Steve Gross — 405,000
Corwin Cole — 390,000
Chad Batista — 360,000
Jason Sommerville — 360,000
Chau Giang — 350,000
Mike Leah — 340,000
Markus Gonsalves — 320,000
Chino Rheem — 315,000
Justin Young — 290,000
Mark Seif — 270,000
Card Player Chip Counts
Mike Matusow — 210,000
Barry Shulman — 65,000
Jennifer Harman — Eliminated
Notable Eliminations:
Jennifer Harman
James Van Alstyne
Phil Hellmuth
Paul Wasicka
Hoyt Corkins
Isaac Haxton
Isaac Baron
Brian Rast
Beth Shak
Allen Cunningham
Nick Schulman
Men Nguyen
Matt Graham
Kenny Tran
Yevgeniy Timoshenko
Level Summary:
The official number of players in the tournament stands at 275 and the total prize pool is more than $4 million. The full payout structure has yet to be released, but it should be out soon.
There were 30 players that decided to skip the first day of play here at Bellagio enter the tournament on day 2. Two of the biggest names in the field that decided to take this approach have already busted out of the tournament. Phil Hellmuth entered the field during level 7, but before level 9 came to a close he was eliminated. Two hands where Hellmuth held A-K ultimately led to his demise. Both hands were coin flips and each time Hellmuth lost the flip. On Hellmuth’s final hand Dee Loung held pocket jacks to send him to the rail.
Kenny Tran jumped into play near the end of level 9 and he lasted only a few minutes after his stack was blinded down to 48,000. Tran moved all in preflop KQ and Steve Gross made the call with 77. The board fired out A22K7 and Tran was quickly eliminated by the full house of Gross. The hand took the chip stack of Gross up to 405,000, which is good for the chip lead with one level left on day 2.
One of the best hands of the level involved Justin Young. He opened a pot for a raise from early position and the button called. The flop fell 875 and Young led out for 6,500. His opponent made the call and the turn fell Q. Young bet 13,500 and the button called again. The river fell 2 and Young fired out 25,000. The button raised to 75,000 and Young went into the tank. He eventually made the call and his opponent instantly mucked. Young flipped over A10 as he collected the pot and grew his stack to 290,000.
Chau Giang — 270,000
Mark Seif — 270,000
Scott Dorin — 230,000
Mike Matusow — 210,000
Chad Batista — 200,000
Poorya Nazari — 200,000
Markus Gonsalves — 200,000
Joe Elpayaa — 195,000
Eugene Katchalov — 190,000
Lee Markholt — 190,000
Card Player Chip Counts
Mike Matusow — 210,000
Barry Shulman — 116,000
Jennifer Harman — 82,000
Notable Eliminations:
David Grey
David Singer
Carlos Mortensen
Allen Cunningham
Jeff Madsen
David Williams
Level Summary:
Phil Hellmuth (pictured right) finally arrived to the tournament during the second level on day 2. He is seated at a table with Card Player POY contender Mike Leah and Daniel Alaei. Registration will remain open until the completion of the next level of play. Former world champion Chris Ferguson also joined the tournament during this last level.
Mark Seif made the largest chip gain during the level. His stack grew to 270,000 and he now shares the chip lead with Chau Giang. One of the largest hands of the level took place when Kido Pham was all in against David Baker. Pham held AK against the AQ of Baker. The board ran out 88245 and Pham doubled up to 92,000 with a flush. Baker dropped down to 84,000.
Three poker-playing Davids hit the rail during the level, as Singer, Williams, and Grey all hit the rail during the level.
Barry Shulman moved up to 116,000 after winning a pot off of Poorya Nazari with pocket queens in the hole.
1. Ludovic Lacay – 1,700,000
2. Tom Lutz – 1,600,000
3. Jordan Morgan – 1,489,000
4. Matt Affleck – 1,450,000
5. Miika Puumalainen – 1,440,000
6. Benjamin Jensen – 1,400,000
7. Harry Kazazian – 1,400,000
8. Billy Kopp – 1,385,000
9. Blair Hinkle – 1,300,000
10. Bertrand Grospellier – 1,250,000
Card Player Chip Counts:
Jeff Shulman – 178,000
Average Chip Count: 478,673
Notable Eliminations:
Matt Brady
Phil Hellmuth
Justin Bonomo
Alexander Kostritsyn
Van Nguyen
Carter King
Big Hands:
Burt Boutin Busts Jason Adler
Burt Boutin called the all in bet of Jason Adler preflop and the players turned up their hands.
Adler: 55
Boutin: AQ
The race was on and the flop came Q106, vaulting Boutin to the lead. The turn was the 4 and the river was the 8, giving Boutin the added bonus of knocking out Adler with a flush instead of just top pair.
Kelly Kim With The Cease Fire
With the pot around 125,000, the board had run out J53KJ. Kelly Kim was facing a 78,000 bet from his opponent and took a session in the tank. After much thought, Kim folded AA in disgust. He was down to just a little over 100,000.
Nick Schulman Drops Some Chips
Nick Schulman called Lance Gettler’s all-in bet preflop. Schulman was holding 55 while Gettler had AJ.
The race was on and the flop came down AJ8, giving Gettler two pair. The turn was the 7 and the river was the 10 and Schulman was down to 480,000.
Paul Wasicka Goes Bust
Paul Wasicka’s stack dropped below 100,000 during this level and he decided to move all in preflop holding AJ. He was then called by an opponent holding AK.
The flop came down A49, giving Wasicka little help. The turn was the K, leaving Wasicka drawing dead as he had no black cards in his hand to make a flush. That was unfortunate as the 5 completed the board and Wasicka was gone.
I’m Phil Ivey And You’re Not
Picking up the action after the turn, the board read AJ78 and Phil Ivey fired 70,000 into the pot.
David Wickham decided to stand on the tracks while the train was coming through, making the call. The river was the 3 and Ivey blasted another slug into the pot, betting 120,000. Wickham finally had a light bulb go off in his head as he laid his hand down. Ivey took the pot and was closing in on 1 million in chips.
Later, Ivey and Michael Graydon were tangling in a hand and the board read Q597. Graydon checked to Ivey who moved all in, having Graydon well covered. Graydon decided to call and turned over A9 for second pair. Ivey then turned over the best hand, KK. The 7 completed the board and Ivey scored another knockout. His stack was at 1.1 million.
Moments later, Ivey raised to 16,000 preflop and David Watkinson made the call from the big blind. The flop came down 963 and Watkinson checked. Ivey bet 22,000 and Watkinson called. The turn was the 8 and Ivey fired another 55,000 into the pot. Watkinson came along for some more punishment and got it when the K fell on the river. Ivey blasted 120,000 and Watkinson waved the white flag, mucking his hand and sending the pot Ivey’s way. He was at 1.2 million.
Shulman Avoids Going Down With The Ship
A player raised to 18,000 preflop and Jeff Shulman made the call from the big blind. The flop came down QQ10. Shulman checked and his opponent bet 20,000. Shulman called and the turn was the 3. Shulman check-called a bet of 40,000 and the river was the 10.
Both players checked and Shulman showed 33 for a full boat on the turn, but his opponent showed A10 for a better one and Shulman dropped to 320,000.
Eastgate Takes Control Of The Hand, Wins A Pot
Patrick Hanoteau raised to 18,000 from the hijack position and Peter Eastgate made the call from the cutoff. Both blinds also called and the flop came down 1084 and the action was checked to Eastgate. He bet 33,000 and everyone else in the hand mucked.
Eastgate took in a nice pot and was at 360,000.
Nick Binger The New Ladies’ Man, Quadruples Up
After three players had limped for 6,000, Nick Binger moved all in for his last 58,000 in chips. Every limper decided to call and Binger was not too pleased. The flop came QQ2 and everyone checked. It was the same story on the J turn and 9 river.
Binger then showed off his ladies, turning over QQ for quads on the flop. Everyone else mucked and Binger quadrupled up to around 235,000.
Elky Drops Some Chips
Picking up the action on the turn, the board read A2610. Bertrand Grospellier fired a bet and then one player shoved all in. Grospellier made the call with 1010 for a turned set but the all-in player showed down Q9 for a flush.
The river gave no help to Grospellier and his stack dropped to 1.35 million.
Hellmuth Gets Jacked Up, Eruption Follows, Then Busts With Aces
Abraham Mourshaki raised to 20,000 and the action folded to Phil Hellmuth who raised to 36,000. Mourshaki called and the flop came down JJ3. Hellmuth bet 40,000 after Mourshaki checked and the bet was called. The turn was the 7 and both players checked. The river was the 5 and Mourshaki bet 120,000. Hellmuth called and was showed AJ for trips. Hellmuth mucked and the tirade began.
“I’m gonna vomit on the floor,” he said. “You had to find jack-jack for him. You couldn’t find just one jack so he could sail off?” Hellmuth then walked away from the table as he was down to 100,000.
Just a few hands later, Mourshaki raised to 22,000 preflop and Hellmuth called. Three other players jumped in the pool as well and the flop came down J510. Kevin Jenkins moved all in for 83,000 and Hellmuth repopped with his last 110,000. Kenny Hsuing made the call and the three players tabled their hands.
Hellmuth: AA
Hsuing: J10
Jenkins: 98
Hellmuth started with the best hand but got outflopped badly. He needed some help but the 7 on the turn gave Jenkins the straight and left Hellmuth drawing dead against Jenkins. He did have a shot at a side pot but the river was the 3 and Hellmuth was gone from the main event in 436th place.
