Howard Lederer - Live Updates

Level 10 Update -- Chat Batista Takes the Lead

Oct 22, '09

Blinds: 1,000-2,000 with a 200 ante

Players Left: 106 of 275

Average Chip Count 155,000

Chip Leaders (Unofficial)

Chad Batista — 425,000
Jason Somerville — 404,000
Corwin Cole — 390,000
Mark Seif — 370,000
Chau Giang — 350,000
Steve Gross — 345,000
Mike Leah — 340,000
Markus Gonsalves — 320,000
Dutch Boyd — 260,000
Eugene Katchalov — 255,000

Card Player Chip Counts

Mike Matusow — 210,000
Barry Shulman — Eliminated

Notable Eliminations:

David Peat
Ted Lawson
Howard Lederer
Barry Shulman

Level Summary:

With the official payouts announced and everyone aware that the winner will take home more than $1.2 million, play seemed to tighten up a bit as the field marched down the homestretch here on day 2.

Recent WSOP Europe Main Event champion Barry Shulman had a rough level 9, dropping to as low as 25,000 before bouncing back a bit when he eliminated high stakes regular David “viffer” Peat.

Peat moved all in on the short stack from under the gun for his last 4,200 and was called by two unknowns and Shulman in late position. The flop came down 8-6-4 and Shulman made an isolation bet, getting heads-up with the all-in Peat.

Peat showed 9-4 and needed help against Shulman’s 6-5. The turn was a 7, giving Shulman the straight but Peat a better straight draw, however the river was an Ace and Peat hit the rail.

Shulman suffered the same fate, however, just moments before the end of the evening when his dominated ace fell to PokerStars Caribbean Adventure winner Poorya Nazari.

Other notables to bust included Ted Lawson and Howard Lederer. Lederer joined Phil Hellmuth and Kenny Tran as very late entrants into this tournament and all three had a very brief stay. Lederer ran pocket jacks into pocket kings and received no help as he packed up and left the room.

Marco Johnson got heads-up with an unknown players on a board reading J-J-7-K-K and was faced with a tough decision for his last 62,000. Johnson took his time as Phil Ivey, Barry Greenstein and Matt Stout looked on and finally made the call. His opponent showed ace high and Johnson scooped the pot with J-9 for the underfull. That pot boosted his stack to nearly 150,000 in chips.

Player Tags: Howard Lederer,   Barry Shulman,   Marco Johnson

Level 4 Hour 2 Update: Chad Batista Eliminated

Jul 05, '09

Blinds: 150-300 with a 25 ante

Chip Counts:

1. Jeff Lisandro — 135,200
2. Andy Seth — 110,000
3. Tsai Chen — 95,700
4. Hevad Khan — 84,000
5. Joe Hachem — 82,000
6. Amnon Filippi — 80,000
7. Marc Naalden — 80,000
8. Yan Chen — 80,000
9. Lee Watkinson — 78,000
10. Igor Borukhov — 76,000

Card Player Chip Counts:

Matt Matros — 26,000

Notable Eliminations:

Al Barbieri
Chad Batista
Antonio Tarver

Big Hands

Gabe Thaler Doubles Up

Jeff Tims raises to 800 before the flop, Gabe Thaler calls from early position as does the player in the big blind. The flop comes Q104, Tims best 1,850, Thaler raises to 5,000, the big blind folds, Tims moves all in and Thaler calls all in.

Thaler: QQ
Tims: KJ

Thaler gets it in good with top set, Tims has an open-ended straight draw. The turn is the 6 and the river is the 5, no help to Tims as Thaler doubles through him to over 50,000 this hand.

Kevin Saul Doubels Through David Singer

Kevin Saul raises to 800 from the cutoff and David Singer rearaises to 2,900 from the big blind. Saul four-bets to 7,800 and Singer moves all in. Saul calls all in for 30,000+ ; Singer has him covered.

Saul: QQ
Singer: A5

Board: J9366

Singer flops the nut flush draw but fails to improve as Kevin Saul doubles up to over 60,000 in chips this hand, leaving Singer with just 50,000.

Chad Batista Eliminated

Chad Batista gets it all in pre-flop from the short stack for about 10,000.

Batista: A2
Opponent: AK

Board: K855J

Batista gets it in behind, and when his opponent pairs kings on the flop Batista needs to go runner-runner here to stay alive. The board fails to improve his hand and he is eliminated from the tournament.

Tehan Flops a Set, Doubles Up

After a series of pre-flop raises and reraises, Joe Tehan gets the rest of his chips(19,750) in the middle and is called by a single opponent.

Tehan: AA
Opponent: AK

Tehan flops top set with the case ace as his opponent makes top pair. The turn and river fail to help either player as Tehan doubles up to over 70,000 in chips this hand.

Howard Lederer Doubles Up

Howard Lederer gets it all in pre-flop against the player on the button.

Lederer: JJ
Button: AK

Board: 105329

Lederer’s pocket jacks hold up as he doubles to nearly 40,000 this hand.

Left in the Deck

Players are on a twenty-minute break and should return at approximately 10:40 pm PDT to begin the 5th and final level of the day.

Player Tags: Howard Lederer,   Gabriel Thaler,   David Singer,   Joe Tehan,   Kevin Saul,   Chad Batista

Level 4 Hour 1 Update: Howard Lederer Short Stacked

Jul 05, '09

Blinds: 150-300 with a 25 ante

Chip Counts:

1. Jeff Lisandro – 131,000
2. Andy Seth — 110,000
3. Tsi Chen — 95,700
4. Hevad Khan — 94,000
5. Lenny Coretillino — 90,000
6. Christian Heich — 85,000
7. Igor Barukhov — 84,000
8. Joe Hachem — 82,000
9. Amnon Philippi — 80,000
10. Marc Naalden — 80,000

Card Player Chip Counts:

Matt Matros — 30,000

Notable Eliminations:

Jamie Gold
Sirous Jamshidi

Big Hands

Lee Watkinson vs. Scotty Nguyen

The player in seat 2 raises to 600 before the flop, Scotty Nguyen reraises to 1,800 from late position, Lee Watkinson calls from the button as does the original raisesr. The flop comes A63, Nguyen bets 2,000, Watkinson calls and seat 2 folds. The turn is the 5, and this time both players check. The river is the 6, Nguyen bets 2,000 and Watkinson calls. Nguyen turns over JJ while Watkinson shows QQ. Watkinson rakes the pot, building his stack up to 72,000 while Nguyen falls down to 50,000 this hand.

