the small blind completed.
A♥ 5♦ 8♠ fell on the flop and the three players decided to check.
On the turn came the 9♦ and after a check from the small blind, the initial pre-flop raiser bet 3.7K. Christophe raised to 10K and got called once.
The 9♠ on the river caused the insta-all in of the initial raiser and Christophe Benzimra called.
His full was better than the nut flush of his opponent who showed: A♠ J♠
Christophe was up to 157K after this.
Sam Trickett lost a big hand but we didn’t see how. He was down to 105K at the last break of the day.
We found Miklos Zsuffa during the break in the Amazon Room with a stack of 62K.
Alexander Debus had to give up a big pot to one of his aggressive opponents and was back to around 100K.
Andras Bologh was focused on his main aim; to maintain his stack around 8 K until finding the right spot to get into.
Level 10 - Blinds 600/1200 ante 200
Sam Trickett and Marvin Rettenmaier moved tables and changed rooms for the last one and a half hours of play.
Christophe Benzimra just had a crazy last level. We focused on him as he played a lot of hands.
A woman UTG raised to 2,600 and was paid by the button. Christophe called from the small blind with AJ.
The flop came J-5-3 rainbow and the three players checked.
The turn brought a second Jack and one more time, it is a general check.
River: 4
Christophe opened to 8.5K and after the fold of the woman, the button called and mucked when he understood he was beaten. Christophe Benzimra climbed to 163K.
Then a few hands later, a player raised under the gun +2 to 2,600 and found 3 callers; Christophe in middle position and both palyers in the blinds.
Flop: 2♠ 9♣ ♠
Small blind and big blind checked and the pre-flop raiser led with 11.2K. Christophe Benzimra immediately raised him to 30K. We could hear “Fold-fold and fold”.
Then Christophe had the Aces and won a small pot. The Frenchman was just winning hand after hand and we could feel he was the captain of table. He finished the day with a comfortable 194K and with a large smile.
During this time the things were not going so bad for Sam Trickett who lost a big pot after a bad beat. “The man there hit a 3 outer and even if this table was really soft I could win a hand”. Sam finished the day with 83.5K.
Marvin had the same bad end of day.
The button player raised to 3K. The small blind paid and Marvin defended his big blind.
On the flop: 8♣ 3♦ 2♣ the small blind checked and Marvin Rettenmaier bet 5.3K. The button called and the small blind gave up.
The turn: 8d
Marvin check-folded when his opponent bet 9.5K.
“My last table was horrible. I could finish with a big stack but the players paid all my 3-bet and hit every flop. I just could see my stack melting without getting any chances. I have 72.4K at the end of the day and I am really disappointed for the moment”.
We unfortunately lost Miklos Zsuffa a few minutes before the end of the day in a blind battle. Miklos pushed all-in with AJ in small blind and got called by his neighboor who held AK. Nice play and run for Miklos who was playing his first big live tournament, the biggest one he could 
Alexander Debus had a great last hour. He won a huge pot when a middle position player raised to 3K, got re-raised to 7.9K by the button. Alexander Debus fired off a 17.9K bet and got called by the button.
On the flop A♥ 4♥ 7♠, Debus checked and the button bet 13.8K. Debus took 3 minutes before calling.
Both players checked the turn J♥ and the river 6♦
Debus showed QQ and his opponent mucked. Debus was up to 142K half an hour before the end and won a last pot to finish the day. Alexander Debus raised under the gun +1 with 66 and called the 3-bet of 7.8 K from the button.
Magic flop for Titan Poker’s German online qualifier: A♠ Q♥ 6♦
Debus checked and his opponent checked behind.
Turn: 5♣
Debus led 12. K and was called.
On the river, the 2♦,Debus bet 45K and his opponent took a long time before folding. Aexander Debus finished the day with a nice stack of 184.2K.
Finally, Andras Balogh completed Day 2B with 41.9K and will be back for Day 3 after what is already a wonderful performance.
We are hoping the best for our five Titan Poker players on Day 3.
