NOTE: The players are now on a 90-minute dinner break. Play will continue at 8:30 p.m.
NOTE: Levels are two hours in length.
Players Remaining on Day 2B: 2,490
Blinds: 400-800 with a 100 ante
Chip Leaders:
Nicolas Fierro: 345,000
Ben Lamb: 325,000
Kevin Saul: 324,000
Guillermo Ramirez: 275,000
Raul Pino: 268,000
Ryan D’Angelo: 267,000
Narendra Banwari: 265,000
Arnaud Esquevin: 255,000
Andrew Hinrichsen: 235,000
Jeff Frerichs: 235,000
Card Player Chip Counts:
Matt Matros — 106,000
Todd Brunson — 115,000
Lee Watkinson — 73,000
Diego Cordovez — 33,000
Jeff Shulman — BUSTED
Tony Dunst — BUSTED
Notables Eliminated:
Mike Matusow
Dario Minieri
Jonathan Aguiar
Randy Dorfman
Luca Pagano
Shannon Elizabeth
Al Barbieri
Phil Galfond
Mas Kagawa
Daniel Alaei
Vivek Rajkumar
Andy Black
Shawn Cunix
Brad Booth
Alexandre Gomes
Joe Cassidy
Hands:
Chau Giang Doubles Up
The button moved all in preflop and Chau Giang made the all-in call for about 16,000. Their hands:
Giang: A 6
Button: 8 7
Board: J 10 7 7 5
Giang doubled up on the hand to survive and he now holds 38,000.
Tim West Doubles Up
Tim West got the last of his chips (24,500) into the middle preflop and one player called him down. Their cards:
West: A A
Opponent: K K
Board: 4 2 2 8 6
West won the hand and he doubled up to more than 50,000.
Featured Poker Tweet — Shannon Elizabeth
Devilfish vs. DeMaci
David Ulliot got the last of his chips into the middle preflop against Chris DeMaci. Their cards:
Ulliot: Q Q
DeMaci: A J
Board: J 8 6 9 2
Ulliot doubled up on the hand to survive with 21,000. DeMaci was knocked down to 59,000.
Shawn Cunix Eliminated
Shawn Cunix got the last of his chips into the middle preflop against Jean-Robert Bellande with a flop that read Q 5 4 sitting on the table. Their cards:
Bellande: Q 10
Cunix: Q 3
Turn and River: 6 and J
Cunix was eliminated on the hand and Bellande grew his stack to 80,000.
NOTE: The field is now on a 90-minute dinner break and they will return at 8:30 p.m.
NOTE: Levels are two hours in length and players are starting with 30,000 in chips. Registration will remain open until the end of the second level.
Players on Day 1D: Approximately 2,809
Blinds: 150-300
Notables Remaining:
Erik Cajelais
Nelly
Thor Hansen
Ray Henson
Huck Seed
Kelly Kim
David Baker
Brad Booth
Eddy Sabat
Chino Rheem
Jason Senti
James Van Alstyne
Phil Laak
Jennifer Tilly
Ravi Raghavan
Jeff Madsen
Joe Tehan
Jamie Gold
David Williams
Todd Brunson
Dan Heimiller
Shannon Elizabeth
Robert Williamson III
Vanessa Rousso
Darvin Moon
Lee Watkinson
Greg Mueller
Shawn Buchanan
Andy Black
Jonathan Little
Mark Seif
John Juanda
Victor Ramdin
Mike Sexton
Noah Boeken
Scott Clements
Lars Bonding
Mas Kagawa
Freddy Deeb
Jared Jaffe
Card Player Chip Counts:
Jeff Shulman — 26,000
Matt Matros — 36,000
Featured Poker Tweet — Jeff Shulman
Notables Eliminated This Level:
Bertrand Grospellier
Cyndy Violette
Micah Raskin
Alexander Kostritsyn
Thomas Marchese
Abe Mosseri
Melanie Weisner
Hands:
Prize Pool Announced!
There are 2,809 players in today’s field and that brings the total size of the 2011 main event field to 6,865. The total prize pool stands at 64,531,000 and the first-place prize is $8,711,956. The top 693 players will get prize money in the event. The full payout structure will be released later this evening.
Bertrand Grospellier Eliminated
Tony McCann raised to 1,000 preflop and Bertrand Grospellier reraised all in for 10,500. McCann made the call and they flipped over their cards:
Grospellier: A K
McCann: A A
Board: 9 6 4 2 7
Grospellier was eliminated on the hand.
Featured Poker Tweet — Shannon Elizabeth
Cyndy Violette Eliminated
The flop read 10 5 2 when UTG bet 600 and Cyndy Violette made the call. The turn fell K and UTG bet 600. Violette min-raised to 1,200 and her opponent made the call.
The river fell Q and UTG moved all in. Violette made the all-in call for 2,000 and she turned over 2 2. UTG held A J and Violette was eliminated on the hand.
NOTE: The players are now on a 90-minute dinner break. Play will continue at 8:30 p.m.
NOTE: Levels are two hours in length.
Players Remaining on Day 2B: 2,490
Blinds: 400-800 with a 100 ante
Chip Leaders:
Nicolas Fierro: 345,000
Ben Lamb: 325,000
Kevin Saul: 324,000
Guillermo Ramirez: 275,000
Raul Pino: 268,000
Ryan D’Angelo: 267,000
Narendra Banwari: 265,000
Arnaud Esquevin: 255,000
Andrew Hinrichsen: 235,000
Jeff Frerichs: 235,000
Card Player Chip Counts:
Matt Matros — 106,000
Todd Brunson — 115,000
Lee Watkinson — 73,000
Diego Cordovez — 33,000
Jeff Shulman — BUSTED
Tony Dunst — BUSTED
Notables Eliminated:
Mike Matusow
Dario Minieri
Jonathan Aguiar
Randy Dorfman
Luca Pagano
Shannon Elizabeth
Al Barbieri
Phil Galfond
Mas Kagawa
Daniel Alaei
Vivek Rajkumar
Andy Black
Shawn Cunix
Brad Booth
Alexandre Gomes
Joe Cassidy
Hands:
Chau Giang Doubles Up
The button moved all in preflop and Chau Giang made the all-in call for about 16,000. Their hands:
Giang: A 6
Button: 8 7
Board: J 10 7 7 5
Giang doubled up on the hand to survive and he now holds 38,000.
Tim West Doubles Up
Tim West got the last of his chips (24,500) into the middle preflop and one player called him down. Their cards:
West: A A
Opponent: K K
Board: 4 2 2 8 6
West won the hand and he doubled up to more than 50,000.
Featured Poker Tweet — Shannon Elizabeth
Devilfish vs. DeMaci
David Ulliot got the last of his chips into the middle preflop against Chris DeMaci. Their cards:
Ulliot: Q Q
DeMaci: A J
Board: J 8 6 9 2
Ulliot doubled up on the hand to survive with 21,000. DeMaci was knocked down to 59,000.