Lisandro Adds To His Lead

The player in the small blind completes the bet and Jeff Lisandro checks his option from the big blind. The flop comes AJ8, Lisandro bets 600 and the small blind calls. The turn is the 8, and both players check around. The river is the J, and this time the small blind leads out for 1,750. Lisandro raises to 5,750 and the small blind calls. The small blind turned over A8 for a full house on the turn, but Lisandro turns over J5 for a better full house on the river. Lisandro rakes the pot, adding to his lead with 132,000 in chips after this hand.

Howard Lederer Saves Money on River

On a board of 4228, Howard Lederer check-called a bet of 2,200 by a player on the button. The 8 fell on the river, putting two pair on board and Lederer once again checked. His opponent went into the tank before finally exposing pocket jacks. Lederer flashed his pocket tens and saved money when the board doubled paired on the end. Lederer is at just 12,0775.

Sirous Jamshidi Eliminated

On a flop of 1094, Sirous Jamshedi gets it all in against one opponent.

Jamshidi: 109
Opponent: AA

Jamshidi gets it in good after flopping top two pair, and the turn is the 5. The river is the 4, pairing the board and giving his opponent aces up. Sirous Jamshidi is eliminated from the tournament.

Eric Liu Loses Small Pot

On a flop of 874, Eric Liu bet 1,100 from the button and a player in early position made the call. The 9 hit the turn and action was checked to Liu again. Liu fired out a bet of 3,500 and was quickly called by his opponent. The 2 fell on the river and the player once again checked to Liu. Liu elected to check behind and his opponent tabled the 87 for middle pair. Liu mucked and is at 34,000.

Player Tags: Andrew Wang,   Scotty Nguyen,   Howard Lederer,   Jeffrey Lisandro,   Sirous Jamshidi

Level 3 Hour 1 Update: Lederer Off To Rocky Start

Jul 05, '09

Blinds: 150-300

Chip Counts:

1. Tsai Chen – 93,000
2. Yan Chen – 85,000
3. Frank Kassela – 75,000
4. Justin Bonomo – 75,000
5. Andy Seth – 71,300
6. Jeff Lisandro – 70,500
7. David Singer – 68,000
8. Paul Magriel – 65,100
9. Suzie Lederer – 65,000
10. James Vanderhaar – 63,200

Card Player Chip Counts:

Matt Matros – 17,500

Notable Eliminations:

Matt Graham
Jacobo Fernandez

Big Hands:

Hawrilenko Takes Another Hit to His Stack

A player under-the-gun raised to 700 and got four callers, including Matt Hawrilenko from middle position. The flop was K47 and the original raiser bet 1,800 and Hawrilenko called.

The turn was the 10 and the river was the 6. Both players checked the turn and the river and Hawrilenko mucked when he was shown K9 and is down to 9,100 in chips.

Dennis Phillips Forces a Fold

With about 17,000 in the pot already, Dennis Phillips was heads-up with his opponent with a board that read A4510.

Phillips bet 10,500 and his opponent thought for nearly five minutes before mucking AK face up on the table. Phillips mucked his hand, but whether or not he had the best hand, he now has 59,000 in chips

Lederer Off To A Rocky Start In Level 3

After a flop of K92, Howard Lederer led out with 2,000 into a pot of 2,500 and his opponent in seat 1 mucked his hand. Lederer was at 23,200 after that hand.

Later, Lederer raised to 1,300 from the button and the small blind immediately reraised to 3,500. It was just in time for the ESPN cameras to arrive at Lederer’s table. After a few moments to think, Lederer mucked his hand and he was at 20,000 early in the level.

Suharto’s Pair Good Enough

Picking up the action on the river, the board showed J42108. Darus Suharto of “November Nine” fame and his opponent checked the action and Suharto showed down 66. It was good as his opponent tabled A6 and Suharto took a pot, moving his stack to 20,000.

McEvoy Gets Best Of Miami John

John Cernuto and Tom McEvoy saw a flop of AQJ. Both players didn’t like the board and checked. The turn was the Q and Cernuto took a stab at the pot, leading out for 1,200. McEvoy stuck around and the players saw the 9 fall on the river.

Cernuto checked and McEvoy did the same behind him. McEvoy showed A6 for two pair and Cernuto mucked. McEvoy was at 17,000 while Cernuto was at 35,000.

Luske Check-Raises To Victory

After a flop of K87, Marcel Luske was first to act and elected to check. His opponent then fired 600 into a 1,500 pot. Luske then pounced, check-raising to 2,000. His opponent glanced at his cards one last time and threw them into the muck. Luske took the pot and was at 42,000.

Danny Wong Flops Two Pair, Gets Little Action

Four players limped for 300 preflop and they all saw a flop of 982. The player in seat 9 fired 500 into the pot and Danny Wong raised to 1,600 from the cutoff. The player under the gun was also in the hand and made the call. Everyone else mucked and the 5 fell on the turn.

The under the gun player checked and Wong bet again, this time 3,600. His opponent mucked and Wong took the pot after showing 98. He was at 36,000 after the hand.

Griffin Takes Another Pot

Gavin Griffin raised to 800 from the hijack position and the small blind made the call. The player in seat 3, who had already limped, made the call as well. The flop then fell 1086 and the action was checked to Griffin. He fired 1,700 into the pot and his opponents quickly mucked their hands. Griffin took the pot and was at 38,000.