1. Bertrand Grospellier – 1,200,000
2. Owen Crowe – 1,030,000
3. Gabe Walls – 873,000
4. Ludovic Lacay – 870,000
5. Brennan Hanson – 670,000
6. James Akenhead – 660,000
7. Alexander Kostritsyn – 620,000
8. Brian Powel – 620,000
9. Tony Cavezza – 620,000
10. Kenny Tran – 590,000
Card Player Chip Counts:
Phil Hellmuth – 500,000
Jeff Shulman – 175,000
Thomas Keller – out
Average Chip Count: 195,015
Notable Eliminations:
Robert Mizarachi
Amit Makhija
Alexia Portal
Nam Le
Dutch Boyd
Big Hands:
Betrand Grospellier Wins the Largest Hand of the Tournament so Far
A board of 972KA and 40,000 sat on the table when Jerry Wong bet 33,000. Bertrand Grospellier raised to 133,000 and then Wong moved all in for 250,000 more. Grospellier made the call and then flipped over 99. Wong showed down KQ and he was eliminated from the tournament. Grospellier won the huge pot and he now holds 1.1 million as the chip leader.
Jason Alexander Grabs Some Chips
Jason Alexander raised to 7,500 preflop from the hi-jack Christian Heich raised to 22,000. The flop came 862 flop and Alexander bet 20,000. Heich raised to 56,000 and Alexander tanked for a minute before he reraised all in for 131,600 more. Heich tanked and then mucked. Alexander grew his stack to 300,000.
Vitaly Lunkin Doubles Up
Vitaly Lunkin was faced with a preflop raised from the cutoff and decided to reraise to 18,000. The cutoff quickly announced he was all in for 81,150 total and Lunkin quickly called. The cutoff announced he was sick of being reraised by Lunkin and tabled the 75. Lunkin exposed the AQ and was ahead. The flop came 1098, and Lunkin was still in front with ace-high but his opponent had a massive drawing hand with a flush draw and straight draw. The 6 hit the turn and gave the cutoff a straight. The 6 fell on the river and Lunkin lost the 85,000 chip pot. Lunkin is down to 85,000.
Betrand Grospellier Dominating
Elky has been dominating his table since his massive surge to the chip lead. Grospellier raised preflop and was called by an opponent in the big blind. The flop came 833 and the big blind checked to Elky who elected to check behind. The 2 hit the turn and the big blind checked. Elky bet 6,500 and his opponent made the call. The 4 fell on the river and the big blind checked. Elky checked behind and the big blind exposed the A-10 but was no good against the A-J of Elky. Elky has been raising almost every hand and is running through his table. Elky is at 1,200,000.
Alex Kostritsyn Takes One Down
On a flop of K53, Phill Hellmuth bet 16,000 from middle position and Alex Kostritsyn called from the button. Josh Arieh elected to call from the small blind. The turn brought the 8 and action was checked around. The river brought the 4 and action was once again checked around. Arieh exposed the 64 for a busted straight draw but a rivered pair of fours. Hellmuth didn’t show and said he just had a five. Kostritsyn exposed the 77 to take down the pot. Kostritsyn is at 620,000.
Peter Eastgate Eliminates Opponent
The defending main event champion got all the chips into the middle with the AK and was up against the 88. The board ran out AQ10J9 as Eastgate eliminated his opponent and is at 375,000 in chips.
Level 13 Hour 1 Update: Christian Dragomir Eliminated
Jul 10, '09
Blinds: 1,200-2,400 with a 300 ante
Players Remaining: 1,035 out of 6,494
Chip Counts:
1. Ludovic Lacay – 902,000
2. Gabe Walls – 648,000
3. James Akenhead – 625,000
4. Brennan Hanson – 620,000
5. Christian Tardea – 615,000
6. Peter Kremenliev – 595,000
7. Eli Adler – 590,000
8. Kenny Tran – 590,000
9. Brian Hansen – 585,000
10. Alexander Kostritsyn – 575,000
Card Player Chip Counts:
Phil Hellmuth – 500,000
Jeff Shulman – 540,000
Thomas Keller – 120,000
Lee Watkinson – Out
Average Chip Count: 181,905
Notable Eliminations:
Marco Traniello
Cliff Josephy
Jimmy Fricke
Liz Lieu
John Cernuto
Mark Teltscher
Christian Dragomir
Big Hands:
Christian Dragomir Eliminated
Christian Dragomir moved all in after a flop of QJ3 for about 30,000 with the K10. He was called by an opponent with the J9. The turn was the J, eliminating Dragomir’s overcard out, and leaving only the open-ended straight draw to survive. The river bricked for Dragomir as the 4 fell, eliminating him from the tournament after a deep run last year.
Kevin Saul Doubles Up Opponent
Kevin Saul bet 6,200 from middle position and a player in the cutoff moved all in for 18,600 total. A player in the small blind made the call and so did Saul. The board ran out Q627Q, as both Saul and the small blind elected to check it down. The all in player in the cutoff exposed the 99 for queens and nines, while the small blind mucked the AK. Saul jokingly said he mucked A-Q. Saul is at 290,000.
Phil Hellmuth Lays One Down
On a board of KQ10, Phill Hellmuth bet 8,000 from early position into Alex Kostritsyn in late position. Kostritsyn made the call and both players saw a 7 hit the turn. Hellmuth checked and Kostritsyn bet 22,000. Hellmuth went into the tank before finally mucking. Kostritsyn said he had A-J. Hellmuth is at 500,000 while Kostritsyn is at 575,000.
Joe Awada Eliminated
Joe Awada committed the last of his chips on a flop of AKJ and was called by an opponent. Awada exposed the A5 but was well behind the A10 of his opponent. The board ran out 910 and Awada was gone.
Hevad Khan Doubles Up Opponent
Hevad Khan raised to 6,000 preflop and was reraised by Kyriacos Dionysiou. Khan made the quick call and both players saw a flop of J76. Khan checked and Dionysiou bet 35,000. Khan quickly announced he was all in and Dionysiou contemplated briefly before making the call. Khan tabled the 64 for a pair and a flush draw while Dionysiou exposed the A9 for the ace-high flush draw. The J hit the turn and Khan needed to dodge just one more card to win the large pot. However, the A fell on the river and Khan lost to the aces and jacks of his opponent. Khan is now at 195,000.
1. Gabe Walls – 680,000
2. James Akenhead – 578,000
3. John Hammer – 570,000
4. Amir Lehavot – 555,000
5. Tony Cavezza – 550,000
6. Jamie Brown – 545,000
7. Michael Kinney – 530,000
8. Adam Bilzerian – 505,000
9. David Benyamine – 501,000
10. Troy Weber – 500,000
CardPlayer Chip Counts:
Jeff Shulman – 140,000
Phil Hellmuth – 345,000
Lee Watkinson – 41,000
Thomas Keller – 120,000
Average Stack: 131,192
Notable Eliminations:
Adam Schoenfeld
Carlos Mortensen
Corwin Cole
Greg Raymer
Jean-Robert Bellande
Darus Suharto
Big Hands:
A Flush Puts Sexton over the 300,000 Mark
After a raise to 5,200 Mike Sexton called from the small blind. The big blind called as well and the big blind called as well. The flop was 567 and all three players checked to see the 8 on the turn.
The third spade prompted Sexton to bet 10,000, which was called by the big blind. The original raiser folded and the K fell on the river. Sexton bet 20,000 and his opponent thought for a while before making the call. Sexton showed KQ and his opponent mucked.
Farmar Still Hanging In There
Jordan Farmar raised to 5,000 preflop after seat 9 had limped in. Allen Kessler made the call from the big blind and seat 9 called as well. The flop came down 962 and seat 6 bet out. Farmar made the call and Kessler mucked. The turn was the 10 and both players checked. The Q came on the river and seat 9 led out for 5,000. Farmar raised to 10,000 and seat 9 quickly mucked. Farmar took the pot and was at 97,000.
Shulman Rides The Roller Coaster
After some fireworks preflop, the player in seat 5 was all in against Jeff Shulman. Seat 5 held KK while Shulman held AJ. “Come on, baby!” seat 5 shouted. “Hold!”
The flop came down J84 and Shulman got some help. The turn was the 7 and seat 5 was close to a double up. But the A on the river gave Shulman the best hand and seat 5 was eliminated. “Sorry buddy,” Shulman said as he shook seat 5’s hand. Shulman was at 280,000 after the hand.
Moments later, however, Shulman was involved in another big hand. The board ran out A7J4J and Shulman bet 40,000 into a pot holding close to 60,000. His opponent made the call and Shulman tabled Q10 for a busted diamond draw. Seat 1 showed AQ for two pair and Shulman dropped back to 140,000.
Phil Gives Up The Pot
The player on the button raised to 6,000 preflop and Phil Hellmuth made the call from early position. The flop came down 766 and both players checked. The turn was the A and Hellmuth checked again. The button then reached for chips and bet 15,000.
“It’s a good bet,” Hellmuth said with a sigh as he threw his 99 into the muck face up. “You gave it to me,” the button said as he flashed the A. Hellmuth was at 343,000.
1. Troy Weber — 475,000
2. Joh Hammer — 350,000
3. Andreas Altmeyer — 318,000
4. Brian Lemke — 291,000
5. Amir Lehavot — 280,000
6. Bertrand Grospellier — 250,000
7. Phil Ivey — 245,000
8. Adam Latimer — 242,000
9. Brennan Hanson — 240,000
10. Dan Bilzerian — 237,000
Card Player Chip Counts:
Jeff Shulman – 170,000
Phil Hellmuth – 139,000
Lee Watkinson – 80,000
Adam Schoenfeld – 125,000
Matthew Hilger – did not report
Steve Zolotow – 20,000
Thomas Keller – 120,000
Max Pescatori – 47,300
Justin Rollo – did not report
Notable Eliminations:
Noah Schwartz
Adam Levy
Robert Williamson III
Ylon Schwartz
Big Hands:
Miami John Gets Doubled Through
A player at the table moves all in before the flop and Miami John Cernuto calls, he has him slightly covered.
Cernuto: Pocket Eights
Opponent: AQ
Board: KQ924
Cernuto’s opponent flops a queen and doubles through. Cernuto takes a small hit to his stack as he ships roughly 12,000 across the table.
