Perry Friedman - Live Updates

Level 3 Hour 2 Update: Deeb, Vos Eliminated

Jul 03, '09

Blinds: 150-300

Chip Counts:

1. Dragan Galic – 110,000
2. Jeff Williams – 100,000
3. Jeremy Ausmus – 88,000
4. Radek Stockner – 88,000
5. Eli Elezra – 84,300
6. Keven Stammen – 74,000
7. Bryan Colin – 72,000
8. Michael Kamran – 72,000
9. Allyn Jaffrey Shulman – 40,000
10. Barry Shulman – 30,000

Notable Eliminations:

Freddy Deeb, Matt Glantz, Nelly, Chris Moorman, Mark Vos, Gabe Kaplan

Big Hands:

Freddy Deeb Busted By Keven Stammen

Three players were in a pot that saw a flop of KQ4 hit the felt. Keven Stammen fired 2,200 and Freddy Deeb made the call, as did another player. The turn was the 10 and everyone checked. The river was the Q and Deeb led out with 6,000. The other player in the hand folded, but Stammen repopped it to 37,000 total. Deeb only had 11,000 behind and made the call.

Deeb then tabled AJ for a Broadway straight, but Stammen showed KQ for a full house and Deeb’s main event was over.

Chris Moorman Gone

The player in the small blind limped in and Chris Moorman moved all in. The small blind called and the players tabled their hands.

Small Blind: AK
Moorman: JJ

Board: A4437

Moorman was outflopped and could not catch up the rest of the way and his main event was cut short on day 1.

Mark Vos Ousted

Mark Vos raised to 700 preflop and action folded around to Peter Hedlund. He reraised to 3,000 and Vos came back over the top, moving in for 8,450. Hedlund called and showed down AK. Vos tabled QQ and things were looking good for Vos. But the turn brought another ace to the party and Vos couldn’t hit his set on the river and he was eliminated.

Jerry Yang Doubles Up

A player in middle position raised to 850 and Jerry Yang all in 3,925. Action folded around to the middle position player. He made the call and Yang showed KQ. The middle position player showed 22 and the flop fell QQ3.

The player in the big blind then announced that he had folded a deuce. The turn was the K, filling up Yang and the river was the case 2. Yang doubled to 8,000.

Prerry Friedman Cracks Aces, Eliminates Opponent

Perry Friedman took a flop heads up against his opponent and the flop fell 998. After a series of bets and raises all of the money got in and the cards were turned face up.

Friedman showed K9, which was miles ahead of the AA of his opponent. The turn was the 7 and the river was the 8, giving Friedman a full house and the pot.

Nines Are No Good For Alexander

Jason Alexander raised from the hijack position and was called by the small blind. The flop was A104 and both players checked. The turn was the 6 and the small blind checked again.

Alexander decided it was time to bet and put out 1500 into the middle. He was met with a check-raise to 3500 from the small blind. After some thought, Alexander put in the call. The river was the 8 and both players checked.

Alexander tabled the 99, but the small blind turned over AQ and took the pot.

Veldhuis With A Stone Cold Bluff

Over at the feature table, the flop came down 432 and the action was checked to Lex Veldhuis. He fired 2,300 and his opponent made the call. The turn was the 9 and action was checked to Veldhuis again. He fired 6,000 more chips into the pot and his opponent stuck around. The river was the A and action was checked again to Veldhuis. He then moved all in for over 40,000, having his opponent covered. This induced a fold and Veldhuis then tabled K6 for absolutely nothing. He raked in the pot and was at 70,000.

Yang Doubles Up Again

After being moved to a new table, Jerry Yang made it 900 to go preflop and was three-bet by Steve Paul-Ambrose to 2550. Yang called and they saw a flop of 2K8 and Steve Paul-Ambrose put out enough to put Yang all in.

Yang put in the call and said “This is the hand I won the World Series with,” said Yang as he tabled the 88, giving him middle set. Steve Paul-Ambrose showed the 99 and needed to improve to take the pot.

The turn was the K and the 5, doubling up Yang to 17,000.

Player Tags: Perry Friedman,   Peter Hedlund,   Mark Vos,   Jerry Yang,   Jason Alexander,   Freddy Deeb,   Keven Stammen,   Lex Veldhuis,   Chris Moorman

Final Day Update: Down to Nine

Jun 20, '09

Ante: 5,000
Low Card: 5,000
Completion: 20,000
Limits: 20,000-40,000

Players Remaining: 9 out of 164

Chip Counts:

1. Jeff Lisandro – 970,000
2. Abe Mosseri – 935,000
3. Farzad Rouhani – 750,000
4. Anthony Rivera – 460,000
5. Yan Chen – 435,000
6. Mike Wattel – 280,000
7. Justin Smith – 220,000
8. Doyle Brunson – 210,000
9. Frank Mariani – 195,000

Average Chip Count: 447,272

Notable Eliminations:

12. Lyle Berman – $33,668
11. Scotty Nguyen – $33,668
10. Perry Friedman – $41,885

Big Hands:

Lyle Berman Eliminated in 12th Place ($33,668)

Anthony Rivera completed on third street and Yan Chen made the call. Lyle Berman raised and both opponents called. Rivera bet first on fourth street and Chen mucked. Berman made the call and Rivera then led out on fifth street. Berman made the call again and the same sequence of events repeated itself on sixth street. Rivera led out on seventh street as well and Berman mucked, leaving himself with only 60,000. Their cards:

Berman: (X-X)8K107(X)
Rivera: (X-X)4AJ5(X)

Berman was forced to move all in on the next hand and he was eliminated from the tournament in 12th place.

Scotty Nguyen Eliminated in 11th Place ($33,668)

Perry Friedman brought it in with X-X-3 and Scotty Nguyen completed with X-X-4. Jeffrey Lisandro raised with X-X-5. Friedman mucked and Nguyen made the all-in call. Lisandro made trip eights and Nguyen failed to qualify low. Lisandro scooped the pot and Nguyen was eliminated in 11th place.

Perry Friedman Eliminated in 10th Place ($41,885)

Perry Friedman was all in for his final 13,000 on third street and both Jeffrey Lisandro and Justin Smith joined him in the pot. Lisandro check-called a bet from Smith on fourth street and then both players checked on fifth and sixth streets. Lisandro checked on seventh street and Smith broke the routine by betting. Lisandro mucked. Their cards before the showdown:

Smith: (X-X)3637(X)
Friedman: (X-X)A96Q(X)

Smith made trip threes to beat the pair of Queens held by Friedman, and Smith scooped the pot thanks to the fact that neither player qualified low. Friedman was eliminated in 10th place.

Player Tags: Scotty Nguyen,   Lyle Berman,   Jeffrey Lisandro,   Perry Friedman,   Tony Rivera,   Justin Smith

Level 18 Update: Dan Heimiller Triples Up, Then Goes Bust

Jun 20, '09

Ante: 3,000
Low Card: 3,000
Completion: 12,000
Limits: 12,000-24,000

Players Remaining: 12 out of 164

Chip Counts:

1. Abe Mosseri – 875,000
2. Jeff Lisandro – 710,000
3. Doyle Brunson – 600,000
4. Perry Friedman – 450,000
5. Farzad Rouhani – 380,000
6. Yan Chen – 345,000
7. Justin Smith – 300,000
8. Scotty Nguyen – 250,000
9. Frank Mariani – 240,000
10. Lyle Berman – 170,000

Average Chip Count: 351,428

Notable Eliminations:

16. Claudio Rinaldi — $24,650
15. Dan Heimiller — $24,650
14. Richard Anthony — $28,272
13. Yuval Bronshtein — $28,272

Big Hands:

Double Ups Are Good, Triple Ups Are Better

Jeff Lisandro: X-X-22
Perry Friedman: X-X-KJ
Dan Heimiller: X-X-25

Dan Heimiller bet 12,000 and both Lisandro and Friedman made the call.

Jeff Lisandro: X-X-228
Perry Friedman: X-X-KJ4
Dan Heimiller: X-X-256

Heimiller bet 24,000 and both of his opponents came along again.

Jeff Lisandro: X-X-2285
Perry Friedman: X-X-KJ48
Dan Heimiller: X-X-2564

Hemiller put the rest of his chips into the middle and Lisandro and Friedman both called. After the river was dealt, both players checked and Heimiller showed (J66) for a set of sixes, better known as the number of the beast. Both opponents mucked and Heimiller tripled up to almost 200,000.

The Poker Gods Giveth, Scotty Taketh Away Baby

Scotty Nguyen: X-X-QJ9
Heimiller: X-X-27A

Dan Heimiller bet 24,000 and Nguyen made the call.

Scotty Nguyen: X-X-QJ96
Heimiller: X-X-27A5

Heimiller bet 24,000 and Nguyen called again. The river was dealt and Heimiller bet 24,000. Nguyen made the call and Heimiller turned over (A79) for aces up. But it was no good as Nguyen showed (A108) for a queen-high straight. Nguyen scooped the pot and was at 240,000 while Heimiller was back down to 50,000.

Unfortunately for Heimiller, he got involved in his final hand a bit later against Perry Friedman. Heimiller hit two pair but Friedman hit a set and as quickly as Heimiller was given new life, it was taken away as he busted in 15th place.

Mosseri Knocks Out Bronshtein In 13th Place

Abe Mosseri: (AQ)55510(10)
Yuval Bronshtein: (K7)9235(2)

Bronshtein completed to 12,000 and Mosseri raised to 24,000. Bronshtein called all in and was already in bad shape as Mosseri had a better flush draw. On the next four streets, Mosseri did not miss once as he made a full house, but Bronshtein had outs as he was drawing to a 7-low. Unfortunately, he paired up on the river and he was eliminated.

