Tiffany Michelle Poker Tournament Updates

Level Five Hour Two Update: Baron Climbing The Ranks

Jul 09, '10

Blinds: 200-400 with a 50 ante

Players Remaining: 2,412 out of 2,412

Average Chip Count:

Card Player Chip Counts

Justin Marchand – 23,400
Barry Shulman – 113,325
Bryan Devonshire – 13,800
Allyn Jaffrey Shulman – 36,400
Steven A. Murphy – 23,500

Tournament Leaderboard:

1. Corwin Cole – 228,200
2. Dwyen Ringbauer – 195,000
3. Mathieu Sauriol – 169,900
4. Johnny Chan – 163,700
5. Andrew Liporace – 160,000
6. Josef Monro – 153,350
7. Lauren Kling – 149,650
8. Barny Boatman – 144,050
9. Steven Goosen – 142,925
10. Michael Mizrachi – 142,650

Notable Eliminations:

Mike Sexton

Big Hands:

Phillips Scores an Early Double And Keeps Going

Dennis Phillips got his last 9,225 in the middle preflop with AK and was up against the JJ of his opponent.

The flop was K32, giving Phillips the lead. The turn was the 10 and the river was the 6 to double up Phillips to 19,000. Action has been fast and furious in just the first few minutes of this level. Expect to see tons of bustouts and double ups.

A few hands later, Phillips raised to 1,180 from the hijack and the player in the big blind made the call. The flop came down AJ2 and the big blind checked.

Phillips bet 1,500 and the big blind check-raised to 3,300. Phillips thought for a bit and then repopped it to 7,500. The big blind thought for a few moments of his own and then released his hand, turning over the A as he did so.

Phillips took in the pot and he was at 24,000.

Ho Can’t Call

Picking up the action after the flop came down J93, the player in seat 7 led out for 2,200. Maria Ho was on the button and she made the call while the player in seat 5 mucked.

The turn was the J and seat 7 led for 3,300. Ho took some time to think but eventually released her hand. She dropped the pot and was at 93,000.

Baldwin Finally Gives The Cameras Something Positive

After the flop came down 543, the player in seat 5 bet 1,300. Eric Baldwin made the call and both players saw the A on the turn.

Seat 5 led out for 3,000 and Baldwin made the call again. The river was the 7 and seat 5 checked.

Baldwin did the same and seat 5 tabled Q7 for a rivered pair of sevens. It was no good, however, as Baldwin turned A7 for a rivered two pair and he took the pot.

“The curse is finally over,” Baldwin said to the ESPN crew surrounding the table. “I finally won one with you guys here.”

He was at 70,000 after the hand.

Cada Gives One Up

Reigning champion Joe Cada was in the small blind heads up with the big blind. On a flop of 27K Cada checked and the big blind bet 1,550.

Cada made the call and the 6 hit on the turn. Cada again checked and his opponent fired 3,100 this time. With the ESPN cameras all over him, Cada folded. Despite the loss, he sat with a healthy 72,000 in chips.

Sexton Getting Short, Then Busts

Mike Sexton made it 1,200 to go from under the gun and action folded around to the big blind, who called. The flop came 28Q and both players checked. On the 10 turn the big blind bet 1,000 and Sexton quickly folded. The hand dropped Sexton to just 13,000 in chips. He would bust a few hands later when his pocket kings were cracked by his opponent’s pocket nines.

Baron Makes Big Call, Wins Massive Pot

Isaac Baron called a large preflop raise from the player in seat 4 and saw a flop of K98. Baron checked to seat four, who bet 8,250. Baron thought for a moment before making the call.

On the K turn Isaac again checked and seat four checked behind him this time.

The 5 fell on the river and Baron checked to seat 4, who took his time and bet 11,350. After he tanked for a minute or so, Baron finally called and showed 92 for two pair. Seat 4 mucked and Baron raked in a massive pot, taking most of his opponent’s chips.

Baron had around 134,000 in chips after the hand.

Chan Picking Up Where He Left Off

Johnny Chan left his day 1 as one of the tournament’s chip leaders. He picked up where he left off early in day 2a.

Chan limped in from the small blind and the big blind checked the action. The flop ran 65A and both players checked. On the 2 turn Chan fired out 1,000 and his opponent folded.

It was a small win, but Chan now has around 164,000 in chips.

Scotty Takes One Down

A player raised to 1,200 preflop and Scotty Nguyen made the call from the small blind. Darryll Fish also called from the big blind and the three players saw a flop of J73.

All three players checked and the turn was the A. Action was checked to the raiser who fired 1,650. Nguyen made the call and Fish mucked. The river was the J and Nguyen led out with 6,200.

His opponent mucked the A and Nguyen showed some common courtesy by showing his J. Nguyen took the pot and was at 25,200.

Somerville Surges

All we were able to see was Jason Somerville showing down 35 on a board of 3-3-4-5-6. His opponent mucked and Somerville raked in a big pot.

Somerville is now up to 87,400 with his newly acquired chips.

Tiffany Michelle Doubles

There were four limpers in front of her and then Tiffany Michelle raised to 3,500 on the button. The player in the small blind made it 5,700 more to Michelle and she quickly called.

Michelle said call and then realized that she had said call and lamented how she had intended to move in for her remaining 5,500. The flop was 476 and the small blind moved all-in and Michelle called instantly.

Michelle tabled 77 and the player in the small blind showed AA, putting Michelle squarely in the lead. The turn was the 4 and the river was the J to double up Michelle to 30,000.

