Jeff Madsen - Live Updates

Jeff Madsen Eliminated in 19th Place ($87,500)

Jan 10, '10

Jeff Madsen moved all in under the gun for 700,000 and Aage Ravn made the call. Their cards:

Ravn: 44
Madsen: AJ

Board: K9759

Madsen was eliminated on the hand in 19th place and he will take home $87,500 in prize money.

Player Tags: Jeff Madsen,   Aage Ravn

Damien Rony Eliminated

Jan 09, '10

Damien Rony doubled up Jeff Madsen when his pocket fours ran into the pocket sevens of Madsen. The board ran out A-10-8-J-2 and Madsen doubled up to 915,000. Rony held 252,000 after the hand.

Rony was all in on the next hand preflop and Zachary Goldberg called him down. Their cards:

Rony: 4-4
Goldberg: A5

Board: K1067A

Rony was eliminated in 25th place and he took home $66,000 in prize money. Goldberg held 2 million after the hand.

Player Tags: Zachary Goldberg,   Jeff Madsen,   Damien Rony

Madsen Gets Lucky Double Up

Jan 08, '10

Jeff Madsen was down to his last 68,000 when he moved all in from the cutoff with A5. Unfortunately, he ran right into button who held AQ.

The board came 53379, however, and Madsen doubled up out of the immediate danger zone.

Player Tags: Jeff Madsen

Jeff Madsen Eliminated in 19th Place ($87,500)

Jan 10, '10

Jeff Madsen moved all in under the gun for 700,000 and Aage Ravn made the call. Their cards:

Ravn: 44
Madsen: AJ

Board: K9759

Madsen was eliminated on the hand in 19th place and he will take home $87,500 in prize money.

Player Tags: Jeff Madsen,   Aage Ravn

Damien Rony Eliminated

Jan 09, '10

Damien Rony doubled up Jeff Madsen when his pocket fours ran into the pocket sevens of Madsen. The board ran out A-10-8-J-2 and Madsen doubled up to 915,000. Rony held 252,000 after the hand.

Rony was all in on the next hand preflop and Zachary Goldberg called him down. Their cards:

Rony: 4-4
Goldberg: A5

Board: K1067A

Rony was eliminated in 25th place and he took home $66,000 in prize money. Goldberg held 2 million after the hand.

Player Tags: Zachary Goldberg,   Jeff Madsen,   Damien Rony

Madsen Gets Lucky Double Up

Jan 08, '10

Jeff Madsen was down to his last 68,000 when he moved all in from the cutoff with A5. Unfortunately, he ran right into button who held AQ.

The board came 53379, however, and Madsen doubled up out of the immediate danger zone.

Player Tags: Jeff Madsen

Jeff Madsen Eliminated in 19th Place ($87,500)

Jan 10, '10

Jeff Madsen moved all in under the gun for 700,000 and Aage Ravn made the call. Their cards:

Ravn: 44
Madsen: AJ

Board: K9759

Madsen was eliminated on the hand in 19th place and he will take home $87,500 in prize money.

Player Tags: Jeff Madsen,   Aage Ravn

Damien Rony Eliminated

Jan 09, '10

Damien Rony doubled up Jeff Madsen when his pocket fours ran into the pocket sevens of Madsen. The board ran out A-10-8-J-2 and Madsen doubled up to 915,000. Rony held 252,000 after the hand.

Rony was all in on the next hand preflop and Zachary Goldberg called him down. Their cards:

Rony: 4-4
Goldberg: A5

Board: K1067A

Rony was eliminated in 25th place and he took home $66,000 in prize money. Goldberg held 2 million after the hand.

Player Tags: Zachary Goldberg,   Jeff Madsen,   Damien Rony

Madsen Gets Lucky Double Up

Jan 08, '10

Jeff Madsen was down to his last 68,000 when he moved all in from the cutoff with A5. Unfortunately, he ran right into button who held AQ.

The board came 53379, however, and Madsen doubled up out of the immediate danger zone.

Player Tags: Jeff Madsen

Level 7 Update

Aug 23, '09

Blinds: 400-800 with a 75 ante

Players Remaining: 135 out of 278

Chip Counts:

1. Steven Begleiter — 255,000
2. Bobby Suer — 160,000
3. Alex Golshanara — 153,000
4. Michael Kamran — 135,000
5. Josh Schlein — 128,000
6. Toto Leonidas — 123,000
7. Tommy Vedes — 122,000
8. Paul Lieu — 122,000
9. Ryan Hughes — 114,000
10. Nick Schulman — 112,000

Average Chip Count: 62,000

Notable Eliminations:

Vanessa Rousso
Jonathan Aguiar
Darryll Fish
Danny Wong
Phil Collins
J.J. Tavares

Hand of the Level:

Jeff Madsen Gets a Nice Hold To Double

Jeff Madsen got the rest of his stack all in on a flop of Q98 against Scott Montgomery. Madsen showed Q9 for top two pair and Montgomery showed A10 for a monster draw.

The suspense was killed quickly, however, when the Q hit the turn, giving Madsen an unbeatable full house. The inconsequential river was the 4 and Madsen moved his stack up to 95,000. Montgomery was left with just 36,000.

Level Summary:

This event has slowed no signs of slowing down, especially in level 7. Two levels are down today and we’ve already lost over 50 players. By this rate, we’ll be pushing the money bubble when things wrap up around 11:30 P.M. PDT.

It was an interesting level for the pros. Jeff Madsen took a big chunk of Scott Montgomery’s stack with a full house, but ended up giving most of that back to Sergei Veyster before the clock hit zero when Veyster made a royal flush in clubs.

