Vanessa Selbst - Live Updates

Level 9 Update: Greenstein Doubles Up Early

Jun 21, '09

Blinds: 600-1200

Players Remaining: 105 out of 295

Chip Counts:

1. Noah Schwartz — 292,600
2. Barry Greenstein — 290,000
3. Ilari Sahamies — 229,400
4. David Williams — 223,000
5. Josh Arieh — 220,600
6. Steve Zolotow — 220,200
7. Matt Graham — 191,400
8. Ben Grundy — 191,000
9. Nathan Doudney — 171,000
10. Len Ashby — 167,100

Average Chip Count: 84,285

Notable Eliminations:

Vanessa Selbst, Tony G

Big Hands:

Greenstein Doubles Up

On a flop of 945, Greenstein found himself all in against Jonas Entin for a big pot. With 290,000 in the middle, the two hands were exposed. Greenstein showed the A44K, which was up against the big draw of Entin, who showed the 6788.

Luckily for Greenstein, he didn’t have to sweat very much as the turn was the 5, which paired the board and left Entin drawing dead.

Freddy Deeb Eliminates a Short Stack

A short stacked player moves his last chips into the pot on a flop of AQ9 and Freddy Deeb quickly tossed in a call.

The short stacked player showed K2K5 and Deeb showed the Q10108. “You got me in bad shape,” said Deeb as the J fell on the turn, which filled Deeb’s straight draw.

“That’s omaha,” added Deeb as he eliminated a player early in day 2.

Mike Watson Eliminates Vanessa Selbst

Vanessa Selbst moved all in for her last 23,000 on a flop of 764 and Mike Watson opted to make the call. Selbst showed the A1093 and Watson was ahead with his AKJJ.

The turn card was the 5 and the river was the K, which meant that Watson would scoop the pot and send Selbst home early.

Player Tags: Barry Greenstein,   Michael Watson,   Vanessa Selbst,   Freddy Deeb

Level 2 Update: Vanessa Selbst, Scott Seiver Eliminated

Jun 17, '09

Blinds: 100-200

Players Remaining: 356 out of 362

Chip Counts:

1. Matt Kirk – 37,000
2. Sandra Naujoks – 26,000
3. Isaac Haxton – 21,000
4. Erik Seidel – 20,000
5. Andy Black – 15,000
6. Barry Greenstein – 15,000
7. Brock Parker – 15,000
8. Daniel Negreanu – 15,000
9. Carlos Mortensen – 15,000
10. Greg Raymer – 15,000

Average Chip Count: 15,252

Notable Eliminations:

Vanessa Selbst
Scott Seiver

Big Hands:

Sandra Naujoks Eliminates Opponent

Sandra Naujoks and her opponent got it in preflop with the EPT winner holding aces and her opponent tabling kings. The board offered no help for either player and Naujoks won the pot. She is up to 26,000 in chips.

Isaac Haxton Eliminates Opponent

On a flop of 1093, Isaac Haxton and his opponent got it all-in. Haxton tabled the KK65 while his opponent was behind with the 9876. The 7 hit the turn, giving Haxton the flush but leaving his opponent outs for a full house. The 6 fell on the river however, and Haxton won the pot and is up to 21,000.

Vanessa Selbst Eliminated

Selbst had a straight on the turn and got it in against an opponent with a flush draw and a set. The flush came and eliminated the 2008 WSOP Event No. 19 ($1,500 pot-limit omaha) champion.

Left In The Deck:

Players are on a short 20 minute break.

Player Tags: Vanessa Selbst,   Isaac Haxton,   Sandra Naujoks

Event No. 5 Begins on Monday at Noon

Jun 01, '09

Event No. 5 ($1,500 pot-limit Omaha) will begin at noon on Monday, June 1. Players will begin with 1,500 in tournament chips and blinds will begin at 25-50. Levels will be 60-minutes long and there will be a 20-minute break after every two levels. There will be a 90-minute dinner break after level 6 on day 1. Here is a look at the schedule for the event:

Monday, June 1, noon: Day 1 (play 10 levels)
Tuesday, June 2, 2 p.m.: Day 2 (play down to final table)
Wednesday, June 3, 2 p.m.: Final Table

In 2008 this event attracted 759 players and the champion was Vanessa Selbst, who took home $227,965 in prize money. CardPlayer.com will bring you a summary of the action at the dinner break and end of play each day for this event.

Player Tags: Vanessa Selbst

David Oppenheim Defeats Vanessa Selbst

Mar 06, '09

David Oppenheim raised with a flop of 9-7-4 sitting on the table. Vanessa Selbst reraised and Oppenheim moved all in. Selbst called Oppenheim down and she flipped over 7-4 for two pair. Oppenheim showed down pocket aces and then hit running kings to make a better two pair and double up to survive.

Selbst was crippled and eventually got it all in with Q-7 against Oppenheim's A-6. The board bricked for Selbst and Oppenheim advanced. Oppenheim will now play the winner of Kenny Yeh and Phil Laak.

When asked why Flack couldn't play, Oppenheim joked, "We were drinking last night and I put something in his drink."

Player Tags: David Oppenheim,   Vanessa Selbst

Vanessa Selbst Eliminated

Nov 06, '08

Vanessa Selbst has been eliminated from the tournament. According to Selbst, every aggressive player flopped sets against her top pair all day long.

Shortly after the break, Selbst decided to go with her hand and once again a set did her in to send her to the rail. At least now she'll have time to study for her law exams.

 

 

Player Tags: Vanessa Selbst

$10,000 Heads Up Championship - Alec Torelli vs. Vanessa Sebst

Jun 15, '08

Vanessa Selbst vs. Alec Torelli - Hour Two

Alec Torelli Advances, Vanessa Selbst Eliminated ($108,288)

Selbst raised to 40,000 and Torelli reraised to 130,000. Selbst made the call and the flop came J54. Torelli bet 150,000 and Selbst made the call. The turn was the 10 and Torelli thought for a long while before betting 350,000. Selbst tanked for a minute before moving all in and Torelli reluctantly made the call. Selbst was ahead with K10 against Torelli's KQ, but the river was the 9 giving him a straight and sending him to the finals against Kenny Tran. Selbst finishes in the semi-finals for the second consecutive year, earning $108,288 and adding to her already impressive WSOP.

 

NOTE: The finals match will begin at 7 p.m.

Player Tags: Vanessa Selbst,   Alec Torelli

$10,000 Heads Up Championship - Vanessa Selbst vs. Alec Torelli

Jun 15, '08

Vaness Selbst vs. Alec Torelli - Hour One

Alec Torelli Takes an Early Pot

Selbst raised to 30,000 and Torelli made the call. The flop came down 422 and Torelli checked. Selbst bet 35,000 and Torelli called. The turn was the 3 and both players checked. The river was the 10 and Torelli bet 80,000.  Selbst made the call and Torelli showed A-10 to take the pot.

Vanessa Selbst Takes a 3-2 Chip Lead

Alec Torelli raised to 30,000 and Selbst reraised to 100,000. Torelli called and both players saw a flop of K65. Selbst bet 128,000 and Torelli raised to 260,000. Selbst thought it over before calling. Both players then checked it down when the turn and river came 49. Selbst showed 9-8 for a rivered pair of nines and Torelli mucked his hand.

Alec Torelli Makes Big Calls To Take Back the Chip Lead

Selbst limped on the button and Torelli raised to 47,000. Selbst then reraised to 122,000 and Torelli made the call. The flop came JJ6 and Torelli checked to Selbst who bet 150,000. Torelli took a long time before calling and the turn was the A. Torelli checked again and Selbst fired in 275,000. After Torelli made the call, both players checked the K on the river.  Torelli showed pocket nines and Selbst couldn't beat it. After the hand Torelli took slightly more than a 3-2 chip lead.

NOTE: The players then took a 20-minute break.

Player Tags: Vanessa Selbst,   Alec Torelli

Heads Up Championship Final Four About to Begin

Jun 15, '08

We are just ten minutes away from the commencement of the final table(s) of the $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Heads Up Championship.

Four players remain: Alec Torelli will square off against Vanessa Selbst, and Kenny Tran will battle with Jonathan Jaffe. For fairness' sake, all players will start with 1,280,000 in chips with blinds beginning at 6,000-12,000.

