Doyle Brunson - Live Updates

Tournament Update -- Level 21

Sep 30, '09

Blinds: 8,000-16,000 with a 2,000 ante

Players Remaining: 12 out of 334

Chip Counts:

Jason Mercier — 2,691,000
James Akenhead — 1,205,000
Barry Shulman — 1,148,000
Praz Bansi — 869,000
Antoine Saout — 726,000
Markus Ristola — 631,000
Daniel Negreanu — 606,000
Matt Hawrilenko — 584,000
Chris Bjorin — 572,000
Eric Liu — 407,000

Average Chip Count: 835,000

Notable Eliminations:

17: Doyle Brunson — £31,198
16: Saar Wilf — £31,198
15: Ram Vaswani — £40,481
14: Teddy Sheringham — £40,481
13: Tony Cousineau — £40,481

Big Hands:

Doyle Brunson Eliminated in 17th Place (£31,198)

Daniel Negreanu raised to open the action and Doyle Brunson moved all in from the button. James Akenhead reraised all in and Negreanu got out of the way. Akenhand and Brunon then flipped over their cards:

Brunson: Q9
Akenhead: AK

Board: Q54KJ

Brunson was eliminated in 17th place on the hand and Akenhead grew his stack to more than 1.2 million.

Ram Vaswani Eliminated in 15th Place (£40,481)

Vaswani moved all in preflop on a short stack and Barry Shulman made the call. Their cards:

Vaswani: 109
Shulman: 8-8

Board: A73J4

Shulman grew his stack to more than 1 million after the hand.

Tony Cousineau Eliminated in 13th Place (£40,481)

James Akenhead called a late-position raise from the button and Tony Cousineau moved all in from the small blind. Akenhead made the call and they flipped over their cards:

Akenhead: K9
Cousineau: AK

Board: 54263

James Akendhead grew his stack to more than 1.3 million after the hand and Cousineau was eliminated by the flush in 13th place.

Player Tags: Tony Cousineau,   Doyle Brunson,   Barry Shulman,   Ram Vaswani,   James Akenhead

Level 3 Hour 2 Update: Not a Good Hour for the Brunson's

Jul 04, '09

Blinds: 150-300

Chip Counts:

1. Craig Hopkins – 131,000
2. Nick Maimone – 125,000
3. Jim Bookstaff – 118,000
4. Vadim Gruzglin – 118,000
5. Jesse Rios – 110,500
6. Ali Eslami – 90,000
7. Karin Lehoussing – 87,000
8. Jonathan Tare – 75,000
9. Sam Khouiss – 72,000
10. Dave D’Alesandro – 68,000

Card Player Chip Counts:

Todd Brunson — 41,000
Mike Matusow — 29,000

Notable Eliminations:

Doyle Brunson
Vicky Coren

Big Hands

Deeb Gets Revenge

A player under the gun opened the pot for 800 and was called by Shaun Deeb and the player in the big blind. They saw the flop three-handed and it came AJ4. The big blind checked, the original raiser bet 2,200 and Deeb raised to 5,250. The big blind, who was the the same player that doubled through Deeb earlier, flat called the 5250 and the original raiser got out of the way.

They were heads-up to the turn and the turn card was the 8. The big blind checked and Deeb moved all in for his last 16,000. The big blind called and showed A8, but was way behind Deeb’s AJ. The river bricked off and Deeb doubled up to about 50,000.

Helppi Doubles Up Through Brunson

There were several players that took a flop after a preflop raise. The flop came J22 and everybody checked over to the button, who bet 1,500. The small blind called, Todd Brunson called, and then Juha Helppi moved all in for his last 8,125.

The button tanked for a minute or so before finally giving up his hand. The small blind tossed in his cards quickly and then Brunson went into the tank. After asking the dealer to spread the pot as he did some mental math, he then cut out some chips and said “I guess you have a flush draw,” and tossed in the call.

Brunson was right as Helppi tabled A10 and Brunson showed QJ. The button moaned, claiming he had folded pocket queens, but was relieved when the A fell on the turn, giving Helppi the best hand. The river was the 5 and Brunson’s stack took a dent.

Doyle Brunson Eliminated

With the final board reading 9 7 3 4 A, cards were turned up and Doyle Brunson was getting up from the table. Brunson had flopped a set of threes and was eliminated when his opponent showed 5 6.

The room cheered out of respect as the 10 time bracelet winner was eliminated from the tournament, and his World Series is officially over.

Mortensen’s Stack Takes a Hit

After a preflop raise to 600, Carlos Mortensen and two other players called.

The flop was 94Q and everybody checked to the preflop raiser, who bet 1,200, which was called by everyone. The turn was the 10 and after the preflop raiser bet 2,000, Mortensen was the only caller.

The river was the 4 and Mortensen moved his opponent all in after he bet 4,100. His opponent snap called and showed QQ, good for a full house, and besting Mortensen’s A4.

This Is What Happens When You Don’t Respect Your Elders

Erik Seidel raised to 800 from middle position and action folded around to the big blind, where an older woman was residing. She made the call and the two players saw a flop of A43. The big blind checked and Seidel immediately fired 1,400. The woman called and the turn was the 6. The woman then led out with 3,050 and Seidel made a quick call.

The river was the A and the woman immediately fired 16,000 into the bought, producing a giggle from Seidel and a shake of the head. He spent a minute thinking over his decision and then mucked his hand. His stack was down to 54,000.

Eslami Near Six Figures

On a board reading KJ2810, the player in the hijack position fired 3,500. Ali Eslami then raised to 9,000 from the button. The player in the hijack then tabled Q9, thinking Eslami had just called. After the floor was called over, the player was issued a warning but given the option to call or fold. He called with his straight, but Eslami tabled AQ for the nut straight and he raked in the pot. Eslami was around 90,000 after the hand.

Vicky Coren Out In Heartbreaking Fashion

Vicky Coren moved her last 10,000 into the pot preflop and was called by one opponent. Coren tabled QQ and was in terrible shape against her opponents KK.

The flop was no help as it came 432. Coren then spiked the Q on the turn and was in great shape to double up. But the K fell on the river and just that quickly, Coren went from the penthouse to the outhouse as she was eliminated.