Adam Geyer continued to run his stack up when his pocket aces held up against an opponent’s pocket kings to bring his count to 110,000. Other players who have cracked the six-figure mark include Dwyte Pilgrim, Ryan Hughes, Toto Leonidas, Michael Kamran and Josh Schlein.

NOTE: At the conclusion of level 7, tournament officials raced off the green (25) denomination chips.

Player Tags: Jeff Madsen,   Scott Montgomery

Hour 5 Update: Greg Raymer Eliminated, Chris Ferguson Advances

Jun 13, '09

Hour 5 Update

Players Remaining: 108 out of 256

Completed Round 2 Matches (Winner in Bold):

1. Tom “Durrrr” Dwan vs. Samuel Stein
2. Erik Seidel vs. Adam Junglen
3. Cory Carroll vs. Sorel Mizzi
4. Alec Torelli vs. Jan Maarten Meijer
5. Bryan Pellegrin vs. Will Failla
6. Benjamin Tollerene vs. Greg Raymer
7. Yevgeniy Timoshenko vs. Dmitry Stelmak
8. Benjamin Lamb vs. Scott Seiver
9. Chris Ferguson vs. Jason Somerville
10. Jeff Madsen vs. Joe Serock
11. Adam Ewestein vs. Evelyn Ng
12. Olav von Prince vs. John Juanda
13. Jason Mercier vs. Jesper Petersen
14. Johnny Chan vs. Anthony Guetti
15. Antonio Esfandari vs. Konstantin Puchkov
16. Justin Smith vs. Hoyt Corkins
17. William Thorson vs. Lex Veldhuis

Big Hands:

Greg Raymer Eliminated

Greg Raymer was severly short stacked when he moved all-in with the K6 and was called by the pocket fives of Benjamin Tollerene. Raymer failed to make anything as the board bricked out for the 2005 Main Event Champion.

Sorel Mizzi Eliminated

Sorel Mizzi got it all-in preflop with the AK and was called by the pocket tens of Cory Carroll. Carroll flopped a set of tens and had Mizzi drawing dead on the turn.

Chris Ferguson Eliminates Jason Somerville

Jason Someville moved all-in preflop with the AJ and was quickly called by the pocket queens of Chris Ferguson. The queens held and Ferguson has moved on to round three.

Jeff Madsen Moves On

Jeff Madsen called the all-in preflop bet of Joe Serock with the A9. Serock exposed the K8 for two live cards. The flop was a disaster for Madsen as it came A88, giving Serock trips. Madsen needed to catch one of the remaining aces in the deck to eliminate his opponent. The J hit the turn, keeping Serock alive. However, the dealer pealed off the A on the river, giving Madsen the better full house.

Jason Mercier Advances

Jesper Petersen moved all-in preflop with the K7 and was called by the A10 of Jason Mercier. The flop paired Petersen’s king but Mercier nailed a broadway straight on the turn, eliminating his opponent. Mercier is on to round three.

Justin Smith Eliminates Hoyt Corkins

Corkins moved all-in preflop with the AJ and was called by Justin Smith with the AQ. Smith paired his queen on the flop, making Corkins drawing almost totally dead. Corkins failed to hit running cards to survive and Smith advanced.

Player Tags: Hoyt Corkins,   Chris Ferguson,   Greg Raymer,   Jason Somerville,   Jeff Madsen,   Jason Mercier,   Justin Smith

Level 8 Update: Howard Lederer Triples Up

Jun 08, '09

Blinds: 600-1,200

Players Remaining: 133 out of 179

Chip Counts:

1. Chris Bjorin – 134,000
2. Scott Clements – 131,000
3. Phil Ivey – 88,000
4. Sam Farha – 76,000
5. Alex Kostritsyn – 74,000
6. Phil Hellmuth – 70,000
7. John Hennigan – 63,000
8. John Lester – 60,000
9. John Monnette – 60,000
10. Jeff Madsen – 58,000

Average Chip Count: 40,074

Notable Eliminations:

Gavin Smith
Greg Raymer

Big Hands:

Howard Lederer Triples Up

The professor was able to get the last of his short stack into the pot with A1029. Lederer was called by Ivey and another opponent. The board ran out A7376 and Lederer tripled up by scooping the main pot. Ivey and the other player split the side pot.

Jeff Madsen Scoops Against John D’Agostino

On board of 66Q74, Jeff Madsen made a river bet and was called by John D’Agostino. The birthday boy exposed the AKJ3 and D’Agostino mucked. Madsen scooped and is up to 70,000 in chips.

Mike Matusow Scoops Pot Vs. Daniel Negreanu

On a board of 63AA5, Mike Matusow bet and Negreanu went into the tank before saying that he didn’t see how he could fold. He eventually made the 4,800 chip call and Matusow exposed the 5A24 for aces full and a 2-4 low for the low. Matusow scooped the pot and is now up to about 40,000 in chips.

Left In The Deck:

The players have stopped action for the night and will resume at 2 p.m. tomorrow.

Player Tags: Daniel Negreanu,   John D'Agostino,   Howard Lederer,   Mike Matusow,   Jeff Madsen

Level 2: Madsen Uses Birthday Luck

Jun 07, '09

Blinds: 150-300

Players Remaining: 159 out of 159

Chip Counts:

1. Barry Greenstein — 30,000
2. Annie Duke — 30,000
3. Bill Gazes — 30,000
4. Chau Giang — 30,000
5. Gavin Smith — 30,000
6. Greg Raymer — 30,000
7. Jeff Madsen — 30,000
8. Jennifer Harman — 30,000
9. Lee Markholt — 30,000
10. John D’Agostino — 30,000

Average Chip Count: 30,000

Big Hands:

Shak’s Big Draw Bricks Off

Nick Schulman raises under the gun, Dan Shak calls from middle position, and Will Chen also comes along from the small blind.

