David Benyamine Poker Tournament Updates

Level 25: Rodawig Leads Final Four; Benyamine 5th, Savinov 6th

Jun 21, '11

Ante: 10,000
Low Card: 20,000
Completion: 50,000
Limits: 50,000-100,000

Players Remaining: 4 out of 168

Average Chip Count: 1,260,000

Chip Counts:

1. Eric Rodawig – 2,250,000
2. Phil Hellmuth – 1,400,000
3. Ted Forrest – 850,000
4. John Racener – 500,000

Eliminations:

5th. David Benyamine – $96,836
6th. Mikhail Savinov – $77,222

Mikhail Savinov Eliminated in 6th Place ($77,222)

David Benyamine brought in the 3, Mikhail Savinov completed the bet with the 6 and Benyamine called.

Savinov: 7 7 6 4 3 6 10
Benyamine: A Q 3 A 9 5 Q

Benyamine was ahead on fifth street with a pair of aces when the money went in. Savinov double-paired sixes to take the lead on sixth street but Benyamine rivered a better two pair and Mikhail Savinov was eliminated in 6th place ($77,222).

David Benyamine Eliminated in 5th Place ($96,836)

Ted Forrest brought it it with the 4, David Benyamine called with the 10, Hellmuth completed the bet, Forrest folded and Benyamine called the raise.

Benyamine: 10 6 J K
Hellmuth: A 9 K 7

Benyamine was all in on seventh street and Hellmuth turned over A 8 8 for two pair (aces and eights). Benyamine threw his hand away and Phil Hellmuth raked the pot. David Benyamine was eliminated in 5th place ($96,836).

Be sure to check back hourly for level-by-level updates of this final table.

Player Tags: Ted Forrest,   David Benyamine,   Mikhail Savinov

Level 23: Lellouche 9th; Final Table Now Underway

Jun 20, '11

NOTE: Play resumed today at 3:00pm with 18 players, and with the elimination of Anthony Lellouche in 9th place ($43,317), the official eight-handed final table is now underway.

Ante: 7,000
Low Card: 10,000
Completion: 30,000
Limits: 30,000-60,000

Players Remaining: 8 out of 168

Average Chip Count: 630,000

Chip Counts:

1. Eric Rodawig – 1,855,000
2. David benyamine – 918,000
3. Ted Forrest – 794,000
4. Phil Hellmuth – 444,000
5. Joe Tehan – 422,0000
6. John Racener – 333,000
7. Mikhail Savinov – 203,000
8. Ali Eslasmi – 63,000

Payouts:

1st. $442,183
2nd. $272,233
3rd. $171,12
4th. $123,904
5th. $96,836
6th. $77,222
7th. $62,710
8th. $51,750

Be sure to check back hourly for level-by-level updates of this final table.

Player Tags: Ted Forrest,   David Benyamine,   Phil Hellmuth,   Ali Eslami,   Joe Tehan,   John Racener,   Eric Rodawig,   Mikhail Savinov

Andrew Robl Defeats David Benyamine

Mar 06, '11

David Benyamine was slightly behind in his match with Andrew Robl when he moved all in holding A6.

Robl woke up with A10 and it held on a board of K9448

Player Tags: David Benyamine,   Andrew Robl

David Benyamine Defeats Michael Mizrachi

Mar 05, '11

Michael Mizrachi was short and all in holding 86, but was in bad shape against David Benyamine’s AJ.

The board rolled out with a jack and Mizrachi was eliminated. Benyamine will now face Andrew Robl in the Elite Eight.

Player Tags: David Benyamine,   Michael Mizrachi

David Benyamine Defeats Tom Dwan

Mar 05, '11

Tom Dwan was short stacked and pushed with K7, but David Benyamine made the call with AJ.

The board failed to hit either player and Dwan is now out. Benyamine will now face Phil Laak or Michael Mizrachi in the Sweet 16.

Player Tags: David Benyamine,   Tom Dwan

David Benyamine Defeats Phil Hellmuth

Mar 04, '11

Phil Hellmuth had David Benyamine covered holding 86 against A7.

The board fell A10610A and Benyamine doubled up taking the lead.

A few hands later, Hellmuth was all in holding pocket deuces against Benaymine’s A4. The board ran out A5494 and Benyamine moves on to face the winner between Don Cheadle and Tom Dwan.

Player Tags: David Benyamine,   Phil Hellmuth

Andrew Robl Defeats David Benyamine

Mar 06, '11

David Benyamine was slightly behind in his match with Andrew Robl when he moved all in holding A6.

Robl woke up with A10 and it held on a board of K9448

Player Tags: David Benyamine,   Andrew Robl

David Benyamine Defeats Michael Mizrachi

Mar 05, '11

Michael Mizrachi was short and all in holding 86, but was in bad shape against David Benyamine’s AJ.

The board rolled out with a jack and Mizrachi was eliminated. Benyamine will now face Andrew Robl in the Elite Eight.

Player Tags: David Benyamine,   Michael Mizrachi

David Benyamine Defeats Tom Dwan

Mar 05, '11

Tom Dwan was short stacked and pushed with K7, but David Benyamine made the call with AJ.

The board failed to hit either player and Dwan is now out. Benyamine will now face Phil Laak or Michael Mizrachi in the Sweet 16.

Player Tags: David Benyamine,   Tom Dwan

David Benyamine Defeats Phil Hellmuth

Mar 04, '11

Phil Hellmuth had David Benyamine covered holding 86 against A7.

The board fell A10610A and Benyamine doubled up taking the lead.

A few hands later, Hellmuth was all in holding pocket deuces against Benaymine’s A4. The board ran out A5494 and Benyamine moves on to face the winner between Don Cheadle and Tom Dwan.

Player Tags: David Benyamine,   Phil Hellmuth

Andrew Robl Defeats David Benyamine

Mar 06, '11

David Benyamine was slightly behind in his match with Andrew Robl when he moved all in holding A6.

Robl woke up with A10 and it held on a board of K9448

Player Tags: David Benyamine,   Andrew Robl

David Benyamine Defeats Michael Mizrachi

Mar 05, '11

Michael Mizrachi was short and all in holding 86, but was in bad shape against David Benyamine’s AJ.

The board rolled out with a jack and Mizrachi was eliminated. Benyamine will now face Andrew Robl in the Elite Eight.

Player Tags: David Benyamine,   Michael Mizrachi

David Benyamine Defeats Tom Dwan

Mar 05, '11

Tom Dwan was short stacked and pushed with K7, but David Benyamine made the call with AJ.

