Shawn Buchanan - Live Updates

Level 14 Hour 2 Update: Kirk Morrison Eliminated

Jul 11, '09

Blinds: 1,500-3,000 with a 400 ante

Players Remaining: 810 out of 6,494

Chip Counts:

1. Bertrand Grospellier – 1,380,500
2. Ludovic Lacay – 890,000
3. Christian Heich – 870,00
4. Saar Wilf – 820,000
5. Jordan Morgan – 773,000
6. Gabe Walls – 725,000
7. James Akenhead – 698,000
8. Brennan Hanson – 685,000
9. Owen Crowe – 650,000
10. Eli Adler – 604,000

Card Player Chip Counts:

Phil Hellmuth – 500,000
Jeff Shulman – 188,000

Average Chip Count: 220,884

Notable Eliminations:

Jeff Lisandro
Kirk Morrison
Shawn Buchanan

Big Hands:

Kevin Saul Victim to Bluff

Kevin Saul raised from late position and a player in the big blind reraised to 35,000. Saul made the call and both players saw a flop of 844. The big blind bet 60,000 and Saul thought for awhile before finally making the call. The turn brought the J and the big blind fired out once again, this time for 85,000. Saul went into the tank for minutes before finally mucking. His opponent exposed the 32 for three-high. Saul is at 400,000.

Alex Kostritsyn Bluffed out of 400,000 Pot

On a flop of 842, Alex Kostritsyn bet out from the big blind and player in middle position made the call. The K hit the turn and Kostritsyn bet 39,000. His opponent called and the 9 fell on the river. Kostritsyn bet 58,000 and his opponent quickly went all in for 128,000 more. Kostritsyn went into the tank for minutes before finally mucking. His opponent showed the J10 for jack-high to take down the massive 400,000 pot. Kostritsyn is now at 350,000.

Kirk Morrison Eliminated

After a flop of 763, Kirk Morrison was faced with a 16,000 bet from an opponent. Morrison minraised to 32,000, leaving only 7,000 behind. His opponent moved all in and Morrison made the quick call. Morrison exposed the 88 and was up against the JJ of his opponent. The board bricked out for Morrison as it came AK, and he was eliminated.

Hevad Khan Cracks a Set of Aces

On a board of A92, Hevad Khan moved his opponent all in with the 109 and was called by the AA of his opponent. Khan needed to hit a heart to win the pot and the turn wasn’t one as the 5 hit. The 6 fell on the river as Khan nailed his flush to win the hand. The former final table member from 2007 is now at 255,000.

J.C. Alvarado Takes a Hit

With a flop of 833 sitting on the table one player moved all in and J.C. Alvarado made the call. Their cards:

Alvarado: J8
Opponent: QQ

Turn and River: J4

Alvarado lost the hand and his stack dropped to just 70,000.

Shawn Buchanan Eliminated

Shawn Buchanan was in the big blind when the small blind moved all in for about 100,000. Buchanan made the call with the JJ and was ahead of the K6 of his opponent. The board ran out 1063K7 and Buchanan lost to the kings and sixes of his opponent. He was left with just 3,500 in chips and was eliminated shortly after.

Dan Harrington Takes a Hit

The small blind raised to 8,500 preflop and Dan Harrington made the call from the big blind. The flop was dealt AJ5 and the small blind bet 9,500. Harrintgon made the call and the turn fell Q. The small blind checked and Harrington bet 16,000. The small blind made the call and the river fell 5.

The small blind checked and Harrington bet 37,000. The small blind then raised all in for 36,700 more and Harrinton made the call. The small blind showed down A5 and Harrington flipped over K2. Harrington was knocked down to 200,000 after the hand.

Player Tags: Dan Harrington,   Shawn Buchanan,   Kevin Saul,   Kirk Morrison,   Juan Carlos Alvarado,   Hevad Khan,   Alexander Kostritsyn

Level 10 Update: Appleman Breaks 100k

Jun 11, '09

Blinds: 600-1,200 with a 300 ante

Players Remaining: 35 out of 96

Chip Counts:

1. Roland de Wolfe – 200,000
2. John Juanda – 165,000
3. Vince Musso – 165,000
4. Eliyahu Levy – 105,000
5. Mickey Appleman – 105,000
6. Anton Allemann – 90,000
7. Bruno Fitoussi – 90,000
8. Doug Booth – 88,000
9. Farzad Bonyadi – 87,000
10. Mike Matusow – 81,000

Average Chip Count: 66,977

Notable Eliminations:

Daniel Alaei
Gus Hansen
Sam Grizzle
Andy Black
Eli Elezra
Shawn Buchanan
Shawn Sheikhan

Big Hands:

Buchanan Takes Some Off Juanda, Then Goes Bust

Shawn Buchanan raised to 3,400 before the draw and action folded to John Juanda in the big blind. He made the call and it was time to draw.

Draw: Juanda draws 1 card, Buchanan draws 1 card

Juanda checked after receiving his card and Buchanan fired another 3,400 into the pot. Juanda decided to call and Buchanan tabled 10-9-8-4-2. Juanda mucked and was down to 170,000 while Buchanan was at 56,000. Those chips would not last Buchanan long, however, as he would go bust later in the level.

Mueller Flexes The Muscle

The player in seat 4 raised to 3,800 and Jean-Robert Bellande made the call from the button. Greg Mueller was next to act in the small blind and he counted out some chips. He finally raised to 14,500 and everyone mucked. Mueller took the pot and he was around 80,000 while Bellande was at 124,000.

The Apple Falls On Elezra

Mickey Appleman raised to 3,600 before the draw and action folded around to Eli Elezra in the big blind. He elected to call and it was time to draw.

Draw: Elezra draws 1 card, Appleman draws 1 card

Elezra received his card and decided to check. Appleman quickly fired another 5,000 into the pot and Elezra mucked. He was down to 19,000 and would later be eliminated. Appleman was around 100,000.

Bueno Bests Pescatori

After the draw and with 10,000 already in the pot, Patrick Bueno fired 8,000 into the pot. Max Pescatori went into the tank but finally mucked. He was down to 48,000 while Bueno was up to 83,000.

Blackout

Andrew Black moved all in for his final 15,000 and Justin Smith was next to act. He repopped to 41,000 and everyone else folded. Smith took his change back and it was time to draw.

Draw: Black stands pat, Smith stands pat

Both players were happy with their holdings and Black showed an 8-7 low. Black’s happiness turned to sorrow, however, as Smith turned 8-6-5-3-2 for a better low and Black made his exit.

