Players Lounge @BoomtownNOLA Taking Care of @HPTPoker

Right outside the tournament poker area is an entire bar area designated just for players in the HPT series. There's food for players to grab on breaks, coffee set up, the bar running, and a few couches set up with TV screens in front.

Sunday, for the Super Bowl, the HPT Players Lounge is moving downstairs where a LOT of Big Screens are being set up for the Pats/Falcons game.

                                    

-- Dan Ross - Hold'em Live Updates

A Blind Knockout

Just the blinds are in action here, with Robert Geith (above) from the SB and Larry Williamson in the BB.

The    flop draws a 1500 bet-and-call. Geith check-calls a 1500 bet from Williamson on the  turn, then Geith leads out for 2000 on the  river.

Williamson snap-shoves and Geith calls, flipping over   for trips on the flop and a turned boat. The turn card also gave Williamson a boat, but one that sent him sailing to the rail.

Level - 5
Blinds - 150/300
Antes - 25
Entries - 43

-- Dan Ross - Hold'em Live Updates

Well, I Don't Have a 9

There's about 3,500 in the pot preflop, and Mike Thibodeaux (left) check-calls the 2300 flop-bet from Rex Clinkscales (right) on a   .

The turn is  and Thibodeaux moves all in for his 29,000-plus stack, about 5k more than Clinkscales has.

"I may be going bust on this hand," The Make America Great Again hoodie-clad Clinkscales says to Allen Kessler who is lurking behind. "He probably has aces."

There's a bit more hesitation, a declaration of, "Well, I don't have a 9," and into the muck go Clinkscales' cards.

There was a LevelUp as I wrote this, so action is now at

Level - 5
Blinds - 150/300
Antes - 25
Entries - 40

-- Dan Ross - Hold'em Live Updates

Late Arrivals

Dan Lowery, Nick Pupillo and Rex Clinkscales - in his new red Presidentially-Approved hoodie - have joined the Day 1A BoomtownNOLA $1100 Main Event field.

Level - 4
Blinds - 100/200
Antes - 25
Entries -

-- Dan Ross - Hold'em Live Updates

And the Fossil Goes to ...

Tradition has it that Greg @FossilMan Raymer gives out a fossil to anyone who busts him from a poker tournament, and today the tradition continues.

While I was away from the table so I did not see the action, Ann Glaze is the owner of a Raymer Fossil .. and his chipstack.

"Be careful of TopTop," Raymer says to Rex Clinkscales and Kristen Ting as he heads away from the tournament area for a while.

Level - 4
Blinds - 100/200
Antes - 25
Entries - 40

-- Dan Ross - Hold'em Live Updates