The board failed to hit either player and Dwan is now out. Benyamine will now face Phil Laak or Michael Mizrachi in the Sweet 16.

Player Tags: David Benyamine,   Tom Dwan

David Benyamine Defeats Phil Hellmuth

Mar 04, '11

Phil Hellmuth had David Benyamine covered holding 86 against A7.

The board fell A10610A and Benyamine doubled up taking the lead.

A few hands later, Hellmuth was all in holding pocket deuces against Benaymine’s A4. The board ran out A5494 and Benyamine moves on to face the winner between Don Cheadle and Tom Dwan.

Player Tags: David Benyamine,   Phil Hellmuth

David Benyamine Eliminated in Third Place ($1,000,000)

Jan 27, '11

Sam Tricket moved all in with the board showing A 10 8 A and David Benyamine made the call. Their cards:

Trickett: A 4
Benyamine: A 6

River: 4!

Trickett hit the 4 on the river to come from behind and win the hand. Benyamine was eliminated in third place and he will take home $1 million AUD.

Player Tags: David Benyamine,   Sam Trickett

Andrew Feldman Eliminated

Jan 27, '11

Andrew Feldman was on the hi-jack and he moved all in preflop. David Benyamine made the call from the big blind and they turned over their cards:

Feldman: 9 9
Benyamine: K K

Board: 7 6 6 5 5

Feldman was eliminated on the hand and play continued six handed.

Player Tags: David Benyamine,   Andrew Feldman

David Benyamine Doubles Up

Jan 26, '11

David Benyamine got the last of his chips into the middle preflop from the small blind, and Chris Ferguson made the call from the cutoff. Their cards:

Ferguson: K Q
Benyamine: 3 3

Board: 6 5 4 3 J

Benyamine doubled up on the hand to survive with 550,000.

Player Tags: Chris Ferguson,   David Benyamine

David Benyamine Eliminated

Jan 23, '11

David Benyamine moved all in with the board showing 9 7 5 Q after his opponent put out a bet in front of him on the river. His opponent made the call and flipped over Q J. Benyamine revealed the Q 2 and the 4 fell on the river. Benyamine said, “Good luck to everyone,” and then exited the tournament area.

Player Tags: David Benyamine

Benyamine and Feldman Tangle Again

Jan 23, '11

Andrew Feldman raised to 1,825 preflop and David Benyamine reraised to 3,200. Feldman made the call after spending some time in the tank. As the cards hit the table 10 10 4 2 4 the two players built up the pot with a series of bets and raises.

On the river Benyamine raised 2,000 and Feldman went into the tank for a while. He eventually mucked and Benyamine flashed the 10. Mike Matusow, who came over to sweat the hand as it played into the break to sweat Benyamine laughed and said, “He flopped quads,” in reference to Benyamine’s other card.

Benyamine climbed back past a starting stack after the hand while Feldman fell below 10,000.

Player Tags: David Benyamine,   Andrew Feldman

Feldman Doubles Up Through Benyamine

Jan 23, '11

Andrew Feldman bet 525 from the cutoff and David Benyamine made the call from the button with a flop that read Q 6 4 on the table. The 3 fell on the turn and Feldman bet 825.

Benyamine made the call again and the 9 fell on the river. Feldman moved all in for 5,300 and Benyamine made the call. Feldman flipped over J 4 and Benyamine revealed 6 6. Feldman doubled up to 17,500.

Player Tags: David Benyamine,   Andrew Feldman

David Benyamine Eliminated in Sixth Place ($150,000)

Jan 22, '11

David Benyamine made an all-in call preflop against Sam Trickett after a series of bets and raises. Their cards:

Benyamine: A J
Trickett: A Q

Board: Q 7 2 5 8

Benyamine was eliminated in sixth place and he will take home $150,000 in prize money. Trickett recovered from his setback against Bloom and he now holds 1.3 million.

Player Tags: David Benyamine,   Sam Trickett

High Roller Update

Oct 02, '10

Sam Trickett has been doing very well in the high roller. He recently busted William Reynolds and is now on 110,000 in chips.

David Benyamine is another player doing well. His pocket nines hit a set on a 9 7 2 flop, and all the chips went in the middle. He was up against Nikolay Evdakov’s pocket queens but the turn and river were blanks and Benyamine’s set increased his stack to a little over 100,000.

Lex Veldhuis doubled up through fellow Team Pro player Vanessa Selbst with pocket tens versus Selbst’s pocket fours respectively. Veldhuis now has just over 30,000 while Selbst is on 40,000.

Player Tags: David Benyamine,   Vanessa Selbst,   Lex Veldhuis,   Sam Trickett

Level 5 Update: Viktor Blom Takes the Lead

Sep 24, '10

Blinds: 200-400 with a 50 ante

Players Remaining: 153 out of 210 (unofficial)

Chip Counts:

1. Viktor Bloom — 132,000
2. Antonio Esfandiari — 130,000
3. Yann Dion — 110,000
4. Phil Laak — 103,000
5. James Mitchell — 100,000
6. Sam Trickett — 97,000
7. JP Kelly — 96,000
8. Carlos Mortensen — 93,000
9. Brian Powell — 90,000
10. John Dolan — 85,000

Card Player Family Chip Counts:

Barry Shulman — 90,000
Allyn Jaffrey Shulman — 21,000

Average Chip Count: 40,127

Notable Eliminations:

David Ulliot
Benjamin Spindler
Willie Tann
Sandra Naujoks
Andrew Feldman
David Benyamine

Big Hands:

Viktor Bloom Jumps into the Lead

Viktor Blom has climbed the leader board during the last level of play and he now paces the field with 132,000. Blom reached such lofty heights in a hand where the board read K 8 7 9. David Weisberger bet 3,000 on the turn and Blom raised to 10,000. Weisberger made the call and the river fell Q. Weisberger checked and Blom fired a 40,000 mortar into the 25,000 pot. Weisberger would have to risk his tournament life to make the call and so he decided to fold.

David Benyamine Eliminated

David Benyamine moved all in preflop and J.C. Tran and one other player made the call. The flop fell K 8 3 and Tran bet 4,200. The other live player made the call and the turn fell 8. The two live players checked and the river brought the 4. Both live players checked again and Benyamine flipped over pocket sixes. The live opponent of Tran revealed K J and induced J.C. to muck his hand. Benyamine was eliminated on the hand after charging out of the gates as one of the chip leaders early in the afternoon here.

No Joke — Sandra Naujoks Eliminated

Sandra Naujoks moved all in for her final 6,850 and Adam Levy decided to face of against her. Their cards:

Naujoks: A J
Levy: Q Q

Board: Q 7 5 5

Naujoks was drawing dead after the turn brought no help and she promptly exited the tournament area.