Player Tags: Mickey Appleman,   John Juanda,   Max Pescatori,   Greg Mueller,   Eli Elezra,   Shawn Buchanan,   Jean-Robert Bellande,   Andy Black,   Patrick Bueno,   Justin Smith

Level 3 Update: Star-Studded Field, Matt Glantz on Top

Jun 01, '09

Ante: 75
Low Card: 100
Completion: 300
Limits: 300-600

Players Remaining: 142 out of 142

Chip Counts:

1. Matt Glantz — 45,000
2. Tim Phan — 44,000
3. Farzad Bonyadi — 41,000
4. Andy Bloch — 39,000
5. Chris Amaral — 39,000
6. Greg Mueller — 39,000
7. Frank Kasella — 39,000
8. Marco Traniello — 38,000
9. Alexander Kravchenko — 37,000
10. David Benyamine — 36,000

Average Chip Count: 30,000

Big Hands:

Shawn Buchanan vs. Steve Billirakis

The player seat 2 opens the pot for 100, Steve Billirakis completes the bet to 300 with the 8 and Shawn Buchanan raises to 600 with the Q. Billirakis calls and seat 2 folds.

Buchanan: X-X-QA
Billirakis: X-X-89

Buchanan bets 300 and Billirakis calls.

Buchanan: X-X-QAJ
Billirakis: X-X-89A

Buchanan bets 600 and Billirakis folds. Buchanan rakes the pot, bringing his stack up to 27,000 while Billirakis drops to 33,000 after this hand.

Chau Giang Loses a Pot

The player in seat 5 opens the pot for 100 with the 4 and Chau Giang completes the bet to 300 with the 10. The player in seat 1 calls with the 10, as does seat 2 with the 7.

Giang: X-X-10J
Seat 1: X-X-109
Seat 2: X-X-75

Giang bets 300, seat 2 folds, both seats 1 and 5 call.

Giang: X-X-10J6
Seat 1: X-X-109K
Seat 5: X-X-462

All three players check around.

Giang: X-X-10J6J
Seat 1: X-X-109K4
Seat 5: X-X-4628

Giang bets 600, seat 5 raises to 1,200, seat 1 folds and Giang calls.

Seat 5 dark-bets the river for 600 and Giang calls. Seat 5 turns over 888 for trip eights. Giang mucks his hand and is down to 27,000 in chips.

Greg Mueller Takes a Hit

After a series of raises and re-raises, Greg Mueller, seat 4 and seat 7 all commit 900 each to the pot on third street.

Mueller: X-X-JA
Seat 4: X-X-Q8
Seat 7: X-X-7K

Seat 4 bets 300 and seat 7 calls. Mueller raises to 600 and both players call.

Mueller: X-X-JA3
Seat 4: X-X-Q89
Seat 7: X-X-7KJ

Seat 4 bets 600 and both Mueller and seat 7 call.

Mueller: X-X-JA310
Seat 4: X-X-Q8910
Seat 7: X-X-7KJA

Once again, seat 4 bets 600 and both Mueller and seat 7 call.

Seat 4 bets 600 on the river, seat 7 folds and Mueller calls. Seat 4 turns over QQ1010 for two pair. Seat 4 rakes the pot and Mueller is down to 39,000 in chips after this hand.

Player Tags: Greg Mueller,   Shawn Buchanan,   Chau Giang,   Steve Billirakis

Level 11 Update -- Day 2 Begins

May 29, '09

Blinds: 2,500-5,000 with a 500 ante

Players Remaining: 79 out of 201

Chip Counts:

1. Bruno Fitoussi – 812,500
2. Chris Moneymaker – 805,000
3. Sorel Mizzi – 772,000
4. Justin Bonomo – 738,000
5. Alexander Veldhuis – 646,500
6. Kyle Wilson – 611,500
7. Brian Townsend – 609,000
8. Emil Patel – 494,500
9. Alan Sass – 491,000
10. Alex Jacob – 450,000

Average Chip Count: 271,011

Notable Eliminations:

Mike Watson
Shawn Buchanan
Amit Makhija

Big Hands:

Sorel Mizzi Wins Huge Double Up

On a board of 88s4, Sorel Mizzi bet out 40,000 and Michael DeMichele contemplated briefly before calling. The pot stood at 150,000 at the moment. The turn brought the 4 and Mizzi tanked before betting 90,500 into DeMichele. DeMichele eventually called and the 4 landed on the river, putting a full house on board. Mizzi once again tanked before announcing he was all-in. DeMichele looked shocked and tanked for minutes before finally calling the 266,500 chip all-in from Mizzi. Mizzi turned over the AA and DeMichele eventually mucked. Mizzi is now among the top chip leaders, with 772,000.

Mike Watson is Elminated

The short stacked Michael Watson moved all in with AQ and was called by James Mackey with pocket sixes and another opponent with pocket queens. Watson failed to hit the ace and was knocked out of the tournament.

Vitaly Lunkin Eliminates an Opponent

The button moved all in preflop and Vitaly Lunkin made the call from late position, covering his opponent. The recent RPT Moscow champion flipped over 1010 and the button showed down 88. The board ran out A6K99 and Lunkin won the hand to grow his stack to 289,000. The button was eliminated and made his way to the rail.

Brian Rast Doubles Up

Brian Rast moved all in from late position for 136,500 preflop and the button called him down. Their cards:

Rast: AJ
Button: AQ

Board: 81038J

Rast doubled up on the hand to survive with more than 270,000.

Amit Makhija is Eliminated By Mike Matusow

Amit Makhija moved all in pre-flop with ace king off-suit and was called by the AA of Mike Matusow. Makhija failed to hit any miracle and was eliminated by the three-time bracelet winner.

Alex Jacob Moves All-in On The River

On a board of 48Q1010, Alex Jacob moved all in for 137,000 against the big stack of Chris Moneymaker. Moneymaker went into the tank for quite some time asking Jacob if he would show his hand if he folded. Jacob was stone faced and took down the large pot once Moneymaker folded. Jacob is now up to 450,000.

James Mackey Wins a Coin-flip, Eliminates Shawn Buchanan

After some raising, James Mackey moved all-in pre-flop for 114,500 and Shawn went into the tank for minutes. Buchanan counted his chips, noticing that Mackey had him covered and eventually made the call. Mackey turned over KQ and Buchanan tabled the 1010. The flop of JJ5 was safe for Buchanan but the Q on the turn made the situation grim. The river brought the 7 and Mackey’s chip stack rose to 310,000.

