Thor Hansen Poker Tournament Updates

Thor Hansen Eliminated in 25th Place

Dec 06, '10

Thor Hansen moved all in under the gun and George Cariveau reraised all in to force everyone else out of the pot. Their cards:

Hansen: Q J
Cariveau: A K

Board: J 6 4 K 3

Cariveau grew his stack to 330,000 and Hansen was eliminated in 25th place. He will take home $25,339 in prize money.

Player Tags: Thor Hansen

Ben Palmer Eliminated in 32nd Place

Dec 06, '10

Ben Palmer moved all in preflop on a short stack and Thor Hansen made the call. Their cards:

Hansen: A J
Palmer: A 10

Board: A K 5 9 7

Palmer was eliminated in 31st place and he took home $21,116 in prize money. Hansen grew his stack to 175,000.

Player Tags: Thor Hansen

Thor Hansen Eliminated

Oct 28, '09

Thor Hansen has busted out of the tournament just short of the money bubble. There are 20 players remaining, two more to go until the money bubble bursts.

Player Tags: Thor Hansen

Level 18 Hour 1 Update: Schneider And Hinkle Score Early Knockouts

Jul 12, '09

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

Players Remaining: 372 out of 6,494

Chip Counts:

1. Matt Affleck – 2,100,000
2. Blair Hinkle – 2,000,000
3. Ben Lamb – 2,000,000506
4. Kevin Schaffel – 1,760,000
5. Berhard Perner – 1,675,000
6. Ludovic Lacay – 1,608,000
7. Tom Lutz – 1,600,000
8. James Akenhead – 1,572,000
9. Charlie Elias – 1,540,000
10. Miika Puumalainen – 1,492,000

Card Player Chip Counts:

Jeff Shulman – 314,000

Average Chip Count: 506,026

Notable Eliminations:

Jeff Kimber
Thor Hansen
C.K. Hua

Big Hands:

Schneider Eliminates Burt With Big Slick

Tom Schneider and Keith Burt got all of their money in preflop and their hands were turned over. Schneider held AK and Burt showed 97.

The board ran out 52226, leaving Burt with just nine-high and giving Schneider the pot. Burt is eliminated from the tournament, while Schneider’s stack is increased to 950,000.

Sebok’s Bluff Picked Off

Hieu Luu raised to 20,000 preflop and was called by Joe Sebok from the small blind. The flop was 533 and Sebok checked. Luu fired 30,000 which was called by Sebok.

The turn was the 8 and both players checked. The 9 fell on the river and Sebok bet 70,000 and was called by Luu. Sebok showed A10 and Luu turned over pocket tens to take the pot.

Blair Hinkle Doubles One Opponent Up, Makes A Profit Anyway

Oliver Klatt moved all in preflop and the action folded to Isidro Martinez. He moved all in having Klatt covered and the action was on Blair Hinkle. He then came over the top for all of his chips, having both men covered. Everyone else mucked and the hands were turned up.

Martinez: QQ
Hinkle: KK
Klatt: 99

Hinkle was in great position to score a double knockout, but the flop came down J94, giving Klatt a set of nines. The turn was the A and the river was the J, scoring a triple up for Klatt. However, he only had 125,000 total, leaving a small dent in Hinkle’s stack. Hinkle won the side pot against Martinez and after all the chips were counted, Hinkle made a profit out of the deal, his chips around 2 million.

Benyamine Takes A Big Pot

Picking up the action on the turn, the board read 9336 and Sarne Lightman fired 150,000 into a pot of over 225,000. David Benyamine took a few seconds to count out his stack, then moved all in for 135,000 more.

Lightman then took a tank session of his own and decided to muck his hand, surrendering the large pot to Benyamine. Benyamine was around 680,000.

Kenny Tran Gets Bluffed

Kenny Tran raised to 23,000 from early position and was three-bet by a player in late position to 100,000. Tran went into the tank for several minutes before making the call.

The flop came J49 and Tran checked to his opponent. His opponent didn’t make any movements and was just staring around the room, until the dealer informed him that Tran had checked and the player decided to go all in. Tran fairly quickly folded and folded pocket queens face up. To his dismay, his opponent turned over A10, for just ace-high.

Phillips Knocks Out Mighty Thor

Dennis Phillips and Thor Hansen got all of their chips into the middle preflop and Phillips had the best of it when he turned over AK against Hansen’s KQ.

Hansen said he was good with the ladies, but his mojo was a little low today as the board ran out 75675, keeping Phillips’ big slick in the lead and eliminating a tough opponent from the tournament.

Player Tags: Thor Hansen,   David Benyamine,   Tom Schneider,   Kenny Tran,   Joe Sebok,   Blair Hinkle

Level 7 Hour 2 Update: Hoyt Corkins Eliminated

Jul 07, '09

Blinds: 300-600 with a 75 ante

Players Remaining: 3,916 of 6,494

Note: The players have gone on a 90-minute dinner break and will return at 8:10 p.m.

Chip Counts:

1. Samer Rahman – 235,000
2. Greg Mueller – 176,000
3. Coba Cao – 175,100
4. Tom Schneider – 165,000
5. Andy Black – 162,000
6. Kirk Banks – 157,000
7. Jim Bookstaff – 155,000
8. Nick Maimone – 154,000
9. David Sands – 147,000
10. Redmond Lee – 140,000

CardPlayer Chip Counts:

Todd Brunson – 41,000
Ciaran O’Leary – 33,400
Mike Matusow – 20,000

Notable Eliminations:

Hoyt Corkins
Erik Cajelais

Big Hands:

Corkins Gone…Really, He’s Out

Just a few hands after Hoyt Corkins doubled up to over 70,000 he was knocked right out of the main event.

A player in middle position raised to 1,400 and the cutoff made the call. The button also called and the action was on Corkins in the small blind. He shoved for 60,000 more. The middle position player quickly called, having Corkins covered. The other two players mucked.

Corkins then tabled AK and was in deep trouble against the KK of his opponent. The flop came down J1010 and Corkins was actually a favorite to double up. The turn was the 4, dropping those percentages a bit and the J on the river put the final nail in the coffin, sending Corkins out of the main event.

Keven Stammen Knocks One Out

After a flop of K96, 2009 bracelet winner Keven Stammen was facing a bet from his opponent. He raised all in and was called. Stammen turned over Q10 for a gutshot straight draw along with a backdoor flush draw. His opponent showed K5 for top pair and the lead.

The turn changed all that when the J made Stammen’s straight. The river was the K, giving his opponent useless trips and Stammen was over 100,000 with the win.

Cajelais Moves Toward The Exit

After a flop of A108, Cajelais ended up all in after he got in a raising war with Samer Rahman. Cajelais showed A3 for top pair but Rahman showed AQ for the same hand with a better kicker.

The turn was the 6 and the river was the K and Cajelais was out of the main event. Rahman was up to 325,000.

King Nothing

Jimmy Fricke called his opponent’s all in bet of 11,000. The opponent showed A10 and Fricke tabled KK.

If only the hand would have ended there, Fricke could’ve had a knockout under his belt. But the flop fell and brought AAQ, giving the all-in player trips. The turn was the J, giving Fricke a straight draw but eliminating a king as one of his outs. The river was the 9 and Fricke lost the pot. He was at 95,000.

The Wrath Of Thor

A player raised to 1,700 preflop and the action was on Thor Hansen. He reraised to 5,500 and his opponent came right back over the top to 16,000. Hansen then moved all in for 36,000 and his opponent made the call. Hansen then revealed AA and his opponent tabled KK.

The board offered no help to the cowboys and Hansen doubled up to 77,000.

Garrett Can’t Call

Brad Garrett raised to 1,300 preflop and the blinds came along for the ride. The flop came down 826 and the small blind led out for 3,400. Garrett was the only caller and the K came on the turn. The small blind fired 6,000 and Garrett mucked. The small blind then showed 54 for just a flush draw and Garrett was down to 43,000.

We Are Family

Kara Scott limped in preflop for 600 and everyone else at her table did the same. This put more than 5,000 in the pot before the flop.

It then came down A55. Scott took the initiative and bet out 3,000. The eight other players at the table mucked and Scott took a nice little pot. She was around 80,000.