Theo Tran Breaks 100K…And Still Going
Theo Tran raises before the flop, only to be reraised by another player at the table. Tran calls and the flop comes 832, both players check. The turn is the A, Tran checks, his opponent bets 6,100 and Tran calls. The river is the 4 and Tran bets 45,000, putting his opponent to a decision for the rest of his chips. After a minute in the tank his opponent folds and Tran rakes the pot, breaking the 100,000 mark.
A few hands later and Theo Tran gets involved in a three-way all in pot, Tran getting the best of it once again.
Tran: AA
Opponent 1: AQ
Opponent 2: KJ
Board: KQ953
Tran’s aces hold, eliminating two opponents this hand as he chips up to 130,000.
Tony Hachem Knocks One Out
Tony Hachem calls a 2,000 raise from the button and goes to the flop with one opponent. The flop comes J104, there is a 3,700 bet and Hachem quickly raises to 7,900. The original bettor moves all in for 11,000 and Hachem calls.
Hachem: J10
Opponent: AQ
Hachem flops top two against the royal flush draw of his opponent. The J hits the turn, filling Hachem and not a moment too soon as his opponent ends up making his flush with the 7 on the river. Hachem eliminated yet another player at his table and chips up to 180,000 this hand.
Hellmuth Flops Top Set, Doesn’t Get Paid Off, Shows Cards Anyway
With a raise of 2,500 and one caller in front of him, Phil Hellmuth reraises to 10,000 from hijack. The original raiser calls and the original caller folds. The flop comes KQ8, and it is checked to Hellmuth who bets 7,000. His opponent folds, but Hellmuth shows him anyway, turning over pocket kings for top set. Hellmuth rakes the pot and brings his stack up to 139,000 this hand.
David Plastik Doubles Up
On a flop of 862, David Plastik gets it all in against one opponent.
Plastik: 88
Opponent: 97
Plastik flops top set against his opponent’s open-ended straight draw. The turn and river are the 4 and the J, no help to his opponent a Plastik doubles up to 45,000 in chips this hand.
Ville Wahlbeck Doubles Up
On a flop of A42, Ville Wahlbeck gets it all in and is called in one spot.
Wahlbeck: A4
Opponent: AK
Wahlbeck flops top set against his opponent’s top pair. The turn and river are the 3 and the K, giving his opponent two pair, too late. Wahlbeck doubles up to 109,000 this hand.
Elky Breaks 250,000
On a board of K8626, Bertrand Grospellier bets the pot (40,000) and gets one caller. Grospellier turns over 86 for a full house while his opponent shows K7 for two pair. Grospellier rakes the pot and breaks the quart-million mark this hand.
Ylon Schwartz Eliminated by Bill Gazes
Ylon Schwartz gets it all in pre-flop against Bill Gazes.
Schwartz: K-K
Gazes: A-K
Board: A92QQ
Schwartz gets it in good but Gazes pairs his ace on the flop. Ylon Schwartz is eliminated from the main event.
Left in the Deck
Players are now on their last twenty-minute break of the night and will return at approximately 8:40 pm PDT to begin the last level of the day.
1. Ludovic Lacay – 1,700,000
2. Tom Lutz – 1,600,000
3. Jordan Morgan – 1,489,000
4. Matt Affleck – 1,450,000
5. Miika Puumalainen – 1,440,000
6. Benjamin Jensen – 1,400,000
7. Harry Kazazian – 1,400,000
8. Billy Kopp – 1,385,000
9. Blair Hinkle – 1,300,000
10. Bertrand Grospellier – 1,250,000
Card Player Chip Counts:
Jeff Shulman – 178,000
Average Chip Count: 478,673
Notable Eliminations:
Matt Brady
Phil Hellmuth
Justin Bonomo
Alexander Kostritsyn
Van Nguyen
Carter King
Big Hands:
Burt Boutin Busts Jason Adler
Burt Boutin called the all in bet of Jason Adler preflop and the players turned up their hands.
Adler: 55
Boutin: AQ
The race was on and the flop came Q106, vaulting Boutin to the lead. The turn was the 4 and the river was the 8, giving Boutin the added bonus of knocking out Adler with a flush instead of just top pair.
Kelly Kim With The Cease Fire
With the pot around 125,000, the board had run out J53KJ. Kelly Kim was facing a 78,000 bet from his opponent and took a session in the tank. After much thought, Kim folded AA in disgust. He was down to just a little over 100,000.
Nick Schulman Drops Some Chips
Nick Schulman called Lance Gettler’s all-in bet preflop. Schulman was holding 55 while Gettler had AJ.
The race was on and the flop came down AJ8, giving Gettler two pair. The turn was the 7 and the river was the 10 and Schulman was down to 480,000.
Paul Wasicka Goes Bust
Paul Wasicka’s stack dropped below 100,000 during this level and he decided to move all in preflop holding AJ. He was then called by an opponent holding AK.
The flop came down A49, giving Wasicka little help. The turn was the K, leaving Wasicka drawing dead as he had no black cards in his hand to make a flush. That was unfortunate as the 5 completed the board and Wasicka was gone.
I’m Phil Ivey And You’re Not
Picking up the action after the turn, the board read AJ78 and Phil Ivey fired 70,000 into the pot.
David Wickham decided to stand on the tracks while the train was coming through, making the call. The river was the 3 and Ivey blasted another slug into the pot, betting 120,000. Wickham finally had a light bulb go off in his head as he laid his hand down. Ivey took the pot and was closing in on 1 million in chips.
Later, Ivey and Michael Graydon were tangling in a hand and the board read Q597. Graydon checked to Ivey who moved all in, having Graydon well covered. Graydon decided to call and turned over A9 for second pair. Ivey then turned over the best hand, KK. The 7 completed the board and Ivey scored another knockout. His stack was at 1.1 million.
Moments later, Ivey raised to 16,000 preflop and David Watkinson made the call from the big blind. The flop came down 963 and Watkinson checked. Ivey bet 22,000 and Watkinson called. The turn was the 8 and Ivey fired another 55,000 into the pot. Watkinson came along for some more punishment and got it when the K fell on the river. Ivey blasted 120,000 and Watkinson waved the white flag, mucking his hand and sending the pot Ivey’s way. He was at 1.2 million.
Shulman Avoids Going Down With The Ship
A player raised to 18,000 preflop and Jeff Shulman made the call from the big blind. The flop came down QQ10. Shulman checked and his opponent bet 20,000. Shulman called and the turn was the 3. Shulman check-called a bet of 40,000 and the river was the 10.
Both players checked and Shulman showed 33 for a full boat on the turn, but his opponent showed A10 for a better one and Shulman dropped to 320,000.
Eastgate Takes Control Of The Hand, Wins A Pot
Patrick Hanoteau raised to 18,000 from the hijack position and Peter Eastgate made the call from the cutoff. Both blinds also called and the flop came down 1084 and the action was checked to Eastgate. He bet 33,000 and everyone else in the hand mucked.
Eastgate took in a nice pot and was at 360,000.
Nick Binger The New Ladies’ Man, Quadruples Up
After three players had limped for 6,000, Nick Binger moved all in for his last 58,000 in chips. Every limper decided to call and Binger was not too pleased. The flop came QQ2 and everyone checked. It was the same story on the J turn and 9 river.
Binger then showed off his ladies, turning over QQ for quads on the flop. Everyone else mucked and Binger quadrupled up to around 235,000.
Elky Drops Some Chips
Picking up the action on the turn, the board read A2610. Bertrand Grospellier fired a bet and then one player shoved all in. Grospellier made the call with 1010 for a turned set but the all-in player showed down Q9 for a flush.
The river gave no help to Grospellier and his stack dropped to 1.35 million.
Hellmuth Gets Jacked Up, Eruption Follows, Then Busts With Aces
Abraham Mourshaki raised to 20,000 and the action folded to Phil Hellmuth who raised to 36,000. Mourshaki called and the flop came down JJ3. Hellmuth bet 40,000 after Mourshaki checked and the bet was called. The turn was the 7 and both players checked. The river was the 5 and Mourshaki bet 120,000. Hellmuth called and was showed AJ for trips. Hellmuth mucked and the tirade began.
“I’m gonna vomit on the floor,” he said. “You had to find jack-jack for him. You couldn’t find just one jack so he could sail off?” Hellmuth then walked away from the table as he was down to 100,000.
Just a few hands later, Mourshaki raised to 22,000 preflop and Hellmuth called. Three other players jumped in the pool as well and the flop came down J510. Kevin Jenkins moved all in for 83,000 and Hellmuth repopped with his last 110,000. Kenny Hsuing made the call and the three players tabled their hands.
Hellmuth: AA
Hsuing: J10
Jenkins: 98
Hellmuth started with the best hand but got outflopped badly. He needed some help but the 7 on the turn gave Jenkins the straight and left Hellmuth drawing dead against Jenkins. He did have a shot at a side pot but the river was the 3 and Hellmuth was gone from the main event in 436th place.
1. Bertrand Grospellier – 1,200,000
2. Owen Crowe – 1,030,000
3. Gabe Walls – 873,000
4. Ludovic Lacay – 870,000
5. Brennan Hanson – 670,000
6. James Akenhead – 660,000
7. Alexander Kostritsyn – 620,000
8. Brian Powel – 620,000
9. Tony Cavezza – 620,000
10. Kenny Tran – 590,000
Card Player Chip Counts:
Phil Hellmuth – 500,000
Jeff Shulman – 175,000
Thomas Keller – out
Average Chip Count: 195,015
Notable Eliminations:
Robert Mizarachi
Amit Makhija
Alexia Portal
Nam Le
Dutch Boyd
Big Hands:
Betrand Grospellier Wins the Largest Hand of the Tournament so Far
A board of 972KA and 40,000 sat on the table when Jerry Wong bet 33,000. Bertrand Grospellier raised to 133,000 and then Wong moved all in for 250,000 more. Grospellier made the call and then flipped over 99. Wong showed down KQ and he was eliminated from the tournament. Grospellier won the huge pot and he now holds 1.1 million as the chip leader.