Player Tags: Mike Matusow,   Shawn Buchanan,   James Mackey,   Michael Watson,   Michael DeMichele,   Sorel Mizzi,   Amit Makhija

Level 5 Update: Shawn Buchanan Doubles Up

May 28, '09

Blinds: 600-1,200 with a 100 ante

Players Remaining: 171 out of 201

Chip Counts:

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

Average Chip Count: 141,053

Notable Eliminations:

Greg Mueller

Big Hands:

Shawn Buchanan Doubles Up

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

Doyle Brunson doubles up Nicolas Levi

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

Shaun Deeb Doubles up Lex Veldhuis

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

Chris Moneymaker Making a Run Up the Leaderboard

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

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

Level 3 Update: Dario Minieri Eliminated

May 28, '09

Blinds: 400-800 with a 100 ante

Players Remaining: 180 out of 201

Chip Counts:

1. Ted Forrest — 310,000
2. Antonio Esfandiari — 305,000
3. Scott Seiver — 300,000
4. Justin Bonomo — 275,000
5. Jeff Lisandro — 270,000
6. Tony G — 260,000
7. Vivek Rajkumar — 255,000
8. Lex Veldhuis — 240,000
9. Brian Townsend — 225,000
10. Matthew Glantz — 220,000

Average Chip Count: 134,000

Notable Eliminations:

Dario Minieri
Jonathan Little
Peter Jetten
Sergey Rybachenko
Christian Harder
Ted Lawson
Dwyte Pilgrim
Per Ummer
Steve Gross

Big Hands:

David Singer Takes a Pot From Lex Vuldhuis

Davis Singer opens the pot for 2,200 from middle position and Lex Veldhuis calls from the button. The flop comes KQ7, Singer bets 4,500 and Veldhuis calls. The tuen is the 3, and Singer bets 11,000. Veldhuis mucks and Singer rakes the pot. After this hand, Singer climbs to 130,000 while Veldhuis falls to 110,000 in chips.

Dario Minieri is Eliminated

Matthew Glantz and Dario Minieri got it all in on the flop of J98, with Minieri holding 88 and Glantz having him covered with 99.

Alec Torelli Wins Pot

On a board of AKJ6, Torelli bet 50,000 on the turn from the small blind into J.C. Tran on the button. Tran thought about it briefly and then folded.

Shawn Buchanan Gets Something Going

After a pre-flop raise, and with about 10,000 now in the pot, Shawn Buchanan bets 6,500 on a fop of 442. Freddy Deeb calls and the turn is the 5. Buchanan bets 13,000 and Deeb folds. Buchanan rakes the pot, winning back some of the chips he gave to Deeb earlier in the day. After this hand Buchanan is up to 72,000 while Deeb falls to 130,000.

JC Tran Buys a Pot With a Bet on the River

Gavin Griffin raises to 2,400 from middle position and JC Tran calls from the small blind. The flop comes 775, Griffin bets 3,500 and Tran calls. The turn is the K, and both players check around. The river is the 2, and this time Tran leads out for 6,000. Griffin mucks and Tran rakes the pot. Tran is up to 140,000 this hand while Griffin falls just under the 100,000 mark.

Daniel Negreanu Folds on the River

On a board of AK98, Negreanu bet 15,000 into David Steicke, who called. The river brought the 5 and Negreanu checked. Steicke thought for awhile and then bet 20,000 into the 50,000 chip pot. Negreanu immdediately looked disgusted and went into the tank saying, “You must have a flush.” Negreanu eventually folded and Steicke said he had a flush and gut shot straight draw on the turn. Negreanu is down to under 40,000 in chips.

Left In The Deck:

Phil Hellmuth has just taken his seat after an almost 3 level absence.

Player Tags: J.C. Tran,   Daniel Negreanu,   Phil Hellmuth,   Shawn Buchanan,   Gavin Griffin,   Matthew Glantz,   Dario Minieri,   Freddy Deeb,   Alec Torelli

Level 2 Update: 2008 November Nine Finalist Scott Montgomery Busts Early

May 28, '09

Blinds: 300-600 with a 75 ante

Players Remaining: 196 out of 201

Chip Counts:

1. Phil Laak — 280,00
2. Tony G — 255,000
3. Scott Seiver — 250,000
4. Justin Bonomo — 240,000
5. David Chiu — 240,000
6. Michael DeMichele — 230,000
7. Evan McNiff — 215,000
8. Kyle Wilson — 210,000
9. Vivek Rajkumar — 190,000
10. Andy Black — 185,000

Average Chip Count: 122,500

Notable Eliminations:

Scott Montgomery
Tom Dwan

Big Hands:

Greg Mueller Wins a Big pot off of Steve Gross

With just about 5,000 already in the pot, Steve Gross bets 2,800 on a flop of 822. Mueller raises another 6,000 and Gross calls. The turn is the 6, and this time Gross checks to Mueller who bets 13,000. Gross calls and the river is the Q. Gross once again checks to Mueller who this time bets 38,000. Gross calls and Mueller turns over 88 for a full house. Gross mucks his cards and is down to 67,000 after this hand while Mueller climbs up to 175,000 in chips.

Scott Montgomery is Eliminated

On a flop of AJ2, Scott Seiver checked from the small blind. Tom Dwan bet out and Scott Montgomery raised to 50,000. Scott Seiver went into the tank for minutes and eventually raised all-in. Dwan folded instantly and Montgomery called all-in instantly as he was committed to the pot. Seiver turned over AQ and Montgomery flipped over the 87 for a flush draw and backdoor straight draw. The turn was the 9, giving Montgomery extra outs. The river bricked out and Seiver won a large pot and eliminated Montgomery who rushed away from the table.

Freddy Deeb Steals a Nice Pot on the Turn

Freddy Deeb raises to 1,800 from middle position and Michael DeMichele calls from the button. Shawn Buchanan reraises to 6,500 from the small blind, Deeb calls and DeMichele folds. The flop comes 1052, and Buchanan bets 11,000. Deeb calls and the turn is the 5. This time Deeb leads out for 20,000 and Buchanan mucks his cards. After the hand, Deeb climbs back up to his starting stack while Buchanan falls down to 65,000 in chips and DeMichele is left with just under 140,000.

Shawn Buchanan Can’t Buy a Pot

Shawn Buchanan raises to 1,525 from under the gun and Ali Eslami reraises to 4,000 from the small blind. Buchanan calls and the flop comes Q102. This time Eslami leads out for 7,500 and Buchanan calls. The turn is the 5, Eslami bets 20,000 and Buchanan folds. Eslami rakes the pot bringing his chip count up to 153,000 this hand, while Buchanan falls down to just 50,000 in chips.

Tom Dwan is Eliminated

On a board of 5382, Tom Dwan was faced with a 53,000 chip bet from David Pham. Dwan went into the tank and eventually called all-in. The players turned over the cards and the online phenom turned over 66, for a pair and a gut shot straight draw. Pham turned over KK and was well in front. The river brought a third king for Pham and Durrr was knocked out early.