Player Tags: Kenny Tran,   Jonathan Jaffe,   Vanessa Selbst,   Alec Torelli

Vanessa Selbst Wins Event No. 19 ($227,965)

Jun 12, '08

Vanessa Selbst knocked out another one of Jamie Pickering's legs one hand prior by relieving him of 200,000 and leaving him short stacked before the final hand came down. The two players limped to a flop of 1087 and Pickering checked. Selbst bet 90,000 and Pickering raised all in. Selbst made the call and they turned up their cards:

Selbst: JJ92
Pickering: AQ109

Turn and River: 5A

Selbst won the hand and the tournament, and the crowd surrounding the final table went wild in approval. Selbst is the first woman to win an open buy-in bracelet this summer, and she took home $227,965 for the win. This is her first gold bracelet. Pickering was eliminated in second place, and took home $145,459 for a note-worthy runner-up performance.

 

Player Tags: Jamie Pickering,   Vanessa Selbst

PLO - Final Table - Heads-Up Insanity

Jun 12, '08

Blinds: 12,000-24,000

Players Remaining: 2 of 759

Chip Counts:

Vanessa Selbst: 1,400,000
Jamie Pickering: 950,000

Eliminations:

none

Big Hands and Storylines:

The Madness Begins

Early in the heads-up match Jamie Pickering raised the pot blind and Vanessa Selbst made the call. The flop hit the table AQ3 and Selbst checked. Pickering bet the pot blind again and Selbst made the call. The turn card fell J and Pickering checked. Selbst bet the pot and Pickeing went into the tank for 10 minutes. He finally looked at his cards and said, "Oh sh^t, I'm dead." Selbst turned up Q-9-7-7 as she collected the pot.

Pickering Grabs the Lead

On a flop of 1085 Pickering bet 120,000 and Selbst raised the pot to put Pickering all in, and he made the call.  Their cards:

Pickering: A553
Selbst: QJ94

Turn and River: 84

Pickering doubled up on the hand and he now held 1.3 million to Selbst's 760,000.

Insanity

Pickering raised the pot blind preflop and Selbst made the call. The flop came K108 and Selbst checked. Pickering bet the pot blind, and Selbt raised the pot. Pickering finally decided to look at his cards and he made the call. He then reraised the pot again and Selbst made the call. Their cards:

Selbst: 10-9-6-4
Pickering: A-A-6-4

Turn and River: 62

Selbst took back the chip lead on the crazy hand and the two players took a 20-minute break.

Player Tags: Jamie Pickering,   Vanessa Selbst

PLO - Final Table - Stanley Statkiewicz Eliminated in 3rd Place

Jun 12, '08

Blinds: 10,000-20,000

Players Remaining: 2 of 759

Chip Counts:

Vanessa Selbst: 1,800,000
Jamie Pickering: 465,000

Eliminations:

Stanley Statkiewicz: 3rd Place ($88,062)

Big Hands and Storylines:


Stanley Statkiewicz Eliminated in Third Place ($88,062)

Vanessa Selbst raised to 60,000 preflop and Stanley Statkiewicz made the call. The flop was dealt J108 and Selbst bet 90,000. Statkiewicz raised all in and Selbst made the call. Their cards:

Selbst: A654
Statkiewicz: AQ108

Turn and River: K2

Statkiewicz was eliminated in third place, and he took home $88,062 in prize money.

Player Tags: Jamie Pickering,   Stanley Statkiewicz Jr.,   Vanessa Selbst

PLO - Final Table - Things Even Up Three Handed

Jun 12, '08

Blinds: 8,000-16,000

Players Remaining: 3 of 759

Chip Counts:

Stanley Statkiewicz: 848,000
Jamie Pickering: 790,000
Vanessa Selbst: 650,000

Average Chip Stack: 759,000

Eliminations:

none

Big Hands and Storylines:

Stanley Statkiewicz Doubles Up

Stanley Statkiewicz raised to 46,000 preflop and Jamie Pickering got out of the way. The flop rolled out 873 and Selbst checked her option. Statkiewicz bet the pot and Selbst reraised to put him all in. He made the call and they turned up their hands:

Selbst: 8765
Statkiewicz: AA108

Turn and River: 910

Statkiewicz doubled up on the hand to survive, while Selbst was knocked down to about a million in chips.

Jamie Pickering Doubles Up

Jamie Pickering and Venssa Selbst see a flop of A22 and Pickering checks. Selbst made a 50,000 raise and Pickering made the call. The turn brought the 3 and the same sequence repeated itself. The river rolled out the 6 and Pickering checked again. Selbst bet 95,000, and this time Pickering check-raised all in for 193,000. Selbest made the call, but quickly mucked when Pickering revealed AAQQ.

Both players had now doubled up through the once unstoppable Selbest and the chip counts had all pulled about even.

Player Tags: Jamie Pickering,   Stanley Statkiewicz Jr.,   Vanessa Selbst

PLO - Final Table - Eugene Todd (5th) and Thom Schultz (4th) Eliminated

Jun 12, '08

Blinds: 6,000-12,000

Players Remaining: 3 of 759

Chip Counts:

Vanessa Selbst: 1,500,000
Stanley Statkiewicz: 380,000
Jamie Pickering: 311,000

Average Chip Stack: 569,250

Eliminations:

5th Place: Eugene Todd ($59,053)
4th Place: Thom Schultz ($72,004)

Board: J8242

Todd was eliminated in fifth place, and he took home $59,053 in prize money.

Thom Schultz Eliminated in Fourth Place ($72,004)

On a flop of 1044 Vanessa Selbst moved all in to put Thom Schultz on a decision for his tournament life. He decided to call and the two players flipped up their hands:

Schultz: A-K-Q-6
Selbst: A-Q-10-6

Turn and River: 6-9

Schultz was eliminated on the hand in fourth place, and he took home $72,004 in prize money. Selbst claimed her fourth victim of the day and continued to build her chip lead.

 

Player Tags: Eugene Todd,   Jamie Pickering,   Vanessa Selbst,   Thomas Schultz

PLO - Final Table - PLO Elimination Madness

Jun 12, '08

Blinds: 5,000-10,000

Players Remaining: 5 of 759

Chip Counts:

Vanessa Selbst: 1,207,000
Thom Schultz: 324,000
Stanley Statkiewicz: 290,000
Jamie Pickering: 284,000
Eugene Todd: 165,000

Average Chip Stack: 455,400

Eliminations:

9th Place: Ken Lairson ($20,720)
8th Place: Jamie Robbins ($28,490)
7th Place: Mel Randolph ($36,261)
6th Place: Craig Natte ($46,621)

Big Hands and Storylines:

Ken Lairson Eliminated in Ninth Place ($20,720)

Ken Lairson was on the big blind when Vanessa Selbst raised to 22,000. Lairson made the all-in call and they turned up their hands:

Selbst: AQQ7
Lairson: 8527

Board: 1053106

Lairson was eliminated on the hand in ninth place, and he took home $20,720 in prize money.

Jamie Robbins Eliminated in Eighth Place ($28,490)

Jamie Robbins moved all in preflop for 48,000 and Jamie Pickering went into the tank for a moment before deiciding to call. Their cards:

Robbins: AKQ10
Pickering: KQJ7

Board: 8546Q

Robbins was eliminated in eighth place, and took home $28,490 in prize money.

Mel Randolph Eliminated in Seventh Place ($36,261)

Mel Randolph moved all in on a flop of A62 and Eugene Todd made the call. Their cards:

Todd: Q722
Randolph: A642

The turn and river bricked out and Randolph was eliminated in seventh place. He took home $36,621 in prize money.

Craig Natte Eliminated in Sixth Place ($46,621)

Selbst raised to 29,000 and Craig Natte reraised all in preflop. Selbst made the call and the players turned up their cards:

Selbst: AA85
Natte: KQJ7

Board: K4365

Selbst won the hand to take her stack above 1.5 million and really took control of the final table. Natte was sent home in sixth place, and he took home $46,621 in prize money.

Player Tags: Craig Natte,   Jamie Robbins,   Eugene Todd,   Jamie Pickering,   Vanessa Selbst,   Mel Randolph,   Ken Lairson

PLO - Final Table - Shuffle Up and Deal

Jun 12, '08

The final table of the $1,500 pot-limit Omaha event has begun and the final nine players will play down to one champion today. This table is a mix of green rookies, players with a little bit of tournament success under their belt , and two professional players. Here is a look at the seating chart and chip counts:

Seat 1: Jamie Pickering -- 329,000
Seat 2: Eugene Todd -- 127,000
Seat 3: Mel Randolph -- 117,000
Seat 4: Jamie Robbins -- 70,000
Seat 5: Vanessa Selbst -- 1,047,000
Seat 6: Stanley Statkiewicz -- 318,000
Seat 7: Ken Lairson -- 16,900
Seat 8: Craig Natte -- 108,000
Seat 9: Thom Schultz -- 144,000

Selbst is in a strong position to become the first woman of the summer to win a bracelet in an open buy-in event with over 1 million in chips. Ken Lairson is in a decidedly different situation, starting his day with just over four big blinds.

