Michael Binger - Live Updates

Level 6 Update: Jason Mercier, Hevad Khan, Phil Galfond Eliminated

Jun 17, '09

Blinds: 300-600

Players Remaining: 171 out of 362

Chip Counts:

1. Isaac Baron – 140,000
2. Jeff Lisandro – 128,000
3. Jesper Hougaard – 125,000
4. Nam Le – 76,000
5. Bruno Fitoussi – 72,000
6. David Baker – 61,000
7. Scott Clements – 56,000
8. Justin Smith – 55,000
9. Hoyt Corkins – 49,000
10. Chris Ferguson – 45,000

Average Chip Count: 31,842

Notable Eliminations:

Jason Mercier
Hevad Khan
Daniel Negreanu
Phil Galfond
John Juanda

Big Hands:

Jason Mercier Elimianted

After a player in middle position raised and Justin Smith called from the button, Jason Mercier reraised to 4,050. The initial raiser folded and Justin Smith called. The flop came J65 and Mercier contemplated briefly before checking. Smith quickly checked behind and the 7 hit the turn. Mercier quickly fired out a 10,100 chip bet and Smith paused momentarily before going all-in. Mercier was pot committed after the turn bet and called all-in for his last couple thousand. Mercier announced he had a flush draw and turned over the AK410 and Smith exposed the nuts with the 10698. The diamond failed to come for the Event No. 5 ($1,500 pot-limit omaha) bracelet winner as the J fell on the river. Smith is now up to 55,000.

Michael Binger Doubles Up

The 2006 Main Event third place finisher was able to have his aces hold up on a board of J52105. Binger exposed the AAJ4 and doubled up to 18,000.

Hevad Khan Eliminated, Ville Wahlbeck Crippled

A player in late position raised and Ville Wahlbeck reraised from the button. Hevad Khan threw in another reraise from the big blind and the initial raiser went all-in. Wahlbeck had everyone covered and went all-in as well. Khan, who only left himself with about 2,000 behind after his reraise, was pot committed and made the call. Two players were all-in and Wahlbeck had everything covered by only 2,500 in chips.

Their cards:

Wahlbeck: QJK9

Khan: KK52

Unknown: AA79

The flop was dreadful for both Khan and Wahlbeck as it came A73, giving their opponent top set and the nut flush draw. The J made everything more interesting as both Khan and Wahlbeck added flush draws, with Khan’s being higher. If Wahlbeck could catch a club or a card for a straight he would still make a profit in the hand since Khan was so short stacked. Khan had a gut shot to boot with his flush draw. None of the miracles came for either Khan or Wahlbeck as the A fell, making quads for the unknown player. Khan was eliminated and Wahlbeck was crippled to just 2,500.

Phil Galfond Eliminated

Last year’s champion in the event was eliminated when he flopped middle set against an opponent’s top two pair. The turn was ugly for the online cash game specialist as it gave his opponent a full house, eliminating him.

Left In The Deck:

The players are currently on a 90 minute dinner break.

Player Tags: Ville Wahlbeck,   Michael Binger,   Phil Galfond,   Hevad Khan,   Jason Mercier,   Justin Smith

Final Table Update: Quickly Down to Four

Jun 12, '09

Blinds: 6,000-12,000 with a 3,000 ante

Players Remaining: 4 out of 96

Chip Counts:

1. Ville Wahlbeck — 740,000
2. John Juanda — 650,000
3. Steve Sung — 420,000
4. Nick Schulman — 295,000

Average Chip Count: 720,000

Notable Eliminations:

8. Michael Binger – $24,545
7. David Benyamine – $30,492
6. Vince Musso – $39,697
5. Archie Karas – $53,783

Big Hands:

Michael Binger Eliminated in Eighth Place ($24,545)

Michael Binger moved all in from early position to open the action and John Juanda made the call.

Binger chose to draw two and Juanda stood pat. Juanda turned over a 10-8-6-4-2 and Binger turned over 9-9-K-7-2. Binger was eliminated in eighth place.

David Benyamine Eliminated in Seventh Place ($30,492)

Steve Sung raised to 32,000 from the cutoff and David Benyamine reraised all in for 86,000 from the button.

Sung stood pat and Benyamine drew one card. Sung turned over J-8-7-3-2 and Benyamine conjured 9-6-5-4. He was drawing live but he paired his 9 and was eliminated in seventh place.

Vince Musso Eliminated in Sixth Place ($39,697)

Ville Wahlbeck raised to 35,000 and Vince Musso reraised all in. Wahlbeck called him and stood pat. Musso drew one card.

Wahlbeck turned up 7-5-4-3-2 for the nuts and Musso was eliminated before he received his draw card with a 9-5-4-2. Musso was eliminated in sixth place.

Archie Karas Eliminated in Fifth Place ($53,783)

Archie Karas moved all in for 86,000 under the gun and Steve Sung made the call. Both players stood pat and Sung turned up 10-9-8-7-3. Karas held J-10-8-5-2 and he was eliminated in fifth place.

Player Tags: John Juanda,   David Benyamine,   Archie Karas,   Ville Wahlbeck,   Steve Sung,   Michael Binger,   Vince Musso

End of Day 2: 10 Remain; Final Table Still NOT Set

Jun 12, '09

Play has ended for the night as Day 2 of the $10,000 World Championship of No-Limit 2-7 Draw has come to an end. The seven-handed final table has yet to be reached, and the remaining 10 players will come back tomorrow at 2:00 pm PDT to play down to a winner. Vince Musso leads the way with 765,500 in chips as he guns for his first gold bracelet, falling just shy in 1979 when he finished third to Bobby Baldwin in this event.

Be sure to check back with CardPlayer.com for all of the action, live as it unfolds from this marquee event.

Blinds: 5,000-10,000 with a 3,000 ante

Players Remaining: 10 out of 96

Chip Counts:

1. Vince Musso — 765,500
2. Ville Wahlbeck — 487,000
3. John Juanda — 387,000
4. Nick Schulman — 300,000
5. Archie Karas — 264,500
6. Steve Sung — 212,500
7. David Benyamine — 139,000
8. Justin Smith — 122,500
9. Michael Binger — 108,000
10. Roland de Wolfe — 102,000

Average Chip Count: 288,000

Notable Eliminations:

13. Dan Harmetz — $17,885
12. Max Pescatori — $17,885
11. Hertzel Zalewski — $19,871

Big Hands:

Dan Harmetz Eliminated in 13th Place ($17,885)

Michael Binger raises to 18,000 from under the gun, Dan Harmetz moves all in for 47,000 and Binger calls.

Harmetz draws one card while Binger stands pat.

Harmetz draws to a 10-8-5-4-2 while Binger shows a 10-6-5-4-3. Binger rakes the pot and Dan Harmetz is eliminated in 13th place ($17,885).

Michael Binger Doubles Through Archie Karas

With the blinds and antes rapidly rising, so too is the standard opening bet as illustrated by Michael Binger who moves all in before the draw for just under 100,000 in chips. Archie Karas calls and has him covered.

Both players draw one card each.

Binger draws to a ten-low as Karas pairs deuces. Binger rakes the pot, doubling up to just over 200,000 in chips.

Max Pescatori Eliminated in 12th Place ($17,885)

Max Pescatori moves all in for 42,000 from under the gun and Hertzel Zalewski calls from the big blind.

Pescatori draws one card as Zalewski stands pat.

Pescatori draws to a 9-7-6-4-3 low, but Zalewski turns over the winner with an 8-6 low (8-6-5-3-2). Zalewski rakes the pot as Max Pescatori is eliminated in 12th place ($17,885).

Hertzel Zalewski Eliminated in 11th Place ($19,871)

John Juanda raises to 30,000 before the draw, Hertzel Zalewski moves all in from the button for 86,500 and Juanda calls.

Zalewski draws one card as Juanda stands pat.

Juanda shows 10-8-7-6-4 while Zalewski pairs sevens on the draw. Juanda rakes the pot and Hertzel Zalewski is eliminated in 11th place ($19,871), just moments before the closing bell.

Left in the Deck

As the final minutes of Level 18 were winding down, there was much discussion amongst the players and the tournament staff as to how the night should end. It was ultimately decided that the players would take a short five-minute break at the completion of Level 18 and then come back and play until 3:00 am PDT, regardless of how many players would remain and/or how much time was left in Level 19.

Player Tags: Hertzel Zalewski,   Max Pescatori,   Michael Binger,   Dan Harmetz

Level 15 Update: Tim Phan, Bruno Fitoussi Eliminated

Jun 11, '09

Blinds: 2,000-4,000 with a 1,000 ante

Players Remaining: 17 out of 96

Chip Counts:

1. Vince Musso — 345,000
2. Nick Schulman — 330,000
3. Ville Wahlbeck — 275,000
4. John Juanda — 262,000
5. Roland de Wolfe — 250,000
6. Archie Karas — 220,000
7. Dan Harmetz — 190,000
8. Justin Smith — 183,000
9. David Benyamine — 162,000
10. Michael Binger — 145,000

Average Chip Count: 169,411

Notable Eliminations:

Mark Weitzman
Anton Allemann
Tim Phan
Bruno Fitoussi
Lamar Wilkinson

Big Hands:

Mark Weitzman Eliminated by John Juanda

John Juanda raises to 12,000 before the draw and Mark Weitzman moves all in behind him for an additional 500. Juanda calls.

Both players draw one card each.

Weitzman draws a 10-8-7-3-2 while Juanda makes a 10-6-5-4-3. Juanda rakes the pot, eliminating Mark Weitzman right after the break. Weitzman was eliminated in 22nd place, and as a result, the remaining 21 players will re-draw for seats at the final three tables.

Bruno Fitoussi Eliminated by Michael Binger

After battling with the short stack the entire night, Bruno Fitoussi finally gets is all in for just under 25,000 from under the gun. Michael Binger calls from middle position, as does David Banyamine from the big blind.

Both Fitoussi and Benyamine draw one card each as Binger stands pat.

Benyamine checks the side pot, Binger bets 40,000 and Benyamine folds. Binger turns over 7-5-4-3-2 and eliminates Bruno Fitoussi from the event.

Anton Allemann Eliminated by Dan Harmetz

Anton Allemann moves all in from the button and Dan Harmetz calls from the big blind.

Allemann draws one card as Harmetz stands pat.

Harmetz turns over a made 10-9-6-5-3 while Allemann falls just short, drawing to a
10-9-7-5-4. Harmetz rakes the pot, eliminating Anton Allemann from the tournament.

Bobby Bellande Doubles Up

On a consistent downswing since the dinner break, Bobby Bellande prepares to make his last stand as he moves all in for 25,000 from the cutoff. John Hanson calls from the big blind, he has Bellande covered.

Both players draw one card each.

Hanson had the best draw with a 7-5-4-2 against Bellande’s 9-8-4-2, but as Bellande draws a 10, Hanson pairs his seven. Bellande doubles ups this hand while John Hanson falls down to just 40,000 in chips.

Player Tags: John Juanda,   David Benyamine,   Bruno Fitoussi,   Mark Weitzman,   Jean-Robert Bellande,   Michael Binger,   John Hanson

Level 13 Update: Matusow Reeling

Jun 11, '09

Blinds: 1,200-2,400 with a 600 ante

Players Remaining: 26 out of 96

Chip Counts:

1. Vince Musso – 215,000
2. Roland de Wolfe – 210,000
3. Jean-Robert Bellande – 188,000
4. John Juanda – 181,000
5. David Benyamine – 165,000
6. Ville Wahlbeck – 160,000
7. Daniel Harmetz – 145,000
8. Anton Allemann – 130,000
9. Max Pescatori – 125,000
10. Justin Smith – 122,000

Average Chip Count: 106,667

Notable Eliminations:

Big Hands:

De Wolfe Man

Roland de Wolfe raised 5,000 before the draw and Ville Wahlbeck made the call. Tim Phan also came along and the players took their cards.

Draw: De Wolfe draws 2 cards, Phan draws 2 cards, Wahlbeck draws 1 card

Action was checked to De Wolfe and he fired 22,000. Wahlbeck mucked his hand but Phan looked him up. De Wolfe then showed 10-8-4-3-2 and Phan mucked. De Wolfe raked in the pot and he was up to 250,000 while Phan was down to 116,000.

Pescatori Grabs A Pot

Max Pescatori raised to 4,100 before the draw and seat 2 made the call.

Draw: Seat 2 draws 2 cards, Pescatori draws 1 card

Max Pescatori led out with 10,000 after the draw and his opponent made the call. Pescatori then tabled 9-7-6-3-2. His opponent mucked and Pescatori was up to 120,000 in chips.

Phan One Ups Matusow

After everything was said and done, there was 21,000 in the pot and it was time for Ville Wahlbeck, Tim Phan and Mike Matusow to draw.

Draw: Phan draws 1 card, Matusow draws 1 card, Wahlbeck draws 2 cards

Phan led out with 15,500 and Matusow made the quick call. Wahlbeck got out of the way and Phan tabled a 10-7 low. Matusow was disgusted as he showed a 10-8 low and Phan took another pot off “The Mouth.” Phan was up to 115,000 while Matusow was down to 45,000.

Wahlbeck Bests Binger

Michael Binger raised to 7,500 before the draw and Ville Wahlbeck repopped it to 26,000 total. Binger thought for a bit before finally making the call.

Draw: Binger draws 1 card, Wahlbeck stands pat

Both players checked the action after the draw and Binger showed a 10-7 low. Wahlbeck showed the better 9-8-5-4-3 and took the pot. His stack improved to 160,000 while Binger was at 76,000.

The Old Mike Matusow Luck

Ville Wahlbeck raised to 7,500 and both Tim Phan and Mike Matusow made the call.

Draw: Matusow draws 1 card, Wahlbeck draws 1 card, Phan draws one card

Action was checked to Matusow who fired 20,000. Wahlbeck made the call and Phan mucked his hand. Matusow tabled 9-7-5-4-3. Unfortunately, Wahlbeck showed 9-7-5-4-2 and Matusow lost a heartbreaking hand and he was in deep trouble with just 18,000.

Player Tags: Max Pescatori,   Mike Matusow,   Tim Phan,   Ville Wahlbeck,   Roland de Wolfe,   Michael Binger

Level 12 Update: Phan Rolling

Jun 11, '09

Blinds: 1,000-2,000 with a 500 ante

Players Remaining: 27 out of 96

Chip Counts:

1. Vince Musso – 215,000
2. Roland de Wolfe – 210,000
3. Jean-Robert Bellande – 188,000
4. John Juanda – 181,000
5. David Benyamine – 165,000
6. Ville Wahlbeck – 160,000
7. Daniel Harmetz – 145,000
8. Anton Allemann – 130,000
9. Max Pescatori – 125,000
10. Justin Smith – 122,000

Average Chip Count: 106,667

Notable Eliminations:

Mickey Appleman

Big Hands:

Matusow Can’t Make The Call

Tim Phan raised to 6,000 from the button and the action was on Mike Matusow. He raised it to 21,000 total from the small blind and Phan made the call after a bit of thought.

Draw: Matusow stands pat, Phan draws 1 card

Matusow checked and Phan fired 28,000 into the pot. Matusow went into a massive tank session and stared down Phan. Eventually, Matusow released his hand and he was down to 50,000 while Phan improved to 112,000.

Binger Muscled Off A Hand

Michael Binger raised to 6,000 from the hijack position and action folded to seat 1 on the button. He raised it to 24,500 and the action came back to Binger. After a brief moment of thought, he mucked his hand and he was down to 75,000 in chips.

Ducks Fly Together

The player in seat 1 raised to 6,000 from the small blind and Tim Phan made the call from the big blind.

Draw: Seat 1 draws 2 cards, Phan draws 2 cards

Phan was surprised his opponent elected to draw two cards and decided to take two himself. Both players then checked and Phan showed a pair of deuces. His opponent then mucked and Phan scored the victory with a pair. He was up to 123,000 after the hand.

Wahlbeck Eliminates Appleman

Ville Wahlbeck raised to 17,000 before the draw and Mickey Appleman moved in for 23,000 total. Wahlbeck called the 6,000 and it was time to draw.

Draw: Wahlbeck stands pat, Appleman draws 1 card

Wahlbeck turned over a Jack-low and Appleman showed 8-7-5-3, but he received a Queen on the draw and he was eliminated.

Archie Karas Doubles Up Against Binger’s Number Two

Archie Karas was all in for about 40,000 and Michael Binger made the call. That’s when things got interesting. Binger was not sure how many cards to draw and the clock was eventually called by Binger himself. Binger had 60 seconds to draw or else he would be forced to stand pat. After a good amount of time, Binger finally drew one card and then Karas turned over 7-5-4-3-2 for the nuts.

“I’m drawing dead,” Binger said. He then received his card and salt was added to his wound. “I caught it too!” he said as he showed 7-6-4-3-2 for the second best hand in lowball. Karas raked in the pot and was at 84,000 while Binger was down to 96,000.

Left In The Deck:

The players have gone on a 60 minute dinner break and will return at approximately 7:30 p.m.

Player Tags: Mickey Appleman,   Mike Matusow,   Archie Karas,   Tim Phan,   Ville Wahlbeck,   Michael Binger

Level 9 Update: Sung And Mizzi Double Up

Jun 11, '09

Blinds: 500-1,000 with a 300 ante

Players Remaining: 46 out of 96

Chip Counts:

1. Roland De Wolfe – 180,300
2. Stanislav Alehkin – 121,000
3. Vince Musso – 118,000
4. John Juanda – 111,800
5. Tim Phan – 98,500
6. Justin Smith – 83,500
7. Daniel Harmetz – 83,000
8. Anton Allemann – 76,100
9. Doug Booth – 74,000
10. David Benyamine – 69,500

Average Chip Count: 58,776

Notable Eliminations:

Steve Zolotow
Doyle Brunson
Brett Richey
Jeff Lisandro
Freddy Deeb
Amnon Filippi
Jacobo Fernandez

Big Hands:

Steve Sung Doubles Up Through Freddy Deeb

Steve Sung was all in before the draw for his last 6,000 in chips. Freddy Deeb was the only caller and it was time to draw.

Draw: Sung draws 1 card, Deeb’s draw unknown

After the draw, Deeb announced he had a King-low. Sung then turned over his holding, showing 10-7-3-2 before he flipped over his drawn card. It was the 4 and Sung made a 10-low, good enough for the pot and he survived to fight another day.

Zolotow With An Early Pot, Busts Out Later

With 5,600 in the pot and the draw already completed, Steve Zolotow fired 3,000 into the pot and the action was on Chris Bjorin. He thought for a few moments but decided to muck his hand and surrender the pot. Zolotow raked it in and was around 32,000 in chips. Those chips did not last long, however, as he busted out shortly after.

Sorel Mizzi Doubles Through Michael Binger

Before the draw, Mizzi was all in for his last 10,400 and the action was on Binger. He tanked for a long time and then finally decided to throw in the call.

Draw: Mizzi draws 1 card, Binger draws 1 card

When Mizzi drew his card, Binger had a look of frustration on his face as he drew his card. Before even looking at his card, Binger said to Mizzi, “You win.” Mizzi turned over a K-10-8-6-2 and Binger mucked. He was down to 51,000 while Mizzi doubled up to 22,000.

Mueller Loves The Three-Way Action

Prior to the draw, Tim Phan raised and Jean-Robert Bellande made the call from the button. Greg Mueller followed suit from the small blind and the onus was now on the players to draw.

Draw: Mueller stands pat, Phan draws 2 cards, Bellande draws 1 card

Everyone checked and Mueller turned over a Jack-low, good enough to take the pot as his opponents mucked. Mueller was at 60,000 while Bellande was down to 50,000 and Phan was at 86,000.

So Long Freddy

Freddy Deeb moved all in for his last 13,700 and action folded around to David Benyamine in the big blind. He thought for a few moments and then made the call.

Draw: Benyamine draws 1 card, Deeb draws 1 card

Before they received their cards, both players turned over their hands. Benyamine showed 8-7-5-2 while Deeb revealed 9-6-5-3. Deeb was the first to turn his card and it was the 10, giving him a 10-low. Benyamine then broke Deeb’s heart as he turned over the 3, making his 8-low and Deeb was eliminated.

Player Tags: Steve Zolotow,   David Benyamine,   Greg Mueller,   Tim Phan,   Jean-Robert Bellande,   Steve Sung,   Michael Binger,   Freddy Deeb,   Sorel Mizzi

Final Table Update: Quickly Down to Four

Jun 12, '09

Blinds: 6,000-12,000 with a 3,000 ante

Players Remaining: 4 out of 96

Chip Counts:

1. Ville Wahlbeck — 740,000
2. John Juanda — 650,000
3. Steve Sung — 420,000
4. Nick Schulman — 295,000

Average Chip Count: 720,000

Notable Eliminations:

8. Michael Binger – $24,545
7. David Benyamine – $30,492
6. Vince Musso – $39,697
5. Archie Karas – $53,783

Big Hands:

Michael Binger Eliminated in Eighth Place ($24,545)

Michael Binger moved all in from early position to open the action and John Juanda made the call.

Binger chose to draw two and Juanda stood pat. Juanda turned over a 10-8-6-4-2 and Binger turned over 9-9-K-7-2. Binger was eliminated in eighth place.

David Benyamine Eliminated in Seventh Place ($30,492)

Steve Sung raised to 32,000 from the cutoff and David Benyamine reraised all in for 86,000 from the button.

Sung stood pat and Benyamine drew one card. Sung turned over J-8-7-3-2 and Benyamine conjured 9-6-5-4. He was drawing live but he paired his 9 and was eliminated in seventh place.

Vince Musso Eliminated in Sixth Place ($39,697)

Ville Wahlbeck raised to 35,000 and Vince Musso reraised all in. Wahlbeck called him and stood pat. Musso drew one card.

Wahlbeck turned up 7-5-4-3-2 for the nuts and Musso was eliminated before he received his draw card with a 9-5-4-2. Musso was eliminated in sixth place.

Archie Karas Eliminated in Fifth Place ($53,783)

Archie Karas moved all in for 86,000 under the gun and Steve Sung made the call. Both players stood pat and Sung turned up 10-9-8-7-3. Karas held J-10-8-5-2 and he was eliminated in fifth place.

Player Tags: John Juanda,   David Benyamine,   Archie Karas,   Ville Wahlbeck,   Steve Sung,   Michael Binger,   Vince Musso

End of Day 2: 10 Remain; Final Table Still NOT Set

Jun 12, '09

Play has ended for the night as Day 2 of the $10,000 World Championship of No-Limit 2-7 Draw has come to an end. The seven-handed final table has yet to be reached, and the remaining 10 players will come back tomorrow at 2:00 pm PDT to play down to a winner. Vince Musso leads the way with 765,500 in chips as he guns for his first gold bracelet, falling just shy in 1979 when he finished third to Bobby Baldwin in this event.

Be sure to check back with CardPlayer.com for all of the action, live as it unfolds from this marquee event.

Blinds: 5,000-10,000 with a 3,000 ante

Players Remaining: 10 out of 96

Chip Counts:

1. Vince Musso — 765,500
2. Ville Wahlbeck — 487,000
3. John Juanda — 387,000
4. Nick Schulman — 300,000
5. Archie Karas — 264,500
6. Steve Sung — 212,500
7. David Benyamine — 139,000
8. Justin Smith — 122,500
9. Michael Binger — 108,000
10. Roland de Wolfe — 102,000

Average Chip Count: 288,000

Notable Eliminations:

13. Dan Harmetz — $17,885
12. Max Pescatori — $17,885
11. Hertzel Zalewski — $19,871

Big Hands:

Dan Harmetz Eliminated in 13th Place ($17,885)

Michael Binger raises to 18,000 from under the gun, Dan Harmetz moves all in for 47,000 and Binger calls.

Harmetz draws one card while Binger stands pat.

Harmetz draws to a 10-8-5-4-2 while Binger shows a 10-6-5-4-3. Binger rakes the pot and Dan Harmetz is eliminated in 13th place ($17,885).

Michael Binger Doubles Through Archie Karas

With the blinds and antes rapidly rising, so too is the standard opening bet as illustrated by Michael Binger who moves all in before the draw for just under 100,000 in chips. Archie Karas calls and has him covered.

Both players draw one card each.

Binger draws to a ten-low as Karas pairs deuces. Binger rakes the pot, doubling up to just over 200,000 in chips.

Max Pescatori Eliminated in 12th Place ($17,885)

Max Pescatori moves all in for 42,000 from under the gun and Hertzel Zalewski calls from the big blind.

Pescatori draws one card as Zalewski stands pat.

Pescatori draws to a 9-7-6-4-3 low, but Zalewski turns over the winner with an 8-6 low (8-6-5-3-2). Zalewski rakes the pot as Max Pescatori is eliminated in 12th place ($17,885).

Hertzel Zalewski Eliminated in 11th Place ($19,871)

John Juanda raises to 30,000 before the draw, Hertzel Zalewski moves all in from the button for 86,500 and Juanda calls.

Zalewski draws one card as Juanda stands pat.

Juanda shows 10-8-7-6-4 while Zalewski pairs sevens on the draw. Juanda rakes the pot and Hertzel Zalewski is eliminated in 11th place ($19,871), just moments before the closing bell.

Left in the Deck

As the final minutes of Level 18 were winding down, there was much discussion amongst the players and the tournament staff as to how the night should end. It was ultimately decided that the players would take a short five-minute break at the completion of Level 18 and then come back and play until 3:00 am PDT, regardless of how many players would remain and/or how much time was left in Level 19.

Player Tags: Hertzel Zalewski,   Max Pescatori,   Michael Binger,   Dan Harmetz

Level 15 Update: Tim Phan, Bruno Fitoussi Eliminated

Jun 11, '09

Blinds: 2,000-4,000 with a 1,000 ante

Players Remaining: 17 out of 96

Chip Counts:

1. Vince Musso — 345,000
2. Nick Schulman — 330,000
3. Ville Wahlbeck — 275,000
4. John Juanda — 262,000
5. Roland de Wolfe — 250,000
6. Archie Karas — 220,000
7. Dan Harmetz — 190,000
8. Justin Smith — 183,000
9. David Benyamine — 162,000
10. Michael Binger — 145,000

Average Chip Count: 169,411

Notable Eliminations:

Mark Weitzman
Anton Allemann
Tim Phan
Bruno Fitoussi
Lamar Wilkinson

Big Hands:

Mark Weitzman Eliminated by John Juanda

John Juanda raises to 12,000 before the draw and Mark Weitzman moves all in behind him for an additional 500. Juanda calls.

Both players draw one card each.

Weitzman draws a 10-8-7-3-2 while Juanda makes a 10-6-5-4-3. Juanda rakes the pot, eliminating Mark Weitzman right after the break. Weitzman was eliminated in 22nd place, and as a result, the remaining 21 players will re-draw for seats at the final three tables.

Bruno Fitoussi Eliminated by Michael Binger

After battling with the short stack the entire night, Bruno Fitoussi finally gets is all in for just under 25,000 from under the gun. Michael Binger calls from middle position, as does David Banyamine from the big blind.

Both Fitoussi and Benyamine draw one card each as Binger stands pat.

Benyamine checks the side pot, Binger bets 40,000 and Benyamine folds. Binger turns over 7-5-4-3-2 and eliminates Bruno Fitoussi from the event.

Anton Allemann Eliminated by Dan Harmetz

Anton Allemann moves all in from the button and Dan Harmetz calls from the big blind.

Allemann draws one card as Harmetz stands pat.

Harmetz turns over a made 10-9-6-5-3 while Allemann falls just short, drawing to a
10-9-7-5-4. Harmetz rakes the pot, eliminating Anton Allemann from the tournament.

Bobby Bellande Doubles Up

On a consistent downswing since the dinner break, Bobby Bellande prepares to make his last stand as he moves all in for 25,000 from the cutoff. John Hanson calls from the big blind, he has Bellande covered.

Both players draw one card each.

Hanson had the best draw with a 7-5-4-2 against Bellande’s 9-8-4-2, but as Bellande draws a 10, Hanson pairs his seven. Bellande doubles ups this hand while John Hanson falls down to just 40,000 in chips.

Player Tags: John Juanda,   David Benyamine,   Bruno Fitoussi,   Mark Weitzman,   Jean-Robert Bellande,   Michael Binger,   John Hanson

Level 13 Update: Matusow Reeling

Jun 11, '09

Blinds: 1,200-2,400 with a 600 ante

Players Remaining: 26 out of 96

Chip Counts:

1. Vince Musso – 215,000
2. Roland de Wolfe – 210,000
3. Jean-Robert Bellande – 188,000
4. John Juanda – 181,000
5. David Benyamine – 165,000
6. Ville Wahlbeck – 160,000
7. Daniel Harmetz – 145,000
8. Anton Allemann – 130,000
9. Max Pescatori – 125,000
10. Justin Smith – 122,000

Average Chip Count: 106,667

Notable Eliminations:

Big Hands:

De Wolfe Man

Roland de Wolfe raised 5,000 before the draw and Ville Wahlbeck made the call. Tim Phan also came along and the players took their cards.

Draw: De Wolfe draws 2 cards, Phan draws 2 cards, Wahlbeck draws 1 card

Action was checked to De Wolfe and he fired 22,000. Wahlbeck mucked his hand but Phan looked him up. De Wolfe then showed 10-8-4-3-2 and Phan mucked. De Wolfe raked in the pot and he was up to 250,000 while Phan was down to 116,000.

Pescatori Grabs A Pot

Max Pescatori raised to 4,100 before the draw and seat 2 made the call.

Draw: Seat 2 draws 2 cards, Pescatori draws 1 card

Max Pescatori led out with 10,000 after the draw and his opponent made the call. Pescatori then tabled 9-7-6-3-2. His opponent mucked and Pescatori was up to 120,000 in chips.

Phan One Ups Matusow

After everything was said and done, there was 21,000 in the pot and it was time for Ville Wahlbeck, Tim Phan and Mike Matusow to draw.

Draw: Phan draws 1 card, Matusow draws 1 card, Wahlbeck draws 2 cards

Phan led out with 15,500 and Matusow made the quick call. Wahlbeck got out of the way and Phan tabled a 10-7 low. Matusow was disgusted as he showed a 10-8 low and Phan took another pot off “The Mouth.” Phan was up to 115,000 while Matusow was down to 45,000.

Wahlbeck Bests Binger

Michael Binger raised to 7,500 before the draw and Ville Wahlbeck repopped it to 26,000 total. Binger thought for a bit before finally making the call.

Draw: Binger draws 1 card, Wahlbeck stands pat

Both players checked the action after the draw and Binger showed a 10-7 low. Wahlbeck showed the better 9-8-5-4-3 and took the pot. His stack improved to 160,000 while Binger was at 76,000.

The Old Mike Matusow Luck

Ville Wahlbeck raised to 7,500 and both Tim Phan and Mike Matusow made the call.

Draw: Matusow draws 1 card, Wahlbeck draws 1 card, Phan draws one card

Action was checked to Matusow who fired 20,000. Wahlbeck made the call and Phan mucked his hand. Matusow tabled 9-7-5-4-3. Unfortunately, Wahlbeck showed 9-7-5-4-2 and Matusow lost a heartbreaking hand and he was in deep trouble with just 18,000.

Player Tags: Max Pescatori,   Mike Matusow,   Tim Phan,   Ville Wahlbeck,   Roland de Wolfe,   Michael Binger

Level 12 Update: Phan Rolling

Jun 11, '09

Blinds: 1,000-2,000 with a 500 ante

Players Remaining: 27 out of 96

Chip Counts:

1. Vince Musso – 215,000
2. Roland de Wolfe – 210,000
3. Jean-Robert Bellande – 188,000
4. John Juanda – 181,000
5. David Benyamine – 165,000
6. Ville Wahlbeck – 160,000
7. Daniel Harmetz – 145,000
8. Anton Allemann – 130,000
9. Max Pescatori – 125,000
10. Justin Smith – 122,000

Average Chip Count: 106,667

Notable Eliminations:

Mickey Appleman

Big Hands:

Matusow Can’t Make The Call

Tim Phan raised to 6,000 from the button and the action was on Mike Matusow. He raised it to 21,000 total from the small blind and Phan made the call after a bit of thought.

Draw: Matusow stands pat, Phan draws 1 card

Matusow checked and Phan fired 28,000 into the pot. Matusow went into a massive tank session and stared down Phan. Eventually, Matusow released his hand and he was down to 50,000 while Phan improved to 112,000.

Binger Muscled Off A Hand

Michael Binger raised to 6,000 from the hijack position and action folded to seat 1 on the button. He raised it to 24,500 and the action came back to Binger. After a brief moment of thought, he mucked his hand and he was down to 75,000 in chips.

Ducks Fly Together

The player in seat 1 raised to 6,000 from the small blind and Tim Phan made the call from the big blind.

Draw: Seat 1 draws 2 cards, Phan draws 2 cards

Phan was surprised his opponent elected to draw two cards and decided to take two himself. Both players then checked and Phan showed a pair of deuces. His opponent then mucked and Phan scored the victory with a pair. He was up to 123,000 after the hand.

Wahlbeck Eliminates Appleman

Ville Wahlbeck raised to 17,000 before the draw and Mickey Appleman moved in for 23,000 total. Wahlbeck called the 6,000 and it was time to draw.

Draw: Wahlbeck stands pat, Appleman draws 1 card

Wahlbeck turned over a Jack-low and Appleman showed 8-7-5-3, but he received a Queen on the draw and he was eliminated.

Archie Karas Doubles Up Against Binger’s Number Two

Archie Karas was all in for about 40,000 and Michael Binger made the call. That’s when things got interesting. Binger was not sure how many cards to draw and the clock was eventually called by Binger himself. Binger had 60 seconds to draw or else he would be forced to stand pat. After a good amount of time, Binger finally drew one card and then Karas turned over 7-5-4-3-2 for the nuts.

“I’m drawing dead,” Binger said. He then received his card and salt was added to his wound. “I caught it too!” he said as he showed 7-6-4-3-2 for the second best hand in lowball. Karas raked in the pot and was at 84,000 while Binger was down to 96,000.

Left In The Deck:

The players have gone on a 60 minute dinner break and will return at approximately 7:30 p.m.

Player Tags: Mickey Appleman,   Mike Matusow,   Archie Karas,   Tim Phan,   Ville Wahlbeck,   Michael Binger

Level 9 Update: Sung And Mizzi Double Up

Jun 11, '09

Blinds: 500-1,000 with a 300 ante

Players Remaining: 46 out of 96

Chip Counts:

1. Roland De Wolfe – 180,300
2. Stanislav Alehkin – 121,000
3. Vince Musso – 118,000
4. John Juanda – 111,800
5. Tim Phan – 98,500
6. Justin Smith – 83,500
7. Daniel Harmetz – 83,000
8. Anton Allemann – 76,100
9. Doug Booth – 74,000
10. David Benyamine – 69,500

Average Chip Count: 58,776

Notable Eliminations:

Steve Zolotow
Doyle Brunson
Brett Richey
Jeff Lisandro
Freddy Deeb
Amnon Filippi
Jacobo Fernandez

Big Hands:

Steve Sung Doubles Up Through Freddy Deeb

Steve Sung was all in before the draw for his last 6,000 in chips. Freddy Deeb was the only caller and it was time to draw.

Draw: Sung draws 1 card, Deeb’s draw unknown

After the draw, Deeb announced he had a King-low. Sung then turned over his holding, showing 10-7-3-2 before he flipped over his drawn card. It was the 4 and Sung made a 10-low, good enough for the pot and he survived to fight another day.

Zolotow With An Early Pot, Busts Out Later

With 5,600 in the pot and the draw already completed, Steve Zolotow fired 3,000 into the pot and the action was on Chris Bjorin. He thought for a few moments but decided to muck his hand and surrender the pot. Zolotow raked it in and was around 32,000 in chips. Those chips did not last long, however, as he busted out shortly after.

Sorel Mizzi Doubles Through Michael Binger

Before the draw, Mizzi was all in for his last 10,400 and the action was on Binger. He tanked for a long time and then finally decided to throw in the call.

Draw: Mizzi draws 1 card, Binger draws 1 card

When Mizzi drew his card, Binger had a look of frustration on his face as he drew his card. Before even looking at his card, Binger said to Mizzi, “You win.” Mizzi turned over a K-10-8-6-2 and Binger mucked. He was down to 51,000 while Mizzi doubled up to 22,000.

Mueller Loves The Three-Way Action

Prior to the draw, Tim Phan raised and Jean-Robert Bellande made the call from the button. Greg Mueller followed suit from the small blind and the onus was now on the players to draw.

Draw: Mueller stands pat, Phan draws 2 cards, Bellande draws 1 card

Everyone checked and Mueller turned over a Jack-low, good enough to take the pot as his opponents mucked. Mueller was at 60,000 while Bellande was down to 50,000 and Phan was at 86,000.

So Long Freddy

Freddy Deeb moved all in for his last 13,700 and action folded around to David Benyamine in the big blind. He thought for a few moments and then made the call.

Draw: Benyamine draws 1 card, Deeb draws 1 card

Before they received their cards, both players turned over their hands. Benyamine showed 8-7-5-2 while Deeb revealed 9-6-5-3. Deeb was the first to turn his card and it was the 10, giving him a 10-low. Benyamine then broke Deeb’s heart as he turned over the 3, making his 8-low and Deeb was eliminated.

Player Tags: Steve Zolotow,   David Benyamine,   Greg Mueller,   Tim Phan,   Jean-Robert Bellande,   Steve Sung,   Michael Binger,   Freddy Deeb,   Sorel Mizzi

Level 19 Update: Michael Binger Eliminated in 16th Place

Jun 06, '09

Level Structure:

2-7 triple draw, limit hold’em, and Omaha 8OB: 8,000-15,000 blinds and 15,000-30,000 limits

7-card stud, razz, and 7-card stud 8OB: 3,000 ante, 5,000 bring-in, with a 15,000 completion and 15,000-30,000 limits

no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha: 4,000-8,000 blinds with a 2,000 ante

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

Players Remaining: 15 out of 194

Chip Counts:

1. Huck Seed – 825,000
2. Ville Wahlbeck – 642,000
3. Joe Serock – 440,000
4. James Van Alstyne – 413,000
5. Doyle Brunson – 400,000
6. Todd Brunson – 388,000
7. Adam Friedman – 373,000
8. Allie Prescott – 325,000
9. David Chiu – 310,000
10. Mark Gregorich – 222,000

Average Chip Count: 388,000

Notable Eliminations:

20. John Cernuto – $16,649
19. Matt Hawrilenko – $16,649
18. Soheil Shamseddin – $16,649
17. Eric Froehlich – $16,649
16. Michael Binger – $21,357

Final Two Tables Seating Charts

Table 150

Seat 1: Joe Serock
Seat 2:
Seat 3: Michael Binger
Seat 4: David Chiu
Seat 5: Scott Dorin
Seat 6: James Van Alstyne
Seat 7: Todd Brunson
Seat 8: Adam Friedman

Table 151

Seat 1: Brian Powell
Seat 2: Ozzy Sheikh
Seat 3: Huck Seed
Seat 4: Mark Gregorich
Seat 5: Ville Wahlbeck
Seat 6: Allie Prescott
Seat 7: Mike Wattel
Seat 8: Roman Yitzhaki

Big Hands

Michael Binger Eliminated in 16th Place ($21,357)

Stud 8OB

Michael Binger moved all in on third street against Todd Brunson. Binger made queens on fifth street but Brunson made aces and neither player made a low hand. Brunson soocped the pot and Binger was eliminated in 16th place.

Player Tags: Todd Brunson,   Michael Binger

Level 18 Update: Chop It Up!

Jun 06, '09

Level Structure:

2-7 triple draw, limit hold’em, and Omaha 8OB: 6,000-12,000 blinds and 12,000-24,000 limits

7-card stud, razz, and 7-card stud 8OB: 3,000 ante, 3,000 bring-in, with a 12,000 completion and 12,000-24,000 limits

no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha: 3,000-6,000 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: 20 out of 194

Chip Counts:

1. Huck Seed – 690,000
2. Joe Serock – 640,000
3. Adam Friedman – 526,000
4. John Cernuto – 387,000
5. Soheil Shamseddin – 362,000
6. Doyle Brunson – 355,000
7. Ville Wahlbeck – 340,000
8. Todd Brunson – 320,000
9. Allie Prescott – 306,000
10. Mark Gregorich – 265,000

Average Chip Count: 242,500

Notable Eliminations:

24th: Max Pescatori – $16,649
23rd: Brian Mizok – $16,649
22nd: Harris Pavlou – $16,649
21st: Vitaly Lunkin – $16,649

Big Hands:

Stud 8

Let The Chopping Begin!

Michael Binger: X-X-4AK
Ville Wahlbeck: X-X-427

The sequence of the action is not clear, but the two players ended up capping the betting before sixth street came.

Michael Binger: X-X-4AK3
Ville Wahlbeck: X-X-4275

Binger put his remaining chips in the pot, which were only 8,000 and Wahlbeck called. Binger tabled his hole cards, A6 for a pair of aces and a good low draw while Wahlbeck showed 47 for two pair and a seven low draw and a chance to scoop the pot. The river came and Binger got a 2 to cement a six low while Wahlbeck received a meaningless 5 for a seven low. He did win the high pot with two pair and he was at 260,000 while Binger had much less with 60,000.

Pescatori Survives This All In With A Chop, But Knocked Out Later

Adam Friedman: X-X-65
Max Pescatori: X-X-25

Pescatori was all in on fourth street and Friedman made the call. This is how their boards looked after all the cards were dealt.

Adam Friedman: 65A48A
Max Pescatori: 256A7K2

Friedman secured the high pot with a pair of aces but Pescatori took the low end with a seven low, one notch better than Friedman’s eight low. Pescatori was at 86,000 while Friedman had 526,000.

Pescatori would later be knocked out by Matt Hawrilenko during a no limit hold em hand and he was the first person to cash in this event, taking home $16,649.

One More Chop, Brunson And Gregorich Share The Wealth

Todd Brunson: X-X-98A
Mark Gregorich: X-X-Q42

Brunson bet 24,000 and Gregorich made the call.

Todd Brunson: X-X-98A10
Mark Gregorich: X-X-Q42J

Brunson fired another bet of 24,000 and Gregorich called. On the river, Brunson fired again with 24,000 and Gregorich raised to 48,000. Brunson called and showed AA10 for a full house while Gregorich showed 376 for a seven low. The players chopped and Brunson was at 320,000 while Gregorich had 242,000

Player Tags: Max Pescatori,   Todd Brunson,   Mark Gregorich,   Ville Wahlbeck,   Adam Friedman,   Michael Binger

Level 15 Update: Chiu Fighting Back

Jun 05, '09

Level Structure:

2-7 triple draw, limit hold’em, and Omaha 8OB: 3,000-6,000 blinds and 6,000-12,000 limits

7-card stud, razz, and 7-card stud 8OB: 1,500 ante, 2,000 bring-in, with a 6,000 completion and 6,000-12,000 limits

no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha: 1,500-3,000 blinds with a 700 ante

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

Players Remaining: 37 out of 194

Chip Counts:

1. Soheil Shamseddin – 340,000
2. Eric Froehlich – 329,000
3. Huck Seed – 318,500
4. Adam Friedman – 290,000
5. Ville Wahlbeck – 230,000
6. Michael Binger – 230,000
7. Doyle Brunson – 205,000
8. Marc Karam – 204,000
9. Steve Sung – 190,000
10. Roman Yitzhaki – 180,000

Average Chip Count: 157,297

Notable Eliminations:

Patrick Bueno

Big Hands:

Stud 8

Two-Wheel Drive

Michael Binger: X-X-4103
Seat 6: X-X-A52

The player in seat 6 fired 12,000 into the pot and Michael Binger came along for the ride.

Michael Binger: X-X-41034
Seat 6: X-X-A5210

Seat 6 fired another 12,000 into the pot and Binger stuck around. When the river card came, the action was on Binger. However, seat 6 bet 12,000 out of turn and the dealer explained Binger was first to act. Binger conceded a check, then popped it to 24,000. Seat 6 wasn’t finished as he three-bet to 36,000. Binger made the call and seat 6 announced he had the wheel. “Me too,” Binger said as he tabled A25 for confirmation. The two players chopped the pot and Binger was around 190,000.

After the hand, Liv Boeree stopped by to say a few words to Binger. That in itself makes Binger a winner in this reporter’s book.

Stud

Chiu Making A Comeback

David Chiu: X-X-5
Seat 7: X-X-Q

Chiu was the low card and brought in 2,000. The player in seat 7 completed to 6,000 and Chiu made the call.

David Chiu: X-X-58
Seat 7: X-X-Q10

Seat 7 bet another 6,000 and Chiu made the call.

David Chiu: X-X-584
Seat 7: X-X-Q106

Seat 7 kept up the aggression, betting 12,000. Chiu stuck around and the players saw sixth street.

David Chiu: X-X-5845
Seat 7: X-X-Q106A

Chiu paired up on sixth street and quickly took control of the hand, firing 12,000. Seat 7 mucked his hand and Chiu raked in the pot. After being down to his last 20,000 earlier, Chiu has chipped back up to over 110,000.

Razz:

Brunson Muy Bueno

Patrick Bueno: X-X-2
Todd Brunson: X-X-6

After Steve Sung brought in 2,000 with the K, Bueno completed to 6,000 and Brunson immediately followed with a raise to 12,000. Sung mucked and Bueno called.

Patrick Bueno: X-X-2A
Todd Brunson: X-X-6A

Bueno led out again with 6,000 and Brunson again raised to 12,000. Bueno made the call.

Patrick Bueno: X-X-2A7
Todd Brunson: X-X-6A4

Brunson was first to act after fifth street gave him a better low hand on the board and he led out with 12,000. Bueno made the call.

Patrick Bueno: X-X-2A7J
Todd Brunson: X-X-6A4Q

The action reversed back to Bueno as he was showing the better low hand. He checked and Brunson bet 12,000. Bueno called again and the river was dealt. Bueno checked again and Brunson bet 12,000. Bueno had enough and mucked his hand, leaving himself with only 12,500. Brunson chipped up to over 220,000.

Miami John Builds His Big Stack

John Cernuto: X-X-34
Seat 5: X-X-37

Cernuto bet 6,000 and his opponent decided to tag along.

John Cernuto: X-X-342
Seat 5: X-X-3710

Cernuto fired another 12,000 and his opponent laid down his hand. Cernuto raked in the pot and he was around 175,000 in chips.

Player Tags: John Cernuto,   Todd Brunson,   David Chiu,   Patrick Bueno,   Michael Binger,   Liv Boeree

Level 19 Update: Michael Binger Eliminated in 16th Place

Jun 06, '09

Level Structure:

2-7 triple draw, limit hold’em, and Omaha 8OB: 8,000-15,000 blinds and 15,000-30,000 limits

7-card stud, razz, and 7-card stud 8OB: 3,000 ante, 5,000 bring-in, with a 15,000 completion and 15,000-30,000 limits

no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha: 4,000-8,000 blinds with a 2,000 ante

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

Players Remaining: 15 out of 194

Chip Counts:

1. Huck Seed – 825,000
2. Ville Wahlbeck – 642,000
3. Joe Serock – 440,000
4. James Van Alstyne – 413,000
5. Doyle Brunson – 400,000
6. Todd Brunson – 388,000
7. Adam Friedman – 373,000
8. Allie Prescott – 325,000
9. David Chiu – 310,000
10. Mark Gregorich – 222,000

Average Chip Count: 388,000

Notable Eliminations:

20. John Cernuto – $16,649
19. Matt Hawrilenko – $16,649
18. Soheil Shamseddin – $16,649
17. Eric Froehlich – $16,649
16. Michael Binger – $21,357

Final Two Tables Seating Charts

Table 150

Seat 1: Joe Serock
Seat 2:
Seat 3: Michael Binger
Seat 4: David Chiu
Seat 5: Scott Dorin
Seat 6: James Van Alstyne
Seat 7: Todd Brunson
Seat 8: Adam Friedman

Table 151

Seat 1: Brian Powell
Seat 2: Ozzy Sheikh
Seat 3: Huck Seed
Seat 4: Mark Gregorich
Seat 5: Ville Wahlbeck
Seat 6: Allie Prescott
Seat 7: Mike Wattel
Seat 8: Roman Yitzhaki

Big Hands

Michael Binger Eliminated in 16th Place ($21,357)

Stud 8OB

Michael Binger moved all in on third street against Todd Brunson. Binger made queens on fifth street but Brunson made aces and neither player made a low hand. Brunson soocped the pot and Binger was eliminated in 16th place.

Player Tags: Todd Brunson,   Michael Binger

Level 18 Update: Chop It Up!

Jun 06, '09

Level Structure:

2-7 triple draw, limit hold’em, and Omaha 8OB: 6,000-12,000 blinds and 12,000-24,000 limits

7-card stud, razz, and 7-card stud 8OB: 3,000 ante, 3,000 bring-in, with a 12,000 completion and 12,000-24,000 limits

no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha: 3,000-6,000 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: 20 out of 194

Chip Counts:

1. Huck Seed – 690,000
2. Joe Serock – 640,000
3. Adam Friedman – 526,000
4. John Cernuto – 387,000
5. Soheil Shamseddin – 362,000
6. Doyle Brunson – 355,000
7. Ville Wahlbeck – 340,000
8. Todd Brunson – 320,000
9. Allie Prescott – 306,000
10. Mark Gregorich – 265,000

Average Chip Count: 242,500

Notable Eliminations:

24th: Max Pescatori – $16,649
23rd: Brian Mizok – $16,649
22nd: Harris Pavlou – $16,649
21st: Vitaly Lunkin – $16,649

Big Hands:

Stud 8

Let The Chopping Begin!

Michael Binger: X-X-4AK
Ville Wahlbeck: X-X-427

The sequence of the action is not clear, but the two players ended up capping the betting before sixth street came.

Michael Binger: X-X-4AK3
Ville Wahlbeck: X-X-4275

Binger put his remaining chips in the pot, which were only 8,000 and Wahlbeck called. Binger tabled his hole cards, A6 for a pair of aces and a good low draw while Wahlbeck showed 47 for two pair and a seven low draw and a chance to scoop the pot. The river came and Binger got a 2 to cement a six low while Wahlbeck received a meaningless 5 for a seven low. He did win the high pot with two pair and he was at 260,000 while Binger had much less with 60,000.

Pescatori Survives This All In With A Chop, But Knocked Out Later

Adam Friedman: X-X-65
Max Pescatori: X-X-25

Pescatori was all in on fourth street and Friedman made the call. This is how their boards looked after all the cards were dealt.

Adam Friedman: 65A48A
Max Pescatori: 256A7K2

Friedman secured the high pot with a pair of aces but Pescatori took the low end with a seven low, one notch better than Friedman’s eight low. Pescatori was at 86,000 while Friedman had 526,000.

Pescatori would later be knocked out by Matt Hawrilenko during a no limit hold em hand and he was the first person to cash in this event, taking home $16,649.

One More Chop, Brunson And Gregorich Share The Wealth

Todd Brunson: X-X-98A
Mark Gregorich: X-X-Q42

Brunson bet 24,000 and Gregorich made the call.

Todd Brunson: X-X-98A10
Mark Gregorich: X-X-Q42J

Brunson fired another bet of 24,000 and Gregorich called. On the river, Brunson fired again with 24,000 and Gregorich raised to 48,000. Brunson called and showed AA10 for a full house while Gregorich showed 376 for a seven low. The players chopped and Brunson was at 320,000 while Gregorich had 242,000

Player Tags: Max Pescatori,   Todd Brunson,   Mark Gregorich,   Ville Wahlbeck,   Adam Friedman,   Michael Binger

Level 15 Update: Chiu Fighting Back

Jun 05, '09

Level Structure:

2-7 triple draw, limit hold’em, and Omaha 8OB: 3,000-6,000 blinds and 6,000-12,000 limits

7-card stud, razz, and 7-card stud 8OB: 1,500 ante, 2,000 bring-in, with a 6,000 completion and 6,000-12,000 limits

no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha: 1,500-3,000 blinds with a 700 ante

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

Players Remaining: 37 out of 194

Chip Counts:

1. Soheil Shamseddin – 340,000
2. Eric Froehlich – 329,000
3. Huck Seed – 318,500
4. Adam Friedman – 290,000
5. Ville Wahlbeck – 230,000
6. Michael Binger – 230,000
7. Doyle Brunson – 205,000
8. Marc Karam – 204,000
9. Steve Sung – 190,000
10. Roman Yitzhaki – 180,000

Average Chip Count: 157,297

Notable Eliminations:

Patrick Bueno

Big Hands:

Stud 8

Two-Wheel Drive

Michael Binger: X-X-4103
Seat 6: X-X-A52

The player in seat 6 fired 12,000 into the pot and Michael Binger came along for the ride.

Michael Binger: X-X-41034
Seat 6: X-X-A5210

Seat 6 fired another 12,000 into the pot and Binger stuck around. When the river card came, the action was on Binger. However, seat 6 bet 12,000 out of turn and the dealer explained Binger was first to act. Binger conceded a check, then popped it to 24,000. Seat 6 wasn’t finished as he three-bet to 36,000. Binger made the call and seat 6 announced he had the wheel. “Me too,” Binger said as he tabled A25 for confirmation. The two players chopped the pot and Binger was around 190,000.

After the hand, Liv Boeree stopped by to say a few words to Binger. That in itself makes Binger a winner in this reporter’s book.

Stud

Chiu Making A Comeback

David Chiu: X-X-5
Seat 7: X-X-Q

Chiu was the low card and brought in 2,000. The player in seat 7 completed to 6,000 and Chiu made the call.

David Chiu: X-X-58
Seat 7: X-X-Q10

Seat 7 bet another 6,000 and Chiu made the call.

David Chiu: X-X-584
Seat 7: X-X-Q106

Seat 7 kept up the aggression, betting 12,000. Chiu stuck around and the players saw sixth street.

David Chiu: X-X-5845
Seat 7: X-X-Q106A

Chiu paired up on sixth street and quickly took control of the hand, firing 12,000. Seat 7 mucked his hand and Chiu raked in the pot. After being down to his last 20,000 earlier, Chiu has chipped back up to over 110,000.

Razz:

Brunson Muy Bueno

Patrick Bueno: X-X-2
Todd Brunson: X-X-6

After Steve Sung brought in 2,000 with the K, Bueno completed to 6,000 and Brunson immediately followed with a raise to 12,000. Sung mucked and Bueno called.

Patrick Bueno: X-X-2A
Todd Brunson: X-X-6A

Bueno led out again with 6,000 and Brunson again raised to 12,000. Bueno made the call.

Patrick Bueno: X-X-2A7
Todd Brunson: X-X-6A4

Brunson was first to act after fifth street gave him a better low hand on the board and he led out with 12,000. Bueno made the call.

Patrick Bueno: X-X-2A7J
Todd Brunson: X-X-6A4Q

The action reversed back to Bueno as he was showing the better low hand. He checked and Brunson bet 12,000. Bueno called again and the river was dealt. Bueno checked again and Brunson bet 12,000. Bueno had enough and mucked his hand, leaving himself with only 12,500. Brunson chipped up to over 220,000.

Miami John Builds His Big Stack

John Cernuto: X-X-34
Seat 5: X-X-37

Cernuto bet 6,000 and his opponent decided to tag along.

John Cernuto: X-X-342
Seat 5: X-X-3710

Cernuto fired another 12,000 and his opponent laid down his hand. Cernuto raked in the pot and he was around 175,000 in chips.

Player Tags: John Cernuto,   Todd Brunson,   David Chiu,   Patrick Bueno,   Michael Binger,   Liv Boeree

Level 8 Update

Mar 17, '09

Big Hands:

Michael Binger Eliminated by Devin Porter

Michael Binger moved all in preflop and Devin Porter called him down. Their cards:

Binger: KK
Porter: AA

Board: 7542Q

Binger was eliminated on the hand and Porter took home the $5,000 bounty.

Barry Greenstein Eliminated by Josh Arieh

Barry Greenstein moved all in on a board of J535 and Josh Arieh called him down. Their cards:

Arieh: JJ
Greenstein: 76

River: Q

Greenstein hit his flush on the river but Arieh won the hand with jacks full to take home the $5,000 bounty offered on Greenstein.

Player Tags: Josh Arieh,   Barry Greenstein,   Devin Porter,   Michael Binger

Notable Preliminary Winners

Jan 22, '09

Here is a look at wins scored by some of the pros here at the Aussie Millions yesterday:

Event No. 12 ($3,250 AUD pot-limit Omaha w/rebuys): Michael Binger -- $123,840 AUD








Event No. 11 ($1,100 pot-limit Omaha): Lee Nelson -- $32,400 AUD

 






 

Player Tags: Michael Binger,   Lee Nelson

Binger Takes a Hit

Jan 19, '09

Michael Binger took a hit when his A-K ran into the pocket kings of an all-in opponent. The board was dealt 10-10-2-J-6 and Binger lost 10,000 to fall to 35,000.
















 

Player Tags: Michael Binger

Notable Preliminary Winners

Jan 22, '09

Here is a look at wins scored by some of the pros here at the Aussie Millions yesterday:

Event No. 12 ($3,250 AUD pot-limit Omaha w/rebuys): Michael Binger -- $123,840 AUD








Event No. 11 ($1,100 pot-limit Omaha): Lee Nelson -- $32,400 AUD

 






 

Player Tags: Michael Binger,   Lee Nelson

Binger Takes a Hit

Jan 19, '09

Michael Binger took a hit when his A-K ran into the pocket kings of an all-in opponent. The board was dealt 10-10-2-J-6 and Binger lost 10,000 to fall to 35,000.
















 

Player Tags: Michael Binger

Level 15 Update

Dec 16, '08

Scoreboard

Level: 15
Blinds/Antes: 4,000-8,000 with a 1,000 ante

Players Left: 56 of 497
Average: 400,000

Notable Chip Counts

Evan McNiff - 902,000
Steve Sung - 835,000
Chino Rheem - 800,000
Scott Bohlman - 690,000
Jared Rubin - 670,000

In the Money Eliminations

58th: Dutch Boyd
59th: Antonio Esfandiari
60th: Victor Ramdin
66th: Doyle Brunson
67th: Michael Binger
 

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Big Hands:

Michael Binger Busts, John Phan Celebrates

Michael Binger was all in holding A 7 but was dominated by his opponent's A Q. A queen on the flop and no help on the turn meant that Binger was out, giving Phan the title as 2008 best overall player.

Doyle Brunson Exits His Own Tournament

Doyle Brunson made a move with K J against Abe Mosseri's pocket sevens. The board came ten-high, meaning that Brunson was eliminated from the tournament bearing his name. Despite getting on in years, the young at heart Brunson has proven time and time again that he can hang with players nearly 1/4 his age.

Victor Ramdin Busted by a Bad Beat

Victor Ramdin got his money in good with pocket kings against the pocket queens of David Oppenheim, but a queen fell on the river to knock Ramdin out of contention in 61st place. Oppenheim held 475,000 after the hand.

Antonio Esfandiari Falls From Grace

Antonio Esfandiari moved all in on a flop of AQ5 and the cutoff made the call. Esfandiari turned over pocket fours and his opponent showed down A10. The turn and river fell 8K and Esafandiari was eliminated after holding a large chip stack earlier in the tournament.
 

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POY Update:

John Phan Wins 2008 Card Player Player of the Year!

With the elimination of Michael Binger in 67th place at the World Poker Tour $15,000 Doyle Brunson Poker Classic on Tuesday, Dec. 16, John Phan clinched the 2008 Card Player Player of the Year title. This is the first time that Phan has won the POY award and he joins a fraternity of players that includes Men “The Master” Nguyen, T.J. Cloutier, Tony Ma, David “The Dragon” Pham, Daniel Negreanu, and Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi. Phan took home poker’s most respected annual award by amassing 6,704 points.

 

 

Player Tags: John Phan,   David Oppenheim,   Doyle Brunson,   Abe Mosseri,   Michael Binger

Level 12 Update

Dec 16, '08

Scoreboard

Level: 12
Blinds/Antes: 1,500-3,000 with a 400 ante

Players Left: 111 of 497
Average: 201,486

Notable Chip Counts

Tuan Le - 588,000
Kido Pham - 560,000
Chuck Kelley - 554,000
Clonie Gowen - 475,000
Justin Young - 450,000

Notable Eliminations

Matt Glantz
Burt Boutin
Dennis Phillips
Blair Hinkle
Sorel Mizzi
Howard Lederer

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Big Hands:

Michael Binger Doubles Up

So you're telling me there's a chance? Michael Binger doubled up when his pocket kings went to battle against pocket 10s and he came out victorious on a board of AK69A. Binger was all in for 76,100 and he now holds a stack of 160,000. He will need to finish in first place to beat John Phan for POY honors and we'll keep you posted on his progress.

Chino vs. Kaplan

On a flop of Q83 Gabe Kaplan bet 23,000 under the gun with about 16,000 sitting in the pot. Chino Rheem went into the tank for several minutes on the hi-jack but he eventually mucked his hand. Kaplan was up to 260,000 after the hand while Chino held 215,000.

Joe Hachem Wins a Nice One

A pot worth 20,000 came to a showdown after Joe Hachem and his opponent checked a board of KQ539 on the river. Seat 1 turned up Q10 and Hachem turned up AQ to win the hand. Hachem now holds 125,000.

Doyle Brunson Lays it Down

Doyle Brunson raised preflop on the hi-jack to 9,000 and seat 8 made the call right behind him from the cutoff. Both Annie Duke (small blind) and Mike Matusow (big blind) folded and the flop was dealt KJ2. Both players checked and the turn fell K. Seat 8 fired out 20,000 and Brunson mucked. Texas Dolly was down to 175,000 after the hand.
 

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Left In The Deck:

Money Bubble Slows Play

The last level has featured much slower play than what was on display on day 2. There are just 11 more eliminations until the bubble bursts, so the next level should feature a return to faster play.

 

Player Tags: Doyle Brunson,   Gabe Kaplan,   Joe Hachem,   Michael Binger

Michael Binger Takes a Terrible Beat

Oct 22, '08

Michael Binger had all of his chips in the middle with A-10 against the 10-8 of his opponent with a 10 sitting on the flop. His opponent made a straight when a 7 came on the river and knocked Binger out of the tournament.














 

Player Tags: Michael Binger