Juanda Tries To Give Opponent Discount

Picking up the action after the river, the board read K9878. The action was checked to John Juanda and he bet 3,500. The player in seat 2 mucked his hand and the player in seat 6 was next to act. He reached for his cards to throw them in the muck.

“No!” Juanda exclaimed. “1,000,” he said as he took 2,500 away from his original bet. Seat 6 didn’t bite and his hand finally landed in the muck. Juanda scored the pot and was around 50,000.

Player Tags: John Juanda,   Howard Lederer,   Gavin Griffin,   Matt Hawrilenko,   Danny Wong,   Darus Suharto,   Dennis Phillips

Level 1 Hour 2 Update: Lederer Gets Going

Jul 05, '09

Blinds: 50-100

Chip Counts:

1. Yan Chen – 85,500
2. James Vanderhaar – 71,000
3. Andy Seth – 65,000
4. Kevin Tokimesa – 60,000
5. John Juanda – 45,000
6. Terrence Chan – 44,000
7. Matt Savage – 43,000
8. John Monnette – 41,000
9. Lee Watkinson – 40,000
10. Scotty Nguyen – 39,000

CardPlayer Chip Counts:

Matt Matros – 25,000

Notable Eliminations:

None

Big Hands:

Watkinson Has Ducks Shot Down

After four players limped in preflop, the flop fell 1092. The action was checked to seat 6 who bet 500. Lee Watkinson made the call and seat 3 called from the button. Antonio Tarver folded from the big blind and the turn was the 8. Everyone checked and the river was the 6.

Action was checked to Watkinson who bet 1,500. Seat 3 made the call and seat 6 mucked his hand. Watkinson then tabled 22 for a set of ducks, but seat 3 showed 87 for a rivered straight and took the pot. Watkinson was down to 32,000.

Boeree Drops Some Chips

After the board ran out A1069K, a player bet 3,100 and Liv Boeree made the call. The opponent then showed down AK for top two pair and Boeree had no choice but to muck her hand.

After dropping the pot, Boeree was down to 21,000 in chips.

Class Begins

A player in late position raised to 300 preflop and action got around to Howard Lederer. He repopped it to 1,000 and the small blind called. The big blind came along as well and the original raiser followed suit, making the pot worth 4,000.

The flop then came 984 and the small blind led out with 2,200. The big blind mucked, as did the late position player. Lederer made the call and the turn was the A. The small blind checked and Lederer bet 3,500. The small blind finally gave it up and Lederer took the pot, putting his stack around 40,000.

McEvoy Unsuccessful In His Bluff Attempt

Tom McEvoy limped in from middle position and then called a raise to 400 from the player directly to his left. They took the flop heads-up of 788. McEvoy checked and called 650 from his opponent. Both players checked when the K fell on the turn and watched the K fall on the river.

Now McEvoy leads out for 1,500 and is instantly called by his opponent. McEvoy turns up J10 for a busted straight draw and his opponent showed AQ, good for ace-high and the pot.

Liz Lieu’s Two Pair Flushed Away

Liz Lieu bet 2,000 on the river into an already bloated pot on a board that read 86JA10. Her opponent then raised her to 6,000 and Lieu went into the tank.

While the ESPN cameras rushed over to catch a glimpse of her decision, she eventually decided to toss in enough chips to make the call. Her opponent showed her 97, good for a flush and Lieu just sighed as she flashed A6, good for two pair.

Chen Puts in the Third Raise, Wins The Pot

Bill Chen raised to 250 preflop and gets two callers. The flop was 104Q. After the first player checked, Chen bet 600 and was met with a raise to 1,500.

The third party got out of the way and without any hesitation, Chen pulled his original bet back and tossed out four yellow chips, as he made it 4,000 to go. It seemed as if as soon as Chen’s chips hit the felt, his opponent’s cards hit the muck and Chen raked the pot.

You’re So Lucky Baby

The player in seat 5 raised to 300 from early position and Scotty Nguyen called from the next seat over. The player in seat 9 called from the cutoff and the three players saw a flop of 653. Action was checked to the cutoff who bet 500. Seat 5 mucked but Nguyen made the call. The turn was the 4 and both players checked. The river brought the A and Nguyen led out for 1,000.

The cutoff mucked and Nguyen tabled KJ for a flopped flush. “You know how lucky you are baby?” Nguyen said as he raked in the pot. He was at 46,000.

Luske Flushes One Out

Picking up the action on the turn with the board reading K863, the player in seat 4 bet 1,600 and Marcel Luske made the call. The river brought the 5 and the action was checked to Luske. He bet 3,000 and seat 4 made the call.

Luske then tabled QJ for a heart flush on the river and seat 4 mucked. Luske took in the pot and was at 42,000.

Player Tags: Lee Watkinson,   Scotty Nguyen,   Howard Lederer,   Marcel Luske,   Liz Lieu,   Antonio Tarver

Level 11 Update: End of Day 2; Gus Hansen Leads

Jun 28, '09

Day 2 of the $50,000 World Championship of H.O.R.S.E. has come to an end and just 53 players remain out of the 91 that started the day. Hasan Habib came into the day as the overnight chipleader, maintaining that lead almost the entire day until finally relinquishing it to Gus Hansen right before the closing bell.

Both Scotty Nguyen and Freddy Deeb have the survived the day and will return at 2:00 pm PDT to defend their titles. Day 3 is sure to bring a lot of action, so be sure to check back with CardPlayer.com as we bring you live updates, chip counts and eliminations from this marquee event.

Flop Games: Blinds – 3,000-6,000, Limits – 6,000-12,000
Stud Games: Ante — 1,500, Bring-In — 2,000, Completion — 6,000, Limits — 6,000-12,000

Players Remaining: 53 out of 95

Chip Counts:

1. Ray Dehkharghani — 643,000
2. Gus Hansen — 540,000
3. Erik Sagstrom — 500,000
4. Matt Glantz — 475,000
5. Hasan Habib — 440,000
6. David Bach — 405,000
7. John Monnette — 402,000
8. Frank Kassela — 400,000
9. Jani Sointula — 390,000
10. Todd Brunson — 380,000

Average Chip Count: 268,867

Notable Eliminations:

Allen Kessler
Howard Lederer
Michael Saltzburg
Matthew Grapenthien
Abe Mosseri
Nikolay Evdakov
Andy Black
Farzad Bonyadi
Annie Duke
Big Hands:

HOLD’EM

Bonyadi Doubles Through Lederer, Leaves Him Crippled

Farzad Bontadi and Howard Lederer each get four bets in before the flop.

