We started this day breathing the conditioned air surrounding the EPSN final table. Humberto Brenes sat down in the one seat and did his best to shark and shank his way to a third World Series bracelet. Today, it was not to be.

With that, we head back out onto the massive tournament floor in search of more action.

Steve Paul Ambrose has already made one final table this year (4th place in the $5,000 Mixed Hold'em event). Today, he was aiming to make his second. He made Day 2 of the $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em re-buy event and made it down to the final four tables and finished in 30th place. That earned him, at least, another in the money finish.

Steve Paul-Ambrose

At this hour, PokerStars German blogger Jan Von Halle is still alive but short-stacked in the same event. Also of note, EPT Grand Final winner Gavin Griffin sits in the top ten in chips.


Jan Von Halle

Today also marked the start of two other events. Noah Boeken has ust made it to town and is playing in today's $2,000 NL hold'em event. Elky and Katja Thater joined him and, after six hours of play, they all are still alive. I suppose it's no big secret that Von Halle and Thater are sweethearts. If it were, Katja's constant looks across the room to see how Jan is doing might seem a little suspicious, no?


Katja Thater


ElkY

Today also marked the beginning the of the championship $5,000 seven card stud event. Much like the $5,000 PLO rebuy event, this one is stacked with top names, including, but not limited to a face that just made it back from L.A.


Guess who?

That's Isabelle Mercier, who came blazing in at the last minute from California where she's been for a couple of days. She was seated right next to Bill Chen. Chen, the author of Mathematics of Poker, found himself smiling at Isabelle's display of a seven card stud theory book in her giant purse.


Mercier and Chen, left, kick off at Table 143

Also in contention in the Stud event are Greg Raymer, Barry Greenstein, and Humberto Brenes.

So, we may be done with final table action today, but, with five or six weeks to go, I figure we'll be back under the TV lights in no time.