Blinds begin at 4,000-8,000. Shuffle up and deal!

Player Tags: Eugene Todd,   Vanessa Selbst

Event 19 - PL Omaha - Final Table is Set

Jun 11, '08

Blinds: 4,000-8,000

Final Table Chip Counts:

Vanessa Selbst: 940,000
Stanley Statkiewicz Jr.: 331,000
Jamie Pickering: 290,000
Eugene Todd: 155,000
Craig Natte: 121,000
Mel Randolph 119,000
Thom Schultz: 84,000
Jamie Robbins: 68,000
Ken Lairson: 20,000

Big Hands:

Selbst Makes Gutsy Play, Decides Final 9 - Action resumes at 2 p.m. Thursday

After several hands featuring many checks and folds, the biggest pot of the tournament exploded out of nowhere and the final 9 were decided.

Tom Schultz raised to 20,000 and Vanessa Selbst raised it 50,000 more to 75,000 total. Anthony Phillips then reraised it to 239,000 from late position and action folded to Selbst. Selbst stood up and thought long and hard. She asked Phillips how much he had left behind and he told her 188,000. After much deliberation, Selbst decided to just call.
As soon as the decision left her lips, Phillips announced he was all in dark.
The flop came 854 and Selbst gritted her teeth, not happy with the flop. Still, she called and Phillips said he had aces and showed AAQ9. Selbst was behind, with just KJ98. The turn was the 10 and Selbst was still trailing Phillips' aces. The river was huge, the 9, and a shocked Selbst exclaimed, "Two pair!"
She had hit two pair, 8s and 9s and Phillips stormed away from the table, eliminated in 10th place.
Selbst explained to those around her that Phillips was agressive and would have had position on her at the final table tomorrow with a lot of chips.
"Gamble, gamble, baby," she said with a smile. Selbst has a commanding chip lead with 940,000 in chips.

The final table will begin at 2 p.m. tomorrow. Check back with Card Player for updates on the action.

Player Tags: Vanessa Selbst,   Anthony Phillips,   European Report

Event 19 - PL Omaha - Level 15

Jun 11, '08

Blinds: 3,000/6,000

Players Left: 11 of 759

Chip Counts:

Vanessa Selbst: 460,000
Jamie Pickering: 292,000
Calen McNeil: 182,000
Stanley Statkiewicz Jr.: 170,000
Craig Natte: 170,000

Average Stack: 207,000

Eliminations: Colin York, Jordan Morgan, Jeff Brown.

Big Hands:

The Field Gets Smaller - Courtesy of Selbst

After a flop of 962, the player in seat 5 pushed his remaining 25,000 into the pot and was called by Vanessa Selbst. Seat 5 showed JJK10 for a pair of jacks and a club flush draw. Selbst showed AA107 for a pair of aces. The turn was the 8, giving Selbst the straight, and the river was the J. Selbst was pleasantly surprised to take the pot, because she said she didn't even see the straight out there and only saw the rivered set of jacks for the player in seat 5. Selbst ended the level with   in chips.

Just before the end of the level, Selbst was heads up with the player in seat 8 when she bet 19,000 on a flop of 1093. Seat 9 called and turn brought the J. Seat 9 pushed his remaining stack all in and Selbest instantly called showing KKQ7 for the nut straight. The river bricked and Selbst sent another one packing.

Natte Knocks off a Pair

Craig Natte had a pair of all-in short-stacks covered preflop and saw the board come out KQ975. The 7 was the river card and gave Natte, who held the A1095, the nut flush. He eliminated both Jordan Morgan and Colin York on the hand.

Morgan Crippled With Kings

Colin York raised to 19,000 preflop, Jordan Morgan reraised to 64,000 from the button, and Eugene Todd took the opportunity to push all-in for 105,000 total. York folded and Morgan called, showing KK33. Todd showed AA92. Greg Cox, who was all-in for just 2000 chips, held AQ94. The flop came J84, followed by the 2 on the turn and 4 on the river. Todd won the majority of the pot with two pair, aces and fours, while Morgan was crippled down to 14,000 remaining. Cox actually won the main pot with trip fours to stand at 8,000.
Cox then tripled up on the next hand, and doubled up on the next, to remain in play.
 

Player Tags: Craig Natte,   Eugene Todd,   Jordan Morgan,   Vanessa Selbst,   Greg Cox,   Colin York

1,500 Pot Limit Omaha - Level 14

Jun 11, '08

Players have begin a 20-minute break.

Blinds: 2000/4000

Players Left: 21 of 579

Chip Leaders:

Vanessa Selbst - 285,000
Jamie Pickering - 200,000
Craig Natte - 162,000
Anthony Phillips - 130,000
Stanley Statkiewicz - 130,000
Thom Schultz - 126,000
Colin York - 103,000
Mel Randolph - 91,000
Kyle Hegeman - 90,000
Trai Dang - 85,000

Eliminations: Doug Smith, Brian Sharrock, Phil Reed, Nam Le, Jesper Hougaard, Max Pescatori, Ryan Lenaghan, James Lampropoulos, Carter Gill, Randy Holland, Lawrence Cowsar.

Big Hands:

What a Way to Go

Max Pescatori knew he had to dodge some bullets, but he couldn't have seen the end coming the way that it did. Greg Cox raised from the small blind to 14,000, and both Pescatori and Craig Natte called to see the flop which ran out Q95. From that point on, all three players went all-in, with Cox having the others covered. Pescatori, the short-stack of the three, had about 35,000 in chips and held top set with the QQ108. Cox matched the 44,000 of Natte with the AA96. Natte was reduced to bottom set with the 5522. The 4 came on the turn, which became relevant when the 3 hit the river. It was suddenly Natte, holding the 52 of clubs, who scooped the massive pot worth 168,000 in chips. Pescatori was eliminated and Cox had just 26,000 remaining in chips.

Pickering Eliminates Hougaard

Jamie Pickering raised to 14,000 preflop and Carter Gill called. Jesper Hougaard then raised for 2,000 more all-in from the small blind and both players called. The flop came A64 and Pickering bet pot, which prompted Gill to fold. Pickering showed AA108 for top set, which eliminated Hourgaard who held K-Q-J-4. The board finished 92.

Gill Runs Out of Steam

Carter Gill was active in the majority of pots at his table, but finally ran out of momentum against Vanessa Selbst. Selbst raised to 10,000 preflop and Gill went to 36,000 from the cut off. The flop came KQ7 and Selbst checked. Gill pushed his remaining 37,000 in chips and Selbst called, showing AQJ8 for middle pair. Gill held 10-10-9-7 and was eliminated in 23rd place.
Gill had earlier come up short in an attempt to eliminate Jeff Brown. Brown had 25,000 in chips and was all-in with QJ98. Gill had the AKJ8. The board ran out AQQ95 and Brown had flopped trips to stay alive.

Todd Eliminates Another

Lawrence Cowsar bet 10,000 after a flop of J74. Eugene Todd raised to put Cowsar all-in for his remaining stack. Cowsar held 7733 for middle set, while Todd had the AJ75 for top two pair with a flush draw. The 6 on the river sent Cowsar to the sideline.

Player Tags: Eugene Todd,   Jamie Pickering,   Vanessa Selbst,   Jesper Hougaard,   Carter Gill

Vanessa Selbst Wins Event No. 19 ($227,965)

Jun 12, '08

Vanessa Selbst knocked out another one of Jamie Pickering's legs one hand prior by relieving him of 200,000 and leaving him short stacked before the final hand came down. The two players limped to a flop of 1087 and Pickering checked. Selbst bet 90,000 and Pickering raised all in. Selbst made the call and they turned up their cards:

Selbst: JJ92
Pickering: AQ109

Turn and River: 5A

Selbst won the hand and the tournament, and the crowd surrounding the final table went wild in approval. Selbst is the first woman to win an open buy-in bracelet this summer, and she took home $227,965 for the win. This is her first gold bracelet. Pickering was eliminated in second place, and took home $145,459 for a note-worthy runner-up performance.