The flop comes Q99, Bonyadi gets it all in, Lederer calls and has him covered.

Bonyadi: AQ
Lederer: AK

Bonyadi flops a queen to take the lead. The turn and river are the 7 and the 9 as Bonyadi doubles up to 80,000 in chips while Lederer is left with just over 30,000 this hand.

Bonyadi Finishes the Job; Howard Lederer Eliminated

A few hands later and Howard Lederer raises before the flop and Farzad Bonyadi calls.

The flop comes KJ6, Lederer bets out and Bonyadi calls.

The turn is the 2, Lederer gets it all in and Bonyadi calls.

Lederer: 99
Bonyadi: 97

Lederer only has a pair on the turn while Bonyadi has already made a flush. Lederer is drawing dead on the river (10) and is eliminated from the tournament.

RAZZ

Abe Mosseri Eliminated by Hasan Habib

Abe Mosseri is all in on fourth street against Hasan Habib.

Mosseri: 3-2-4-7-7-7-K
Habib: A-7-8-2-2-4-J

Mosseri started off good on fourth street wen his money went in, but then tripped up on fifth and sixth streets, making a a king-low on the river. Habib makes a jack-low, adding even more chips to his stack as he eliminates Abe Mosseri right before the end of the play.

Dehkharghani Doubles Through Lindgren; Steals late-Night Chiplead

Ray Dehkharghani took control of the pot early with Erick Lindgren calling to a showdown.

Dehkharghani: 6-J-2-A-5-7-7
Lindgren: X-X-4-8-9-4-X

Dehkharghani makes a 7-low and Lindgren mucks his hand. Dehkharghani steals the chiplead with just under 650,000 this hand while Lindgren drops to 100,000 in chips.

Player Tags: Fred Bonyadi,   Erick Lindgren,   Hasan Habib,   Gus Hansen,   Howard Lederer,   Abe Mosseri,   Ray Dehkharghani,   Erik Sagstrom

Level 5 Update: Steve Zolotow First to Fall

Jun 26, '09

Flop Games: 900-1,800
Stud Games: Ante — 400, Bring-In — 500, Completion — 1,800, Limits — 1,800-3,600

Players Remaining: 94 out of 95

Chip Counts:

1. Hasan Habib — 280,000
2. Martin Vallo — 270,000
3. Bill Chen — 240,000
4. Annie Duke — 235,000
5. Ville Wahlbeck — 233,000
6. Erik Seidel — 225,000
7. Farzad Bonyadi — 220,000
8. Scotty Nguyen — 220,000
9. Abe Mosseri — 218,000
10. Justin Smith — 217,400

Average Chip Count: 151,595

Noatble Eliminations:

95. Steve Zolotow

Big Hands:

HOLD’EM

Huck Seed vs. Eli Elezra

With about 25,000 already in the pot on a flop K74, Huck Seed checks to Eli Elezra. Elezra bets 1,800, Seed raises to 3,600, Elezra three-bets to 5,400, Seed four-bets to 7,200 and Elezra calls.

The turn is the 9, Seed bets 3,600 and Elezra calls.

The river is the K, Seed bets 3,600, Elezra raises to 7,200, Seed three-bets to 10,800 and Elezra folds. Seed rakes the pot, bringing his stack up to 190,000 this hand while Elezra drops down to 80,000 in chips.

Mikhail Tulchinskiy vs. David Benyamine

Mikhail Tulchiniskiy raises to 3,600 from the cutoff, David Benyamine reraises to 5,400 from the small blind and Tulchiniskiy calls.

The flop comes AK3, Benyamine bets 1,800 and Tulchiniskiy calls.

The turn is the 7 and both players check.

The river is the J, Benyamine checks and Tulchiniskiy bets 3,600. Benyamine and folds and Tulchiniskiy rakes the pot.

OMAHA/8

Ville Wahlbeck vs. Howard Lederer

On a flop of 974, Howard Lederer bets 1,800 and Ville Wahlbeck calls.

The turn is the 8 and once gain Wahlbeck checks. Lederer bets bets 3,600 and Wahlbeck raises to 7,200. Lederer three-bets to 10,800 and Wahlbeck four-bets to 14,000. Lederer just calls.

The river is the A, and this time Wahlbeck leads out for 3,600 and Lederer calls. Wahlbeck turns over A1062 for a straight-high and a seven-low.

STUD

Gus Hansen Wins Big Pot

Gus Hansen completes the bet to 1,800 with the 8 and both Alex Jung (4) and Matt Glantz (4) call.

Hansen bets on fourth street and both opponents call.

Hansen: X-X-878
Jung: X-X-455
Glantz: X-X-4KJ

Hansen bets his pair of eights, Jung calls and Glantz folds.

Hansen: X-X-8789
Jung: X-X-4552

Hansen bets and gets called on both sixth street and the river. Hansen turns over AJ for a flush and rakes the pot. Hansen climbs up to 135,000 this hand while Jung falls down to just 60,000 in chips.

STUD/8

Steve Zolotow Eliminaed by Patrick Bueno

Jenneifer Harman opened the pot with the 2, Patrick Bueno completes the bet with the 5, Steve Zolotow raises with the K, and both Harman and Bueno call.

Harman: X-X-210
Bueno: X-X-57
Zolotow: X-X-K9

Zolotow bets out on fourth street and both players call.

Harman: X-X-2107
Bueno: X-X-574
Zolotow: X-X-K94

Zolotow bets again on fifth street, Bueno raises, Harman calls and Zolotow calls all in for 8,000 and change.

