World Series Of Poker Euro Update: Day 18Europeans Come Out In Force And Plenty Of Final Table Action On Day 18 Of The World Seriesby Rebecca McAdam | Published: Jun 16, 2008 | |
 
|
|---|
The dramatic final table of the $5,000 pot-limit Omaha produced its winner today, as did the $1,500 no-limit hold’em tournament. The $3,000 no-limit hold’em event found its final table, as day one of the $2,500 no-limit hold’em six-handed event unfolded. Day 18 of the Series also saw Europeans causing a stir in the $10,000 World Championship Limit Hold’em event.
Event 28, the $5,000 pot-limit Omaha with rebuys, was one of the most interesting final tables the World Series had seen in some time. Some of the biggest names in poker went head-to-head for the bracelet, the cash prize, and most importantly, the glory.
Brian Rast was first to go in eighth place taking home $84,863. Phil Helmuth was next, followed by Daniel Negreanu, and John Juanda.
Kirill Gerasimov was eliminated when he shoved from the small blind and was instantly called by Phil Galfond in the big blind. Gerasimov showed A
10
8
7
and Galfond produced AJ85. The board ran out J9666 and Gerasimov was sent out in fifth place ($192,870). Johnny Chan followed the Russian to the rail. It was then time for the last European at the table to be put under pressure.
After taking a big hit with a smaller two pair, Frenchman David Benyamine was chipped down by Adam Hourani. A few hands later, Benyamine lost 600,000 after calling a preflop raise and folding on the flop.
Then, Benyamine raised to 175,000 on the button and Hourani made the call. The flop came down QJ9 and Hourani checked. Benyamine moved all in and Hourani instantly called, showing A-Q-Q-10. Benyamine sheepishly turned over A-A-10-9 and needed some help. The turn and river came 38 and Benyamine was eliminated in third place, taking home $316,307 for his efforts.
This left Adam Hourani and Phil Galfond fighting it out for top prize. After over 100 hands of grueling heads up play, Hourani was finally down to his last 480,000. Both players got it all in on a flop of AQ8. Hourani had Galfond's pair of aces outkicked, but the turn was a 6 giving Galfond two pair. The river was a brick in the form of the 2 and Galfond emerged as the new owner of a gold bracelet and $817,781.
Hourani earned $493,748 for his runner-up finish.
Among Russians doing well in this year’s WSOP is Vitaly Lunkin. He took down the top prize of $628,417 in the $1,500 no-limit hold’em event. Lunkin sent Brett Kimes out in second place when he raised to 600,000 preflop and Kimes made the call. The flop hit the table J42 and both players checked. The turn brought the 8 and Lunkin opened the action for a million. Kimes raised all in and Lunkin made the call. Kimes was committed for his tournament life with 108, while Lunkin had him covered with AJ in the hole. The river card was the K and Kimes was awarded $387,837 for his second-place finish.
Shortly after players had returned from a 20 minute break in the $3,000 no-limit hold’em, the final table was decided. Filling it out are Matt Vengrin, John Phan, David Singer, Alex Bolotin, Thuyen Doan, Stewart Newman, Johnny Neckar, Tony Dunst, and Sebastian Segovia.
Europeans who cashed in this event were Hjalti Jacobsen ($11,264) Denmark, Steven Vanzadelhoff ($9,287) Holland, Erik Jansson ($7,311) Sweden, Barny Boatman ($6,718) England, Pier Scatola ($6,718) Italy, Rob Sterken ($6,126) Holland, Nicolas Levi ($6,126) France, Francis Mahiout ($5,533) France, Stephen Delvin ($5,533) Ireland, and Joseph Grech ($5,533) England.
Former chip leader of the $10,000 World Championship Limit Hold’em event, Patrick Bueno, was all-in preflop on day two, facing down Joe Sebok and a female to his left who proceeded to bet every consecutive street. Sebok called until the river, where he mucked pocket jacks. The board at that point showed 47784. The lady showed a pair of queens. Bueno, however, held 34, and managed to more than triple up on the hand to stay alive.
The Frenchman went on to see his stack dwindle to a measly 20,000 before he found himself all-in on an A77 flop. Both he and his opponent had an ace, but Bueno’s queen kicker nipped his opponent’s. The turn and river blanked and Bueno found himself smiling again, brandishing a stack of 50,000. Despite his run of luck, he was knocked out at level 15 in 26th place.
Finn Thomas Wahlroos was all-in at level 13 against Brit Spencer Lawrence. Lawrence had a meager Q7, and was racing against Wahlroos’ 55. The board was safe for Wahlroos – K629K – and he raked in a pot of 27,000.
Although their table was broken when they reached 36 players, the duo found themselves seated together and battling it out once again. This time Lawrence’s pocket nines held up against Wahlroos’s pocket sevens. Wahlroos, who had earlier been commiserating with Dutchman Rob Hollink about bubbling in tournaments, had a new story to add to his collection.