 

Player Tags: Jamie Pickering,   Vanessa Selbst

PLO - Final Table - Heads-Up Insanity

Jun 12, '08

Blinds: 12,000-24,000

Players Remaining: 2 of 759

Chip Counts:

Vanessa Selbst: 1,400,000
Jamie Pickering: 950,000

Eliminations:

none

Big Hands and Storylines:

The Madness Begins

Early in the heads-up match Jamie Pickering raised the pot blind and Vanessa Selbst made the call. The flop hit the table AQ3 and Selbst checked. Pickering bet the pot blind again and Selbst made the call. The turn card fell J and Pickering checked. Selbst bet the pot and Pickeing went into the tank for 10 minutes. He finally looked at his cards and said, "Oh sh^t, I'm dead." Selbst turned up Q-9-7-7 as she collected the pot.

Pickering Grabs the Lead

On a flop of 1085 Pickering bet 120,000 and Selbst raised the pot to put Pickering all in, and he made the call.  Their cards:

Pickering: A553
Selbst: QJ94

Turn and River: 84

Pickering doubled up on the hand and he now held 1.3 million to Selbst's 760,000.

Insanity

Pickering raised the pot blind preflop and Selbst made the call. The flop came K108 and Selbst checked. Pickering bet the pot blind, and Selbt raised the pot. Pickering finally decided to look at his cards and he made the call. He then reraised the pot again and Selbst made the call. Their cards:

Selbst: 10-9-6-4
Pickering: A-A-6-4

Turn and River: 62

Selbst took back the chip lead on the crazy hand and the two players took a 20-minute break.

Player Tags: Jamie Pickering,   Vanessa Selbst

PLO - Final Table - Stanley Statkiewicz Eliminated in 3rd Place

Jun 12, '08

Blinds: 10,000-20,000

Players Remaining: 2 of 759

Chip Counts:

Vanessa Selbst: 1,800,000
Jamie Pickering: 465,000

Eliminations:

Stanley Statkiewicz: 3rd Place ($88,062)

Big Hands and Storylines:


Stanley Statkiewicz Eliminated in Third Place ($88,062)

Vanessa Selbst raised to 60,000 preflop and Stanley Statkiewicz made the call. The flop was dealt J108 and Selbst bet 90,000. Statkiewicz raised all in and Selbst made the call. Their cards:

Selbst: A654
Statkiewicz: AQ108

Turn and River: K2

Statkiewicz was eliminated in third place, and he took home $88,062 in prize money.

Player Tags: Jamie Pickering,   Stanley Statkiewicz Jr.,   Vanessa Selbst

PLO - Final Table - Things Even Up Three Handed

Jun 12, '08

Blinds: 8,000-16,000

Players Remaining: 3 of 759

Chip Counts:

Stanley Statkiewicz: 848,000
Jamie Pickering: 790,000
Vanessa Selbst: 650,000

Average Chip Stack: 759,000

Eliminations:

none

Big Hands and Storylines:

Stanley Statkiewicz Doubles Up

Stanley Statkiewicz raised to 46,000 preflop and Jamie Pickering got out of the way. The flop rolled out 873 and Selbst checked her option. Statkiewicz bet the pot and Selbst reraised to put him all in. He made the call and they turned up their hands:

Selbst: 8765
Statkiewicz: AA108

Turn and River: 910

Statkiewicz doubled up on the hand to survive, while Selbst was knocked down to about a million in chips.

Jamie Pickering Doubles Up

Jamie Pickering and Venssa Selbst see a flop of A22 and Pickering checks. Selbst made a 50,000 raise and Pickering made the call. The turn brought the 3 and the same sequence repeated itself. The river rolled out the 6 and Pickering checked again. Selbst bet 95,000, and this time Pickering check-raised all in for 193,000. Selbest made the call, but quickly mucked when Pickering revealed AAQQ.

Both players had now doubled up through the once unstoppable Selbest and the chip counts had all pulled about even.

Player Tags: Jamie Pickering,   Stanley Statkiewicz Jr.,   Vanessa Selbst

PLO - Final Table - Eugene Todd (5th) and Thom Schultz (4th) Eliminated

Jun 12, '08

Blinds: 6,000-12,000

Players Remaining: 3 of 759

Chip Counts:

Vanessa Selbst: 1,500,000
Stanley Statkiewicz: 380,000
Jamie Pickering: 311,000

Average Chip Stack: 569,250

Eliminations:

5th Place: Eugene Todd ($59,053)
4th Place: Thom Schultz ($72,004)

Board: J8242

Todd was eliminated in fifth place, and he took home $59,053 in prize money.

Thom Schultz Eliminated in Fourth Place ($72,004)

On a flop of 1044 Vanessa Selbst moved all in to put Thom Schultz on a decision for his tournament life. He decided to call and the two players flipped up their hands:

Schultz: A-K-Q-6
Selbst: A-Q-10-6

Turn and River: 6-9

Schultz was eliminated on the hand in fourth place, and he took home $72,004 in prize money. Selbst claimed her fourth victim of the day and continued to build her chip lead.

 

Player Tags: Eugene Todd,   Jamie Pickering,   Vanessa Selbst,   Thomas Schultz

PLO - Final Table - PLO Elimination Madness

Jun 12, '08

Blinds: 5,000-10,000

Players Remaining: 5 of 759

Chip Counts:

Vanessa Selbst: 1,207,000
Thom Schultz: 324,000
Stanley Statkiewicz: 290,000
Jamie Pickering: 284,000
Eugene Todd: 165,000

Average Chip Stack: 455,400

Eliminations:

9th Place: Ken Lairson ($20,720)
8th Place: Jamie Robbins ($28,490)
7th Place: Mel Randolph ($36,261)
6th Place: Craig Natte ($46,621)

Big Hands and Storylines:

Ken Lairson Eliminated in Ninth Place ($20,720)

Ken Lairson was on the big blind when Vanessa Selbst raised to 22,000. Lairson made the all-in call and they turned up their hands:

Selbst: AQQ7
Lairson: 8527

Board: 1053106

Lairson was eliminated on the hand in ninth place, and he took home $20,720 in prize money.

Jamie Robbins Eliminated in Eighth Place ($28,490)

Jamie Robbins moved all in preflop for 48,000 and Jamie Pickering went into the tank for a moment before deiciding to call. Their cards:

Robbins: AKQ10
Pickering: KQJ7

Board: 8546Q

Robbins was eliminated in eighth place, and took home $28,490 in prize money.

Mel Randolph Eliminated in Seventh Place ($36,261)

Mel Randolph moved all in on a flop of A62 and Eugene Todd made the call. Their cards:

Todd: Q722
Randolph: A642

The turn and river bricked out and Randolph was eliminated in seventh place. He took home $36,621 in prize money.

Craig Natte Eliminated in Sixth Place ($46,621)

Selbst raised to 29,000 and Craig Natte reraised all in preflop. Selbst made the call and the players turned up their cards:

Selbst: AA85
Natte: KQJ7

Board: K4365

Selbst won the hand to take her stack above 1.5 million and really took control of the final table. Natte was sent home in sixth place, and he took home $46,621 in prize money.

Player Tags: Craig Natte,   Jamie Robbins,   Eugene Todd,   Jamie Pickering,   Vanessa Selbst,   Mel Randolph,   Ken Lairson

PLO - Final Table - Shuffle Up and Deal

Jun 12, '08

The final table of the $1,500 pot-limit Omaha event has begun and the final nine players will play down to one champion today. This table is a mix of green rookies, players with a little bit of tournament success under their belt , and two professional players. Here is a look at the seating chart and chip counts:

Seat 1: Jamie Pickering -- 329,000
Seat 2: Eugene Todd -- 127,000
Seat 3: Mel Randolph -- 117,000
Seat 4: Jamie Robbins -- 70,000
Seat 5: Vanessa Selbst -- 1,047,000
Seat 6: Stanley Statkiewicz -- 318,000
Seat 7: Ken Lairson -- 16,900
Seat 8: Craig Natte -- 108,000
Seat 9: Thom Schultz -- 144,000

Selbst is in a strong position to become the first woman of the summer to win a bracelet in an open buy-in event with over 1 million in chips. Ken Lairson is in a decidedly different situation, starting his day with just over four big blinds.

Blinds begin at 4,000-8,000. Shuffle up and deal!