Big Hand For Slim, But Only a Small Pot

On a flop of K66, the small blind led out for 400 and Amarillo Slim called. The 3 fell on the turn and the small blind checked. Slim bet 500 and the small blind folded and claimed he had a king.

“You were drawing dead the whole way, lucky for you you didn’t catch another one,” said Slim as he flashed the 66, showing that he flopped quad sixes.

Player Tags: Erik Seidel,   Todd Brunson,   Doyle Brunson,   Ali Eslami,   Vicky Coren,   Shaun Deeb

Level 13 Update: Doyle Brunson, Erick Lindgren Eliminated

Jun 28, '09

Flop Games: Blinds – 5,000-10,000, Limits – 10,000-20,000
Stud Games: Ante — 2,000, Bring-In — 3,000, Completion — 10,000, Limits — 10,000-20,000

Players Remaining: 37 out of 95

Chip Counts:

1. Gus Hansen — 890,000
2. Erik Sagstrom — 835,000
3. Ray Dehkharghani – 823,000
4. Todd Brunson — 610,000
5. Hasan Habib — 490,000
6. Jani Sointula – 470,500
7. Scotty Nguyen – 463,000
8. Frank Cremen – 457,000
9. Jim Bechtel – 455,000
10. Freddy Deeb – 450,000

Average Chip Count: 385,135

Notable Eliminations:

Doyle Brunson
Justin Smith
Erick Lindgren
David Grey

Big Hands:

OMAHA/8

Doyle Brunson Eliminated

John Hanson raised preflop and Doyle Brunson called in the cutoff, putting himself all in.

Their cards:

Brunson: 7532
Hanson: AAQ4

The board came KJ10610, and Brunson was eliminated by the straight of the 2007 H.O.R.S.E third place finisher. Hanson is up to 280,000.

RAZZ

Justin Smith Eliminated

Justin Smith had all his chips in the middle in Razz against 2007 champion Freddy Deeb. Smith had a disaster with a hand of 4X-7X-7X-4X-AX-4X-AX, for two pair. Smith was no good against Deeb and was sent packing early on day three.

STUD HIGH

Erick Lindgren Eliminated

The 2008 $50k H.O.R.S.E. third place finisher was all in on third street against 2007 champion Freddy Deeb.

Their cards:

Lindgren: (910)-106 98-(9)
Deeb: (JJ)-J7 4Q-(4)

Lindgren held tens and nines against Deeb’s three jacks. Both made full boats on the end but Deeb held the higher one to eliminate Lindgren. Deeb is up to 450,000 and looks to be making a run at another final table.

David Grey Triples Up, Eliminated Shortly After

David Grey was all in for just 21,000 against Patrik Antonius and the big stack of Gus Hansen.

Their cards:

Grey: (98)-2725-(6)
Antonius: (X-X)107610-(X)
Hansen: (K10)AJQQ-(X)

After massive side betting between Hansen and Antonius on every street, David Grey exposed a flush to take the small main pot. Hansen bet on the end and was just called by Antonius. Hansen showed the K10 for a Broadway straight. Hansen is up to 890,000 and Grey is up to just 64,000. Antonius is down to 170,000.

Grey was on life support after the hand, eventually hitting the rail against recent bracelet winner John Kabbaj in stud high.

Left in the Deck:

The players are currently on a 20 minute break.

Player Tags: Gus Hansen,   Doyle Brunson,   David Grey,   Patrik Antonius,   John Hanson,   John Kabbaj,   Freddy Deeb,   Justin Smith

Level 4 Update: Brunson Loses Some Chips

Jun 26, '09

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

Players Remaining: 95 out of 95

Chip Counts:

1. Martin Vallo – 290,000
2. Justin Smith – 251,000
3. David Bach – 235,000
4. Steve Billirakis – 223,000
5. Bill Chen – 210,000
6. James Van Alstyne – 206,000
7. David Benyamine – 199,000
8. Andy Black – 198,000
9. Chad Brown – 196,000
10. Jeff Lisandro – 188,000

Big Hands:

Hold’em

Seidel’s River Bet Forces a Fold From Pezzin

Erik Seidel raised from early position and was called by Pat Pezzin in the big blind. They took the flop heads up and it came J52. Pezzin checked and called 1500 from Seidel and they see a turn.

The turn was the 8 and Pezzin checks and calls again to Seidel’s bet. The river was a 10 and Pezzin checked one more time. Seidel fired one last bullet of 3000 and Pezzin quickly mucked his hand and the dealer pushed the pot Seidel’s way.

Omaha/8

Justin Smith Scoops Big Multi-way Pot

Five players invested four bets a piece preflop and the flop was KK4. Both blinds check and Justin “BoostedJ” Smith bets 1500, which is called by Gabe Kaplan and Hasaan Habib. The turn was the Q and the same action took place, this time with a bet of 3000.

The river was the 4 Smith fires one last 3000 shell. Kaplan thought for a bit and folded before Habib made the call. Smith tabled KJ109, giving him three kings, and Habib mucked his hand.

Razz

Juanda Drops A Pot To Smith

Picking up the action on third street, John Juanda and Justin Smith tangled up in a hand.

Juanda: X-X-5
Smith: X-X-3

John Juanda completed to 1,500 and action folded around to Smith. He raised to 3,000 and Juanda made the call.

Juanda: X-X-58
Smith: X-X-38

Smith bet another 1,500 and Juanda made the call.

Juanda: X-X-58Q
Smith: X-X-387

Smith fired 3,000 into the pot and Juanda got out of the way. Smith raked in the pot and was around 240,000 while Juanda was at 128,000.

Stud/8

Brunson Has His Chips Chopped Up

Picking up the action on third street, Doyle Brunson, Vitaly Lunkin and seat 3 were involved in a hand.

Brunson: X-X-5
Lunkin: X-X-6
Seat 3: X-X-2

Brunson completed to 1,500 and Lunkin called. Seat 3 raised to 3,000 and both Brunson and Lunkin called.