The flop is 295. Chen checks, Schulman checks, and Shak bets 300. Chen folds and Schulman calls. The turn is the 2 and both players check. The 9 falls on the river and Schulman and Shak both check. Schulman announces “Two sevens” and they were good for the whole pot as Shak tabled A3K10, which was good for a flush draw, the nut low draw, and overs to Schulman’s sevens.

Mike Matusow chimed in to let Shak know how much of a favorite he was in that hand, while Schulman stacked the chips.

Madsen’s Birthday Brings Him Good Fortune

We pick up the action on the turn on a board of 8 J 2 3 rainbow. Madsen bets 600 and is raised to 1200. He opts to call the additional big bet and the river is the A.

Madsen now leads again for 600 and is just smooth called by his opponent. Madsen tables the 4 5 for the nuts and is good for the whole pot.

Pezzin Gets the Best of Black

The action folds around to Andrew Black on the button who raises to 600. The small blind folds and Pat Pezzin calls the additional 300 from the big blind. The flop is J75. Pezzin leads out for 300 and is called by Black.

The turn was the 6 and Pezzin leads out again for 600, which is again called by Black. The river was the J and Pezzin fires out 600 and is called by Black again.

Pezzin turns over the 89104 for the flush and an 8 low. Black mucked his hand and Pezzin scooped the pot.

Left In The Deck:

ESPN commentator Mike Patrick has decided to put up the $10,000 to play poker with some of the world’s best.

Player Tags: Pat Pezzin,   Daniel Shak,   Nick Schulman,   Jeff Madsen,   Andrew Blackmore

Level 1 Update: Madsen Celebrates Birthday

Jun 07, '09

Level 1 Update: Event No. 18 Begins

Blinds: 100-200

Players Remaining: 141 out of 141

Chip Counts:

1. Barry Greenstein — 30,000
2. Sammy Farha — 30,000
3. Jen Harman — 30,000
4. David Benyamine — 30,000
5. Chau Giang — 30,000
6. Phil Gordon — 30,000
7. Jeff Madsen — 30,000
8. Mike Matusow — 30,000
9. Jordon Morgan — 30,000
10. Jean Robert Bellande — 30,000

Average Chip Count: 30,000

Big Hands:

David Benyamine Tops Jen Harman

After a preflop raise, David Benyamine leads out for 200 on a flop of J74 and is raised by Jen Harman. Benyamine then checks and calls a 400 chip bet from Harman on the turn when the K falls. The river is the Q and both players check.

Benyamine turns over the AK92 and scoops the pot. After the hand was over, Harman claimed that she had the AJ92 with spades.

Ted Lawson Wins Without Showdown

In a five way raised pot, the flop came down K92. The small blind led for 200, Bruno Fitoussi calls, Ted Lawson calls, and the player on the button raises to 400. After the small blind folds, both Fitoussi and Lawson called. The Q fell on the turn and now Fitoussi leads out for 400 and both Lawson and the button called.

The 3 fell on the river and Fitoussi led again for 400 and was met with a raise to 400 from Ted Lawson. The button folded and after tanking for a few moments, Fitoussi laid it down.

Morgan’s Full House Good for the Whole Pot

On a board of J10272, Jordan Morgan bet all three streets and was called down by Lee Markholt. Morgan tabled JJ and Markholt mucked his hand.

Left In The Deck:

Madsen Celebrates Birthday with Tournament

At the very beginning of the tournament, Jeff Madsen was greeted by two female companions who brought him balloons and a stuffed animal as they began to sing “Happy Birthday” to him. He played the rest of the level with the balloons tied to the back of the chair.

Player Tags: Lee Markholt,   David Benyamine,   Ted Lawson,   Jennifer Harman,   Bruno Fitoussi,   Jordan Morgan,   Jeff Madsen

Level 9 Update: Greg Mueller Eliminated (Stud)

Jun 05, '09

Level Structure:

2-7 triple draw, limit hold’em, and Omaha 8OB: 800-1,500 blinds and 1,500-3,000 limits

7-card stud, razz, and 7-card stud 8OB: 300 ante, 500 bring-in, with a 1,500 completion and 1,500-3,000 limits

no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha: 400-800 blinds with a 200 ante

NOTES: Games change every eight hands. Two players will be forced to sit out during 2-7 triple draw each hand.

Players Remaining: 120 out of 194

Chip Counts:

1. John Hanson — 172,000
2. David Oppenheim — 143,000
3. Daniel Negreanu — 121,300
4. Jimmy Fricke — 108,200
5. Eric Froehlich — 100,100
6. Brandon Adams — 96,200
7. Doyle Brunson — 95,000
8. Patrick Bueno — 93,400
9. Tommy Hang — 92,900
10. Alexandre Gomes — 92,500

Average Chip Count: XXX

Notable Eliminations:
Greg Mueller

Big Hands:

STUD
Greg Mueller; Busted by Hennigan, Eliminated by Miami John

Greg Mueller got involved in a huge pot with with a board of X-X-K284 against John Hennigan and a board of X-X-K8Q8. There is a series of bets and raises on the river, Mueller ultimately deciding just to call Hennnigan’s raise, leaving himself with just 200 behind. Hennigan turns over QQA for a full-house and Mueller mucks, claiming to have trips. Hennigan rakes the pot and brings his chip count up to 75,000 this hand while Mueller is left with just 200.

The very next hand and Mickey Appleman opens the pot for 500 with the 2. Greg Mueller calls all in for 200 with the 8, Nick Schulman completes the bet to 1,500 with the K and Miami John Cernuto calls with the 10.