Tony Cousineau Doubles Up

Tony Cousineau moved all in for 20,000 with a board of Q 7 3 6 sitting on the table and Ludovic Lacay made the call. Cousineau turned over A Q and Lacay held pocket eights. The turn and river blanked out and Cousineau held 65,000 after the hand.

Anton Wigg Doubles Up

Anton Wigg raised to 900 preflop from early position and Eli Elezra made the call from the cutoff. The big blind jumped into the fray as well and the flop fell K 8 6. The big blind checked, Wigg bet 1,700, and Elezra raised to 7,225. The big blind mucked and Wigg reraised all in for a little extra on top. Elezra made the call and they flipped over their cards:

Wigg: 10 6
Elezra: K J

Turn and River: 3 and 8

Wigg doubled up on the hand and Elezra took the minor hit in stride.

Player Tags: Tony Cousineau,   J.C. Tran,   David Benyamine,   Eli Elezra,   David Weisberger,   Adam Levy,   Sandra Naujoks,   Anton Wigg,   Viktor Blom

Level 4 Update: Into the Dinner Break

Sep 24, '10

NOTE: The players are now on a 90-minute dinner break. Play will resume at 8:40 p.m. local time (12:40 p.m. PST).

Blinds: 150-300 with a 25 ante

Players Remaining: 162 out of 210 (unofficial)

Chip Counts:

1. Sam Trickett — 97,000
2. Phil Laak — 95,000
3. JP Kelly — 95,000
4. Barry Shulman — 85,000
5. Ludovic Lacay — 82,000
6. Marc Inizan — 80,000
7. Andrew Pantling — 80,000
8. James Mitchell — 75,000
9. Matt Stout — 70,000
10. Markus Golser — 68,000

Card Player Family Chip Counts:

Barry Shulman — 85,000
Allyn Jaffrey Shulman — 25,000

Average Chip Count: 36,800

Notable Eliminations:

Brandon Adams
David Steicke
Men Nguyen
Chino Rheem
Max Pescatori
Bernard Lee
James Akenhead
William Thorson

Big Hands:

Melanie’s More The “Weisner”

With around 14,000 in the pot and a board of 10-9-2-6-6 showing havoc broke loose between Melanie Weisner and David Benyamine. Benyamine had bet 7,500 on the river and Weisner raised to 16,500. She thought Benyamine had called and so flipped over 10-8, but in fact he had shoved and now turning red in frustration she said, “You put your stack in and didn’t say anything!” “I did say something,” said Benyamine. “I said I’m all in.” “I didn’t hear him say that,” Weisner appealed to the tournament director.

The TD said the hand was still alive and she could call his all in or fold. She called and Benyamine quickly showed 6-6. “Are you serious?” asked Weisner. Benyamine has 45,000 while Weizner slips to 15,000.

Shortly after this however, a set increased her stack to 27,000.

Confusion then broke out elsewhere between Noel Furlong and Dan Shak ⎯ another mix up about going all in or just calling. Shak won the fight and took a nice big pot down.

It could just be hunger frustration before dinner, but a break is well needed at this stage of the evening.

Shulman Knocks One Out

The player under the gun +1 bets 750 and another in middle position calls. Dan Fleyshman calls from the button, as does the small blind, and Barry Shulman on the big blind. The flop comes Q 5 4 and it is checked to the player in mid-position who bets 2,200. Fleyshman steps out of the way, as does the small blind, but Shulman calls, and so does under the gun +1. The turn is the 9 and it is again checked to the mid-position player. He bets 5,500 and Shulman makes it 16,000. Under the gun +1 folds and mid-position moves all in for around 14,000. Shulman snap-calls and shows 5-4, while his opponent flips over A Q. The river is a king and the player’s stack increases Shulman’s chip count to 85,000. Gus Hansen who is happily playing Angry Birds on his iPad beside Shulman, turns to his neighbour and says, “You’re a force to be reckoned with.”

One For Gus

Andy Frankenberger bets 625 from late position and the player to his left, Dan Fleyshman, calls. Shulman calls from the button and Gus Hansen on the small blind makes it 2,275. Frankenberger folds and Fleyshman calls. Shulman asks Hansen how much he has left. It’s about 19,000 and so Shulman folds. The flop comes K 7 6 and it’s between Hansen and Fleyshman. Hansen makes his move all in and Fleyshman insta-folds. Fleyshman has 14,000 while Hansen has just over 24,000 in chips.

Player Tags: Gus Hansen,   David Benyamine,   Barry Shulman,   Dan Fleyshman

Level 27 Hour Two Update: LeFrancois Streaking Up the Chip Counts, Brikis and Jetten Hit the Rail

Jul 16, '10

Blinds: 30,000-60,000 with a 10,000 ante

Players Remaining: 51 out of 7,319

Average Chip Count: 4,142,830

Card Player Chip Counts:

Tony Dunst – 1,440,000

Tournament Leaderboard:

1. William Thorson – 10,610,000
2. Filippo Candio – 10,250,000
3. John Racener – 10,100,000
4. Theo Jorgensen – 9,100,000
5. Pascal LeFrancois – 8,800,000
6. Patrick Eskandar – 8,800,000
7. Joseph Cheong – 8,495,000
8. Gabe Costner – 8,285,000
9. Matt Affleck – 7,800,000
10. Bryn Kenney – 7,785,000

Notable Eliminations:

56. Jared Ingles – $138,285
55. Josh Brikis – $138,285
54. Peter Jetten – $168,556
53. Christopher Bolt – $168,556
52. Alexander Kostritsyn – $168,556

Player Twitter Accounts

Josh Brikis
Michael Mizrachi

Big Hands:

Lodden Makes a Good Laydown

Patrick Eskandar raised from middle position to 135,000. Michiel Sijpkens called, Johnny Lodden called from the button, and Matthew Berkey came along from the big blind.

The flop was 932 and Eskandar bet 200,000 after a check from Berkey. Sijpkens folded and Lodden raised to 590,000. Berkey folded and Eskandar moved all-in and had Lodden covered. Lodden let his hand go and kept his 2,950,000. He made a good decision since Eskandar showed the 99, giving him top set.

David Benyamine Eliminated

At the end of the last hour, David Benyamine was eliminated. He raised from the button and got into a preflop raising war with Pascal LeFrancois until all the money got into the middle.