Player Tags: Hoyt Corkins,   Thor Hansen,   Erik Cajelais,   Jimmy Fricke,   Brad Garrett,   Keven Stammen,   Kara Scott

Level 6 Hour 1 Update: Jesus Doubles, Elezra Has Some Fun

Jul 07, '09

Blinds: 250-500 with a 50 ante

Day 2A Field: 1,476

Chip Counts:

1. Samer Rahman – 195,000
2. Coba Cao – 175,000
3. Chris Ferguson – 145,000
4. Fabrice Soulier – 143,000
5. Nick Maimone – 142,000
6. Redmond Lee – 140,000
7. Jim Bookstaff – 137,000
8. Tom Schneider – 125,000
9. Craig Hopkins – 121,000
10. Ludovic Lacay – 120,000

CardPlayer Chip Counts:

Mike Matusow – 28,000
Todd Brunson – 27,000

Notable Eliminations:

Phil Laak
Tony G
John Hennigan
Mike Caro

Big Hands:

The World Is A Lie

The player in seat 4 raised to 1,500 preflop and John Hennigan called from the cutoff. The big blind also came along and the flop came down 965. Action was checked to Hennigan and he bet the pot with 3,500. The big blind made the call and seat 4 mucked. The turn was the A and both players checked. The river was the 4 and the big blind checked to Hennigan, who fired 15,000. The big blind tanked for a while and then called.

Hennigan tapped the table, signifying he was caught with nothing and the big blind took down the pot with just 75, a pair of fives. Hennigan was down to 53,000 after that failed bluff attempt. He would later bust.

The Hammer Of Thor

The player in seat 6 raised to 1,500 preflop and Thor Hansen made the call from the big blind. The flop came down Q84 and both players checked. The turn was the K and Hansen led out with 2,200. Seat 6 called and the river was the A. Hansen led out again, this time for 7,200. Seat 6 gave up his hand and Hansen was at 44,000.

Reach Out And Grab your Opponents Hand

Four players saw a flop of A42 and they all checked. The turn was the 2 and Eli Elezra bet 4,000. The player in seat 7 called and the other two players mucked. The river was the 8 and Elezra checked. Seat 7 took control, betting 5,000.

Elezra then went into the tank for a minute. After a bit of waiting, seat 7 leaned his hand to the middle of the table, ready to either turn the hand over or throw it in the muck depending on what Elezra did. Elezra then playfully reached across the table and tried to flip over his opponents hand. Seat 7 held on for dear life and Elezra just mucked his hand. “You aren’t turning my hand over,” seat 7 said. “He wasn’t really gonna do that,” Michael Kamran replied from seat 3. “He got scared,” Elezra joked. Everyone had a good time, especially seat 7 since he took the pot. Elezra was at 44,000.

This Bomb Is A Dud

Phil Laak has been eliminated from the 2009 main event. He made his last stand with Q9 and was actually racing against his opponent’s 88. Unfortunately for Laak, he could not pull out the hand and he was eliminated.

Oh Sweet Jesus, The Man Doubled Up

Chris Ferguson now has a few extra chips to toss around as he has doubled up.

Ken Kelly raised to 2,000 from the button and called from the small blind. The two players saw a flop of QQ2 and Ferguson led out with 8,000 chips. Kelly made the call and the 7 fell on the turn. Ferguson led out again, this time for 17,000. Kelly came over the top with all of his chips, having Ferguson covered.

Ferguson made the call and showed AQ. Kelly tabled AK for just ace-high. The river was just a formality, bringing the 9 and Ferguson doubled up to 145,000.

Corkins Doubles, Still Short

Hoyt Corkins moved all in preflop for his last 4,000 chips. He was called by one opponent who tabled AJ. Corkins was in good shape with AK. The board ran out 874105 and Corkins doubled to 8,000.

Sexton Hits The Diamonds

On a flop of 1042, Mike Sexton led out with 1,500. His opponent then raised to 4,500 and Sexton made the call. The turn was the 9 and both players checked. The river was the 4 and Sexton got back to his betting ways, firing 8,000.

His opponent made the call and Sexton tabled K8 for the flush and his opponent mucked. Sexton took the pot and was at 79,300.

Player Tags: Hoyt Corkins,   Thor Hansen,   Chris Ferguson,   Phil Laak,   Eli Elezra,   John Hennigan,   Mike Sexton

Level 1- Hour 1 Update: Jeremiah Smith Doubles Early

Jul 04, '09

Blinds: 50-100

Chip Counts:

1. Dave D’Alesandro — 64,000
2. Jeremiah Smith — 63,000
3. Angelo Ricci — 62,000
4. Sam Khouiss — 52,000
5. Allan Vrooman — 40,000
6. Carlos Mortensen — 39,000
7. Kara Scott — 33,600
8. Eddie Sabat — 32,000
9. Alan Smurfit — 30,000
10. Alexander Jung — 30,000

Notable Eliminations:

None

Big Hands:

Greg Raymer Gets Sneaky With Aces

With a few limpers already in the pot before him, Greg Raymer checks his option in the big blind to a flop of J84. Raymer bets 400 and the player in seat 6 calls. The turn is the 6, and this time Raymer bets 700, seat 6 calls. The river is the 10, and Raymer bets 2,000. Seat 6 tanks for a while before mucking his cards. “It’s a bad hand to try and win the rock with”, says seat 6. Raymer laughs and turns over AA as he rakes the pot, bringing his chip count up to 32,000 this hand.

Thor Hansen Rivers Vadim Trincher

On a board of Q83J, Vadim Trincher bets 500 on the turn and Thor Hansen calls. The river is the A, Trincher checks and Hansen bets 1,000. Trincher thinks for a minute before calling. Hansen turns over K10 for the Broadway straight on the river. Hansen climbs to 35,000 this hand while Trincher slips back down to even.

Two Players All In

On one of the tables deep in the sea of players, two were all in and another was faced with a tough decision. On a board of 4435, one player held the 54 another held the 54 and the third man had pockets threes. The guy with pockets threes flopped a full house but was massacred when the other two opponents in the hand filled up as well when their trip fours hit their kicker. In the first hour of the day, the player with the pocket threes made the good, yet annoying fold.

Barry Greenstein Loses Small Pot

Barry Greenstein raised under the gun to 300 and got three callers. The flop came 644 and Greenstein led out with 800. Only one opponent called and the 4 hit the turn. Greenstein elected to bet 2,000 and his opponent quickly called. The river brought the Q and Greenstein bet another 2,000 which was quickly called once again. Greenstein tabled two nines but his opponent flipped up two kings. Greenstein is at 24,900.

Jeremiah Smith Doubles Up Early

Jeremiah Smith gets it all in pre-flop with aces against his opponent’s pair of kings. Smith’s aces hold up as he takes an early chiplead here in Level 1 with 60,000+ in chips.

Player Tags: Thor Hansen,   Greg Raymer,   Vadim Trincher,   Jeremiah Smith

Level 18 Hour 1 Update: Schneider And Hinkle Score Early Knockouts

Jul 12, '09

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

Players Remaining: 372 out of 6,494

Chip Counts:

1. Matt Affleck – 2,100,000
2. Blair Hinkle – 2,000,000
3. Ben Lamb – 2,000,000506
4. Kevin Schaffel – 1,760,000
5. Berhard Perner – 1,675,000
6. Ludovic Lacay – 1,608,000
7. Tom Lutz – 1,600,000
8. James Akenhead – 1,572,000
9. Charlie Elias – 1,540,000
10. Miika Puumalainen – 1,492,000

Card Player Chip Counts:

Jeff Shulman – 314,000

Average Chip Count: 506,026

Notable Eliminations:

Jeff Kimber
Thor Hansen
C.K. Hua

Big Hands:

Schneider Eliminates Burt With Big Slick

Tom Schneider and Keith Burt got all of their money in preflop and their hands were turned over. Schneider held AK and Burt showed 97.

The board ran out 52226, leaving Burt with just nine-high and giving Schneider the pot. Burt is eliminated from the tournament, while Schneider’s stack is increased to 950,000.

Sebok’s Bluff Picked Off

Hieu Luu raised to 20,000 preflop and was called by Joe Sebok from the small blind. The flop was 533 and Sebok checked. Luu fired 30,000 which was called by Sebok.