Left In The Deck:

Mike Matusow and Andy Black exchange needling from their respective tables. Matusow starts telling Black that his beard will eventually grow to be on the floor because he won’t win a tournament in the next four years.

Player Tags: David Pham,   Shawn Buchanan,   Tom Dwan,   Freddy Deeb,   Scott Seiver,   Michael DeMichele,   Scott Montgomery

Level 11 Update -- Day 2 Begins

May 29, '09

Blinds: 2,500-5,000 with a 500 ante

Players Remaining: 79 out of 201

Chip Counts:

1. Bruno Fitoussi – 812,500
2. Chris Moneymaker – 805,000
3. Sorel Mizzi – 772,000
4. Justin Bonomo – 738,000
5. Alexander Veldhuis – 646,500
6. Kyle Wilson – 611,500
7. Brian Townsend – 609,000
8. Emil Patel – 494,500
9. Alan Sass – 491,000
10. Alex Jacob – 450,000

Average Chip Count: 271,011

Notable Eliminations:

Mike Watson
Shawn Buchanan
Amit Makhija

Big Hands:

Sorel Mizzi Wins Huge Double Up

On a board of 88s4, Sorel Mizzi bet out 40,000 and Michael DeMichele contemplated briefly before calling. The pot stood at 150,000 at the moment. The turn brought the 4 and Mizzi tanked before betting 90,500 into DeMichele. DeMichele eventually called and the 4 landed on the river, putting a full house on board. Mizzi once again tanked before announcing he was all-in. DeMichele looked shocked and tanked for minutes before finally calling the 266,500 chip all-in from Mizzi. Mizzi turned over the AA and DeMichele eventually mucked. Mizzi is now among the top chip leaders, with 772,000.

Mike Watson is Elminated

The short stacked Michael Watson moved all in with AQ and was called by James Mackey with pocket sixes and another opponent with pocket queens. Watson failed to hit the ace and was knocked out of the tournament.

Vitaly Lunkin Eliminates an Opponent

The button moved all in preflop and Vitaly Lunkin made the call from late position, covering his opponent. The recent RPT Moscow champion flipped over 1010 and the button showed down 88. The board ran out A6K99 and Lunkin won the hand to grow his stack to 289,000. The button was eliminated and made his way to the rail.

Brian Rast Doubles Up

Brian Rast moved all in from late position for 136,500 preflop and the button called him down. Their cards:

Rast: AJ
Button: AQ

Board: 81038J

Rast doubled up on the hand to survive with more than 270,000.

Amit Makhija is Eliminated By Mike Matusow

Amit Makhija moved all in pre-flop with ace king off-suit and was called by the AA of Mike Matusow. Makhija failed to hit any miracle and was eliminated by the three-time bracelet winner.

Alex Jacob Moves All-in On The River

On a board of 48Q1010, Alex Jacob moved all in for 137,000 against the big stack of Chris Moneymaker. Moneymaker went into the tank for quite some time asking Jacob if he would show his hand if he folded. Jacob was stone faced and took down the large pot once Moneymaker folded. Jacob is now up to 450,000.

James Mackey Wins a Coin-flip, Eliminates Shawn Buchanan

After some raising, James Mackey moved all-in pre-flop for 114,500 and Shawn went into the tank for minutes. Buchanan counted his chips, noticing that Mackey had him covered and eventually made the call. Mackey turned over KQ and Buchanan tabled the 1010. The flop of JJ5 was safe for Buchanan but the Q on the turn made the situation grim. The river brought the 7 and Mackey’s chip stack rose to 310,000.

Player Tags: Mike Matusow,   Shawn Buchanan,   James Mackey,   Michael Watson,   Michael DeMichele,   Sorel Mizzi,   Amit Makhija

Level 5 Update: Shawn Buchanan Doubles Up

May 28, '09

Blinds: 600-1,200 with a 100 ante

Players Remaining: 171 out of 201

Chip Counts:

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

Average Chip Count: 141,053

Notable Eliminations:

Greg Mueller

Big Hands:

Shawn Buchanan Doubles Up

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

Doyle Brunson doubles up Nicolas Levi

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

Shaun Deeb Doubles up Lex Veldhuis

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

Chris Moneymaker Making a Run Up the Leaderboard

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

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

Level 3 Update: Dario Minieri Eliminated

May 28, '09

Blinds: 400-800 with a 100 ante

Players Remaining: 180 out of 201

Chip Counts:

1. Ted Forrest — 310,000
2. Antonio Esfandiari — 305,000
3. Scott Seiver — 300,000
4. Justin Bonomo — 275,000
5. Jeff Lisandro — 270,000
6. Tony G — 260,000
7. Vivek Rajkumar — 255,000
8. Lex Veldhuis — 240,000
9. Brian Townsend — 225,000
10. Matthew Glantz — 220,000

Average Chip Count: 134,000

Notable Eliminations:

Dario Minieri
Jonathan Little
Peter Jetten
Sergey Rybachenko
Christian Harder
Ted Lawson
Dwyte Pilgrim
Per Ummer
Steve Gross

Big Hands:

David Singer Takes a Pot From Lex Vuldhuis

Davis Singer opens the pot for 2,200 from middle position and Lex Veldhuis calls from the button. The flop comes KQ7, Singer bets 4,500 and Veldhuis calls. The tuen is the 3, and Singer bets 11,000. Veldhuis mucks and Singer rakes the pot. After this hand, Singer climbs to 130,000 while Veldhuis falls to 110,000 in chips.

Dario Minieri is Eliminated

Matthew Glantz and Dario Minieri got it all in on the flop of J98, with Minieri holding 88 and Glantz having him covered with 99.

Alec Torelli Wins Pot

On a board of AKJ6, Torelli bet 50,000 on the turn from the small blind into J.C. Tran on the button. Tran thought about it briefly and then folded.

Shawn Buchanan Gets Something Going

After a pre-flop raise, and with about 10,000 now in the pot, Shawn Buchanan bets 6,500 on a fop of 442. Freddy Deeb calls and the turn is the 5. Buchanan bets 13,000 and Deeb folds. Buchanan rakes the pot, winning back some of the chips he gave to Deeb earlier in the day. After this hand Buchanan is up to 72,000 while Deeb falls to 130,000.

JC Tran Buys a Pot With a Bet on the River

Gavin Griffin raises to 2,400 from middle position and JC Tran calls from the small blind. The flop comes 775, Griffin bets 3,500 and Tran calls. The turn is the K, and both players check around. The river is the 2, and this time Tran leads out for 6,000. Griffin mucks and Tran rakes the pot. Tran is up to 140,000 this hand while Griffin falls just under the 100,000 mark.