Benyamine was at risk for his last 1,400,000 with the Q10 and LeFrancois held the AJ. The dealer dealt out the 3109 flop and Benyamine would need runners. The 9 on the turn left Benyamine drawing dead and he finished in 58th place.

LeFrancois Streaking

Jonathan Driscoll opened on the button to 145,000 and was met with a three-bet to 455,000 from Pascal LeFrancois from the small blind. After a fold from the big blind, Driscoll made it 1,025,000 to go and LeFrancois moved all-in for 4,725,000. Driscoll made the call.

LeFrancois tabled QQ and Driscoll showed JJ. The dealer dealt out the board of 8A3510 and Driscoll slipped to 1,700,000 and LeFrancois moved to 9,300,000 which puts him near the top of the chip counts.

Brikis Crippled, Eliminated

Action folded to Christopher Bolt on the button and he moved all-in for 785,000 and Josh Brikis made the call from the big blind. Brikis tabled Kd10s and was slightly behind the AJ of Bolt.

The board ran out A84Q9 and Brikis was down to just 45,000 in chips. He doubled up the next hand is up to 160,000 but was eliminated shortly thereafter.

Thorson Climbing

John Racener raised to 140,000 under-the-gun and William Thorson made the call, as well as Michael Mizrachi and Duy Le from the blinds.

Mizrachi led out for 300,000 on a flop of K109. Le made the call and Racener folded before Thorson raised to 975,000. Mizrachi folded after two minutes in the tank and Le made the call.

The 2 peeled off on the turn and Le checked over to Thorson who bet 2,000,000. Le was in a tough spot and thought for a few minutes before folding AQ face-up on the table.

Thorson showed his 1010, giving him a set of tens to move to 9,500,000 in chips.

Costner Pressures Kostritsyn

Joseph Cheong raised in early position to 140,000 and Alexander Kostritsyn called in middle position before Gabe Costner called from the big blind.

The flop came 967 and Costner checked over to Cheong, who bet 240,000. Kostritsyn and Costner made the call and the 10 came on the turn.

Costner and Cheong both checked to Kostritsyn, who bet 825,000. Costner then put in a check-raise to 1,800,000. Cheong folded and Kostritsyn went into the tank for a while before eventually deciding to let it go and keep his 3,900,000 for another hand. Costner cracked the 10 million chip mark with the pot.

Jetten Crippled and Eliminated

It was a battle of the blinds and Peter Jetten somehow found all of his chips in the middle with the 95 against Dag Palovic, who had AQ. Palovic was actually all-in for 1,030,000, with Jetten covering him by 15,000.

The flop was JQQ and after the 4 fell on the turn, Jetten was drawing dead. He was eliminated on the next hand, but another player went out before him, earning an extra $30,000.

Thorson Forces Grinder to Fold

Tony Dunst raised to 130,000 and was three-bet by William Thorson to 415,000. Michael Mizrachi made it 915,000 which got a quick fold from Dunst. Thorson quickly grabbed a stack of 100,000 denomination chips and slid them out into the middle and announced he was all-in.

Mizrachi went deep into the tank for quite a while. Thorson eventually called the clock on Mizrachi. Mizrachi eventually elected to fold, but Thorson said he could pick a card to see. After Mizrachi picked one, Thorson revealed the Q and raked in a pot that would send him to 10,600,000 in chips.

Affleck Wins One

After a limp from William Thorson and Michael Mizrachi, Matt Affleck raised to 230,000. Thorson made the call and Mizrachi folded.

It was checked to the river as the board came out J910108 and Thorson fired 210,000. Affleck made it 775,000 and after a while, Thorson let his hand go. Affleck chipped up to 7,800,000 after stacking his newly found chips.

Bolt Eliminated

Christopher Bolt got all his money in the middle preflop against Benjamin Statz. Statz held the Q10 and Bolt tabled the AK

The fop came 762, seemingly pretty harmless for Bolt. The 4 on the turn gave Statz a flush draw, however, which got there on the river with the 7 and Bolt was eliminated.

Kostritsyn Eliminated

On the last hand before the break, Bryn Kenney raised to 160,000 under-the-gun and Alexander Kostritsyn three-bet to 575,000 on the button. Kenney moved all-in and Kostritsyn quickly made the call.

Kenney was in a world of hurt when he tabled his AQ and was up against Kostritsyn’s KK.

The flop brought some real drama as it came J73, giving Kenney a flush draw along with an overcard. The turn was a brick as the dealer dealt the 3, but the 5 completed Kenney’s flush.

After a count down of the chips, Kostritsyn was covered by Kenney and Kostritsyn was gone in 52nd place.

Player Tags: David Benyamine,   Peter Jetten,   Johnny Lodden,   Alexander Kostritsyn,   Josh Brikis,   Pascal LeFrancois

Level 22, Hour One: Robert Mizrachi Doubles Up, Johnny Chan Eliminated

Jul 15, '10

Blinds: 10,000-20,000 with a 3,000 ante

Players Remaining: 154 out of 7,319

Average Chip Count: 1,425,779

Card Player Chip Counts:

Andrew Brokos – 1,265,000
Tony Dunst – 915,000
Josh Brikis – 2,800,000

Tournament Leaderboard:

1. Robert Pisano – 5,600,000
2. John Racener – 4,500,000
3. Damien Luis – 4,450,000
4. Michael Mizrachi – 3,900,000
5. Joseph Cheong – 3,830,000
6. Theo Jorgensen – 3,800,000
7. Michael Skender – 3,300,000
8. Matt Affleck – 3,120,000
9. Sebastian Panny – 3,100,000
10. Fokke Beukers – 3,050,000

Notable Eliminations:

156. Johnny Chan — $57,102
181. Jameson Singer — $47,847
183. Dragan Galic — $47,847

Player Twitter Accounts

Jean-Robert Bellande
Tristan Wade
Josh Brikis
Christian Harder
Michael Mizrachi

Big Hands:

Robert Betters Robert

Robert Mizrachi moved all in for 239,000 from the big blind and he was called by Robert Pisando from the small blind. Here were their cards.

Mizrachi: AQ
Pisano: A3

Mizrachi was dominating and the flop left him freerolling when it fell KJ10, giving Mizrachi Broadway. Pisano could only tie but the board finished off K and 3 and Mizrachi doubled to about 500,000. Pisano was at 4.05 million.

Chamberlain Surrenders The Double

Daniel Chamberlain raised to 44,000 from the cutoff and Gabriel Nassif moved in for 456,000 from the button. Chamberlain looked him up and the cards were turned over.

