Brendan Taylor - Live Updates

$2,000 Limit Hold'em - Day 2 - Level 10 Recap

Jun 11, '08

Blinds: 400/800

Players Left: 89 of 480

Chip Leaders:
Daniel Negreanu - 50,000
Daniel Makowsky - 49,200
Eric Buchman - 42,000
Ylon Schwartz - 37,500
Ayaz Mahmood - 37,500
Hien Tran - 34,000
Alon Croitoru - 33,700
Casey McCarrell - 31,600
Brendan Taylor - 30,300
Ardell Willis - 30,000

Average Stack: 21,500

Eliminations:
Babak Razi
Vivek Rajkumar

Big Hands and Storylines:

The Table of Death Breaks

For the first two hours, Table 47 over in the blue section contained by far the most talent in the room. Daniel Negreanu, Shannon Shorr, John Phan, J.C. Tran, and Mike Schneider made up the table of death. Fortunately for them (and even more fortunately for their tablemates) the table was just broken and the group was scattered amongst the rest of the tournament field.

What Does It Mean?

Before the table broke, however, Daniel Negreanu was doing some hard-hitting journalistic work. Noticing Mike Schneider’s CardRunners accoutrement, Negreanu asked about the origins of the poker training site’s name, “What does it mean?” Schneider was befuddled and had no answer for Negreanu. Negreanu’s next question was just as difficult to answer, if only because it was a bit more rhetorical: “...do you guys run?”

Schneider Claims One

Unconcerned with the banter of Daniel Negreanu, Mike Schneider involved himself in a pot with Yue Huang. Huang raised from middle position and Schneider raised from the small blind. Huang called and the two saw a 976 flop. Schneider bet and Huang called. Another bet-call ensued on the A turn. Schneider fired a third bullet on the river but Huang laid down his hand, deciding to pick a better spot. The hand took Schneider up to about 20,000, a respectable stack given his table draw.

Player Tags: Ayaz Mahmood,   John Phan,   J.C. Tran,   Daniel Negreanu,   Eric Buchman,   Babak Razi,   Ylon Schwartz,   Casey McCarrell,   Ardell Willis,   Brendan Taylor,   Shannon Shorr,   Mike Schneider,   Hien Tran,   Vivek Rajkumar,   Daniel Makowsky,   Yue Huang

$2,000 Limit Hold'em - Day 2 - Level 9 Recap

Jun 11, '08

Blinds: 300/600

Players Left: 116 of 480

Chip Leaders:
Daniel Negreanu – 50,000
Daniel Makowsky - 49,200
Eric Buchman - 46,500
Alon Croitoru - 33,700
Casey McCarrell - 31,600
Ayaz Mahmood - 30,700
Brendan Taylor - 30,300
Hien Tran - 30,100
Ardell Willis - 30,000
David Rood - 29,300

Average Stack: 16,550

Eliminations:
Brad Augsburger

Big Hands and Storylines:

Negreanu’s Ascent Continues

Daniel Negreanu started the day 4^th in chips but has quickly risen to become chip leader. In the first hand, Negreanu, from the small blind, called Lee Nelson’s pre-flop raise. On a J97 flop, Negreanu check-raised Nelson, who decided to call and see the turn. Negreanu bet out at the 8 turn, garnering another call from Nelson. The river brought the 8 and Negreanu fired another barrel. Nelson had had enough though, and folded quickly. Nelson was left with only 10,000 after the hand.

Only a few hands later Negreanu’s luck would continue. An Tran raised under-the-gun and was met with a three-bet from Negreanu on the button. Tran called and the pair saw a QJJ flop. Negreanu was checked to and forced Tran out of the pot with a bet. “Two tens, boss,” stated Negreanu, who confirmed his statement by tossing his cards in face-up. Negreanu has chipped up to about 50,000 after today’s first round of play.

Don’t Mess with Matros

Matt Matros opened the betting with a raise from the cutoff and was quickly met with a re-raise from Jed Dickerson on the button. Matros called the bet and checked a Q76 flop. After Dickerson made a continuation bet, Matros raised him, causing Dickerson to lay down his hand. After this hand Matros’ stack was boosted to a hearty 28,000. Dickerson is languishing with only 12,000.

Mike Patrick Doubles off Hawrilenko

Shortstack Mike Patrick raised to 1,200 from middle position and got one caller in Matt Hawrilenko from the small blind. Hawrilenko check-called the 754 flop. He checked again on the J turn, and after Patrick had bet, asked to see how much he had left. Patrick lifted his hands to reveal a paltry 700 left behind. Hawrilenko tossed in his chips to make the call. The river was the 8 and Hawrilenko again checked. Patrick put in his final chips and Hawrilenko shook his head and folded. Hawrilenko is now left with 11,000 in chips while Patrick was able to double his stack to about 7,000.

Player Tags: Ayaz Mahmood,   Daniel Negreanu,   Eric Buchman,   Matthew Matros,   An Tran,   Casey McCarrell,   Ardell Willis,   Matt Hawrilenko,   Brendan Taylor,   Lee Nelson,   Hien Tran,   Alon Croitoru,   Daniel Makowsky,   Jed Dickerson,   Mike Patrick,   David Rood,   Brad Augsburger

$2,000 Limit Hold'em - Day 2 Begins Later Today

Jun 11, '08

Day 2 of the $2,000 limit hold'em tournament begins later today with 125 players still in contention for the World Series bracelet. Early on, all eyes will be on Daniel Negreanu. Starting 4th in chips, "Kid Poker" will be looking to take home the $204,434 top-prize and his 4th World Series title.