Daniel Negreanu Folds on the River

On a board of AK98, Negreanu bet 15,000 into David Steicke, who called. The river brought the 5 and Negreanu checked. Steicke thought for awhile and then bet 20,000 into the 50,000 chip pot. Negreanu immdediately looked disgusted and went into the tank saying, “You must have a flush.” Negreanu eventually folded and Steicke said he had a flush and gut shot straight draw on the turn. Negreanu is down to under 40,000 in chips.

Left In The Deck:

Phil Hellmuth has just taken his seat after an almost 3 level absence.

Player Tags: J.C. Tran,   Daniel Negreanu,   Phil Hellmuth,   Shawn Buchanan,   Gavin Griffin,   Matthew Glantz,   Dario Minieri,   Freddy Deeb,   Alec Torelli

Level 2 Update: 2008 November Nine Finalist Scott Montgomery Busts Early

May 28, '09

Blinds: 300-600 with a 75 ante

Players Remaining: 196 out of 201

Chip Counts:

1. Phil Laak — 280,00
2. Tony G — 255,000
3. Scott Seiver — 250,000
4. Justin Bonomo — 240,000
5. David Chiu — 240,000
6. Michael DeMichele — 230,000
7. Evan McNiff — 215,000
8. Kyle Wilson — 210,000
9. Vivek Rajkumar — 190,000
10. Andy Black — 185,000

Average Chip Count: 122,500

Notable Eliminations:

Scott Montgomery
Tom Dwan

Big Hands:

Greg Mueller Wins a Big pot off of Steve Gross

With just about 5,000 already in the pot, Steve Gross bets 2,800 on a flop of 822. Mueller raises another 6,000 and Gross calls. The turn is the 6, and this time Gross checks to Mueller who bets 13,000. Gross calls and the river is the Q. Gross once again checks to Mueller who this time bets 38,000. Gross calls and Mueller turns over 88 for a full house. Gross mucks his cards and is down to 67,000 after this hand while Mueller climbs up to 175,000 in chips.

Scott Montgomery is Eliminated

On a flop of AJ2, Scott Seiver checked from the small blind. Tom Dwan bet out and Scott Montgomery raised to 50,000. Scott Seiver went into the tank for minutes and eventually raised all-in. Dwan folded instantly and Montgomery called all-in instantly as he was committed to the pot. Seiver turned over AQ and Montgomery flipped over the 87 for a flush draw and backdoor straight draw. The turn was the 9, giving Montgomery extra outs. The river bricked out and Seiver won a large pot and eliminated Montgomery who rushed away from the table.

Freddy Deeb Steals a Nice Pot on the Turn

Freddy Deeb raises to 1,800 from middle position and Michael DeMichele calls from the button. Shawn Buchanan reraises to 6,500 from the small blind, Deeb calls and DeMichele folds. The flop comes 1052, and Buchanan bets 11,000. Deeb calls and the turn is the 5. This time Deeb leads out for 20,000 and Buchanan mucks his cards. After the hand, Deeb climbs back up to his starting stack while Buchanan falls down to 65,000 in chips and DeMichele is left with just under 140,000.

Shawn Buchanan Can’t Buy a Pot

Shawn Buchanan raises to 1,525 from under the gun and Ali Eslami reraises to 4,000 from the small blind. Buchanan calls and the flop comes Q102. This time Eslami leads out for 7,500 and Buchanan calls. The turn is the 5, Eslami bets 20,000 and Buchanan folds. Eslami rakes the pot bringing his chip count up to 153,000 this hand, while Buchanan falls down to just 50,000 in chips.

Tom Dwan is Eliminated

On a board of 5382, Tom Dwan was faced with a 53,000 chip bet from David Pham. Dwan went into the tank and eventually called all-in. The players turned over the cards and the online phenom turned over 66, for a pair and a gut shot straight draw. Pham turned over KK and was well in front. The river brought a third king for Pham and Durrr was knocked out early.

Left In The Deck:

Mike Matusow and Andy Black exchange needling from their respective tables. Matusow starts telling Black that his beard will eventually grow to be on the floor because he won’t win a tournament in the next four years.

Player Tags: David Pham,   Shawn Buchanan,   Tom Dwan,   Freddy Deeb,   Scott Seiver,   Michael DeMichele,   Scott Montgomery

Level 10 Update

Mar 16, '09

Big Hands:

Robert Williamson III Eliminated

Robert Williamson III moved all in with pocket nines preflop and Wil Wilkinson called him down with pocket queens. The board ran out Q-9-4-10-7 and Williamson was eliminated. Wilkinson was awarded the $5,000 bounty for winning the set-over-set confrontation.

Layne Flack Eliminated

Layne Flack moved all in preflop with pocket queens and one opponent called him down with pocket aces. The board ran out K-6-6-10-7 to eliminate Flack in the closing minutes of the night.

Shawn Buchanan Eliminated on the Final Hand

Shawn Buchanan was not one of the bounty players today, but that didn’t stop him from becoming the first player in the tournament to profit from his trip to San Jose, California. Buchanan eliminated David Singer, Jamie Gold, and Marco Traniello on day 1A to make $15,000 in bounties. On the very last hand of the night Buchanan was all in with 109. Chad Brown called him down with K10. The board fell QJJ8A and Buchanan was eliminated on the final hand of play.

Player Tags: Chad Brown,   Layne Flack,   Shawn Buchanan,   Robert Williamson III

Level 8 Update

Mar 16, '09

Level: 8

Blinds: 250-500 with a 50 ante

Players Left: 69 of 135

---

Score Board

Notable Chip Counts

Faraz Jaka: 133,000
Kerry Smith: 88,000
Augie Foxx: 78,000
Will Failla: 75,000
Chad Brown: 60,000
Annie Duke: 54,000
Joe Sebok: 54,000
Shawn Buchanan: 50,000
Erick Lindgren: 40,000
Tim West: 40,000

Average: 39,420

Notable Eliminations

Todd Brunson
Marco Traniello

---

Shooting Star Watch

Here are the Shooting Stars in action on day 1A:

Andy Bloch - out
Todd Brunson - out
Hoyt Corkins
Freddy Deeb
Annie Duke
Layne Flack
Jamie Gold - out
Phil Hellmuth - out
John Juanda - out
Erick Lindgren
Jonathan Little
Mike Matusow
David Pham
Joe Sebok
Erik Seidel - out
David Singer - out
Gavin Smith
Kenny Tran
Marco Traniello - out
Paul Wasicka
Lee Watkinson - out
Robert Williamson III
Jerry Yang - out

---

Big Hands:

Marco Traniello Eliminated by Shawn Buchanan

On a flop of A-10-9 with two spades Marco Traniello moved all in and Shawn Buchanan called him down. Buchanan turned up A-9 for two pair and Traniello showed down K8. Traniello missed his flush on the turn and river and he was eliminated from the tournament. Buchanan scored his third elimination of a shooting star on the day and he now has 50,000. Buchanan also holds $15,000 in prize money before the end of day 1A.