Chamberlain: A9
Nassif: AQ

Chamberlain was dominated and needed some help with a nine or some spades. The flop board ran out with all black cards, but they were the wrong suit for Chamberlain as it ran Q1044K. Nassif scored the double up and he was up to 969,000.

Kostritsyn Drops A Pot

Picking up the action after the board had run out 752KJ, Alexander Kostritsyn fired 325,000 into a pot of about 470,000.

Mozheng Guan made the call and turned over 76 for top pair on the flop. It was good as Kostritsyn mucked and Guan took the pot.

Guan was up to 1.4 million while Kostritsyn slipped to 2.4 million.

Bracy Gets Jacked Up

Tony Bracy moved all in for 97,000 preflop and Redmond Lee decided to raise to 200,000. The isolation play worked as everyone else mucked and the hands were turned over.

Bracy: 66
Lee: JJ

Lee was dominating and the flop fell QJ8, giving Lee a set. Bracy needed some runners to a flush or quads but the K on the turn left him drawing dead. The river was the 4 and Lee scored the knockout. He was up to 1.33 million.

Lodden Breaches Two Million

Johnny Lodden raised to 50,000 from late position and Denis Pisarev made the call from the button. The flop fell A102 and Lodden checked.

Pisarev fired 65,000 and Lodden made the call. The turn was the 2 and both players checked. The river was the 7 and Lodden led out with 205,000. Pisarev made a quick call but Lodden turned over A7 for two pair and Pisarev mucked.

Lodden took down a nice pot and he was at 2 million in chips.

Affleck And Harder Tangle

Matt Affleck raised to 48,000 from the cutoff and Christian Harder made the call from the button next door. The two saw a flop of 985 and Affleck led for 65,000.

Harder made the call and the turn was the A. Affleck fired another 115,000 into the pot and it was enough to take it down as Harder mucked.

Affleck took the pot and he was at 3.1 million. Harder slipped to 1.11 million.

Singer Blasted Away

Jameson Singer moved all in for 150,000 preflop and Derek Gibb decided to look him up. Here were their cards:

Singer: 75
Gibb: AK

Singer had two live cards but they were as good as dead when the flop fell AA4. Singer needed running cards but his running shoes were shot off his feet when the A on the turn gave Gibb quads and left Singer drawing dead.

The meaningless river was the 4 and Singer was eliminated.

Jorgensen With The Knockout

Diogo Borges was all in for 520,000 preflop against Theo Jorgensen preflop. Here were their cards.

Jorgensen: AQ
Borges: KQ

Borges was dominated and the board ran out AK7QQ10, giving both players two pair but Jorgensen the better end of it. Borges was out and Jorgensen was at 3.8 million.

Kenney Doing The Killing Around Here

Picking up the action on the flop, the board read Q105 and there was about 500,000 already in the pot.

Paulo Figueiredo moved all in for 498,000 and Bryn Kenney made the call to put him at risk.

Kenney: KQ
Figueiredo: AA

Kenney flopped top pair but was up against the pocket aces of his opponent. But the turn was the Q, giving Kenney trips and leaving Figueiredo one step closer to the door. The river was the 7 and Kenney scored the improbable knockout. He was up to 3.38 million.

Binette Goes Boom

Francois Binette and Michal Wywrot each put in three-bets before they saw a J102 flop.

Wywrot fired 162,000 and Binette shoved for 750,000. Wywrot made the call and he turned over AA. Binette was drawing to a straight with KQ.

But the turn was the Q and the river was the J, giving Binette little help and he was out. Wywrot was up to 1.7 million.

Tran Takes A Pot, But Takes Penalty For It

Jonathan Driscoll raised it up to 44,000 from the hijack and Theo Tran made the call from the big blind. He then turned over his A-5, thinking he was all in.

The floor was called and Tran’s hand was ruled live. The flop then came down A54 and Driscoll mucked immediately. Tran took the pot and was at 170,000.

However, since Tran exposed his hand, he was given a one-round penalty.

Siegel Eliminated

Jordan Siegel moved all in for 268,000 and he was looked up by Jared Ingles in the hijack. Siegel turned over A9 but was trailing Ingles’ QQ.

The board ran out K53103 and Siegel was eliminated.

David Benyamine Doubles Up

Evan Lamprea raised from the cutoff and David Benyamine put in another raise from the button. Lamprea moved enough chips into the middle to put Benyamine all in and he made the call.

Benyamine: KK
Lamprea: J7

Benyamine was dominating and the flop fell Q94, giving Benyamine four to a flush. It also took away a few of Lamprea’s outs and he was left drawing dead when the 9 came on the turn.

The river was the Q and Benyamine doubled to 800,000 while Lamprea slipped to 2.58 million.

Levy Drops A Pot

Gualter Salles raised to 50,000 preflop and Adam Levy made it 142,000 to go from the small blind. Salles called and the flop fell A53.

Salles fired 100,000 and Levy made the call. The turn was the 10 and Salles bet 300,000. Levy released his hand and dropped to 945,000.

Johnny Chan Eliminated

Johnny Chan and pocket aces did not get along today. He lost a huge pot when he ran his kings into Robert Pisano’s aces during the first level and had a similar situation when he busted out.

Chan open-shoved for 550,000 from the cutoff and Jonathan Driscoll snapped him off from the button. The blinds folded and the cards were turned over.

Chan: JJ
Driscoll: AA

Chan fell victim to the aces again and the board ran out 76357 and Chan was eliminated.

Grinder Making The Charge

Duy Le raised to 40,000 preflop and Getty Mattingsley popped it to 105,000. Mizrachi made the call from the small blind and Le also tagged along.

The flop fell 1084 and everyone checked. The turn was the K and Mattingsley fired 176,000. Both opponents called and the river was the 5.

Le bet 500,000 this time and Mattigsley fled. Mizrachi decided to look him up after a session in the tank and Le tabled J9 for a whole lot of nothing. Mizrachi showed 77 for just sevens, but it was good for the pot and he was at 3.9 million.