The turn was the 8 and both players checked. The 9 fell on the river and Sebok bet 70,000 and was called by Luu. Sebok showed A10 and Luu turned over pocket tens to take the pot.

Blair Hinkle Doubles One Opponent Up, Makes A Profit Anyway

Oliver Klatt moved all in preflop and the action folded to Isidro Martinez. He moved all in having Klatt covered and the action was on Blair Hinkle. He then came over the top for all of his chips, having both men covered. Everyone else mucked and the hands were turned up.

Martinez: QQ
Hinkle: KK
Klatt: 99

Hinkle was in great position to score a double knockout, but the flop came down J94, giving Klatt a set of nines. The turn was the A and the river was the J, scoring a triple up for Klatt. However, he only had 125,000 total, leaving a small dent in Hinkle’s stack. Hinkle won the side pot against Martinez and after all the chips were counted, Hinkle made a profit out of the deal, his chips around 2 million.

Benyamine Takes A Big Pot

Picking up the action on the turn, the board read 9336 and Sarne Lightman fired 150,000 into a pot of over 225,000. David Benyamine took a few seconds to count out his stack, then moved all in for 135,000 more.

Lightman then took a tank session of his own and decided to muck his hand, surrendering the large pot to Benyamine. Benyamine was around 680,000.

Kenny Tran Gets Bluffed

Kenny Tran raised to 23,000 from early position and was three-bet by a player in late position to 100,000. Tran went into the tank for several minutes before making the call.

The flop came J49 and Tran checked to his opponent. His opponent didn’t make any movements and was just staring around the room, until the dealer informed him that Tran had checked and the player decided to go all in. Tran fairly quickly folded and folded pocket queens face up. To his dismay, his opponent turned over A10, for just ace-high.

Phillips Knocks Out Mighty Thor

Dennis Phillips and Thor Hansen got all of their chips into the middle preflop and Phillips had the best of it when he turned over AK against Hansen’s KQ.

Hansen said he was good with the ladies, but his mojo was a little low today as the board ran out 75675, keeping Phillips’ big slick in the lead and eliminating a tough opponent from the tournament.

Player Tags: Thor Hansen,   David Benyamine,   Tom Schneider,   Kenny Tran,   Joe Sebok,   Blair Hinkle

Level 7 Hour 2 Update: Hoyt Corkins Eliminated

Jul 07, '09

Blinds: 300-600 with a 75 ante

Players Remaining: 3,916 of 6,494

Note: The players have gone on a 90-minute dinner break and will return at 8:10 p.m.

Chip Counts:

1. Samer Rahman – 235,000
2. Greg Mueller – 176,000
3. Coba Cao – 175,100
4. Tom Schneider – 165,000
5. Andy Black – 162,000
6. Kirk Banks – 157,000
7. Jim Bookstaff – 155,000
8. Nick Maimone – 154,000
9. David Sands – 147,000
10. Redmond Lee – 140,000

CardPlayer Chip Counts:

Todd Brunson – 41,000
Ciaran O’Leary – 33,400
Mike Matusow – 20,000

Notable Eliminations:

Hoyt Corkins
Erik Cajelais

Big Hands:

Corkins Gone…Really, He’s Out

Just a few hands after Hoyt Corkins doubled up to over 70,000 he was knocked right out of the main event.

A player in middle position raised to 1,400 and the cutoff made the call. The button also called and the action was on Corkins in the small blind. He shoved for 60,000 more. The middle position player quickly called, having Corkins covered. The other two players mucked.

Corkins then tabled AK and was in deep trouble against the KK of his opponent. The flop came down J1010 and Corkins was actually a favorite to double up. The turn was the 4, dropping those percentages a bit and the J on the river put the final nail in the coffin, sending Corkins out of the main event.

Keven Stammen Knocks One Out

After a flop of K96, 2009 bracelet winner Keven Stammen was facing a bet from his opponent. He raised all in and was called. Stammen turned over Q10 for a gutshot straight draw along with a backdoor flush draw. His opponent showed K5 for top pair and the lead.

The turn changed all that when the J made Stammen’s straight. The river was the K, giving his opponent useless trips and Stammen was over 100,000 with the win.

Cajelais Moves Toward The Exit

After a flop of A108, Cajelais ended up all in after he got in a raising war with Samer Rahman. Cajelais showed A3 for top pair but Rahman showed AQ for the same hand with a better kicker.

The turn was the 6 and the river was the K and Cajelais was out of the main event. Rahman was up to 325,000.

King Nothing

Jimmy Fricke called his opponent’s all in bet of 11,000. The opponent showed A10 and Fricke tabled KK.

If only the hand would have ended there, Fricke could’ve had a knockout under his belt. But the flop fell and brought AAQ, giving the all-in player trips. The turn was the J, giving Fricke a straight draw but eliminating a king as one of his outs. The river was the 9 and Fricke lost the pot. He was at 95,000.

The Wrath Of Thor

A player raised to 1,700 preflop and the action was on Thor Hansen. He reraised to 5,500 and his opponent came right back over the top to 16,000. Hansen then moved all in for 36,000 and his opponent made the call. Hansen then revealed AA and his opponent tabled KK.

The board offered no help to the cowboys and Hansen doubled up to 77,000.

Garrett Can’t Call

Brad Garrett raised to 1,300 preflop and the blinds came along for the ride. The flop came down 826 and the small blind led out for 3,400. Garrett was the only caller and the K came on the turn. The small blind fired 6,000 and Garrett mucked. The small blind then showed 54 for just a flush draw and Garrett was down to 43,000.

We Are Family

Kara Scott limped in preflop for 600 and everyone else at her table did the same. This put more than 5,000 in the pot before the flop.

It then came down A55. Scott took the initiative and bet out 3,000. The eight other players at the table mucked and Scott took a nice little pot. She was around 80,000.

Player Tags: Hoyt Corkins,   Thor Hansen,   Erik Cajelais,   Jimmy Fricke,   Brad Garrett,   Keven Stammen,   Kara Scott

Level 6 Hour 1 Update: Jesus Doubles, Elezra Has Some Fun

Jul 07, '09

Blinds: 250-500 with a 50 ante

Day 2A Field: 1,476

Chip Counts:

1. Samer Rahman – 195,000
2. Coba Cao – 175,000
3. Chris Ferguson – 145,000
4. Fabrice Soulier – 143,000
5. Nick Maimone – 142,000
6. Redmond Lee – 140,000
7. Jim Bookstaff – 137,000
8. Tom Schneider – 125,000
9. Craig Hopkins – 121,000
10. Ludovic Lacay – 120,000

CardPlayer Chip Counts:

Mike Matusow – 28,000
Todd Brunson – 27,000

Notable Eliminations:

Phil Laak
Tony G
John Hennigan
Mike Caro

Big Hands:

The World Is A Lie

The player in seat 4 raised to 1,500 preflop and John Hennigan called from the cutoff. The big blind also came along and the flop came down 965. Action was checked to Hennigan and he bet the pot with 3,500. The big blind made the call and seat 4 mucked. The turn was the A and both players checked. The river was the 4 and the big blind checked to Hennigan, who fired 15,000. The big blind tanked for a while and then called.

Hennigan tapped the table, signifying he was caught with nothing and the big blind took down the pot with just 75, a pair of fives. Hennigan was down to 53,000 after that failed bluff attempt. He would later bust.

The Hammer Of Thor

The player in seat 6 raised to 1,500 preflop and Thor Hansen made the call from the big blind. The flop came down Q84 and both players checked. The turn was the K and Hansen led out with 2,200. Seat 6 called and the river was the A. Hansen led out again, this time for 7,200. Seat 6 gave up his hand and Hansen was at 44,000.

Reach Out And Grab your Opponents Hand

Four players saw a flop of A42 and they all checked. The turn was the 2 and Eli Elezra bet 4,000. The player in seat 7 called and the other two players mucked. The river was the 8 and Elezra checked. Seat 7 took control, betting 5,000.

Elezra then went into the tank for a minute. After a bit of waiting, seat 7 leaned his hand to the middle of the table, ready to either turn the hand over or throw it in the muck depending on what Elezra did. Elezra then playfully reached across the table and tried to flip over his opponents hand. Seat 7 held on for dear life and Elezra just mucked his hand. “You aren’t turning my hand over,” seat 7 said. “He wasn’t really gonna do that,” Michael Kamran replied from seat 3. “He got scared,” Elezra joked. Everyone had a good time, especially seat 7 since he took the pot. Elezra was at 44,000.