Cernuto hits the J and bets 1,500 as Schulman folds the 7. Cernuto rakes the side pot and both him and Mueller turn over their cards.

Mueller: 478364-X
Cernuto: 10J55A73

Mueller tells the dealer to deal his last card face-down as he wants “…to squeeze it”, he says. He turns over a Q for a pair of fours, not to be outdone by Cernuto’s pair of fives. Mueller is eliminated from the tournament as Cernuto climbs up to 50,000 in chips after this hand.

Chau Giang vs. Gavin Griffin

Chino Rheem opens the pot for 500 with the 4 and Gavin Griffin completes the bet to 1,500 with the 9. Chau Giang raises to 3,000 with the 4, Rheem folds and Griffin calls.

Giang: X-X-410
Griffin: X-X-95

Giang checks, Griffin bets 1,500, Giang calls.

Giang: X-X-4102
Griffin: X-X-956

Giang bets 3,000 and Griffin calls.

Giang: X-X-41028
Griffin: X-X-956Q

Giang bets 3,000 on sixth street and Griffin calls. Giang bets another 3,000 on the river and Griffin calls. Giang turns over AA8 for two pair and Griffin mucks. Giang rakes the pot and is up to 40,000 this hand while Griffin falls down to just 12,000.

STUD/8

David Chiu vs. Jeff Madsen

David Gray opens the pot for 500 with the 5 and Jeff Madsen completes the bet to 1,500 with the 6. David Chiu raises to 3,000 with the K, Gray folds and Madsen calls.

Madsen: X-X-62
Chiu: X-XKQ

Chiu bets 1,500 and Madsen calls.

Madsen: X-X-629
Chiu: X-XKQA

Chiu bets 3,000 and Madsen folds. Chiu turns over AK for a pair of kings. Chiu is up to 34,000 this hand while Madsen drops down to just 15,000.

Player Tags: John Cernuto,   Greg Mueller,   David Chiu,   Chau Giang,   Gavin Griffin,   Jeff Madsen

Level 8 Update: Matusow and Ivey Eliminated

Jun 05, '09

Level Structure:

2-7 triple draw, limit hold’em, and Omaha 8OB: 600-1,200 blinds and 1,200-2,400 limits

7-card stud, razz, and 7-card stud 8OB: 300 ante, 300 bring-in, with a 1,200 completion and 1,200-2,400 limits

no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha: 300-600 blinds with a 150 ante

NOTES: Games change every eight hands. Two players will be forced to sit out during 2-7 triple draw each hand.

Players Remaining: 144 out of 194

Chip Counts:

1. Daniel Negreanu – 110,000
2. Jimmy Fricke – 86,000
3. Vanessa Rousso – 85,000
4. Nick Schulman – 78,000
5. Steve Sung – 74,000
6. David Singer – 74,000
7. James Van Alstyne – 70,000
8. Dario Minieri – 68,000
9. Andy Bloch – 62,000
10. Brandon Adams – 61,000

Average Chip Count: 40,138

Notable Eliminations:

Phil Ivey
Mike Matusow
Noah Schwartz

Big Hands:

Stud

No Justice For Mikey, Matusow One Outed And Is Eliminated

David Pham: X-X-J8
Mike Matusow: X-X-QA

Matusow bet 1,200 and Pham made the call.

David Pham: X-X-J88
Mike Matusow: X-X-QA6

Pham checked after pairing up and Matusow fired 2,400. Pham made the call.

David Pham: X-X-J88K
Mike Matusow: X-X-QA69

Matusow fired another bet of 2,400 and Pham pounced, raising to 4,800. Matusow thought for a while before calling himself all in. “You got three eights David?” Matusow asked. Pham did not as he turned over K9 for kings up, much to the delight of Matusow who showed AQ for aces up. Matusow needed to dodge the K, the last king left as someone folded the K at the start of the hand. Pham glanced at his card and announced that it had paint. Sure enough, he showed the case king and Matusow was in shock. “I just got one outed after playing for nine hours,” Matusow said as he turned over the 5 and he made his exit.

Omaha 8

Singer Drops One

On a board showing Q82J, David Singer fired 2,400 and the player in seat 6 made the call. The river brought the 8 and Singer fired another 2,400. His opponent made the call and Singer showed J932 for Jacks up, but his opponent tabled KJ1010 for the same hand but with a higher kicker. He raked in the pot and Singer was down to 58,000.

Triple Draw

Toto Picks Up A Pot

Toto Leonidas three bet the action to 3,600 before the second draw and Chau Giang made the call along with seat 6. On the second draw, each player drew one card and Leonidas bet 2,400. Both opponents made the call. On the third draw, Leonidas stood pat while his opponents each took one card. Everyone checked after the final draw and Leonidas tabled 85432 for an eight-low. Giang and seat 6 mucked and Leonidas was around 16,000 while Giang was down to 30,000.

King High Good Enough, Madsen Takes One Off Sung

Prior to the first draw, Jeff Madsen three-bet to 3,600 and Steve Sung made the call. Both players drew two cards on the first draw and then they both checked. Sung then took one card on the second draw while Madsen elected to take two cards. Sung then fired 2,400 before Madsen even got his cards. Madsen called and then both players took one card on the final draw. They both checked and Madsen flashed the K expecting Sung to show something better. Sung then flashed the A and mucked his hand after Madsen revealed the rest of his hand, 8743. He took down the pot with king-high and he was at 22,000 while Sung was doing just fine with 63,000.

