One of the emerging online high stakes cash game stars of 2011 has been Gavin "gavz101" Cochrane. According to HighStakesDB, he has won over $1.9 million on PokerStars while losing $600k from his cash games on Full Tilt Poker. In mid may, Cochrane simultaneously final tabled two SCOOP events, winning one and cashing for a combined nearly $190k. Cochrane is now out in Las Vegas trying out his hand in both tournaments and the cash games that interestingly have been playing at the Rio.

In prior years, the Bellagio served as the home to all high stakes cash games, but in 2011, that action is being shared with Ivey's room at the Aria, the Bellagio and for the first time big stakes games at the Rio. Brian Hastings has mentioned playing in the games, as has Ashton "theASHMAN103" Griffin who earlier described having won a $550k pot against Guy Laliberte. Tom Dwan is mentioned as one of the biggest losers of the Rio cash games summer so far.

For Cochrane, he has made his first WSOP cash, in event #4, $5,000 NLHE where he finished in 40th place for $18,863.

Unfortunately, Cochrane's cash game results haven't done as well. He described his biggest pot lost, a $270k PLO hand he played at the Rio in the $1k/$2k game.

4689 spades and hearts, open CO, BTN 3bets (from straddle). I call. J67hh. Check, pot, pot, w/e, AI, run it once. Heart on turn. He flips A5hh.

Other big names that have played in the Rio games include Patrik Antonius, David Benefield, and Justin “BoostedJ” Smith