Shawn Cunix Eliminated
Shawn Cunix got the last of his chips into the middle preflop against Jean-Robert Bellande with a flop that read Q 5 4 sitting on the table. Their cards:
Bellande: Q 10
Cunix: Q 3
Turn and River: 6 and J
Cunix was eliminated on the hand and Bellande grew his stack to 80,000.
NOTE: The field is now on a 90-minute dinner break and they will return at 8:30 p.m.
NOTE: Levels are two hours in length and players are starting with 30,000 in chips. Registration will remain open until the end of the second level.
Players on Day 1D: Approximately 2,809
Blinds: 150-300
Notables Remaining:
Erik Cajelais
Nelly
Thor Hansen
Ray Henson
Huck Seed
Kelly Kim
David Baker
Brad Booth
Eddy Sabat
Chino Rheem
Jason Senti
James Van Alstyne
Phil Laak
Jennifer Tilly
Ravi Raghavan
Jeff Madsen
Joe Tehan
Jamie Gold
David Williams
Todd Brunson
Dan Heimiller
Shannon Elizabeth
Robert Williamson III
Vanessa Rousso
Darvin Moon
Lee Watkinson
Greg Mueller
Shawn Buchanan
Andy Black
Jonathan Little
Mark Seif
John Juanda
Victor Ramdin
Mike Sexton
Noah Boeken
Scott Clements
Lars Bonding
Mas Kagawa
Freddy Deeb
Jared Jaffe
Card Player Chip Counts:
Jeff Shulman — 26,000
Matt Matros — 36,000
Featured Poker Tweet — Jeff Shulman
Notables Eliminated This Level:
Bertrand Grospellier
Cyndy Violette
Micah Raskin
Alexander Kostritsyn
Thomas Marchese
Abe Mosseri
Melanie Weisner
Hands:
Prize Pool Announced!
There are 2,809 players in today’s field and that brings the total size of the 2011 main event field to 6,865. The total prize pool stands at 64,531,000 and the first-place prize is $8,711,956. The top 693 players will get prize money in the event. The full payout structure will be released later this evening.
Bertrand Grospellier Eliminated
Tony McCann raised to 1,000 preflop and Bertrand Grospellier reraised all in for 10,500. McCann made the call and they flipped over their cards:
Grospellier: A K
McCann: A A
Board: 9 6 4 2 7
Grospellier was eliminated on the hand.
Featured Poker Tweet — Shannon Elizabeth
Cyndy Violette Eliminated
The flop read 10 5 2 when UTG bet 600 and Cyndy Violette made the call. The turn fell K and UTG bet 600. Violette min-raised to 1,200 and her opponent made the call.
The river fell Q and UTG moved all in. Violette made the all-in call for 2,000 and she turned over 2 2. UTG held A J and Violette was eliminated on the hand.
There was 3,500 in the pot and a board of 10 10 2 3 sitting on the table when Shannon Elizabeth bet 2,500 from the cutoff. The big blind went into the tank and then raised to 6,100. Elizabeth thought for a little bit and then made the call. The river fell 10 and Elizabeth put in a bet that big enough to put her opponent all in. He decided to muck and Elizabeth won the pot to grow her stack above 40,000.
Victor Ramdin Eliminated
Victor Ramdin and Jamie Rosen have been battling for most of the day, but Rosen just had the last laugh. Ramdin got the last of his chips into the middle on the turn, but he quickly found out that it was all over for him when the two players flipped over their cards:
Ramdin: A 8
Rosen: A 10
Board: A A 10 8 8
Ramdin was eliminated after the hand.
Faraz Jaka Takes a Hit
The hijack bet 1,000 and Faraz Jaka made the call from the big blind. The flop fell 6 3 3 and the hijack bet 1,500. Jaka made the call and then both players checked the K on the turn. The A followed on the river and Jaka bet 3,200. The hijack raised to 12,100 and Jaka went into the tank for a few minutes. He eventually made the call but his opponent flipped over K 8 for the flush. Jaka was knocked down to 32,000 after the hand.
There was 23,000 in the pot and a flop that read Q 8 7 when Ben Klier raised to 32,000 from the small blind. Tony Rivera made the all-in call for 16,600. Their cards:
Rivera: K K
Klier: A Q
Turn and River: 6 3
Rivera doubled up on the hand to survive.
Jason Koon Takes a Hit
There was 2,700 in the pot and a flop of Q 9 5 sat on the table when WPT Festa al Lago final tablist Jason Koon bet 1,500 from the cutoff. A player in middle position raised to 3,175 and Koon made the call. Both players then checked the 10 on the turn and the 10 followed on the river. Middle position bet 6,600 and Koon went into the tank. He eventually mucked and his stack now resides at 26,200.
Ali Eslami Trends Down
There was 1,000 in the pot and a flop that read Q 5 2 on the table when Ali Eslami bet 1,100 UTG+1. The button made the call and the turn fell A. Eslami bet 3,000 and the button made the call again. The river fell 5 and both players checked. Eslami flipped over pocket sixes, but they were bested by the pocket nines of his opponent.
Senti Plays Picks Up Chips
The board read 10 9 2 7 J with 6,700 in the pot when a player under the gun put out a small bet. Michael Kamran made the call from the hijack and then Jason Senit raised to 2,000 from the button. UTG made the call and Kamran mucked. Senti flipped over K Q and he won the pot.
Left in the Deck
A Little Brighter
A few more stars have snuck into the tournament field just before the registration cutoff. They include Hollywood stars Shannon Elizabeth and Jennifer Tilly, as well as poker stars like Phil Laak.
There was 3,500 in the pot and a board of 10 10 2 3 sitting on the table when Shannon Elizabeth bet 2,500 from the cutoff. The big blind went into the tank and then raised to 6,100. Elizabeth thought for a little bit and then made the call. The river fell 10 and Elizabeth put in a bet that big enough to put her opponent all in. He decided to muck and Elizabeth won the pot to grow her stack above 40,000.
Victor Ramdin Eliminated
Victor Ramdin and Jamie Rosen have been battling for most of the day, but Rosen just had the last laugh. Ramdin got the last of his chips into the middle on the turn, but he quickly found out that it was all over for him when the two players flipped over their cards:
Ramdin: A 8
Rosen: A 10
Board: A A 10 8 8
Ramdin was eliminated after the hand.
Faraz Jaka Takes a Hit
The hijack bet 1,000 and Faraz Jaka made the call from the big blind. The flop fell 6 3 3 and the hijack bet 1,500. Jaka made the call and then both players checked the K on the turn. The A followed on the river and Jaka bet 3,200. The hijack raised to 12,100 and Jaka went into the tank for a few minutes. He eventually made the call but his opponent flipped over K 8 for the flush. Jaka was knocked down to 32,000 after the hand.
There was 23,000 in the pot and a flop that read Q 8 7 when Ben Klier raised to 32,000 from the small blind. Tony Rivera made the all-in call for 16,600. Their cards:
Rivera: K K
Klier: A Q
Turn and River: 6 3
Rivera doubled up on the hand to survive.