Player Tags: David Pham,   Toto Leonidas,   Mike Matusow,   David Singer,   Chau Giang,   Jeff Madsen

Level 6 Update: Ferguson Goes Bust

Jun 04, '09

Level Structure:

2-7 triple draw, limit hold’em, and Omaha 8OB: 400-800 blinds and 800-1,600 limits

7-card stud, razz, and 7-card stud 8OB: 200 ante, 200 bring-in, with a 800 completion and 800-1,600 limits

no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha: 200-400 blinds with a 100 ante

NOTES: Games change every eight hands. Two players will be forced to sit out during 2-7 triple draw each hand.

Players Remaining: 167 out of 194

Chip Counts:

1. Vanessa Rousso – 80,000
2. David Singer – 74,000
3. Jimmy Fricke – 70,000
4. Daniel Negreanu – 68,000
5. Marco Traniello – 64,000
6. Andy Bloch – 62,000
7. Ted Forrest – 60,000
8. Nick Schulman – 60,000
9. Gavin Smith – 59,000
10. George Danzer – 55,500

Average Chip Count: 34,035

Notable Eliminations:

Mark Vos
Raphael Zimmerman
John D’Agostino
Chris Ferguson

Big Hands:

Limit HE

Madsen With the Bluff on Sung, Then Takes One Off Rousso

Fireworks went off between Steve Sung and Jeff Madsen after the flop came 832. Sung led out with 600 and Madsen raised to 1,200. Sung would not be outdone as he three-bet it to 1,800. Madsen came to play, however, and capped it to 2,400. Sung had enough of this game and mucked his hand. Madsen then poured salt in the wound when he tabled 54 for an open ended straight draw and not much else. Sung just smiled as his stack was down to 25,000. For Madsen, the action was just beginning.

On the next hand, Vanessa Rousso raised to 1,200 preflop and Madsen was the only caller. The flop came K85. Rousso bet 600 and Madsen came along. The turn was the 5 and both players checked. The river brought the 2 and Madsen took the initiative, firing 1,200. Rousso made the call and Madsen showed 99. It was better than Rousso’s 77 and he raked in the pot, his stack improving to almost 30,000. Rousso was down to around 73,000.

NLHE

Fitoussi Straightens Out Jesus

On a board reading 4573, Bruno Fitoussi bet enough to put Chris Ferguson all in. Ferguson then went into the tank for a while.

Daniel Negreanu and David Bach each got up and stretched their legs as Ferguson contemplated on what to do. Finally, Ferguson grabbed his stack and splashed it into the pot, tabling KK. Fitoussi showed 66 for a straight and the river could not save Jesus as he was eliminated. Fitoussi improved his stack to around 60,000 with the knockout.

Omaha 8

Smith Scoops The River

On a board showing 1075, John Cernuto bet 1,600 and Gavin Smith made the call, as did the player in seat 3. The river brought the 8 and the action was checked to Smith. He quickly fired 1,600 into the pot and both of his opponents called. Smith then turned over the bad news, showing AQ92 for a flush and the nut low, both acquired on the river. Both opponents mucked, Cernuto with a little extra sass on it, and Smith scooped the pot. His stack was around 75,000 while Cernuto was down to 55,000.

Razz

Planting The Seed

Chino Rheem: 26A
Huck Seed: 3AJ
David Chiu: 4AK

Rheem led out with 1,600 and Seed made the call. Chiu decided he had enough of this nonsense and mucked his hand.

Chino Rheem: 26A3
Huck Seed: 3AJ5

Rheem fired another 1,600 shot and Seed made the call. On the river, Rheem slowed down and checked. Seed followed suit and Rheem announced “seven,” indicating his seven-low. Seed then turned over 467 for a six-low and he took down the pot. His stack was around 44,000 while Rheem was at 46,000.

Player Tags: John Cernuto,   Chris Ferguson,   Huck Seed,   Gavin Smith,   Bruno Fitoussi,   Vanessa Rousso,   Chino Rheem,   Jeff Madsen

Level 5 Update: Smith and Schulman Get Going

Jun 04, '09

Level Structure:

2-7 triple draw, limit hold’em, and Omaha 8OB: 300-600 blinds and 600-1,200 limits

7-card stud, razz, and 7-card stud 8OB: 100 ante, 200 bring-in, with a 600 completion and 600-1,200 limits

no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha: 150-300 blinds with a 100 ante

NOTES: Games change every eight hands. Two players will be forced to sit out during 2-7 triple draw each hand.

Players Remaining: 182 out of 194

Chip Counts:

1. Vanessa Rousso – 80,000
2. Daniel Negreanu – 78,000
3. John Hennigan – 62,000
4. George Danzer – 57,000
5. Huck Seed – 53,000
6. David Singer – 52,000
7. Andy Bloch – 51,200
8. Josh Arieh – 48,000
9. John Cernuto – 46,000
10. Scotty Nguyen – 46,000

Average Chip Count: 31,978

Notable Eliminations:

Greg Raymer

Big Hands:

PLO

We Call It The Wheel

In pot-limit Omaha, the board read 774. Nick Schulman fired a pot sized bet and his opponent in seat 7 called. The turn was the 3 and both players checked. The river was the A, putting a possible flush on the board. Both players were cautious again and checked. Schulman tabled 2587 for the wheel. His opponent nodded in approval and mucked his hand. Schulman raked in the pot and his stack was at 67,000.

NLHE

Madsen’s King Dominated, But Manages a Chop

In no limit hold em, Jeff Madsen and Vanessa Rousso had already called preflop when the player in seat 8 moved in for his last 1,475. Madsen was first to act and made the call, while Rousso elected to muck her hand. Madsen showed K3, dominated by his opponent’s K9. The flop came AJ10 giving Madsen an opportunity to chop. The 4 on the turn started to make those hopes fade, but the K on the river paired both players and seat 8’s kicker did not play. Madsen got a chop and his stack was at 32,000.