Brunson: X-X-5K
Lunkin: X-X-64
Seat 3: X-X-2K

Seat 3 bet 1,500 and both opponents called.

Brunson: X-X-5K3
Lunkin: X-X-645
Seat 3: X-X-2K4

Lunkin was the aggressor on fifth street, leading out with 3,000. Both opponents called.

Brunson: X-X-5K3A
Lunkin: X-X-6456
Seat 3: X-X-2K47

Lunkin bet another 3,000 and both of his opponents called. The river was dealt and Lunkin bet 3,000. Seat 3 called and Brunson looked down at his hole cards. He was disgusted and threw his hand into the muck. He then slammed the table with his hand. Lunkin showed (Q75) for a spade flush. Seat 3 showed (A32) for a 7-low and they chopped up the pot that had many chips from Brunson. Lunkin was at 107,000 while Brunson was at 135,000.

Player Tags: Erik Seidel,   John Juanda,   Hasan Habib,   Doyle Brunson,   Gabe Kaplan,   Pat Pezzin,   Vitaly Lunkin,   Justin Smith

Level 13 Update: Doyle Brunson, Erick Lindgren Eliminated

Jun 28, '09

Flop Games: Blinds – 5,000-10,000, Limits – 10,000-20,000
Stud Games: Ante — 2,000, Bring-In — 3,000, Completion — 10,000, Limits — 10,000-20,000

Players Remaining: 37 out of 95

Chip Counts:

1. Gus Hansen — 890,000
2. Erik Sagstrom — 835,000
3. Ray Dehkharghani – 823,000
4. Todd Brunson — 610,000
5. Hasan Habib — 490,000
6. Jani Sointula – 470,500
7. Scotty Nguyen – 463,000
8. Frank Cremen – 457,000
9. Jim Bechtel – 455,000
10. Freddy Deeb – 450,000

Average Chip Count: 385,135

Notable Eliminations:

Doyle Brunson
Justin Smith
Erick Lindgren
David Grey

Big Hands:

OMAHA/8

Doyle Brunson Eliminated

John Hanson raised preflop and Doyle Brunson called in the cutoff, putting himself all in.

Their cards:

Brunson: 7532
Hanson: AAQ4

The board came KJ10610, and Brunson was eliminated by the straight of the 2007 H.O.R.S.E third place finisher. Hanson is up to 280,000.

RAZZ

Justin Smith Eliminated

Justin Smith had all his chips in the middle in Razz against 2007 champion Freddy Deeb. Smith had a disaster with a hand of 4X-7X-7X-4X-AX-4X-AX, for two pair. Smith was no good against Deeb and was sent packing early on day three.

STUD HIGH

Erick Lindgren Eliminated

The 2008 $50k H.O.R.S.E. third place finisher was all in on third street against 2007 champion Freddy Deeb.

Their cards:

Lindgren: (910)-106 98-(9)
Deeb: (JJ)-J7 4Q-(4)

Lindgren held tens and nines against Deeb’s three jacks. Both made full boats on the end but Deeb held the higher one to eliminate Lindgren. Deeb is up to 450,000 and looks to be making a run at another final table.

David Grey Triples Up, Eliminated Shortly After

David Grey was all in for just 21,000 against Patrik Antonius and the big stack of Gus Hansen.

Their cards:

Grey: (98)-2725-(6)
Antonius: (X-X)107610-(X)
Hansen: (K10)AJQQ-(X)

After massive side betting between Hansen and Antonius on every street, David Grey exposed a flush to take the small main pot. Hansen bet on the end and was just called by Antonius. Hansen showed the K10 for a Broadway straight. Hansen is up to 890,000 and Grey is up to just 64,000. Antonius is down to 170,000.

Grey was on life support after the hand, eventually hitting the rail against recent bracelet winner John Kabbaj in stud high.

Left in the Deck:

The players are currently on a 20 minute break.

Player Tags: Gus Hansen,   Doyle Brunson,   David Grey,   Patrik Antonius,   John Hanson,   John Kabbaj,   Freddy Deeb,   Justin Smith

Level 4 Update: Brunson Loses Some Chips

Jun 26, '09

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

Players Remaining: 95 out of 95

Chip Counts:

1. Martin Vallo – 290,000
2. Justin Smith – 251,000
3. David Bach – 235,000
4. Steve Billirakis – 223,000
5. Bill Chen – 210,000
6. James Van Alstyne – 206,000
7. David Benyamine – 199,000
8. Andy Black – 198,000
9. Chad Brown – 196,000
10. Jeff Lisandro – 188,000

Big Hands:

Hold’em

Seidel’s River Bet Forces a Fold From Pezzin

Erik Seidel raised from early position and was called by Pat Pezzin in the big blind. They took the flop heads up and it came J52. Pezzin checked and called 1500 from Seidel and they see a turn.

The turn was the 8 and Pezzin checks and calls again to Seidel’s bet. The river was a 10 and Pezzin checked one more time. Seidel fired one last bullet of 3000 and Pezzin quickly mucked his hand and the dealer pushed the pot Seidel’s way.

Omaha/8

Justin Smith Scoops Big Multi-way Pot

Five players invested four bets a piece preflop and the flop was KK4. Both blinds check and Justin “BoostedJ” Smith bets 1500, which is called by Gabe Kaplan and Hasaan Habib. The turn was the Q and the same action took place, this time with a bet of 3000.

The river was the 4 Smith fires one last 3000 shell. Kaplan thought for a bit and folded before Habib made the call. Smith tabled KJ109, giving him three kings, and Habib mucked his hand.

Razz

Juanda Drops A Pot To Smith

Picking up the action on third street, John Juanda and Justin Smith tangled up in a hand.

Juanda: X-X-5
Smith: X-X-3

John Juanda completed to 1,500 and action folded around to Smith. He raised to 3,000 and Juanda made the call.

Juanda: X-X-58
Smith: X-X-38

Smith bet another 1,500 and Juanda made the call.

Juanda: X-X-58Q
Smith: X-X-387

Smith fired 3,000 into the pot and Juanda got out of the way. Smith raked in the pot and was around 240,000 while Juanda was at 128,000.