Jason Koon Takes a Hit
There was 2,700 in the pot and a flop of Q 9 5 sat on the table when WPT Festa al Lago final tablist Jason Koon bet 1,500 from the cutoff. A player in middle position raised to 3,175 and Koon made the call. Both players then checked the 10 on the turn and the 10 followed on the river. Middle position bet 6,600 and Koon went into the tank. He eventually mucked and his stack now resides at 26,200.
Ali Eslami Trends Down
There was 1,000 in the pot and a flop that read Q 5 2 on the table when Ali Eslami bet 1,100 UTG+1. The button made the call and the turn fell A. Eslami bet 3,000 and the button made the call again. The river fell 5 and both players checked. Eslami flipped over pocket sixes, but they were bested by the pocket nines of his opponent.
Senti Plays Picks Up Chips
The board read 10 9 2 7 J with 6,700 in the pot when a player under the gun put out a small bet. Michael Kamran made the call from the hijack and then Jason Senit raised to 2,000 from the button. UTG made the call and Kamran mucked. Senti flipped over K Q and he won the pot.
Left in the Deck
A Little Brighter
A few more stars have snuck into the tournament field just before the registration cutoff. They include Hollywood stars Shannon Elizabeth and Jennifer Tilly, as well as poker stars like Phil Laak.
1. Khamsy Nuanmanee – 115,000
2. Alex Aram – 77,000
3. Kara Scott – 70,000
4. Brent Baldrey – 69,000
5. Steve Billirakis – 68,000
6. Allen Cunningham – 66,800
7. Phil Ivey – 66,500
8. Joe Serock – 60,000
9. Anh Van Nguyen – 59,500
10. Jennifer Harman – 52,000
Card Player Family Chip Counts
Jeff Shulman — 22,000
Steve Zolotow — 31,500
Notable Eliminations:
None
Big Hands:
Serock and Elizabeth Give Some Away
In a 4-way raised pot, the flop cam e429 and seat 6 checked to Shannon Elizabeth, who fired 2,000 into the pot. Seat 4 folded and Joe Serock made the call. Seat 6, the original checker, then check-raised to 6,000.
Elizabeth folded by Serock tanked and made the call. When the J fell on the turn seat 6 quickly moved all in for over 20,000. Serock quickly folded, giving the pot to his opponent.
Serock still had 43,000 after the hand, but Elizabeth was down to around 17,000.
Buffer Straightens Out Opponent
Burce Buffer bet 1,000 on a 3-way flop of 487 ad was called by seat 7 and 8. On the 6s turn seat 7 fired 1,400 and seat 8 made the call. Buffer wasted little time raising to 4,000 total. Seat 7 folded but seat 8 decided to call.
The 6h came on the river and seat 8 checked to the aggressor. Buffer fired 2,500 and seat 8 checked his cards before letting them hit the muck. Buffer showed anyway, the A5 for a turned straight. He had around 35,000 after the hand.
Hachem Loses to Two Pair
Entering the action late, Joe Hachem faced a bet of 1,600 from his opponent on a board of Q8A109. He eventually called and said “nice hand” as soon as he opponent showed A10 for two pair. Hachem had around 24,000 after the loss.
Ivey Forces a Big Laydown
Entering the action late, a pot of 17,000 had developed on a board of 9463. When the K peeled off on the river Phil Ivey bet enough to put his opponent all in for his last 12,000.
After tanking for a while in front of the ESPN cameras, his opponent folded QQ face up and said “Go ahead man.” Ivey now has around 62,000 in chips.
Little Value for Little’s Set
On a board of QJ79, seat 8 folded to Jonathan Little’s bet of 1,000. Little let him know that he wasn’t picking on him and flashed the 99 for a turned set. He sat with around 29,500 after the hand.
Ferguson Takes A Pot, But John Phan The Star
With 2,500 already in the pot preflop, Justin Smith fired 1,800 after the flop came down 876. Chris Ferguson was next to act and he raised it to 5,300.
The action was then on John Phan, and the action stayed on John Phan for awhile. He tanked for more than three minutes, giving the ESPN camera crews along with other players time to crowd around the table. Phan counted out a call, then counted out a raise, then looked at his cards, then shuffled his chips altogether, then looked at his hand again.
The player in seat 1 then leaned over to the dealer and asked in a whisper what the procedure was when asking to call a clock on a player. Eventually, Phan did release his hand. Smith did the same in much faster fashion as his cards almost beat Phan’s to the muck. Ferguson took the pot and he was back around 30,000.
“You were going to get reraised anyway,” Phan told Smith after the hand.
“Yeah,” Smith responed. “But I call you.”
Smith was at 32,000 and Phan was at 28,000.
Sheikhan Can’t Call
Picking up the action after the board read AJ103, there was 800 in the pot and Shawn Sheikhan led out with 550. The player in seat 7 called as did the player in seat 10. Another player in the hand folded and the three remaining saw the J fall on the river.
Sheikhan checked and seat 7 bet 1,500. Seat 10 mucked and Sheikhan soon followed suit. Sheikhan was down to 28,300.
George Danzer Chops a Pot
On a board read Q77QA a player in middle position bet 1,050 and George Danzer quickly called. His oppnented tabeled the 87 and Danzer exposed the 97 for a chop. Danzer was at right around the starting stack of 30,000 after the hand.
Kirk Morrison Sitting With Just a Beer
Over in the pavilion room, Kirk Morrison was sitting at a table with a beer and no chips. Morrison wasn’t all in, but simply waiting to receive his chips and to be dealt a hand, after registering late on day 1d. Morrison was the last player that made it into the main event last year, but said he showed up this year fifteen minutes earlier in order to avoid another close call.
David Saab Moves All In
David Saab bet from early position and was called by an opponent on the button. The flop came J82 and Saab bet 1,000. His opponent raised to 3,125. Saab instantly moved all in for 12,125 more. His opponent went into the tank before finally folding. Saab was up to 20,000 after the hand.
Bernard Lee Wins a Nice One
Bernard Lee reraised to 1,525 preflop after his opponent raised to 400. Another opponent and the original raiser made the call and the flop was dealt K K Q. One opponent bet 4,500 and Lee made the call. The other player got out of the way and the turn fell 3.
His opponent bet 8,500 and Lee made the call. The river brought the 8 and and both players checked. Lee revealed A-K and his opponent mucked. Lee held 41,000 after the hand and he has finished level 2 with 43,650.
A player in the cutoff bet 250 and Phil Ivey raised to 800 total. The player in the small blind four-bet to 1,350 and it was folded to the cutoff. She folded and Ivey quickly called.
The flop came 9638 and action went check-check. The 8 fell on the turn and Ivey’s opponent bet 1,200. Ivey insta-called and the 10 landed on the river. The small blind checked and Ivey bet 4,300. Ivey’s opponent deliberated before eventually folding. Ivey was at 34,000 in chips after the hand.
Steve Billirakis Starting off Strong
On a board of 10937 was faced with a 6,000-chip bet. Billirakis called and the river brought the J. Billirakis led out for 4,000 and his opponent called. Billirakis tabled the J9 for two pair. His opponent mucked the KK. Billirakis was up to 54,000 after the hand.