Jason Alexander Grabs Some Chips
Jason Alexander raised to 7,500 preflop from the hi-jack Christian Heich raised to 22,000. The flop came 862 flop and Alexander bet 20,000. Heich raised to 56,000 and Alexander tanked for a minute before he reraised all in for 131,600 more. Heich tanked and then mucked. Alexander grew his stack to 300,000.
Vitaly Lunkin Doubles Up
Vitaly Lunkin was faced with a preflop raised from the cutoff and decided to reraise to 18,000. The cutoff quickly announced he was all in for 81,150 total and Lunkin quickly called. The cutoff announced he was sick of being reraised by Lunkin and tabled the 75. Lunkin exposed the AQ and was ahead. The flop came 1098, and Lunkin was still in front with ace-high but his opponent had a massive drawing hand with a flush draw and straight draw. The 6 hit the turn and gave the cutoff a straight. The 6 fell on the river and Lunkin lost the 85,000 chip pot. Lunkin is down to 85,000.
Betrand Grospellier Dominating
Elky has been dominating his table since his massive surge to the chip lead. Grospellier raised preflop and was called by an opponent in the big blind. The flop came 833 and the big blind checked to Elky who elected to check behind. The 2 hit the turn and the big blind checked. Elky bet 6,500 and his opponent made the call. The 4 fell on the river and the big blind checked. Elky checked behind and the big blind exposed the A-10 but was no good against the A-J of Elky. Elky has been raising almost every hand and is running through his table. Elky is at 1,200,000.
Alex Kostritsyn Takes One Down
On a flop of K53, Phill Hellmuth bet 16,000 from middle position and Alex Kostritsyn called from the button. Josh Arieh elected to call from the small blind. The turn brought the 8 and action was checked around. The river brought the 4 and action was once again checked around. Arieh exposed the 64 for a busted straight draw but a rivered pair of fours. Hellmuth didn’t show and said he just had a five. Kostritsyn exposed the 77 to take down the pot. Kostritsyn is at 620,000.
Peter Eastgate Eliminates Opponent
The defending main event champion got all the chips into the middle with the AK and was up against the 88. The board ran out AQ10J9 as Eastgate eliminated his opponent and is at 375,000 in chips.
Level 13 Hour 1 Update: Christian Dragomir Eliminated
Jul 10, '09
Blinds: 1,200-2,400 with a 300 ante
Players Remaining: 1,035 out of 6,494
Chip Counts:
1. Ludovic Lacay – 902,000
2. Gabe Walls – 648,000
3. James Akenhead – 625,000
4. Brennan Hanson – 620,000
5. Christian Tardea – 615,000
6. Peter Kremenliev – 595,000
7. Eli Adler – 590,000
8. Kenny Tran – 590,000
9. Brian Hansen – 585,000
10. Alexander Kostritsyn – 575,000
Card Player Chip Counts:
Phil Hellmuth – 500,000
Jeff Shulman – 540,000
Thomas Keller – 120,000
Lee Watkinson – Out
Average Chip Count: 181,905
Notable Eliminations:
Marco Traniello
Cliff Josephy
Jimmy Fricke
Liz Lieu
John Cernuto
Mark Teltscher
Christian Dragomir
Big Hands:
Christian Dragomir Eliminated
Christian Dragomir moved all in after a flop of QJ3 for about 30,000 with the K10. He was called by an opponent with the J9. The turn was the J, eliminating Dragomir’s overcard out, and leaving only the open-ended straight draw to survive. The river bricked for Dragomir as the 4 fell, eliminating him from the tournament after a deep run last year.
Kevin Saul Doubles Up Opponent
Kevin Saul bet 6,200 from middle position and a player in the cutoff moved all in for 18,600 total. A player in the small blind made the call and so did Saul. The board ran out Q627Q, as both Saul and the small blind elected to check it down. The all in player in the cutoff exposed the 99 for queens and nines, while the small blind mucked the AK. Saul jokingly said he mucked A-Q. Saul is at 290,000.
Phil Hellmuth Lays One Down
On a board of KQ10, Phill Hellmuth bet 8,000 from early position into Alex Kostritsyn in late position. Kostritsyn made the call and both players saw a 7 hit the turn. Hellmuth checked and Kostritsyn bet 22,000. Hellmuth went into the tank before finally mucking. Kostritsyn said he had A-J. Hellmuth is at 500,000 while Kostritsyn is at 575,000.
Joe Awada Eliminated
Joe Awada committed the last of his chips on a flop of AKJ and was called by an opponent. Awada exposed the A5 but was well behind the A10 of his opponent. The board ran out 910 and Awada was gone.
Hevad Khan Doubles Up Opponent
Hevad Khan raised to 6,000 preflop and was reraised by Kyriacos Dionysiou. Khan made the quick call and both players saw a flop of J76. Khan checked and Dionysiou bet 35,000. Khan quickly announced he was all in and Dionysiou contemplated briefly before making the call. Khan tabled the 64 for a pair and a flush draw while Dionysiou exposed the A9 for the ace-high flush draw. The J hit the turn and Khan needed to dodge just one more card to win the large pot. However, the A fell on the river and Khan lost to the aces and jacks of his opponent. Khan is now at 195,000.
1. Gabe Walls – 680,000
2. James Akenhead – 578,000
3. John Hammer – 570,000
4. Amir Lehavot – 555,000
5. Tony Cavezza – 550,000
6. Jamie Brown – 545,000
7. Michael Kinney – 530,000
8. Adam Bilzerian – 505,000
9. David Benyamine – 501,000
10. Troy Weber – 500,000
CardPlayer Chip Counts:
Jeff Shulman – 140,000
Phil Hellmuth – 345,000
Lee Watkinson – 41,000
Thomas Keller – 120,000
Average Stack: 131,192
Notable Eliminations:
Adam Schoenfeld
Carlos Mortensen
Corwin Cole
Greg Raymer
Jean-Robert Bellande
Darus Suharto
Big Hands:
A Flush Puts Sexton over the 300,000 Mark
After a raise to 5,200 Mike Sexton called from the small blind. The big blind called as well and the big blind called as well. The flop was 567 and all three players checked to see the 8 on the turn.
The third spade prompted Sexton to bet 10,000, which was called by the big blind. The original raiser folded and the K fell on the river. Sexton bet 20,000 and his opponent thought for a while before making the call. Sexton showed KQ and his opponent mucked.
Farmar Still Hanging In There
Jordan Farmar raised to 5,000 preflop after seat 9 had limped in. Allen Kessler made the call from the big blind and seat 9 called as well. The flop came down 962 and seat 6 bet out. Farmar made the call and Kessler mucked. The turn was the 10 and both players checked. The Q came on the river and seat 9 led out for 5,000. Farmar raised to 10,000 and seat 9 quickly mucked. Farmar took the pot and was at 97,000.
Shulman Rides The Roller Coaster
After some fireworks preflop, the player in seat 5 was all in against Jeff Shulman. Seat 5 held KK while Shulman held AJ. “Come on, baby!” seat 5 shouted. “Hold!”
The flop came down J84 and Shulman got some help. The turn was the 7 and seat 5 was close to a double up. But the A on the river gave Shulman the best hand and seat 5 was eliminated. “Sorry buddy,” Shulman said as he shook seat 5’s hand. Shulman was at 280,000 after the hand.
Moments later, however, Shulman was involved in another big hand. The board ran out A7J4J and Shulman bet 40,000 into a pot holding close to 60,000. His opponent made the call and Shulman tabled Q10 for a busted diamond draw. Seat 1 showed AQ for two pair and Shulman dropped back to 140,000.
Phil Gives Up The Pot
The player on the button raised to 6,000 preflop and Phil Hellmuth made the call from early position. The flop came down 766 and both players checked. The turn was the A and Hellmuth checked again. The button then reached for chips and bet 15,000.
“It’s a good bet,” Hellmuth said with a sigh as he threw his 99 into the muck face up. “You gave it to me,” the button said as he flashed the A. Hellmuth was at 343,000.
1. Troy Weber — 475,000
2. Joh Hammer — 350,000
3. Andreas Altmeyer — 318,000
4. Brian Lemke — 291,000
5. Amir Lehavot — 280,000
6. Bertrand Grospellier — 250,000
7. Phil Ivey — 245,000
8. Adam Latimer — 242,000
9. Brennan Hanson — 240,000
10. Dan Bilzerian — 237,000
Card Player Chip Counts:
Jeff Shulman – 170,000
Phil Hellmuth – 139,000
Lee Watkinson – 80,000
Adam Schoenfeld – 125,000
Matthew Hilger – did not report
Steve Zolotow – 20,000
Thomas Keller – 120,000
Max Pescatori – 47,300
Justin Rollo – did not report
Notable Eliminations:
Noah Schwartz
Adam Levy
Robert Williamson III
Ylon Schwartz
Big Hands:
Miami John Gets Doubled Through
A player at the table moves all in before the flop and Miami John Cernuto calls, he has him slightly covered.
Cernuto: Pocket Eights
Opponent: AQ
Board: KQ924
Cernuto’s opponent flops a queen and doubles through. Cernuto takes a small hit to his stack as he ships roughly 12,000 across the table.
Theo Tran Breaks 100K…And Still Going
Theo Tran raises before the flop, only to be reraised by another player at the table. Tran calls and the flop comes 832, both players check. The turn is the A, Tran checks, his opponent bets 6,100 and Tran calls. The river is the 4 and Tran bets 45,000, putting his opponent to a decision for the rest of his chips. After a minute in the tank his opponent folds and Tran rakes the pot, breaking the 100,000 mark.