Player Tags: Robert Mizrachi,   David Benyamine,   Michael Mizrachi,   Johnny Chan,   Jordan Siegel,   Gabriel Nassif,   Theo Tran,   Duy Le,   Johnny Lodden,   Bryn Kenney,   Adam Levy,   Alexander Kostritsyn,   Robert Pisano,   Mozheng Guan,   Daniel Chamberlain

Level 11, Hour One Update: Rousso Loses Big Pot, Batista Busts

Jul 12, '10

Blinds: 800-1,600 with a 200 ante

Players Remaining: 1,854 out of 7,319

Average Chip Count: 118,430

Card Player Chip Counts

Barry Shulman – 298,000
Allyn Jaffrey Shulman – 26,000
Stephen A. Murphy – 30,000
Daniel Negreanu – 34,000
Mark Gregorich – 135,000
Adam Schoenfeld — 85,000
Jon Freidberg — 190,000

Tournament Leaderboard:

1. Johnny Chan – 580,000
2. Jim Collopy – 520,00
3. Kevin Gates – 475,000
4. Nicholas Rainey – 440,000
5. Mikhail Shamalov – 440,000
6. Frank Kassela – 430,000
7. David Assouline – 420,000
8. Joshua Appleby – 408,000
9. Nikolay Losev – 406,000
10. Carter Phillips – 385,000

Notable Eliminations:

Chad Batista
David Williams

Big Hands:

Batista Gets Doubled Through

A player moved all in for 55,300 preflop and Chad Batista made the call. Here were their hands:

Batista: A8
Opponent: 1010

Batista was trailing and the flop made things worse, coming down 1095. His opponent flopped a set and the board finished off 3 and K.

Batista dropped the pot and he was down to 21,000. He would bust later in the level.

Batista Busts

Chad Batista found a way to get his chips in the middle prefop was J2 and was up against the 99 of his opponent.

The flop was 47Q and Batista was still left just looking for a jack. The 10 on the turn and the A on the river were no help to Batista and he was eliminated from the event.

Antonius Drops Further

A player put in a raise preflop and Patrik Antonius decided to come along. The flop then came down A42.

He checked and his opponent fired 9,000. Antonius quickly mucked and he was down to 85,000.

Rousso Drops Big Pot

Picking up the action with the board reading KJ22, there was 40,000 in the pot and Vanessa Rousso checked.

Her opponent checked behind and the river was the J and her opponent moved all in for 40,400.

Rousso then took a massive tank session. She stared her opponent down and then stared at the pot.

“What do you think I have?” she asked him. “I think you might be bluffing me.”

Eventually, she pleaded with someone to call the clock on her and then, when no one did, she called it on herself.

The floor came over and when she had 30 seconds left, she pushed in a giant stack for the call. She then lost control of the stack as it tumbled in when she saw her opponent table J10.

Rousso mucked and she was down to 26,000.

Johnny Chan Doubles Up a Player

Johnny Chan had the pocket jacks versus a player’s A-K with all the money going in preflop. The pot stood at 120,000. The board ran out K-4-4-A-2 and Chan dipped to around 400,000.

Basebaldy Crushing It

On a flop of 1063, a player in the blinds led out with a bet and Eric Baldwin raised to 15,300. Baldwin’s opponent then moved back over the top for 27,500 total.

Baldwin sat for a second contemplating his next move before moving all-in. His opponent folded and Baldwin gave a wry smile and showed the 2.

Somerville Mucks Against Queens

Jason Somerville raised to 4,000 from middle position and the big blind called.

The fop was 987. The player in the big blind checked and called a bet of 5,700 from Somerville. The turn brought the K both players checked. The river brought the 5 and the big blind checked and called a bet of 10,000.

The big blind showed pocket queens and Somerville mucked his hand. Somerville slipped to 375,000 in chips with the mistep.

Pavilion Room Coverage

Seven-Bet All In Gives Jim Collopy 520K

There was massive preflop action between Jim Collopy and a player in the big blind. Jim Collopy opened to 4,000. The player in the big blind made it 12,700. Collopy made it 29,000. The big blind made it 60,000. Collopy made it 109,000. His opponent shoved all in and Collopy called for his tournament life. About 520,000 was in the pot when Collopy exposed the KK and his opponent tabled the A3. The ace in the door was scary for Collopy but the flop also brought a king. The board read AKQA when the board paired on the turn. Collopy’s opponent had outs to win but none of the came when the 10 fell on the river. Collopy was at 520,000 after the hand.

Brandon Cantu Moves All In

On a board of A644 a player checked to Brandon Cantu. Cantu bet 10,500 and his opponent raised 11,000 more, leaving himself with just 27,000 behind. Cantu moved all in and his opponent folded. Cantu was at around 200,000 after the hand.

David Benyamine Wins a Pot

On a board of J7639 action was checked to David Benyamine. Benyamine bet 36,800 and his opponent tanked before eventually calling. Benyamine exposed the 54 for a straight and was up to 260,000 after the hand.

Twitter Accounts

Barry Shulman
Bernard Lee
Daniel Negreanu
Eric Froehlich
Bill Chen
Scotty Nguyen
Jennifer Leigh
Nick Maimone
Dennis Phillips
Bryan Devonshire
Annie Duke
Tristan Wade
Dave Sands
Brandon Cantu
Jon Turner
Amit Makhija
Bryan Micon

Player Tags: David Benyamine,   Johnny Chan,   Patrik Antonius,   Vanessa Rousso,   Brandon Cantu,   Chad Batista

Level Three, Hour One: Mizzi Doubles

Jul 08, '10

The Numbers Are In

The tournament director has just made the announcement everyone has been waiting for. There are officially 7,319 players who registered in this year’s main event, creating a prize pool of $68,798,600. That’s nearly 1,000 more players than last year’s 6,494.
There will be 747 players who make the money (at least $19,260) and whoever is skilled enough, and definitely lucky enough, to take down the grand prize will receive $8,944,138.

Blinds: 150-300

Notable Chip Counts:

1. Khamsy Nuanmanee – 132,000
2. Steve Billirakis – 92,000
3. Dan Heimiller – 87,000
4. Alex Aram – 77,000
5. Jason Mercier – 73,000
6. David Benyamine – 72,800
7. Anh Van Nguyen – 71,400
8. Brent Baldrey – 69,000
9. Corey Emery – 64,500
10. Bill Chen – 64,000

Card Player Family Chip Counts

Jeff Shulman — 8,900
Steve Zolotow — 28,500

Notable Eliminations:

None

Big Hands:

Sorel Mizzi Doubles Up

Sorel Mizzi moved all in preflop for 10,450 and the player in seat 4 made the call. Here were their cards:

Mizzi: KQ
Seat 4: 1010

The race was on and Mizzi jumped out ahead when the flop fell Q77. The board finished off 3 and 8 and Mizzi doubled to 21,000.

Benyamine Comes Out Shooting

A player raised to 1,050 and David Benyamine raised it to 3,300 from the cutoff. The raiser then repopped to 8,050 and Benyamine responded by putting his opponent all in. The call was made and they turned over their cards:

Benyamine: AA
Opponent: KK

The deck was officially freezing for Benyamine’s opponent and the board ran out 108355 and Benyamine was up to 72,000 after the knockout.