Player Tags: Eugene Todd,   Vanessa Selbst

Event 19 - PL Omaha - Final Table is Set

Jun 11, '08

Blinds: 4,000-8,000

Final Table Chip Counts:

Vanessa Selbst: 940,000
Stanley Statkiewicz Jr.: 331,000
Jamie Pickering: 290,000
Eugene Todd: 155,000
Craig Natte: 121,000
Mel Randolph 119,000
Thom Schultz: 84,000
Jamie Robbins: 68,000
Ken Lairson: 20,000

Big Hands:

Selbst Makes Gutsy Play, Decides Final 9 - Action resumes at 2 p.m. Thursday

After several hands featuring many checks and folds, the biggest pot of the tournament exploded out of nowhere and the final 9 were decided.

Tom Schultz raised to 20,000 and Vanessa Selbst raised it 50,000 more to 75,000 total. Anthony Phillips then reraised it to 239,000 from late position and action folded to Selbst. Selbst stood up and thought long and hard. She asked Phillips how much he had left behind and he told her 188,000. After much deliberation, Selbst decided to just call.
As soon as the decision left her lips, Phillips announced he was all in dark.
The flop came 854 and Selbst gritted her teeth, not happy with the flop. Still, she called and Phillips said he had aces and showed AAQ9. Selbst was behind, with just KJ98. The turn was the 10 and Selbst was still trailing Phillips' aces. The river was huge, the 9, and a shocked Selbst exclaimed, "Two pair!"
She had hit two pair, 8s and 9s and Phillips stormed away from the table, eliminated in 10th place.
Selbst explained to those around her that Phillips was agressive and would have had position on her at the final table tomorrow with a lot of chips.
"Gamble, gamble, baby," she said with a smile. Selbst has a commanding chip lead with 940,000 in chips.

The final table will begin at 2 p.m. tomorrow. Check back with Card Player for updates on the action.

Player Tags: Vanessa Selbst,   Anthony Phillips,   European Report

Event 19 - PL Omaha - Level 15

Jun 11, '08

Blinds: 3,000/6,000

Players Left: 11 of 759

Chip Counts:

Vanessa Selbst: 460,000
Jamie Pickering: 292,000
Calen McNeil: 182,000
Stanley Statkiewicz Jr.: 170,000
Craig Natte: 170,000

Average Stack: 207,000

Eliminations: Colin York, Jordan Morgan, Jeff Brown.

Big Hands:

The Field Gets Smaller - Courtesy of Selbst

After a flop of 962, the player in seat 5 pushed his remaining 25,000 into the pot and was called by Vanessa Selbst. Seat 5 showed JJK10 for a pair of jacks and a club flush draw. Selbst showed AA107 for a pair of aces. The turn was the 8, giving Selbst the straight, and the river was the J. Selbst was pleasantly surprised to take the pot, because she said she didn't even see the straight out there and only saw the rivered set of jacks for the player in seat 5. Selbst ended the level with   in chips.

Just before the end of the level, Selbst was heads up with the player in seat 8 when she bet 19,000 on a flop of 1093. Seat 9 called and turn brought the J. Seat 9 pushed his remaining stack all in and Selbest instantly called showing KKQ7 for the nut straight. The river bricked and Selbst sent another one packing.

Natte Knocks off a Pair

Craig Natte had a pair of all-in short-stacks covered preflop and saw the board come out KQ975. The 7 was the river card and gave Natte, who held the A1095, the nut flush. He eliminated both Jordan Morgan and Colin York on the hand.

Morgan Crippled With Kings

Colin York raised to 19,000 preflop, Jordan Morgan reraised to 64,000 from the button, and Eugene Todd took the opportunity to push all-in for 105,000 total. York folded and Morgan called, showing KK33. Todd showed AA92. Greg Cox, who was all-in for just 2000 chips, held AQ94. The flop came J84, followed by the 2 on the turn and 4 on the river. Todd won the majority of the pot with two pair, aces and fours, while Morgan was crippled down to 14,000 remaining. Cox actually won the main pot with trip fours to stand at 8,000.
Cox then tripled up on the next hand, and doubled up on the next, to remain in play.
 

Player Tags: Craig Natte,   Eugene Todd,   Jordan Morgan,   Vanessa Selbst,   Greg Cox,   Colin York

1,500 Pot Limit Omaha - Level 14

Jun 11, '08

Players have begin a 20-minute break.

Blinds: 2000/4000

Players Left: 21 of 579

Chip Leaders:

Vanessa Selbst - 285,000
Jamie Pickering - 200,000
Craig Natte - 162,000
Anthony Phillips - 130,000
Stanley Statkiewicz - 130,000
Thom Schultz - 126,000
Colin York - 103,000
Mel Randolph - 91,000
Kyle Hegeman - 90,000
Trai Dang - 85,000

Eliminations: Doug Smith, Brian Sharrock, Phil Reed, Nam Le, Jesper Hougaard, Max Pescatori, Ryan Lenaghan, James Lampropoulos, Carter Gill, Randy Holland, Lawrence Cowsar.

Big Hands:

What a Way to Go

Max Pescatori knew he had to dodge some bullets, but he couldn't have seen the end coming the way that it did. Greg Cox raised from the small blind to 14,000, and both Pescatori and Craig Natte called to see the flop which ran out Q95. From that point on, all three players went all-in, with Cox having the others covered. Pescatori, the short-stack of the three, had about 35,000 in chips and held top set with the QQ108. Cox matched the 44,000 of Natte with the AA96. Natte was reduced to bottom set with the 5522. The 4 came on the turn, which became relevant when the 3 hit the river. It was suddenly Natte, holding the 52 of clubs, who scooped the massive pot worth 168,000 in chips. Pescatori was eliminated and Cox had just 26,000 remaining in chips.

Pickering Eliminates Hougaard

Jamie Pickering raised to 14,000 preflop and Carter Gill called. Jesper Hougaard then raised for 2,000 more all-in from the small blind and both players called. The flop came A64 and Pickering bet pot, which prompted Gill to fold. Pickering showed AA108 for top set, which eliminated Hourgaard who held K-Q-J-4. The board finished 92.

Gill Runs Out of Steam

Carter Gill was active in the majority of pots at his table, but finally ran out of momentum against Vanessa Selbst. Selbst raised to 10,000 preflop and Gill went to 36,000 from the cut off. The flop came KQ7 and Selbst checked. Gill pushed his remaining 37,000 in chips and Selbst called, showing AQJ8 for middle pair. Gill held 10-10-9-7 and was eliminated in 23rd place.
Gill had earlier come up short in an attempt to eliminate Jeff Brown. Brown had 25,000 in chips and was all-in with QJ98. Gill had the AKJ8. The board ran out AQQ95 and Brown had flopped trips to stay alive.

Todd Eliminates Another

Lawrence Cowsar bet 10,000 after a flop of J74. Eugene Todd raised to put Cowsar all-in for his remaining stack. Cowsar held 7733 for middle set, while Todd had the AJ75 for top two pair with a flush draw. The 6 on the river sent Cowsar to the sideline.

Player Tags: Eugene Todd,   Jamie Pickering,   Vanessa Selbst,   Jesper Hougaard,   Carter Gill

Vanessa Selbst Wins Event No. 19 ($227,965)

Jun 12, '08

Vanessa Selbst knocked out another one of Jamie Pickering's legs one hand prior by relieving him of 200,000 and leaving him short stacked before the final hand came down. The two players limped to a flop of 1087 and Pickering checked. Selbst bet 90,000 and Pickering raised all in. Selbst made the call and they turned up their cards:

Selbst: JJ92
Pickering: AQ109

Turn and River: 5A

Selbst won the hand and the tournament, and the crowd surrounding the final table went wild in approval. Selbst is the first woman to win an open buy-in bracelet this summer, and she took home $227,965 for the win. This is her first gold bracelet. Pickering was eliminated in second place, and took home $145,459 for a note-worthy runner-up performance.

 

Player Tags: Jamie Pickering,   Vanessa Selbst

PLO - Final Table - Heads-Up Insanity

Jun 12, '08

Blinds: 12,000-24,000

Players Remaining: 2 of 759

Chip Counts:

Vanessa Selbst: 1,400,000
Jamie Pickering: 950,000

Eliminations:

none

Big Hands and Storylines:

The Madness Begins

Early in the heads-up match Jamie Pickering raised the pot blind and Vanessa Selbst made the call. The flop hit the table AQ3 and Selbst checked. Pickering bet the pot blind again and Selbst made the call. The turn card fell J and Pickering checked. Selbst bet the pot and Pickeing went into the tank for 10 minutes. He finally looked at his cards and said, "Oh sh^t, I'm dead." Selbst turned up Q-9-7-7 as she collected the pot.