This Bomb Is A Dud

Phil Laak has been eliminated from the 2009 main event. He made his last stand with Q9 and was actually racing against his opponent’s 88. Unfortunately for Laak, he could not pull out the hand and he was eliminated.

Oh Sweet Jesus, The Man Doubled Up

Chris Ferguson now has a few extra chips to toss around as he has doubled up.

Ken Kelly raised to 2,000 from the button and called from the small blind. The two players saw a flop of QQ2 and Ferguson led out with 8,000 chips. Kelly made the call and the 7 fell on the turn. Ferguson led out again, this time for 17,000. Kelly came over the top with all of his chips, having Ferguson covered.

Ferguson made the call and showed AQ. Kelly tabled AK for just ace-high. The river was just a formality, bringing the 9 and Ferguson doubled up to 145,000.

Corkins Doubles, Still Short

Hoyt Corkins moved all in preflop for his last 4,000 chips. He was called by one opponent who tabled AJ. Corkins was in good shape with AK. The board ran out 874105 and Corkins doubled to 8,000.

Sexton Hits The Diamonds

On a flop of 1042, Mike Sexton led out with 1,500. His opponent then raised to 4,500 and Sexton made the call. The turn was the 9 and both players checked. The river was the 4 and Sexton got back to his betting ways, firing 8,000.

His opponent made the call and Sexton tabled K8 for the flush and his opponent mucked. Sexton took the pot and was at 79,300.

Player Tags: Hoyt Corkins,   Thor Hansen,   Chris Ferguson,   Phil Laak,   Eli Elezra,   John Hennigan,   Mike Sexton

Level 1- Hour 1 Update: Jeremiah Smith Doubles Early

Jul 04, '09

Blinds: 50-100

Chip Counts:

1. Dave D’Alesandro — 64,000
2. Jeremiah Smith — 63,000
3. Angelo Ricci — 62,000
4. Sam Khouiss — 52,000
5. Allan Vrooman — 40,000
6. Carlos Mortensen — 39,000
7. Kara Scott — 33,600
8. Eddie Sabat — 32,000
9. Alan Smurfit — 30,000
10. Alexander Jung — 30,000

Notable Eliminations:

None

Big Hands:

Greg Raymer Gets Sneaky With Aces

With a few limpers already in the pot before him, Greg Raymer checks his option in the big blind to a flop of J84. Raymer bets 400 and the player in seat 6 calls. The turn is the 6, and this time Raymer bets 700, seat 6 calls. The river is the 10, and Raymer bets 2,000. Seat 6 tanks for a while before mucking his cards. “It’s a bad hand to try and win the rock with”, says seat 6. Raymer laughs and turns over AA as he rakes the pot, bringing his chip count up to 32,000 this hand.

Thor Hansen Rivers Vadim Trincher

On a board of Q83J, Vadim Trincher bets 500 on the turn and Thor Hansen calls. The river is the A, Trincher checks and Hansen bets 1,000. Trincher thinks for a minute before calling. Hansen turns over K10 for the Broadway straight on the river. Hansen climbs to 35,000 this hand while Trincher slips back down to even.

Two Players All In

On one of the tables deep in the sea of players, two were all in and another was faced with a tough decision. On a board of 4435, one player held the 54 another held the 54 and the third man had pockets threes. The guy with pockets threes flopped a full house but was massacred when the other two opponents in the hand filled up as well when their trip fours hit their kicker. In the first hour of the day, the player with the pocket threes made the good, yet annoying fold.

Barry Greenstein Loses Small Pot

Barry Greenstein raised under the gun to 300 and got three callers. The flop came 644 and Greenstein led out with 800. Only one opponent called and the 4 hit the turn. Greenstein elected to bet 2,000 and his opponent quickly called. The river brought the Q and Greenstein bet another 2,000 which was quickly called once again. Greenstein tabled two nines but his opponent flipped up two kings. Greenstein is at 24,900.

Jeremiah Smith Doubles Up Early

Jeremiah Smith gets it all in pre-flop with aces against his opponent’s pair of kings. Smith’s aces hold up as he takes an early chiplead here in Level 1 with 60,000+ in chips.

Player Tags: Thor Hansen,   Greg Raymer,   Vadim Trincher,   Jeremiah Smith

Level 18 Hour 1 Update: Schneider And Hinkle Score Early Knockouts

Jul 12, '09

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

Players Remaining: 372 out of 6,494

Chip Counts:

1. Matt Affleck – 2,100,000
2. Blair Hinkle – 2,000,000
3. Ben Lamb – 2,000,000506
4. Kevin Schaffel – 1,760,000
5. Berhard Perner – 1,675,000
6. Ludovic Lacay – 1,608,000
7. Tom Lutz – 1,600,000
8. James Akenhead – 1,572,000
9. Charlie Elias – 1,540,000
10. Miika Puumalainen – 1,492,000

Card Player Chip Counts:

Jeff Shulman – 314,000

Average Chip Count: 506,026

Notable Eliminations:

Jeff Kimber
Thor Hansen
C.K. Hua

Big Hands:

Schneider Eliminates Burt With Big Slick

Tom Schneider and Keith Burt got all of their money in preflop and their hands were turned over. Schneider held AK and Burt showed 97.

The board ran out 52226, leaving Burt with just nine-high and giving Schneider the pot. Burt is eliminated from the tournament, while Schneider’s stack is increased to 950,000.

Sebok’s Bluff Picked Off

Hieu Luu raised to 20,000 preflop and was called by Joe Sebok from the small blind. The flop was 533 and Sebok checked. Luu fired 30,000 which was called by Sebok.

The turn was the 8 and both players checked. The 9 fell on the river and Sebok bet 70,000 and was called by Luu. Sebok showed A10 and Luu turned over pocket tens to take the pot.

Blair Hinkle Doubles One Opponent Up, Makes A Profit Anyway

Oliver Klatt moved all in preflop and the action folded to Isidro Martinez. He moved all in having Klatt covered and the action was on Blair Hinkle. He then came over the top for all of his chips, having both men covered. Everyone else mucked and the hands were turned up.

Martinez: QQ
Hinkle: KK
Klatt: 99

Hinkle was in great position to score a double knockout, but the flop came down J94, giving Klatt a set of nines. The turn was the A and the river was the J, scoring a triple up for Klatt. However, he only had 125,000 total, leaving a small dent in Hinkle’s stack. Hinkle won the side pot against Martinez and after all the chips were counted, Hinkle made a profit out of the deal, his chips around 2 million.

Benyamine Takes A Big Pot

Picking up the action on the turn, the board read 9336 and Sarne Lightman fired 150,000 into a pot of over 225,000. David Benyamine took a few seconds to count out his stack, then moved all in for 135,000 more.

Lightman then took a tank session of his own and decided to muck his hand, surrendering the large pot to Benyamine. Benyamine was around 680,000.

Kenny Tran Gets Bluffed

Kenny Tran raised to 23,000 from early position and was three-bet by a player in late position to 100,000. Tran went into the tank for several minutes before making the call.

The flop came J49 and Tran checked to his opponent. His opponent didn’t make any movements and was just staring around the room, until the dealer informed him that Tran had checked and the player decided to go all in. Tran fairly quickly folded and folded pocket queens face up. To his dismay, his opponent turned over A10, for just ace-high.

Phillips Knocks Out Mighty Thor

Dennis Phillips and Thor Hansen got all of their chips into the middle preflop and Phillips had the best of it when he turned over AK against Hansen’s KQ.

Hansen said he was good with the ladies, but his mojo was a little low today as the board ran out 75675, keeping Phillips’ big slick in the lead and eliminating a tough opponent from the tournament.

Player Tags: Thor Hansen,   David Benyamine,   Tom Schneider,   Kenny Tran,   Joe Sebok,   Blair Hinkle

Level 7 Hour 2 Update: Hoyt Corkins Eliminated

Jul 07, '09

Blinds: 300-600 with a 75 ante

Players Remaining: 3,916 of 6,494

Note: The players have gone on a 90-minute dinner break and will return at 8:10 p.m.