Todd Brunson Eliminated

Todd Brunson moved all in preflop and Victor Hihi called him down. Their cards:

Brunson: AJ
Hihi: Q9

Board: A10678

Brunson was eliminated on the hand and Hihi was awarded the $5,000 bounty.

Player Tags: Todd Brunson,   Shawn Buchanan,   Marco Traniello

Level 7 Update

Mar 16, '09

Big Hands:

Marco Traniello Doubles Up

Marco Traniello got all of his chips into the middle against Dan Shak on a flop of KJ7. Shak held QJ and Traniello turned up AK. The turn and river fell 45 and Traniello doubled up to survive.

Jamie Gold Eliminated

Late position opened a pot for a raise and Jamie Gold moved all in for 5,000. Shawn Buchanan reraised all in for 11,000 and then the player in late position reraised all in and covered everyone with 1,200 to spare. Their cards:

Late Position: KK
Gold: JJ
Buchanan: AQ

Board: A9632

Gold was eliminated on the hand and Buchanan collected his second $5,000 bounty of the day.

Chainsawed

Allen Kessler moved all in with A-J on a A-K-J flop, but he ran straight into the Q-10 of Tim West. The Broadway straight won the hand and Kessler was eliminated from the tournament.

Player Tags: Allen Kessler,   Shawn Buchanan,   Marco Traniello,   Daniel Shak,   Jamie Gold

Level 3 Update

Mar 16, '09

Big Hands:

David Singer Eliminated

David Singer got all of his chips into the middle with pocket tens and Shawn Buchanan called him down with pocket aces. The aces held and Singer was the second bounty player of the day to fall.

Phil Hellmuth Twitter

Phil Hellmuth would like to let readers know that he will be posting to his Twitter account periodically throughout the day. His username is phil_hellmuth.

Jamie Gold Takes a Hit

Seat 1 moved all in preflop and Jamie Gold called him down. Seat 1 flipped up AQ and Gold held J10. The board was dealt 94455 and Gold doubled up his opponent. Gold was knocked down to 15,500 after the hand.

 

Player Tags: Phil Hellmuth,   David Singer,   Shawn Buchanan,   Jamie Gold

$10,000 Main Event - Huck Seed Goes Broke Early

Jul 05, '08

Blinds: 50-100

Chip Leaders:
Brian Townsend: 40,000
Joe Awada: 26,600
Greice Yamaguchi: 23,500
Dominic Tremblay: 21,500
Bill Chen: 21,000
Lee Childs: 20,350

Eliminations: Shawn Buchanan, Huck Seed

Big Hands:

Huck Seed Eliminated

On a board of 773Q, the player in seat 9 bet 6,000 on the turn and Seed went into the tank. Staring at his opponent and cocking his head, Seed ultimately moved all in for just under 16,00 total. Seat 9 went into the tank and eventually made the call, showing A7 for trip sevens, ace kicker. Seed turned over 97 for trip sevens with a weaker kicker. The 2 fell on the river, eliminating the former 1996 Main event world champion just minutes into the day.

Set Over Set, Shawn Buchanan Eliminated Early

Just minutes into Day 1c of the $10,000 NL Main Event, Shawn Buchanan got it all in with a set of sevens on a board of J7652. He was beaten by a set of jacks and lost almost his entire stack this hand, leaving himself with only 300 chips left. Crippled, the next hand Buchanan got it in with K-10 against K-Q and failed to improve. It was a very, very early day for Shawn Buchanan who has been eliminated from the tournament.

Clonie Gowen Misreads Hand, Eliminates Player

On a flop of A54, Alex Jacob bet 300 and Clonie Gowen raised to 800. The player in the big blind reraised to 2,000, Jacob mucked and Gowen reraised to 4,000. The big blind quickly moved all in and Gowen insta-called.

Gowen: A3
Big Blind: 54

Gowen flopped top pair and an inside straight draw but was trailing her opponent who made two pair on the flop. The 8 came on the turn, no help to either player, but the 3 hit the river, giving Gowen a better two pair and the win. Gowen raked the pot, doubling up early to about 40,000 as she elimianted her opponent. " I didn't double check," she said. "I thought I had ace-five." She then said that if she would have double checked her cards again she wouldn't have called.

Opponent Slow-Plays Aces, Binger Gets Trapped

In a three-way limped pot, the flop came 1083. The player in the big blind bet out 400 and Michael Binger made the call as the small blind folded. The turn borught the A, and the big blind bet 1,000. Binger thought for a moment before calling. The river was the 4, and the big blind bet 2,500. Binger made the call and the big blind turned over AA for top set. Binger mucked his cards and fell down to about 16,000 after the hand.

Scharf Practice

German Eddy Scharf has set about gathering chips at his table. The two-time bracelet winner bet around the pot of 4,000 on the river with the board reading Q107Q9 and got his opponent to lay down. He is now up to almost 25,000.

Parky Poker

Irishman Padraig Parkinson has been quite active at what he described as a "passive" table. He won a succession of small pots uncontested until one player played back at him, forcing him to fold to a bet and he is currently sitting on just over his starting stack.

Player Tags: Huck Seed,   Clonie Gowen,   Shawn Buchanan,   Eduard Scharf,   Padraig Parkinson,   Michael Binger

$10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha - Level 21 - Down to One Table and Ten Players

Jun 30, '08

Blinds: 10,000-20,000

Players Remaining: 12 of 381

Average Chip Stack: 762,000

Mizrachi doubles through Argyros in 1.3 million-chip pot

Midway through level 21, Michael Mizrachi raised to 55,000 from early position and Billy Argyros made the call from middle position. The flop was 742 and Mizrachi checked. Aryros bet the pot and Mizrachi immediately raised the pot. Argyros moved all in and Mizrachi called all in.

Argyros: AT77
Mizrachi KK94

Mizrachi had an overpair and a flush draw, but Argyros flopped a set of sevens. But the 3 came on the turn, and Argyros needed the board to pair to eliminate Mizrachi. The river was the 5, and Mizrachi doubled up. Argyros had to ship 600,000 chips his way, and was down to 500,000 chips after the hand.

Eliminations:

Jimmy Tran eliminated in 13th place ($44,767)

After Josh Arieh raised from early position to 60,000 and Tran called, Billy Argyros reraised 200,000 more. Arieh made the call and then after a minute Tran called all in for 125,000, creating a 150,000 side pot. The flop was AJ5 and Argyros moved all in. Arieh thought for a few minutes before folding.