Player Twitter Accounts:

Barry Shulman
Erik Seidel
Maria Ho
Chris Moorman
Mike Caro
Jamie Rosen
Daniel Negreanu
Eric Froehlich
Scotty Nguyen
Jennifer Leigh
Antonio Esfandiari
Nick Maimone
Dennis Phillips
Bryan Devonshire
Annie Duke

Player Tags: Scotty Nguyen,   Johnny Chan,   Mike Sexton,   Maria Ho,   Jason Somerville,   Isaac Baron,   Eric Baldwin,   Tiffany Michelle,   Dennis Phillips,   Joseph Cada

Level 8 Update: Day 1A Ends

Jan 05, '10

NOTE: Day 1A has come to an end and the players have bagged up their chips. Stay tuned for a recap of the day’s events. Day 1B begins at noon EST tomorrow when the second half of the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure field will play eight levels of poker.

Blinds: 400-800 with a 100 ante

Players Remaining: 440 out of 668

Average Chip Count: 45,545

Notable Chip Counts:

Wayne Bentley — 335,000
Kevin Saul — 170,000
Eric Froehlich — 165,000
Vivek Rajkumar — 112,000
Ben Lamb — 110,000
Amnon Filippi — 105,000
James Mackey — 104,000
Daniel Negreani — 95,000
Dennis Phillips — 90,000
Barry Greenstein — 89,000

Card Player Family Chip Counts:

Barry Shulman — 51,500
Allyn Jaffrey Shulman — 30,600

Notable Eliminations:

Brandon Cantu
Lee Markholt
Ray Henson
Tiffany Michelle
J.J. Liu
George Danzer
Jason Mercier
Bill Edler

Big Hands:

Bernard Lee Doubles Up

Bernard Lee (pictured left) raised to 1,600 preflop from the small blind and Jonathan Tomayo reraised to 5,000 from the big blind. Lee reraised all in and Tomaya snap called. Their cards:

Lee: K-K
Tomayo: 10-10

Board: J-8-6-3-A

Lee doubled up to 55,000 after the hand.

Tiffany Michelle Eliminated

Tiffany Michelle moved all in for her last 11,000 on a flop of 952 and Team PokerStars pro J.C. Alvarado made the call. Their cards:

Michelle: QQ
Alvarado: AA

Turn and River: 4 and 10

Michelle was eliminated from the tournament on the hand.

Vivek Rajkumar Climbs Past 100,000

A board of KKQ2 sat on the table when a player ahead of Vivek Rajkumar bet 9,800. Rajkumar called and the river brought the 6. This time his opponent checked and Rajkumar jumped into action, firing out a bet of 22,000. His opponent made the call and Rajkumar flipped over K8. His opponent mucked and Rajkumar held 112,000 after the hand.

Jason Mercier Crippled and then Eliminated

A player raised to 2,500 preflop from early position and Team PokerStars pro Jason Mercier (pictured right) reraised to 6,400. Debra Marshall then reraised all in for 16,000 and the original raiser mucked. Mercier thought for a moment and made the call. Their cards:

Mercier: K4
Marshall: J-J

Board: Q435A

Mercier was crippled with just 6,000 after the hand and he was all in for his tournament life a few moments later. His final stand was made with QJ, not bad, but they ran right into pocket kings and Mercier’s PCA main event is over.

Wayne Bentley Increases his Chip Lead by Busting Bill Edler

A flop of 1085 sat on the table and 7,000 was in the pot when Amit Makhija opened the action for 5,000. Bill Edler then raised to 12,000 right behind him and Wayne Bentley called. The turn brought the 3 and Edler checked. Bentley bet 15,000 and Edler raised to 55,000.

Bentley then reraised all in and Edler made the all-in call. Edler turned over KK but Bentley revealed 88 for a set.

Edler was eliminated on the hand and Bentley increased his chip lead to 335,000.

Player Tags: Bill Edler,   Bernard Lee,   Tiffany Michelle,   Vivek Rajkumar,   Jason Mercier

Tiffany Michelle Eliminated

Sep 30, '08

Tiffany Michelle has been eliminated from the tournament.

After asking the table who busted her, the player in seat 3 immediately replied, "She busted herself." As it turns out, she was eliminated by Jose Severino.

Player Tags: Tiffany Michelle

Tiffany Michelle Eliminated in 46th Place ($15,000)

Sep 16, '08

Tiffany Michelle was all in for her last 120,000 with Q10 against Michael Binger's AK. The board gave Binger an ace and Tiffany was sent home in 46th place.

This marks her first cash since her deep run in the WSOP main event.

Player Tags: Michael Binger,   Tiffany Michelle

Card Player TV

Sep 16, '08

Card Player TV talks to Tiffany Michelle on Day 2 of the 2008 WPT Borgata Poker Open

Player Tags: Tiffany Michelle

Tiffany Michelle Put to the Test

Sep 15, '08

Tiffany Michelle limps in the cutoff and the big blind checks his option. The flop comes 1066 and Michelle bets 6,000. The big blind calls and the turn is the A.

Michelle bets 15,000 and the big blind shoves all in, having her 115,000 well covered. Michelle tanks for a bit, talking over his possible holdings. He tells her that he'll show and the 5 seat calls the clock on her. After a bit of jawing with the clock caller, Michelle finally folds A-10 and the big blind obliges her by showing Q6 for trips.