Chip Counts:

1. Samer Rahman – 235,000
2. Greg Mueller – 176,000
3. Coba Cao – 175,100
4. Tom Schneider – 165,000
5. Andy Black – 162,000
6. Kirk Banks – 157,000
7. Jim Bookstaff – 155,000
8. Nick Maimone – 154,000
9. David Sands – 147,000
10. Redmond Lee – 140,000

CardPlayer Chip Counts:

Todd Brunson – 41,000
Ciaran O’Leary – 33,400
Mike Matusow – 20,000

Notable Eliminations:

Hoyt Corkins
Erik Cajelais

Big Hands:

Corkins Gone…Really, He’s Out

Just a few hands after Hoyt Corkins doubled up to over 70,000 he was knocked right out of the main event.

A player in middle position raised to 1,400 and the cutoff made the call. The button also called and the action was on Corkins in the small blind. He shoved for 60,000 more. The middle position player quickly called, having Corkins covered. The other two players mucked.

Corkins then tabled AK and was in deep trouble against the KK of his opponent. The flop came down J1010 and Corkins was actually a favorite to double up. The turn was the 4, dropping those percentages a bit and the J on the river put the final nail in the coffin, sending Corkins out of the main event.

Keven Stammen Knocks One Out

After a flop of K96, 2009 bracelet winner Keven Stammen was facing a bet from his opponent. He raised all in and was called. Stammen turned over Q10 for a gutshot straight draw along with a backdoor flush draw. His opponent showed K5 for top pair and the lead.

The turn changed all that when the J made Stammen’s straight. The river was the K, giving his opponent useless trips and Stammen was over 100,000 with the win.

Cajelais Moves Toward The Exit

After a flop of A108, Cajelais ended up all in after he got in a raising war with Samer Rahman. Cajelais showed A3 for top pair but Rahman showed AQ for the same hand with a better kicker.

The turn was the 6 and the river was the K and Cajelais was out of the main event. Rahman was up to 325,000.

King Nothing

Jimmy Fricke called his opponent’s all in bet of 11,000. The opponent showed A10 and Fricke tabled KK.

If only the hand would have ended there, Fricke could’ve had a knockout under his belt. But the flop fell and brought AAQ, giving the all-in player trips. The turn was the J, giving Fricke a straight draw but eliminating a king as one of his outs. The river was the 9 and Fricke lost the pot. He was at 95,000.

The Wrath Of Thor

A player raised to 1,700 preflop and the action was on Thor Hansen. He reraised to 5,500 and his opponent came right back over the top to 16,000. Hansen then moved all in for 36,000 and his opponent made the call. Hansen then revealed AA and his opponent tabled KK.

The board offered no help to the cowboys and Hansen doubled up to 77,000.

Garrett Can’t Call

Brad Garrett raised to 1,300 preflop and the blinds came along for the ride. The flop came down 826 and the small blind led out for 3,400. Garrett was the only caller and the K came on the turn. The small blind fired 6,000 and Garrett mucked. The small blind then showed 54 for just a flush draw and Garrett was down to 43,000.

We Are Family

Kara Scott limped in preflop for 600 and everyone else at her table did the same. This put more than 5,000 in the pot before the flop.

It then came down A55. Scott took the initiative and bet out 3,000. The eight other players at the table mucked and Scott took a nice little pot. She was around 80,000.

Player Tags: Hoyt Corkins,   Thor Hansen,   Erik Cajelais,   Jimmy Fricke,   Brad Garrett,   Keven Stammen,   Kara Scott

Level 6 Hour 1 Update: Jesus Doubles, Elezra Has Some Fun

Jul 07, '09

Blinds: 250-500 with a 50 ante

Day 2A Field: 1,476

Chip Counts:

1. Samer Rahman – 195,000
2. Coba Cao – 175,000
3. Chris Ferguson – 145,000
4. Fabrice Soulier – 143,000
5. Nick Maimone – 142,000
6. Redmond Lee – 140,000
7. Jim Bookstaff – 137,000
8. Tom Schneider – 125,000
9. Craig Hopkins – 121,000
10. Ludovic Lacay – 120,000

CardPlayer Chip Counts:

Mike Matusow – 28,000
Todd Brunson – 27,000

Notable Eliminations:

Phil Laak
Tony G
John Hennigan
Mike Caro

Big Hands:

The World Is A Lie

The player in seat 4 raised to 1,500 preflop and John Hennigan called from the cutoff. The big blind also came along and the flop came down 965. Action was checked to Hennigan and he bet the pot with 3,500. The big blind made the call and seat 4 mucked. The turn was the A and both players checked. The river was the 4 and the big blind checked to Hennigan, who fired 15,000. The big blind tanked for a while and then called.

Hennigan tapped the table, signifying he was caught with nothing and the big blind took down the pot with just 75, a pair of fives. Hennigan was down to 53,000 after that failed bluff attempt. He would later bust.

The Hammer Of Thor

The player in seat 6 raised to 1,500 preflop and Thor Hansen made the call from the big blind. The flop came down Q84 and both players checked. The turn was the K and Hansen led out with 2,200. Seat 6 called and the river was the A. Hansen led out again, this time for 7,200. Seat 6 gave up his hand and Hansen was at 44,000.

Reach Out And Grab your Opponents Hand

Four players saw a flop of A42 and they all checked. The turn was the 2 and Eli Elezra bet 4,000. The player in seat 7 called and the other two players mucked. The river was the 8 and Elezra checked. Seat 7 took control, betting 5,000.

Elezra then went into the tank for a minute. After a bit of waiting, seat 7 leaned his hand to the middle of the table, ready to either turn the hand over or throw it in the muck depending on what Elezra did. Elezra then playfully reached across the table and tried to flip over his opponents hand. Seat 7 held on for dear life and Elezra just mucked his hand. “You aren’t turning my hand over,” seat 7 said. “He wasn’t really gonna do that,” Michael Kamran replied from seat 3. “He got scared,” Elezra joked. Everyone had a good time, especially seat 7 since he took the pot. Elezra was at 44,000.

This Bomb Is A Dud

Phil Laak has been eliminated from the 2009 main event. He made his last stand with Q9 and was actually racing against his opponent’s 88. Unfortunately for Laak, he could not pull out the hand and he was eliminated.

Oh Sweet Jesus, The Man Doubled Up

Chris Ferguson now has a few extra chips to toss around as he has doubled up.

Ken Kelly raised to 2,000 from the button and called from the small blind. The two players saw a flop of QQ2 and Ferguson led out with 8,000 chips. Kelly made the call and the 7 fell on the turn. Ferguson led out again, this time for 17,000. Kelly came over the top with all of his chips, having Ferguson covered.

Ferguson made the call and showed AQ. Kelly tabled AK for just ace-high. The river was just a formality, bringing the 9 and Ferguson doubled up to 145,000.

Corkins Doubles, Still Short

Hoyt Corkins moved all in preflop for his last 4,000 chips. He was called by one opponent who tabled AJ. Corkins was in good shape with AK. The board ran out 874105 and Corkins doubled to 8,000.

Sexton Hits The Diamonds

On a flop of 1042, Mike Sexton led out with 1,500. His opponent then raised to 4,500 and Sexton made the call. The turn was the 9 and both players checked. The river was the 4 and Sexton got back to his betting ways, firing 8,000.

His opponent made the call and Sexton tabled K8 for the flush and his opponent mucked. Sexton took the pot and was at 79,300.

Player Tags: Hoyt Corkins,   Thor Hansen,   Chris Ferguson,   Phil Laak,   Eli Elezra,   John Hennigan,   Mike Sexton

Level 1- Hour 1 Update: Jeremiah Smith Doubles Early

Jul 04, '09

Blinds: 50-100

Chip Counts:

1. Dave D’Alesandro — 64,000
2. Jeremiah Smith — 63,000
3. Angelo Ricci — 62,000
4. Sam Khouiss — 52,000
5. Allan Vrooman — 40,000
6. Carlos Mortensen — 39,000
7. Kara Scott — 33,600
8. Eddie Sabat — 32,000
9. Alan Smurfit — 30,000
10. Alexander Jung — 30,000

Notable Eliminations:

None

Big Hands:

Greg Raymer Gets Sneaky With Aces

With a few limpers already in the pot before him, Greg Raymer checks his option in the big blind to a flop of J84. Raymer bets 400 and the player in seat 6 calls. The turn is the 6, and this time Raymer bets 700, seat 6 calls. The river is the 10, and Raymer bets 2,000. Seat 6 tanks for a while before mucking his cards. “It’s a bad hand to try and win the rock with”, says seat 6. Raymer laughs and turns over AA as he rakes the pot, bringing his chip count up to 32,000 this hand.

