WSOP Main Event: Doubling up the hard way

by Stephen Bartley on July 15, 2009 4:29 PM

A PokerStars player from Charlotte, North Carolina has had a dynamite first hour. Nick Maimone, who tweets his progress as FU_15, just doubled up in a rip roaring hand against Phil Ivey. With just a million left Maimone led by shoving, watching as the action folded to Ivey on the button. Ivey called with J♠J♣ to Maimone's Q♣5♣. He would need some help...

Luckily, the poker gods had already decided the Carolina man's day would not be over just yet. The T♠8♥2♦ flop may not have helped, but the Q♦ on the turn certainly did. Maimone's railbirds produced a sonic boom as the river 8♠ came blank, doubling Maimone to more than 2.3 million and more importantly keeping him alive.

How long that life would last was not clear. His stack was far from sturdy and it wasn't long before his chips hit the middle again, this time with 7♥7♦.

Maimone lives

Smith had started the hand betting 320,000 from mid position before Maimone made it 825,000 from the button. Smith called for a Q♦8♠4♣ flop and then moved in. Maimone insta-called, showing his sevens to Smith's T♠T♦. It looked like curtains again for Maimone but that same god wasn't done with him yet, arranging the 7♠ on the turn. That same sonic boom ripped through the Amazon Room as Maimone doubled up now to more than 4 million. His is a life shining twice as bright right now but showing no signs of fading.

PokerStars qualifier Nick Maimone

That's more than can be said for two players already eliminated this afternoon. First to go was "last woman standing" Leo Margets from Barcelona, Spain, getting generous applause as she made her way to the cash desk for 27th place. Jesse Haabak followed in 26th and Frenchman Francois Balmigere in 25th.