Like thousands of other players, PokerStars qualifier Michael Lewendon was gutted to be knocked out of the WSOP on Day 1. But his disappointment was tempered by an extraordinary gesture by the player who busted him. As Michael, 56, from Berkshire in England, got up from the table and reluctantly said his good-byes, young Joe Sanders, from Utah, called out "Hey, Pops." Michael turned to find Joe reaching into his breast pocket. "Here," said Joe, "Please have a drink on me" and handed Michael $200.

It was a remarkable thing for the player to do - recognition of the horrible hand (for Michael) that had just been played out. Michael, an unemployed brick-layer, had A4 in the big blind and - with a short stack - was delighted to see an A44 flop. He happily called Joe's all in but Joe's Kings made the higher full house on the river.



But there was a happy ending of sorts. Michael said: "I don't drink so I took the $200 and started playing $1/$2 No Limit at the Monte Carlo card room." By the end of the night, Michael had turned the $200 into $700. It might not have been the $12,000,000 he was truly after - but it wasn't a bad consolation prize.