World Series Of Poker Euro Update: Day 17Kenny Tran and Barry Greenstein Become Champions, and Four Events Heat Up On Day 17 Of The World Seriesby Rebecca McAdam | Published: Jun 15, 2008 | |
 
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The winners of the $10,000 World Championship Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em and the $1,500 seven-card razz events emerged today, while the $1,500 no-limit hold’em, the $3,000 no limit hold’em, and the $10,000 World Championship Limit Hold’em events take centre stage.
In the final of the $10,000 World Championship Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em tournament, Alec Torelli faced off against Kenny Tran. After increasing his lead with numerous small pots and blind steals, Tran finally sent Torelli to the rail, earning himself a gold bracelet and the top prize of $539,056.
Vanessa Selbst was a busy lady this weekend, after winning the $1,500 pot-limit Omaha tournament, she took home $108,288 in this event.
Irishman Andrew Black and Russian Alexander Kostritsyn also did well, each cashing for $21,657. Europeans who cashed for $14,438 were Guillaume Delagorce (England), Erik Pettersson (France), Jon Danielsson (Sweden), Mark Teltscher (England), Max Kats (Russia) and Carlos Mortensen (Spain).
453 players entered the $1,500 seven-card razz event creating a prize pool of $618,345. Europeans in the money were Jeffrey Lisandro ($4,019) from Italy, Oriane Teysseire ($4,019) from France, and Simon Hennessy ($2,473) from England. In the end it was Barry Greenstein who took the biggest slice when he beat Chris Klodnicki heads-up for $157,619. Greenstein had barely received his third WSOP bracelet before he was off trying to win his fourth at the $10,000 Limit Hold'em World Championship event.
Aliaksandr Dzianisau and Malyshev Nikolay from Russia were among the chipleaders after dinner yesterday in the $1,500 no-limit hold’em event. Before end of play however, Malyshev was eliminated in 23rd place followed by Dzianisau shortly after in 18th. After a long day of at least 12 hours of poker, today could be even longer with the final 17 battling it out for the $628,290 top prize. The current chip leader is Ken Terrell. Play will not stop until the event finds its champion.
There was an abundance of European action in the $5,000 Omaha with rebuys event. Players doing well mid-session were Frenchmen Emmanuel Sebag and David Benyamine, and Russians Alexander Kostritsyn and Jani Vilmunen.
At level 9, Thomas Wahlroos from Finland was on a slippery slope when he did not believe Michael McKenna, who had been pushing the action from the beginning of the hand. Ironically, he was right not to but a nasty river card made McKenna the winning hand anyway. A few hands later, Wahlroos lost more chips, this time against David Williams. After Wahlroos led out on a board of 10
43
, Williams moved all in and Wahlroos called, leaving him with about 25,000 behind. Williams showed 6
57 for a wrap draw; Wahlroos revealed A
Q1010 for top set. The turn bricked, but the 2 made Williams hand.
At level 15, Brit Birinder Nijran was one of three players to see the flop for 19,000, with the board coming out Q95. Nijran moved all-in for 44,500 and both David Benyamine and Phil Galfond made the calls. The 10 was the turn card and after Benyamine checked Galfond bet 40,000. Benyamine called and the river came 10 to pair the board. Both players checked and Galfond showed KJ98. He had turned the straight and held the flush draw. But the river kept Nijran alive, as he had flopped a set of queens while holding AQQ10. At this point the field was two away from the money.
With play stuck at 20 players Austria, France, Russia, and America went into a dramatic battle. The hand began with Austria’s Sigi Stockinger raising to 28,000 from early position. French-born Londoner Emmanuel Sebag made the call, as did Daniel Negreanu from the button. Russia joined the fun when Alex Kostritsyn decided to call from the small blind, and action was to John Juanda in the big blind. Fearlessly, Juanda announced "pot" and made it 168,000 to go. Stockinger was pot-committed, having just 41,000 in chips remaining. But Sebag elected to make the call, leaving himself with just 95,000 in chips. Negreanu and Kostyritsyn happily stepped aside.
The flop came 1054 and Juanda announced pot again, enough to put Sebag all-in. Sebag folded, and Juanda showed his holdings: AKJ4. The four was the key card, the only pair standing at the time. Stockinger showed AKQJ, he had missed the flop completely. With the 7 on the turn and 2 on the river, Juanda took the massive pot down with a simple pair of fours.
Although it looked as if Emmanuel Sebag was gaining ground late in the event when he took half of Daniel Negreanu's stack at level 15, and a three-way flop at level 17, he was soon eliminated. Birinder Nijran followed him out in 19th place, the bubble position for the money.
Russian Nikolay Evdakov was also sent out late session, but fellow countryman Alexander Kostritsyn was holding his own eliminating Jamie Pickering in 13th place when his KJ107 was good for two pair on a board of KQ1043.