Here are the leaders going into day 2:

Daniel Makowsky - 49,200
Eric Buchman - 46,500
Alon Croitoru - 33,700
Daniel Negreanu - 32,200
Casey McCarrel - 31,600
Ayaz Mahmood - 30,700
Brendan Taylor - 30,300
Hien Tran - 30,100
Ardell Willis - 30,000
David Rood - 29,300
David Baker - 29,200

Day 2 play will begin at 3 p.m. PST.

Player Tags: Ayaz Mahmood,   Daniel Negreanu,   Eric Buchman,   Casey McCarrell,   Ardell Willis,   Brendan Taylor,   Hien Tran,   Alon Croitoru,   Daniel Makowsky,   David Rood

Limit HE - Final Table - Bustout Bonanza

Jun 08, '08

Blinds/Limits: 15,000-30,000 with 30,000-60,000 limits

Players Left: 3

Chip Counts:

7th Place: Ali Eslami ($41,441)
6th Place: Markus Golser ($53,453)
5th Place: Teddy "Iceman" Monroe ($67,867)
4th Place: Brendan Taylor ($82,882)

Big Hands and Storylines:

Ali Eslami Eliminated in Seventh Place ($41,441)

Ali Eslami was knocked down to 70,000 on the first hand after dinner, and that put him in dire straights when he had already committed over half of his chips to a pot and the flop hit the table 744. Eslami bet 20,000 and Jimmy Shultz put him to an all-in decision with a raise. Eslami made the call and they turned up their cards. Eslami held 95, while Shultz held A5. The turn brought the A, which was too much for Eslami who busted in seventh place. He took home $41,441 in prize money.

Markus Golser Eliminated in Sixth Place ($53,453)

Shultz raised to 40,000 preflop and Markus Golser made the call. The flop rolled out Q109 and Golser moved all in for 20,000. Shultz made the call and the two players turned up their hands.

Golser: AJ
Shultz: 97

The turn and river bricked out and Golser was eliminated in sixth place. He took home $53,453 in prize money.

Vinny Vinh Doubles Up

Vinny VInh was perilously low on chips when he got all of them into the middle of the table preflop against Shultz. Their cards:

Vinh: A8
Shultz: K3

Board: 8227Q

Vinh doubled up on the hand to 90,000, but he still needed some more ammo to climb back into contention. He used the momentum created on this hand well to eventually grow his stack to the half-million mark.

Teddy "Iceman" Monroe Eliminated in Fifth Place ($67,867)

Shultz raised to 40,000 preflop and Teddy "Iceman" Monroe made an all-in call for 30,000. Brendan Taylor also made the call and the flop hit the table 1092. Taylor and Shultz then checked the board as the the 8 fell on the turn, and the J fell on the river. Shultz reached for a bet on the river, but Taylor mucked his hand. Shultz revealed 87 and Monroe was out in fifth place when he mucked after the hand. The Iceman took home $67,867 in prize money.

Brendan Taylor Eliminated in Fourth Place ($82,882)

Vinny Vinh got the best of Brendan Taylor after his vocal antics may have induced him to get invloved in heavy action on every street of a board that read 332Q3. Taylor made an all-in call on the river, but then mucked when Vinh revealed pocket eights. Taylor was eliminated in fourth place, and he took home $82,882 in prize money.

Player Tags: Ali Eslami,   Markus Golser,   Teddy Monroe,   Brendan Taylor,   European Report,   James Shultz

Limit HE - Final Day - Down to a Final Table (of 10)

Jun 08, '08

Blinds/Limits: 5,000-10,000 with 10,000-20,000 limits

Players Left: 10

Chip Counts:

13th Place: John O'Brien ($11,771)
12th Place : Steve Shkolnik ($14,774)
11th Place: Zach Henderson ($14,774)

Big Hands and Storylines:

John O'Brien Run into Aces (Eliminated in 13th Place - $11,771)

John O'Brien moved all in after the flop and quickly discovered some bad news. He was called down by Brendan Taylor, who was currently the proud owner of pocket aces. O'Brien was dominated with A-K and no help came on the turn and river. He was eliminated on the hand in 13th place, and took home $11,771 in prize money.

Steve Shkolnik Crippled and then Eliminated in 12th Place ($14,774)

Steve Shkolnik ran into some terrible, no good, very bad news when Jimmy Shultz turned up KQ on a board of K7483. Shkolnik mucked his hand and was so crippled that the big blind took almost his entire stack to call. He got the rest of his chiips into the middle with 6-4 and Lindgren called him with pocket tens. The tens held for E-Dog and Shkolnik was eliminated in 12th place. He took home $14,774 in prize money.

Taylor Strikes Again (Zach Henderson Eliminated in 11th Place - $14,774)

Taylor went to work and busted another player shortly thereafter. This time he held pocket jacks to do his bidding, which were more than enough to eliminate Zach Henderson on a board of 106359. Henderson was eliminated in 11th place, and he took home $14,744 in prize money.

Player Tags: Steven Shkolnik,   John O'Brien,   Brendan Taylor,   Zachary Henderson