Darren Woods Poker Tournament Updates

Darren Woods Wins Event #19 ($213,431)

Jun 14, '11

Kim Nguyen Eliminated in 2nd Place ($131,900)

Darren Woods got the last knockout with Samuel Golbuff in 3rd ($85,616) place, but it was Kim Nguyen that lead going into heads-up play with roughly 1.5 million to 1.1.5 million.

Darren Woods chipped up early and took the lead at the beginning of Level 26 after winning a pot with ace-high. Another big win with a pair of jacks, gave him a lead of 1.8 million to Nguyen’s 800,000 shortly after. She fought back and managed to snag a few pots here there, narrowing the gap at times, but soon Woods turned up the pressure and she was forced off of a lot of hands without a showdown.

Woods pulled far out in front making two pair in a hand that saw a showdown, increasing his chip lead to over 5.5:1 towards the end of the level. Woods won another showdown with a pair of aces and that hand left Nguyen on the super short stack with under 10 BBs.

On the final hand of the night, Kim Nguyen got her short stack all in before the flop with K 2 and was ahead of Woods’ 4 2.

The board came K 6 4 J 4, giving both players a pair on the flop but Woods spiked a third four on the river to eliminated Kim Nguyen in 2nd place ($131,900). Darren Woods grabbed the chip lead shortly after heads-up play began never looked back, eventually claiming the gold bracelet and grand prize of $213,431 for winning Event #19.

Player Tags: Kim Nguyen,   Darren Woods

Level 25: Nguyen Leads Woods Heads-Up; Golbuff 3rd, Kuzmin 4th

Jun 14, '11

Blinds: 13,000-25,000

Limits: 25,000-50,000

Players Remaining: 2 out of 354

Average Chip Count: 1,327,500

Chip Counts:

1. Kim Nguyen – 1,500,000
2. Darren Woods – 1,150,000

Eliminations:

3rd. Samuel Golbuff – $85,616
4th. Alexander Kuzmin – $57,236

Kim Nguyen Takes the Chip Lead, Widens the Gap
Action slowed this level, but Kim Nguyen managed to take the chip lead in Level 24, first breaking the million-chip mark after rivering an ace against Darren woods. Woods then took some chips from Alexander Kuzmin, putting him on the serious short stack by the time the level broke. He was eliminated in 4th place shortly after.

Samuel Golbuff challenged Nguyen for the chip lead towards the end of Level 24 after getting to a showdown on the river in a multi-way pot. Nguyen made top two pair and ended the level at roughly the million-mark. She then continued her patient aggression and after Kuzmin’s elimination in Level 25, she really began to put some distance between herself and her opponents.

Goldbuff and Nguyen went at it again towards the middle of Level 25 and Nguyen flopped trips to win a big pot to put her over 1.5 million and leave Golbuff on the short stack.

Alexander Kuzmin Eliminated in 4th Place ($57,236)

Alexander Kuzmin had been on the short stack for quite some while before finally getting it all in before the flop in a four-way family pot.

The flop came 7 6 2, and all three players checked the side pot.

The turn was the 8, Golbuff bet, Nguyen raised, Woods reraised, Golbuff folded and the two remaining players capped the side pot.

The river was the 10, Woods bet and Nguyen called. Both players turned over a ten-high straight and Kuzmin was eliminated in 4th place ($57,236).

Samuel Golbuff Eliminated in 3rd Place ($85,616)

Samuel Golbuff button-raised, Darren Woods three-bet the big blind and Golbuff called.

The board came 9 4 3, Woods bet, Golbuff raised, Woods reraised and Golbuff got the last of this chips in.

Woods showed K K for a huge lead over Golbuff’s 10 5.

The turn and river were the 2 and the J, no help Samuel Golbuff who was eliminated in 3rd place ($85,626).

NOTE: With the elimination of Samuel Golbuff in 3rd place, Kim Nguyen entered heads-up play with a chip lead of 1.5 million to Darren Woods’ 1.15 million.

Be sure to check back hourly for level-by-level updates of this final table.

Player Tags: Alexander Kuzmin,   Kim Nguyen,   Darren Woods,   Samuel Golbuff

Level 22: Lyndaker Eliminated 7th, Final Table Now Underway

Jun 13, '11

NOTE: With the elimination of Richard Lyndaker in 7th place ($20,053), the official six-handed final table was set. The remaining six players took a one hour dinner break and returned around 7:40pm to begin the final table.

Blinds: 6,000-12,000

Limits: 12,000-24,000

Players Remaining: 6 out of 345

Average Chip Count: 442,500

Chip Counts:

1. Kim Nguyen – 680,000
2. Alexander Kuzmin – 655,000
3. Andrey Zaichenko – 500,000
4. Darren Woods – 338,000
5. Samuel Golbuff – 313,000
6. Gabriel Nassif – 160,000

Payouts:

1st. $213,431
2nd. $131,900
3rd. $85,616
4th. $57,236
5th. $39,317
6th. $27,720

Be sure to check back hourly for level-by-level updates of this final table.