A few hands later and Theo Tran gets involved in a three-way all in pot, Tran getting the best of it once again.
Tran: AA
Opponent 1: AQ
Opponent 2: KJ
Board: KQ953
Tran’s aces hold, eliminating two opponents this hand as he chips up to 130,000.
Tony Hachem Knocks One Out
Tony Hachem calls a 2,000 raise from the button and goes to the flop with one opponent. The flop comes J104, there is a 3,700 bet and Hachem quickly raises to 7,900. The original bettor moves all in for 11,000 and Hachem calls.
Hachem: J10
Opponent: AQ
Hachem flops top two against the royal flush draw of his opponent. The J hits the turn, filling Hachem and not a moment too soon as his opponent ends up making his flush with the 7 on the river. Hachem eliminated yet another player at his table and chips up to 180,000 this hand.
Hellmuth Flops Top Set, Doesn’t Get Paid Off, Shows Cards Anyway
With a raise of 2,500 and one caller in front of him, Phil Hellmuth reraises to 10,000 from hijack. The original raiser calls and the original caller folds. The flop comes KQ8, and it is checked to Hellmuth who bets 7,000. His opponent folds, but Hellmuth shows him anyway, turning over pocket kings for top set. Hellmuth rakes the pot and brings his stack up to 139,000 this hand.
David Plastik Doubles Up
On a flop of 862, David Plastik gets it all in against one opponent.
Plastik: 88
Opponent: 97
Plastik flops top set against his opponent’s open-ended straight draw. The turn and river are the 4 and the J, no help to his opponent a Plastik doubles up to 45,000 in chips this hand.
Ville Wahlbeck Doubles Up
On a flop of A42, Ville Wahlbeck gets it all in and is called in one spot.
Wahlbeck: A4
Opponent: AK
Wahlbeck flops top set against his opponent’s top pair. The turn and river are the 3 and the K, giving his opponent two pair, too late. Wahlbeck doubles up to 109,000 this hand.
Elky Breaks 250,000
On a board of K8626, Bertrand Grospellier bets the pot (40,000) and gets one caller. Grospellier turns over 86 for a full house while his opponent shows K7 for two pair. Grospellier rakes the pot and breaks the quart-million mark this hand.
Ylon Schwartz Eliminated by Bill Gazes
Ylon Schwartz gets it all in pre-flop against Bill Gazes.
Schwartz: K-K
Gazes: A-K
Board: A92QQ
Schwartz gets it in good but Gazes pairs his ace on the flop. Ylon Schwartz is eliminated from the main event.
Left in the Deck
Players are now on their last twenty-minute break of the night and will return at approximately 8:40 pm PDT to begin the last level of the day.
1. Ludovic Lacay – 1,700,000
2. Tom Lutz – 1,600,000
3. Jordan Morgan – 1,489,000
4. Matt Affleck – 1,450,000
5. Miika Puumalainen – 1,440,000
6. Benjamin Jensen – 1,400,000
7. Harry Kazazian – 1,400,000
8. Billy Kopp – 1,385,000
9. Blair Hinkle – 1,300,000
10. Bertrand Grospellier – 1,250,000
Card Player Chip Counts:
Jeff Shulman – 178,000
Average Chip Count: 478,673
Notable Eliminations:
Matt Brady
Phil Hellmuth
Justin Bonomo
Alexander Kostritsyn
Van Nguyen
Carter King
Big Hands:
Burt Boutin Busts Jason Adler
Burt Boutin called the all in bet of Jason Adler preflop and the players turned up their hands.
Adler: 55
Boutin: AQ
The race was on and the flop came Q106, vaulting Boutin to the lead. The turn was the 4 and the river was the 8, giving Boutin the added bonus of knocking out Adler with a flush instead of just top pair.
Kelly Kim With The Cease Fire
With the pot around 125,000, the board had run out J53KJ. Kelly Kim was facing a 78,000 bet from his opponent and took a session in the tank. After much thought, Kim folded AA in disgust. He was down to just a little over 100,000.
Nick Schulman Drops Some Chips
Nick Schulman called Lance Gettler’s all-in bet preflop. Schulman was holding 55 while Gettler had AJ.
The race was on and the flop came down AJ8, giving Gettler two pair. The turn was the 7 and the river was the 10 and Schulman was down to 480,000.
Paul Wasicka Goes Bust
Paul Wasicka’s stack dropped below 100,000 during this level and he decided to move all in preflop holding AJ. He was then called by an opponent holding AK.
The flop came down A49, giving Wasicka little help. The turn was the K, leaving Wasicka drawing dead as he had no black cards in his hand to make a flush. That was unfortunate as the 5 completed the board and Wasicka was gone.
I’m Phil Ivey And You’re Not
Picking up the action after the turn, the board read AJ78 and Phil Ivey fired 70,000 into the pot.
David Wickham decided to stand on the tracks while the train was coming through, making the call. The river was the 3 and Ivey blasted another slug into the pot, betting 120,000. Wickham finally had a light bulb go off in his head as he laid his hand down. Ivey took the pot and was closing in on 1 million in chips.
Later, Ivey and Michael Graydon were tangling in a hand and the board read Q597. Graydon checked to Ivey who moved all in, having Graydon well covered. Graydon decided to call and turned over A9 for second pair. Ivey then turned over the best hand, KK. The 7 completed the board and Ivey scored another knockout. His stack was at 1.1 million.
Moments later, Ivey raised to 16,000 preflop and David Watkinson made the call from the big blind. The flop came down 963 and Watkinson checked. Ivey bet 22,000 and Watkinson called. The turn was the 8 and Ivey fired another 55,000 into the pot. Watkinson came along for some more punishment and got it when the K fell on the river. Ivey blasted 120,000 and Watkinson waved the white flag, mucking his hand and sending the pot Ivey’s way. He was at 1.2 million.
Shulman Avoids Going Down With The Ship
A player raised to 18,000 preflop and Jeff Shulman made the call from the big blind. The flop came down QQ10. Shulman checked and his opponent bet 20,000. Shulman called and the turn was the 3. Shulman check-called a bet of 40,000 and the river was the 10.
Both players checked and Shulman showed 33 for a full boat on the turn, but his opponent showed A10 for a better one and Shulman dropped to 320,000.
Eastgate Takes Control Of The Hand, Wins A Pot
Patrick Hanoteau raised to 18,000 from the hijack position and Peter Eastgate made the call from the cutoff. Both blinds also called and the flop came down 1084 and the action was checked to Eastgate. He bet 33,000 and everyone else in the hand mucked.
Eastgate took in a nice pot and was at 360,000.
Nick Binger The New Ladies’ Man, Quadruples Up
After three players had limped for 6,000, Nick Binger moved all in for his last 58,000 in chips. Every limper decided to call and Binger was not too pleased. The flop came QQ2 and everyone checked. It was the same story on the J turn and 9 river.
Binger then showed off his ladies, turning over QQ for quads on the flop. Everyone else mucked and Binger quadrupled up to around 235,000.
Elky Drops Some Chips
Picking up the action on the turn, the board read A2610. Bertrand Grospellier fired a bet and then one player shoved all in. Grospellier made the call with 1010 for a turned set but the all-in player showed down Q9 for a flush.
The river gave no help to Grospellier and his stack dropped to 1.35 million.
Hellmuth Gets Jacked Up, Eruption Follows, Then Busts With Aces
Abraham Mourshaki raised to 20,000 and the action folded to Phil Hellmuth who raised to 36,000. Mourshaki called and the flop came down JJ3. Hellmuth bet 40,000 after Mourshaki checked and the bet was called. The turn was the 7 and both players checked. The river was the 5 and Mourshaki bet 120,000. Hellmuth called and was showed AJ for trips. Hellmuth mucked and the tirade began.
“I’m gonna vomit on the floor,” he said. “You had to find jack-jack for him. You couldn’t find just one jack so he could sail off?” Hellmuth then walked away from the table as he was down to 100,000.
Just a few hands later, Mourshaki raised to 22,000 preflop and Hellmuth called. Three other players jumped in the pool as well and the flop came down J510. Kevin Jenkins moved all in for 83,000 and Hellmuth repopped with his last 110,000. Kenny Hsuing made the call and the three players tabled their hands.
Hellmuth: AA
Hsuing: J10
Jenkins: 98
Hellmuth started with the best hand but got outflopped badly. He needed some help but the 7 on the turn gave Jenkins the straight and left Hellmuth drawing dead against Jenkins. He did have a shot at a side pot but the river was the 3 and Hellmuth was gone from the main event in 436th place.
1. Bertrand Grospellier – 1,200,000
2. Owen Crowe – 1,030,000
3. Gabe Walls – 873,000
4. Ludovic Lacay – 870,000
5. Brennan Hanson – 670,000
6. James Akenhead – 660,000
7. Alexander Kostritsyn – 620,000
8. Brian Powel – 620,000
9. Tony Cavezza – 620,000
10. Kenny Tran – 590,000
Card Player Chip Counts:
Phil Hellmuth – 500,000
Jeff Shulman – 175,000
Thomas Keller – out
Average Chip Count: 195,015
Notable Eliminations:
Robert Mizarachi
Amit Makhija
Alexia Portal
Nam Le
Dutch Boyd
Big Hands:
Betrand Grospellier Wins the Largest Hand of the Tournament so Far
A board of 972KA and 40,000 sat on the table when Jerry Wong bet 33,000. Bertrand Grospellier raised to 133,000 and then Wong moved all in for 250,000 more. Grospellier made the call and then flipped over 99. Wong showed down KQ and he was eliminated from the tournament. Grospellier won the huge pot and he now holds 1.1 million as the chip leader.
Jason Alexander Grabs Some Chips
Jason Alexander raised to 7,500 preflop from the hi-jack Christian Heich raised to 22,000. The flop came 862 flop and Alexander bet 20,000. Heich raised to 56,000 and Alexander tanked for a minute before he reraised all in for 131,600 more. Heich tanked and then mucked. Alexander grew his stack to 300,000.