Argyros: KKQJ
Tran: KQJT

Argyros had Tran completely dominated and drawing dead when he hit his flush when the 8 came on the turn. The 2 came on the river and Argyros took down the monster pot of about 800,000 chips.

Josh Arieh eliminated in 12th place ($53,721)

After losing chips on the hand with Argyros and Tran, Arieh was crippled when he called bets on the turn and river by Argyros on a AQ269. Argyros flipped over A-K-J-4 to beat Arieh's A-J-5-4. When Argyros flipped over his hand, he asked incredulously, "It's good? Wow, I was bluffing." Arieh told him he knew it was a bluff, but the bluff happened to be the better hand.

Arieh tripled up soon after, but was still shortstacked and moved all in. It folded around to Greg Hurst called from the small blind. Arieh held K-9-8-4 and would need to beat Hurst's Q-Q-3-3. But the board came Q-6-5-4-9. The turn gave Arieh a heart-flush draw, but he missed on the river, sending the chip leader for much of the tournament to the exit.

Shawn Buchanan eliminated in 11th place ($53,721)

Buchanan called a preflop raise out of the big blind, and then got his remaining chips into the middle against Greg Hurst on the flop.

Buchanan: J-T-7-6
Hurst: AQT9
Board: JT989

Buchanan flopped a better two pair, but had to dodge a lot of outs on the turn and river. The flop gave Hurst a flush, and the river gave him a full house.

Player Tags: Josh Arieh,   Jimmy Tran,   Michael Mizrachi,   Shawn Buchanan,   Billy Argyros,   Greg Hurst

$10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha - Level 19 - Play Slows Down

Jun 30, '08

Blinds: 6,000-12,000

Players Remaining: 16 of 381

Average Chip Stack: 476,000

Chip Leaders:

Kido Pham - 1,240,000
Brandon Moran - 1,000,000
Peter Jetten - 860,000
Richard Harroch - 740,000
Josh Arieh - 560,000
Marty Smyth - 535,000
Michael Mizrachi - 535,000
Greg Hurst - 500,000
David Benefield - 445,000
Kenneth Matsson - 410,000

Eliminations:

Len Ashby - 20th place - $28,651
Dario Alioto - 19th place - $28,651
Rino Mathis - 18th place - $35,814
Eddy Scharf - 17th place - $35,814

Hands and Storylines:

Scharf eliminated, Buchanan nearly triples

Billy Argyros and Shawn Buchanan limped from early position, and then Eddy Scharf reraised all in from the small blind for 58,000. Argyros then reraised enough to put Buchanan all in. Buchanan had 111,000 left in his stack, and after a minute made the call.

Scharf: KKA7
Argyros: A765
Buchanan: JT98
Board: QT9T2

Buchanan flopped two pair and turn a boat to take down the pot of over 300,000 chips. After the hand Argyros was down to roughly 150,000 chips.

After setback, Argyros doubles up

On a QQ6 flop, Jimmy Tran made a pot-sized bet and then Billy Argyros moved all in. Tran made the call with A-J-6-6 for a full house, while Argryos needed held A-K-Q-7 and needed to catch a card to make a full house. He got the help right away when a seven came on the turn, and an ace came on the river to give him an even better full house.

Smyth catches Pham's bluff

With the board T328T, Kido Pham made a pot-sized bet of 146,000. Marty Smyth made the call and Pham immediately told him, "You win." Smyth flipped over A-A-6-3 for two pair, aces and tens to win the pot. 

Player Tags: Shawn Buchanan,   Eduard Scharf,   Billy Argyros,   European Report

$10,000 PLO - Day 2 - Hour Two

Jun 30, '08

Blinds: 1,200-2,400

Players Left: 56

Chip Leaders:
Josh Arieh: 420,000
Eddy Scharf: 287,000
Peter Jetten: 260,000
Shawn Buchanan: 241,000
Billy Argyros: 218,000
Guillaume Patry: 190,000
Brant Hale: 185,000
Karl Marenholz: 175,000
Robin Larsson: 171,000
Thayer Rasmussen: 168,000

Eliminations: Noah Boeken, Rafi Amit, Chau Giang, Bill Chen, Scott Clements

BIg Hands:

Rafi Amit Eliminated by Shawn Buchanan

All in pre-flop with AKK4, Rafi Amit was called by Shawn Buchanan holding JJ108. The flop came KQ9, giving Amit top set (kings) while flopping Buchanan the nut straight to the king. Amit would need to fill up here to double up, or go runner-runner to chop the same straight as Buchanan. The board failed to pair and Rafi Amit hit the rail early on in the second level of Day 2.

Noah Boeken Eliminated

Noah Boeken was eliminatd earlier this round when he was all in on the turn with a set of aces against the straight draw of Richard Harroch. Harroch made his straight on the river and Noah Boekn was next to hit the rail.

Chau Giang Eliminated by Rob Hollink

In a three-way pot between Chau Giang, Rob Hollink and Nenad Medic, Giang got it all in on the turn on a board of Q43K. Medic checked, Hollink bet 40,000, Giang called all in for 35,000 and Medic folded. Giang turned over KQQ10 for trip queens, but Hollink showed AJJ10 for the nut flush. The river was the 6, and without a pair on the board, Giang failed to fill up and was subsequently eliminated from the tournament.





 

Player Tags: Shawn Buchanan,   Chau Giang,   Rob Hollink,   Rafi Amit

Event 30 - $10k World Championship Limit Hold 'Em - Buchanan Busts

Jun 16, '08

Blinds: 1300-2500

Players Remaining: 55

Eliminations: Shawn Buchanan, David Olson, James Gorham, Shawn Keller

Notable Hands:
Buchanan Goes Busto

A short stacked Shawn Buchanan got his remaining chips in on a flop of 773 holding J10. He had eight outs to make his flush against Anahit Galajin's QQ, but the turn and river brought K5 and the queens held.

Bloch Getting Bigger

Andy Bloch raised from under the gun, was reraised by seat 1, and then capped the betting. Seat one called, putting his meager remaining stack in on the flop of K43. Bloch held AK, maintaining a secure lead over his opponent's pocket nines as the turn and river brought 3Q. The player was eliminated, and Bloch's stack increased to around 65,000.

Sebok: No Luck With The Ladies

Former chip leader Patrick Bueno was all in before the flop, facing down Joe Sebok and the female player on his left, who proceeded to bet every consecutive street. Sebok called until the river, where he mucked pocket jacks. The board at that point showed 47784. The lady on Sebok's left showed a pair of ladies: QQ. Bueno, however, held 34, and managed to more than triple up on the hand to stay alive.