Thor Hansen Rivers Vadim Trincher

On a board of Q83J, Vadim Trincher bets 500 on the turn and Thor Hansen calls. The river is the A, Trincher checks and Hansen bets 1,000. Trincher thinks for a minute before calling. Hansen turns over K10 for the Broadway straight on the river. Hansen climbs to 35,000 this hand while Trincher slips back down to even.

Two Players All In

On one of the tables deep in the sea of players, two were all in and another was faced with a tough decision. On a board of 4435, one player held the 54 another held the 54 and the third man had pockets threes. The guy with pockets threes flopped a full house but was massacred when the other two opponents in the hand filled up as well when their trip fours hit their kicker. In the first hour of the day, the player with the pocket threes made the good, yet annoying fold.

Barry Greenstein Loses Small Pot

Barry Greenstein raised under the gun to 300 and got three callers. The flop came 644 and Greenstein led out with 800. Only one opponent called and the 4 hit the turn. Greenstein elected to bet 2,000 and his opponent quickly called. The river brought the Q and Greenstein bet another 2,000 which was quickly called once again. Greenstein tabled two nines but his opponent flipped up two kings. Greenstein is at 24,900.

Jeremiah Smith Doubles Up Early

Jeremiah Smith gets it all in pre-flop with aces against his opponent’s pair of kings. Smith’s aces hold up as he takes an early chiplead here in Level 1 with 60,000+ in chips.

Player Tags: Thor Hansen,   Greg Raymer,   Vadim Trincher,   Jeremiah Smith

Level 16 Update: Defending Champ Nguyen Eliminated

Jun 29, '09

Flop Games: Blinds – 9,000-18,000, Limits – 18,000-36,000
Stud Games: Ante — 4,000, Bring-In — 5,000, Completion — 18,000, Limits — 18,000-36,000

Players Remaining: 20 out of 95

Chip Counts:

1. Vitaly Lunkin – 1,527,000
2. Erik Sagstrom – 1,315,000
3. Freddy Deeb – 1,300,000
4. David Bach – 1,265,000
5. Ville Wahlbeck – 842,000
6. John Hanson – 815,000
7. Gus Hansen – 801,000
8. Mike Wattel – 779,000
9. John Kabbaj – 678,000
10. Huck Seed – 672,000

Average Chip Count: 750,000

Notable Eliminations:

John Hennigan
Scotty Nguyen
Bill Chen
Mikhail Tulchinskiy
Matt Glantz
Thor Hansen

Big Hands:

Hold’em

The World Needs A Hero

David Bach raised to 36,000 preflop and Freddy Deeb made the call. The flop came down J96 and Bach bet 18,000. Deeb raised to 36,000 and Bach called. The turn was the 7 and Bach check-called a 36,000 bet from Deeb. The river brought the 7 and Bach check-called another bet of 36,000 from Deeb.

Deeb showed down KQ for a whole lot of nothing and Bach showed 55 for the best hand. Bach made two hero calls and was rewarded with the pot, improving his stack to 600,000.

Omaha/8

The End Of The World As We Know It

David Bach raised to 36,000 from the cutoff and the action was on John Hennigan in the small blind. He three-bet to 54,000 and action was back on Bach after the big blind folded. Bach added another bet to 72,000 and Hennigan called. The flop then came down J82 and Hennigan checked. Bach fired 18,000 and Hennigan made the call. Both players checked the 7 on the turn and Hennigan fired 36,000 on the K river.

Bach made the call and Hennigan tabled AJ82 for two pair. Bach then turned over AK102 for a better two pair and Hennigan was left crippled with just 43,000 in chips. A few hands later, Hennigan would be eliminated by Mike Wattel’s nut flush.

And The New $50,000 H.O.R.S.E Champion Is…

Scotty Nguyen made his last stand just before day 3 came to an end. He was all in for his last 28,000 preflop against Frank Kassela. Here is how their boards looked.

Nguyen: AQ76
Kassela: QQ107

Board: 5225J

The flop gave Nguyen four cards to a low but the following two streets did refused to help the defending champion and he was eliminated.

Razz

Bill Chen Fades Away

Bill Chen was short on chips and found himself at risk on third street against Ray Dehkharghani. Here is how their boards ran out.

Chen: (A-8)9-10-K-5(8)
Dehkharghani: (J-5)7-3-10-7-(6)

Chen was only able to make a king-low and Dehkharghani made a 10-low to knock Chen out just a few spots shy of the money. Dehkharghani took the pot and was at 400,000 after the knockout.

Stud High

The Fall Of Thor

Steve Billirakis completed to 18,000 and Thor Hansen raised to 36,000. Billirakis made the call and here is how their boards looked heading into fourth street.

Billirakis: X-X-QA
Hansen: X-X-92

Billirakis led out with 18,000 and Hansen raised to 36,000. Billirakis made the call.

Billirakis: X-X-QA10
Hansen: X-X-926

Billirakis bet 36,000 and Hansen raised all in. Billirakis made the call and turned over (1010) from his hole cards for a set. Hansen showed (AA) for cracked aces. Billirakis’ board finished out 5(8x) and Hansen needed an ace on the final two streets to stay alive. He received a 3 on sixth and looked down at his river card to try and pull out a miracle. Instead, he threw it in the muck and Billirakis took the pot, eliminating Hansen.

Stud/8

Lunkin Steps On Seed

Huck Seed, Vitaly Lunkin and Frank Kassela were each involved in a hand. Kassela brought in for 5,000 and Seed completed to 18,000. Kassela and Lunkin both called. Here is how their boards looked entering fourth street.

Seed: X-X-84
Lunkin: X-X-25
Kassela: X-X-29

Action was checked to Seed who fired 18,000. Both opponents called.

Seed: X-X-84J
Lunkin: X-X-252
Kassela: X-X-29J

Action was checked to Seed again and he fired 36,000. Lunkin made the call but Kassela had enough and mucked.

Seed: X-X-84JK
Lunkin: X-X-2525

Lunkin made two pair on sixth street and led out with 36,000. Seed made the call. The river was dealt and both players checked. Lunkin then tabled (8610), nothing to add to his two pair on the board. Seed could not beat it however and mucked. Lunkin was at 980,000 while Seed was at 655,000.

Matt Glantz Busts

Picking up the action on fourth street, Steve Billirakis, David Chiu and Matt Glantz were involved in a hand.

Billirakis: X-X-A7
Chiu: X-X-QK
Glantz: X-X-23

Billirakis bet 18,000 and both opponents called.

Billirakis: X-X-A7Q
Chiu: X-X-QK7
Glantz: X-X-239

Billirakis bet 36,000 and Chiu called. Glantz called the remainder of his stack and he was all in.

Billirakis: X-X-A7QA
Chiu: X-X-QK78
Glantz: X-X-239Q

Billirakis bet 36,000 and Chiu called. The river was dealt and Billirakis checked. Chiu fired 36,000 and Billirakis let his hand go. Chiu then tabled (A58) for the nut flush and Glantz mucked his hand and exited the tournament area.

Seidel’s Yacht Sinks Tulchinskiy In His Rowboat

Mikhail Tulchinskiy found himself all in against Erik Seidel. Here is how their boards ran out.

Tulchinskiy: (33)432K(K)
Seidel: (88)8645(6)

Seidel was rolled up with three eights but Tulchinskiy got something to fight back with when he received a third three on fourth street. They drew blanks until the river where Tulchinskiy scored a full boat. Unfortunately, Seidel also hit a boat and his was bigger. Tulchinskiy got up and made his exit from the tournament.