Player Tags: Tiffany Michelle

Tiffany Michelle Runs Set Into Set

Sep 15, '08

Tiffany Michelle lost a lot of momentum this level when she turned a set of nines. Unfortunately, her opponent John Lennon had already flopped a set of jacks.

The river failed to bring the miracle case nine for Michelle and she took a major hit to her stack, bringing her down to 85,000. Lennon vaults up the leaderboard and now has 360,000.

Player Tags: Tiffany Michelle

Tiffany Michelle Eliminated in 46th Place ($15,000)

Sep 16, '08

Tiffany Michelle was all in for her last 120,000 with Q10 against Michael Binger's AK. The board gave Binger an ace and Tiffany was sent home in 46th place.

This marks her first cash since her deep run in the WSOP main event.

Player Tags: Michael Binger,   Tiffany Michelle

Card Player TV

Sep 16, '08

Card Player TV talks to Tiffany Michelle on Day 2 of the 2008 WPT Borgata Poker Open

Player Tags: Tiffany Michelle

Tiffany Michelle Put to the Test

Sep 15, '08

Tiffany Michelle limps in the cutoff and the big blind checks his option. The flop comes 1066 and Michelle bets 6,000. The big blind calls and the turn is the A.

Michelle bets 15,000 and the big blind shoves all in, having her 115,000 well covered. Michelle tanks for a bit, talking over his possible holdings. He tells her that he'll show and the 5 seat calls the clock on her. After a bit of jawing with the clock caller, Michelle finally folds A-10 and the big blind obliges her by showing Q6 for trips.

Player Tags: Tiffany Michelle

Tiffany Michelle Runs Set Into Set

Sep 15, '08

Tiffany Michelle lost a lot of momentum this level when she turned a set of nines. Unfortunately, her opponent John Lennon had already flopped a set of jacks.

The river failed to bring the miracle case nine for Michelle and she took a major hit to her stack, bringing her down to 85,000. Lennon vaults up the leaderboard and now has 360,000.

Player Tags: Tiffany Michelle

$10,000 Main Event - Day 7 - Level 29 (Hr. 2)

Jul 14, '08

Note: Players will be going on a 20 minute break. Play will resume at around 4:50

Blinds/Antes: 50,000-100,000-10,000

Players Remaining: 18 out of 6,844

Average Chip Stack: 7.6 million

Eliminations:
18th place - Jason Riesenberg - $334,535 19th place - Albert Kim - $257,334
20th place - Brandon Cantu - $257,334
21st place - Paul Snead - $257,334

Big Hands and Storylines:

Montgomery Gets Miracle and 11 Million Pot, Snead Eliminated in 21st ($257,334)

Paul Snead raised to 300,000 from the button and then called a reraise to 800,000 from Scott Montgomery in the big blind. The flop was JT3 and Montgomery bet 1.5 million. Then Snead raised to three million, and then Montgomery reraised all in for 1.76 million more. Snead took over five minutes to deliberate, and said multiple times he might have to call because of the odds he was getting and that he has outs. Then Tiffany Michelle called the clock, and as the tournament director counted down to one he called.

Snead: J7
Montgomery: A4

Incredibly, Montgomery tried to bluff Snead out of the hand when he would have to call if he hit the board in any way. With over 11 million chips on the line, the turn was the 8, meaning the A was no longer an out for Montgomery. But he caught the A on the river to the amazement of everyone at the table and in the crowd.

With about 400,000 chips left, Snead pushed all in with A-T and was up against Craig Marquis's A-K. The board didn't bring any help, and Snead will head out with a lot of money, but a lot of "what ifs" as well.

Cantu Can't Cut It - Eliminated in 20th Place ($257,334)

Peter Eastgate opened with a raise to 300,000, and Brandon Cantu shoved from the button for 2.3 million. Eastgate made the call, tabling AQ against Cantu's 99. The flop gave Cantu good reason to sweat, running out 863. The turn improved Cantu's chances of doubling up with the 8, but the 4 sealed his fate and sent him to the rail in 20th place. Eastgate climbed to over 9 million after the hand.

Tough Start for Rheem

Play was delayed for several minutes as players redrew their seat assignments once the field was narrowed down to the final two tables. Chino Rheem may wish they had delayed even longer, as he now sits behind the smallest stack in the tournament with only 2.3 million.

In a heads-up battle with Craig Marquis, Rheem greeted a preflop raise with a reraise to 450,000 which Marquis called. The flop came 953, and Marquis stepped out for 700,000. Rheem came over the top, raising to 1.7 million. Unafraid of the power move, Marquis then announced all-in, and Rheem was forced to lay his hand down.

The significant damage came a few hands later, however. Ivan Demidov raised to 300,000 from under the gun, and both Rheem and Joe Bishop made the call. The flop came J106, and after Demidov checked, Rheem bet 400,000. Bishop called and Demidov folded. The turn paired the board with the 6, and Rheem stabbed again with a 900,000 bet. Bishop then reraised to 2 million, and Rheem made the call. The Q on the river completed a potential flush draw, and Rheem checked. Bishop stepped out for 1.5 million and Rheem called. Bishop then showed him the bad news, 66 for quads hit on the turn.

Tiffany Michelle Gets No Respect

Jason Riesenberg raised to 275,000 from late position, and Tiffany Michelle reraised to 775,000 from the button. Scott Montgomery then moved all in from the big blind, forcing both players out of the pot.