Harman: X-X-2107J
Bueno: X-X-5743
Zolotow: X-X-K944

Bueno bets on sixth street and Harman calls, but folds after Bueno bets again on the river.

Zolotow turns over the K for two pair, but Bueno shows the 6 for the straight. Bueno scoops the pot and Steve Zolotow is the first player eliminated from the event.

Player Tags: Huck Seed,   Gus Hansen,   Howard Lederer,   Steve Zolotow,   David Benyamine,   Eli Elezra,   Ville Wahlbeck,   Patrick Bueno,   Alexander Jung

Level 11 Update: End of Day 2; Gus Hansen Leads

Jun 28, '09

Day 2 of the $50,000 World Championship of H.O.R.S.E. has come to an end and just 53 players remain out of the 91 that started the day. Hasan Habib came into the day as the overnight chipleader, maintaining that lead almost the entire day until finally relinquishing it to Gus Hansen right before the closing bell.

Both Scotty Nguyen and Freddy Deeb have the survived the day and will return at 2:00 pm PDT to defend their titles. Day 3 is sure to bring a lot of action, so be sure to check back with CardPlayer.com as we bring you live updates, chip counts and eliminations from this marquee event.

Flop Games: Blinds – 3,000-6,000, Limits – 6,000-12,000
Stud Games: Ante — 1,500, Bring-In — 2,000, Completion — 6,000, Limits — 6,000-12,000

Players Remaining: 53 out of 95

Chip Counts:

1. Ray Dehkharghani — 643,000
2. Gus Hansen — 540,000
3. Erik Sagstrom — 500,000
4. Matt Glantz — 475,000
5. Hasan Habib — 440,000
6. David Bach — 405,000
7. John Monnette — 402,000
8. Frank Kassela — 400,000
9. Jani Sointula — 390,000
10. Todd Brunson — 380,000

Average Chip Count: 268,867

Notable Eliminations:

Allen Kessler
Howard Lederer
Michael Saltzburg
Matthew Grapenthien
Abe Mosseri
Nikolay Evdakov
Andy Black
Farzad Bonyadi
Annie Duke
Big Hands:

HOLD’EM

Bonyadi Doubles Through Lederer, Leaves Him Crippled

Farzad Bontadi and Howard Lederer each get four bets in before the flop.

The flop comes Q99, Bonyadi gets it all in, Lederer calls and has him covered.

Bonyadi: AQ
Lederer: AK

Bonyadi flops a queen to take the lead. The turn and river are the 7 and the 9 as Bonyadi doubles up to 80,000 in chips while Lederer is left with just over 30,000 this hand.

Bonyadi Finishes the Job; Howard Lederer Eliminated

A few hands later and Howard Lederer raises before the flop and Farzad Bonyadi calls.

The flop comes KJ6, Lederer bets out and Bonyadi calls.

The turn is the 2, Lederer gets it all in and Bonyadi calls.

Lederer: 99
Bonyadi: 97

Lederer only has a pair on the turn while Bonyadi has already made a flush. Lederer is drawing dead on the river (10) and is eliminated from the tournament.

RAZZ

Abe Mosseri Eliminated by Hasan Habib

Abe Mosseri is all in on fourth street against Hasan Habib.

Mosseri: 3-2-4-7-7-7-K
Habib: A-7-8-2-2-4-J

Mosseri started off good on fourth street wen his money went in, but then tripped up on fifth and sixth streets, making a a king-low on the river. Habib makes a jack-low, adding even more chips to his stack as he eliminates Abe Mosseri right before the end of the play.

Dehkharghani Doubles Through Lindgren; Steals late-Night Chiplead

Ray Dehkharghani took control of the pot early with Erick Lindgren calling to a showdown.

Dehkharghani: 6-J-2-A-5-7-7
Lindgren: X-X-4-8-9-4-X

Dehkharghani makes a 7-low and Lindgren mucks his hand. Dehkharghani steals the chiplead with just under 650,000 this hand while Lindgren drops to 100,000 in chips.

Player Tags: Fred Bonyadi,   Erick Lindgren,   Hasan Habib,   Gus Hansen,   Howard Lederer,   Abe Mosseri,   Ray Dehkharghani,   Erik Sagstrom

Level 5 Update: Steve Zolotow First to Fall

Jun 26, '09

Flop Games: 900-1,800
Stud Games: Ante — 400, Bring-In — 500, Completion — 1,800, Limits — 1,800-3,600

Players Remaining: 94 out of 95

Chip Counts:

1. Hasan Habib — 280,000
2. Martin Vallo — 270,000
3. Bill Chen — 240,000
4. Annie Duke — 235,000
5. Ville Wahlbeck — 233,000
6. Erik Seidel — 225,000
7. Farzad Bonyadi — 220,000
8. Scotty Nguyen — 220,000
9. Abe Mosseri — 218,000
10. Justin Smith — 217,400

Average Chip Count: 151,595

Noatble Eliminations:

95. Steve Zolotow

Big Hands:

HOLD’EM

Huck Seed vs. Eli Elezra

With about 25,000 already in the pot on a flop K74, Huck Seed checks to Eli Elezra. Elezra bets 1,800, Seed raises to 3,600, Elezra three-bets to 5,400, Seed four-bets to 7,200 and Elezra calls.

The turn is the 9, Seed bets 3,600 and Elezra calls.

The river is the K, Seed bets 3,600, Elezra raises to 7,200, Seed three-bets to 10,800 and Elezra folds. Seed rakes the pot, bringing his stack up to 190,000 this hand while Elezra drops down to 80,000 in chips.

Mikhail Tulchinskiy vs. David Benyamine

Mikhail Tulchiniskiy raises to 3,600 from the cutoff, David Benyamine reraises to 5,400 from the small blind and Tulchiniskiy calls.

The flop comes AK3, Benyamine bets 1,800 and Tulchiniskiy calls.

The turn is the 7 and both players check.