Player Tags: Daniel Heimiller,   Scotty Nguyen,   Jeffrey Lisandro,   Perry Friedman,   Abe Mosseri,   Yuval Bronshtein

Level 15 Update: Smith And Turner With Scoops

Jun 19, '09

Ante: 1,500
Low Card: 2,000
Completion: 6,000
Limits: 6,000-12,000

Players Remaining: 26 out of 164

Chip Counts:

1. Scotty Nguyen – 420,000
2. Lyle Berman – 415,000
3. Yan Chen – 360,000
4. Dan Heimiller – 320,000
5. Anthony Rivera – 260,000
6. Doyle Brunson – 232,000
7. Farzad Rouhani – 220,000
8. Greg Raymer – 210,000
9. Pawel Andrzejewski – 197,000
10. Jeff Lisandro – 172,000

Average Chip Count: 189,230

Notable Eliminations:

Todd Brunson
John Cernuto
Nick Schulman
Steve Sung
Dutch Boyd

Big Hands:

Smith Shows Brunson His Residence

Justin Smith: X-X-53
Yan Chen: X-X-K8
Todd Brunson: X-X-5J

Yan Chen led out with 6,000 and Smith raised to 12,000. Todd Brunson made the call, as did Chen.

Justin Smith: X-X-533
Yan Chen: X-X-K86
Todd Brunson: X-X-5J8

Smith bet 12,000 and both opponents called.

Justin Smith: X-X-5333
Yan Chen: X-X-K86J
Todd Brunson: X-X-5J810

Smith bet 12,000 and Brunson raised to 24,000 despite Smith showing a set. Chan mucked and Smith just called. On the river, Smith bet 12,000 again and Brunson just called. Smith then showed (622) for a full house and Brunson mucked. Smith was at 180,000 while Brunson was down to 60,000. He would later lose the rest of those chips and make his exit from the tournament.

Turner Scoops Tehan And Friedman

Perry Friedman: X-X-2310K
Jon Turner: X-X-68Q10
Joe Tehan: X-X-2595

Jon Turner fired 12,000 and both Tehan and Friedman made the call. The river was then dealt and everyone checked. Turner turned over (Q-10-X) for two pair. Tehan and Friedman both mucked and Turner scooped the pot. He was at 205,000 while Tehan was at 165,000 and Friedman was at 145,000.

Player Tags: Todd Brunson,   Perry Friedman,   Joe Tehan,   Jon Turner,   Yan Chen,   Justin Smith

Level 6 Update: The Adventures Of Daniel Negreanu

Jun 19, '09

Ante: 100
Low Card: 200
Completion: 800
Limits: 800-1,600

Players Remaining: 145 out of 164

Chip Counts:

1. Josh Mountain – 78,000
2. Jeff Lisandro – 75,600
3. David Benyamine – 59,000
4. Chad Brown – 58,000
5. Dario Minieri – 58,000
6. Tuan Le – 54,000
7. Anthony Rivera – 53,000
8. Frank Kassela – 52,000
9. Daniel Alaei – 48,000
10. John Hennigan – 48,000

Average Chip Count: 32,563

Notable Eliminations:

Phil Ivey
Barry Greenstein
Max Pescatori
Jeff Madsen
Hasan Habib

Big Hands:

Turner Lost In The Forrest

Jon Turner: X-X-3Q
Ted Forrest: X-X-85
Jerry Buss: X-X-10Q

After the three players all came in for 200, fourth street was dealt and Forrest bet 800. Buss mucked but Turner made the call.

Jon Turner: X-X-3Q2
Ted Forrest: X-X-859

Forrest bet 1,600 and Turner called.

Jon Turner: X-X-3Q210
Ted Forrest: X-X-859K

Forrest bet another 1,200 and Turner stuck around again. The river was then dealt and both players checked. Forrest showed (933) for two pair and Turner mucked. Forrest was at 27,000 while Turner was at 18,000.

Gavin Smith Is The Third Wheel, Minieri And Friedman Chop

Dario Minieri: X-X-7A3J
Perry Friedman: X-X-2952
Gavin Smith: X-X-36QA

Gavin Smith bet 1,600 and Minieri called. Friedman then raised to 3,200 and his opponents called. The river was then dealt and Friedman fired 1,600 and everyone called. Friedman turned over (99X) for a full house. He then gave Greg Raymer credit for calling his hand correctly. “It’s my best game,” Raymer replied.

Smith then showed (7K2) for a 7-6 low. It was no good, however, as Minieri showed (J42) for a 7-4 low. Minieri and Friedman chopped the pot while Smith was wittled down to 13,400. Minieri was at 60,000 while Friedman was at 24,000.

A Pox On The Seven Of Hearts!

Mike Matusow: X-X-2510
Seat 5: X-X-569

On third street, each player was in for four bets and fifth street saw both players in for one more bet. On sixth street, seat 5 fired 1,600 and Matusow made the call.

Mike Matusow: X-X-25103
Seat 5: X-X-5698

Seat 5 bet another 1,600 and Matusow came along again. The river was dealt and seat 5 bet another 1,600. Matusow agonized on what to do and finally threw in the call. His opponent showed (5J7) for a straight. Matusow then looked ready to erupt and took his frustration out on his opponent’s card, the 7. He launched it clear across the table and it fluttered to the floor. “He four-bet with J-7-5?” Matusow questioned. He mucked his hand and he was down to just 5,100.

Left In The Deck:

The Many Talents Of Negreanu

Daniel Negreanu is all over the place. He went around sniffing people’s hair earlier and now he engaged in a conversation with a woman on the rail. “Who are you wearing,” he asked her in his best fashion designer accent. “Dead Bambi?” he asked after she answered. “You like to kill dear?” The woman laughed uncontrollably and Negreanu then posed with her for a picture.

Prior to that, Negreanu was involved in a hand and showed his Compton roots as he began to rap. “What you gonna do son, what you gonna do?” he spit for a few choruses. It is unknown when his rap album is coming out, but it should be a dandy.

Later, he was involved in another hand and he showed off his psychic ability. “I know exactly what you two have. The exact cards,” he announced to his opponents. He kept betting and raising and his opponents finally mucked. “What did they have?” a player at the table asked. “Hell, I don’t know,” Negreanu replied. “I was lying.”

Player Tags: Daniel Negreanu,   Ted Forrest,   Mike Matusow,   Gavin Smith,   Perry Friedman,   Jon Turner,   Dario Minieri

Final Day Update: Down to Nine

Jun 20, '09

Ante: 5,000
Low Card: 5,000
Completion: 20,000
Limits: 20,000-40,000

Players Remaining: 9 out of 164

Chip Counts:

1. Jeff Lisandro – 970,000
2. Abe Mosseri – 935,000
3. Farzad Rouhani – 750,000
4. Anthony Rivera – 460,000
5. Yan Chen – 435,000
6. Mike Wattel – 280,000
7. Justin Smith – 220,000
8. Doyle Brunson – 210,000
9. Frank Mariani – 195,000

Average Chip Count: 447,272

Notable Eliminations:

12. Lyle Berman – $33,668
11. Scotty Nguyen – $33,668
10. Perry Friedman – $41,885

Big Hands:

Lyle Berman Eliminated in 12th Place ($33,668)

Anthony Rivera completed on third street and Yan Chen made the call. Lyle Berman raised and both opponents called. Rivera bet first on fourth street and Chen mucked. Berman made the call and Rivera then led out on fifth street. Berman made the call again and the same sequence of events repeated itself on sixth street. Rivera led out on seventh street as well and Berman mucked, leaving himself with only 60,000. Their cards:

Berman: (X-X)8K107(X)
Rivera: (X-X)4AJ5(X)

Berman was forced to move all in on the next hand and he was eliminated from the tournament in 12th place.

Scotty Nguyen Eliminated in 11th Place ($33,668)

Perry Friedman brought it in with X-X-3 and Scotty Nguyen completed with X-X-4. Jeffrey Lisandro raised with X-X-5. Friedman mucked and Nguyen made the all-in call. Lisandro made trip eights and Nguyen failed to qualify low. Lisandro scooped the pot and Nguyen was eliminated in 11th place.

Perry Friedman Eliminated in 10th Place ($41,885)

Perry Friedman was all in for his final 13,000 on third street and both Jeffrey Lisandro and Justin Smith joined him in the pot. Lisandro check-called a bet from Smith on fourth street and then both players checked on fifth and sixth streets. Lisandro checked on seventh street and Smith broke the routine by betting. Lisandro mucked. Their cards before the showdown:

Smith: (X-X)3637(X)
Friedman: (X-X)A96Q(X)

Smith made trip threes to beat the pair of Queens held by Friedman, and Smith scooped the pot thanks to the fact that neither player qualified low. Friedman was eliminated in 10th place.

Player Tags: Scotty Nguyen,   Lyle Berman,   Jeffrey Lisandro,   Perry Friedman,   Tony Rivera,   Justin Smith

Level 18 Update: Dan Heimiller Triples Up, Then Goes Bust

Jun 20, '09

Ante: 3,000
Low Card: 3,000
Completion: 12,000
Limits: 12,000-24,000

Players Remaining: 12 out of 164

Chip Counts:

1. Abe Mosseri – 875,000
2. Jeff Lisandro – 710,000
3. Doyle Brunson – 600,000
4. Perry Friedman – 450,000
5. Farzad Rouhani – 380,000
6. Yan Chen – 345,000
7. Justin Smith – 300,000
8. Scotty Nguyen – 250,000
9. Frank Mariani – 240,000
10. Lyle Berman – 170,000

Average Chip Count: 351,428

Notable Eliminations:

16. Claudio Rinaldi — $24,650
15. Dan Heimiller — $24,650
14. Richard Anthony — $28,272
13. Yuval Bronshtein — $28,272

Big Hands:

Double Ups Are Good, Triple Ups Are Better

Jeff Lisandro: X-X-22
Perry Friedman: X-X-KJ
Dan Heimiller: X-X-25

Dan Heimiller bet 12,000 and both Lisandro and Friedman made the call.