Player Tags: Thor Hansen,   Frank Kassela,   Erik Seidel,   Huck Seed,   David Bach,   John Hennigan,   David Chiu,   Ray Dehkharghani,   Steve Billirakis,   Freddy Deeb,   Vitaly Lunkin

Level 15 Update: Patrik Antonius, Scott Clements Eliminated

Jun 28, '09

Flop Games: Blinds – 8,000-15,000, Limits – 15,000-30,000
Stud Games: Ante — 3,000, Bring-In — 5,000, Completion — 15,000, Limits — 15,000-30,000

Players Remaining: 26 out of 95

Chip Counts:

1. Erik Sagstrom – 1,300,000
2. Freddy Deeb – 1,200,000
3. Vitaly Lunkin – 970,000
4. David Bach – 960,000
5. Ville Wahlbeck – 955,000
6. John Hanson – 800,000
7. Brett Richey – 770,000
8. Gus Hansen – 730,000
9. Huck Seed – 690,000
10. Chau Giang – 620,000

Average Chip Count: 548,076

Notable Eliminations:

Patrik Antonius
Scott Clements
Hasan Habib
John Monnette
Matt Hawrilenko

Big Hands:

Hold’em

Clements Scores A Double Double…

Hasan Habib raised to 60,000 preflop and the action was on Scott Clements. He reraised all in and Habib made the call.

Habib: 99
Clements: 88

Board: KQ810A

Clements started in bad shape but flopped a set and never looked back, doubling to 120,000.

A few hands later, he and Thor Hansen tangled resulting in Clements’ chips ending up in the middle again. Clements had AK while Hansen held 1010. The flop was harmless for Hansen as it came 887. The turn was another blank in the J, but the river was the K and Clements doubled again to 240,000.

Omaha/8

The Seed Grows A Little More

Gus Hansen raised to 60,000 from the button and Huck Seed called from the small blind. Erik Seidel called from the big blind and the players saw a flop of 1072 and Seed checked. Seidel bet 30,000 and Hansen raised to 60,000. Seed and Seidel both called and the Q fell on the turn. Everyone checked and it was the same story for the 2 on the river.

Seed then turned over AQ33 for top pair and the pot. He was up to 250,000.

Razz

Deeb Doesn’t Believe In Hawrilenko

Freddy Deeb and Matt Hawrilenko tangled in a hand and the pot had a lot of chips in it by seventh street. Here were their boards.

Hawrilenko: X-X-2-7-A-J
Deeb: X-X-2-10-6-6

Hawrilenko fired 30,000 into the pot an Deeb thought for a while. He decided to look up his opponent and Hawrilenko turned over (A-A-3) for a jack-low. Deeb turned over 3-7-10) for a 10-low and he took down a nice pot. He was up to 650,000 while Hawrilenko was at 175,000.

The Tournament Just Got A Little Less Attractive

Patrik Antonius just busted after getting involved in a hand with Erik Seidel and Gus Hansen.

Antonius: X-X-5
Hansen: X-X-6
Seidel: X-X-5

Hansen completed to 15,000 and Antonius moved his last 24,000 into the pot. Seidel and Hansen both called.

Antonius: X-X-5-4
Hansen: X-X-6-2
Seidel: X-X-5-A

Seidel bet 30,000 and Hansen made the call.

Antonius: X-X-5-4-Q
Hansen: X-X-6-2-4
Seidel: X-X-5-A-10

Hansen was first to act now and he bet 60,000. Seidel made the call.

Antonius: X-X-5-4-Q-K
Hansen: X-X-6-2-4-6
Seidel: X-X-5-A-10-4

Seidel bet 60,000 after Hansen paired on sixth street. Hansen made the call. The river was dealt and Seidel bet again. Hansen finally mucked and Seidel showed (2-3-7) for the wheel. Antonius mucked and he was eliminated.

Stud High

…But Mr. Clements Still Goes Bust

Scott Clements managed to double up twice early in the level but the chips didn’t last long as he found himself all in against John Hanson. Here is how their boards ran out.

Clements: (K5)39A10(K)
Hanson: (QJ)QJ42(5)

Clements started with three diamonds and was given another one on fourth street. Hanson had two pair by fourth street and Clements needed just one diamond to hit his flush on the next three streets. But Clements saw nothing but black cards for the remainder of the hand and he was eliminated.

Stud/8

Wahlbeck Flushes Scotty Baby

Scotty Nguyen and Ville Wahlbeck tangled in a hand. Nguyen completed to 15,000 and Wahlbeck made the call. Here is how their boards looked heading into fourth street.

Nguyen: X-X-AK
Wahlbeck: X-X-73

Nguyen bet 30,000 and Wahlbeck made the call.

Nguyen: X-X-AK2
Wahlbeck: X-X-73J

Nguyen bet 60,000 and Wahlbeck called.

Nguyen: X-X-AK2K
Wahlbeck: X-X-73J3

Nguyen bet another 60,000 and Wahlbeck made the call. The river was dealt and Nguyen checked to his Finnish opponent. Wahlbeck then bet 60,000 and Nguyen called. Wahlbeck turned over (A85) for the nut flush and an 8-7 low. Nguyen mucked and Wahlbeck scooped the pot, improving to 950,000 while Nguyen was at 167,000.

Player Tags: Thor Hansen,   Erik Seidel,   Hasan Habib,   Huck Seed,   Gus Hansen,   Patrik Antonius,   Scott Clements,   Matt Hawrilenko,   Freddy Deeb

Level 14 Update: Ralph Perry, John Tuner Eliminated

Jun 28, '09

Flop Games: Blinds – 6,000-12,000, Limits – 12,000-24,000
Stud Games: Ante — 3,000, Bring-In — 3,000, Completion — 12,000, Limits — 12,000-24,000

Players Remaining: 31 out of 95

Chip Counts:

1. Ray Dehkharghani – 880,000
2. Erik Sagstrom — 850,000
3. Freddy Deeb – 850,000
4. Gus Hansen — 780,000
5. Antanas Guoga – 680,000
6. Matt Hawrilenko – 585,000
7. Ville Wahlbeck – 575,000
8. Todd Brunson – 515,000
9. Scotty Nguyen – 485,000
10. John Hennigan – 475,000

Average Chip Count: 445,312

Notable Eliminations:

Jim Bechtel
Ralph Perry
Jon Turner

Big Hands:

STUD/8

Jim Bechtel Eliminated, Jon “PearlJammer” Turner Stays Alive

Both Jon “PearlJammer” Turner and Jim Bechtel were all in against recent bracelet winner Ville Wahlbeck.

Their cards:

Wahlbeck: (X-X)-Q66J-(X)
Turner: (X-X)-7485-(X)
Bechtel: (X-X)-4J48- (X)

Wahlbeck exposed a jack in the hole for jacks up to take down the side pot. Turner scooped the main pot with a 6-4-2 for a eight-high straight and the winning low. Bechtel mucked and was eliminated from the tournament. Turner won another hand immediately after and was at 150,000 in chips.

Jon Turner Eliminated

The short stacks of Jon Turner and Scott Clements were locked up in a hand. Clements bet on fifth street and Turner reluctantly called all in.

Their cards:

Clements: (43)-2AQ5-(6)

Turner: (J2)-AJ32-(7)

Clements scooped the pot with a wheel and six-high straight, eliminating Turner. Clements is up to just 190,000.

STUD HIGH

David Bach Wins Pot Versus Thor Hansen

At the end of the hand, David Bach bet and Thor Hansen made the call.

Their hands:

Hansen: (X-X)-37JQ-(X)
Bach: (32)AK32-(2)

Bach exposed a full house to rake in the pot and move up to 400,000. Hansen is short with just 172,000.

Ralph Perry Eliminated

Patrik Antonius had Ralph Perry covered and at risk on fifth street.

Antonius: (44)-Q6A3-(Q)
Perry: (K5)-5710J-(A)

Antonius needed help against Perry’s pair of fives and got it on the end when he was given the Q for two pair. Perry was eliminated from the tournament.

Left in the Deck:

The players are on a 90 minute dinner break.

Player Tags: Thor Hansen,   David Bach,   Ville Wahlbeck,   Patrik Antonius,   Jon Turner,   Ralph Perry

Thor Hansen Eliminated in 17th Place (â?¬16,371)

Feb 20, '09

Coming late into the action here is what happened:

Norwegian Anders Langset raises with pocket tens, Thor Hansen reraises with A-K, Langset pushes and Hansen calls for that age old race.

There are no surprises and nothing of interest on the flop and Hansen goes out in 17th place for €16,371.

Player Tags: Thor Hansen,   Anders Langset

Hansen Versus Nielsen

Feb 19, '09

International legend Thor Hansen just doubled through chip leader Rasmus Nielsen.