The river is the J, Benyamine checks and Tulchiniskiy bets 3,600. Benyamine and folds and Tulchiniskiy rakes the pot.

OMAHA/8

Ville Wahlbeck vs. Howard Lederer

On a flop of 974, Howard Lederer bets 1,800 and Ville Wahlbeck calls.

The turn is the 8 and once gain Wahlbeck checks. Lederer bets bets 3,600 and Wahlbeck raises to 7,200. Lederer three-bets to 10,800 and Wahlbeck four-bets to 14,000. Lederer just calls.

The river is the A, and this time Wahlbeck leads out for 3,600 and Lederer calls. Wahlbeck turns over A1062 for a straight-high and a seven-low.

STUD

Gus Hansen Wins Big Pot

Gus Hansen completes the bet to 1,800 with the 8 and both Alex Jung (4) and Matt Glantz (4) call.

Hansen bets on fourth street and both opponents call.

Hansen: X-X-878
Jung: X-X-455
Glantz: X-X-4KJ

Hansen bets his pair of eights, Jung calls and Glantz folds.

Hansen: X-X-8789
Jung: X-X-4552

Hansen bets and gets called on both sixth street and the river. Hansen turns over AJ for a flush and rakes the pot. Hansen climbs up to 135,000 this hand while Jung falls down to just 60,000 in chips.

STUD/8

Steve Zolotow Eliminaed by Patrick Bueno

Jenneifer Harman opened the pot with the 2, Patrick Bueno completes the bet with the 5, Steve Zolotow raises with the K, and both Harman and Bueno call.

Harman: X-X-210
Bueno: X-X-57
Zolotow: X-X-K9

Zolotow bets out on fourth street and both players call.

Harman: X-X-2107
Bueno: X-X-574
Zolotow: X-X-K94

Zolotow bets again on fifth street, Bueno raises, Harman calls and Zolotow calls all in for 8,000 and change.

Harman: X-X-2107J
Bueno: X-X-5743
Zolotow: X-X-K944

Bueno bets on sixth street and Harman calls, but folds after Bueno bets again on the river.

Zolotow turns over the K for two pair, but Bueno shows the 6 for the straight. Bueno scoops the pot and Steve Zolotow is the first player eliminated from the event.

Player Tags: Huck Seed,   Gus Hansen,   Howard Lederer,   Steve Zolotow,   David Benyamine,   Eli Elezra,   Ville Wahlbeck,   Patrick Bueno,   Alexander Jung

Level 12 Update: Grundy Eliminated, Gives Gabriellson Chip Lead

Jun 21, '09

Blinds: 1200-2400

Players Remaining: 58 out of 295

Chip Counts: 152,586

1. Ferit Gabriellson — 510,000
2. Ilari Sahamies — 347,000
3. Matt Graham — 330,000
4. Noah Schwartz — 310,000
5. Nenad Medic — 300,000
6. William Thorson — 265,000
7. Erick Lindgren — 235,000
8. Howard Lederer — 225,000
9. Barry Greenstein — 214,000
10. Ernst Schmejkal — 214,000

Average Chip Count:

Notable Eliminations:

Ben Grundy, Yevgeniy Timoshenko

Big Hands:

Medic Loses Minimum With Top Set

After a preflop raise, David Williams, Nenad Medic and a third player saw a flop of A29. David Williams led out for 6500 and was called by Nenad Medic. The third player got out of the way and they saw the turn heads-up.

The turn card was the 8 and both players checked. The river card was the 10 and both players checked again. Williams showed J1044, which meant he had flopped a flush, and Medic mucked his hand, but not before revealing two aces in his hand, showing that he had flopped top set.

Ferit Gabriellson Eliminates Ben Grundy

The biggest pot of the tournament thus far took place on a board of K7105 between Ben Grundy and Ferit Gabriellson. All of the money got in and Grundy said “If you’ve got a set, you’ve got me.”

Gabriellson tabled KKA3, which was ahead of Grundy’s KQQ10. Grundy needed to hit a diamond to stay alive, but the 8 on the river sent Grundy home.

Gabriellson now has over 500,000 in chips.

Lederer Flops Two Pair, Wins Small Pot

Howard Lederer is heads-up with his opponent on a flop of K65. Lederer opted to call 9500 on the flop and they see the 9 fall on the turn.

Both players checked to see a free river card, which was the 7. Both players checked again and Howard announced that he had two pair. His opponent then turned over K5 from his hand, but Howard turned over K6AQ, good for a better two pair and the pot.

Left In The Deck:

Players are now going on a one hour dinner break.

Player Tags: Howard Lederer,   Nenad Medic,   Ferit Gabriellson,   Ben Grundy

Level 17 Update: Howard Lederer Eliminated, Money Bubble Bursts

Jun 20, '09

Ante: 2,000
Low Card: 3,000
Completion: 10,000
Limits: 10,000-20,000

Players Remaining: 16 out of 164

Chip Counts:

1. Abe Mosseri – 1,025,000
2. Jeff Lisandro – 865,000
3. Farzad Rouhani – 415,000
4. Perry Friedman – 360,000
5. Justin Smith – 322,000
6. Doyle Brunson – 320,000
7. Yan Chen – 320,000
8. Frank Mariani – 290,000
9. Lyle Berman – 270,000
10. Mike Wattel – 210,000

Average Chip Count: 258,947

Notable Eliminations:

Howard Lederer
John Hennigan
Tuan Le
Joe Tehan

Big Hands:

Howard Lederer Eliminated

Lederer: X-X-3
Yan Chen: X-X-8

Howard Lederer brought in for 3,000 and Joe Tehan completed to 10,000. Yan Chen then made it 20,000 to go and action was back on Lederer. He raised to 30,000 and the water was too hot for Tehan as he got out of the pool. Chen made it hotter when he raised again to 40,000. Lederer just called.

Lederer: X-X-38
Yan Chen: X-X-810

Chen bet 10,000 and Lederer called the remainder of his stack into the pot. Lederer turned over (K3) for a pair of threes while Chen showed (A8) for a pair of eights. Lederer’s board ran out 10Q(J) and he could not top Chen’s pair and he was eliminated.