Vitaly Lunkin Doubles Up
Vitaly Lunkin was faced with a preflop raised from the cutoff and decided to reraise to 18,000. The cutoff quickly announced he was all in for 81,150 total and Lunkin quickly called. The cutoff announced he was sick of being reraised by Lunkin and tabled the 75. Lunkin exposed the AQ and was ahead. The flop came 1098, and Lunkin was still in front with ace-high but his opponent had a massive drawing hand with a flush draw and straight draw. The 6 hit the turn and gave the cutoff a straight. The 6 fell on the river and Lunkin lost the 85,000 chip pot. Lunkin is down to 85,000.
Betrand Grospellier Dominating
Elky has been dominating his table since his massive surge to the chip lead. Grospellier raised preflop and was called by an opponent in the big blind. The flop came 833 and the big blind checked to Elky who elected to check behind. The 2 hit the turn and the big blind checked. Elky bet 6,500 and his opponent made the call. The 4 fell on the river and the big blind checked. Elky checked behind and the big blind exposed the A-10 but was no good against the A-J of Elky. Elky has been raising almost every hand and is running through his table. Elky is at 1,200,000.
Alex Kostritsyn Takes One Down
On a flop of K53, Phill Hellmuth bet 16,000 from middle position and Alex Kostritsyn called from the button. Josh Arieh elected to call from the small blind. The turn brought the 8 and action was checked around. The river brought the 4 and action was once again checked around. Arieh exposed the 64 for a busted straight draw but a rivered pair of fours. Hellmuth didn’t show and said he just had a five. Kostritsyn exposed the 77 to take down the pot. Kostritsyn is at 620,000.
Peter Eastgate Eliminates Opponent
The defending main event champion got all the chips into the middle with the AK and was up against the 88. The board ran out AQ10J9 as Eastgate eliminated his opponent and is at 375,000 in chips.
Level 13 Hour 1 Update: Christian Dragomir Eliminated
Jul 10, '09
Blinds: 1,200-2,400 with a 300 ante
Players Remaining: 1,035 out of 6,494
Chip Counts:
1. Ludovic Lacay – 902,000
2. Gabe Walls – 648,000
3. James Akenhead – 625,000
4. Brennan Hanson – 620,000
5. Christian Tardea – 615,000
6. Peter Kremenliev – 595,000
7. Eli Adler – 590,000
8. Kenny Tran – 590,000
9. Brian Hansen – 585,000
10. Alexander Kostritsyn – 575,000
Card Player Chip Counts:
Phil Hellmuth – 500,000
Jeff Shulman – 540,000
Thomas Keller – 120,000
Lee Watkinson – Out
Average Chip Count: 181,905
Notable Eliminations:
Marco Traniello
Cliff Josephy
Jimmy Fricke
Liz Lieu
John Cernuto
Mark Teltscher
Christian Dragomir
Big Hands:
Christian Dragomir Eliminated
Christian Dragomir moved all in after a flop of QJ3 for about 30,000 with the K10. He was called by an opponent with the J9. The turn was the J, eliminating Dragomir’s overcard out, and leaving only the open-ended straight draw to survive. The river bricked for Dragomir as the 4 fell, eliminating him from the tournament after a deep run last year.
Kevin Saul Doubles Up Opponent
Kevin Saul bet 6,200 from middle position and a player in the cutoff moved all in for 18,600 total. A player in the small blind made the call and so did Saul. The board ran out Q627Q, as both Saul and the small blind elected to check it down. The all in player in the cutoff exposed the 99 for queens and nines, while the small blind mucked the AK. Saul jokingly said he mucked A-Q. Saul is at 290,000.
Phil Hellmuth Lays One Down
On a board of KQ10, Phill Hellmuth bet 8,000 from early position into Alex Kostritsyn in late position. Kostritsyn made the call and both players saw a 7 hit the turn. Hellmuth checked and Kostritsyn bet 22,000. Hellmuth went into the tank before finally mucking. Kostritsyn said he had A-J. Hellmuth is at 500,000 while Kostritsyn is at 575,000.
Joe Awada Eliminated
Joe Awada committed the last of his chips on a flop of AKJ and was called by an opponent. Awada exposed the A5 but was well behind the A10 of his opponent. The board ran out 910 and Awada was gone.
Hevad Khan Doubles Up Opponent
Hevad Khan raised to 6,000 preflop and was reraised by Kyriacos Dionysiou. Khan made the quick call and both players saw a flop of J76. Khan checked and Dionysiou bet 35,000. Khan quickly announced he was all in and Dionysiou contemplated briefly before making the call. Khan tabled the 64 for a pair and a flush draw while Dionysiou exposed the A9 for the ace-high flush draw. The J hit the turn and Khan needed to dodge just one more card to win the large pot. However, the A fell on the river and Khan lost to the aces and jacks of his opponent. Khan is now at 195,000.
1. Gabe Walls – 680,000
2. James Akenhead – 578,000
3. John Hammer – 570,000
4. Amir Lehavot – 555,000
5. Tony Cavezza – 550,000
6. Jamie Brown – 545,000
7. Michael Kinney – 530,000
8. Adam Bilzerian – 505,000
9. David Benyamine – 501,000
10. Troy Weber – 500,000
CardPlayer Chip Counts:
Jeff Shulman – 140,000
Phil Hellmuth – 345,000
Lee Watkinson – 41,000
Thomas Keller – 120,000
Average Stack: 131,192
Notable Eliminations:
Adam Schoenfeld
Carlos Mortensen
Corwin Cole
Greg Raymer
Jean-Robert Bellande
Darus Suharto
Big Hands:
A Flush Puts Sexton over the 300,000 Mark
After a raise to 5,200 Mike Sexton called from the small blind. The big blind called as well and the big blind called as well. The flop was 567 and all three players checked to see the 8 on the turn.
The third spade prompted Sexton to bet 10,000, which was called by the big blind. The original raiser folded and the K fell on the river. Sexton bet 20,000 and his opponent thought for a while before making the call. Sexton showed KQ and his opponent mucked.
Farmar Still Hanging In There
Jordan Farmar raised to 5,000 preflop after seat 9 had limped in. Allen Kessler made the call from the big blind and seat 9 called as well. The flop came down 962 and seat 6 bet out. Farmar made the call and Kessler mucked. The turn was the 10 and both players checked. The Q came on the river and seat 9 led out for 5,000. Farmar raised to 10,000 and seat 9 quickly mucked. Farmar took the pot and was at 97,000.
Shulman Rides The Roller Coaster
After some fireworks preflop, the player in seat 5 was all in against Jeff Shulman. Seat 5 held KK while Shulman held AJ. “Come on, baby!” seat 5 shouted. “Hold!”
The flop came down J84 and Shulman got some help. The turn was the 7 and seat 5 was close to a double up. But the A on the river gave Shulman the best hand and seat 5 was eliminated. “Sorry buddy,” Shulman said as he shook seat 5’s hand. Shulman was at 280,000 after the hand.
Moments later, however, Shulman was involved in another big hand. The board ran out A7J4J and Shulman bet 40,000 into a pot holding close to 60,000. His opponent made the call and Shulman tabled Q10 for a busted diamond draw. Seat 1 showed AQ for two pair and Shulman dropped back to 140,000.
Phil Gives Up The Pot
The player on the button raised to 6,000 preflop and Phil Hellmuth made the call from early position. The flop came down 766 and both players checked. The turn was the A and Hellmuth checked again. The button then reached for chips and bet 15,000.
“It’s a good bet,” Hellmuth said with a sigh as he threw his 99 into the muck face up. “You gave it to me,” the button said as he flashed the A. Hellmuth was at 343,000.
1. Troy Weber — 475,000
2. Joh Hammer — 350,000
3. Andreas Altmeyer — 318,000
4. Brian Lemke — 291,000
5. Amir Lehavot — 280,000
6. Bertrand Grospellier — 250,000
7. Phil Ivey — 245,000
8. Adam Latimer — 242,000
9. Brennan Hanson — 240,000
10. Dan Bilzerian — 237,000
Card Player Chip Counts:
Jeff Shulman – 170,000
Phil Hellmuth – 139,000
Lee Watkinson – 80,000
Adam Schoenfeld – 125,000
Matthew Hilger – did not report
Steve Zolotow – 20,000
Thomas Keller – 120,000
Max Pescatori – 47,300
Justin Rollo – did not report
Notable Eliminations:
Noah Schwartz
Adam Levy
Robert Williamson III
Ylon Schwartz
Big Hands:
Miami John Gets Doubled Through
A player at the table moves all in before the flop and Miami John Cernuto calls, he has him slightly covered.
Cernuto: Pocket Eights
Opponent: AQ
Board: KQ924
Cernuto’s opponent flops a queen and doubles through. Cernuto takes a small hit to his stack as he ships roughly 12,000 across the table.
Theo Tran Breaks 100K…And Still Going
Theo Tran raises before the flop, only to be reraised by another player at the table. Tran calls and the flop comes 832, both players check. The turn is the A, Tran checks, his opponent bets 6,100 and Tran calls. The river is the 4 and Tran bets 45,000, putting his opponent to a decision for the rest of his chips. After a minute in the tank his opponent folds and Tran rakes the pot, breaking the 100,000 mark.
A few hands later and Theo Tran gets involved in a three-way all in pot, Tran getting the best of it once again.
Tran: AA
Opponent 1: AQ
Opponent 2: KJ
Board: KQ953
Tran’s aces hold, eliminating two opponents this hand as he chips up to 130,000.
Tony Hachem Knocks One Out
Tony Hachem calls a 2,000 raise from the button and goes to the flop with one opponent. The flop comes J104, there is a 3,700 bet and Hachem quickly raises to 7,900. The original bettor moves all in for 11,000 and Hachem calls.