Hansen's AA was determined not to be cracked by Nielsen's JJ as the board fell 822610.

Nielsen takes a small hit, but Hansen only needs a little more ammo to unleash some havoc on this feature table.

Player Tags: Thor Hansen,   Rasmus Nielsen

$10,000 World Championship Limit Hold'em - Day 1 - Level 5 Recap

Jun 15, '08

Blinds: 300-600

Players Left: 184 of 218

Chip Leaders:
Michael Binger - 60,000
Liz Lieu - 55,000
David Oppenheim - 55,000
Minh Ly - 42,000
Justin Bonomo - 40,000
Todd Witteles - 40,000
Mickey Appleman - 39,000
J.C. Tran - 38,000
Andy Bloch - 38,000
Richard Brodie - 37,000

Average Stack: 23,700

Eliminations:
Anna Wroblewski
Doyle Brunson
Marcel Luske
Patrik Antonius
Thor Hansen
Vivek Rajkumar

Big Hands and Storylines:

Kicker Problems for Boeken

Noah Boeken and Bill Edler tangled again, with Edler claiming his revenge on this occasion. Boeken raised from middle position and Edler re-raised him. The table folded around and Boeken made the call. The board came Q55T8 and Boeken check-called Edler on every street. Edler tabled AQ and Boeken rapped the table, flashed a queen, and mucked his cards. With that pot Edler is up to 28,500.

Duck Tales

With only four big blinds left, Vivek “psyduck” Rajkumar got all of his chips into the middle with AJ against his opponent’s A2. When the board ran out KT3K5, Rajkumar was up to 5,000 chips. Unfortunately his day would not last much longer and he busted 15 minutes later.

So That’s Why He Wears a Suit

We here at Card Player never tire of Marcel Luske’s antics. While many players’ shenanigans can be cruel and tragic (which makes them not really shenanigans at all) Marcel’s are always good-natured and amusing. After rivering a straight against Matt Hawrilenko to stay alive in the tournament, Luske leaned close to the table, laid his necktie flat on the felt, and made a very simple request to the dealer: “Gimme da money.” The dealer – like all of the players at the table – was entertained by this turn of events and obliged the Dutchman, placing the chips on his tie. As Luske dragged the pot in a most unusual manner, Terrence Chan asked Hawrilenko, “Now wasn’t it worth it to lose that small pot?” Unfortunately for lovers of fanciful fun and dapperly-dressed Dutchman, Luske would be eliminated later in the level.

Traniello a Thorn in Arieh’s Side

Marco Traniello has just taken two pots off of Josh Arieh and increased his stack to 28,000.

In the first pot Traniello raised from the button and Arieh called in the big blind. The two checked a AJ2 flop, and Traniello took it down on the turn (4) when Arieh check-folded.

The next hand was a bit bigger: Marco raised in early position and Arieh 3-bet him in late position. Theo Tran called in the big blind, and Traniello called. The flop was 992. Tran checked, Traniello bet, Arieh called, and Tran folded. Traniello and Arieh both checked the 6c turn. The 2 seemed to be a harmless river card, so when Traniello checked, Arieh fired 1,200. Traniello called and the two showed their cards:

Arieh: 8-8
Traniello T-T

Traniello’s recent run has propelled him up into the upper-third of today’s players. Arieh is down to 18,500, and Theo Tran is lingering at 13,000.

Player Tags: J.C. Tran,   Thor Hansen,   Josh Arieh,   Richard Brodie,   Mickey Appleman,   Andy Bloch,   Minh Ly,   David Oppenheim,   Doyle Brunson,   Marco Traniello,   Marcel Luske,   Bill Edler,   Noah Boeken,   Patrik Antonius,   Justin Bonomo,   Liz Lieu,   Todd Witteles,   Michael Binger,   Theo Tran,   Vivek Rajkumar,   Anna Wroblewski,   European Report

$10,000 Seven-Card Stud World Championship - Day 1 - Level 5 Recap

Jun 07, '08

Players Left:  131 of 158

Chip Leaders:
Men Nguyen - 48,500
Carlos Mortensen - 44,000
Shahram "Shawn" Sheikhan - 40,500
Phil Ivey - 39,000
Alan Boston - 38,000
Archie Karas - 37,000
Scott Fischman - 37,000
Rolf Slotboom - 36,000
Minh Ly - 34,000
Steve Zolotow - 33,000

Average Stack: 24,122

Eliminations:
Thor Hansen

Big Hands and Storylines:

Raymer Cuts Down Forrest

Greg Raymer: T289
Ted Forrest: T2K2

Forrest bet out on 4^th and 5^th streets and was called by Raymer each time. Forrest slowed down on 6^th street, check-calling Raymer’s bet. Forrest again checked after the final card and reluctantly called one last bet. Raymer revealed (A)(Q)(9) for an ace-high flush, enough to take down the pot. Raymer’s stack is at a healthy 32,000, while Forrest is languishing at only 7,500.

Chad Brown Knocks ‘Em Down; Thor Hansen Eliminated

On 6^th street, with boards reading:

Scott Fischman: A823
Thor Hansen: TJ6T
Chad Brown: 4A52

the action heated up. Hansen checked, Fischman bet, Brown raised, Hansen called the two bets, Fischman 3-bet, and Hansen and Brown both called. On 7^th street, Hansen checked, Fischman bet, Brown raised, Hansen folded, and Fischman called. Brown showed (2)(4)(2) for a boat made on 7^th street and Fischman dejectedly mucked. Fischman and Brown each have about 30,000 in chips. The story isn’t so rosy for Thor. After the hand he was left with 3,000, which he lost on the very next hand.

Karas’ Quads Kill Phil

With the cards displayed:

Archie Karas: AKK6
Phil Hellmuth: 2A28

Karas bet all the way down the line, receiving a call from Hellmuth on each and every street. When Hellmuth made the call on 7^th street, Karas slowly – perhaps too slowly for Phil’s liking – turned over (K)(K) for quad kings. Hellmuth mucked his hand and was left with only 8,000 after the hand. The pot takes Karas up to 25,000 in chips.

Player Tags: Thor Hansen,   Minh Ly,   Men Nguyen,   Scott Fischman,   Carlos Mortensen,   Ted Forrest,   Shawn Sheikhan,   Steve Zolotow,   Phil Hellmuth,   Phil Ivey,   Archie Karas,   Greg Raymer,   Rolf Slotboom,   European Report

Thor Hansen is Gone

Apr 13, '08

Thor Hansen's short stack finally succumbed and the Norwegian hit the rail. Mickey Wernick is struggling to get moving with about 7K. On a flop of J75 "The Worm" called a bet of 500. The flop came K and after his opponent checked Mickey bet 1,500. His opponent re-raised 5,000 and it didn't take Wernick too long to muck his hand with a sigh.

Recent chip counts include:

• Ken Lenaard 19,750
• Dario Alioto 36,500
• Daniel Negreanu 22,500
• Paul Leckey 7,775
• Chad Brown 14,500
• Vicky Coren 12,800
• Mike McDonald 13,475

Player Tags: Thor Hansen,   Daniel Negreanu,   Paul Leckey,   Mike McDonald,   Dario Alioto,   Victoria Coren,   Michael Wernick

Player Bio: Thor Hansen

Apr 13, '08

Thor Hansen

In terms of poker, like a great wine, Thor Hansen seems to get better with age. He was born on June 23, 1947 in Oslo, Norway, but currently resides in El Segundo, California. He has been cashing in major tournaments since 1988. That same year, he won his first World Series of Poker bracelet in a $5,000 seven-card stud event. Years later, in 2002, he won another bracelet in a $1,500 ace-to-five lowball event. Hansen is known for his ability to play all variations of poker at a very high skill level.

His performance at the 2007 WSOP shows that his years of experience make him much more consistent than the average player. He cashed six times, bringing his total number of WSOP cashes to 39. Nearly half of all of those cashes were top-ten finishes. True to form, three of his six 2007 cashes were at the final table, including an eighth-place finish in the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event. A poker celebrity in his home country of Norway, Hansen has not yet chased in a European Poker Tour event, but looking at his track record of more than 100 major tournament cashes, it won’t take many tries to do so.

Player Tags: Thor Hansen