Lisandro Takes Huge Pot Off Chen And Berman

Jeff Lisandro: X-X-32710
Yan Chen: X-X-QK6A

Jeff Lisandro and Yan Chen were going at each other with countless bets and raises and Lyle Berman was coming along for the ride. After the river was dealt, Lisandro and Chen continued to dance and Berman had enough, mucking his hand. The pot was well over 600,000 and after the betting was all done, Lisandro turned over (A54X) for the wheel. Chen uncovered a pair of queens in the hole for a set but could not do any better and Lisandro took down a monstrous pot, elevating his stack to 700,000 in chips.

Joe Tehan Is The Bubble Boy

Farzad Rouhani: X-X-2
Joe Tehan: X-X-5
Yan Chen: X-X-9

Rouhani brought in for 3,000 and Tehan called. Chen then completed to 10,000 and both opponents called.

Farzad Rouhani: X-X-2Q
Joe Tehan: X-X-57
Yan Chen: X-X-9J

Rouhani checked and Tehan bet 10,000. Chen raised to 20,000 and both opponents called.

Farzad Rouhani: X-X-2Q2
Joe Tehan: X-X-57Q
Yan Chen: X-X-9JA

Chen bet 20,000 and Tehan called all in. Rouhani also made the call.

Farzad Rouhani: X-X-2Q2J
Joe Tehan: X-X-57QJ
Yan Chen: X-X-9JAQ

Chen bet 20,000 and Rouhani called. The river was dealt and both players checked. Chen then turned over (Q98) for two pair. Rouhani and Tehan both mucked and Tehan was eliminated one spot shy of the money.

Player Tags: Farzad Rouhani,   Howard Lederer,   Lyle Berman,   Jeffrey Lisandro,   Joe Tehan,   Yan Chen

Level 7 Update: Fitoussi Climbs The Chip Counts

Jun 17, '09

Blinds: 400-800

Players Remaining: 128 out of 362

Chip Counts:

1. Jeff Lisandro – 142,000
2. Bruno Fitoussi – 142,000
3. Jesper Hougaard – 125,000
4. Cliff Josephy – 123,000
5. Isaac Baron – 120,000
6. Guillaume Patry – 92,000
7. Andrew Chen – 81,500
8. Nam Le – 76,000
9. David Benyamine – 72,000
10. Steve Sarrafzadeh – 64,000

Average Chip Count: 40,333

Notable Eliminations:

Ross Boatman
Shaun Deeb
Humberto Brenes
Howard Lederer

Big Hands:

Respect The Man Named Giang

Howard Lederer and Chau Giang tangled in a pot. The flop came 865 and Giang led out for 1,600. Howard Lederer gave a little grin and said, “It’s amazing how much respect I show you.” He then showed 1010 and mucked his hand. “Not many people fold that hand.”

Giang smiled and said, “I have nothing.” He raked in the pot and he has more than nothing as his stack stands at 50,000. Lederer was down to 27,000 and would later bust out.

Bruno Takes A Pot

The player in seat 2 raised to 2,100 and the player in seat 4 reraised to 3,600. Action folded to Bruno Fitoussi in the big blind and he made the call. Seat 2 called as well and the flop came 10107 and everyone checked. The turn was the 7 and Fitoussi took control of the hand, firing 8,000. His opponents mucked and Fitoussi raked in the pot, building his stack to 142,000.

No Vacancy In Raymer’s House

On a board reading 958Q and Greg Raymer checked after his opponent in seat 3 checked. The river was the 8 and seat 3 checked again. Raymer then fired 5,000 into the pot and his opponent thought for a few moments. Eventually, he threw in the call and Raymer announced, “Nines full.” He tabled 9910Q to confirm and his opponent mucked. Raymer took the pot and was at 35,000.

Player Tags: Howard Lederer,   Chau Giang,   Bruno Fitoussi,   Greg Raymer

Level 15 Update: Wahlbeck and Greenstein Bust, Zolotow Doubles

Jun 16, '09

Blinds: 3,000-6,000

Players Remaining: 27 out of 185

Chip Counts:

1. Kenny Hsiung – 410,000
2. Chad Brown – 376,000
3. Mark Klecan – 370,000
4. Matt Hawrilenko – 310,000
5. Daniel Alaei – 300,000
6. Kenny SHei – 300,000
7. Soheil Shamseddin – 290,000
8. Ralph Perry – 255,000
9. Howard Lederer – 250,000
10. Matt Glantz – 225,000

Average Chip Count: 132,142

Notable Eliminations:

Ville Wahlbeck
Josh Arieh
Barry Greenstein

Big Hands:

Zolotow Teaches The Professor The Art Of The Moustache

Steve Zolotow was all in for his last 22,000 and Howard Lederer was the man putting Zolotow at risk.

Zolotow: A8
Lederer: AK

Zolotow was dominated and needed a generous flop to stand a chance at doubling up. He got his wish as it came 765, giving Zolotow an open ended straight draw. The 4 on the turn made his straight and the 7 finished off the board. Zolotow doubled through Lederer and was at 50,000. Lederer was still doing fine at 230,000.

No Money For Wahlbeck This Time

Ville Wahlbeck was short stacked with 9,000 and shoved that in against Phil Tom. Wahlbeck had king-high but Tom held ace-high. The flop pair Tom’s ace and Wahlbeck never got any help and, in a rare occurrence, Wahlbeck will not cash in this $10,000 buy-in event.

Barry Greenstein Doubles Up, But Busts Later

Action folded around to Barry Greenstein in the small blind and he raised. Mark Teltscher was in the big blind and three-bet. Greenstein moved in and was called.

Greenstein: Q5
Teltscher: KJ

Greenstein was behind until the flop of A52 gave Greenstein a pair and the lead. The turn brought the 10, giving Teltscher outs to a straight. But the 3 was a brick for Teltscher and Greenstein doubled up to 45,000.