David Benyamine Drops A Pot
David Benyamine raised to 300 preflop and the small blind made the call. The flop came down A63 and both players checked.
The turn was the 6 and the small blind led out with 500. Benyamine made the call and the river was the 8.
The small blind led out with 500 again and Benyamine decided to look him up. The small blind showed A7 for aces and sixes and Benyamine mucked. Despite dropping that pot, Benyamine was off to a strong start with close to 49,000 in chips.
Cindy Violette Takes One Down
Cyndy Violette raised to 300 and was called by two players. The flop came 9dKh5c and Violette bet 1,000 to force out her opponents. She had around 31,500 after the hand.
“This is Our Maaain Event Of The Evening”
Bruce Buffer raised to 350 from middle position and was called by JJ Lui on the button. The flop ran 782 and Buffer led for 525. Lui folded and Buffer chipped back up to around his starting stack of 30,000.
Joe Serock Takes One From Elizabeth
On a 3-way flop of A78 seat 2 checked and so did Joe Serock. Shannon Elizabeth bet 600 and seat 2 folded, but Serock called.
The 7 fell on the turn and Serock led for 1,800. Elizabeth called and the A fell on the river. Both players checked and Elizabeth mucked when she saw Serock’s Q7.
Serock was at around 39,000 after the hand, while Elizabeth dropped to around 23,000.
Hevad Khan Loses a Big One
Hevad Khan called a bet of 2,250 from seat 7 on a board of 599A. On the 6 river Khan checked and seat 7 fired 7,600. There was already a lot in the pot, and Khan tanked for a moment before electing to fold.
He had 26,000 after the hand.
Steve Dannenmann Run Over By Jacks
Steve Dannenmann bet 250 on a board of 36Q7 and was called by seat 1. The button then raised to 1,050 and Dannenmann called, while seat 1 got out of the way.
The K river was checked around and a stubborn moment left Dannenmann and the player on the button refusing to show their cards first. Finally Dannenmann showed 75 for a pair and the button showed JJ for a better pair. After the loss Dannenmann had around 28,000.
Kenny Tran Wins a Pot
Kenny Tran had the button and was tangled up in a pot versus a player in the cutoff. On a board of AK63 the action went check-check. The 8 fell on the river and the cutoff checked. Tran bet 4,000 and the cutoff tanked. He eventually made the call and Tran exposed the 72 for a flush. Tran’s opponent mucked and Tran raked in the pot. He was up to about the starting stack after the hand.
Mizzi Drops One
With 650 in the pot, the board read 10523. Sorel Mizzi fired 350 and the player in seat 9 made the call.
The river was the 3 and Mizzi checked. Seat 9 fired 1,575 and Mizzi threw away his hand. He was at 32,000 after the loss.
Ferguson Can’t Call
Chris Ferguson raised to 600 on the button and the player in seat 5 made the call from middle position. The flop came down 642 and seat 5 checked.
Ferguson fired 1,000 and seat 5 quickly check-raised to 2,000. Ferguson thought for a bit and made the call. The turn was the 4 and seat 5 checked again.
Ferguson thought for a little while longer and bet 3,000. Seat 5 called again and the river was the 10.
Seat 5 took the lead this time, firing 2,500 and Ferguson released his hand. Ferguson was down to 26,000 after dropping that pot.
Rousso Bluffs Off Half Her Stack
Picking up the action after the flop came down Q85, Vanessa Rousso led out with 3,500 and the player in seat 7 made the call.
The turn was the J and Rousso thought long before sliding out 7,000. Seat 7 then tanked and asked Rousso for a count. The rest of the players at the table left as the 20-minute break had begun.
Seat 7 eventually called and the river was the 9. Rousso played with her chips awhile but checked. Seat 7 checked behind and Rousso tabled AK for ace-high. Seat 7 tabled 87 for a pair of eights and a heart draw on the flop.
Rousso dropped a big pot before the break and she was down to 26,000 after starting the hand with close to 49,000.
Byran Micon was all in with pocket jacks versus the aces of an opponent. Micon failed to draw out and was eliminated just after the break.
Nadia Wins a Pot
Shannon Elizabeth raised to 250 preflop with a stack of 3,300 and was called by an opponent. The action went check-check on a 1087 flop. The 5 fell on the turn and her opponent bet 300. Elizabeth called. The J hit the river and the unknown bet 400. Elizabeth raised to 1,200 and her opponent called. She tabled the A9 for a straight. She is now at 5,500.
Jacobo Fernandez Hits the Rail
Jacobo Fernandez was severel short-stacked and was all in against two other players. The other players checked all the way down as the board ran out K73Q5. One of the players tabled the Q10, good for a pair of tens, and besting Fernandez’s pocket eights.
Benyamine Doubles, But Still Short
David Benyamine got his last few chips into the middle on a flop of 9109 and was called by his opponent who turned over 66 and was way behind the AA of Benyamine.
The turn and river were no help to the pocket sixes and Benyamine doubled up to 2,400, which is 600 less than the original starting stack.
Amanda Baker Doubles Up an Opponent
Mandy Baker moved all in for about 3,000 with the JJ and was called by an opponent with the KK. The board ran out K82810 and she was left with just 1,375 after the hand.
Allyn Jaffrey Shulman Eliminated
Allyn Jaffrey Shulman was all in with the A10 versus the AA of an opponent. The board ran out K96K3 and she was eliminated from the event.
Left in the Deck
New Bracelets
If you are anxious and waiting for more updates, check out a video on Card Player TV on the new bracelets for this WSOP.
Action folded around to Phil Hellmuth who limped in middle position. His opponent, on the button, raised to 2,700, and Hellmuth made the call. Hellmuth checked in the dark before the 1083 flop and his opponent checked behind. Hellmuth then check-called a 3,200 bet on the J turn. The river was the J and Hellmuth checked again. His opponent thought for a few seconds before betting 5,700. “You’ve got me beat but I can’t lay this down,” said Hellmuth, moments before calling. His opponent rapped the table and showed 42. Hellmuth’s Q10 was good enough to take down the pot. Hellmuth’s epilogue: “Whenever I limp you guys just keep coming after me!”
With the pot Hellmuth increases his stack to about 90,000.
Excellent Call
A player raised from middle position and Jean-Robert Bellande re-raised to 5,600. The other player called and they saw a flop of A88. Both players checked. Both players checked again on the 9 turn. The river was the K and the other player checked. Bellande, sensing a good opportunity to take down the pot, bet 3,500. He was quickly called and turbo-mucked his hand. His opponent tabled KQ. Bellande is now down to 33,000.
D’Agostino Takes One From Gordon
With the board reading 962210 and about 8,000 in the pot, Phil Gordon bet 6,500 into John D’Agostino. D’Agostino thought for a few seconds before making the call. D’Agostino showed 109 for a rivered top two pair. Despite the hit, Gordon still has nearly 55,000. D'Agostino has 40k.