Stud/8

Brunson Has His Chips Chopped Up

Picking up the action on third street, Doyle Brunson, Vitaly Lunkin and seat 3 were involved in a hand.

Brunson: X-X-5
Lunkin: X-X-6
Seat 3: X-X-2

Brunson completed to 1,500 and Lunkin called. Seat 3 raised to 3,000 and both Brunson and Lunkin called.

Brunson: X-X-5K
Lunkin: X-X-64
Seat 3: X-X-2K

Seat 3 bet 1,500 and both opponents called.

Brunson: X-X-5K3
Lunkin: X-X-645
Seat 3: X-X-2K4

Lunkin was the aggressor on fifth street, leading out with 3,000. Both opponents called.

Brunson: X-X-5K3A
Lunkin: X-X-6456
Seat 3: X-X-2K47

Lunkin bet another 3,000 and both of his opponents called. The river was dealt and Lunkin bet 3,000. Seat 3 called and Brunson looked down at his hole cards. He was disgusted and threw his hand into the muck. He then slammed the table with his hand. Lunkin showed (Q75) for a spade flush. Seat 3 showed (A32) for a 7-low and they chopped up the pot that had many chips from Brunson. Lunkin was at 107,000 while Brunson was at 135,000.

Player Tags: Erik Seidel,   John Juanda,   Hasan Habib,   Doyle Brunson,   Gabe Kaplan,   Pat Pezzin,   Vitaly Lunkin,   Justin Smith

Final Table Set

Jun 20, '09

Ante: 5,000
Low Card: 5,000
Completion: 20,000
Limits: 20,000-40,000

Players Remaining: 8 out of 164

Final-Table Seating Chart with Chip Counts:

Seat 1: Yan Chen — 775,000
Seat 2: Frank Mariani — 449,000
Seat 3: Abe Mosseri — 1,167,000
Seat 4: Justin Smith — 261,000
Seat 5: Doyle Brunson — 284,000
Seat 6: Mike Wattel — 154,000
Seat 7: Farzad Rouhani — 859,000
Seat 8: Jeffrey Lisandro — 983,000

Average Chip Count: 447,272

Notable Eliminations:

9. Anthony Rivera – $41,885

Big Hands:

Anthony Rivera Eliminated in Ninth Place ($41,885)

Justin Smith brought it in with X-X-2 and Yan Chen completed with X-X-A. Anthony Rivera raised with X-X-9 and Smith mucked. Chen reraised and Rivera made the all-in call. Their cards:

Chen: (AJ)A346(5)
Rivera: (1010)95103(K)

Chen made a flush and a 6-5 low to scoop the pot and eliminate Rivera in ninth place. The final table of eight is now set.

Left in the Deck

Doyle Brunson will be playing at his 24th World Series of Poker final table in this event today. If Brunson wins he will have 11 bracelets for his career. The win would tie him with Phil Hellmuth for the most all time.

Player Tags: Doyle Brunson,   Tony Rivera,   Yan Chen

Level 14 Update: Mimi Tran, Doyle Brunson Eliminated

Jun 16, '09

Blinds: 2,500-5,000

Players Remaining: 41 out of 185

Chip Counts:

1. Chad Brown – 376,000
2. Kenny Hsiung – 330,000
3. Matt Hawrilenko – 310,000
4. Kenny Shei – 300,000
5. Soheil Shamseddin – 260,000
6. Ralph Perry – 255,000
7. Howard Lederer – 250,000
8. Pat Pezzin – 250,000
9. Todd Brunson – 250,000
10. Daniel Alaei – 225,000

Average Chip Count: 132,241

Notable Eliminations:

Mimi Tran
Doyle Brunson
Vitaly Lunkin
Eli Elezra
Chino Rheem

Big Hands:

Alaei Busts Doyle

Daniel Alaei raised to 5,000 from the cutoff and Doyle Brunson called with his short stack, putting himself all in.

Brunson: K7
Alaei: A9

Board: A101053

Alaei was ahead preflop and expanded his lead when he hit an ace on the flop. Brunson was drawing dead on the turn and he was eliminated.

Mimi Tran Eliminated

Once again facing ace-deuce, Mimi Tran got the last of her chips in the pot behind once more. Tran held ace-six against the flopped two pair of Soheil Shamseddin with ace-two. Tran failed to catch up on the river like she did to Eli Elezra just a few hands ago.

Zolotow Can’t Knock Veldhuis Out

Lex Veldhuis was all in preflop against Steve Zolotow.

Zolotow: KJ
Veldhuis: A8

Zolotow was drawing very live with his suited hand and the flop came 652. Zolotow was still drawing live to knock Veldhuis out but his chances were growing slimmer. The 3 on the turn offered Zolotow no more help and the 9 sealed the hand for Veldhuis, who doubled up to almost 30,000 while Zolotow was left with 25,000.

Player Tags: Mimi Tran,   Steve Zolotow,   Doyle Brunson,   Daniel Alaei,   Lex Veldhuis

Level 7 Update: Ho Continues To Roll

Jun 16, '09

Blinds: 500-1,000

Players Remaining: 141 out of 185

Chip Counts

1. Josh Arieh – 103,000
2. Greg Mueller – 95,000
3. Shaun Deeb – 88,000
4. Lex Veldhuis – 74,000
5. Markus Golser – 74,000
6. Mike Sowers – 72,500
7. Maria Ho – 70,000
8. Peter Gould – 60,000
9. Dario Minieri – 58,000
10. Jennifer Harman – 57,000

Average Stack: 37,248

Notable Eliminations:

Mark Newhouse
Phil Hellmuth
Phil Ivey

Big Hands:

Hawrilenko Takes One Off Mueller

Matt Hawrilenko and Greg Mueller were in for 2,000 preflop. The flop then came down A73 and Hawrilenko bet 1,000. Mueller made the call and the 8 fell on the turn. Hawrilenko bet 2,000 and Mueller called again. The K came on the river and Hawrilenko fired another 2,000 into the pot. Mueller called again and Hawrilenko showed A10 for top pair. Mueller flashed QQ and then threw it into the muck. Mueller dropped the pot but he was still around 100,000 in chips.