The very next hand Joe Sebok saw a flop for a total of 3 bets against another Anahit Galajin in seat 2. Again, Sebok called a series of bets on every street down to the river, and again his lady opponent showed the ladies for the win.

Galajin: QQ
Board: 101079Q

The Professor Gets Schooled

Howard Lederer raised from the button and was called by two players, Eric Froehlich in seat 1 and the player in seat  5. On the flop of AK5, seat Froehlich checked, player 5 bet, and Lederer and Froehlich both called. The turn was the J, and again the action went check, bet, call, but this time Froehlich fired out a check raise. Both other players called and went to the river, which brought the Q. Froehlich bet out one more time, folding the player in seat 5. Lederer made the call in disgust, shaking his head as Froehlich turned over Q10. Lederer flashed his pocket aces briefly before tossing them in the muck, sighing, saying, "I stone cold called with top set for value," and shaking his head. 

Player Tags: Andy Bloch,   Howard Lederer,   Shawn Buchanan,   Eric Froehlich,   Joe Sebok

$2,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Not Slowing Down

Jun 09, '08

Blinds: 20,000 - 40,000 with a 5,000 ante

Chip Leaders:

Eliminations: Brent Hanks (5th Place), Shawn Buchanan (4th Place), Nathan Doudney (3rd Place)

Big Hands and Storylines:

Steve Merrifield Doubles Through Brent Hanks

Brent Hanks raised to 115,000 and was called by Steve Merrifield in the small blind. The flop came down AK5 and Merrifield bet 200,000. Hanks raised to 525,000 and Merrifield moved all in. Hanks quickly called and showed AK for top two pair and Merrifield showed 87 for a flush draw. The turn was the 9, giving Merrifield three more outs and the river was the Q giving him the flush to double up.

Nathan Doudney Doubles Through Shawn Buchanan

Steve Merrifield raised to 125,000 and Shawn Buchana reraised to 300,000. Nathan Doudney moved all in and Merrifield mucked. Buchanan called showing AK and was racing against Doudney's pocket jacks. The board came out 66497 and Doudney doubled up.

Brent "Bhanks11" Hanks Eliminated in 5th Place ($178,327)

Brent Hanks moved all in on the short stack and was called by Steve Merrifield. Hanks turned over A2 but was dominated by Merrifield's A10. The board ran JJ7K4 and Hanks was eliminated in fifth place.

Shawn Buchanan Eliminated in 4th Place ($218,491)

Steve Merrifield raised to 100,000 and Shawn Buchanan moved in. Merrifield made the call and his pocket nines held against AK when the board came 87625. Buchanan was eliminated in fourth place.

Nathan Doudney Eliminated in 3rd Place ($260,261)

Steve Merrifield raised to 105,000 and Nathan Doudney moved all in. Merrifield made the call and showed A9 and was up against K8. The flop came AKJ hitting both players hands, but the turn put Doudney ahead when the 8 hit the board. The river was the 9 and Merrifield made Aces up to beat Doudney's Kings up. Doudney was eliminated in third place.

NOTE: There was a break as the bracelet and cash were brought out to the table.
 

Player Tags: Shawn Buchanan,   Duncan Bell,   Nathan Doudney,   Brent Hanks,   Steven Merrifield

$2,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Final Table Today

Jun 09, '08

The final table for event no. 13 will begin today at 2 p.m. The final 9 players will be vying for a first-prize of $666,777 and a World Series of Poker bracelet. If there is a theme for today’s final table it would have to be inexperience: four of the players today have never made a final table before, and three of the players are making their first ever money-finish in a tournament. Here is a rundown of the players at the final table:

Duncan Bell of Vancouver will be making his first ever final table, but his nerves might be tempered a bit by the massive stack of chips sitting in front of him. Bell comes into the final table as the big chipleader. With 1,966,000 chips he will be coming into the final day with nearly twice that of his second-place rival.

British Columbia is sure to be represented well today: Shawn Buchanan, second in chips, is from Abbotsford, BC. Buchanan has 4 World Series of Poker cashes to his name, but his greatest accomplishment is taking down a World Poker Tour title at the 2007 Mandalay Bay Poker Championship. After taking home over $750,000 in that event, he should be more at ease at today’s final table.

Steven Merrifield has been slowly building his way toward this day. The Fairmont, West Virginia native has cashed in 3 World Series of Poker Circuit events this year, each score bigger than the last. Then last week, he made his first World Series cash, finishing 53^rd in the $1,000 no-limit hold’em with rebuys event.

Jason Sanders will begin the day with 1,099,000 in chips, but regardless of where he finishes this is guaranteed to be his biggest score ever. Sanders has no major cashes to his name, but a final table at the World Series of Poker is quite a way to start the list. Sanders hails from Simi Valley, California.

You might not consider Brent Hanks a major threat going into this final table if you were to look solely at his live numbers. The Filmore, NY resident has only two lifetime live cashes totaling $8,000. The online tournament world knows full well the talent of Hanks however . "BHanks11" is currently 7th in Card Player's Online Player of the Year ranking, having won both the PokerStars Sunday Million and Nightly Hundred Grand this year. Hanks will hope to carry over his online success to the brick and mortar world with a win today.

Brent Ditzik of Phoenix, Arizona commences our group of players who will be starting with a short stack. With blinds starting at 12,000/24,000 and a 3,000 ante, Ditzik’s stack of 384,000 leaves him with only 16 big blinds to start the day. This is Ditzik’s first ever final table.

Nicolas Levi from France has only 4 major cashes in his career, but they are quite the collection. He has, to his credit: a European Poker Tour final table, finishing 7^th in Dortmund; a World Series of Poker cash in a 6-handed event; a World Series of Poker Europe cash, finishing 27^th in the Main Event in London; and just earlier this year he made his first ever money appearance in a World Poker Tour event at the Five-Star World Poker Classic. A 6^th place finish today will surpass Levi’s best tournament cash of $112,667.

Hollywood’s Ariel Soffer has the odds stacked against him today. Not only has he never had a major tournament cash, but he is also coming into today’s event as a short-stack. A win today by Soffer would be a true underdog tale. Soffer will begin today’s event with 191,000.

Nathan Doudney will enter today’s event with less than 10 big blinds, but this event already has to be considered a success for. Until this tournament, despite three cashes, Doudney had never finished higher than 33^rd in a World Series of Poker event. The man from Bend, Texas will need quite a bit of help from the poker gods today to go deep at the final table.

Player Tags: Shawn Buchanan,   Duncan Bell,   Nathan Doudney,   Brent Hanks,   Nicolas Levi,   Steven Merrifield,   Brent Ditzik,   Ariel Soffer,   Jason Sanders