Elizabeth Bows Out
Shannon Elizabeth was shortstacked through the day, and finally elected to move all-in for her remaining 7150 when in the cut-off position and play folded to her. The button made the call however and showed AJ. It was a dominating hand over Elizabeth’s A8. The flop came QQ7, followed by the 6 and the 9, and Elizabeth was finished in the main event for 2008.
Shulman Nurses Shortstack
Jeff Shulman continues to hover around the 7,000 chip mark, looking for the right moment to double up. One attempt, a 2000 raise from the cut-off, resulted in a reraise to 5100 from the small blind, and Shulman folded, now down to 5300 total. However, he managed to steal the blinds and antes on successive hands minutes later to crawl back to around the 7000 mark.
Sheikhan, Chan Doing Battle
One noteworthy table pairing has experienced pros Johnny Chan and Shawn Sheikhan seated together in the Brasilia Room, with Chan to the immediate left of Sheikhan. In one recent hand, it was 2200 preflop with both players and another in the cut-off. A dangerous looking flop of AAK came down and was checked by all three players. After the 7 on the turn, Sheikhan, in the small blind, bet 6000. That brought about a pair of folds.
Min-Raise Enough for Booth
Brad Booth was in the cut-off, and with the blinds at 300/600 he put in a raise to 1200. Both blinds called. The flop came J22, and after both blinds checked Booth bet 3000. It was enough to take down the pot.
Allen Cunningham continues to be among the shortstacks, but after a recent double-up now has 22,000 in chips.
At the end of this level players go on a 90-minute dinner break. Play will resume at 8:30 p.m.
The payouts have been announced. The total prize pool is $64,333,600 and 666 players will finish in the money. The first-place prize is $9,119,517.
Blinds: 150-300
Day 1D Players Remaining: 2,079 of 2,461
Chip Counts:
Brad Tisdale - 112000
Shawn Cunix - 110000
Mohmad Koowssarie - 100000
Paul Loh - 97000
Victor Ramdin - 94000
Jason Katsutani - 93000
David Oppenheim - 82500
Richie Smith - 77000
Ben Fineman - 72000
Cory Tymich - 71000
Eliminations:
Doyle Brunson
Paul "Eskimo" Clark
Allen Kessler
Phil Ivey
Jennifer Tilly
George Danzer
Big Hands and Storylines:
Dannenmann ends another's dream
After a flop of J92, Steve Dannenmann raised his opponent all in and was called. Dannenmann held AJ and his opponent, with J10, held just two outs. The turn and river were K5 and Dannenmann collected the pot to improve to 55,000 chips.
Dario’s King-Jack Doesn’t Help Stack
In a pre-flop raised heads-up pot, an opponent checked to Dario Minieri on a flop of J88.Minieri checked behind, and the dealer put down the 2 on the turn.Again his opponent checked, allowing Minieri to fire a bet of 1,700 into the pot.His opponent made the call and the 7 came on the river.Minieri bet 4,500 when checked to for the third time by his opponent.After some deliberation, Minieri’s opponent called.“King-jack,” Minieri announced as he turned over his KJ.“That sucks for both of us,” his opponent said while turning over his own KJ.“Look at the freeroll!” the player announced as the dealer split the pot between the two, referring to the diamond flush draw he picked up on the turn.
Opponent Out with a Bang,For Now Yang Can Hang
On a flop of 765 in a pre-flop raised pot, defending champion Jerry Yang fired a bet of 2,700 into the pot.His opponent announced a raise and tossed a single orange 5,000 chip across the line.The dealer told him that he would be committed to a minimum raise, and the player complied by adding 400 more.Yang stood up from his seat and studied his opponent.After asking how much he had behind and discovering he had his opponent only slightly covered, Yang dramatically kissed a small photograph of his family (no doubt for the benefit of the rolling television cameras) and moved his chips into the pot.His opponent called and revealed 1010, while Yang turned over KK.The J turn and K river failed to improve the pocket tens, and Yang stood up to hug his opponent.The well-needed pot for Yang boosted his stack to 35,000.
But later in the level Yang's chip stack took a big hit. After limping preflop and facing a reraise, Yang saw his opponent has 13,475 chips behind and put him all in. His opopnent called and had pocket queens, a four-to-one favorite over Yang's pocket threes. The flop was A-8-8, and then the turn was a three. Yang turned away from the table and yelled in celebration. Meanwhile a queen came on the river, giving the 32,000-chip pot to his opponent. After the hand Yang had about 20,000 chips.
Chan Cruising Along
Johnny Chan is dominating his table with a big stack and profiting from it. He raised preflop to 800 and play was folded to the big blind who called. The flop came 877, and when the big blind checked Chan bet another 1000. He was called. The 2 came on the turn and when the big blind checked, Chan responded with a bet of 1800. His opponent folded, and Chan improved to about 62,000 in chips.
Elizabeth gets some breathing room
Shannon Elizabeth raised from under the gun and was called by the big blind. Both the big blind and Elizabeth checked the flop and turn. After her opponent checked on the river with the board A-A-8-7-10, Elizabeth bet 1,500 and was called. She flipped over pocket tens for a full house and took down the pot. After the hand Elizabeth was nearly up to 10,000.
Tilly knocked out
Jennifer Tilly was eliminated when she ran A-K into pocket tens and failed to improve.
Ferguson Sinking Fast
Chris Ferguson is down to below 10,000 chips and has had little if any momentum all day. He recently called an 800 raise from the cut-off position and saw the flop come A63. The original bettor made it 1150 to go and Ferguson made the call. The 7 came on the turn and both players checked, then the 9 fell on the river. The bettor came out for 2800 and Ferguson released his hand, now down to 9500 in chips.
Thomas Keller - 56,000
Steve Billirakis - 50,000
Doug Lee - 46,000
Gary Germann - 46,000
Jon Friedberg - 40,500
Robert Cheung - 38,000
Paul 'Eskimo' Clark - 37,500
David Oppenheim - 37,000
David Woo - 37000
Steve Dannenmann - 37,000
Eliminations:
David Williams
Paul Wolfe
Scott Lazar
Big Hands/Storylines
Ferguson Loses Part of Stack, Still Looks Good in Black
On a flop of 863, 2000 World Series of Poker main event champion Chris “Jesus” Ferguson (wearing his trademark black leather duster jacket and hat) checked to his opponent, who made a bet of 2,200.After deliberating, Ferguson made the call and checked again when the Q fell on the turn.His opponent checked behind, and the two players took a look at the 5 on the river.Ferguson continued to check, prompting his opponent to make a bet of 6,000.Ferguson released his cards electing to protect his remaining 14,650.Ferguson lost approximately one quarter of his stack in the hand.
Inexperience Shows
In a tournament with approximately 7,000 entrants, one is bound to come across players who have yet to develop the savvy to play in live games. Nils Ericcson is one of those players. Four players limped and Ericcson made it 675 from the small blind. Three players called and they saw a flop of K75. Ericcson led out for a bet of 1,700 and was called by a single player.