Demidov Can’t Flush the Set

After the flop came down Q73, Ivan Demidov fired a bet of 3,850. His lone opponent raised it to nearly 16,000 and Demidov moved all in. He was quickly called by his opponent who tabled a set of threes. Demidov showed down AK for the nut flush draw. The 9 came on the turn, eliminating any other backdoor draw for the 2008 Main Event runner-up. The river was the 6 and Demidov paid dearly for chasing as his stack was down to 7,000.

Limit HE

Take It To The Limit

In limit hold em, Gavin Smith raised to 1,200 preflop and two players called him. The flop came KJ4 and the player in seat 7 led out with 600. Seat 8 and Smith made the call and everyone saw the 9 hit the felt. Everyone checked and the 5 came on the river.

Action was checked to Smith who had enough passive play and fired 1,200 into the pot. Both of his opponents folded and Smith took in the pot, elevating his stack over 60,000.

Player Tags: Gavin Smith,   Nick Schulman,   Jeff Madsen,   Ivan Demidov

Level 9 Update: Greg Mueller Eliminated (Stud)

Jun 05, '09

Level Structure:

2-7 triple draw, limit hold’em, and Omaha 8OB: 800-1,500 blinds and 1,500-3,000 limits

7-card stud, razz, and 7-card stud 8OB: 300 ante, 500 bring-in, with a 1,500 completion and 1,500-3,000 limits

no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha: 400-800 blinds with a 200 ante

NOTES: Games change every eight hands. Two players will be forced to sit out during 2-7 triple draw each hand.

Players Remaining: 120 out of 194

Chip Counts:

1. John Hanson — 172,000
2. David Oppenheim — 143,000
3. Daniel Negreanu — 121,300
4. Jimmy Fricke — 108,200
5. Eric Froehlich — 100,100
6. Brandon Adams — 96,200
7. Doyle Brunson — 95,000
8. Patrick Bueno — 93,400
9. Tommy Hang — 92,900
10. Alexandre Gomes — 92,500

Average Chip Count: XXX

Notable Eliminations:
Greg Mueller

Big Hands:

STUD
Greg Mueller; Busted by Hennigan, Eliminated by Miami John

Greg Mueller got involved in a huge pot with with a board of X-X-K284 against John Hennigan and a board of X-X-K8Q8. There is a series of bets and raises on the river, Mueller ultimately deciding just to call Hennnigan’s raise, leaving himself with just 200 behind. Hennigan turns over QQA for a full-house and Mueller mucks, claiming to have trips. Hennigan rakes the pot and brings his chip count up to 75,000 this hand while Mueller is left with just 200.

The very next hand and Mickey Appleman opens the pot for 500 with the 2. Greg Mueller calls all in for 200 with the 8, Nick Schulman completes the bet to 1,500 with the K and Miami John Cernuto calls with the 10.

Cernuto hits the J and bets 1,500 as Schulman folds the 7. Cernuto rakes the side pot and both him and Mueller turn over their cards.

Mueller: 478364-X
Cernuto: 10J55A73

Mueller tells the dealer to deal his last card face-down as he wants “…to squeeze it”, he says. He turns over a Q for a pair of fours, not to be outdone by Cernuto’s pair of fives. Mueller is eliminated from the tournament as Cernuto climbs up to 50,000 in chips after this hand.

Chau Giang vs. Gavin Griffin

Chino Rheem opens the pot for 500 with the 4 and Gavin Griffin completes the bet to 1,500 with the 9. Chau Giang raises to 3,000 with the 4, Rheem folds and Griffin calls.

Giang: X-X-410
Griffin: X-X-95

Giang checks, Griffin bets 1,500, Giang calls.

Giang: X-X-4102
Griffin: X-X-956

Giang bets 3,000 and Griffin calls.

Giang: X-X-41028
Griffin: X-X-956Q

Giang bets 3,000 on sixth street and Griffin calls. Giang bets another 3,000 on the river and Griffin calls. Giang turns over AA8 for two pair and Griffin mucks. Giang rakes the pot and is up to 40,000 this hand while Griffin falls down to just 12,000.

STUD/8

David Chiu vs. Jeff Madsen

David Gray opens the pot for 500 with the 5 and Jeff Madsen completes the bet to 1,500 with the 6. David Chiu raises to 3,000 with the K, Gray folds and Madsen calls.

Madsen: X-X-62
Chiu: X-XKQ

Chiu bets 1,500 and Madsen calls.

Madsen: X-X-629
Chiu: X-XKQA

Chiu bets 3,000 and Madsen folds. Chiu turns over AK for a pair of kings. Chiu is up to 34,000 this hand while Madsen drops down to just 15,000.

Player Tags: John Cernuto,   Greg Mueller,   David Chiu,   Chau Giang,   Gavin Griffin,   Jeff Madsen

Level 8 Update: Matusow and Ivey Eliminated

Jun 05, '09

Level Structure:

2-7 triple draw, limit hold’em, and Omaha 8OB: 600-1,200 blinds and 1,200-2,400 limits

7-card stud, razz, and 7-card stud 8OB: 300 ante, 300 bring-in, with a 1,200 completion and 1,200-2,400 limits

no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha: 300-600 blinds with a 150 ante

NOTES: Games change every eight hands. Two players will be forced to sit out during 2-7 triple draw each hand.