Pickering Grabs the Lead

On a flop of 1085 Pickering bet 120,000 and Selbst raised the pot to put Pickering all in, and he made the call.  Their cards:

Pickering: A553
Selbst: QJ94

Turn and River: 84

Pickering doubled up on the hand and he now held 1.3 million to Selbst's 760,000.

Insanity

Pickering raised the pot blind preflop and Selbst made the call. The flop came K108 and Selbst checked. Pickering bet the pot blind, and Selbt raised the pot. Pickering finally decided to look at his cards and he made the call. He then reraised the pot again and Selbst made the call. Their cards:

Selbst: 10-9-6-4
Pickering: A-A-6-4

Turn and River: 62

Selbst took back the chip lead on the crazy hand and the two players took a 20-minute break.

Player Tags: Jamie Pickering,   Vanessa Selbst

PLO - Final Table - Stanley Statkiewicz Eliminated in 3rd Place

Jun 12, '08

Blinds: 10,000-20,000

Players Remaining: 2 of 759

Chip Counts:

Vanessa Selbst: 1,800,000
Jamie Pickering: 465,000

Eliminations:

Stanley Statkiewicz: 3rd Place ($88,062)

Big Hands and Storylines:


Stanley Statkiewicz Eliminated in Third Place ($88,062)

Vanessa Selbst raised to 60,000 preflop and Stanley Statkiewicz made the call. The flop was dealt J108 and Selbst bet 90,000. Statkiewicz raised all in and Selbst made the call. Their cards:

Selbst: A654
Statkiewicz: AQ108

Turn and River: K2

Statkiewicz was eliminated in third place, and he took home $88,062 in prize money.

Player Tags: Jamie Pickering,   Stanley Statkiewicz Jr.,   Vanessa Selbst

PLO - Final Table - Things Even Up Three Handed

Jun 12, '08

Blinds: 8,000-16,000

Players Remaining: 3 of 759

Chip Counts:

Stanley Statkiewicz: 848,000
Jamie Pickering: 790,000
Vanessa Selbst: 650,000

Average Chip Stack: 759,000

Eliminations:

none

Big Hands and Storylines:

Stanley Statkiewicz Doubles Up

Stanley Statkiewicz raised to 46,000 preflop and Jamie Pickering got out of the way. The flop rolled out 873 and Selbst checked her option. Statkiewicz bet the pot and Selbst reraised to put him all in. He made the call and they turned up their hands:

Selbst: 8765
Statkiewicz: AA108

Turn and River: 910

Statkiewicz doubled up on the hand to survive, while Selbst was knocked down to about a million in chips.

Jamie Pickering Doubles Up

Jamie Pickering and Venssa Selbst see a flop of A22 and Pickering checks. Selbst made a 50,000 raise and Pickering made the call. The turn brought the 3 and the same sequence repeated itself. The river rolled out the 6 and Pickering checked again. Selbst bet 95,000, and this time Pickering check-raised all in for 193,000. Selbest made the call, but quickly mucked when Pickering revealed AAQQ.

Both players had now doubled up through the once unstoppable Selbest and the chip counts had all pulled about even.

Player Tags: Jamie Pickering,   Stanley Statkiewicz Jr.,   Vanessa Selbst

PLO - Final Table - Eugene Todd (5th) and Thom Schultz (4th) Eliminated

Jun 12, '08

Blinds: 6,000-12,000

Players Remaining: 3 of 759

Chip Counts:

Vanessa Selbst: 1,500,000
Stanley Statkiewicz: 380,000
Jamie Pickering: 311,000

Average Chip Stack: 569,250

Eliminations:

5th Place: Eugene Todd ($59,053)
4th Place: Thom Schultz ($72,004)

Board: J8242

Todd was eliminated in fifth place, and he took home $59,053 in prize money.

Thom Schultz Eliminated in Fourth Place ($72,004)

On a flop of 1044 Vanessa Selbst moved all in to put Thom Schultz on a decision for his tournament life. He decided to call and the two players flipped up their hands:

Schultz: A-K-Q-6
Selbst: A-Q-10-6

Turn and River: 6-9

Schultz was eliminated on the hand in fourth place, and he took home $72,004 in prize money. Selbst claimed her fourth victim of the day and continued to build her chip lead.

 

Player Tags: Eugene Todd,   Jamie Pickering,   Vanessa Selbst,   Thomas Schultz

PLO - Final Table - PLO Elimination Madness

Jun 12, '08

Blinds: 5,000-10,000

Players Remaining: 5 of 759

Chip Counts:

Vanessa Selbst: 1,207,000
Thom Schultz: 324,000
Stanley Statkiewicz: 290,000
Jamie Pickering: 284,000
Eugene Todd: 165,000

Average Chip Stack: 455,400

Eliminations:

9th Place: Ken Lairson ($20,720)
8th Place: Jamie Robbins ($28,490)
7th Place: Mel Randolph ($36,261)
6th Place: Craig Natte ($46,621)

Big Hands and Storylines:

Ken Lairson Eliminated in Ninth Place ($20,720)

Ken Lairson was on the big blind when Vanessa Selbst raised to 22,000. Lairson made the all-in call and they turned up their hands:

Selbst: AQQ7
Lairson: 8527

Board: 1053106

Lairson was eliminated on the hand in ninth place, and he took home $20,720 in prize money.

Jamie Robbins Eliminated in Eighth Place ($28,490)

Jamie Robbins moved all in preflop for 48,000 and Jamie Pickering went into the tank for a moment before deiciding to call. Their cards:

Robbins: AKQ10
Pickering: KQJ7

Board: 8546Q

Robbins was eliminated in eighth place, and took home $28,490 in prize money.

Mel Randolph Eliminated in Seventh Place ($36,261)

Mel Randolph moved all in on a flop of A62 and Eugene Todd made the call. Their cards:

Todd: Q722
Randolph: A642

The turn and river bricked out and Randolph was eliminated in seventh place. He took home $36,621 in prize money.

Craig Natte Eliminated in Sixth Place ($46,621)

Selbst raised to 29,000 and Craig Natte reraised all in preflop. Selbst made the call and the players turned up their cards:

Selbst: AA85
Natte: KQJ7

Board: K4365

Selbst won the hand to take her stack above 1.5 million and really took control of the final table. Natte was sent home in sixth place, and he took home $46,621 in prize money.

Player Tags: Craig Natte,   Jamie Robbins,   Eugene Todd,   Jamie Pickering,   Vanessa Selbst,   Mel Randolph,   Ken Lairson

PLO - Final Table - Shuffle Up and Deal

Jun 12, '08

The final table of the $1,500 pot-limit Omaha event has begun and the final nine players will play down to one champion today. This table is a mix of green rookies, players with a little bit of tournament success under their belt , and two professional players. Here is a look at the seating chart and chip counts:

Seat 1: Jamie Pickering -- 329,000
Seat 2: Eugene Todd -- 127,000
Seat 3: Mel Randolph -- 117,000
Seat 4: Jamie Robbins -- 70,000
Seat 5: Vanessa Selbst -- 1,047,000
Seat 6: Stanley Statkiewicz -- 318,000
Seat 7: Ken Lairson -- 16,900
Seat 8: Craig Natte -- 108,000
Seat 9: Thom Schultz -- 144,000

Selbst is in a strong position to become the first woman of the summer to win a bracelet in an open buy-in event with over 1 million in chips. Ken Lairson is in a decidedly different situation, starting his day with just over four big blinds.

Blinds begin at 4,000-8,000. Shuffle up and deal!

Player Tags: Eugene Todd,   Vanessa Selbst

Event 19 - PL Omaha - Final Table is Set

Jun 11, '08

Blinds: 4,000-8,000

Final Table Chip Counts:

Vanessa Selbst: 940,000
Stanley Statkiewicz Jr.: 331,000
Jamie Pickering: 290,000
Eugene Todd: 155,000
Craig Natte: 121,000
Mel Randolph 119,000
Thom Schultz: 84,000
Jamie Robbins: 68,000
Ken Lairson: 20,000

Big Hands:

Selbst Makes Gutsy Play, Decides Final 9 - Action resumes at 2 p.m. Thursday

After several hands featuring many checks and folds, the biggest pot of the tournament exploded out of nowhere and the final 9 were decided.