Jeff Lisandro: X-X-228
Perry Friedman: X-X-KJ4
Dan Heimiller: X-X-256

Heimiller bet 24,000 and both of his opponents came along again.

Jeff Lisandro: X-X-2285
Perry Friedman: X-X-KJ48
Dan Heimiller: X-X-2564

Hemiller put the rest of his chips into the middle and Lisandro and Friedman both called. After the river was dealt, both players checked and Heimiller showed (J66) for a set of sixes, better known as the number of the beast. Both opponents mucked and Heimiller tripled up to almost 200,000.

The Poker Gods Giveth, Scotty Taketh Away Baby

Scotty Nguyen: X-X-QJ9
Heimiller: X-X-27A

Dan Heimiller bet 24,000 and Nguyen made the call.

Scotty Nguyen: X-X-QJ96
Heimiller: X-X-27A5

Heimiller bet 24,000 and Nguyen called again. The river was dealt and Heimiller bet 24,000. Nguyen made the call and Heimiller turned over (A79) for aces up. But it was no good as Nguyen showed (A108) for a queen-high straight. Nguyen scooped the pot and was at 240,000 while Heimiller was back down to 50,000.

Unfortunately for Heimiller, he got involved in his final hand a bit later against Perry Friedman. Heimiller hit two pair but Friedman hit a set and as quickly as Heimiller was given new life, it was taken away as he busted in 15th place.

Mosseri Knocks Out Bronshtein In 13th Place

Abe Mosseri: (AQ)55510(10)
Yuval Bronshtein: (K7)9235(2)

Bronshtein completed to 12,000 and Mosseri raised to 24,000. Bronshtein called all in and was already in bad shape as Mosseri had a better flush draw. On the next four streets, Mosseri did not miss once as he made a full house, but Bronshtein had outs as he was drawing to a 7-low. Unfortunately, he paired up on the river and he was eliminated.

Player Tags: Daniel Heimiller,   Scotty Nguyen,   Jeffrey Lisandro,   Perry Friedman,   Abe Mosseri,   Yuval Bronshtein

Level 15 Update: Smith And Turner With Scoops

Jun 19, '09

Ante: 1,500
Low Card: 2,000
Completion: 6,000
Limits: 6,000-12,000

Players Remaining: 26 out of 164

Chip Counts:

1. Scotty Nguyen – 420,000
2. Lyle Berman – 415,000
3. Yan Chen – 360,000
4. Dan Heimiller – 320,000
5. Anthony Rivera – 260,000
6. Doyle Brunson – 232,000
7. Farzad Rouhani – 220,000
8. Greg Raymer – 210,000
9. Pawel Andrzejewski – 197,000
10. Jeff Lisandro – 172,000

Average Chip Count: 189,230

Notable Eliminations:

Todd Brunson
John Cernuto
Nick Schulman
Steve Sung
Dutch Boyd

Big Hands:

Smith Shows Brunson His Residence

Justin Smith: X-X-53
Yan Chen: X-X-K8
Todd Brunson: X-X-5J

Yan Chen led out with 6,000 and Smith raised to 12,000. Todd Brunson made the call, as did Chen.

Justin Smith: X-X-533
Yan Chen: X-X-K86
Todd Brunson: X-X-5J8

Smith bet 12,000 and both opponents called.

Justin Smith: X-X-5333
Yan Chen: X-X-K86J
Todd Brunson: X-X-5J810

Smith bet 12,000 and Brunson raised to 24,000 despite Smith showing a set. Chan mucked and Smith just called. On the river, Smith bet 12,000 again and Brunson just called. Smith then showed (622) for a full house and Brunson mucked. Smith was at 180,000 while Brunson was down to 60,000. He would later lose the rest of those chips and make his exit from the tournament.

Turner Scoops Tehan And Friedman

Perry Friedman: X-X-2310K
Jon Turner: X-X-68Q10
Joe Tehan: X-X-2595

Jon Turner fired 12,000 and both Tehan and Friedman made the call. The river was then dealt and everyone checked. Turner turned over (Q-10-X) for two pair. Tehan and Friedman both mucked and Turner scooped the pot. He was at 205,000 while Tehan was at 165,000 and Friedman was at 145,000.

Player Tags: Todd Brunson,   Perry Friedman,   Joe Tehan,   Jon Turner,   Yan Chen,   Justin Smith

Level 6 Update: The Adventures Of Daniel Negreanu

Jun 19, '09

Ante: 100
Low Card: 200
Completion: 800
Limits: 800-1,600

Players Remaining: 145 out of 164

Chip Counts:

1. Josh Mountain – 78,000
2. Jeff Lisandro – 75,600
3. David Benyamine – 59,000
4. Chad Brown – 58,000
5. Dario Minieri – 58,000
6. Tuan Le – 54,000
7. Anthony Rivera – 53,000
8. Frank Kassela – 52,000
9. Daniel Alaei – 48,000
10. John Hennigan – 48,000

Average Chip Count: 32,563

Notable Eliminations:

Phil Ivey
Barry Greenstein
Max Pescatori
Jeff Madsen
Hasan Habib

Big Hands:

Turner Lost In The Forrest

Jon Turner: X-X-3Q
Ted Forrest: X-X-85
Jerry Buss: X-X-10Q

After the three players all came in for 200, fourth street was dealt and Forrest bet 800. Buss mucked but Turner made the call.

Jon Turner: X-X-3Q2
Ted Forrest: X-X-859

Forrest bet 1,600 and Turner called.

Jon Turner: X-X-3Q210
Ted Forrest: X-X-859K

Forrest bet another 1,200 and Turner stuck around again. The river was then dealt and both players checked. Forrest showed (933) for two pair and Turner mucked. Forrest was at 27,000 while Turner was at 18,000.

Gavin Smith Is The Third Wheel, Minieri And Friedman Chop

Dario Minieri: X-X-7A3J
Perry Friedman: X-X-2952
Gavin Smith: X-X-36QA

Gavin Smith bet 1,600 and Minieri called. Friedman then raised to 3,200 and his opponents called. The river was then dealt and Friedman fired 1,600 and everyone called. Friedman turned over (99X) for a full house. He then gave Greg Raymer credit for calling his hand correctly. “It’s my best game,” Raymer replied.

Smith then showed (7K2) for a 7-6 low. It was no good, however, as Minieri showed (J42) for a 7-4 low. Minieri and Friedman chopped the pot while Smith was wittled down to 13,400. Minieri was at 60,000 while Friedman was at 24,000.

A Pox On The Seven Of Hearts!

Mike Matusow: X-X-2510
Seat 5: X-X-569

On third street, each player was in for four bets and fifth street saw both players in for one more bet. On sixth street, seat 5 fired 1,600 and Matusow made the call.

Mike Matusow: X-X-25103
Seat 5: X-X-5698

Seat 5 bet another 1,600 and Matusow came along again. The river was dealt and seat 5 bet another 1,600. Matusow agonized on what to do and finally threw in the call. His opponent showed (5J7) for a straight. Matusow then looked ready to erupt and took his frustration out on his opponent’s card, the 7. He launched it clear across the table and it fluttered to the floor. “He four-bet with J-7-5?” Matusow questioned. He mucked his hand and he was down to just 5,100.

Left In The Deck:

The Many Talents Of Negreanu

Daniel Negreanu is all over the place. He went around sniffing people’s hair earlier and now he engaged in a conversation with a woman on the rail. “Who are you wearing,” he asked her in his best fashion designer accent. “Dead Bambi?” he asked after she answered. “You like to kill dear?” The woman laughed uncontrollably and Negreanu then posed with her for a picture.

Prior to that, Negreanu was involved in a hand and showed his Compton roots as he began to rap. “What you gonna do son, what you gonna do?” he spit for a few choruses. It is unknown when his rap album is coming out, but it should be a dandy.

Later, he was involved in another hand and he showed off his psychic ability. “I know exactly what you two have. The exact cards,” he announced to his opponents. He kept betting and raising and his opponents finally mucked. “What did they have?” a player at the table asked. “Hell, I don’t know,” Negreanu replied. “I was lying.”

Player Tags: Daniel Negreanu,   Ted Forrest,   Mike Matusow,   Gavin Smith,   Perry Friedman,   Jon Turner,   Dario Minieri

Final Day Update: Down to Nine

Jun 20, '09

Ante: 5,000
Low Card: 5,000
Completion: 20,000
Limits: 20,000-40,000

Players Remaining: 9 out of 164

Chip Counts:

1. Jeff Lisandro – 970,000
2. Abe Mosseri – 935,000
3. Farzad Rouhani – 750,000
4. Anthony Rivera – 460,000
5. Yan Chen – 435,000
6. Mike Wattel – 280,000
7. Justin Smith – 220,000
8. Doyle Brunson – 210,000
9. Frank Mariani – 195,000

Average Chip Count: 447,272

Notable Eliminations:

12. Lyle Berman – $33,668
11. Scotty Nguyen – $33,668
10. Perry Friedman – $41,885

Big Hands:

Lyle Berman Eliminated in 12th Place ($33,668)

Anthony Rivera completed on third street and Yan Chen made the call. Lyle Berman raised and both opponents called. Rivera bet first on fourth street and Chen mucked. Berman made the call and Rivera then led out on fifth street. Berman made the call again and the same sequence of events repeated itself on sixth street. Rivera led out on seventh street as well and Berman mucked, leaving himself with only 60,000. Their cards:

Berman: (X-X)8K107(X)
Rivera: (X-X)4AJ5(X)

Berman was forced to move all in on the next hand and he was eliminated from the tournament in 12th place.