Dario Blasts Boeken

On a board reading J10910, Dario Minieri bet 2,000 and Noah Boeken made the call. The 10 came on the river and Minieri bet another 2,000. Boeken made the call and Minieri showed down the bullets, AA. Boeken mucked his hand and he was down to 40,000. Minieri was at 74,000 after the hand.

Ho’s Boat On The River Sinks Opponent

Mario Ho raised to 2,000 preflop and the players in seat 1 and 2 made the call. The flop came A94 and action was checked to Ho. She fired 1,000 and seat 1 raised to 2,000. Seat 2 mucked and Ho three-bet to 3,000. Seat 1 then raised himself all in and Ho made the call.

Ho: A10
Seat 1: AJ

Ho was trailing and the case A came on the turn, giving each player a set. But the 10 dropped on the river, giving Ho a full house and sending her opponent to the rail. She raked in the pot and she was at 80,000.

Matusow Struggling

Mike Matusow raised to 2,000 and the player in seat 9 three-bet to 3,000. Matusow made the call and the flop came AJ5. Seat 9 bet 1,000 and Matusow called. The turn was the 6 and seat 9 bet 2,000. Matusow had enough and mucked his hand. He was at 14,200 after dropping that pot.

Set Of Sailboats Flushed For Doyle

Josh Arieh raised to 2,000 preflop and four players called, including David Pham and Doyle Brunson. The flop came 854 and Pham led out with 1,000. Everyone called and the turn was the 4. Pham bet 2,000 and then Brunson raised to 4,000. Arieh got out of the way but Pham called as did seat 1. The river was the Q and Pham bet 4,000. Seat 1 called and Brunson quickly mucked A4 face up. Pham then showed down J8 for a flush, but seat 1 showed A5 for the nut flush. Pham was down to 12,000 while Brunson was down to 20,000.

Player Tags: David Pham,   Josh Arieh,   Greg Mueller,   Mike Matusow,   Doyle Brunson,   Noah Boeken,   Maria Ho,   Matt Hawrilenko,   Dario Minieri

Level 4 Udate: Pham Chips Up

Jun 15, '09

Blinds: 250-500

Players Remaining: 178 out of 185

Chip Counts

1. Shaun Deeb – 85,000
2. Dario Minieri – 63,000
3. Greg Mueller – 60,000
4. Lex Veldhuis – 60,000
5. Markus Golser – 56,000
6. David Oppenheim – 50,600
7. Michiel Brummelhuis – 50,000
8. Daniel Negreanu – 49,500
9. Maria Ho – 49,000
10. David Benyamine – 45,000

Average Stack: 30,833

Notable Eliminations:

Andy Bloch
Brett Richey
Jeff Lisandro

Big Hands:

The Dragon’s Fire

Five players including Sam Grizzle, Doyle Brunson, Chad Brown and David Pham, all called 500 preflop. The flop came down Q94 and the big blind fired 500 after David Pham checked from the small bling. Grizzle, Brunson and Brown all called and then Pham check-raised to 1,000. Everyone except Brunson called and the turn was the 2. Pham led out with 1,000 and everyone called. The river brought the 7 and Pham led out again with 1,000. Only Chad Brown looked him up and Pham turned over KQ for top pair and Brown mucked. Pham took the pot and he was over 40,000 while Brown was at 32,000.

Perry Doesn’t Care For Mad Geniuses

Action folded around to Mike Caro in the small blind and he raised to 1,000. Ralph Perry made the call from the big blind and the players saw a flop of JJ5. Caro checked and Perry bet 500. Caro made the call and the turn was the 3. Caro then led out for 1,000 but Perry would have none of that nonsense and raised to 2,000. Caro then gave up and mucked his hand. He was at 16,000 while Perry was at 33,000.

Rheem Leaks Chips

Chino Rheem raised to 1,000 preflop and Bill Edler three-bet to 1,500. Rheem made the call and the flop came A55. Rheem checked and Edler fired 500. Rheem check-raised to 1,000 and Edler called. The turn was the 2 and both players checked. The river was the 7 and Rheem checked again. Edler bet 1,000 and Rheem mucked his hand. He was down to just 17,000 while Edler was around 34,000.

Kaplan Pushes Ho and Lindgren Away

On a flop of K103, Gabe Kaplan bet 500 into a 2,500 pot and Mario Ho made the call. Erick Lindgren came along as well and the turn was the 8. Kaplan fired another bet, this one 1,000 and Ho mucked her hand. Lindgren followed suit and Kaplan took in the pot. He was around 40,000 while Ho was down to 45,000 and Lindgren was at 31,000.

Left In The Deck:

It was announced that 18 players will be paid. The final survivor of this tournament will earn $460,841 and a bracelet. Players have also gone on a one hour dinner break and will return around 10:40 p.m.

Player Tags: David Pham,   Erick Lindgren,   Chad Brown,   Doyle Brunson,   Mike Caro,   Gabe Kaplan,   Maria Ho,   Chino Rheem,   Ralph Perry

Level 14 Update: Mimi Tran, Doyle Brunson Eliminated

Jun 16, '09

Blinds: 2,500-5,000

Players Remaining: 41 out of 185

Chip Counts:

1. Chad Brown – 376,000
2. Kenny Hsiung – 330,000
3. Matt Hawrilenko – 310,000
4. Kenny Shei – 300,000
5. Soheil Shamseddin – 260,000
6. Ralph Perry – 255,000
7. Howard Lederer – 250,000
8. Pat Pezzin – 250,000
9. Todd Brunson – 250,000
10. Daniel Alaei – 225,000

Average Chip Count: 132,241

Notable Eliminations:

Mimi Tran
Doyle Brunson
Vitaly Lunkin
Eli Elezra
Chino Rheem

Big Hands:

Alaei Busts Doyle

Daniel Alaei raised to 5,000 from the cutoff and Doyle Brunson called with his short stack, putting himself all in.

Brunson: K7
Alaei: A9

Board: A101053

Alaei was ahead preflop and expanded his lead when he hit an ace on the flop. Brunson was drawing dead on the turn and he was eliminated.