Hachem: J10
Opponent: AQ
Hachem flops top two against the royal flush draw of his opponent. The J hits the turn, filling Hachem and not a moment too soon as his opponent ends up making his flush with the 7 on the river. Hachem eliminated yet another player at his table and chips up to 180,000 this hand.
Hellmuth Flops Top Set, Doesn’t Get Paid Off, Shows Cards Anyway
With a raise of 2,500 and one caller in front of him, Phil Hellmuth reraises to 10,000 from hijack. The original raiser calls and the original caller folds. The flop comes KQ8, and it is checked to Hellmuth who bets 7,000. His opponent folds, but Hellmuth shows him anyway, turning over pocket kings for top set. Hellmuth rakes the pot and brings his stack up to 139,000 this hand.
David Plastik Doubles Up
On a flop of 862, David Plastik gets it all in against one opponent.
Plastik: 88
Opponent: 97
Plastik flops top set against his opponent’s open-ended straight draw. The turn and river are the 4 and the J, no help to his opponent a Plastik doubles up to 45,000 in chips this hand.
Ville Wahlbeck Doubles Up
On a flop of A42, Ville Wahlbeck gets it all in and is called in one spot.
Wahlbeck: A4
Opponent: AK
Wahlbeck flops top set against his opponent’s top pair. The turn and river are the 3 and the K, giving his opponent two pair, too late. Wahlbeck doubles up to 109,000 this hand.
Elky Breaks 250,000
On a board of K8626, Bertrand Grospellier bets the pot (40,000) and gets one caller. Grospellier turns over 86 for a full house while his opponent shows K7 for two pair. Grospellier rakes the pot and breaks the quart-million mark this hand.
Ylon Schwartz Eliminated by Bill Gazes
Ylon Schwartz gets it all in pre-flop against Bill Gazes.
Schwartz: K-K
Gazes: A-K
Board: A92QQ
Schwartz gets it in good but Gazes pairs his ace on the flop. Ylon Schwartz is eliminated from the main event.
Left in the Deck
Players are now on their last twenty-minute break of the night and will return at approximately 8:40 pm PDT to begin the last level of the day.
1. Robert Kay – 1,370,000
2. Matthew Waxman – 970,000
3. Sean Keeton – 910,000
4. Eugene Katchalov – 880,000
5. Rory Matthews – 780,000
6. Blair Hinkle – 700,000
7. Peter Feldman – 690,000
8. Matt Hawrilenko – 620,000
9. Alex Venovski – 520,000
10. Lee Vlastaris – 510,000
Average Chip Count: 464,000
Notable Eliminations:
Big Hands
Lars Bonding Eliminated
Lars Bonding moved all in for his last 170,000 and Robert Kay made the call. Here were their cards.
Bonding: 98
Kay: AK
Board: A4103K
Kay flopped an ace to take a commanding lead and rivered two pair just for the hell of it and Bonding was eliminated.
Deeb Takes A Big Hit
After a flop of 1056, Sean Keeton fired 37,000 into the pot. Rory Matthews then raised to 165,000 and the action was on Shaun Deeb. He moved in for over 600,000 and Keeton mucked.
Matthews then made the call and Deeb showed Q10 for top pair. Matthews tabled 65 for two pair.
The board finished out 2J and Matthews doubled through Deeb. Deeb was down to 295,000 in chips after the hand.
Raymond Davis Doubles Up
Raymond Davis moved all in preflop for 80,000 and one player made the call. Here were their cards.
Davis: AK
Opponent: A7
Board: A48510
Both players flopped an ace but Davis had a better kicker and it held up, helping Davis double to 180,000 in chips.
Pocket Aces For Hellmuth; Eruption Ensues
Phil Hellmuth raised to 25,000 preflop and Andrey Zaichenko moved in for 200,000. Hellmuth made the call and tabled AA while Zaichenko held KQ. Of course you know, the flop came down KQ5 and Hellmuth was trailing. The board finished out 4 and J and Hellmuth went on a rant.
He proceeded to say a few things to his opponent and the dealer, then culminated his rant by declaring, “I’m playing for my life here!” His life was a bit devalued after the hand, down to 150,000.
1. Matthew Waxman – 1,080,000
2. Robert Kay – 1,000,000
3. Shaun Deeb – 900,000
4. Andrey Zaichenko – 770,000
5. Matt Hawrilenko – 665,000
6. Frank Calo – 630,000
7. Blair Hinkle – 620,000
8. Peter Feldman – 610,000
9. Alex Venovski – 580,000
10. Sean Keeton – 560,000
Average Chip Count: 464,000
Notable Eliminations:
32. Darrell Dicken — $19,453
Big Hands
It’s The Best Hand In Hold’em For A Reason
Qinghai Pan called 8,000 from under the gun and action folded to Peter Feldman in the small blind. He called and the big blind checked. The flop came down 1072. Feldman led out and Pan raised. After some more action, Pan was all in and tabled QQ. Feldman then showed 72 for two pair and the board ran out A6.
Pan was eliminated and Feldman was at 600,000 in chips.
Ace Cracker
Ravi Raghavan moved all in preflop for his last 107,000 in chips. Andrey Zaichenko made the call and showed JJ. Raghaven turned over the superior AA and was in great shape to double up. But the flop was very unkind to the aces as it came J76 and Zaichenko flopped a set. The turn was the 2 and the river was the 6, filling up Zaichenko and Raghaven was eliminated. Zaichenko was at 770,000.
Hellmuth With The Rockets
Sergey Feklisov moved all in from middle position and action folded to Phil Hellmuth in the cutoff. He made the call and everyone else folded. Hellmuth tabled AA while Feklisov showed 88.
The board ran out KJ653 and Feklisov was eliminated. Hellmuth was at 460,000.
Hawrilenko Outflops Hackworth
Matt Hawrilenko raised from late position and Trevor Hackworth moved all in from the small blind. Hawrilenko made the call and tabled AQ while Hackworth showed KK.
The flop was kind to Hawrilenko as it came AQ3, giving him two pair and putting Hackworth at serious risk. The turn was the 2 and the river was the 5, sending Hackworth to the rail and improving Hawrilenko’s stack to 665,000.
1. Sorel Mizzi – 118,000
2. Kenna James – 110,000
3. Justin Bonomo – 89,000
4. Chris Ferguson – 85,000
5. Alex Kravchenko – 78,000
6. Phil Hellmuth – 57,000
7. Roberto Romanello – 51,000
8. David Benefield – 46,000
9. Phil Laak – 39,000
10. Nick Schulman – 12,000
Average Chip Count: 68,235
Notable Eliminations:
Eugene Todd
Big Hands:
Helppi Makes Nut Flush and Gets Paid Off
Juha Helppi raised to 2500 from the cutoff and was called by the player in the small blind. The flop fell 8104 and both players checked.
The turn was the K and after the small blind checked, Helppi bet 5000 and was called. The river was the J and the small blind led out for 12,000 and was raised to 40,000 by Helppi.
After a few moments, the small blind made the call and Helppi showed the A9, good for the nut flush, and the small blind mucked his hand.
Phil Hellmuth Knocks Out a Player
Phil Hellmuth raised to 2500 and then the player in the small blind moved all in for 12,500. Hellmuth instantly called and the hands were turned up.
Hellmuth showed the AJ and was ahead of A9 that his opponent held. The J on the flop sealed it for Hellmuth and his opponent was drawing dead going to the river.
Ferguson Loses a Small Pot
After an under the gun player raised to 3000 and Chris Ferguson made it 9000. The player in the small blind moved all in for 10,500 and Ferguson tossed in the extra 1050.
Ferguson tabled the AQ and was up against the AK. The flop was good for Ferguson as it fell Q82. The turn card was the 10 and the river was the J, making a straight for the small blind and giving him the pot.
1. Robert Kay – 1,370,000
2. Matthew Waxman – 970,000
3. Sean Keeton – 910,000
4. Eugene Katchalov – 880,000
5. Rory Matthews – 780,000
6. Blair Hinkle – 700,000
7. Peter Feldman – 690,000
8. Matt Hawrilenko – 620,000
9. Alex Venovski – 520,000
10. Lee Vlastaris – 510,000
Average Chip Count: 464,000
Notable Eliminations:
Big Hands
Lars Bonding Eliminated
Lars Bonding moved all in for his last 170,000 and Robert Kay made the call. Here were their cards.
Bonding: 98
Kay: AK
Board: A4103K
Kay flopped an ace to take a commanding lead and rivered two pair just for the hell of it and Bonding was eliminated.
Deeb Takes A Big Hit
After a flop of 1056, Sean Keeton fired 37,000 into the pot. Rory Matthews then raised to 165,000 and the action was on Shaun Deeb. He moved in for over 600,000 and Keeton mucked.
Matthews then made the call and Deeb showed Q10 for top pair. Matthews tabled 65 for two pair.
The board finished out 2J and Matthews doubled through Deeb. Deeb was down to 295,000 in chips after the hand.
Raymond Davis Doubles Up
Raymond Davis moved all in preflop for 80,000 and one player made the call. Here were their cards.
Davis: AK
Opponent: A7
Board: A48510
Both players flopped an ace but Davis had a better kicker and it held up, helping Davis double to 180,000 in chips.
Pocket Aces For Hellmuth; Eruption Ensues
Phil Hellmuth raised to 25,000 preflop and Andrey Zaichenko moved in for 200,000. Hellmuth made the call and tabled AA while Zaichenko held KQ. Of course you know, the flop came down KQ5 and Hellmuth was trailing. The board finished out 4 and J and Hellmuth went on a rant.
He proceeded to say a few things to his opponent and the dealer, then culminated his rant by declaring, “I’m playing for my life here!” His life was a bit devalued after the hand, down to 150,000.