Players Remaining: 144 out of 194

Chip Counts:

1. Daniel Negreanu – 110,000
2. Jimmy Fricke – 86,000
3. Vanessa Rousso – 85,000
4. Nick Schulman – 78,000
5. Steve Sung – 74,000
6. David Singer – 74,000
7. James Van Alstyne – 70,000
8. Dario Minieri – 68,000
9. Andy Bloch – 62,000
10. Brandon Adams – 61,000

Average Chip Count: 40,138

Notable Eliminations:

Phil Ivey
Mike Matusow
Noah Schwartz

Big Hands:

Stud

No Justice For Mikey, Matusow One Outed And Is Eliminated

David Pham: X-X-J8
Mike Matusow: X-X-QA

Matusow bet 1,200 and Pham made the call.

David Pham: X-X-J88
Mike Matusow: X-X-QA6

Pham checked after pairing up and Matusow fired 2,400. Pham made the call.

David Pham: X-X-J88K
Mike Matusow: X-X-QA69

Matusow fired another bet of 2,400 and Pham pounced, raising to 4,800. Matusow thought for a while before calling himself all in. “You got three eights David?” Matusow asked. Pham did not as he turned over K9 for kings up, much to the delight of Matusow who showed AQ for aces up. Matusow needed to dodge the K, the last king left as someone folded the K at the start of the hand. Pham glanced at his card and announced that it had paint. Sure enough, he showed the case king and Matusow was in shock. “I just got one outed after playing for nine hours,” Matusow said as he turned over the 5 and he made his exit.

Omaha 8

Singer Drops One

On a board showing Q82J, David Singer fired 2,400 and the player in seat 6 made the call. The river brought the 8 and Singer fired another 2,400. His opponent made the call and Singer showed J932 for Jacks up, but his opponent tabled KJ1010 for the same hand but with a higher kicker. He raked in the pot and Singer was down to 58,000.

Triple Draw

Toto Picks Up A Pot

Toto Leonidas three bet the action to 3,600 before the second draw and Chau Giang made the call along with seat 6. On the second draw, each player drew one card and Leonidas bet 2,400. Both opponents made the call. On the third draw, Leonidas stood pat while his opponents each took one card. Everyone checked after the final draw and Leonidas tabled 85432 for an eight-low. Giang and seat 6 mucked and Leonidas was around 16,000 while Giang was down to 30,000.

King High Good Enough, Madsen Takes One Off Sung

Prior to the first draw, Jeff Madsen three-bet to 3,600 and Steve Sung made the call. Both players drew two cards on the first draw and then they both checked. Sung then took one card on the second draw while Madsen elected to take two cards. Sung then fired 2,400 before Madsen even got his cards. Madsen called and then both players took one card on the final draw. They both checked and Madsen flashed the K expecting Sung to show something better. Sung then flashed the A and mucked his hand after Madsen revealed the rest of his hand, 8743. He took down the pot with king-high and he was at 22,000 while Sung was doing just fine with 63,000.

Player Tags: David Pham,   Toto Leonidas,   Mike Matusow,   David Singer,   Chau Giang,   Jeff Madsen

Level 6 Update: Ferguson Goes Bust

Jun 04, '09

Level Structure:

2-7 triple draw, limit hold’em, and Omaha 8OB: 400-800 blinds and 800-1,600 limits

7-card stud, razz, and 7-card stud 8OB: 200 ante, 200 bring-in, with a 800 completion and 800-1,600 limits

no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha: 200-400 blinds with a 100 ante

NOTES: Games change every eight hands. Two players will be forced to sit out during 2-7 triple draw each hand.

Players Remaining: 167 out of 194

Chip Counts:

1. Vanessa Rousso – 80,000
2. David Singer – 74,000
3. Jimmy Fricke – 70,000
4. Daniel Negreanu – 68,000
5. Marco Traniello – 64,000
6. Andy Bloch – 62,000
7. Ted Forrest – 60,000
8. Nick Schulman – 60,000
9. Gavin Smith – 59,000
10. George Danzer – 55,500

Average Chip Count: 34,035

Notable Eliminations:

Mark Vos
Raphael Zimmerman
John D’Agostino
Chris Ferguson

Big Hands:

Limit HE

Madsen With the Bluff on Sung, Then Takes One Off Rousso

Fireworks went off between Steve Sung and Jeff Madsen after the flop came 832. Sung led out with 600 and Madsen raised to 1,200. Sung would not be outdone as he three-bet it to 1,800. Madsen came to play, however, and capped it to 2,400. Sung had enough of this game and mucked his hand. Madsen then poured salt in the wound when he tabled 54 for an open ended straight draw and not much else. Sung just smiled as his stack was down to 25,000. For Madsen, the action was just beginning.

On the next hand, Vanessa Rousso raised to 1,200 preflop and Madsen was the only caller. The flop came K85. Rousso bet 600 and Madsen came along. The turn was the 5 and both players checked. The river brought the 2 and Madsen took the initiative, firing 1,200. Rousso made the call and Madsen showed 99. It was better than Rousso’s 77 and he raked in the pot, his stack improving to almost 30,000. Rousso was down to around 73,000.

NLHE

Fitoussi Straightens Out Jesus

On a board reading 4573, Bruno Fitoussi bet enough to put Chris Ferguson all in. Ferguson then went into the tank for a while.

Daniel Negreanu and David Bach each got up and stretched their legs as Ferguson contemplated on what to do. Finally, Ferguson grabbed his stack and splashed it into the pot, tabling KK. Fitoussi showed 66 for a straight and the river could not save Jesus as he was eliminated. Fitoussi improved his stack to around 60,000 with the knockout.