Mimi Tran Eliminated

Once again facing ace-deuce, Mimi Tran got the last of her chips in the pot behind once more. Tran held ace-six against the flopped two pair of Soheil Shamseddin with ace-two. Tran failed to catch up on the river like she did to Eli Elezra just a few hands ago.

Zolotow Can’t Knock Veldhuis Out

Lex Veldhuis was all in preflop against Steve Zolotow.

Zolotow: KJ
Veldhuis: A8

Zolotow was drawing very live with his suited hand and the flop came 652. Zolotow was still drawing live to knock Veldhuis out but his chances were growing slimmer. The 3 on the turn offered Zolotow no more help and the 9 sealed the hand for Veldhuis, who doubled up to almost 30,000 while Zolotow was left with 25,000.

Player Tags: Mimi Tran,   Steve Zolotow,   Doyle Brunson,   Daniel Alaei,   Lex Veldhuis

Level 7 Update: Ho Continues To Roll

Jun 16, '09

Blinds: 500-1,000

Players Remaining: 141 out of 185

Chip Counts

1. Josh Arieh – 103,000
2. Greg Mueller – 95,000
3. Shaun Deeb – 88,000
4. Lex Veldhuis – 74,000
5. Markus Golser – 74,000
6. Mike Sowers – 72,500
7. Maria Ho – 70,000
8. Peter Gould – 60,000
9. Dario Minieri – 58,000
10. Jennifer Harman – 57,000

Average Stack: 37,248

Notable Eliminations:

Mark Newhouse
Phil Hellmuth
Phil Ivey

Big Hands:

Hawrilenko Takes One Off Mueller

Matt Hawrilenko and Greg Mueller were in for 2,000 preflop. The flop then came down A73 and Hawrilenko bet 1,000. Mueller made the call and the 8 fell on the turn. Hawrilenko bet 2,000 and Mueller called again. The K came on the river and Hawrilenko fired another 2,000 into the pot. Mueller called again and Hawrilenko showed A10 for top pair. Mueller flashed QQ and then threw it into the muck. Mueller dropped the pot but he was still around 100,000 in chips.

Dario Blasts Boeken

On a board reading J10910, Dario Minieri bet 2,000 and Noah Boeken made the call. The 10 came on the river and Minieri bet another 2,000. Boeken made the call and Minieri showed down the bullets, AA. Boeken mucked his hand and he was down to 40,000. Minieri was at 74,000 after the hand.

Ho’s Boat On The River Sinks Opponent

Mario Ho raised to 2,000 preflop and the players in seat 1 and 2 made the call. The flop came A94 and action was checked to Ho. She fired 1,000 and seat 1 raised to 2,000. Seat 2 mucked and Ho three-bet to 3,000. Seat 1 then raised himself all in and Ho made the call.

Ho: A10
Seat 1: AJ

Ho was trailing and the case A came on the turn, giving each player a set. But the 10 dropped on the river, giving Ho a full house and sending her opponent to the rail. She raked in the pot and she was at 80,000.

Matusow Struggling

Mike Matusow raised to 2,000 and the player in seat 9 three-bet to 3,000. Matusow made the call and the flop came AJ5. Seat 9 bet 1,000 and Matusow called. The turn was the 6 and seat 9 bet 2,000. Matusow had enough and mucked his hand. He was at 14,200 after dropping that pot.

Set Of Sailboats Flushed For Doyle

Josh Arieh raised to 2,000 preflop and four players called, including David Pham and Doyle Brunson. The flop came 854 and Pham led out with 1,000. Everyone called and the turn was the 4. Pham bet 2,000 and then Brunson raised to 4,000. Arieh got out of the way but Pham called as did seat 1. The river was the Q and Pham bet 4,000. Seat 1 called and Brunson quickly mucked A4 face up. Pham then showed down J8 for a flush, but seat 1 showed A5 for the nut flush. Pham was down to 12,000 while Brunson was down to 20,000.

Player Tags: David Pham,   Josh Arieh,   Greg Mueller,   Mike Matusow,   Doyle Brunson,   Noah Boeken,   Maria Ho,   Matt Hawrilenko,   Dario Minieri

Level 4 Udate: Pham Chips Up

Jun 15, '09

Blinds: 250-500

Players Remaining: 178 out of 185

Chip Counts

1. Shaun Deeb – 85,000
2. Dario Minieri – 63,000
3. Greg Mueller – 60,000
4. Lex Veldhuis – 60,000
5. Markus Golser – 56,000
6. David Oppenheim – 50,600
7. Michiel Brummelhuis – 50,000
8. Daniel Negreanu – 49,500
9. Maria Ho – 49,000
10. David Benyamine – 45,000

Average Stack: 30,833

Notable Eliminations:

Andy Bloch
Brett Richey
Jeff Lisandro

Big Hands:

The Dragon’s Fire

Five players including Sam Grizzle, Doyle Brunson, Chad Brown and David Pham, all called 500 preflop. The flop came down Q94 and the big blind fired 500 after David Pham checked from the small bling. Grizzle, Brunson and Brown all called and then Pham check-raised to 1,000. Everyone except Brunson called and the turn was the 2. Pham led out with 1,000 and everyone called. The river brought the 7 and Pham led out again with 1,000. Only Chad Brown looked him up and Pham turned over KQ for top pair and Brown mucked. Pham took the pot and he was over 40,000 while Brown was at 32,000.

Perry Doesn’t Care For Mad Geniuses

Action folded around to Mike Caro in the small blind and he raised to 1,000. Ralph Perry made the call from the big blind and the players saw a flop of JJ5. Caro checked and Perry bet 500. Caro made the call and the turn was the 3. Caro then led out for 1,000 but Perry would have none of that nonsense and raised to 2,000. Caro then gave up and mucked his hand. He was at 16,000 while Perry was at 33,000.

Rheem Leaks Chips

Chino Rheem raised to 1,000 preflop and Bill Edler three-bet to 1,500. Rheem made the call and the flop came A55. Rheem checked and Edler fired 500. Rheem check-raised to 1,000 and Edler called. The turn was the 2 and both players checked. The river was the 7 and Rheem checked again. Edler bet 1,000 and Rheem mucked his hand. He was down to just 17,000 while Edler was around 34,000.