Scotty Nguyen Eliminated in 11th Place ($33,668)

Perry Friedman brought it in with X-X-3 and Scotty Nguyen completed with X-X-4. Jeffrey Lisandro raised with X-X-5. Friedman mucked and Nguyen made the all-in call. Lisandro made trip eights and Nguyen failed to qualify low. Lisandro scooped the pot and Nguyen was eliminated in 11th place.

Perry Friedman Eliminated in 10th Place ($41,885)

Perry Friedman was all in for his final 13,000 on third street and both Jeffrey Lisandro and Justin Smith joined him in the pot. Lisandro check-called a bet from Smith on fourth street and then both players checked on fifth and sixth streets. Lisandro checked on seventh street and Smith broke the routine by betting. Lisandro mucked. Their cards before the showdown:

Smith: (X-X)3637(X)
Friedman: (X-X)A96Q(X)

Smith made trip threes to beat the pair of Queens held by Friedman, and Smith scooped the pot thanks to the fact that neither player qualified low. Friedman was eliminated in 10th place.

Player Tags: Scotty Nguyen,   Lyle Berman,   Jeffrey Lisandro,   Perry Friedman,   Tony Rivera,   Justin Smith

Level 18 Update: Dan Heimiller Triples Up, Then Goes Bust

Jun 20, '09

Ante: 3,000
Low Card: 3,000
Completion: 12,000
Limits: 12,000-24,000

Players Remaining: 12 out of 164

Chip Counts:

1. Abe Mosseri – 875,000
2. Jeff Lisandro – 710,000
3. Doyle Brunson – 600,000
4. Perry Friedman – 450,000
5. Farzad Rouhani – 380,000
6. Yan Chen – 345,000
7. Justin Smith – 300,000
8. Scotty Nguyen – 250,000
9. Frank Mariani – 240,000
10. Lyle Berman – 170,000

Average Chip Count: 351,428

Notable Eliminations:

16. Claudio Rinaldi — $24,650
15. Dan Heimiller — $24,650
14. Richard Anthony — $28,272
13. Yuval Bronshtein — $28,272

Big Hands:

Double Ups Are Good, Triple Ups Are Better

Jeff Lisandro: X-X-22
Perry Friedman: X-X-KJ
Dan Heimiller: X-X-25

Dan Heimiller bet 12,000 and both Lisandro and Friedman made the call.

Jeff Lisandro: X-X-228
Perry Friedman: X-X-KJ4
Dan Heimiller: X-X-256

Heimiller bet 24,000 and both of his opponents came along again.

Jeff Lisandro: X-X-2285
Perry Friedman: X-X-KJ48
Dan Heimiller: X-X-2564

Hemiller put the rest of his chips into the middle and Lisandro and Friedman both called. After the river was dealt, both players checked and Heimiller showed (J66) for a set of sixes, better known as the number of the beast. Both opponents mucked and Heimiller tripled up to almost 200,000.

The Poker Gods Giveth, Scotty Taketh Away Baby

Scotty Nguyen: X-X-QJ9
Heimiller: X-X-27A

Dan Heimiller bet 24,000 and Nguyen made the call.

Scotty Nguyen: X-X-QJ96
Heimiller: X-X-27A5

Heimiller bet 24,000 and Nguyen called again. The river was dealt and Heimiller bet 24,000. Nguyen made the call and Heimiller turned over (A79) for aces up. But it was no good as Nguyen showed (A108) for a queen-high straight. Nguyen scooped the pot and was at 240,000 while Heimiller was back down to 50,000.

Unfortunately for Heimiller, he got involved in his final hand a bit later against Perry Friedman. Heimiller hit two pair but Friedman hit a set and as quickly as Heimiller was given new life, it was taken away as he busted in 15th place.

Mosseri Knocks Out Bronshtein In 13th Place

Abe Mosseri: (AQ)55510(10)
Yuval Bronshtein: (K7)9235(2)

Bronshtein completed to 12,000 and Mosseri raised to 24,000. Bronshtein called all in and was already in bad shape as Mosseri had a better flush draw. On the next four streets, Mosseri did not miss once as he made a full house, but Bronshtein had outs as he was drawing to a 7-low. Unfortunately, he paired up on the river and he was eliminated.

Player Tags: Daniel Heimiller,   Scotty Nguyen,   Jeffrey Lisandro,   Perry Friedman,   Abe Mosseri,   Yuval Bronshtein

Level 15 Update: Smith And Turner With Scoops

Jun 19, '09

Ante: 1,500
Low Card: 2,000
Completion: 6,000
Limits: 6,000-12,000

Players Remaining: 26 out of 164

Chip Counts:

1. Scotty Nguyen – 420,000
2. Lyle Berman – 415,000
3. Yan Chen – 360,000
4. Dan Heimiller – 320,000
5. Anthony Rivera – 260,000
6. Doyle Brunson – 232,000
7. Farzad Rouhani – 220,000
8. Greg Raymer – 210,000
9. Pawel Andrzejewski – 197,000
10. Jeff Lisandro – 172,000

Average Chip Count: 189,230

Notable Eliminations:

Todd Brunson
John Cernuto
Nick Schulman
Steve Sung
Dutch Boyd

Big Hands:

Smith Shows Brunson His Residence

Justin Smith: X-X-53
Yan Chen: X-X-K8
Todd Brunson: X-X-5J

Yan Chen led out with 6,000 and Smith raised to 12,000. Todd Brunson made the call, as did Chen.

Justin Smith: X-X-533
Yan Chen: X-X-K86
Todd Brunson: X-X-5J8

Smith bet 12,000 and both opponents called.

Justin Smith: X-X-5333
Yan Chen: X-X-K86J
Todd Brunson: X-X-5J810

Smith bet 12,000 and Brunson raised to 24,000 despite Smith showing a set. Chan mucked and Smith just called. On the river, Smith bet 12,000 again and Brunson just called. Smith then showed (622) for a full house and Brunson mucked. Smith was at 180,000 while Brunson was down to 60,000. He would later lose the rest of those chips and make his exit from the tournament.

Turner Scoops Tehan And Friedman

Perry Friedman: X-X-2310K
Jon Turner: X-X-68Q10
Joe Tehan: X-X-2595

Jon Turner fired 12,000 and both Tehan and Friedman made the call. The river was then dealt and everyone checked. Turner turned over (Q-10-X) for two pair. Tehan and Friedman both mucked and Turner scooped the pot. He was at 205,000 while Tehan was at 165,000 and Friedman was at 145,000.

Player Tags: Todd Brunson,   Perry Friedman,   Joe Tehan,   Jon Turner,   Yan Chen,   Justin Smith

Level 6 Update: The Adventures Of Daniel Negreanu

Jun 19, '09

Ante: 100
Low Card: 200
Completion: 800
Limits: 800-1,600

Players Remaining: 145 out of 164

Chip Counts:

1. Josh Mountain – 78,000
2. Jeff Lisandro – 75,600
3. David Benyamine – 59,000
4. Chad Brown – 58,000
5. Dario Minieri – 58,000
6. Tuan Le – 54,000
7. Anthony Rivera – 53,000
8. Frank Kassela – 52,000
9. Daniel Alaei – 48,000
10. John Hennigan – 48,000

Average Chip Count: 32,563

Notable Eliminations:

Phil Ivey
Barry Greenstein
Max Pescatori
Jeff Madsen
Hasan Habib

Big Hands:

Turner Lost In The Forrest

Jon Turner: X-X-3Q
Ted Forrest: X-X-85
Jerry Buss: X-X-10Q

After the three players all came in for 200, fourth street was dealt and Forrest bet 800. Buss mucked but Turner made the call.

Jon Turner: X-X-3Q2
Ted Forrest: X-X-859

Forrest bet 1,600 and Turner called.

Jon Turner: X-X-3Q210
Ted Forrest: X-X-859K

Forrest bet another 1,200 and Turner stuck around again. The river was then dealt and both players checked. Forrest showed (933) for two pair and Turner mucked. Forrest was at 27,000 while Turner was at 18,000.

Gavin Smith Is The Third Wheel, Minieri And Friedman Chop

Dario Minieri: X-X-7A3J
Perry Friedman: X-X-2952
Gavin Smith: X-X-36QA

Gavin Smith bet 1,600 and Minieri called. Friedman then raised to 3,200 and his opponents called. The river was then dealt and Friedman fired 1,600 and everyone called. Friedman turned over (99X) for a full house. He then gave Greg Raymer credit for calling his hand correctly. “It’s my best game,” Raymer replied.

Smith then showed (7K2) for a 7-6 low. It was no good, however, as Minieri showed (J42) for a 7-4 low. Minieri and Friedman chopped the pot while Smith was wittled down to 13,400. Minieri was at 60,000 while Friedman was at 24,000.

A Pox On The Seven Of Hearts!

Mike Matusow: X-X-2510
Seat 5: X-X-569

On third street, each player was in for four bets and fifth street saw both players in for one more bet. On sixth street, seat 5 fired 1,600 and Matusow made the call.

Mike Matusow: X-X-25103
Seat 5: X-X-5698

Seat 5 bet another 1,600 and Matusow came along again. The river was dealt and seat 5 bet another 1,600. Matusow agonized on what to do and finally threw in the call. His opponent showed (5J7) for a straight. Matusow then looked ready to erupt and took his frustration out on his opponent’s card, the 7. He launched it clear across the table and it fluttered to the floor. “He four-bet with J-7-5?” Matusow questioned. He mucked his hand and he was down to just 5,100.