At this point Ericcson was noticeably trembling. This was not just a slight spasmodic episode of the hands; Ericcson was in full blown convulsive mode. Ericcson rested his elbows on the table and veiled his mouth with his hands, a prototypical poker gesture if there ever was one, only this one rendered moot by uncontrollable trembling, more befitting of a serial killer in the electric chair than a poker player in a well cushioned, lower-back supporting chair.
The turn card was the innocuous looking 2 and Ericcson bet 4,000. His opponent, still thinking nothing of the earthquake seated two seats to his right, made the call. When the dealer flipped over the Q on the river, Ericcson, shaking but not deterred, moved all in for his final 9,000. His opponent thought long and hard about his decision, staring down the Scandinavian as he did. Apparently whatever read he was getting from the young Ericcson was different from that of the small contingent of poker reporters tableside, and he made the call, showing 55. Ericcson was finally able to unleash all of his energy, theretofore confined to his hands – and head and abdomen and legs – but he did not leap from his chair, nor did he scream or even stand up. He calmly tabled his KK and watched the dealer push the pot in his direction.
Ericcson, now sitting (still) with about 35,000 chips in his charge, will need to quell his physiological tells if he plans on making a deep run in this tournament. Or he can just keep flopping the nuts and getting paid off.
Yang Survives All-in
Jerry Yang won his share of showdowns to capture the 2007 World Series of Poker main event, and he just survived his first of 2008. Yang, already critically low on chips, was in the small blind and limped with five others for 100 to see a flop come 952. Yang and the next two players checked then the player in seat 7 bet 500. Play came to the player on the button, but before he could act, Yang announced “call” out of turn. The button player, still with his option, raised to 1500, and all eyes turned back to Yang. In a familiar ritual to those who watched his 2007 championship run, and with television cameras and photographers jostling for position, Yang tanked, then stood, kissed his family photo, and announced “all-in” for his remaining 6475 in chips. Seat 7 folded, and the player on the button called. Yang showed a flopped flush, holding 107, while the button held 43, a smaller flush, but with an open-ended straight flush. But the defending champ would survive when the turn came 10 and the river brought the 9.
Evdakov Still Thrashes After Ten Cashes
Currently the all time record holder for most cashes in a single World Series of Poker with 10, Nikolay Evdakov started his main event today striving for his 11th.In one hand, Evdakov raised to 300 total from early position, which brought the camera crews over to record the action.His lone caller was his opponent in the big blind, who checked a flop of 655.Evdakov bet again, this time 500, and his opponent folded.
Mortensen Still Up
Carlos Mortensen lost a small pot from the cut-off position, but remains up on the day with about 27,000 in chips. He opened for a raise to 300, which the small blind called, then the big blind reraised to 1000. Mortensen called and the flop came AK8. The big blind led out for 1500 and Mortensen laid his hand down.
Elizabeth Getting to See Flops
Shannon Elizabeth was in the big blind and was one of four players to see the flop for the minimum 100. The cards came Q103. All four players checked and the 3 came on the turn. Elizabeth bet 350 and took the pot. The next hand as small blind Elizabeth was one of four players to see the flop after a raise to 300. The flop came K95, and a late position bet for 550 got Elizabeth and the others to fold.
Day after big win, UFC's Griffin doubles up
With the board Q-10-7-5-Q, UFC fighter Forest Griffin calls all in and flips over pocket sevens for a full house. His opponent mucks and Griffin doubles up to about 30,000 chips. Griffin seemed to hesitate calling on the river, and Johnny Chan said that with full houses you pretty much always have to go with it.
"It's much easier on a computer," Griffin replied. "I don't know what's going on here."
He later added: "So do I have to lose all this before I can go?" Considering Griffin defeated Quinton "Rampage" Jackson last night, one can only imagine what Jackson looks like right now. Griffin has bruises on his forehead and ear, and his right eye is nearly swollen shut.
Action folded around to Phil Hellmuth who limped in middle position. His opponent, on the button, raised to 2,700, and Hellmuth made the call. Hellmuth checked in the dark before the 1083 flop and his opponent checked behind. Hellmuth then check-called a 3,200 bet on the J turn. The river was the J and Hellmuth checked again. His opponent thought for a few seconds before betting 5,700. “You’ve got me beat but I can’t lay this down,” said Hellmuth, moments before calling. His opponent rapped the table and showed 42. Hellmuth’s Q10 was good enough to take down the pot. Hellmuth’s epilogue: “Whenever I limp you guys just keep coming after me!”
With the pot Hellmuth increases his stack to about 90,000.
Excellent Call
A player raised from middle position and Jean-Robert Bellande re-raised to 5,600. The other player called and they saw a flop of A88. Both players checked. Both players checked again on the 9 turn. The river was the K and the other player checked. Bellande, sensing a good opportunity to take down the pot, bet 3,500. He was quickly called and turbo-mucked his hand. His opponent tabled KQ. Bellande is now down to 33,000.
D’Agostino Takes One From Gordon
With the board reading 962210 and about 8,000 in the pot, Phil Gordon bet 6,500 into John D’Agostino. D’Agostino thought for a few seconds before making the call. D’Agostino showed 109 for a rivered top two pair. Despite the hit, Gordon still has nearly 55,000. D'Agostino has 40k.
Elizabeth Bows Out
Shannon Elizabeth was shortstacked through the day, and finally elected to move all-in for her remaining 7150 when in the cut-off position and play folded to her. The button made the call however and showed AJ. It was a dominating hand over Elizabeth’s A8. The flop came QQ7, followed by the 6 and the 9, and Elizabeth was finished in the main event for 2008.
Shulman Nurses Shortstack
Jeff Shulman continues to hover around the 7,000 chip mark, looking for the right moment to double up. One attempt, a 2000 raise from the cut-off, resulted in a reraise to 5100 from the small blind, and Shulman folded, now down to 5300 total. However, he managed to steal the blinds and antes on successive hands minutes later to crawl back to around the 7000 mark.
Sheikhan, Chan Doing Battle
One noteworthy table pairing has experienced pros Johnny Chan and Shawn Sheikhan seated together in the Brasilia Room, with Chan to the immediate left of Sheikhan. In one recent hand, it was 2200 preflop with both players and another in the cut-off. A dangerous looking flop of AAK came down and was checked by all three players. After the 7 on the turn, Sheikhan, in the small blind, bet 6000. That brought about a pair of folds.
Min-Raise Enough for Booth
Brad Booth was in the cut-off, and with the blinds at 300/600 he put in a raise to 1200. Both blinds called. The flop came J22, and after both blinds checked Booth bet 3000. It was enough to take down the pot.
Allen Cunningham continues to be among the shortstacks, but after a recent double-up now has 22,000 in chips.
At the end of this level players go on a 90-minute dinner break. Play will resume at 8:30 p.m.
The payouts have been announced. The total prize pool is $64,333,600 and 666 players will finish in the money. The first-place prize is $9,119,517.