Tom Schultz raised to 20,000 and Vanessa Selbst raised it 50,000 more to 75,000 total. Anthony Phillips then reraised it to 239,000 from late position and action folded to Selbst. Selbst stood up and thought long and hard. She asked Phillips how much he had left behind and he told her 188,000. After much deliberation, Selbst decided to just call.
As soon as the decision left her lips, Phillips announced he was all in dark.
The flop came 854 and Selbst gritted her teeth, not happy with the flop. Still, she called and Phillips said he had aces and showed AAQ9. Selbst was behind, with just KJ98. The turn was the 10 and Selbst was still trailing Phillips' aces. The river was huge, the 9, and a shocked Selbst exclaimed, "Two pair!"
She had hit two pair, 8s and 9s and Phillips stormed away from the table, eliminated in 10th place.
Selbst explained to those around her that Phillips was agressive and would have had position on her at the final table tomorrow with a lot of chips.
"Gamble, gamble, baby," she said with a smile. Selbst has a commanding chip lead with 940,000 in chips.

The final table will begin at 2 p.m. tomorrow. Check back with Card Player for updates on the action.

Player Tags: Vanessa Selbst,   Anthony Phillips,   European Report

Event 19 - PL Omaha - Level 15

Jun 11, '08

Blinds: 3,000/6,000

Players Left: 11 of 759

Chip Counts:

Vanessa Selbst: 460,000
Jamie Pickering: 292,000
Calen McNeil: 182,000
Stanley Statkiewicz Jr.: 170,000
Craig Natte: 170,000

Average Stack: 207,000

Eliminations: Colin York, Jordan Morgan, Jeff Brown.

Big Hands:

The Field Gets Smaller - Courtesy of Selbst

After a flop of 962, the player in seat 5 pushed his remaining 25,000 into the pot and was called by Vanessa Selbst. Seat 5 showed JJK10 for a pair of jacks and a club flush draw. Selbst showed AA107 for a pair of aces. The turn was the 8, giving Selbst the straight, and the river was the J. Selbst was pleasantly surprised to take the pot, because she said she didn't even see the straight out there and only saw the rivered set of jacks for the player in seat 5. Selbst ended the level with   in chips.

Just before the end of the level, Selbst was heads up with the player in seat 8 when she bet 19,000 on a flop of 1093. Seat 9 called and turn brought the J. Seat 9 pushed his remaining stack all in and Selbest instantly called showing KKQ7 for the nut straight. The river bricked and Selbst sent another one packing.

Natte Knocks off a Pair

Craig Natte had a pair of all-in short-stacks covered preflop and saw the board come out KQ975. The 7 was the river card and gave Natte, who held the A1095, the nut flush. He eliminated both Jordan Morgan and Colin York on the hand.

Morgan Crippled With Kings

Colin York raised to 19,000 preflop, Jordan Morgan reraised to 64,000 from the button, and Eugene Todd took the opportunity to push all-in for 105,000 total. York folded and Morgan called, showing KK33. Todd showed AA92. Greg Cox, who was all-in for just 2000 chips, held AQ94. The flop came J84, followed by the 2 on the turn and 4 on the river. Todd won the majority of the pot with two pair, aces and fours, while Morgan was crippled down to 14,000 remaining. Cox actually won the main pot with trip fours to stand at 8,000.
Cox then tripled up on the next hand, and doubled up on the next, to remain in play.
 

Player Tags: Craig Natte,   Eugene Todd,   Jordan Morgan,   Vanessa Selbst,   Greg Cox,   Colin York

1,500 Pot Limit Omaha - Level 14

Jun 11, '08

Players have begin a 20-minute break.

Blinds: 2000/4000

Players Left: 21 of 579

Chip Leaders:

Vanessa Selbst - 285,000
Jamie Pickering - 200,000
Craig Natte - 162,000
Anthony Phillips - 130,000
Stanley Statkiewicz - 130,000
Thom Schultz - 126,000
Colin York - 103,000
Mel Randolph - 91,000
Kyle Hegeman - 90,000
Trai Dang - 85,000

Eliminations: Doug Smith, Brian Sharrock, Phil Reed, Nam Le, Jesper Hougaard, Max Pescatori, Ryan Lenaghan, James Lampropoulos, Carter Gill, Randy Holland, Lawrence Cowsar.

Big Hands:

What a Way to Go

Max Pescatori knew he had to dodge some bullets, but he couldn't have seen the end coming the way that it did. Greg Cox raised from the small blind to 14,000, and both Pescatori and Craig Natte called to see the flop which ran out Q95. From that point on, all three players went all-in, with Cox having the others covered. Pescatori, the short-stack of the three, had about 35,000 in chips and held top set with the QQ108. Cox matched the 44,000 of Natte with the AA96. Natte was reduced to bottom set with the 5522. The 4 came on the turn, which became relevant when the 3 hit the river. It was suddenly Natte, holding the 52 of clubs, who scooped the massive pot worth 168,000 in chips. Pescatori was eliminated and Cox had just 26,000 remaining in chips.

Pickering Eliminates Hougaard

Jamie Pickering raised to 14,000 preflop and Carter Gill called. Jesper Hougaard then raised for 2,000 more all-in from the small blind and both players called. The flop came A64 and Pickering bet pot, which prompted Gill to fold. Pickering showed AA108 for top set, which eliminated Hourgaard who held K-Q-J-4. The board finished 92.

Gill Runs Out of Steam

Carter Gill was active in the majority of pots at his table, but finally ran out of momentum against Vanessa Selbst. Selbst raised to 10,000 preflop and Gill went to 36,000 from the cut off. The flop came KQ7 and Selbst checked. Gill pushed his remaining 37,000 in chips and Selbst called, showing AQJ8 for middle pair. Gill held 10-10-9-7 and was eliminated in 23rd place.
Gill had earlier come up short in an attempt to eliminate Jeff Brown. Brown had 25,000 in chips and was all-in with QJ98. Gill had the AKJ8. The board ran out AQQ95 and Brown had flopped trips to stay alive.

Todd Eliminates Another

Lawrence Cowsar bet 10,000 after a flop of J74. Eugene Todd raised to put Cowsar all-in for his remaining stack. Cowsar held 7733 for middle set, while Todd had the AJ75 for top two pair with a flush draw. The 6 on the river sent Cowsar to the sideline.

Player Tags: Eugene Todd,   Jamie Pickering,   Vanessa Selbst,   Jesper Hougaard,   Carter Gill

$2500 NLHE - Day 2 - Level 16

Jun 08, '08

Blinds: 4,000-8,000

Remaining Players: 30
Chip Leaders:
Jason Sanders:610,000
Brent Ditzik: 510,000
Steven Merrifield: 470,000
Adam Katz: 465,000
Napoleon Ta: 420,000
Ariel Soffer: 415,000
Joel Casper: 350,000
Frank Vukasin: 330,000
Brent Hanks: 300,000
Yury Shapiro: 290,000

Eliminations: Scott Freeman, Vanessa Selbst, Liz Lieu

Notable Hands:

Selbst Stacks Off

Steven Merrifield moved all in over the top of Vanessa Selbst's raise, and Selbst called instantly, tabling AK. She was in a coinflip with Merrifield's 44, until the flop of A64 left her drawing thin. The turn and river provided no help, bringing the 9 and 7.

Ta Takes A Big One

Napolean Ta raised to 26,000 preflop from the cutoff, and Theo Tran made the call from the button. Both the blinds folded, and the flop brought K97. Ta led out for another 45,000 and once again Tran made the call. When the turn brought the 5, Ta quickly fired another 120,000. Tran tanked for several minutes before folding.

The Unkindest Fold

Joel Casper three bet Duncan Bell's opening raise only to have Bell reraise all-in. Casper tanked for a few moments before folding, flashing a black A-Q. Bell stared at his opponent, surprised, before showing him AQ.

Snorden Sent Home

Michael Snorden moved his short stack all in preflop only to have Yury Shapiro reraise all in behind him. All other players folded.

Snorden: A10
Shaprio: AQ

Flop: K77Q6
 

Player Tags: Theo Tran,   Vanessa Selbst

$2,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Level 13 recap

Jun 08, '08

Blinds-Antes: 1,500-3,000-400

Players left: 64 of 1,397

Average chip stack: 109,100

Chip leaders:

Dean Bui - 380,000
Theo Tran - 270,000
Vanessa Selbst - 240,000
Jason Mercier - 165,000
Jason Manson - 144,000
Greg Sellgren - 130,000
Anthony Phillips - 128,000

Eliminations:

Lee Watkinson

Big hands:

Selbst multitabling

Vanessa Selbst is playing the women's tournament in addition to this tournament, and recently her two tables were side-by-side. It led to an interesting few minutes before the women's event went to a break. One hand, she held A-K and eliminated David Cai, who had A-Q. Then she hustled over to her table in the women's event to see one last hand before that tournament's break. Then she came right back, saying there was no way she was going to pass on playing from the button position.