Left In The Deck:

The Many Talents Of Negreanu

Daniel Negreanu is all over the place. He went around sniffing people’s hair earlier and now he engaged in a conversation with a woman on the rail. “Who are you wearing,” he asked her in his best fashion designer accent. “Dead Bambi?” he asked after she answered. “You like to kill dear?” The woman laughed uncontrollably and Negreanu then posed with her for a picture.

Prior to that, Negreanu was involved in a hand and showed his Compton roots as he began to rap. “What you gonna do son, what you gonna do?” he spit for a few choruses. It is unknown when his rap album is coming out, but it should be a dandy.

Later, he was involved in another hand and he showed off his psychic ability. “I know exactly what you two have. The exact cards,” he announced to his opponents. He kept betting and raising and his opponents finally mucked. “What did they have?” a player at the table asked. “Hell, I don’t know,” Negreanu replied. “I was lying.”

Player Tags: Daniel Negreanu,   Ted Forrest,   Mike Matusow,   Gavin Smith,   Perry Friedman,   Jon Turner,   Dario Minieri

Perry Friedman Busted

Jan 18, '09

Perry Friedman has busted out of the tournament shortly before the dinner break, continuing the march of the professionals to the rail today.















 

Player Tags: Perry Friedman

$10,000 Main Event - Day 2A - Level 6 (Hour 2)

Jul 08, '08

Blinds: 250-500, 50 ante

Chip Leaders:
Hunter Fry - 210,000
Kellen Hunter - 194,000
Jeremiah Smith - 190,000
Mark Garner - 182,000
Robert Mizrachi - 175,000
Brandon Adams - 170,000
Stefan Mattsson - 169,500
David Rheem - 167,000
Brian Schaedlich - 157,000
Bryan Colin - 151,000

Other Notables:
Hasan Habib – 100,000
Erick Lindgren – 86,000
Alexander Kravchenko – 83,000
Jon Turner – 82,000
Hoyt Corkins – 82,000
Darrel Dicken – 79,000
Nick Schulman – 79,000
Julian Gardner – 78,000
Toto Leonidas – 77,000
Victoria Coren – 72,000
Barny Boatman – 66,000
John Hennigan – 65,000
Thor Hansen – 62,000
John Duthie – 58,000
Jason Marquis – 55,000
Voitto Rintala – 53,000
Vince Van Patten – 53,000
Dario Alioto – 52,000
Erik Seidel – 51,000
David Grey – 46,000
Shaun Deeb – 40,000
Mickey Appleman – 38,000
Michael Guzzardi – 36,000
Robert Varkonyi – 27,000
Bill Gazes – 26,000
Patrik Antonius – 10,000
Barry Greenstein – 5,000
Scotty Nguyen – 5,000

Eliminations:

Stuart Paterson
Harry Demetriou
Perry Friedman
John Myung

Big Hands and Storylines:

Nick’s Tricks Net Nix Chips

Nick Schulman raised to 1,200 from the cut-off in an open pot.  The action folded to the player in the big blind who made the call.  The flop came J85, and both players checked.  The 6 generated a bet of 3,000 from the player in the big blind, and Schulman instantly jettisoned his hand into the muck.  Schulman finished the hand with 80,000 in chips.

Wasicka Watches Worries Wash Away with Aces

Paul Wasicka successfully doubled up and survived elimination yet again, this time courtesy of pocket aces.  The action folded to Wasicka, who pushed all in pre-flop for his remaining 4,500 from the cut-off.  The button and small blind folded, and the big blind instantly called and turned over AJ.  Wasicka revealed his AA, and the board ran 88762.  Wasicka finished the hand with slightly less than 20,000 in chips.

Pat’s Jacks Axe Stacks

Patrick Antonius raised to 1,600 from middle position, and the next player to act reraised to a total of 4,500.  The action folded back to Antonius who moved all in for his remaining additional 9,000.  His opponent made the call and turned over 88, the underdog to Antonius’ JJ.  The board ran K6664, and Antonius finished the hand with 25,000.

Demetriou runs into aces and is out

Harry Demetriou raised to 2,100 from early position and was reraised to 6,200 total. He made the call and the two players saw a 8-6-4 flop with two spades. After Demetriou checked his opponent bet 12,000. After a minute Demetriou raised all in for 24,225 more. His opponent took a couple minutes before calling with pocket aces. Demetriou had pocket tens and the turn and river didn't help him.

Shulman Forced to Fold

Barry Shulman was in the big blind and called a preflop raise to 1600 from a player in middle position. The flop came QQ8, and both players checked. The 2 followed on the turn, and after Shulman checked, he called a bet of 5000. A third queen hit the river with the Q appearing, and after Shulman checked his opponent bet 10,000. Shulman, with about 50,000 in chips, laid his hand down.

Vos Adds to Stack

Mark Vos raised from early position to 1300 and drew two calls including one from the player in the cut-off. The Q109 flop brought two checks, and the cut-off bet 3000, which Vos called. The two were heads-up to see the 5 come on the turn, and both players checked. The A was the scare card on the river and now Vos led out for 7000. His opponent folded. Vos is at the same table as television/movie actor Ray Romano, though playing in the red section of the Amazon room means the table will be among the next to be broken.

Myung Survives All-in

John Myung was in the small blind for 250, and saw a player in late position raise to 2000. Myung, with only 8500 in chips remaining, used this opportunity to move all-in. Play folded to the raiser, who needed to call 6500 to force a showdown. But with just over 21,000 in chips, he elected to lay his hand down.

Bill Continues to Drill

On a board of 10942, Bill Gazes fired a bet of 6,500, causing his two opponents to fold their cards. Gazes finished the hand with 25,000 in chips.

Paul Pushes

Paul Wasicka successfully doubled up, but still remains at fewer than 25,000 in chips. After the player on the button limped into the pot, Wasicka raised and the big blind folded. The button made the call, and the flop came queen high with two clubs. Wasicka pushed in his remaining 6,000 and the button made the call. Wasicka held K-Q, while his opponent held K8. The K on the turn was effectively a blank for Wasicka, reducing his opponent’s outs by one (the Q). The river was a heart, and Wasicka won the pot.

Friedman loses big chunk of his stack

On a AKJ flop Perry Friedman bet 3,600 and was called by one player. The turn was the A and Friedman bet 4,500. He was again called, and then the T came on the river. This time Friedman checked, and his opponent bet 11,000. Friedman was not happy with his stuation but eventually made the call. His opponent flipped over pocket jacks for a full house to beat Friedman's A-Q for trips. After the hand Friedman had less than 30,000 chips.

Player Tags: John Myung,   Bill Gazes,   Barry Shulman,   Harry Demetriou,   Perry Friedman,   Paul Wasicka,   Mark Vos,   European Report

$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - End of Day 1

Jun 29, '08

Big Hands and Storylines:

An astounding 803 players entered today’s $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. event, surpassing all expectations. Eliminations were hard to find in the first two or three levels, but the pace picked up in the second half of the day. By the conclusion of day 1, only 184 players were left with a chance of taking home the World Series bracelet.

A very familiar name sits atop the leaderboard: Phil Hellmuth concluded the day with an impressive 43,000 chips. Winning this event would give Hellmuth a 12^th bracelet, further distancing him from Brunson and Chan. In addition, this would be Hellmuth’s first World Series win in a non-hold’em event.

Other big names that Hellmuth will need to contend with to take the title down include:

Joe Hachem - 25,000
Thomas Hunt - 25,000
Victor Ramdin - 23,600
Chad Brown - 22,000
Keith Sexton - 22,000
Arash Ghaneian - 21,000
Michael Craig - 20,000
Esther Taylor - 20,000
Perry Friedman - 18,500

Average Stack: 13,100

Action will resume tomorrow at 3 p.m and play will continue until the final table is reached.

---

Here is one final hand from day 1 action:

Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha:  300-500 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8:  100 ante, 200 bring in, 500-1,000 stakes

Hold’em

Matusow Gets An Unexpected Out

Mike Matusow raised from late position and was called by a player in the cutoff. The flop came down 1084. Matusow checked and the cutoff checked behind. The turn was the 2 and Matusow bet out. He was raised by the player in the one seat and he quickly called. The river was the 7 and both players checked without much thought. Matusow showed 75 for a pair of sevens. His opponent tabled A-Q and Matusow’s hand stood up despite missing both his straight and flush draws. That hand brought Mike Matusow up to 11,000 at day’s end. Matusow summed up his day succinctly when he said, “I couldn’t have played better and I couldn’t have felt worse.”

Player Tags: Chad Brown,   Mike Matusow,   Phil Hellmuth,   Victor Ramdin,   Arash Ghaneian,   Keith Sexton,   Perry Friedman,   Thomas Hunt III,   Michael Craig,   Esther Taylor

$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - Day 1 - Level 7 Recap

Jun 29, '08

Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha:  200-400 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8:  100 ante, 100 bring in, 400-800 stakes

Players Left: 224 of 803

Chip Leaders:
Victor Ramdin - 23,000
Arash Ghaneian - 22,900
Phil Hellmuth Jr. - 19,000
Chad Brown - 18,000
Keith Sexton - 17,000
Mary Jones - 17,000
Perry Friedman - 15,200
John Juanda - 15,000
Eugene Katchalov - 14,100
Michael Binger - 12,500

Average Stack: 10,750

Eliminations:
Brian Micon
David Sklansky
Isabelle Mercier

Big Hands and Storylines:

Table 28: The Place To Be

Though table 28 has lost David Chiu since we last left them,  that doesn’t mean that the action has slowed down any. Victor Ramdin has been getting in a number of pots while David Sklansky has remained his usual tight, mathematically sound self (edit: until he was eliminated late in the level). And with Bryan Micon and Mike Matusow providing an endless soundtrack for the players and rail alike, this table is worth keeping tabs on even while the dealer is shuffling the cards. A series of entertaining hands took place in rapid succession during the seven-card-stud eight or better round. Here are those hands:

The Mouth Approves

Going into fourth street with a 7 against Victor Ramdin’s 5 and another player’s 4, Matusow, short-stacked, implored of the dealer, “I really need an ace on this next street.” The dealer gave the first player a K, Ramdin the T, and, to Matusow’s delight, he was delivered the A. He exploded, “That’s how to deal this game dealer!” Matusow bet out with his newfound confidence and the first player folded quickly. While Ramdin was thinking over his decision, Matusow kept up that chatter, saying that he didn’t care whether Ramdin called or not, that either way was good for him. Eventually though, Ramdin folded and Matusow raked in the pot.