On the very next hand, Tiffany Michelle opened with a raise to 300,000. She was called by both Dennis and Scott Montgomery in the small blind. Montgomery checked the flop of AKJ, and Tiffany continued firing, this time for 500,000. Dennis then reraised to a total of 1.3 million. Tiffany went into the tank for some time, but eventually surrendered the hand, dropping down to a total count of around 4.6 million.

Jason Riesenberg eliminated in 18th place ($334,534)

Jason Riesenberg raised to 275,000 and was called by Dennis Phillips and Dean Hamrick. The flop was QQ3 and Riesenberg bet 350,000. Only Hamrick called, and the 9 came on the turn. Riesenberg bet 675,000 and Hamrick again called. The river was the K and this time Riesenberg checked. Hamrick then moved all in and Riesenberg called all in. Hamrick showed pocket nines for a full house, and Riesenberg immediately sunk in his seat. He flipped over Q8 for trips, shook some hands and left the table.

Player Tags: Dean Hamrick,   Paul Snead,   Brandon Cantu,   Tiffany Michelle,   Peter Eastgate,   Jason Riesenberg,   Scott Montgomery,   Joe Bishop

Main Event - Day 7 - Level 28

Jul 14, '08

Blinds/Antes: 40,000-80,000-10,000

Players Remaining: 25 out of 6,844

Chip Leaders:
Peter Eastgate - 12,830,000
Dennis Phillips 12,250,000
Craig Marquis 10,300,000
Paul Snead - 10,200,000
Kelly Kim - 8,650,000
David 'Chino' Rheem - 7,600,000
Tiffany Michelle - 7,400,000
Gert Andersen - 5,920,000
Toni Judet - 5,900,000
Joe Bishop - 5,050,000

Average Chip Stack: 5.26 million

Eliminations:

26th place - Phi Nguyen - $257,334
27th place - Michael Carroll - $257,334

Big Hands and Storylines

Michael Carroll Eliminated in 27th place ($257,334)

Three players saw a flop of A54. Gert Andersen checked, and Michael Carroll moved all in for his last 735,000. Joe Bishop made the call, and was quite unhappy to see Gert Andersen move all in over the top behind him. Bishop folded his hand in frustration, but saw that he had made a good laydown as Gert Andersen flipped over 44 for flopped bottom set. Carroll was far behind with only A9, and failed to improve as the turn and river came J10, bringing his Main Event run to an end in 27th place.

Phi Nguyen Eliminated in 26th Place ($257,334)

After Paul Snead entered the pot and was called by Tiffany Michelle, Phi Nguyen moved all in for under one million. Snead was the only caller.

Nguyen: AT
Snead: JJ

Board: 93258

Michelle Drops Three Million Early in Level

On the first hand of the day, Owen Crowe raised from middle position and Tiffany Michelle called from late position. The two saw a 875 flop and Crowe bet 375,000. Michelle called and the turn was the 3. Crowe checked and Michelle bet 500,000. Crowe then reraised 1.075 million more. Michelle folded and Crowe flipped over J9.

Paul Snead raised from early position and was called by three players. The flop came 643 and Snead bet 600,000. Michelle, sitting to her immediate left, then raised to 1.6 million. It folded around to Snead, and he quickly moved all in, a raise of about four million. Michelle took a few minutes to think, and while she did Snead paced around and talked to his wife and Joe Awada a few feet from the table. Finally Michelle folded and Snead took down the pot. Michelle began the day with nearly 10 million and now has under seven million.

Player Tags: Phi Nguyen,   Paul Snead,   Owen Crowe,   Tiffany Michelle

$10,000 Main Event - Day 6 - Level 25 (Hour 1)

Jul 13, '08

Blinds/Antes: 20,000-40,000-5,000

Players Remaining: 50 of 6,844

Eliminations:

51st place - Alfredo Fernandez - $135,100
52nd place - Mark Ketteringham - $135,100
53rd place - Alan Gould - $135,100
54th place - Alex Caiaffa - $135,100
55th place - Rafael Caiaffa - $115,800
56th place - Eric Bamer - $115,800

Big Hands and Storylines:

Alfredo Fernandez Eliminated by Mike Matusow

Mike Matusow made the standard table raise to 110,000 from second position. Alfredo Fernandez, on Matusow’s left, wasted no time before moving all-in for 600,000. Action folded back around to Matusow who made a pretty swift call with AQ. His call was dead-on; Fernandez turned up J10. The board rolled out K664A and Fernandez was eliminated. The nice addition to his stack brings Matusow up to 3.3 million.

A Moment With Matusow

After the aforementioned hand, Matusow let the table know how good he was playing, and how luck was on his side. Some snippets from his peroration:

“...I just know it...”
“...I can feel it...”
“...the neutrons and the electrons...”
“...the power of positive thinking, you can’t beat it!”

Up-and-down hour for Michelle

Early in the level Tiffany Michelle raised and then called a reraise by Ivan Demidov on the button. After a flop of A43 both players checked. The turn was the 4 and Michelle bet 500,000. Demidov called and the river was the 7. Michelle bet 800,000 and after a couple minutes Demidov raised to 2.2 million. It was now her turn to tank, and after two minutes she folded. Demidov now has 6.5 million chips, while Michelle has 3.15.

Later in the level Michelle limped in from under the gun and was one of three players to see the flop come 977 and Michelle called a bet of 75,000 by Chrstian Dragomir. The turn was the 4 and Dragomir bet 100,000. Tiffany raised to 200,000 and then Dragomir reraised to 400,000. Tiffany then moved all in, forcing Dragomir to fold. Michelle is now up to about four million, while Dragomir has over two million.