Later, Greenstein found his entire stack in the middle again and was holding pocket queens. Steve Kim looked him up holding pocket aces. The board ran out J96103 and Greenstein was eliminated.

Player Tags: Barry Greenstein,   Howard Lederer,   Steve Zolotow,   Ville Wahlbeck,   Mark Teltscher,   Philip Tom

Level 8 Update: Howard Lederer Triples Up

Jun 08, '09

Blinds: 600-1,200

Players Remaining: 133 out of 179

Chip Counts:

1. Chris Bjorin – 134,000
2. Scott Clements – 131,000
3. Phil Ivey – 88,000
4. Sam Farha – 76,000
5. Alex Kostritsyn – 74,000
6. Phil Hellmuth – 70,000
7. John Hennigan – 63,000
8. John Lester – 60,000
9. John Monnette – 60,000
10. Jeff Madsen – 58,000

Average Chip Count: 40,074

Notable Eliminations:

Gavin Smith
Greg Raymer

Big Hands:

Howard Lederer Triples Up

The professor was able to get the last of his short stack into the pot with A1029. Lederer was called by Ivey and another opponent. The board ran out A7376 and Lederer tripled up by scooping the main pot. Ivey and the other player split the side pot.

Jeff Madsen Scoops Against John D’Agostino

On board of 66Q74, Jeff Madsen made a river bet and was called by John D’Agostino. The birthday boy exposed the AKJ3 and D’Agostino mucked. Madsen scooped and is up to 70,000 in chips.

Mike Matusow Scoops Pot Vs. Daniel Negreanu

On a board of 63AA5, Mike Matusow bet and Negreanu went into the tank before saying that he didn’t see how he could fold. He eventually made the 4,800 chip call and Matusow exposed the 5A24 for aces full and a 2-4 low for the low. Matusow scooped the pot and is now up to about 40,000 in chips.

Left In The Deck:

The players have stopped action for the night and will resume at 2 p.m. tomorrow.

Player Tags: Daniel Negreanu,   John D'Agostino,   Howard Lederer,   Mike Matusow,   Jeff Madsen

Level 7 Update: John Hanson Eliminated

Jun 08, '09

Blinds: 500-1,000

Players Remaining: 160 out of 179

Chip Counts:

1. Scott Clements – 67,000
2. Sammy Farha – 53,000
3. Freddy Deeb – 53,000
4. Jason Lester – 52,000
5. Annie Duke – 50,000
6. John D’Agostino – 49,000
7. Phil Hellmuth – 49,000
8. David Benyamine – 49,000
9. John Hennigan – 48,000
10. Vitaly Lunkin – 43,000

Average Chip Count: 33,563

Notable Eliminations:

John Hanson
Jen Harman

Big Hands:

Howard Lederer Scoops A Pot

With the 73QA Howard Lederer scooped the pot against Pat Pezzin on a board of 8Q5J3. Lederer took the low and won the high with queens and threes. Lederer is now up to 22,000 after the hand.

John Hanson Eliminated

Chau Giang and the short stack John Hanson got it all-in pre-flop.

Their cards:

Giang: A3107

Hanson: K1058

The board ran out 4J233, giving Giang trip threes and a 7-4-3-2-A for a winning low. The 2007 HORSE third place finisher has been knocked out late in the evening on day one of Event No. 18.

Player Tags: Howard Lederer,   Jennifer Harman,   Pat Pezzin,   John Hanson

Level 5 Update: Seif Takes One From Dario

Jun 01, '09

Ante: 100
Low Card: 200
Completion: 500
Limits: 500-1,000

Players Remaining: 141 out of 142

Chip Counts:

1. Matt Glantz – 63,000
2. Toto Leonidas – 46,000
3. David Chiu – 44,000
4. David Bach – 39,000
5. Andy Bloch – 39,000
6. Frank Kassela – 39,000
7. Chris Amaral – 39,000
8. Marco Traniello – 38,000
9. Katja Thater – 37,000
10. Alexander Kravchenko – 37,000

Average Chip Count: 30,212

Big Hands:

Mark Seif vs. Dario Minieri

Minieri: X-X-7
Seif:X-X-10
Max Pescatori: X-X-K

Minieri completed to 500 and both Seif and Pescatori called.

Minieri: X-X-7K
Seif:X-X-10J
Max Pescatori: X-X-Kfold

Pescatori led out with 500 and Minieri called. Seif then raised to 1,000 and Pescatori mucked, but Minieri stuck around.

Minieri: X-X-7K9
Seif:X-X-10JA

The betting was on Seif and he fired 1,000. Minieri gathered his hand and threw it in the muck, leaving his stack around 34,000. With the pot, Seif improved to 13,000.

Jesus Pushes Out The Professor

Chris Ferguson: X-X-9K
Howard Lederer: X-X-69
Seat 7: X-X-98

Howard Lederer fired 1,000 into the pot and Ferguson called, along with seat 7.

Chris Ferguson: X-X-9KK
Howard Lederer: X-X-69-X
Seat 7: X-X-982

Ferguson paired his King and led out with 1,000. Lederer and seat 7 quickly got out of the way and Ferguson raked in the pot, his stack at 37,000. Lederer was not doing too bad himself with 46,000.

Levi vs. Traniello

David Levi: X-X-J
Marco Traniello: X-X-3

Levi completed to 500 and Traniello called.

David Levi: X-X-J4
Marco Traniello: X-X-34

Levi bet 500 and Traniello stuck around for 5th street.

David Levi: X-X-J46
Marco Traniello: X-X-34Q

Traniello checked and Levi fired 1,000. Traniello made the call.

David Levi: X-X-J4610
Marco Traniello: X-X-34QK

Levi fired another 1,000 into the pot with four diamonds showing and one card to go. Traniello had enough and mucked his hand. His stack was at 41,000 while Levi was up to 27,000.

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Chris Ferguson,   David Levi,   Max Pescatori,   Howard Lederer,   Marco Traniello,   Dario Minieri