Blinds: 150-300
Day 1D Players Remaining: 2,079 of 2,461
Chip Counts:
Brad Tisdale - 112000
Shawn Cunix - 110000
Mohmad Koowssarie - 100000
Paul Loh - 97000
Victor Ramdin - 94000
Jason Katsutani - 93000
David Oppenheim - 82500
Richie Smith - 77000
Ben Fineman - 72000
Cory Tymich - 71000
Eliminations:
Doyle Brunson
Paul "Eskimo" Clark
Allen Kessler
Phil Ivey
Jennifer Tilly
George Danzer
Big Hands and Storylines:
Dannenmann ends another's dream
After a flop of J92, Steve Dannenmann raised his opponent all in and was called. Dannenmann held AJ and his opponent, with J10, held just two outs. The turn and river were K5 and Dannenmann collected the pot to improve to 55,000 chips.
Dario’s King-Jack Doesn’t Help Stack
In a pre-flop raised heads-up pot, an opponent checked to Dario Minieri on a flop of J88.Minieri checked behind, and the dealer put down the 2 on the turn.Again his opponent checked, allowing Minieri to fire a bet of 1,700 into the pot.His opponent made the call and the 7 came on the river.Minieri bet 4,500 when checked to for the third time by his opponent.After some deliberation, Minieri’s opponent called.“King-jack,” Minieri announced as he turned over his KJ.“That sucks for both of us,” his opponent said while turning over his own KJ.“Look at the freeroll!” the player announced as the dealer split the pot between the two, referring to the diamond flush draw he picked up on the turn.
Opponent Out with a Bang,For Now Yang Can Hang
On a flop of 765 in a pre-flop raised pot, defending champion Jerry Yang fired a bet of 2,700 into the pot.His opponent announced a raise and tossed a single orange 5,000 chip across the line.The dealer told him that he would be committed to a minimum raise, and the player complied by adding 400 more.Yang stood up from his seat and studied his opponent.After asking how much he had behind and discovering he had his opponent only slightly covered, Yang dramatically kissed a small photograph of his family (no doubt for the benefit of the rolling television cameras) and moved his chips into the pot.His opponent called and revealed 1010, while Yang turned over KK.The J turn and K river failed to improve the pocket tens, and Yang stood up to hug his opponent.The well-needed pot for Yang boosted his stack to 35,000.
But later in the level Yang's chip stack took a big hit. After limping preflop and facing a reraise, Yang saw his opponent has 13,475 chips behind and put him all in. His opopnent called and had pocket queens, a four-to-one favorite over Yang's pocket threes. The flop was A-8-8, and then the turn was a three. Yang turned away from the table and yelled in celebration. Meanwhile a queen came on the river, giving the 32,000-chip pot to his opponent. After the hand Yang had about 20,000 chips.
Chan Cruising Along
Johnny Chan is dominating his table with a big stack and profiting from it. He raised preflop to 800 and play was folded to the big blind who called. The flop came 877, and when the big blind checked Chan bet another 1000. He was called. The 2 came on the turn and when the big blind checked, Chan responded with a bet of 1800. His opponent folded, and Chan improved to about 62,000 in chips.
Elizabeth gets some breathing room
Shannon Elizabeth raised from under the gun and was called by the big blind. Both the big blind and Elizabeth checked the flop and turn. After her opponent checked on the river with the board A-A-8-7-10, Elizabeth bet 1,500 and was called. She flipped over pocket tens for a full house and took down the pot. After the hand Elizabeth was nearly up to 10,000.
Tilly knocked out
Jennifer Tilly was eliminated when she ran A-K into pocket tens and failed to improve.
Ferguson Sinking Fast
Chris Ferguson is down to below 10,000 chips and has had little if any momentum all day. He recently called an 800 raise from the cut-off position and saw the flop come A63. The original bettor made it 1150 to go and Ferguson made the call. The 7 came on the turn and both players checked, then the 9 fell on the river. The bettor came out for 2800 and Ferguson released his hand, now down to 9500 in chips.
Thomas Keller - 56,000
Steve Billirakis - 50,000
Doug Lee - 46,000
Gary Germann - 46,000
Jon Friedberg - 40,500
Robert Cheung - 38,000
Paul 'Eskimo' Clark - 37,500
David Oppenheim - 37,000
David Woo - 37000
Steve Dannenmann - 37,000
Eliminations:
David Williams
Paul Wolfe
Scott Lazar
Big Hands/Storylines
Ferguson Loses Part of Stack, Still Looks Good in Black
On a flop of 863, 2000 World Series of Poker main event champion Chris “Jesus” Ferguson (wearing his trademark black leather duster jacket and hat) checked to his opponent, who made a bet of 2,200.After deliberating, Ferguson made the call and checked again when the Q fell on the turn.His opponent checked behind, and the two players took a look at the 5 on the river.Ferguson continued to check, prompting his opponent to make a bet of 6,000.Ferguson released his cards electing to protect his remaining 14,650.Ferguson lost approximately one quarter of his stack in the hand.
Inexperience Shows
In a tournament with approximately 7,000 entrants, one is bound to come across players who have yet to develop the savvy to play in live games. Nils Ericcson is one of those players. Four players limped and Ericcson made it 675 from the small blind. Three players called and they saw a flop of K75. Ericcson led out for a bet of 1,700 and was called by a single player.
At this point Ericcson was noticeably trembling. This was not just a slight spasmodic episode of the hands; Ericcson was in full blown convulsive mode. Ericcson rested his elbows on the table and veiled his mouth with his hands, a prototypical poker gesture if there ever was one, only this one rendered moot by uncontrollable trembling, more befitting of a serial killer in the electric chair than a poker player in a well cushioned, lower-back supporting chair.
The turn card was the innocuous looking 2 and Ericcson bet 4,000. His opponent, still thinking nothing of the earthquake seated two seats to his right, made the call. When the dealer flipped over the Q on the river, Ericcson, shaking but not deterred, moved all in for his final 9,000. His opponent thought long and hard about his decision, staring down the Scandinavian as he did. Apparently whatever read he was getting from the young Ericcson was different from that of the small contingent of poker reporters tableside, and he made the call, showing 55. Ericcson was finally able to unleash all of his energy, theretofore confined to his hands – and head and abdomen and legs – but he did not leap from his chair, nor did he scream or even stand up. He calmly tabled his KK and watched the dealer push the pot in his direction.
Ericcson, now sitting (still) with about 35,000 chips in his charge, will need to quell his physiological tells if he plans on making a deep run in this tournament. Or he can just keep flopping the nuts and getting paid off.
Yang Survives All-in
Jerry Yang won his share of showdowns to capture the 2007 World Series of Poker main event, and he just survived his first of 2008. Yang, already critically low on chips, was in the small blind and limped with five others for 100 to see a flop come 952. Yang and the next two players checked then the player in seat 7 bet 500. Play came to the player on the button, but before he could act, Yang announced “call” out of turn. The button player, still with his option, raised to 1500, and all eyes turned back to Yang. In a familiar ritual to those who watched his 2007 championship run, and with television cameras and photographers jostling for position, Yang tanked, then stood, kissed his family photo, and announced “all-in” for his remaining 6475 in chips. Seat 7 folded, and the player on the button called. Yang showed a flopped flush, holding 107, while the button held 43, a smaller flush, but with an open-ended straight flush. But the defending champ would survive when the turn came 10 and the river brought the 9.