A Dramatic Finale... Or Not

Ramdin: 58AK
Matusow: 103J8

Victor Ramdin completed with the 5 and Matusow raised with the 10. Ramdin called. Matusow bet fourth street, Ramdin raised, and Matusow called. Ramdin bet fifth street and Matusow called; the same happened on sixth street, only this time Matusow had no further chips to bet. Ramdin showed (Q)(J) and Matusow, professing to having a pair of tens, called for Ramdin to catch “any baby red.” Matusow flipped up his cards: (A)(10). Matusow did have a pair of tens, but the fact that he also had an ace-high flush had completely escaped him until that moment. “I already have a flush!” The only card that Ramdin could catch to win the pot was the A, and when his final card blanked, the 8,000 chip pot was Matusow’s. After the hand, Matusow continued on about his myopia (figuratively, though I believe he is also near-sighted): “I didn’t even know I had it! I knew I had ten-ten-ace...” Fortunately for Matusow he was all-in by the end of the hand anyway, so he didn’t miss gaining an extra bet anywhere.

Ramdwn’d

As Bryan Micon waxed about one of his recent bad beats, Matusow interrupted him and told him that he wasn’t allowed to tell any bad beat stories at the table. In fact, Matusow asserted, Micon was never in front during the hand; Ramdin was the favorite the entire way through. Micon explained his thought process during the hand, “I knew I was beat high but I had infinite odds; I was trying to scoop low.” At just that moment the fairly subdued Ramdin piped in with some of his own bombast. He averred, “You’re playing against Victor Ramdin. You’re not supposed to scoop the low.” This comment earned a (much coveted) high five from Mike Matusow. By the end of the level Ramdin was chip leader with 23,000, so he had reason to be cocksure.

Micon Gone

Bryan Micon found his remaining 1,200 chips all-in against an opponent on 4^th street with the following cards:

Micon: (K)(9)K10
Opponent: (A)(6)8A

Micon needed two-pair to escape elimination, but things took a turn for the worse just seconds later when his opponent was dealt the 8 for aces up. “You are in a world of hurt, my friend,” opined Matusow, despite Micon drawing the 10. Matusow was right, and Micon’s final card blanked. Micon, one of the chip leaders during the early stages of the day, could not quite make it to the end of day 1.

Player Tags: John Juanda,   Chad Brown,   Mike Matusow,   Phil Hellmuth,   Victor Ramdin,   Arash Ghaneian,   Keith Sexton,   Perry Friedman,   Isabelle Mercier,   Eugene Katchalov,   Mary Jones,   Michael Binger,   Brian Micon

$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - Day 1 - Level 6 Recap

Jun 29, '08

Note: The players are now on a 20 minute break

Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha:  150-300 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8:  75 ante, 100 bring in, 300-600 stakes

Players Left: 320 of 803

Chip Leaders:
Mary Jones - 20,500
Keith Sexton - 16,500
Tom Schneider - 16,000
Perry Friedman - 14,500
Victor Ramdin – 13,500
John Juanda - 12,600
Claude Cohen - 12,000
Phil Hellmuth Jr. - 11,000
Joe Hachem - 11,000
Yueqi "Rich" Zhu - 10,500
Mickey Seagle - 10,000

Average Stack: 7,525

Eliminations:
Chris Ferguson
David Chiu
Howard Lederer

Big Hands and Storylines:

Hold’em

Neither Turn Nor River Save Jesus

Chris Ferguson raised from under-the-gun to 600, leaving himself a mere 250 chips behind. The button called, as did the small blind, and the three saw a flop. The flop rolled off K82. The small blind checked, Ferguson put his last sad chips into the pot, the button called and the small blind folded. The two showed their hands:

Ferguson: A6
Opponent: QQ

Ferguson would need one of the remaining aces in the deck to stay alive. The turn was the 2 and the river was the 5 though, ending Ferguson’s day prematurely.

Omaha

Ramdin Keeps Rollin’

Victor Ramdin raised it up from the button and, as so often happens in Omaha/8, the big blind called. On a flop of QQ10 the big blind bet out and Ramdin quickly met him with a raise. The big blind called and then check-called a bet on the turn (4). The river was the J and the action went check-call yet again. Ramdin showed AQ54 for a full house and took down the pot. That hand kept Ramdin climbing, now all the way up to 13,500.

Stud/8b

Now Those Are Some Scary Boards

Cyndy Violette: 6K66
Opponent: 29J8

Violette raised on third street with the 6 and her opponent called with the 2 up after having brought in. Violette bet again when she drew a king and her opponent appeared to blank with a nine. The boards only got better from there. On the next two streets, Violette received a pair of sixes while her opponent drew two hearts. On every single street Violette bet, and on every single street she was called. “Boat,” was her simple response when met with the last call, showing (7)(7)(8). After taking down that pot Violette sits just above average with 7,500.

Player Tags: Mickey Seagle,   Chris Ferguson,   John Juanda,   Phil Hellmuth,   Victor Ramdin,   Tom Schneider,   Keith Sexton,   Perry Friedman,   Claude Cohen,   Mary Jones,   Joe Hachem,   Zhu Yueqi

$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - Day 1 - Level 5 Recap

Jun 29, '08

Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha:  100-200 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8:  50 ante, 50 bring in, 200-400 stakes

Players Left: 440 of 803

Chip Leaders:
Keith Sexton - 16,500
Tom Schneider - 16,000
Perry Friedman - 14,500
John Juanda - 12,600
Claude Cohen - 12,000
Phil Hellmuth Jr. - 11,000
Joe Hachem - 11,000
Victor Ramdin – 11,000
Yueqi "Rich" Zhu - 10,500
Mickey Seagle - 10,000
Chad Brown - 9,800
Alex Jacob - 8,000

Average Stack: 5,475

Eliminations:
Daniel Negreanu

Big Hands and Storylines:

Show Them What They’re Playing For...

An announcement was just made by the tournament director, and with a field of 803 players starting the tournament, first-prize will be $256,412. This is nearly $100,000 more than last year’s first-place finisher took home, in large part due to the fact that the buy-in has been increased by 50%.

The Table of Death

With a few more than 400 players remaining the tables here in the Amazon Room (and some in the Brasilia Room) have begun to get more saturated with pros. No table is a better example of this than table 28. Sitting there earlier were David Sklansky, David Chiu, and Brian Micon. They were just joined by Victor Ramdin and Mike Matusow, whose chatter has been non-stop since arriving despite having only 2,800 chips.

Omaha

Jacob Busts Another

Alex Jacob raised pre-flop from early position and the only caller was a short-stacked player in the blinds. The flop came J83, and the short stack check-called a bet from Jacob. Jacob’s opponent was all-in after a 3 on the turn and the players showed:

Jacob: AA76
Opponent: AK109

The river was a harmless 8 and Jacob claimed another scalp. This one helped escalate his chip stack to 8,000.

Stud

Ramdin in Charge

Victor Ramdin: A6A8
David Chiu: 5852

David Chiu completed on third street and Victor Ramdin and another player made the call. Ramdin bet fourth street and was raised by Chiu. The third player folded, and Ramdin made the call. Both players open-paired up on fifth street, but Ramdin’s aces were far scarier than Chiu’s fives. Ramdin bet and Chiu called. Action was the same on the last two streets, and after the final call Chiu asked, “Jacks up good?” Ramdin turned over (8h)(6s)(5c). Jacks up were, in fact, no good. This pot propelled Ramdin to the heights of the chip leaders with 11,000. Chiu is not hurting for chips himself, with 7,600.

Player Tags: Mickey Seagle,   John Juanda,   Chad Brown,   Phil Hellmuth,   Victor Ramdin,   Tom Schneider,   Keith Sexton,   Perry Friedman,   Claude Cohen,   Joe Hachem,   Alex Jacob,   Yueqi Zhu

$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - Day 1 - Level 4 Recap

Jun 29, '08

Note: The players are now on a 30-minute mini-dinner break

Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha: 75-150 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8: 25 ante, 50 bring in, 150-300 stakes

Players Left: 552 of 803

Chip Leaders:
Tom Schneider - 15,400
Richard Brodie - 10,500
Perry Friedman - 9,125
Yueqi "Rich" Zhu - 8,400
Mickey Seagle - 8,000
Bryan Micon – 7,400
Sam Simon- 7,400
Thomas Hunt - 7,000
Joe Hachem - 6,500
Claude Cohen - 6,500

Average Stack: 4,365

Eliminations:
Max Pescatori

Big Hands and Storylines:

Stud

Micon Outspoken Despite Losing Pot

Bryan Micon: AQ3
Opponent: 10K10

Bryan Micon raised on third street and was called by his opponent, showing a ten. “You and I the whole day!” Micon continued, “At least we keep winning before playing each other.” Micon bet again on fourth street and was called. Then on fifth street, his opponent made a pair of tens and Micon folded to his bet. Micon exclaimed – more matter-of-factly than in any sort of Hellmuthian manner – “I had like the most concealed hand ever, and there wasn’t a single heart out!” As he said this he flipped over (8)(7). His opponent replied in kind by showing his (A)(K). Micon has gotten off to a very strong start and currently has 7,400.