Later, after she moved to a new table in this event, she got in a blind vs. blind battle with Steven Merrifield. Merrifield raised from the small blind to 9,000 and then Selbst reraised to 29,000. Merrifield quickly moved all in for another 123,600 chips. Selbst took a minute to think it over, and ultimately folded. After the hand Merrifield had over 180,000 chips, while Selbst dropped to around 240,000 chips.

Mercier takes a hit

From the big blind, Jason Mercier raised to put Matthew Brown all in. Brown called and flipped over two black aces, crushing Mercier's A-2. The board came AT976 and Brown doubled up to about 40,000 chips. Mercier now has 150,000 chips.

de Best bests MrCasino

Pete de Best was all in and in bad shape with A-Q against Craig 'MrCasino' Gray's pocket aces. But he managed to end up with a straight and double up. de Best recently doubled up again and has over 60,000 chips, and Gray has about 70,000 chips.

Player Tags: David Cai,   Craig Gray,   Vanessa Selbst,   Jason Mercier

$2,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Level 12 recap

Jun 08, '08

Blinds-Antes: 1,000-2,000-300

Players left: 90 of 1,397

Average chip stack: 77,600

Chip leaders:

Theo Tran - 270,000
Dean Bui - 250,000
Jason Manson - 144,000
Greg Sellgren - 130,000
Jason Mercier - 130,000
Anthony Phillips - 128,000
Aster Boye - 120,000
Marty Wong - 113,00

Eliminations:

Chris Ferguson
 

Big hands:

Bubble burst in gruesome fashion

After Robert Fox raised from under the gun, it folded around all the way to Jacques Zaicik, who moved all in. Fox quickly called all in with KK, and was in great shape to double up against Zaicik's AQ. However, the flop was QQ6, giving Zaicik three queens and a stranglehold on the hand. Fox failed to catch a king on the turn and on the river and went out in 100th place.

Ferguson out just before money

Chris 'Jesus' Ferguson was eliminated when he went all in with pocket eights and lost to Asger Boye's pocket jacks.

Selbst moves to top of chip counts

After winning a big pot with A-K when she caught a king on the river, Vanessa Selbst was at it again just a few hands later. After raising preflop and getting one caller, Selbst and her opponent both checked on a 485 flop. After the J came on the turn Selbst bet 4,000 and her opponent called. The river was the 5 and again Selbst called. Her opponent took a minute, but finally called the small bet. Selbst flipped over JT and at the time stood at 150,000 chips.

Bui makes questionable call, wins anyway

Facing an all in for just 10,000 chips, Dean Bui made the suspect call in the big blind with J-9. When he saw he was up against A-T, he seemed happy with his decision. Then he hit a nine on the river to take the pot. He currently has about 25,000 chips.

Player Tags: Chris Ferguson,   Vanessa Selbst

$2,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Level 11 recap

Jun 08, '08

Blinds-Antes: 800-1,600-200

Players left: 126 of 1,397

Average chip stack: 55,400

Chip leaders:

Dean Bui - 300,000
Theo Tran - 165,000
Jason Manson - 144,000
Greg Sellgren - 130,000
Anthony Phillips - 128,000

Eliminations:

Eli Elezra
John Phan

Big hands:

Chip leader to out in 15 minutes

Dean Bui raised to 4,500 preflop from early position. Eli Elezra, sitting to Bui's immediate left, reraised to 14,500. Bui made the call and the two saw the flop come 23Q. Bui check-called Elezra's bet of 15,000. The turn was the 8 and Bui again checked. Elezra bet 30,000, and Bui raised to 71,000. Elezra went all in and Bui called with QQ. Elezra showed AA and did not catch an ace on the river. It was an enormous pot, and Bui now has over 300,000 chips, nearly double the next-highest chip stack.

Kenna in trouble after river call

With the board showing A76Q3, Anthony Phillips bet 20,100. Kenna James thought for a couple minutes before separating his stacks to see how many chips he would have if he called and lost. At that point another player at the table asked for the clock to be called, and then James made the call. Phillips flipped over Q7 for two pair and won the pot. After the hand Phillips had 110,000 chips, while James was down to just 30,000 chips.

Selbst takes small hit

Jason Mercier raised to 4,400 and Vanessa Selbst made the call. The flop came 532 and both players checked. The turn was the A and Mercier fired a bet of 7,200. Selbst thought for a moment before folding. After the hand she had about 75,000 chips, 10,000 than what she started the day with.

Phan heading home

John Phan began the day with just 13,900 chips, so it was to nobody's surprise that he got all his chips in the middle so quickly. John Phan chose K-J to make the move and lost to A-Q.

 

 

 

Player Tags: John Phan,   Eli Elezra,   Vanessa Selbst,   James Kenna

$2,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Level 9 recap

Jun 07, '08

Players Left: 190 of 1,397

Average Stack: 37,000

Chip Leaders:

Matthias Kuerschner - 130,000
Theo Tran - 125,000
Pete Rios - 110,000
Eli Elezra - 105,000
Jimmy Tran - 88,000
Tony Phillips - 85,000
Jake Solis - 80,000
Mark Stubbs - 75,000
Greg Sellgren - 74,000

Eliminations:

Jean-Robert Bellande

Big Hands:

Elezra chops up big pot

After a JK5 flop, Eli Elezra bet 2,500 and then called a raise for 8,200 more. Lee Watkinson was also in the hand and folded. The turn was the T and the raiser check-called Elezra's 15,000 bet. The river was the Q, putting four to a straight on the board and both players checked. Both Elezra and his opponent turned over K-J for two pair. While Elezra grabbed the cards and stared at them, Watkinson mentioned that he had an ace in his hand. Though Elezra didn't get his way in the hand, it was overall a good a level for him. At the beginning of the hour he won a huge hand when he held pocket fives and rivered a five for a full house.

Hamby forced to venture to new table

Currently Jared 'TheWacoKidd' Hamby has over 40,000 chips. His table just broke up though, and according to a player at another table its the last thing he would have wanted. Apparently he had been raising frequently and manhandling the other players. This late in a tournament it's rare to find a table where a player can get away with that kind of play, but for a while perhaps Hamby did.

Selbst surviving but still in trouble

Jimmy Tran raised from the cutoff position to 2,700 and Vanessa Selbst reraised to 7,000 from the button. Tran, who would later say he had K-Q, asked Selbst if she had pocket jacks repeatedly and Selbst replied every time, "No shame in folding." Eventually he did, and Selbst currently has 15,000 chips. Tran has 88,000 chips and is among the chip leaders.

 

 

 

 

Player Tags: Lee Watkinson,   Eli Elezra,   Vanessa Selbst,   Jared Hamby

$2,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Level 7 recap

Jun 07, '08

Blinds/Antes: 300-600-75

Players Left: 330 of 1,397

Average Stack: 22,000

Chip Leaders:

Eli Elezra - 90,000
Jimmy Tran - 60,000
Chris Ferguson - 55,000
Lee Watkinson - 50,000
Scott Freeman - 49,000
Court Harrington - 44,000
Theo Tran - 39,000
Jared Hamby - 36,000

Eliminations:

Humberto Brenes
Stuart Patterson
Clonie Gowen

Big Hands:

Adios, Humberto

Either before or after the flop Humberto Brenes was all in with A6 and up against Chau Giang's KK. The board was 524K5, and Brenes was knocked out. After the hand Giang had roughly 20,000 chips.

Jamie wins with KJ vs TT, again

After unknown action prefop, Jamie Gold moved all in after a 39K flop. Gold's opponent thought for a minute before calling with TT. Gold, understandably excited, jumped up off his seat, flipped over KJ and began pacing around the area. The turn and river were Q and 9, respectively, and Gold doubled up to about 13,000 chips.

Up-and-down level for Bellande

Jean-Robert Bellande, who is known for talking nonstop, had reason to do so during level 7. Early in the level he doubled up to 10,000 chips with AJ against KQ. Then he doubled up another time soon after. As the level came to a close, Bellande was in a big pot against Stuart Patterson and a third player. On an ace-high flop, Patterson bet and Bellande called. Then the third player pushed all in. Patterson called all in and Bellande eventually folded A-Q. Patterson held A-K while the other player had J-J and caught a jack on the river to eliminate Patterson.

Player Tags: Humberto Brenes,   Chau Giang,   Jean-Robert Bellande,   Theo Tran,   Stuart Paterson,   Vanessa Selbst