Player Tags: Gabriel Nassif,   Alexander Kuzmin,   Kim Nguyen,   Darren Woods,   Andrey Zaichenko,   Samuel Golbuff

Level 15 Update: The Money Bubble Bursts

Sep 26, '10

Blinds: 2,000-4,000 with a 500 ante

Players Remaining: 36 of 346

Chip Counts:

1. Andrew Pantling — 880,000
2. Dan Fleyshman — 600,000
3. Bojan Gledovic — 560,000
4. Daniel Steinberg — 500,000
5. Phil Ivey — 455,000
6. Viktor Blom — 450,000
7. Arnaud Mattern — 365,000
8. Thomas Bichon — 346,000
9. John Eames — 320,000
10. David Peters — 320,000

Average Chip Count: 288,333

Notable Eliminations:

Huck Seed
Almira Scripchenko
Markus Golser
Quinn Do

Big Hands:

Rudy Blondeau Eliminated on the Bubble

Rudy Blondeau raised to 9,500 and Brian Powell reraised, which prompted Blondeau to shove and consequently Powell made the call. Their cards:

Blondeau: A Q
Powell: A A

Board: K J 7 5 4

Blondeau was eliminated on the hand in 37th place, just missing a payday in this prestigious event.

Dan Fleyshman Doubles Up

Darren Fleyshman raised to 8,000 preflop and Darren Woods reraised to 27,000 right behind him. Fleyshman made the call and the flop fell A 9 3. Fleyshman bet 30,000 and Woods made the call.

The turn fell 10 and Fleyshman bet 50,000. Woods made the call and the river fell 5. Fleyshman fired 50,000 again but this time Woods raised all in. Fleyshman made the call and revealed K Q for the flush. Woods fell to 220,000 and Fleyshman doubled up to second chip-position with 600,000.

James Mitchell Doubles Up

Thomas Bichon raised to 10,000 preflop and Rob Akery made the call. James Mitchell reraised all in for 92,000 and Bichon mucked. Akery made the call and they flipped over their cards:

Akery: 8 8
Mitchell: K K

Board: K 7 2 J 7

Mitchell doubled up on the hand to 200,000 and Akery fell to 150,000.

Markus Golser Eliminated as Andrew Pantling Increases Chip Lead

Markus Golser checked a 8 7 4 2 board and Andrew Pantling bet 60,000. Golser spent some time in the tank and decided to shove for his final 89,000. Pantling made the call and they flipped over their cards:

Golser: 9 9
Pantling: A A

River: 5

Golser was eliminated on the hand and Pantling increased his chip lead to 880,000.

Left in the Deck:

Pros Just Miss the Cash Flow

A number of professionals busted just before the money bubble, including Huck Seed, Almira Scripchenko, Quinn Do, and Markus Golser. They had played well to make it to this point, but the wrong cards, in the wrong place, at the wrong time put an end to their tournament. The former world champion Seed was attempting to become the first player to win both the WSOP and WSOP Europe main event titles.

Player Tags: Huck Seed,   Markus Golser,   Dan Fleyshman,   Darren Woods,   Thomas Bichon,   James Mitchell

Level 20 Update: Final Table Set

Jun 17, '10

Blinds: 9,000-18,000

Players Remaining: 9 out of 171

Average Chip Count: 570,000

Tournament Leaderboard:

1. Jameson Painter – 1,209,000
2. Kyle Ray – 903,000
3. Daniel Idema – 829,000
4. Brock Parker – 619,000
5. Matt Keikoan – 505,000
6. Zvi Groysman – 500,000
7. Michael Mizrachi – 243,000
8. Simon Morris – 233,000
9. David Chiu – 75,000

Notable Eliminations:

Darren Woods – $32,614
David Baker – $32,614
Anh Van Nguyen – $32,614

Big Hands:

Darren Woods Eliminated

On a flop of Q43, Daniel Idema bet and was called by Darren Woods.

The turn was the 3 and Idema bet again. Woods called and left himself with just one 5,000 chip behind. When the 4 hit on the river, Idema bet again.

“I missed,” said Woods with a chuckle as he tossed his cards into the muck.

Idema finished the job the very next hand when Idema’s Q-10 toppled Woods’ 2-4.

Lucky Nine For Ray

The river was already dealt and the board read KK10J9. David Chiu bet out and was raised by Kyle Ray.

Chiu thought for a second before making the call and showed KQ, good for a straight, but Kyle Ray turned over the 99, giving him a full house that he made on the river.

Chiu fell to 150,000 and Ray climbed to just shy of the 700,000 mark.

David Baker Eliminated

David Baker was crippled in a hand with Brock Parker which left him with just 75,000 after he folded to a river bet.

A few hands later, Baker raised on the button and Matt Keikoan called from the big blind. The flop was K64 and Keikoan check-raised a bet from Baker. Baker tanked for a minute before putting in the last of his chips and the cards were turned up.

Baker had Q10 and Keikoan showed the 104, leaving Baker with just three outs. The turn was the 2 and the river was the 10, giving the pot to Keikoan and sending Baker home with $32,614 in his pocket.

Anh Van Nguyen Eliminated

The board read Q652 on the turn and Anh Van Nguyen bet and got a call from Jameson Painter. The river was the A and Painter checked and Nguyen bet. Painter raised and that brought a sigh from Nguyen, who played with his last few chips before putting his last 34,000 into the middle.

Nguyen showed the AQ, but Painter showed the K10, giving him the nut flush and the pot. With the elimination of Nguyen, who gets $32,614 for his 10th place finish, we are down to our final nine players and the final table will get started shortly.

Player Tags: David Baker,   Anh Van Nguyen,   David Chiu,   Darren Woods,   Daniel Idema,   Kyle Ray,   Jameson Painter