Pham-boozled

More from Tiffany Michelle...

Tiffany Michelle raised to 120,000 from under the gun. Kido Pham, to her left, made it 300,000, and Michelle made the call. The flop was 1032 and Michelle led out for a hefty 750,000. Pham considered his options for a moment, but decided to fold. The pot brings Michelle up to 4 million and drops Pham down to under 2 million.

Gould Leaves with the Ladies

Joe Bishop raised to 125,000 preflop, and was only to happy to step out of the way. Alan Gould in the next seat reraised him to 400,000, and then halfway down the table Albert Kim announced another raise, this to 1.1 million. Bishop folded, and Gould then announced all-in for his remaining 1.6 million in chips. Kim instantly called and showed AA, while Gould was drawing slim with QQ. The flop came 863 to give Gould a chance at a running flush, though that disappeared with the 6 on the river. Needing to catch a queen on the end, Kim took down the pot and eliminated his opponent when the 10 completed the board. Kim improved to 7.8 million in chips with the hand.

Yet Kim donated much of that recent gain back just a few hands later. He raised to 105,000 preflop, then was reraised to 425,000 by Bishop. Kim called, and the flop came 1064. Bishop stepped out for 550,000, and Kim made the call. The K was the turn card, and Bishop then announced all-in. Kim was visibly frustrated, noting he had just got the chips and didn’t want to spill them back. He eventually mucked, stating he had queens, then pleaded for Bishop to “show the bluff”. Bishop hesitated, briefly flashing his cards before mucking. The table then insisted the dealer show the cards, and they were proven to be the A10.

Outhred Outted

Alex Outhred had been able to survive with his shortstack thanks to timely all-in shoves that discouraged any callers. But he finally ran out of steam when in the small blind, he woke with AK. Chris Klodnicki had raised from the button to 110,000 and Outhred then went all-in for 495,000. Klodnicki called and showed 99. The doorcard to the flop was the K to give Outhred short-lived life, as behind it lay the 9 to give Klodnicki the set. The 3 and 8 completed the board and Outhred was ousted in 54th place.
 

Player Tags: Alex Outhred,   Chris Klodnicki,   Tiffany Michelle,   Albert Kim,   Alan Gould,   Ivan Demidov,   Cristian Dragomir,   Joe Bishop

$10,000 Main Event - Day 6 - Level 24 (Hour 2)

Jul 13, '08

Players are now on a break. Play will resume at about 2:45 p.m.

Blinds/Antes: 15,000-30,000-4,000

Players Remaining: 58 of 6,844

Chip Leaders:
Gert Andersen - 9,000,000
Brandon Cantu - 6,200,000
Nikolay Losev - 6,000,000
Albert Kim - 5,500,000
Chris Klodnicki - 4,800,000
Aaron Gordon - 4,800,000
Ivan Demidov - 4,400,000
Kelly Kim - 4,000,000
Nicholas Sliwinski - 3,900,000
Andrew Rosskamm - 3,750,000

Eliminations:

59th place - Justin Sadauskas - $115,800
60th place - Mark Owens - $115,800
61st place - Thomas Keller - $115,800
62nd place - Geert Jans - $115,800
63rd place - Brian Tatum - $115,800
64th place- Victor Ramdin - $96,500
65th place - Larry Wright - $96,500
66th place - Chris Zapf - $96,500
67th place - Justin Scott - $96,500
68th place - Suresh Prabhu - $96,500
69th place - Sean davis - $96,500
70th place - Terry Lade - $96,500
71st place - James McManus - $96,500

Big Hands and Storylines

Jason Glass Doubles Through Paul Snead

Jason Glass moved all-in from middle position for his final 280,000 and action folded around to Paul Snead in the big blind. Snead thought for a bit and eventually spoke up: “I will give you some action and.... call.” The cards were turned up: Snead had 44 and Glass had A4. The camera crew shrouded the table from the view of spectators, so Snead called out to his family that he was way ahead. The flop was K95, and Snead remained way ahead. The turn was the 3. Before the river card was dealt, Snead requested of the dealer, “Don’t make it a red deuce!” The river? The 2.

Snead rose from his chair, ripped the temporary Full-Tilt logo from his hat, and emphatically slammed both the logo and his hat into a nearby garbage can. Snead took his seat only to realize that he had another Full-Tilt logo on his shirt. He stood from his chair a second time, folded up the Full-Tilt logo, and calmly dispensed it in the garbage.

After the hand Snead was down to 650,000.

Geert Jans Eliminated in 62^nd Place

Geert Jans found himself in prime position to double up when he was all-in with AAcs against Nikolay Losev’s QJdh on a board of Q76hch. His happiness did not last long though. The turn card was the Qc, and when the river came the 9s, Jans found himself taking the slow walk away from the playing area. For his 62^nd place finish he will take home $115,800.

Marquis Makes Nines Work

Brian Tatum was operating with a shortstack and was under the gun when he raised to 125,000. Play folded around to Craig Marquis who reraised to 325,000. Tatum then moved all-in for another 385,000 and Marquis called, showing 99. Tatum was live with AJ, but missed the flop that came KK3. The 3 on the turn was another miss, and the K filled the board but improved Marquis’ hand at the same time. Tatum was eliminated in 63rd place.

Chris Zapf Doubles, Then Busts

Garret Beckman raised from middle position to 80,000 and Chris Zapf moved all-in for about 250,000. Beckman made the call with QJ and his cards were live against Zapf’s AK. The board kept Zapf’s lead safe, however, and he managed to double up to 520,000. Later in the level, however, Zapf's luck would come to an end and he would be eliminated in 66th place.

Osterland Stands his Ground

Felix Osterland raised to 100,000 and David Rheem was quick to call from the next seat in the cut-off position. The rest of the field folded, and the flop came down Q75. Osterland bet 100,000 and Rheem again followed him into the pot. Osterland then checked when the 10 showed on the turn, and Rheem took the opportunity to bet 200,000. Osterland then fired back with an all-in check-raise for another 875,000.  Rheem decided to lay his hand down.

Michelle Hits and Runs, and Runs

Tiffany Michelle raised to 90,000 preflop, and was called by Marquis in the cut-off and Jamal Kunbuz in the big blind. The flop came 865, and after Kunbuz checked, Michelle bet 275,000. Both of her opponents folded. A few hands later Michelle was moved to another table to balance the field. Then a few hands after that, her new table was broken down and she was moved once again.

Player Tags: Paul Snead,   Chino Rheem,   Tiffany Michelle,   Jason Glass,   Craig Marquis,   Brian Tatum,   Christopher Zapf

Main Event - Day 4 - Level 18 - Hour 2

Jul 11, '08

Tournament officials have announced that remaining players will only play one more two-hour level tonight when they return from their 90-minute break.

Blinds/Antes: 4,000-8,000-1,000

Players Remaining: 216 of 6,844

Chip Leaders:

Jeremy Joseph - 2,500,000
Brandon Cantu - 1,800,000
Keoni Schwartz - 1,700,000
David Saab - 1,650,000
Phi Nguyen - 1,600,000
Nikolay Losev - 1,600,000
Andrew Rosskamm - 1,500,000
Darus Suharto - 1,500,000
Mark Ketteringham - 1,470,000
David Benefield - 1,400,000

Other Notables

Gus Hansen – 1,400,000
Shawn Sheikhan – 1,100,000
Ylon Schwartz – 1,000,000
Matt Matros – 940,000
Chris Klodnicki – 620,000
Craig Marquis – 550,000
Jeff Madsen – 430,000
Mike Matusow – 415,000
Kido Pham – 400,000
Thomas Keller – 355,000
Andrew Teng – 300,000
Hoyt Corkins – 300,000
Phil Hellmuth – 300,000

Average Chip Stack: 573,000

Eliminations:

Hevad Khan
Evelyn Ng
Jon Turner

Big Hands and Storylines:

Gus Hansen takes monster pot with two pair

After raising to 24,000 from the cutoff position, Hansen then called a reraise to 84,000 by Joseph Ward out of the small blind. The flop came AT5 and Ward bet 100,000. Hansen took a long time to act, but ultimately called. The turn was the 9 and Ward checked. Hansen took his time and then bet 200,000. The action was on Ward and he stood up. He separated 200,000 from his stack and saw he would less than 200,000 remaining. After a couple minutes he moved all in. Hansen called and showed AT. Ward held AQ and needed a queen on the river. The river was the 7 and Hansen took the pot of 1.2 million chips. After the hand he had roughly 1.4 million chips.

Helge Pedersen Doubles Through Pontus Khosravi

Pontus Khosravi raised from the hijack and Helge Pedersen moved in from the button for 260,000 total. Khosravi made the call and showed AK, but he was trailing the KK of Pedersen. The board – Q7632 – did not help the Swede, and his stack took a big hit. After the confrontation, both players had stacks of about 530,000.

Hellmuth Melts Down in Three Consecutive Hands, But Doubles Later

The action folded to Santeri Valikoski in the small blind, who completed. Phil Hellmuth raised an additional 10,000, and Valikoski made the call. The flop came A52, and Valikoski checked. Hellmuth tossed three orange 5,000 chips across the line. “This is a bluff,” Hellmuth told his opponent as he pointed to the chips. Valikoski made the call and bet 25,000 when the A fell on the turn. Hellmuth announced a raise and added 30,000 to Valikoski’s bet. Valikoski called, and both players checked the 6 on the river. Hellmuth turned over K10, and his opponent showed 75. “No, he didn’t!” Phil Hellmuth screamed as he stood up from the table. “He called a raise with five-seven from out of position, that idiot from Northern Europe.” Hellmuth made quite a point of his opponent’s place of origin, mentioning it several times throughout his tirade.

After knocking his chips into a pile and screaming over and over in frustration, Hellmuth called another opponent’s pre-flop raise on the next hand and lost approximately 60,000 in chips when his opponent’s ace-king made top pair.

On the next hand, Hellmuth made it 20,000 to go from the cut-off and his opponent in the big blind raised to 85,000 total. Hellmuth instantly called, beating his opponent into the pot. His opponent asked how much Hellmuth had behind, as he still had not restacked his chips. When the KQ5 flop fell, the player made a bet of 75,000 and Hellmuth folded pocket jacks face up.

Hellmuth launched into another angry tantrum, culminating in him praying to the heavens for better circumstances and constantly referring to his situation as a "nightmare." Hellmuth finished the bender with under 160,000 in chips after losing approximately two-thirds of his stack in the three-hand span.

Later, though Hellmuth doubled when from the big blind his A-5 turned trips against a player with K-10 and top pair. The board in that hand was 10-9-5-5-Q. Hellmuth ended the level with about 320,000 chips.

Evelyn Ng Eliminated

Keith Ferrera raised to 19,000 from early position and Evelyn Ng pushed all in for her remaining 122,000 as the next player to act. The action folded around, and Ferrera quickly called and turned over KK. Ng’s 1010 were in bad shape, and the 98742 board offered no assistance.

Kostritsyn Loses Massive Pot

Alexander Kostritsyn took a significant blow when Cristian Dragomir snagged a two-outter on the river for a pot in excess of 1,000,000 in chips. Kostritsyn raised preflop to 22,000, Dragomir to his immediate right called, along with one other player and the big blind. The flop came J96, and once the big blind checked, Kostritsyn bet 58,000. Dragomir made the call, and the two were heads-up to see the 2 fall on the turn. Kostritsyn then bet out 105,000, and again Dragomir made the call. The 9 hit the river to pair the board, and Kostritsyn bet another 105,000. Dragomir then raised to 300,000 and Kostritsyn called. It was bad news for Kostritsyn who showed king-jack for top pair. Dragomir held K9 for trips made on the river and scoop the massive pot.

The Rich Get Richer

Chip-leader Jeremy Joseph can do no wrong. He elected to make a massive call against Damien Creurer, who was all-in for 271,000. Joseph, with chips to spare, made the call with KQ, and learned he was up against A9. No problem. Joseph hit the flop of K98, dodged the 10 on the turn, the made trips on the river with the K to add to his stack and send Creurer to the rails.

Khan, sixth a year ago, bows out

On a Q74 flop, Hevad Khan, who was short-stacked at around 150,000, found himself all in and in big trouble against Tiffany Michelle. Khan held 99 and was up against KQ, meaning he needed a nine and no hearts. The turn and river were 105 and Khan was eliminated. After a very loud and very deep run last year, Khan was much more subdued during this year's series. At the start of every tournament an announcement was made warning players not to celebrate excessively. Most if not all the time, the announcement would specifically mention not to lift up any chairs, something Khan did often last year. When he was knocked out today, he quietly got up and waited for his pay slip.

Incredible hand ends with ace-high winning

Stephane Hornet raised from late position, and then Matt Lessinger made a big reraise to 130,000 from the button. Then Alex Borteh came over the top from the big blind. He had both players covered and moved all in. Hornet was frustrated but went ahead and moved all in. The action was back on Lessinger, and he was also extremely exasperated. He ultimately folded, and was shocked to see the hands that were turned up.

Hornet: AK
Borteh: KQ

Board: 73386

Lessinger, who had 250,000 chips left, said he folded two queens. Borteh now has 285,000 chips left, while Hornet is now up to 500,000 chips.

Player Tags: Evelyn Ng,   Gus Hansen,   Phil Hellmuth,   Alex Borteh,   Tiffany Michelle,   Hevad Khan,   Jeremy Joseph,   Santeri Valikoski,   Alexander Kostritsyn,   Cristian Dragomir,   Stephan Hornet

$10,000 Main Event - Day 7 - Level 29 (Hr. 2)

Jul 14, '08

Note: Players will be going on a 20 minute break. Play will resume at around 4:50

Blinds/Antes: 50,000-100,000-10,000

Players Remaining: 18 out of 6,844

Average Chip Stack: 7.6 million

Eliminations:
18th place - Jason Riesenberg - $334,535 19th place - Albert Kim - $257,334
20th place - Brandon Cantu - $257,334
21st place - Paul Snead - $257,334

Big Hands and Storylines:

Montgomery Gets Miracle and 11 Million Pot, Snead Eliminated in 21st ($257,334)

Paul Snead raised to 300,000 from the button and then called a reraise to 800,000 from Scott Montgomery in the big blind. The flop was JT3 and Montgomery bet 1.5 million. Then Snead raised to three million, and then Montgomery reraised all in for 1.76 million more. Snead took over five minutes to deliberate, and said multiple times he might have to call because of the odds he was getting and that he has outs. Then Tiffany Michelle called the clock, and as the tournament director counted down to one he called.

Snead: J7
Montgomery: A4

Incredibly, Montgomery tried to bluff Snead out of the hand when he would have to call if he hit the board in any way. With over 11 million chips on the line, the turn was the 8, meaning the A was no longer an out for Montgomery. But he caught the A on the river to the amazement of everyone at the table and in the crowd.

With about 400,000 chips left, Snead pushed all in with A-T and was up against Craig Marquis's A-K. The board didn't bring any help, and Snead will head out with a lot of money, but a lot of "what ifs" as well.

Cantu Can't Cut It - Eliminated in 20th Place ($257,334)

Peter Eastgate opened with a raise to 300,000, and Brandon Cantu shoved from the button for 2.3 million. Eastgate made the call, tabling AQ against Cantu's 99. The flop gave Cantu good reason to sweat, running out 863. The turn improved Cantu's chances of doubling up with the 8, but the 4 sealed his fate and sent him to the rail in 20th place. Eastgate climbed to over 9 million after the hand.

Tough Start for Rheem

Play was delayed for several minutes as players redrew their seat assignments once the field was narrowed down to the final two tables. Chino Rheem may wish they had delayed even longer, as he now sits behind the smallest stack in the tournament with only 2.3 million.

In a heads-up battle with Craig Marquis, Rheem greeted a preflop raise with a reraise to 450,000 which Marquis called. The flop came 953, and Marquis stepped out for 700,000. Rheem came over the top, raising to 1.7 million. Unafraid of the power move, Marquis then announced all-in, and Rheem was forced to lay his hand down.