Omaha 8

Smith Scoops The River

On a board showing 1075, John Cernuto bet 1,600 and Gavin Smith made the call, as did the player in seat 3. The river brought the 8 and the action was checked to Smith. He quickly fired 1,600 into the pot and both of his opponents called. Smith then turned over the bad news, showing AQ92 for a flush and the nut low, both acquired on the river. Both opponents mucked, Cernuto with a little extra sass on it, and Smith scooped the pot. His stack was around 75,000 while Cernuto was down to 55,000.

Razz

Planting The Seed

Chino Rheem: 26A
Huck Seed: 3AJ
David Chiu: 4AK

Rheem led out with 1,600 and Seed made the call. Chiu decided he had enough of this nonsense and mucked his hand.

Chino Rheem: 26A3
Huck Seed: 3AJ5

Rheem fired another 1,600 shot and Seed made the call. On the river, Rheem slowed down and checked. Seed followed suit and Rheem announced “seven,” indicating his seven-low. Seed then turned over 467 for a six-low and he took down the pot. His stack was around 44,000 while Rheem was at 46,000.

Player Tags: John Cernuto,   Chris Ferguson,   Huck Seed,   Gavin Smith,   Bruno Fitoussi,   Vanessa Rousso,   Chino Rheem,   Jeff Madsen

Level 5 Update: Smith and Schulman Get Going

Jun 04, '09

Level Structure:

2-7 triple draw, limit hold’em, and Omaha 8OB: 300-600 blinds and 600-1,200 limits

7-card stud, razz, and 7-card stud 8OB: 100 ante, 200 bring-in, with a 600 completion and 600-1,200 limits

no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha: 150-300 blinds with a 100 ante

NOTES: Games change every eight hands. Two players will be forced to sit out during 2-7 triple draw each hand.

Players Remaining: 182 out of 194

Chip Counts:

1. Vanessa Rousso – 80,000
2. Daniel Negreanu – 78,000
3. John Hennigan – 62,000
4. George Danzer – 57,000
5. Huck Seed – 53,000
6. David Singer – 52,000
7. Andy Bloch – 51,200
8. Josh Arieh – 48,000
9. John Cernuto – 46,000
10. Scotty Nguyen – 46,000

Average Chip Count: 31,978

Notable Eliminations:

Greg Raymer

Big Hands:

PLO

We Call It The Wheel

In pot-limit Omaha, the board read 774. Nick Schulman fired a pot sized bet and his opponent in seat 7 called. The turn was the 3 and both players checked. The river was the A, putting a possible flush on the board. Both players were cautious again and checked. Schulman tabled 2587 for the wheel. His opponent nodded in approval and mucked his hand. Schulman raked in the pot and his stack was at 67,000.

NLHE

Madsen’s King Dominated, But Manages a Chop

In no limit hold em, Jeff Madsen and Vanessa Rousso had already called preflop when the player in seat 8 moved in for his last 1,475. Madsen was first to act and made the call, while Rousso elected to muck her hand. Madsen showed K3, dominated by his opponent’s K9. The flop came AJ10 giving Madsen an opportunity to chop. The 4 on the turn started to make those hopes fade, but the K on the river paired both players and seat 8’s kicker did not play. Madsen got a chop and his stack was at 32,000.

Demidov Can’t Flush the Set

After the flop came down Q73, Ivan Demidov fired a bet of 3,850. His lone opponent raised it to nearly 16,000 and Demidov moved all in. He was quickly called by his opponent who tabled a set of threes. Demidov showed down AK for the nut flush draw. The 9 came on the turn, eliminating any other backdoor draw for the 2008 Main Event runner-up. The river was the 6 and Demidov paid dearly for chasing as his stack was down to 7,000.

Limit HE

Take It To The Limit

In limit hold em, Gavin Smith raised to 1,200 preflop and two players called him. The flop came KJ4 and the player in seat 7 led out with 600. Seat 8 and Smith made the call and everyone saw the 9 hit the felt. Everyone checked and the 5 came on the river.

Action was checked to Smith who had enough passive play and fired 1,200 into the pot. Both of his opponents folded and Smith took in the pot, elevating his stack over 60,000.

Player Tags: Gavin Smith,   Nick Schulman,   Jeff Madsen,   Ivan Demidov

Jeff Madsen Eliminated in 18th Place ($65,370)

Apr 23, '09

Justin Young raised to 105,000, Sinan Yoyen called from the cutoff and Jeff Madsen moved all in from the small blind for 555,000.

Young folded and Yoyen called with A Q. Madsen rolled over pocket sevens and was eliminated when the board came 6 3 2 8 J, giving Yoyen the nut flush.

Madsen earned $65,370 for his finish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Player Tags: Jeff Madsen,   Sinan Yoyen

Will Failla Eliminated in 39th Place ($40,855)

Apr 22, '09

Will Failla rode the short stack for most of the day and finally went out in 39th place when his pocket nines lost a race to Jeff Madsen's A-Q.

Failla earned $40,855 and Madsen chipped up to 1,200,000.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Player Tags: Jeff Madsen,   Will Failla

Jeff Madsen Eliminated in 18th Place ($65,370)

Apr 23, '09

Justin Young raised to 105,000, Sinan Yoyen called from the cutoff and Jeff Madsen moved all in from the small blind for 555,000.

Young folded and Yoyen called with A Q. Madsen rolled over pocket sevens and was eliminated when the board came 6 3 2 8 J, giving Yoyen the nut flush.

Madsen earned $65,370 for his finish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Player Tags: Jeff Madsen,   Sinan Yoyen

Will Failla Eliminated in 39th Place ($40,855)

Apr 22, '09

Will Failla rode the short stack for most of the day and finally went out in 39th place when his pocket nines lost a race to Jeff Madsen's A-Q.

Failla earned $40,855 and Madsen chipped up to 1,200,000.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Player Tags: Jeff Madsen,   Will Failla