After a 20 minute break and only five hands of play Tim Kasparoff burst the bubble. This was good news for both Patrick Bueno and Russian Alex Kravchenko who, seated at the same table, had been blinded down to critical levels. In one hand, Bueno committed 15,000 preflop against Michael Mizrachi and folded to a single bet from “the Grinder” on the flop, leaving himself a paltry 9,000.
Kravchenko was also spendthrift during play. Folding both his small blind and big blind to raises, the Russian was left clutching a stack of only 6,000 when the bubble burst. Not surprisingly, he was eliminated in 27th place, but the $20,492 he received should be consolation enough after coming so close to busting out empty-handed.
Spencer Lawrence was next to go. He went up against Rob Hollink when Hollink raised from late position and Lawrence was in the big blind. The flop came Q95 and Lawrence bet out. Hollink raised, Lawrence 3-bet, and Hollink just called. The A on the turn was followed by a bet by Lawrence and another call by Hollink. Lawrence bet the river and the Dutchman raised him. After a minute of thought, Lawrence made the call. Hollink tabled the nuts: JT. The hand crippled Lawrence and he was sent to the rail during the next level in 22nd place. Hollink was doing extremely well on the second day of the event. At end of play he was chip leader with over 1 million chips.
Nine players remain from the 218 who started the tournament. They will fight it out tomorrow for the top prize of $496,931.
Europeans were out in force on day one of the $2,500 no-limit hold’em six-handed event. Gus Hansen, Dario Minieri, Max Pescatori, Dave Ulliott, Alon Shahar, and Bruno Fitoussi were some of the faces cropping up early session.
Dario Minieri began trail blazing early when he persuaded an opponent to call an all-in. Preflop, the player in seat 5 raised to 700. Minieri reraised his opponent all in. The player then tanked for a few minutes. Minieri took off his headphones and asked, “What do you got?” "I’m not allowed to say... you got a pair?" replied his opponent. "I'm not allowed to say?" Minieri responded. "C'mon, let's gamble," Minieri coaxed.
It worked. His opponent put his remaining stack in the middle and Minieri turned over his jacks. His opponent showed 66 and the board ran out 4453A. Minieri avoided his opponent's open ended straight draw on the river and eliminated him.
Later, when Minieri was moved to table 11 joining Dane Gus Hansen, things really kicked off. Minieri made it 500 to go before the flop and Hansen called from the big blind. The flop came J94 and Hansen checked. Minieri bet 700 and Hansen mucked his hand. A minor scuffle which was a sign of things to come.
In another hand, Hansen raised to 625 under the gun and action folded around to Minieri on the button. He made the call and the flop came KQ8. Hansen bet 700 and Minieri moved all in. "The Great Dane" made the call and showed QQ for a flopped set. Minieri flipped K10 for top pair and few outs. The turn was the 9, giving Minieri a straight draw but the river brought the 4 and Hansen doubled up to around 12,000. Minieri was down to 11,000.
The Italian did not fare any better against Brit Dave Ulliott either. Before the flop, the player in seat 2 raised to 900. Minieri reraised it to 3,000 and the action was back to Devilfish. He thought for a while and decided to call. The player in seat 2 thought better of tangling with these two Europeans and mucked. The flop came down 724. Minieri led out with 4,000 and Ulliott pounced, going all in. Minieri folded and Ulliott turned over 1010 and raked in the pot. Ulliott hung on until level 9 when he was eliminated.
Another Italian who made waves early in the event was Max Pescatori. Pescatori sent an opponent packing with his pocket rockets. The player in seat 6 raised to 300 and Pescatori simply called. The flop came AQ3. Both players checked and the turn was the 10. Pescatori led out, betting 400. His opponent grabbed his stack and put it in the middle. Pescatori quickly called and his opponent showed Q10 for two pair. Pescatori turned over his AA for top set. The river filled up Pescatori when the 3 hit the felt and Pescatori took the pot, eliminating his opponent.
On a board showing 7QK2, Pescatori fired 1,500 into the pot. His opponent in seat 1 made the call. The river was the J and Pescatori moved all in for 9,425. His opponent went into the tank, contemplating whether or not to fight the “Italian Pirate”. He decided he would, making the call. He was soon however thrown overboard when Pescatori turned over KQ for top two pair on the flop. Seat 1 mucked and Pescatori doubled up.
76 players out of an initial 1,012 will continue to battle it out tomorrow on day two of the event. Among the chip leaders are Dutchman Alon Shahar and scarf-wearing Italian Dario Minieri.
There will be two new winners tomorrow as the final tables of both the $3,000 no-limit hold’em and the $10,000 World Championship Limit Hold’em events play out. Another final table will also soon be underway as the second day of the $2,500 no-limit hold’em six-handed event sees its field slimming down to the last nine.
Check back at CardPlayer.com for all the action from the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas