Mark Seif - Live Updates

Level 18 Update: In The Money Eliminations

Oct 24, '09

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

Players Left: 18 of 275

Average Chip Count: 916,000

Chip Counts:

1. Jason Lavallee — 3,050,000
2. Matthew Glantz — 1,400,000
3. Tommy Vedes — 1,250,000
4. Kido Pham — 1,200,000
5. Jason Burt — 1,150,000
6. Shawn Cunix — 1,100,000
7. Freddy Deeb — 1,035,000
8. Terry Ryan — 760,000
9. Larry Berg — 635,000
10. Richard Sciuto — 583,000

Notable Eliminations:

27. Markus Gonsalves — $23,885
26. Prahlad Friedman — $23,885
25. Chris Ferguson — $23,885
24. Mark Seif — $23,885
23. Chad Batista — $23,885
22. Lee Markholt — $23,885
21. Corwin Cole — $23,885
20. Jonas Entin — $23,855
19. Terry Ryan — $23,855

Big Hands:

Markus Gonsalves Eliminated in 27th Place ($23,885)

Markus Gonsalves got the rest of his short stack all in for 167,000 and Mark Seif made the call. Larry Berg then moved all in for 147,000 and Seif called that as well.Berg showed pocket queens, Gonsalves showed pocket kings and Seif was behind with A9.

The board ran out 1032QA and Berg’s set of queens gave him the near triple up and send Gonsalves to the rail. Berg now has 635,000 and Seif takes a hit down to 660,000.

Prahlad Friedman Eliminated in 26th Place ($23,885)

Prahlad Friedman (pictured right) raised in middle position and Jason Lavallee called on the button. The flop came down 1077 and Lavallee bet 59,000.

Freidman moved all in for 340,000 and Lavallee called with pocket jacks. Friedman showed AK and needed help, but it didn’t come when the Q and 4 completed the board.

Friedman is now eliminated and Lavallee is over the 2 million mark.

Chris Ferguson Eliminated in 25th Place ($23,885)

Chris Ferguson raised to 40,000 and Jonas Entin reraised to 178,000 from the small blind. Ferguson moved all in for 300,000 and Etin called.

Ferguson showed AQ and was in major trouble to Entin’s AA. The board offered no miracles and Ferguson was eliminated, boosting Entin’s stack back to 1 million.

Mark Seif Eliminated in 24th Place ($23,885)

Mark Seif has been eliminated from the tournament by Larry Berg. Seif held top pair, but ran into the set of sixes from Berg, who chips up to 1.4 million.

Chad Batista Eliminated in 23rd Place ($23,885)

Chad Batista was all in with a superior A-K against Corwin Cole’s A-J. Batista looked fine until the board produced a jack and sent him to the rail.

Lee Markholt Eliminated in 22nd Place ($23,855)

The perpetually short stack Lee Markholt was eliminated during the chaos of the level and details are unknown.

Corwin Cole Eliminated in 21st Place ($23,855)

Freddy Deeb raised and Jason Lavallee called on the button. Corwin Cole then reraised to 188,000 from the small blind. Deeb folded and Lavallee moved all in.

Cole instantly called with pocket aces and is in great shape against Lavallee’s pocket jacks. Unfortunately, the flop brings a jack and Cole’s tournament comes to an end. Lavallee now has over 3 million, more than double his closest opponent.

Jonas Entin Eliminated in 20th Place ($23,885)

Jonas Entin raised to 42,000 from under the gun and Kido Pham made the call. The flop came down KQ7 and Entin bet 100,000.

Pham then moved all in and Entin called for his last 200,000. Pham showed pocket sevens for the set and Entin was in major trouble with AQ.

The turn and river came 43 and Entin was eliminated. Pham now has 1,500,000 in chips.

Terry Ryan Eliminated in 19th Place ($23,855)

Terry Ryan was just eliminated by Jason Lavallee when he moved all in on the river and was snap called by a spade flush.

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Chris Ferguson,   Prahlad Friedman,   Freddy Deeb,   Chad Batista,   Jason Lavallee,   Markus Gonsalves,   Jonas Entin,   Corwin Cole

Level 3 Hour 2 Update: Grospellier And Ivey Very Healthy

Jul 06, '09

Blinds: 150-300

Chip Counts:

1. Loic Bellabarba – 110,000
2. Nicolas Levi – 103,000
3. Adam Schoenfeld – 97,200
4. Jacob Avital – 90,000
5. Dutch Boyd – 85,000
6. Blair Hinkle – 78,800
7. Brice Cournut – 76,000
8. Chad Brown – 72,500
9. Matthew Hilger – 71,000
10. Tom “durrrr” Dwan – 71,000

Card Player Chip Counts:

Jeff Shulman – 62,000
Matthew Hilger – 71,000

Notable Eliminations:

Roy Winston
Peter Feldman
Jeff Madsen
Phil Galfond

Big Hands:

Seiver Turns A Set

Scott Seiver raised to 900 from early position. Seat 4 was next to act and he raised to 2,600. Seiver made the call and the flop came 722. Both players checked and they did the same after the 9 fell on the turn.

The river was the 3 and Seiver led out with 5,100. Seat 4 tanked and then made the call. Seiver tabled 99 for a set on the turn and he took down the pot. He was at 44,000 after the hand.

Tran Takes A Pot

J.C. Tran raised to 800 from the button and the small blind made the call. The big blind mucked and the flop came down 972. Both players checked and the turn was the 5.

The action was checked to Tran and he bet 1,200. The small blind mucked and Tran showed 87 for second pair. He was at 31,000.

Mark Seif Getting Low

Five players, including Steve Sung and and Mark Seif, limped in preflop. The flop fell KJ8 and everyone checked. The turn was the 7 and Sung led out for 1,100. Seif called and then seat 9 raised it to 4,500 and only Seif stuck around.

The river was the Q and Seif checked. Seat 9 fired 8,000 and Seif mucked his hand after plenty of thought. He was down to 12,000.

Marlon Wayans Wins A Pot

Picking up the action on the turn, the board read A76Q and Marlon Wayans bet 1,500. His opponent in seat 7 made the call and the river was the J. Wayans bet another 1,500 and seat 7 called again.

Wayans tabled A6 for two pair and it was good for the pot. He was at 22,000.

Alaei Dropping More Chips

On a flop of K82, the big blind checked and seat 2 bet 1,350 from under the gun. Daniel Alaei made the call from the button and the big blind called as well. The turn was the 6 and action was checked to Alaei. He bet 3,400 and only the big blind stuck around.

The river was the 9 and both players checked. The big blind then tabled 88 for a set and Alaei mucked. He was down to 17,000.

Big Slick For Ivey

With 2,850 in the pot, three players saw a flop of AJ3. Phil Ivey led out with 1,700 and only the player in seat 1 called. The turn was the 2 and both players checked. They did the same after the 9 fell on the river.

Ivey then tabled AK for top pair and seat 1 mucked. Ivey was at 58,000.

Elky Gets A Knockout

After a flop of KQ8, Bertrand Grospellier led out with 1,100. His opponent in seat 1 raised all in for 14,000 total. Grospellier quickly called and table QQ for a set. Seat 1 showed AK for top pair.

The turn was the A, giving seat 1 two pair and a few more outs. But the river was the J and seat 1 was eliminated. Grospellier took the pot and was at 57,000.

Left In The Deck:

Players have gone on a 90 minute dinner break and will return at 8:20 p.m.

It was briefly displayed on the tournament clock that the total number of entrants at the WSOP is 6,493. The number was taken down prior to the dinner break so it is still unofficial. The official numbers should be in after players return from dinner.

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   J.C. Tran,   Daniel Alaei,   Phil Ivey,   Steve Sung,   Bertrand Grospellier

Level 2 Hour 1 Update: Seif Gets Going

Jul 06, '09

Blinds: 100-200

Chip Counts:

1. Dennis Peyton – 64,000
2. Josh Arieh – 56,000
3. David Benefield – 42,400
4. Dutch Boyd – 42,250
5. Phil Ivey – 42,000
6. John Kellman – 41,000
7. Paul Snead – 41,000
8. Cecilia Nordstrom – 40,500
9. Cliff Josephy – 40,000
10. Daniel Alaei – 40,000

Card Player Chip Counts:

Jeff Shulman – 45,000
Shawn Patrick Green – 12,300

Spade Club Chip Counts:

Harry Robertson – 30,000
Patrick Snipper – 31,700
Raymond Webb – 30,000
Jeff Miller – 25,000
George Ali – 32,400

Big Hands:

Seif Turns Trips

Mark Seir raised to 550 preflop from middle position and received one caller. The flop came down 623 and both players checked. The turn card was the 6 and Seif led out with 1,100. His opponent made the call and the river was the 5.

Both players checked again and Seif turned over 86 for trip sixes and his opponent mucked. Seif took the pot and was at 35,000.

TheWacoKidd Snags A Pot

After a flop of 652, a player bet 1,100 and Jared Hamby made the call. The turn brought the 5 and Hamby called another bet from his opponent, this one 2,100. The river was the 9 and the player fired 5,100.

Hamby made the call and tabled 1010 and his opponent mucked. Hamby took the pot and was at 33,000.

Feldman Drops A Pot

Peter Feldman raised to 550 from the button and both blinds called him. The flop came down 623 and the action was checked to Feldman. He bet 1,100 and only the small blind came along. The turn was the K and both players checked. The river was the A and Feldman bet 2,400.

His opponent called and Feldman showed Q9 for a whole bunch of nothing. His opponent showed AQ for top pair and the pot. Feldman was down to 33,000.

Garza Backs Into a Straight

Jeff Garza raised to 600 from late position and is three-bet by the player on the button. Garza quickly tosses in a call and both players check all three streets as the board runs out K7396.

Garza turned over the 108, making the nut straight on the river. Looking surprised to have that hand shown to him, his opponent mucked his hand.
Rousso’s Nines Trump Opponent

After a preflop raise, Vanessa Rousso was heads-up with her opponent. The flop was 873 and after a check, Rousso tossed out a blue chip, indicating a bet of 500.

The turn was the 4 and Rousso bet 1,000 after her opponent checked for a second time. The river was the 6 and Rousso bet 2,000 after her opponent checked one last time. After a shrug and a sigh, her opponent put out enough chips for a call and Rousso showed 99. Her opponent tossed her hand into the muck.

Sunar’s Set Scoops the Pot

Surinder Sunar check-raised all in for his last 3,075 on a flop of 956 and was called by his opponent. When their hands were turned face up and Sunar showed 66, good for middle set.

Sunar needed to dodge a jack as his opponent held the JJ. The turn and river were safe for Sunar and he doubles up to approximately 8,500.

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Peter Feldman,   Jared Hamby

Level 5 Update: Seif Takes One From Dario

Jun 01, '09

Ante: 100
Low Card: 200
Completion: 500
Limits: 500-1,000

Players Remaining: 141 out of 142

Chip Counts:

1. Matt Glantz – 63,000
2. Toto Leonidas – 46,000
3. David Chiu – 44,000
4. David Bach – 39,000
5. Andy Bloch – 39,000
6. Frank Kassela – 39,000
7. Chris Amaral – 39,000
8. Marco Traniello – 38,000
9. Katja Thater – 37,000
10. Alexander Kravchenko – 37,000

Average Chip Count: 30,212

Big Hands:

Mark Seif vs. Dario Minieri

Minieri: X-X-7
Seif:X-X-10
Max Pescatori: X-X-K

Minieri completed to 500 and both Seif and Pescatori called.

Minieri: X-X-7K
Seif:X-X-10J
Max Pescatori: X-X-Kfold

Pescatori led out with 500 and Minieri called. Seif then raised to 1,000 and Pescatori mucked, but Minieri stuck around.

Minieri: X-X-7K9
Seif:X-X-10JA

The betting was on Seif and he fired 1,000. Minieri gathered his hand and threw it in the muck, leaving his stack around 34,000. With the pot, Seif improved to 13,000.

Jesus Pushes Out The Professor

Chris Ferguson: X-X-9K
Howard Lederer: X-X-69
Seat 7: X-X-98

Howard Lederer fired 1,000 into the pot and Ferguson called, along with seat 7.

Chris Ferguson: X-X-9KK
Howard Lederer: X-X-69-X
Seat 7: X-X-982

Ferguson paired his King and led out with 1,000. Lederer and seat 7 quickly got out of the way and Ferguson raked in the pot, his stack at 37,000. Lederer was not doing too bad himself with 46,000.

Levi vs. Traniello

David Levi: X-X-J
Marco Traniello: X-X-3

Levi completed to 500 and Traniello called.

David Levi: X-X-J4
Marco Traniello: X-X-34

Levi bet 500 and Traniello stuck around for 5th street.

David Levi: X-X-J46
Marco Traniello: X-X-34Q

Traniello checked and Levi fired 1,000. Traniello made the call.

David Levi: X-X-J4610
Marco Traniello: X-X-34QK

Levi fired another 1,000 into the pot with four diamonds showing and one card to go. Traniello had enough and mucked his hand. His stack was at 41,000 while Levi was up to 27,000.

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Chris Ferguson,   David Levi,   Max Pescatori,   Howard Lederer,   Marco Traniello,   Dario Minieri

Level 13 Update: Antonio Esfandiari Eliminated, Justin Bonomo Climbs to the Top

May 29, '09

Blinds: 4,000-8,000 with a 1,000 ante

Players Remaining: 60 out of 201

Chip Counts:

1. Justin Bonomo- 1,280,000
2. Brian Townsend – 1,200,000
3. Brian Rast – 1,000,000
4. Alex Veldhuis – 990,000
5. Phil Galfond – 800,000
6. Matthew Glantz – 800,000
7. Ted Forrest – 690,000
8. Alec Torelli – 494,500
9. JC Tran- 491,000
10. Isaac Haxton- 525,000

Average Chip Count: 402,000

Notable Eliminations:

Antonio Esfandiari
Kyle Wilson
Mark Seif
Phil Ivey
David Singer
Josh Arieh
David Benefield

Big Hands:

Antonio Esfandiari Knocked Out by Chris Moneymaker

Holding AQ, Antonio Esfandiari moved all in pre-flop and was called by the AK of Chris Moneymaker. Moneymaker flopped a king and sent the Magician to the rail.

Kyle Wilson is Eliminated

Justin Bonomo and Kyle Wilson got it all-in pre-flop with Wilson holding ace queen off-suit against the KK of Justin Bonomo. Wilson failed to improve and was eliminated. Bonomo now has a monster stack of over 1 million.

Justin Bonomo adds to huge chip stack

In a hand versus J.C. Tran and Phil Galfond, Justin Bonomo made a 125,000 chip river bet on a board of 10Q867. Galfond thought briefly before folding and then Tran folded quickly. Bonomo is now up to 1,200,000.

Chris Moneymaker Continues to Leak Chips

On a board of 73AK, J.C. Tran checked to Chris Moneymaker on the button. Moneymaker checked behind and the 5 fell on the river. Tran checked and Moneymaker quickly fired a bet of 33,000 which was quickly called by Tran. Moneymaker said it was a good call and Tran flipped over the A10 to win the pot. Moneymaker is down to 400,000.

Phil Ivey Eliminated

David Baker limped from middle position and Humberto Brenes raised to 26,000 right behind him. Phil Ivey reraised all in for 84,000 and then Mizzi reraised to 150,000 from the small blind. Baker and Brenes mucked and then Ivey and Mizzi flipped up their cards:

Mizzi: 1010
Ivey: AQ

Board: J669K

Ivey was eliminated on the hand and Mizzi grew his stack to 760,000.

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   J.C. Tran,   Antonio Esfandiari,   Chris Moneymaker,   Phil Ivey,   Justin Bonomo,   Phil Galfond,   Kyle Wilson,   Sorel Mizzi

Level 12 Update: Brian Townsend Builds a Huge Stack

May 29, '09

Blinds: 3,000-6,000 with a 500 ante

Players Remaining: 67 out of 201

Chip Counts:

1. Alex Veldhuis – 1,090,000
2. Brian Townsend – 950,000
2. Brian Rast – 910,000
3. Justin Bonomo- 760,000
4. Chris Moneymaker – 700,000
6. Ted Forrest – 690,000
7. Matthew Marafioti – 540,000
8. Alec Torelli – 494,500
9. JC Tran- 491,000
10. Andy Black- 470,000

Average Chip Count: 354,706

Notable Eliminations:

Doyle Brunson
Kenny Tran
Lee Markholt
John Duthie
Matt Giannetti
Adam Junglen
Michael DeMichele
Chris Mooreman
David “Devil Fish” Ulliott

Big Hands:

Chau Giang Doubles Up

Facing a 26,500 button raise from Andrew Robl, Chau Giang moved all in pre-flop for 45,000 more. Robl was committed and quickly called with the A10 and Giang was happy to see he had his opponent dominated with the AK. The board ran out Q643K and Giang doubled up to a modest stack of 146,000.

Chris Moneymaker Avoids Disaster

Chris Moneymaker raised pre-floped and Humberto Brenes just called. The flop brought the A and both played the hand cautiously until Moneymaker made a 25,000 bet on the river that Brenes quickly called. Moneymaker turned over pocket queens and Brenes exposed pocket kings to take the small pot. Moneymaker exclaimed, “I got lucky with that flop,” and Brenes said, “Yes you did.”

Brian Townsend Wins a Huge Pot

On a board of A87103 with 330,000 already sitting in the pot, Brian Townsend bet 300,000, leaving just 45,000 in his stack. Mark Seif then went into the tank for a few minutes on the button. Seif was sitting on a stack of 415,000 and he decided to make the call after some deliberation. Townsend flipped over AK and Seif mucked. Seif took a huge hit down to 115,000 after the hand and Townsend’s stack grew to 975,000.

Chris Moore Busts One

Chris Moore (UTG) and his opponent on the small blind got it all in preflop. Their cards:

Moore: AA
Small Blind: 99

Board: 854JJ

Moore won the hand and sent his opponent packing.

Michael DeMichele Sent to the Rail

On a board of 810585, Alexander Veldhuis put Michael DeMichele all in. DeMichele looked disgusted and tanked for quite some time before calling with pocket aces. Veldhuis exposed 88 for quads to eliminate DeMichele.

Brian Rast Gets Lucky to Double Up

On a flop of 75A, Brian Rast got it all in against the A5 of Bruno Fitoussi. The turn brought the Q, giving the online cash game player extra outs. The Q fell on the river and Rast rivered a better two pair to double up to about 650,000.

David “Devil Fish” Ulliott is Eliminated

On the very next hand after Brian Rast’s huge double up, the short stack David Ulliott raised pre-flop to 25,000 with pocket kings. Rast min-raised to 50,000 and Ulliott went all-in instantly. Rast called and exposed 77 and Ulliott tabled pocket kings. The flop was a disaster for Ulliott, as it came A67. Ulliott failed to connect with a higher set and was sent home.

Table 60 is running hot

At the same table and a hand after Rasts double up and Ulliot’s elimination, Greg Raymer called the all-in of Ville Wahlbeck. Raymer showed AJ and Wahlbeck exposed pocket kings. Kings were no good once again as Raymer flopped an ace and built his stack to around 300,000.

Left in the Deck:

Mike Matusow is entered in the Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better tournament that is running simultaneously and has ran over to the other table to see a hand.

Players went to a 20 minute break, and will return to play more 2 more levels before a 60 minute dinner break later this evening. After the break they will play four levels or down to 18 players, whichever comes first.

Card Player TV

Check out this video from CardPlayer TV with chip leader Lex Veldhuis.

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   David Ulliott,   Humberto Brenes,   Chris Moneymaker,   Chau Giang,   Bruno Fitoussi,   Greg Raymer,   Brian Rast,   Chris Moore,   Brian Townsend,   Andrew Robl

Level 1 Update: Erik Cajelais Exits Early

May 28, '09

Blinds: 200-400 with a 50 ante

Players Remaining: 180 out of 184

Chip Counts:

1. Phil Laak — 270,000
2. Scott Seiver — 260,000
3. Phil Laak — 245,000
4. Tony G — 240,000
5. David Chiu — 240,000
6. Michael DeMichelle — 200,000
7. Andy Black — 185,000
8. Chad Batista — 175,000
9. Isaac Haxton — 175,000
10. Nenad Medic — 175,000

Average Chip Count: 125,000

Notable Eliminations:

Erik Cajelais
Jim Bechtel

Big Hands:

Erik Cajelais Is Crippled By Tony G

On a board reading 753, Tony G was all in holding pocket aces against the 86 of Erik Cajelais. Cajelais needed to hit his massive draw to bust Guoga, but the turn and river fell A8.

Guoga moved up to 248,000 after the hand and Cajelais was crippled down to just 4,000. He was eliminated by Chris Moneymaker shortly after.

Brandon Adams Gets Caught Lying

Isaac Haxton raises to 1,400 from the cutoff and Brandon Adams reraises to 4,200 from the small blind. The flop comes Q53, and this time Adams leads out for 4,200. Haxton calls and the turn is the J. Adams bets out once again, this time for 6,200. Haxton tanks for a few minutes before making the call. The river is the J and both players check around. Adams turns over A10 for ace-high while Haxton shows 44 for a small pair. Haxton rakes the pot and brings his chip count up to 145,000 while Adams fall to just about 75,000 this hand.

Andy Black Collects Big Pot With Set Over Set

Chris Moore and Andy Black were locked into a hand, each holding a big pocket pair. Moore turned a set of jacks but the river brought a king, and Andy Black bet out 50,000. Moore called and Black turned over a set of kings to collect a big pot.

Phil Laak Cripples Opponent

James Calderaro held pocket kings against Phil Laak’s flopped set of eights. Laak moved all in on the river and was called, collecting a 270,000 chip pot.

Eric Liu Wins Pot on the River

On a board of QQ847, Eric Liu bet 15,550 on the river against Mark Seif. Seif contemplated briefly before folding. Seif is down to around 81,000.

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Antanas Guoga,   Phil Laak,   Andy Black,   Erik Cajelais,   Brandon Adams,   Chris Moore,   Isaac Haxton,   Eric Liu

Level 13 Update: Antonio Esfandiari Eliminated, Justin Bonomo Climbs to the Top

May 29, '09

Blinds: 4,000-8,000 with a 1,000 ante

Players Remaining: 60 out of 201

Chip Counts:

1. Justin Bonomo- 1,280,000
2. Brian Townsend – 1,200,000
3. Brian Rast – 1,000,000
4. Alex Veldhuis – 990,000
5. Phil Galfond – 800,000
6. Matthew Glantz – 800,000
7. Ted Forrest – 690,000
8. Alec Torelli – 494,500
9. JC Tran- 491,000
10. Isaac Haxton- 525,000

Average Chip Count: 402,000

Notable Eliminations:

Antonio Esfandiari
Kyle Wilson
Mark Seif
Phil Ivey
David Singer
Josh Arieh
David Benefield

Big Hands:

Antonio Esfandiari Knocked Out by Chris Moneymaker

Holding AQ, Antonio Esfandiari moved all in pre-flop and was called by the AK of Chris Moneymaker. Moneymaker flopped a king and sent the Magician to the rail.

Kyle Wilson is Eliminated

Justin Bonomo and Kyle Wilson got it all-in pre-flop with Wilson holding ace queen off-suit against the KK of Justin Bonomo. Wilson failed to improve and was eliminated. Bonomo now has a monster stack of over 1 million.

Justin Bonomo adds to huge chip stack

In a hand versus J.C. Tran and Phil Galfond, Justin Bonomo made a 125,000 chip river bet on a board of 10Q867. Galfond thought briefly before folding and then Tran folded quickly. Bonomo is now up to 1,200,000.

Chris Moneymaker Continues to Leak Chips

On a board of 73AK, J.C. Tran checked to Chris Moneymaker on the button. Moneymaker checked behind and the 5 fell on the river. Tran checked and Moneymaker quickly fired a bet of 33,000 which was quickly called by Tran. Moneymaker said it was a good call and Tran flipped over the A10 to win the pot. Moneymaker is down to 400,000.

Phil Ivey Eliminated

David Baker limped from middle position and Humberto Brenes raised to 26,000 right behind him. Phil Ivey reraised all in for 84,000 and then Mizzi reraised to 150,000 from the small blind. Baker and Brenes mucked and then Ivey and Mizzi flipped up their cards:

Mizzi: 1010
Ivey: AQ

Board: J669K

Ivey was eliminated on the hand and Mizzi grew his stack to 760,000.

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   J.C. Tran,   Antonio Esfandiari,   Chris Moneymaker,   Phil Ivey,   Justin Bonomo,   Phil Galfond,   Kyle Wilson,   Sorel Mizzi

Level 12 Update: Brian Townsend Builds a Huge Stack

May 29, '09

Blinds: 3,000-6,000 with a 500 ante

Players Remaining: 67 out of 201

Chip Counts:

1. Alex Veldhuis – 1,090,000
2. Brian Townsend – 950,000
2. Brian Rast – 910,000
3. Justin Bonomo- 760,000
4. Chris Moneymaker – 700,000
6. Ted Forrest – 690,000
7. Matthew Marafioti – 540,000
8. Alec Torelli – 494,500
9. JC Tran- 491,000
10. Andy Black- 470,000

Average Chip Count: 354,706

Notable Eliminations:

Doyle Brunson
Kenny Tran
Lee Markholt
John Duthie
Matt Giannetti
Adam Junglen
Michael DeMichele
Chris Mooreman
David “Devil Fish” Ulliott

Big Hands:

Chau Giang Doubles Up

Facing a 26,500 button raise from Andrew Robl, Chau Giang moved all in pre-flop for 45,000 more. Robl was committed and quickly called with the A10 and Giang was happy to see he had his opponent dominated with the AK. The board ran out Q643K and Giang doubled up to a modest stack of 146,000.

Chris Moneymaker Avoids Disaster

Chris Moneymaker raised pre-floped and Humberto Brenes just called. The flop brought the A and both played the hand cautiously until Moneymaker made a 25,000 bet on the river that Brenes quickly called. Moneymaker turned over pocket queens and Brenes exposed pocket kings to take the small pot. Moneymaker exclaimed, “I got lucky with that flop,” and Brenes said, “Yes you did.”

Brian Townsend Wins a Huge Pot

On a board of A87103 with 330,000 already sitting in the pot, Brian Townsend bet 300,000, leaving just 45,000 in his stack. Mark Seif then went into the tank for a few minutes on the button. Seif was sitting on a stack of 415,000 and he decided to make the call after some deliberation. Townsend flipped over AK and Seif mucked. Seif took a huge hit down to 115,000 after the hand and Townsend’s stack grew to 975,000.

Chris Moore Busts One

Chris Moore (UTG) and his opponent on the small blind got it all in preflop. Their cards:

Moore: AA
Small Blind: 99

Board: 854JJ

Moore won the hand and sent his opponent packing.

Michael DeMichele Sent to the Rail

On a board of 810585, Alexander Veldhuis put Michael DeMichele all in. DeMichele looked disgusted and tanked for quite some time before calling with pocket aces. Veldhuis exposed 88 for quads to eliminate DeMichele.

Brian Rast Gets Lucky to Double Up

On a flop of 75A, Brian Rast got it all in against the A5 of Bruno Fitoussi. The turn brought the Q, giving the online cash game player extra outs. The Q fell on the river and Rast rivered a better two pair to double up to about 650,000.

David “Devil Fish” Ulliott is Eliminated

On the very next hand after Brian Rast’s huge double up, the short stack David Ulliott raised pre-flop to 25,000 with pocket kings. Rast min-raised to 50,000 and Ulliott went all-in instantly. Rast called and exposed 77 and Ulliott tabled pocket kings. The flop was a disaster for Ulliott, as it came A67. Ulliott failed to connect with a higher set and was sent home.

Table 60 is running hot

At the same table and a hand after Rasts double up and Ulliot’s elimination, Greg Raymer called the all-in of Ville Wahlbeck. Raymer showed AJ and Wahlbeck exposed pocket kings. Kings were no good once again as Raymer flopped an ace and built his stack to around 300,000.

Left in the Deck:

Mike Matusow is entered in the Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better tournament that is running simultaneously and has ran over to the other table to see a hand.

Players went to a 20 minute break, and will return to play more 2 more levels before a 60 minute dinner break later this evening. After the break they will play four levels or down to 18 players, whichever comes first.

Card Player TV

Check out this video from CardPlayer TV with chip leader Lex Veldhuis.

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   David Ulliott,   Humberto Brenes,   Chris Moneymaker,   Chau Giang,   Bruno Fitoussi,   Greg Raymer,   Brian Rast,   Chris Moore,   Brian Townsend,   Andrew Robl

Level 1 Update: Erik Cajelais Exits Early

May 28, '09

Blinds: 200-400 with a 50 ante

Players Remaining: 180 out of 184

Chip Counts:

1. Phil Laak — 270,000
2. Scott Seiver — 260,000
3. Phil Laak — 245,000
4. Tony G — 240,000
5. David Chiu — 240,000
6. Michael DeMichelle — 200,000
7. Andy Black — 185,000
8. Chad Batista — 175,000
9. Isaac Haxton — 175,000
10. Nenad Medic — 175,000

Average Chip Count: 125,000

Notable Eliminations:

Erik Cajelais
Jim Bechtel

Big Hands:

Erik Cajelais Is Crippled By Tony G

On a board reading 753, Tony G was all in holding pocket aces against the 86 of Erik Cajelais. Cajelais needed to hit his massive draw to bust Guoga, but the turn and river fell A8.

Guoga moved up to 248,000 after the hand and Cajelais was crippled down to just 4,000. He was eliminated by Chris Moneymaker shortly after.

Brandon Adams Gets Caught Lying

Isaac Haxton raises to 1,400 from the cutoff and Brandon Adams reraises to 4,200 from the small blind. The flop comes Q53, and this time Adams leads out for 4,200. Haxton calls and the turn is the J. Adams bets out once again, this time for 6,200. Haxton tanks for a few minutes before making the call. The river is the J and both players check around. Adams turns over A10 for ace-high while Haxton shows 44 for a small pair. Haxton rakes the pot and brings his chip count up to 145,000 while Adams fall to just about 75,000 this hand.

Andy Black Collects Big Pot With Set Over Set

Chris Moore and Andy Black were locked into a hand, each holding a big pocket pair. Moore turned a set of jacks but the river brought a king, and Andy Black bet out 50,000. Moore called and Black turned over a set of kings to collect a big pot.

Phil Laak Cripples Opponent

James Calderaro held pocket kings against Phil Laak’s flopped set of eights. Laak moved all in on the river and was called, collecting a 270,000 chip pot.

Eric Liu Wins Pot on the River

On a board of QQ847, Eric Liu bet 15,550 on the river against Mark Seif. Seif contemplated briefly before folding. Seif is down to around 81,000.

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Antanas Guoga,   Phil Laak,   Andy Black,   Erik Cajelais,   Brandon Adams,   Chris Moore,   Isaac Haxton,   Eric Liu

Mark Seif Eliminated in 38th Place ($40,855)

Apr 22, '09

One of the chip leaders coming into the day, Mark Seif was just eliminated in 38th place. Seif was crippled when his diamond flush draw failed to hit against David Grey's top pair, top kicker and busted a few minutes later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   David Grey

Level 7 Update

Feb 22, '09

Level: 7

Blinds: 200-400 with a 50 ante

Players Left: 343 out of 696
 

---

Score Board:

Notable Chip Counts

Antonio Esfandiari - 165,000
KJ Nam - 135,000
Dan O'Brien - 116,000
Kofi Farkye - 115,000
Daniel Negreanu - 113,000

Average:40,500

Notable Eliminations

Mark Seif
Chad Brown
Joe Bartholdi
Matt Keikoan
Alex Jacob
Jon Turner

---

Featured Table

Table 19

Seat 1: Paul Smith
Seat 2: Nick Schulman
Seat 4: Eric Hershler
Seat 5: Dan O'Brien
Seat 7: Karga Holt
Seat 8: Isaac Haxton
Seat 9: Paul Wasicka

---

Big Hands:

Mark Seif Eliminated by Hevad Khan

Mark Seif came into the day just over 4,000 in chips but managed to double up early in the day. Later on he moved all in from late position and got a free pass from most of the table, until Hevad Khan looked down at A-10 in the big blind. Seif showed a dominated ace and it never improved to send him out of the tournament.

Jason "Jcarver" Somerville Doubles Through Mark "scrubbyz" Zajdner

Jason Somerville was all in on the short stack for just under 3,000 in chips. It folded around to Mark Zajdner in the big blind who thought out his options. After seeing his hand, he state that he wasn't dominated by many hands and that this may be his only chance to bust Somerville. He made the call with K-10 and Somerville showed pocket fours. The board didn't help Zajdner and Somerville doubled up.

Darren "darrenelias" Elias Doubles Up

Darren Elias moved all in for just under 10,000 in chips and was called by Aaron Been in the small blind. The big blind then announced he was all in, making Been wince a bit before folding his hand. The big blind then showed AK and Elias turned over pocket eights. The board came out queen high and Elias doubled up.

Jon Turner Eliminated

Jon Turner moved all in preflop and Vinnie VInh went into the tank for a moment before making the call. Their cards:

Turner: AA
Vinh: AQ

Board: J99102

Turner was eliminated on the hand and John Phan, who was seated at the table said, "You don't gamble with Vinnie Vinh." A few minutes late Vinh was heard saying to the table, "I want everybody playing with me every time I raise."

Alex Jacob Eliminated

Alex Jacob was eliminated during the closing minutes of level 7 when his A-baby card in the hole ran into pocket sevens.

Kofi Farkye Wins on a Call Without Showing

On a board of Q949, with 2,500 in the pot, seat 1 bet 1,300 from the small blind and Kofi Farkye made the call from the cutoff. The 9 fell on the river and seat 1 fired another 3,000 into the pot. Farkye made the call and seat 1 mucked before Farkye could turn over his hand.

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Jason Somerville,   Mark Zajdner,   Aaron Been,   Hevad Khan,   Darren Elias

Level 6 Update

Feb 21, '09

Level: 6

Blinds: 150-300 with a 25 ante
 

---

Score Board

Players Left: 412 of 696

Notable Chip Counts

Kasey Nam - 141,000
Daniel Negreanu - 129,000
Jeff Madsen - 113,000
Bertrand Grospellier 86,000
Danny Wong - 80,000

Average: 33,786

Eliminations: Kathy Liebert
 

---

 Big Hands:

Jeff Madsen Crosses the 90,000 Mark

A player raised in middle position to 625 and the cutoff called. The small blind then moved all in for 6,000 and Jeff Madsen isolated to 15,000 behind him in the big blind. The original raiser tanked before folding and the cutoff folded instantly.

The short stacked small blind showed KQ and Madsen had him dominated with AK. The flop brought an ace, eliminating the small blind from the tournament and increasing Madsen's stack to 92,000 in chips.

Mark Seif Rivers to Stay Alive

Mark Seif was all in on the short stack with J-10 against the K-Q of Chris McCormack. The flop and turn were blanks, but the 10 on the river was enough to keep Seif alive and in the tournament.

 

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Chris McCormack,   Jeff Madsen

Level 7 Update

Feb 22, '09

Level: 7

Blinds: 200-400 with a 50 ante

Players Left: 343 out of 696
 

---

Score Board:

Notable Chip Counts

Antonio Esfandiari - 165,000
KJ Nam - 135,000
Dan O'Brien - 116,000
Kofi Farkye - 115,000
Daniel Negreanu - 113,000

Average:40,500

Notable Eliminations

Mark Seif
Chad Brown
Joe Bartholdi
Matt Keikoan
Alex Jacob
Jon Turner

---

Featured Table

Table 19

Seat 1: Paul Smith
Seat 2: Nick Schulman
Seat 4: Eric Hershler
Seat 5: Dan O'Brien
Seat 7: Karga Holt
Seat 8: Isaac Haxton
Seat 9: Paul Wasicka

---

Big Hands:

Mark Seif Eliminated by Hevad Khan

Mark Seif came into the day just over 4,000 in chips but managed to double up early in the day. Later on he moved all in from late position and got a free pass from most of the table, until Hevad Khan looked down at A-10 in the big blind. Seif showed a dominated ace and it never improved to send him out of the tournament.

Jason "Jcarver" Somerville Doubles Through Mark "scrubbyz" Zajdner

Jason Somerville was all in on the short stack for just under 3,000 in chips. It folded around to Mark Zajdner in the big blind who thought out his options. After seeing his hand, he state that he wasn't dominated by many hands and that this may be his only chance to bust Somerville. He made the call with K-10 and Somerville showed pocket fours. The board didn't help Zajdner and Somerville doubled up.

Darren "darrenelias" Elias Doubles Up

Darren Elias moved all in for just under 10,000 in chips and was called by Aaron Been in the small blind. The big blind then announced he was all in, making Been wince a bit before folding his hand. The big blind then showed AK and Elias turned over pocket eights. The board came out queen high and Elias doubled up.

Jon Turner Eliminated

Jon Turner moved all in preflop and Vinnie VInh went into the tank for a moment before making the call. Their cards:

Turner: AA
Vinh: AQ

Board: J99102

Turner was eliminated on the hand and John Phan, who was seated at the table said, "You don't gamble with Vinnie Vinh." A few minutes late Vinh was heard saying to the table, "I want everybody playing with me every time I raise."

Alex Jacob Eliminated

Alex Jacob was eliminated during the closing minutes of level 7 when his A-baby card in the hole ran into pocket sevens.

Kofi Farkye Wins on a Call Without Showing

On a board of Q949, with 2,500 in the pot, seat 1 bet 1,300 from the small blind and Kofi Farkye made the call from the cutoff. The 9 fell on the river and seat 1 fired another 3,000 into the pot. Farkye made the call and seat 1 mucked before Farkye could turn over his hand.

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Jason Somerville,   Mark Zajdner,   Aaron Been,   Hevad Khan,   Darren Elias

Level 6 Update

Feb 21, '09

Level: 6

Blinds: 150-300 with a 25 ante
 

---

Score Board

Players Left: 412 of 696

Notable Chip Counts

Kasey Nam - 141,000
Daniel Negreanu - 129,000
Jeff Madsen - 113,000
Bertrand Grospellier 86,000
Danny Wong - 80,000

Average: 33,786

Eliminations: Kathy Liebert
 

---

 Big Hands:

Jeff Madsen Crosses the 90,000 Mark

A player raised in middle position to 625 and the cutoff called. The small blind then moved all in for 6,000 and Jeff Madsen isolated to 15,000 behind him in the big blind. The original raiser tanked before folding and the cutoff folded instantly.

The short stacked small blind showed KQ and Madsen had him dominated with AK. The flop brought an ace, eliminating the small blind from the tournament and increasing Madsen's stack to 92,000 in chips.

Mark Seif Rivers to Stay Alive

Mark Seif was all in on the short stack with J-10 against the K-Q of Chris McCormack. The flop and turn were blanks, but the 10 on the river was enough to keep Seif alive and in the tournament.

 

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Chris McCormack,   Jeff Madsen

Mark Seif Eliminated in 5th Place ($287,500)

Sep 18, '08

Mark Seif moves all in for his last 710,000 on the first hand after the break. Vivek Rajkumar makes the call and the player show their hands.

Seif has KQ and Rajkumar holds A5.

The flop comes J77 and Seif needs help. The turn is the 7 giving him some outs for the chop. Seif needs any paint card to continue but the river is the 2 to send him home in fifth place. Seif earns $287,500 for his performance this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Vivek Rajkumar

Mark Seif Survives

Sep 18, '08

Mark Seif moved all in for his last 275,000 preflop and Vivek Rakumar made the call without looking at his cards. They then flipped over their hands:

Rajkumar: 32
Seif: Q8

Board: AJJ56

Seif doubled up on the hand to survive.

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Vivek Rajkumar

Vivek Rajkumar Doubles Up

Sep 18, '08

Vivek Rajkumar raises to 450,000 and Mark Seif reraises to 1,350,000.

After some thought, Rajkumar reraises to 4,350,000. After making sure that he's not all in already, Seif moves all in and Rajkumar calls.

Seif shows AA and Rajkumar lets outs some expletives as he turns over 1010. Rajkumar says, "He $#@*ing stacks off with eights and now he has aces!" as he walks to his friends in disbelief on the rail.

The players ready themselves for the flop which comes Q105 giving Rajkumar a set! The crowd explodes into applause at the turn of events and Rajkumar let's out a series of "So sicks."

The turn and river come Q9 and Rajkumar doubles up to over 10 million. Official counts coming soon.
 

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Vivek Rajkumar

Mark Seif Doubles Up

Sep 18, '08

Mark Seif raises to 350,000 from the cutoff and Jason Strochak reraises to 1,200,000. The blinds fold and Seif moves all in. Strochak calls showing QQ. Seif is in trouble with 88.

The flop comes down A84 and Seif takes a stranglehold on the hand. The turn and river are blanks when it comes 510 and Seif doubles up. Strochak is left crippled with less than half a million.

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Jason Strochak

Mark Seif Doubles Up

Sep 17, '08

Andrew Knee called in the small blind and Mark Seif checked in the big blind and the flop was dealt KJ8. Knee checked and Seif bet 100,000. Knee made the call and the turn fell 8. Knee checked and Seif bet 300,000. Knee raised to 1 million and Seif made the call. The 10 was dealt on the river and Knee moved all in. Seif called all in for 1.2 million and turned up 87. Knee turned up pocket aces and Seif took down the pot, doubled up, and took he chip lead in the tournament.












 

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Andrew Knee

Thayer Rasmussen Doubles Up

Sep 17, '08

After getting dangerously short, Thayer Rasmussen moves all in for just over 300,000 in the cutoff. Mark Seif calls from the big blind showing A3. Rasmussen shows Q8 and will need a lot of help to survive.

He gets it when the flop comes K95 giving him a flush. The turn and river come AA and Rasmussen doubles up to about 720,000.

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Thayer Rasmussen

Vinh Nguyen Eliminated in 20th Place ($26,000)

Sep 17, '08

Vinh Nguyen ended his tournament when he ran pocket queens into the pocket aces of Mark Seif. All of the money got into the middle after the flop for Nguyen, and Seif called him down. Seif spiked another ace on the turn and it was all over for Nguyen, who was eliminated in 20th place. He took home $26,000 in prize money.

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Vinh Nguyen

Chris Bell Eliminated in 23rd Place ($26,000)

Sep 17, '08

The big names continue to fall, as Chris Bell was just eliminated in 23rd place.

Mark Seif held pocket aces on a jack high flop and Bell was behind with Q-J. The turn was a jack giving Bell trips and a stranglehold to double up, but the river was an ace giving the full house and the pot to Seif.

Bell earns $26,000 for his finish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Chris Bell

Adam Gerber Eliminated in 39th Place ($17,500)

Sep 16, '08

Adam Gerber was all in with QJ against Mark Seif's K3.

The board came out AK582 and Gerber was eliminated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Adam Gerber

Penalties All Around

Sep 14, '08

Mark Seif has just been added to the list of penalized players for the day.

Seif held trip eights on the river and bet 6,000 into a 9,000 pot. His opponent quietly announced raise and threw out the 9,000, intending to put more behind it. Seif then turned his hand over and was surprised to see his opponent then raise 30,000 more.

The floor was called over and both the dealer and his opponent's side of the table agreed that he had said raise and Seif was given a minute to act on his hand. During this time, Seif said a few choice words about his situation toward the floorman and he was given a 10-minute penalty.

The clock counted down and Seif folded his hand, exiting toward the rail to serve his punishment.

 

 

 

Player Tags: Mark Seif

Mark Seif Eliminated in 5th Place ($287,500)

Sep 18, '08

Mark Seif moves all in for his last 710,000 on the first hand after the break. Vivek Rajkumar makes the call and the player show their hands.

Seif has KQ and Rajkumar holds A5.

The flop comes J77 and Seif needs help. The turn is the 7 giving him some outs for the chop. Seif needs any paint card to continue but the river is the 2 to send him home in fifth place. Seif earns $287,500 for his performance this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Vivek Rajkumar

Mark Seif Survives

Sep 18, '08

Mark Seif moved all in for his last 275,000 preflop and Vivek Rakumar made the call without looking at his cards. They then flipped over their hands:

Rajkumar: 32
Seif: Q8

Board: AJJ56

Seif doubled up on the hand to survive.

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Vivek Rajkumar

Vivek Rajkumar Doubles Up

Sep 18, '08

Vivek Rajkumar raises to 450,000 and Mark Seif reraises to 1,350,000.

After some thought, Rajkumar reraises to 4,350,000. After making sure that he's not all in already, Seif moves all in and Rajkumar calls.

Seif shows AA and Rajkumar lets outs some expletives as he turns over 1010. Rajkumar says, "He $#@*ing stacks off with eights and now he has aces!" as he walks to his friends in disbelief on the rail.

The players ready themselves for the flop which comes Q105 giving Rajkumar a set! The crowd explodes into applause at the turn of events and Rajkumar let's out a series of "So sicks."

The turn and river come Q9 and Rajkumar doubles up to over 10 million. Official counts coming soon.
 

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Vivek Rajkumar

Mark Seif Doubles Up

Sep 18, '08

Mark Seif raises to 350,000 from the cutoff and Jason Strochak reraises to 1,200,000. The blinds fold and Seif moves all in. Strochak calls showing QQ. Seif is in trouble with 88.

The flop comes down A84 and Seif takes a stranglehold on the hand. The turn and river are blanks when it comes 510 and Seif doubles up. Strochak is left crippled with less than half a million.

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Jason Strochak

Mark Seif Doubles Up

Sep 17, '08

Andrew Knee called in the small blind and Mark Seif checked in the big blind and the flop was dealt KJ8. Knee checked and Seif bet 100,000. Knee made the call and the turn fell 8. Knee checked and Seif bet 300,000. Knee raised to 1 million and Seif made the call. The 10 was dealt on the river and Knee moved all in. Seif called all in for 1.2 million and turned up 87. Knee turned up pocket aces and Seif took down the pot, doubled up, and took he chip lead in the tournament.












 

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Andrew Knee

Thayer Rasmussen Doubles Up

Sep 17, '08

After getting dangerously short, Thayer Rasmussen moves all in for just over 300,000 in the cutoff. Mark Seif calls from the big blind showing A3. Rasmussen shows Q8 and will need a lot of help to survive.

He gets it when the flop comes K95 giving him a flush. The turn and river come AA and Rasmussen doubles up to about 720,000.

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Thayer Rasmussen

Vinh Nguyen Eliminated in 20th Place ($26,000)

Sep 17, '08

Vinh Nguyen ended his tournament when he ran pocket queens into the pocket aces of Mark Seif. All of the money got into the middle after the flop for Nguyen, and Seif called him down. Seif spiked another ace on the turn and it was all over for Nguyen, who was eliminated in 20th place. He took home $26,000 in prize money.

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Vinh Nguyen

Chris Bell Eliminated in 23rd Place ($26,000)

Sep 17, '08

The big names continue to fall, as Chris Bell was just eliminated in 23rd place.

Mark Seif held pocket aces on a jack high flop and Bell was behind with Q-J. The turn was a jack giving Bell trips and a stranglehold to double up, but the river was an ace giving the full house and the pot to Seif.

Bell earns $26,000 for his finish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Chris Bell

Adam Gerber Eliminated in 39th Place ($17,500)

Sep 16, '08

Adam Gerber was all in with QJ against Mark Seif's K3.

The board came out AK582 and Gerber was eliminated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Adam Gerber

Penalties All Around

Sep 14, '08

Mark Seif has just been added to the list of penalized players for the day.

Seif held trip eights on the river and bet 6,000 into a 9,000 pot. His opponent quietly announced raise and threw out the 9,000, intending to put more behind it. Seif then turned his hand over and was surprised to see his opponent then raise 30,000 more.

The floor was called over and both the dealer and his opponent's side of the table agreed that he had said raise and Seif was given a minute to act on his hand. During this time, Seif said a few choice words about his situation toward the floorman and he was given a 10-minute penalty.

The clock counted down and Seif folded his hand, exiting toward the rail to serve his punishment.

 

 

 

Player Tags: Mark Seif