Stud/8b  

Habib Doubles Up

Hasan Habib: 84Q
Opponent: A5K

A short-stacked Hasan Habib found himself all-in against on third street against an unknown opponent. Habib turned over (A)(3) for an ace-high flush draw against his opponent’s (K)(J) for a pair of kings. Habib spiked a diamond on 6^th street and that would be enough to take down the pot. Habib now has 1,300.

Razz

Greenstein Starts Anew

Greenstein: 8759
Opponent: A525

Fresh off of his sixth place finish in the H.O.R.S.E. championship, Barry Greenstein took a seat in $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. tournament, hoping to continue his recent success. We joined one of his hands in progress on fifth street, where Barry called a bet from his opponent despite his opponent showing A52. His opponent paired his five on sixth street, and Greenstein check-called. On seventh street, Greenstein check-called again. His opponent turned up (4)(3)(J) for a wheel, and Greenstein mucked his hand. Despite this temporary setback, Greenstein would end the hand with 5,300.

Player Tags: Mickey Seagle,   Barry Greenstein,   Richard Brodie,   Hasan Habib,   Tom Schneider,   Perry Friedman,   Claude Cohen,   Joe Hachem,   Sam Simon,   Bryan Micon,   Zhu Yueqi

$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - Day 1 - Level 3 Recap

Jun 29, '08

Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha:  50-100 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8:  25 ante, 25 bring in, 100-200 stakes

Entrants: 803

Chip Leaders:
Phil Gordon - 8,500
Marsha Waggoner - 7,400
Sam Simon - 7,000
Perry Friedman - 7,000
Thomas Hunt - 7,000
Richard Brodie - 6,700
Keith Sexton - 6,500
Isabelle Mercier - 6,000
Bryan Micon - 5,800
Lou Esposito - 5,500

Big Hands and Storylines:

Stud

Alex Jacob Wins Pot, Busts Opponent

Alex Jacob: K108J
Opponent: 10242

Alex Jacob and a short-stacked opponent went to fourth street with a K and 10 showing respectively. On fourth street, Jacob bet and his opponent called, leaving himself only 525 behind. Jacob bet again on 6^th street and the other player contemplated for a while, picked up his final few chips and said, “What am I going to do with these anyway?” He tossed them in for the call, but would regret it almost immediately. After 7^th street was dealt, Jacob showed (A)(Q)(J) for the straight. The pot gives Jacob 5,200 early on day 1.

Small But Important Pot Gives Ferguson Some Breathing Room

Chris Ferguson: A538
Opponent: Q64A

Ferguson completed on third street and his opponent raised. Ferguson made the call and the two players saw fourth street. On fourth street Ferguson checked and his opponent bet. Ferguson made the call. On fifth street Ferguson again checked, and his opponent put in the last of his chips. Ferguson made the call and the two turned over:

Ferguson: (K)(K)A538
Opponent: (J)(10)Q64A

Ferguson’s opponent said, “Well, I started out okay,” as he flipped over his cards. His river card was the 7 and he was eliminated mid-way through level 3. This pot, though not particularly large, was important for Ferguson as it represented a sizeable portion of his stack. He now sits with 2,600 in chips.

Stud/8b

Andy Bloch Gets Set-up

Andy Bloch: A5JK
Opponent: QJQ8

A player completed to 100 and Andy Bloch raised to 200. The player called and each player was dealt a fourth card. Bloch bet out and his opponent called. The hand switched gears when the opposing player was given a pair of open queens. As a result, he bet out on the final three streets, getting called all the way down by Bloch. Bloch’s showed his set when he flipped over his Q and that was good enough to win the pot. Bloch’s stack took a bit of a hit and now he has 3,000.

Player Tags: Chris Ferguson,   Richard Brodie,   Andy Bloch,   Phil Gordon,   Marsha Waggoner,   Keith Sexton,   Perry Friedman,   Isabelle Mercier,   Sam Simon,   Alex Jacob,   Lou Esposito,   Bryan Micon,   Thomas Hunt

$50,000 H.O.R.S.E - End of Day

Jun 25, '08

Play is done for the day. Day 2 action will resume at 3 p.m.

Blinds:
Hold'em: 800-1,500
Omaha 8: 800-1,500
Razz: 300 ante, 500 bring-in, 1,500 completion
Stud: 300 ante, 500 bring-in, 1,500 completion
Eight or Better: 500 ante, 500 bring-in, 1,500 completion

Players Left: 140 of 148

Chip Counts:
Chris Reslock: 220,000
James Mackey: 200,000
Pat Pezzin: 185,000
Phil Galfond: 180,000
Raymond Dehkharghani: 180,000
Joe Cassidy: 176,000
Ralph Perry: 175,000
Patrik Antonius: 170,000
Bill Chen: 170,000

Elimination: Phil Hellmuth, David Williams

Big Hands:

Hold'em

Flopped It

The player in seat 7 raised in position and David Benyamine called from the small blind and Billy "The Croc" Argyros called from middle the position. The flop came 875 and both Benyamine and Argyros checked to seat 7, who bet. Benyamine and Argyros made the call. The turn was the J and action was again checked to seat 7. He bet and Benyamine called, but Argyros mucked. The river was the 4, putting four hearts on the board. Benyamine bet out for the first time and seat 7 tanked. After lots of thought he made the call and Benyamine flipped over A2, for the flopped ace-high flush, and raked the pot.

A Full Tilt Collision

Full Tilt's Phil Ivey and Perry Friedman (who still has the Full Tilt logo on the side of his head) got involved in a pot when Ivey raised and Perry re-raised in position. Ivey made the call and the flop came K86. Ivey checked, Friedman bet out and Ivey made the call. The turn was the 10 and both players checked. Ivey bet out instantly when the 2 hit on the river and Friedman mucked his hand. Still, day one has not been kind to Ivey. He ended it with around 40,000 in chips.

Omaha 8

Set of Jacks for Antonius

When his opponent bet out on the river on a board of K-J-5-8-2, Patrik Antonius raised. His opponent called and Antonius showed J-J-6-4 for a set of jacks to take the pot while his opponent sat shaking his head.

Razz

Schneider Takes One Down

Tom Schneider bet every street until 7th street, where he slowed down and checked. His opponent called all the way and checked with Schneider on the end. Their cards were:
Schneider: 486J (A-2-Q)
His opponent: 9A69 (X-X-X)
Seeing that Schneider made an 8-low, his opponent mucked and Schneider took the pot.

Oppenheim Makes 9-Low For Pot

After some serious betting early, David Oppenheim and his opponent checked sixth and seventh street. Their cards here:
Oppenheim: 6K59 (9-4-2)
His opponent: 88A3 (Q-10-2)
Oppenheim's 9-low was good enough to edge out his opponent's 10-low and he raked a sizeable pot.

Good Hands

Surely Bill Chen and the player in seat 7 thought they were going to win the heavily bet pot before them. But when they showed down their best razz hands they saw something surprising:
Chen: 6-5-4-3-2-X-X-X
Seat 7: 6-5-4-3-2-X-X-X
Both players made the six-low and they split the pot.

Stud

Guess I'll Fold

Brandon Adams was showing the A when he bet out. His opponent was showing the Q and made the call. When Adams hit the A for his next card, his opponent shrugged at the early pair of aces in front of Adams and mucked his visible Q9.

Stud 8

Hellmuth Elminated by Fitoussi

In a three-way pot with Bruno Fitoussi and Rafi Amit, Phil Hellmuth got all in on fifth street. Their hands were:
Hellmuth: 6492 (6-9-x)
Fitoussi: 84K10 (KQ10)
Amit: 57105 (x-x-x)
Fitoussi's two pair was better than Hellmuth's and Hellmuth was eliminated late in day one.

Dwan Flushes Hennigan's Two-Pair

Tom Dwan has gotten the better of John Hennigan in a number of pots. In one hand Hennigan was showing two pair, yet couldn't get the better of the young internet-sensation. Their cards were:
Hennigan: 33KK (x-x-x)
Dwan: 42J9 (A85)
Dwan hit his ace-high flush and Hennigan angrily mucked his hand.

Leonidas Gets Better of Kostritsyn

Toto Leonidas bet every street during the hand. Isabelle Mercier got out of the way after fourth street but Leonidas was called down by Alexander Kostritsyn. Their showdown revealed:
Leonidas: A654 (A-7-6)
Kostritsyn: AJ4Q (Muck)
Seeing Leonidas' two pair, Kostritsyn slowly mucked his cards and Leonidas took the pot.

Player Tags: Toto Leonidas,   David Oppenheim,   David Benyamine,   Phil Hellmuth,   John Hennigan,   Tom Schneider,   Bruno Fitoussi,   Phil Ivey,   Perry Friedman,   Isabelle Mercier,   Patrik Antonius,   William Chen,   Brandon Adams,   Billy Argyros,   Tom Dwan,   Alexander Kostritsyn,   European Report

$50,000 H.O.R.S.E - Level 4

Jun 25, '08

Players are now on a 20 minute break

Blinds:
Hold'em: 600-1,200
Omaha 8: 600-1,200
Razz: 300 ante, 300 bring-in, 1,200 completion
Stud: 300 ante, 300 bring-in, 1,200 completion
Eight or Better: 300 ante, 300 bring-in, 1,200 completion

Chip Counts:
Ray Dehkharghani: 190,000
James Mackey: 185,000
Ralph Perry: 170,000
Shawn Sheikhan: 167,000
Chris Reslock: 152,000
Minh Ly: 152,000
Greg Mascio: 152,000
Steve Sung: 150,000
Rafi Amit: 150,000
Bill Chen: 148,000

Storylines:

The Drunken Fan

It's late, it's Vegas, and during the level a drunken spectator was thrilled to be able talk (yell) over the rail to Scotty Nguyen and express his admiration. Clearly excited to see poker's superstars in person, the man later noticed Tony G and began to tell Tony how great he is, to which Tony just smiled and gave two thumbs up. This made the drunk's night. Too bad he won't remember it in the morning...