Kaplan Pushes Ho and Lindgren Away

On a flop of K103, Gabe Kaplan bet 500 into a 2,500 pot and Mario Ho made the call. Erick Lindgren came along as well and the turn was the 8. Kaplan fired another bet, this one 1,000 and Ho mucked her hand. Lindgren followed suit and Kaplan took in the pot. He was around 40,000 while Ho was down to 45,000 and Lindgren was at 31,000.

Left In The Deck:

It was announced that 18 players will be paid. The final survivor of this tournament will earn $460,841 and a bracelet. Players have also gone on a one hour dinner break and will return around 10:40 p.m.

Player Tags: David Pham,   Erick Lindgren,   Chad Brown,   Doyle Brunson,   Mike Caro,   Gabe Kaplan,   Maria Ho,   Chino Rheem,   Ralph Perry

Level 5 Update: Players Back From Break

Jun 07, '09

Blinds: 300-600

Players Remaining: 176 out of 179

Chip Counts:

1. Justin Smith – 57,000
2. David Benyamine – 54,000
3. Thang Luu – 43,000
4. Alex Kravchenko – 42,000
5. Scott Clements — 42,000
6. Jason Lester — 41,000
7. Vitaly Lunkin – 39,000
8. Freddy Deeb – 38,000
9. Brandon Cantu – 37,000
10. Mike Matusow – 35,000

Average Chip Count: 30,511

Big Hands:

Jean-Robert Bellande Flops Quads, Splits Pot

With the KK in his hand, John-Robert Bellande split the pot with Max Pescatori on a board of K3K58. Bellande is at 27,500 and Pescatori is short with 10,200 in chips.

Doyle Brunson Rivers Straight Flush, Scoops Small Pot

With the QJ52 Doyle Brunson took down the entire pot as his straight flush won the high and his 52 was good enough for the low against an opponent. Brunson is now at 41,000.

Phil Ivey Needles Layne Flack

On a board of 2AJ5^, Phil Ivey and his opponent were ready to split the pot when Layne Flack (not in the hand) entered into the situation. After the dealer already mixed together the board, Flack sorted them out again to make sure the split was correct. Players at the table reassured Flack that it was a split, when another player laughingly said, “this is a 6-time bracelet winner.” Ivey added immediately, “And one of them was in this event!”

Left In The Deck:

Daniel Negreanu returned from his runner-up finish in event No. 14 to play in this event.

Player Tags: Max Pescatori,   Layne Flack,   Doyle Brunson,   Phil Ivey,   Jean-Robert Bellande

Level 21 Update: Brunson 15th, Friedman 14th, Powell 13th

Jun 06, '09

Level Structure:

2-7 triple draw, limit hold’em, and Omaha 8OB: 10,000-20,000 blinds and 20,000-40,000 limits

7-card stud, razz, and 7-card stud 8OB: 5,000 ante, 5,000 bring-in, with a 20,000 completion and 20,000-40,000 limits

no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha: 5,000-10,000 blinds with a 3,000 ante

NOTES: Games change every eight hands. Two players will be forced to sit out during 2-7 triple draw each hand.

Players Remaining: 12 out of 194

Chip Counts:

1. Scott Dorin — 1,100,000
2. Ville Wahlbeck — 773,000
3. Huck Seed — 660,000
4. Roman Yitzhaki — 530,000
5. Joe Serock — 480,000
6. James Van Alstyne — 455,000
7. David Chiu — 355,000
8. Mike Wattel — 330,000
9. Mark Gregorich — 228,000
10. Aurangzeb Sheikh — 225,000

Average Chip Count: 485,000

Notable Eliminations:

15. Doyle Brunson — $21,357
14. Adam Friedman — $27,719
13. Brian Powell — $27,719

Big Hands:

NLH

Doyle Brunson Eliminated in 15th Place ($21,357)

The UTG player limps in the pot and Doyle Brunson raises to 26,000 from early position. Scott Dorin reraises to 76,000 from the cutoff, UTG folds and Brunson moves all in for 230,000. Dorin tanks for a few minutes before making the call; Dorin has Brunson covered.

Brunson: QQ
Dorin: AQ

Board: AJ7JK

Brunson got it in good, but an ace in the window gave Dorin the better pair. Brunson failed to improve after the flop as he was eliminated in 15th place ($21,357). Dorin grabs the chiplead this hand as he breaks the 1 million-chip mark.

PLO

Adam Friedman Eliminated in 14th Place ($27,719)

James Van Alstyne raises to 27,000 before the flop and Adam Friedman calls from the cutoff. The flop comes KJ9, Van Alstyne bets the pot (65,000) and Friedman calls. The turn is the J and once again, Van Alstyne bets the pot, this time enough to put his opponent all in. Friedman calls all in and turns over a jack for trips, but Van Alstyne shows 99 for the full house. The river bricked and Adam Friedman is eliminated in 14th place ($27,719).

LIMIT HOLD’EM

Allie Prescott Doubles UP

Roman Yitzhaki raises to 40,000 UTG, Allie Prescott reraises to 60,000 from the small blind and Yitzhaki calls. The flop comes K93, Precott bets 20,000 and Yitzhaki calls. The turn ins the 3 and Prescott bets 40,000, leaving himself with 1,000 behind. Yitzakhi puts him all in and both players turn over their cards.

Prescott: 9s
Yitzhaki: JJ

Prescott flopped a set of nines for the lead. The river is the 2, no help to either player as Precott doubles up to 385,000 this hand while Yitzhaki falls down to 280,000 in chips.

OMAHA/8

Brian Powell Eliminated in 13th Place ($27,719)

On a flop of J107, Ville Wahlbeck bets 20,000, Brian Powell raises to 40,000, Wahlbeck three-bets to 60,000 and Powell calls all in. Both players turn over their cards.