Doug Lee Splits His All In

On a flop of 3J7d, Doug Lee pushed his few remaining chips in, around 2,800 total. Everyone folded except one player, who called. Their hands:

Opponent: QJ
Lee: QJ

The A3 finished the board and they chopped the pot. Lee still only had around 5,000 after the hand.

Arieh Gives One Up on River

Josh Arieh checked to his opponent and she fired 1,600 on a flop of J102. Arieh made the call and when the K hit on the turn he checked to his opponent again and she quickly fired 3,000. Arieh didn’t look pleased and laid his hand down. He had around 32,000 after the loss.

Vivek Checks His Draw, Saves Money

Vivek Rajkumar raised to 750 and was called by the player in the big blind. Rajkumar and his opponent checked the flop of 6K3 and again on the A turn. On the 2 river the big blind threw out 1,000 and Rajkumar folded, showing QJ for a busted flush draw and nothing more. The big blind showed big slick and said he was surprised Rajkumar didn’t bet the draw on the turn.

Despite saving himself some lost money on the pot, Rajkumar had only around 15,000 after the hand.

Hachem’s Boat Takes It

Joe Hachem and his opponent checked down an entire board of 51010J10. Hachem flipped over 66 and his opponent showed just 87. Hachem raked the pot and had around 39,000 in chips.

Pavilion Room Update

Shawn Sheikhan Doubles Up an Opponent

We caught up with the hand with Shawn Sheikhan in the tank on a board of Q97J8. A player in the blinds had checked to Sheikhan on the end. Sheikhan fired out a bet of 3,000 into a pot of about 15,000. His opponent check-rasied all in for 16,400 total. Sheikhan was deliberating and said, “I don’t like folding sets.” He eventually made the call and his opponent tabled the 1010 for a straight. Sheikhan mucked and was down to about 7,000 after the hand. Sheikhan also made sure the dealer knew that he didn’t like the dealing by saying, “nice dealing, dealer.”

Joe Hachem Wins a Pot

On a board of 9648, Joe Hachem bet 5,525 into his opponent on the button. The player tanked before eventually folding. Hachem was over 30,000 after the hand.

Player Tags: Josh Arieh,   David Benyamine,   Joe Hachem,   Sorel Mizzi,   Vivek Rajkumar

Level Two Hour, One Update: Rousso Gets Some Back

Jul 08, '10

Blinds: 100-200

Average Chip Count: 30,000

Notable Chip Counts:

1. Kara Scott – 71,000
2. Brent Baldrey – 65,000
3. Corey Emery – 60,000
4. Alex Aram – 60,000
5. Steve Billirakis – 57,000
6. Phil Ivey – 53,000
7. Allen Bari – 50,500
8. Joe Serock – 50,000
9. Aaron Gustavson – 48,000
10. Amanda Musumeci – 47,000

Card Player Family Chip Counts

Jeff Shulman — 19,600
Jennifer Harman — 37,000
Steve Zolotow — 27,000

Notable Eliminations:

None

Player Twitter Accounts

Phil Ivey
Doyle Brunson
Jeff Shulman
Bryan Micon
Jonathan Little
Cyndy Violette
Vanessa Rousso
Zachary Clark

Big Hands:

Jason Mercier Wins One

Just before the 20-minute break after level one, with 1,200 in the pot with the board reading A73K a player in the small blind bet 300. Jason Mercier made the call. The 5 on the river prompted a check from the small bind. Mercier bet 1,500 and his opponent made the call. Mercier exposed the K9 for the nuts. Mercier was up to 36,500 after the hand.

Phil Ivey Chipping Up

Right before Ivey was able to leave his seat for the 20-minute break after level one, six players saw a flop of K104 for 300, including 8-time bracelet winner Phil Ivey. The preflop bettor led out for 700 and was called by one opponent. Ivey raised to 2,800 and it was folded to the initial bettor. He folded but the player who called next threw in enough to call Ivey’s raise. The turn brought the 9 and action went check-check. The 2 fell on the river and Ivey’s opponent bet 3,600. Ivey quickly called and tabled pocket tens for a set. His opponent mucked the KQ. Ivey was up to 45,700 after the hand.

Rousso Gets Some Back

Picking up the action after the flop fell QQ8, the player in seat 7 bet 900 and Vanessa Rousso repopped to 2,000.

Seat 7 made the call and the turn brought the J. Seat 7 checked and Rousso counted out announced “3,000” as she tossed in an orange 5,000 chip. Seat 7 went in the tank but decided to let his hand go.

Rousso raked in the pot and took back some of the chips she lost to seat 7 before the break. She was at 33,000.

A few hands later on a flop of 864, the action checked to Rousso and she fired 600. The player in seat 10 then raised to 1,800 and three other players in the hand mucked. Rousso made the call and the Q fell on the turn.

Rousso checked and seat 10 bet 2,300. Rousso made the call and the river was the 7. Rousso led out with 5,000 and seat 10 made the call.

Rousso tabled 65 for a rivered straight, better than seat 10’s 44 for a set on the flop. Rousso took the pot and she was back up close to 40,000.

Lisandro Drops One

Jeffrey Lisandro limped in preflop along with three other players. The four saw a flop of Q53 and the player in the big blind bet 500. Lisandro was the only caller and the turn was the 2.

The big blind bet another 500 and Lisandro raised to 1,200. The call was made and the river was the 8. The big blind bet 1,200 and Lisandro made the call.

The big blind then tabled AQ for top pair and Lisandro mucked. He was at 32,000.

Bari Chipping Up

A player raised to 550 preflop and four players called, including Allen Bari and Hevad Khan. The flop then came down KQ9 and everyone checked.

The Q came on the turn and a player bet 975. Only one player mucked as the other three tagged along to see the 5 on the river.

Action was checked to Bari and he fired 2,250. The big blind was the only caller and Bari tabled AQ for trips. The big blind mucked and Bari scooped the pot. He was at 50,500 after the hand.

William Thorson Moved In On

A player in late position bet 700 and William Thorson called from the button. A payer in the small blind moved all in for 7,000 total and it was folded back to Thorson. He went deep into the tank before finally releasing his hand. He was at less than 20,000 afteward.

Phil Ivey Yawns and Chips Get Sucked into His Mouth

A player in the cutoff made it 550 and the button raised to 1,500. Ivey didn’t take long before four-betting to 4,500. The initial bettor folded and the button took some time before finally folding. Ivey is doing well here on day 1d. He was at over 50,000 after the hand.