Evdakov Still Thrashes After Ten Cashes
Currently the all time record holder for most cashes in a single World Series of Poker with 10, Nikolay Evdakov started his main event today striving for his 11th.In one hand, Evdakov raised to 300 total from early position, which brought the camera crews over to record the action.His lone caller was his opponent in the big blind, who checked a flop of 655.Evdakov bet again, this time 500, and his opponent folded.
Mortensen Still Up
Carlos Mortensen lost a small pot from the cut-off position, but remains up on the day with about 27,000 in chips. He opened for a raise to 300, which the small blind called, then the big blind reraised to 1000. Mortensen called and the flop came AK8. The big blind led out for 1500 and Mortensen laid his hand down.
Elizabeth Getting to See Flops
Shannon Elizabeth was in the big blind and was one of four players to see the flop for the minimum 100. The cards came Q103. All four players checked and the 3 came on the turn. Elizabeth bet 350 and took the pot. The next hand as small blind Elizabeth was one of four players to see the flop after a raise to 300. The flop came K95, and a late position bet for 550 got Elizabeth and the others to fold.
Day after big win, UFC's Griffin doubles up
With the board Q-10-7-5-Q, UFC fighter Forest Griffin calls all in and flips over pocket sevens for a full house. His opponent mucks and Griffin doubles up to about 30,000 chips. Griffin seemed to hesitate calling on the river, and Johnny Chan said that with full houses you pretty much always have to go with it.
"It's much easier on a computer," Griffin replied. "I don't know what's going on here."
He later added: "So do I have to lose all this before I can go?" Considering Griffin defeated Quinton "Rampage" Jackson last night, one can only imagine what Jackson looks like right now. Griffin has bruises on his forehead and ear, and his right eye is nearly swollen shut.
Chip Counts:
Benjamin Fineman - 27,000
Jullian Herold - 24,400
Jimmy Ngoc Tran - 16,000
Douglas Carli - 15,000
Peter Feldman - 13,200
David Pham - 13,000
Fu Wong - 12,800
Humberto Brenes - 12,500
Jordan Morgan - 11,500
Recent Eliminations: Howard Lederer
Beth Shak
Big Hands/Storylines:
Ryan Young Takes a Hit
Ryan Young raised to a total of 650 from the second to act position and received calls by the player in the hijack seat (one to the right of the cut-off) and by the small blind.The three players took a flop of A105, and the small blind checked.Young continued to bet, this time to the tune of 1,025.The last player to act reraised all in for a total of 4,100.The small blind folded and Young went into the tank, asking the dealer to pull in 1,025 from each player to see how much more it would be to call.After deliberating for a moment, Young released his hand.Another player at the table speculated that the winner of the pot had a flush draw.“I didn’t have hearts,” he replied as he stacked his newfound chips.
Khamar Xaythavone Makes a Tough Call
Joe Hachem raised to 600 total from middle position and was called by Khamar Xaythavone on the button.The player in the small blind called as well, and the three opponents saw a flop of 542.The small blind checked, and Hachem checked as well.Xaythavone made a bet of 1,000 and was instantly check-raised all in by the small blind, who had all players covered.Hachem disgustedly looked at his hand and tossed his cards into the muck.Xaythavone looked pained as he deliberated, shaking his head several times as he audibly tried to figure out his opponent’s hand.After several minutes of deliberation, Xaythavone announced a call and turned over 66.His opponent revealed 73 for an inside straight draw.The Kwas dealt on the turn, and the Q on the river meant that Xaythavone had successfully doubled up.
Bill Gazes Wins a Big One
The player under-the-gun called and the action folded to Bill Gazes on the button.Gazes called, and both blinds completed and checked.The flop came AK3, and the blinds checked.The player under-the-gun led out with a bet of 600, and Gazes made the call.Both blinds folded, and the dealer put down the A on the turn.The under-the-gun player checked, and Gazes made a bet of 1,500.His opponent called and the Q appeared on the river.Again Gazes’ opponent checked, allowing Gazes to make a bet of 2,500.Gazes’ opponent counted out the chips necessary for a call and tossed them into the pot.Gazes turned over A8, and his opponent mucked.
Shannon Elizabeth Busts Another
Shannon Elizabeth got it all in pre-flop with her AK against her opponent’s QQ.Elizabeth won the pot when the K appeared on the turn giving her top pair.
Cards were in the air a little after the scheduled start time as tournament officials moved the tournament to the Brasilia Room and players were still finding their seats as the event began.
Elizabeth Misses Draw
Shannon Elizabeth had the bring-in with the 5, and was called by three players. Elizabeth added the K on fourth street to take the betting lead, and added the 6 on fifth street. The player to her left had drawn an ace and bet out 100, and when action came to Elizabeth she raised to 200, which drew three calls. Elizabeth added the 4 on sixth street, and the same pattern played out again, with one player folding. Seat 3, to Elizabeth's left, showed Q6A3, while seat 1 showed J835. Play was checked after the final card was dealt, and Elizabeth showed A-K-10, a missed low draw and a pairs of kings for high. Seat 1 held 5-2-2 for two pair and swept the pot.
Judah Spills Early
Mel Judah was in a heads-up battle, and on the surface appeared in OK shape. He showed A-K-K-Q while his opponent showed 9-10-J-2. But Judah was called to the end before being raised, when his opponent showed 9-9-2 in the hole for a full house.
Barbieri Misses Out
Al Barbieri, who claimed second in the $1,500 Seven-Card Stud straight high event earlier in the WSOP, was showing 344Q and bet with his pair of fours until sixth street. Seat 3 was showing 4323, while seat 7 showed 87A7. Sixth and seventh street was checked by all three players, and seat 7 won the high hand with aces and sevens while seat 3 took down the low.
6
7
10
We didn’t see what happened, but Shannon Elizabeth headed out the door and is presumed to be eliminated.
Blinds: 200-400 with a 50 ante
Blinds: 100-200
Serock and Elizabeth Give Some Away
2
and seat 6 checked to Shannon Elizabeth, who fired 2,000 into the pot. Seat 4 folded and Joe Serock made the call. Seat 6, the original checker, then check-raised to 6,000.
fell on the turn seat 6 quickly moved all in for over 20,000. Serock quickly folded, giving the pot to his opponent.
8
Ivey Forces a Big Laydown
Ferguson Takes A Pot, But John Phan The Star
Kirk Morrison Sitting With Just a Beer
Bernard Lee Wins a Nice One
Phil Ivey Faces a Minimum Four-Bet
David Benyamine Drops A Pot
Joe Serock Takes One From Elizabeth
Steve Dannenmann Run Over By Jacks
Rousso Bluffs Off Half Her Stack
Benyamine Doubles, But Still Short
Hellmuth Catches Bluff
Dannenmann ends another's dream
Elizabeth gets some breathing room
Ferguson Loses Part of Stack, Still Looks Good in Black
Evdakov Still Thrashes After Ten Cashes
Ryan Young Takes a Hit
Elizabeth Misses Draw