Powell: AQQ6
Wahlbeck: AKK9

Powell gets in behind with a pair of queens as Wahlbeck has the lead with a pair kings. The turn and river bring the 6 and the 2, no help to Brian Powell who is eliminated in 13th place ($27,719)

Player Tags: Doyle Brunson,   James Van Alstyne,   Allie Prescott,   Adam Friedman,   Roman Yitzhaki,   Scott Dorin

Level 8 Update: Brunson Rivered

May 28, '09

Blinds: 1,200-2,400 with a 300 ante

Players Remaining: 120 out of 201

Chip Counts:
1. Michael DeMichele – 665,000
2. Lex Veldhuis – 530,000
3. Justin Bonomo – 450,000
4. Alan Sass – 450,000
5. Ted Forrest – 445,000
6. Antonio Esfandiari – 440,000
7. Chris Moneymaker – 386,000
8. Alex Jacob – 370,000
9. Bruno Fitoussi – 367,000
10. Isaac Haxton – 364,000

Average Chip Count: 201,000

Notable Eliminations:

Alex “Kadabra” Keating
Blake Cahail
Joe Hachem
Andy Bloch
Yevgeniy Timoshenko
Gavin Griffin
Steve Sung
Michael Binger
Bill Edler
Erick Lindgren
Doug Lee
Freddy Deeb
Kido Pham

Big Hands:

Texas Dolly Gets Rivered

With 13,000 in the pot, a flop of 865 hit the table. The player in seat 4 fired 11,000 and Brunson called. The turn brought the A and both players checked. The river brought the 10 and seat 4 checked again. Brunson pushed 22,000 into the pot and seat 4 countered with a raise to 100,000 total. Brunson called quickly and showed A8 for two pair, but his opponent showed A10 for a better two pair on the river. Brunson dropped to 210,000.

Zeidman and Lehmann With Perfect Tens

Corey Zeidman moved all in against Markus Lehmann. Both players tabled pocket 10s and both players were forced to chop the pot.

All Flash, No Finish as Magician Chops With DeMichele

In one of the biggest pots of the day, Antonio Esfandiari and Michael DeMichele tangled to the river. Esfandiari raised to 6,000 from the hijack and Freddy Deeb called from the button. Ali Eslami called and DeMichele joined from the blinds as well. The flop came K84 and Eslami led out with 16,000. DeMichele called and Esfandiari proceeded to pop it to 40,500. Deeb and Eslami, but DeMichele stuck around. The turn brought the 8 and DeMichele checked. Esfandiari blasted a bet of 81,200 and DeMichele called. The river came 5 and both players had enough madness as they checked. DeMichele showed KJ while Esfandiari tabled KJ for a monstrous chop. Esfandiari stood at 470,000 after the hand and DeMichele had 360,000.

Joe Hachem Busts

Joe Hachem pushed for his last 9,700 from early position and was called by Hasan Habib in the small blind. Habib showed A7 and Hachem was just happy to be drawing live with 108. The board came out 944K6 and Hachem failed to connect, busting shortly before the end of the level.

Seiver Pushes Elky Off His Hand, Takes Down Nice Pot

On a board of J925, Bertrand Grospellier fired 7,700 into the pot from the button. Scott Seiver popped it to 30,000 and Grospellier made the call. The river brought the 4 and Seiver pushed all in for 185,000. Grospellier thought about it briefly, but mucked his hand. Seiver took down a nice pot and improved his stack to 275,000 after the hand. Grospellier had 135,000.

Doug Lee Ousted By Alex Jacob

Doug Lee was just knocked out of the tournament when he ran into Alex Jacob’s two pair. Jacob increased his stack to 365,000.

Player Tags: Hasan Habib,   Antonio Esfandiari,   Doyle Brunson,   Cory Zeidman,   Doug Lee,   Markus Lehmann,   Joe Hachem,   Alex Jacob,   Bertrand Grospellier,   Scott Seiver,   Michael DeMichele

Level 5 Update: Shawn Buchanan Doubles Up

May 28, '09

Blinds: 600-1,200 with a 100 ante

Players Remaining: 171 out of 201

Chip Counts:

1. Lex Veldhuis — 330,000
2. Matt Glantz — 310,00
3. Antonio Esfandiari — 302,000
4. Scott Seiver — 300,000
5. Charles Lehr — 275,000
6. Justin Bonomo — 275,000
7. Ted Forrest — 270,000
8. Tony G — 270,000
9. Vivek Rajkumar — 262,000
10. Barry Schwartz — 255,000

Average Chip Count: 141,053

Notable Eliminations:

Greg Mueller

Big Hands:

Shawn Buchanan Doubles Up

Michael DeMichele raises to 2,600 from middle position and Shawn Buchanan moves all in for 13,300 more. The action folds back around to DeMichele who makes the call. Buchanan turns over JJ while DeMichele shows A10. The board comes K1024K, and Buchanan’s jacks hold up. Buchanan doubles up to 35,000 this hand while DeMichele takes a slight hit down to 222,000.

Doyle Brunson doubles up Nicolas Levi

Nicolas Levi moved all in pre-flop and was called by Doyle Brunson. Levi exposed QQ and Brunson flipped over 99 and was well behind. The flop bricked for Brunson and the queen on the turn had the 10-time bracelet winner drawing dead.

Shaun Deeb Doubles up Lex Veldhuis

With AK, Alexander Veldhuis moved all in pre-flop and was called quickly by the 44 of Shaun Deeb. The pot stood at about 330,000 and the flop completely missed Veldhuis. However, the ace on the turn put Veldhuis ahead and gave him the massive pot.

Chris Moneymaker Making a Run Up the Leaderboard

Keith Lehr raises to 3,000 from early position and Chris Moneymaker calls from the button. The flop comes Q43, Lehr bets 7,000, Moneymaker calls. The turn is the K and this time Lehr bets 17,000. Moneymaker raises another 25,000 and Lehr folds after a minute in the tank. After the hand Lehr falls down just about 200,000 while Moneymaker climbs up to 260,000 in chips.

Player Tags: Doyle Brunson,   Chris Moneymaker,   Shawn Buchanan,   Keith Lehr,   Michael DeMichele,   Shaun Deeb,   Nicolas Levi