Russia was well represented throughout the event, but one player who should be noted is Kirill Gerasimov. He played an over-all blinder, constantly retaining his place among chipleaders — all vying for the hefty top prize of $817,781.
Chris Ferguson’s departure left the stage to be shared by Phil Hellmuth (11 gold bracelets), Johnny Chan (10), Daniel Negreanu (4) and John Juanda (3), while others advancing include Phil Galfond, Brian Rast, Kirill Gerasimov, David Benyamine, and Adam Hourani. It looks as if it will make one of the most interesting show-downs so far in the Series.
Day one of the $3,000 no limit hold’em event saw a good few Europeans taking part but not many making great head-way.
On a board of K876, Bruno Fitoussi from France bet 300 and seat 6 moved all in for nearly 3,000 more. Fitoussi tanked and eventually mucked, showing his opponent QQ. Later, Fitoussi and Chad "lilholdem954" Batista got heads up after Fitoussi called Batista's 825 raise from big blind. The flop brought 1087 and Batista threw about 3,000 into the pot, enough to put Fitoussi all-in. Fitoussi mucked and was left with an even shorter stack of just 1,500.
Brit Dave Ulliott had a short run of luck when he called the big blind of 200 and four players saw a flop. It came K96 and all players checked. The 8 came on the turn and the player in the big blind bet 425. Ulliot called and the rest folded. The 7 came on the river and the big blind bet 900, only to have Ulliot raise all in over the top for about 3,000 more. The big blind quickly mucked and Ulliot showed A3 for a busted flush draw and said, "The old fish has got all the moves."
It turns out the fish didn’t quite have them all as he was eliminated shortly before dinner break.
After the break, Jimmy Fricke raised to 3,300 from the cut-off and was called by the player on the button. Englishman Barny Boatman was in the big blind and pushed all in for over 20,000. Taken by surprise, Fricke asked why Boatman did that. “You’re asking me why? I just thought it was about that time,” Boatman joked with Fricke. Fricke released his hand, as did the player on the button.
Day one of this year’s 30th event the $10,000 World Championship Limit Hold’em kicked off today. There was a lot of action at level 5 for the European contingent, but unfortunately it wasn’t all good.
After rivering a straight against Matt Hawrilenko to stay alive in the tournament, Marcel Luske leaned close to the table, laid his necktie flat on the felt, and made a very simple request to the dealer: “Gimme da money.” The dealer – like all of the players at the table – was entertained by this turn of events and obliged the Dutchman, placing the chips on his tie. As Luske dragged the pot in a most unusual manner, Terrence Chan asked Hawrilenko, “Now wasn’t it worth it to lose that small pot?” Unfortunately for lovers of fanciful fun and dapperly-dressed Dutchmen, Luske was soon eliminated.
Players also packing up and getting their coats were Finn Patrik Antonius and Norwegian Thor Hansen.
Italy was not fairing too badly with Marco Traniello making some waves early session.
Traniello took two pots off of Josh Arieh and increased his stack to 28,000. In the first pot Traniello raised from the button and Arieh called in the big blind. The two checked a AJ2 flop, and Traniello took it down on the turn (4) when Arieh check-folded. The next hand was a bit bigger. Traniello raised in early position and Arieh 3-bet him in late position. Theo Tran called in the big blind, and Traniello called. The flop was 992. Tran checked, Traniello bet, Arieh called, and Tran folded. Traniello and Arieh both checked the 6 turn. The 2 seemed to be a harmless river card, so when Traniello checked, Arieh fired 1,200. Traniello called and the two showed their cards: Arieh with 8-8 and Traniello T-T.
His run has propelled him up into the upper-third of today’s players.
Thomas Wahlroos from Finland did well also when he raised from early position and was called by Brock “t soprano” Parker in the big blind. Parker check-raised Wahlroos on a flop of 1085 and Wahlroos elected to call. Parker continued his aggression on the turn and river, betting both streets, and Wahlroos called him both times. Parker showed A-10 for second pair, and when the Finn saw this he said, “I am so weak at this game,” before turning up pocket aces. The rockets blasted Wahlroos to around 36,000 while Parker still has a very healthy 60,000.
The leaderboard is a collection of top professionals from both the live and online poker worlds. Patrick Bueno, the current chip leader, has two World Series final tables to his credit, though neither is in hold'em: in 2005 he finished 8th in an Omaha 8/b tournament and then in 2006 he racked up a 6th place finish in a seven-card stud event. The frenchman has quite a bit of work ahead of him if he wants to keep ahead of the stellar field — which includes Russian Alexander Kravchenko and Italian Marco Traniello — and take home the $496,931 first-prize.
Tomorrow will see the winner of the $5,000 Omaha with rebuys event, and the $1,500 no-limit hold’em event final table will battle it out for the top prize of $628,290. Play will continue to heat up in the $3,000 no limit hold’em and $10,000 World Championship Limit Hold’em events, and a new event thrown into the mix is the $2,500 no-limit hold’em six-handed tournament.
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