Hold'em

Hansen Strong Out Of The Small Blind

David Williams raised and the player in seat 2 re-raised all preflop. Gus Hansen, sitting in the small blind, made the call and so did Williams. The flop came 1077, Hansen checked, David Williams checked and seat 2 bet out. Hansen quickly re-raised, Williams folded and seat 2 folded AK face up. Hansen didn't show and just raked his chips while talking about how he played the hand.

Friedman's Pair of Aces Beats Dwan

Perry Friedman bet and was called by Tom Dwan on every street of a A65108 board. Friedman flipped over A4 for a pair of aces, and it was good enough to take the pot.

Omaha 8

Mackey Takes One From Some Tough Competition

On a flop of A106 James Mackey checked and David Singer bet. Both Andy Bloch and Mackey made the call. The J came on the turn and Mackey checked again, allowing Singer to bet. Bloch made the call and Mackey said raise, then put in some more chips. Singer didn't hear Mackey say raise and the floor was called to the table. The dealer explained to the floorman that he did indeed hear Mackey say raise before he put his chips in, then he said it again while putting them in. The floorman said the raise stood and Singer and Bloch both made the call. The players checked the 3 river card and Mackey turned over AK4Q for the nut straight. When he saw Mackey's hand Bloch laughed and mucked. Singer also mucked and Mackey won a nice three-way pot again two of the better H.O.R.S.E players in the tournament. At the end of the level he sat with around 185,000 in chips.

Flack Scoops

Layne Flack raised from late position and was called by Hasan Habib, Justin Bonomo and John Cernuto. The flop came 973 and action was checked to Flack who bet out. Both Habib and Bonomo called, but Cernuto folded. The turn was the 10 and action was again checked to Flack who bet out. Both opponents made the call again and the river brought the 7. Action checked to Flack, he bet, Habib called and Bonomo folded.
Flack turned over 9-9-A-4, giving him a set of nines to scoop the entire pot.

Brown Missteps

The player in seat 2 bet the A108 flop and Chad Brown made the call. On the 2 turn card seat 2 bet and Brown raised. Both players checked the 4 river and Brown turned over A-8-4-6. His opponent showed A-10-5-7. There was some brief confusion as to who got what, but the dealer explained that Brown's opponent had the best two pair and low hand because Brown had not made a low hand.

Razz

Sheikhan Ready To Gamble

Shawn Sheikhan bet out on every street and was called by the player in seat 4. Their cards were:
Sheikhan: 4A23 (K-9-6)
Seat 4: 58J3 (A-4-8)

Sheikhan went ahead and bet blind after being dealt the final card. He showed a big hand - 6-low. Seat 4 paired his 8 on the end and Sheikhan took down a big pot.
After the hand Sheikhan told the table, "You guys want to gamble - I'll gamble."
Sheikhan had around 167,000 in chips.

Stud

Forrest Takes Monster Pot From Hellmuth

Ted Forrest bet every street and was called by Phil Hellmuth all the way down to seventh street. Hellmuth took off his sunglasses to look at his last down card. He put out a bet and started to put his shades back on but stopped dead in his tracks when Forrest raised him. A frustrated Hellmuth made the call and Forrest turned over his hand. Their cards were:
Forrest: QQ5A (Q-J-5)
Hellmuth: 764K (X-X-X)

Seeing Forrest's three queens, Hellmuth quietly slid his cards into the muck.

Stud 8

An Aggressive Galfond Bets Out Ivey and Williamson

Phil Galfond bet on fifth and sixth street and was called by Robert Williamson III and Phil Ivey. When Galfond led out on the end, Ivey mucked his hand and Williamson looked pained as he thought over his decision.
Galfond: AKQJ (X-X-X)
Ivey: 59QK
Williamson III: 82J9 (X-X-X)

Williamson eventually mucked, and Dwan started to infer about his friend Galfond's hand. Galfond smiled and the table laughed when he showed only one card - the 7.

Player Tags: Andy Bloch,   Hasan Habib,   Chad Brown,   Gus Hansen,   Ted Forrest,   Layne Flack,   Shawn Sheikhan,   Phil Hellmuth,   David Singer,   Phil Ivey,   Perry Friedman,   David Williams,   James Mackey,   Justin Bonomo,   Robert Williamson III,   Tom Dwan

Omaha World Championship - Hour Two

Jun 19, '08

Note: Players went on the first twenty-minute break of the event at the completion of Level 2 and will return at roughly 7:20 pm local time to begin Level 3.

Blinds: 200-300
Stakes: 300-600

Players : 234

Chip Leaders:
Tom Schenider: 31,000
Men Nguyen: 28,000
Daniel Alaei: 25,500
David Sklansky: 25,500
Eli Elezra: 23,000
Barry Greenstein: 23,000
Daniel Negreanu: 23,000
Mark Roland: 21,000
Jeff Madsen: 21,000

Big Hands:

Perry Friedman Scoops a Big Pot

On a flop of Q88, Daniel Negreanu bet 300 and both Perry Friedman and the player in seat 7 made the call. The turn was the 2, and this time Negreanu checked to Friedman who bet 600. Seat 7 called and Negreanu folded. The river was the K, and Friedman bet 600. Seat 7 called and Friedman turned over AQ22 for a full house (twos full of eights). With no low hand possible, Friedman scooped the pot.

Greg Raymer Gets Rivered, Settles for Half the Pot

Greg Raymer raised to 600 from late position and both seat 2 and Jimmy Fricke made the call. The flop came 862, and Fricke bet 300. Both raymer and seat 2 called. The turn was the 9, and Fricke bet 600. Once gain, both raymer and seat 2 called. The river was the 7, and this time seat 2 led out with a 600 bet. Fricke folded while Raymer called. Seat 2 turned over QQJ10 for the straight to the jack. Raymer turned over AJ75 for the turned straight to the nine with a nut flush redraw. Seat 2 rivered the straight while Raymer had to settle for only half the pot with the low hand.

Tom Schneider Scoops a Pot, Takes the Chip Lead

David Chui raised to 300 before the flop and Tom Schneider called from the big blind. The flop came K97, and Chiu bet 300, Schneider called. The turn was the 4, and once again Chiu bet and Schneider called. The river was the 3, and this time Schneider took the lead, betting 600. Chiu called and Schneider turned over KK52 for top set (high) and 2-5 for the low. Chiu mucked and Schneider scooped the pot. After the hand, Schneider was up to about 30,000, securing the chip lead heading into the break.

Player Tags: Daniel Negreanu,   Tom Schneider,   David Chiu,   Perry Friedman,   Greg Raymer

$2,000 Omaha H/L - Level Two

Jun 08, '08

Blinds/Antes: 50/75, 75/150 limits

Players Remaining: 551 of 551

Notable Chip Counts:
Tom Schneider - 7,100
Amnon Filippi - 5,800
Jordan Morgan - 5,775
Matt Savage - 5,600
Kristy Gazes - 5,100
Brett Jungblut - 5,000
Perry Friedman - 4,675
Chip Jett - 4,600
Barry Greenstein - 4,400
Mel Judah - 4,400

Big Hands:

Jimmy "gobboboy" Fricke Gets Scooped

The total number of participants in the $2,000 Omaha high-low tournament has reached 551, although registration for this tournament has not yet closed. Nevertheless, last year’s total of 534 players has officially been beaten. It seems that many of the top pros are joining this tournament as soon as they bust out of the $10,000 stud world championship, currently still going on elsewhere in the Amazon Room. This is creating some very stacked late entry tables, one in particular featuring Men the Master, Hoyt Corkins, Greg Raymer, and Jimmy Fricke.

On that table, the player in the cut-off raised pre-flop and Jimmy Fricke called from the button. Both blinds called as well, and the four players saw a flop of K76. The small blind checked, the big blind bet, and the original raiser folded. Fricke raised from the button, and the small blind called both bets. The big blind raised again, and Fricke and the small blind called. The 5 on the turn brought a check from the small blind, a bet from the big blind, and a call by both players. All checked the 4 on the river, and the small blind turned over T842. When the dealer announced his hand, eight-high straight for high and a live deuce for low, both the big blind and Fricke mucked their cards.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Phil Hellmuth Has Arrived

In his trademark tardy fashion, Phil Hellmuth sauntered into the Amazon Room in the middle of level two and found his seat, dressed in full race car driver apparel. No word on any accidents in the parking lot...

After one player from middle position limped into the pot, Hellmuth and another late position player joined only to have Perry Friedman raise from the button. The small blind and all the limpers called, and the five players saw a flop of T64. The small blind and the original limper checked to Hellmuth, who commented that he didn’t think checking was the right play for him as he fired a bet into the pot. One of the limpers called, and Friedman raised. The small blind called, Hellmuth called, and another limper called.

On the 5 turn, all checked to Friedman who again bet. All players called, and the 7 brought another round of checks. This time Friedman checked, causing Hellmuth to erupt with a burst of, “God, dang it! I’ve got the nuts.” He turned over his AK94 for the nut flush. Friedman flipped over his AT62 for ace-deuce nut low. “Checking ace-deuce? Really?” Hellmuth wondered as he split the pot with Friedman.

Player Tags: Barry Greenstein,   Mel Judah,   Phil Hellmuth,   Tom Schneider,   Perry Friedman,   Amnon Filippi,   Jordan Morgan,   Jimmy Fricke