David Benyamine Makes a Good Fold

On a board of AQJ9 David Benyamine bet 4,700. His opponent tanked before eventually making the call. The A fell on the river and Benyamine checked. His opponent quickly fired out a bet of 6,000. Benyamine went into the tank before finally folding and flashing K-10 for broad way. His opponent made him feel a little bitter by exposing the AJ for a full house. Benyamine was down to about 35,000 after the hand.

Player Tags: David Benyamine,   Jeffrey Lisandro,   Phil Ivey,   Allen Bari,   William Thorson,   Vanessa Rousso,   Jason Mercier

Level One, Hour Two Update: David Benyamine Starts Well

Jul 08, '10

Blinds: 50-100

Average Chip Count: 30,000

Notable Chip Counts:

1. Kara Scott – 71,000
2. Brent Baldrey – 65,000
3. Corey Emery – 60,000
4. Alex Aram – 60,000
5. Steve Billirakis – 57,000
6. Aaron Gustavson – 48,000
7. Amanda Musumeci – 47,000
8. David Benyamine – 46,000
9. Bill Chen – 46,000
10. Phil Ivey – 45,700

Card Player Family Chip Counts

Jeff Shulman — 30,000
Jennifer Harman — 30,000
Steve Zolotow — 30,000

Notable Eliminations:

None

Player Twitter Accounts

Phil Ivey
Doyle Brunson
Jeff Shulman
Bryan Micon
Jonathan Little
Cyndy Violette
Vanessa Rousso
Zachary Clark

Big Hands:

Phil Ivey Faces a Minimum Four-Bet

A player in the cutoff bet 250 and Phil Ivey raised to 800 total. The player in the small blind four-bet to 1,350 and it was folded to the cutoff. She folded and Ivey quickly called.

The flop came 9638 and action went check-check. The 8 fell on the turn and Ivey’s opponent bet 1,200. Ivey insta-called and the 10 landed on the river. The small blind checked and Ivey bet 4,300. Ivey’s opponent deliberated before eventually folding. Ivey was at 34,000 in chips after the hand.

Steve Billirakis Starting off Strong

On a board of 10937 was faced with a 6,000-chip bet. Billirakis called and the river brought the J. Billirakis led out for 4,000 and his opponent called. Billirakis tabled the J9 for two pair. His opponent mucked the KK. Billirakis was up to 54,000 after the hand.

David Benyamine Drops A Pot

David Benyamine raised to 300 preflop and the small blind made the call. The flop came down A63 and both players checked.

The turn was the 6 and the small blind led out with 500. Benyamine made the call and the river was the 8.

The small blind led out with 500 again and Benyamine decided to look him up. The small blind showed A7 for aces and sixes and Benyamine mucked. Despite dropping that pot, Benyamine was off to a strong start with close to 49,000 in chips.

Cindy Violette Takes One Down

Cyndy Violette raised to 300 and was called by two players. The flop came 9dKh5c and Violette bet 1,000 to force out her opponents. She had around 31,500 after the hand.

“This is Our Maaain Event Of The Evening”

Bruce Buffer raised to 350 from middle position and was called by JJ Lui on the button. The flop ran 782 and Buffer led for 525. Lui folded and Buffer chipped back up to around his starting stack of 30,000.

Joe Serock Takes One From Elizabeth

On a 3-way flop of A78 seat 2 checked and so did Joe Serock. Shannon Elizabeth bet 600 and seat 2 folded, but Serock called.

The 7 fell on the turn and Serock led for 1,800. Elizabeth called and the A fell on the river. Both players checked and Elizabeth mucked when she saw Serock’s Q7.

Serock was at around 39,000 after the hand, while Elizabeth dropped to around 23,000.

Hevad Khan Loses a Big One

Hevad Khan called a bet of 2,250 from seat 7 on a board of 599A. On the 6 river Khan checked and seat 7 fired 7,600. There was already a lot in the pot, and Khan tanked for a moment before electing to fold.

He had 26,000 after the hand.

Steve Dannenmann Run Over By Jacks

Steve Dannenmann bet 250 on a board of 36Q7 and was called by seat 1. The button then raised to 1,050 and Dannenmann called, while seat 1 got out of the way.

The K river was checked around and a stubborn moment left Dannenmann and the player on the button refusing to show their cards first. Finally Dannenmann showed 75 for a pair and the button showed JJ for a better pair. After the loss Dannenmann had around 28,000.

Kenny Tran Wins a Pot

Kenny Tran had the button and was tangled up in a pot versus a player in the cutoff. On a board of AK63 the action went check-check. The 8 fell on the river and the cutoff checked. Tran bet 4,000 and the cutoff tanked. He eventually made the call and Tran exposed the 72 for a flush. Tran’s opponent mucked and Tran raked in the pot. He was up to about the starting stack after the hand.

Mizzi Drops One

With 650 in the pot, the board read 10523. Sorel Mizzi fired 350 and the player in seat 9 made the call.

The river was the 3 and Mizzi checked. Seat 9 fired 1,575 and Mizzi threw away his hand. He was at 32,000 after the loss.

Ferguson Can’t Call

Chris Ferguson raised to 600 on the button and the player in seat 5 made the call from middle position. The flop came down 642 and seat 5 checked.

Ferguson fired 1,000 and seat 5 quickly check-raised to 2,000. Ferguson thought for a bit and made the call. The turn was the 4 and seat 5 checked again.

Ferguson thought for a little while longer and bet 3,000. Seat 5 called again and the river was the 10.

Seat 5 took the lead this time, firing 2,500 and Ferguson released his hand. Ferguson was down to 26,000 after dropping that pot.

Rousso Bluffs Off Half Her Stack

Picking up the action after the flop came down Q85, Vanessa Rousso led out with 3,500 and the player in seat 7 made the call.

The turn was the J and Rousso thought long before sliding out 7,000. Seat 7 then tanked and asked Rousso for a count. The rest of the players at the table left as the 20-minute break had begun.

Seat 7 eventually called and the river was the 9. Rousso played with her chips awhile but checked. Seat 7 checked behind and Rousso tabled AK for ace-high. Seat 7 tabled 87 for a pair of eights and a heart draw on the flop.

Rousso dropped a big pot before the break and she was down to 26,000 after starting the hand with close to 49,000.

Player Tags: Chris Ferguson,   David Benyamine,   Cyndy Violette,   Phil Ivey,   Kenny Tran,   Joanne Liu,   Steve Billirakis,   Bruce Buffer,   Vanessa Rousso,   Steve Dannenmann,   Shannon Elizabeth,   Sorel Mizzi,   Hevad Khan,   Joseph Serock