1. Matthew Waxman – 1,080,000
2. Robert Kay – 1,000,000
3. Shaun Deeb – 900,000
4. Andrey Zaichenko – 770,000
5. Matt Hawrilenko – 665,000
6. Frank Calo – 630,000
7. Blair Hinkle – 620,000
8. Peter Feldman – 610,000
9. Alex Venovski – 580,000
10. Sean Keeton – 560,000
Average Chip Count: 464,000
Notable Eliminations:
32. Darrell Dicken — $19,453
Big Hands
It’s The Best Hand In Hold’em For A Reason
Qinghai Pan called 8,000 from under the gun and action folded to Peter Feldman in the small blind. He called and the big blind checked. The flop came down 1072. Feldman led out and Pan raised. After some more action, Pan was all in and tabled QQ. Feldman then showed 72 for two pair and the board ran out A6.
Pan was eliminated and Feldman was at 600,000 in chips.
Ace Cracker
Ravi Raghavan moved all in preflop for his last 107,000 in chips. Andrey Zaichenko made the call and showed JJ. Raghaven turned over the superior AA and was in great shape to double up. But the flop was very unkind to the aces as it came J76 and Zaichenko flopped a set. The turn was the 2 and the river was the 6, filling up Zaichenko and Raghaven was eliminated. Zaichenko was at 770,000.
Hellmuth With The Rockets
Sergey Feklisov moved all in from middle position and action folded to Phil Hellmuth in the cutoff. He made the call and everyone else folded. Hellmuth tabled AA while Feklisov showed 88.
The board ran out KJ653 and Feklisov was eliminated. Hellmuth was at 460,000.
Hawrilenko Outflops Hackworth
Matt Hawrilenko raised from late position and Trevor Hackworth moved all in from the small blind. Hawrilenko made the call and tabled AQ while Hackworth showed KK.
The flop was kind to Hawrilenko as it came AQ3, giving him two pair and putting Hackworth at serious risk. The turn was the 2 and the river was the 5, sending Hackworth to the rail and improving Hawrilenko’s stack to 665,000.
1. Sorel Mizzi – 118,000
2. Kenna James – 110,000
3. Justin Bonomo – 89,000
4. Chris Ferguson – 85,000
5. Alex Kravchenko – 78,000
6. Phil Hellmuth – 57,000
7. Roberto Romanello – 51,000
8. David Benefield – 46,000
9. Phil Laak – 39,000
10. Nick Schulman – 12,000
Average Chip Count: 68,235
Notable Eliminations:
Eugene Todd
Big Hands:
Helppi Makes Nut Flush and Gets Paid Off
Juha Helppi raised to 2500 from the cutoff and was called by the player in the small blind. The flop fell 8104 and both players checked.
The turn was the K and after the small blind checked, Helppi bet 5000 and was called. The river was the J and the small blind led out for 12,000 and was raised to 40,000 by Helppi.
After a few moments, the small blind made the call and Helppi showed the A9, good for the nut flush, and the small blind mucked his hand.
Phil Hellmuth Knocks Out a Player
Phil Hellmuth raised to 2500 and then the player in the small blind moved all in for 12,500. Hellmuth instantly called and the hands were turned up.
Hellmuth showed the AJ and was ahead of A9 that his opponent held. The J on the flop sealed it for Hellmuth and his opponent was drawing dead going to the river.
Ferguson Loses a Small Pot
After an under the gun player raised to 3000 and Chris Ferguson made it 9000. The player in the small blind moved all in for 10,500 and Ferguson tossed in the extra 1050.
Ferguson tabled the AQ and was up against the AK. The flop was good for Ferguson as it fell Q82. The turn card was the 10 and the river was the J, making a straight for the small blind and giving him the pot.
The remaining nine players will resume action at 2.pm today. Brandon Cantu is the massive chip leader with 1,025,000 in the $1,500 pot-limit Omaha 8 or better event. Cantu is looking for his second career bracelet after a disappointing second place finish in event no. 39 ($1,500 no-limit hold’em) just five days ago. Bracelet winner Lee Watkinson is also in the running to take the title. Phil Hellmuth made a run at the final table but finished short in fourteenth place.
Action has ended for the night as the players have reached a final table. Brandon Cantu is the massive chip leader with 1,025,000 in the $1,500 pot-limit Omaha 8 or better event. Cantu is looking for his second career bracelet after a disappointing second place finish in event no. 39 ($1,500 no-limit hold’em) just five days ago. Phil Hellmuth made a run at the final table but finished short in fourteenth place.
The remaining nine players will resume action at 2.pm today. Brandon Cantu is the massive chip leader with 1,025,000 in the $1,500 pot-limit Omaha 8 or better event. Cantu is looking for his second career bracelet after a disappointing second place finish in event no. 39 ($1,500 no-limit hold’em) just five days ago. Bracelet winner Lee Watkinson is also in the running to take the title. Phil Hellmuth made a run at the final table but finished short in fourteenth place.
Action has ended for the night as the players have reached a final table. Brandon Cantu is the massive chip leader with 1,025,000 in the $1,500 pot-limit Omaha 8 or better event. Cantu is looking for his second career bracelet after a disappointing second place finish in event no. 39 ($1,500 no-limit hold’em) just five days ago. Phil Hellmuth made a run at the final table but finished short in fourteenth place.
1. Dario Minieri – 58,000
2. Shaun Deeb – 58,000
3. Markus Golser – 57,000
4. Sami Kelopuro – 50,000
5. Maria Ho – 49,000
6. Carlos Mortensen – 47,500
7. David Oppenheim – 46,000
8. Daniel Negreanu – 45,000
9. Dan Shak – 41,000
10. Lex Veldhuis – 41,000
Big Hands:
The Inner Darkness Of Hellmuth Prevails
The action folded around to Phil Hellmuth in late position and he raised to 800 preflop. One player came along for the ride and the players saw a flop. Before the dealer had the three cards in his hand to spread them onto the table, Hellmuth led out with 400 in the dark.
The flop then came down 543. Hellmuth’s opponent gave a slight grin and mucked his hand. Hellmuth raked in the pot and his stack was around 33,000 in chips.
Chino Excels
With more than 2,400 already in the pot and the board showing Q1025, Chino Rheem fired 800 into the pot and two players called him. Chino fired another bet after the river came down and his opponents lost their nerve and mucked. Rheem raked in the pot and he was around 33,000.
Eli Takes A Nice Pot
After the action was three-bet preflop, Eli Elezra and two other players saw a flop of KQ3. Action was checked to Elezra and he fired 400. His opponents both called and the turn brought the 2. Elezra fired 800 again into the pot and the player in seat 1 raised to 1,600. The player in seat 2 mucked and Elezra pushed right back, raising to 2,400. Seat 1 called and the river was the 3. Elezra fired another bet and his opponent mucked. Elezra tabled AQ and he raked in the pot, improving his chip stack to 38,000.
Day 1 of the $10,000 World Championship of no-limit 2-7 Draw has finally come to an end. Only 60 players of the original 96 entrants remain in contention as Roland de Wolfe leads the pack into Day 2. With a total combined prizepool of $902,400, only 14 places will be paid as some of the world’s greatest players will return to the Rio at 2:00 pm PDT tomorrow to battle it out for the grand prize of $279,742, and the twenty-third gold bracelet of the series.
Be sure to check back with CardPlayer.com tomorrow as we bring you all of the live action from this marquee event.
Blinds: 500-1,000 with a 300 ante
Players Remaining: 60 out of 96
Chip Counts:
1. Roland de Wolfe — 165,000
2. John Juanda — 115,000
3. Vince Musso — 105,000
4. Tim Phan — 95,000
3. Justin Smith — 93,000
5. Pat Bueno — 78,000
6. Johnny Chan — 73,000
7. Andy Black — 71,000
8. Sam Grizzle — 71,000
9. Anton Allemann — 69,000
10. Farzad Bonyadi — 68,000
Average Chip Count: 48,000
Notable Eliminations:
Phil Helllmuth
Huck Seed
Danny Wong
Chad Brown
Allen Cunningham
Marco Traniello
John Monnette
Jon Turner
Chino Rheem
Big Hands:
Phil Hellmuth Eliminated
Phil Hellmuth was all in before the draw in a four-way pot, with two of his opponents drawing one card each as Amnon Filippi stood pat.
Dan Harmetz bets after the draw as Filippi calls and the fourth opponent folds. Harmetz turns over a 10-8-7-6-5 low and rakes the pot, eliminating Phil Hellmuth in the process
Bobby Bellande Doesn’t Want to see a Bluff
Freddy Deeb raises to 2,500 from the button, John Juanda reraises to 10,000 from the small blind and Deeb calls.
Both players draw one card each.
First to act, Juanda tanks for several minutes on his own action before betting 65,000 (enough to put Deeb all in). Deeb counts his stack (44,650) and makes the dealer give Juanda back his change. This would be Deeb’s first attempt to try and steal information from his opponent. Deeb would tank for another few minutes, asking Juanda a series of questions as he desperately looks for a sign of weakness. He doesn’t get what he’s looking for and decides to fold.
Juanda re-checks his cards as Deeb tells him to show the bluff. Just as Juanda is about to turn over his cards, Bobby Bellande chimes in and tells him not to. Juanda looks at his friend and leaves the decision up to him. “Do you want me to show or not?” He asks Bellande. Bellande replies with a straight face, “Don’t show your cards, because if it is a bluff I’m gonna want to call you down all night.”
Juanda listens to his friend and opts not to show the hand as the whole table gets a laugh, including Bellande who we’re pretty sure was serious.
Huck Seed Eliminated
It was a three-way all in pot before the draw between Huck Seed (4,000), Bryan Colin (29,000) and Layne Flack (had them both covered).
Seed and Colin both drew one card each as Flack stood pat.
Flack turned over a 9-8-7-4-2 low while Colin drew to an 8-6-4-3-2 low. Seed thre his cards into the muck as Colin raked the pot, eliminating Huck Seed and chopping Flack’s stack down to 35,000.