The significant damage came a few hands later, however. Ivan Demidov raised to 300,000 from under the gun, and both Rheem and Joe Bishop made the call. The flop came J106, and after Demidov checked, Rheem bet 400,000. Bishop called and Demidov folded. The turn paired the board with the 6, and Rheem stabbed again with a 900,000 bet. Bishop then reraised to 2 million, and Rheem made the call. The Q on the river completed a potential flush draw, and Rheem checked. Bishop stepped out for 1.5 million and Rheem called. Bishop then showed him the bad news, 66 for quads hit on the turn.

Tiffany Michelle Gets No Respect

Jason Riesenberg raised to 275,000 from late position, and Tiffany Michelle reraised to 775,000 from the button. Scott Montgomery then moved all in from the big blind, forcing both players out of the pot.

On the very next hand, Tiffany Michelle opened with a raise to 300,000. She was called by both Dennis and Scott Montgomery in the small blind. Montgomery checked the flop of AKJ, and Tiffany continued firing, this time for 500,000. Dennis then reraised to a total of 1.3 million. Tiffany went into the tank for some time, but eventually surrendered the hand, dropping down to a total count of around 4.6 million.

Jason Riesenberg eliminated in 18th place ($334,534)

Jason Riesenberg raised to 275,000 and was called by Dennis Phillips and Dean Hamrick. The flop was QQ3 and Riesenberg bet 350,000. Only Hamrick called, and the 9 came on the turn. Riesenberg bet 675,000 and Hamrick again called. The river was the K and this time Riesenberg checked. Hamrick then moved all in and Riesenberg called all in. Hamrick showed pocket nines for a full house, and Riesenberg immediately sunk in his seat. He flipped over Q8 for trips, shook some hands and left the table.

Player Tags: Dean Hamrick,   Paul Snead,   Brandon Cantu,   Tiffany Michelle,   Peter Eastgate,   Jason Riesenberg,   Scott Montgomery,   Joe Bishop

Main Event - Day 7 - Level 28

Jul 14, '08

Blinds/Antes: 40,000-80,000-10,000

Players Remaining: 25 out of 6,844

Chip Leaders:
Peter Eastgate - 12,830,000
Dennis Phillips 12,250,000
Craig Marquis 10,300,000
Paul Snead - 10,200,000
Kelly Kim - 8,650,000
David 'Chino' Rheem - 7,600,000
Tiffany Michelle - 7,400,000
Gert Andersen - 5,920,000
Toni Judet - 5,900,000
Joe Bishop - 5,050,000

Average Chip Stack: 5.26 million

Eliminations:

26th place - Phi Nguyen - $257,334
27th place - Michael Carroll - $257,334

Big Hands and Storylines

Michael Carroll Eliminated in 27th place ($257,334)

Three players saw a flop of A54. Gert Andersen checked, and Michael Carroll moved all in for his last 735,000. Joe Bishop made the call, and was quite unhappy to see Gert Andersen move all in over the top behind him. Bishop folded his hand in frustration, but saw that he had made a good laydown as Gert Andersen flipped over 44 for flopped bottom set. Carroll was far behind with only A9, and failed to improve as the turn and river came J10, bringing his Main Event run to an end in 27th place.

Phi Nguyen Eliminated in 26th Place ($257,334)

After Paul Snead entered the pot and was called by Tiffany Michelle, Phi Nguyen moved all in for under one million. Snead was the only caller.

Nguyen: AT
Snead: JJ

Board: 93258

Michelle Drops Three Million Early in Level

On the first hand of the day, Owen Crowe raised from middle position and Tiffany Michelle called from late position. The two saw a 875 flop and Crowe bet 375,000. Michelle called and the turn was the 3. Crowe checked and Michelle bet 500,000. Crowe then reraised 1.075 million more. Michelle folded and Crowe flipped over J9.

Paul Snead raised from early position and was called by three players. The flop came 643 and Snead bet 600,000. Michelle, sitting to her immediate left, then raised to 1.6 million. It folded around to Snead, and he quickly moved all in, a raise of about four million. Michelle took a few minutes to think, and while she did Snead paced around and talked to his wife and Joe Awada a few feet from the table. Finally Michelle folded and Snead took down the pot. Michelle began the day with nearly 10 million and now has under seven million.

Player Tags: Phi Nguyen,   Paul Snead,   Owen Crowe,   Tiffany Michelle

$10,000 Main Event - Day 6 - Level 25 (Hour 1)

Jul 13, '08

Blinds/Antes: 20,000-40,000-5,000

Players Remaining: 50 of 6,844

Eliminations:

51st place - Alfredo Fernandez - $135,100
52nd place - Mark Ketteringham - $135,100
53rd place - Alan Gould - $135,100
54th place - Alex Caiaffa - $135,100
55th place - Rafael Caiaffa - $115,800
56th place - Eric Bamer - $115,800

Big Hands and Storylines:

Alfredo Fernandez Eliminated by Mike Matusow

Mike Matusow made the standard table raise to 110,000 from second position. Alfredo Fernandez, on Matusow’s left, wasted no time before moving all-in for 600,000. Action folded back around to Matusow who made a pretty swift call with AQ. His call was dead-on; Fernandez turned up J10. The board rolled out K664A and Fernandez was eliminated. The nice addition to his stack brings Matusow up to 3.3 million.

A Moment With Matusow

After the aforementioned hand, Matusow let the table know how good he was playing, and how luck was on his side. Some snippets from his peroration:

“...I just know it...”
“...I can feel it...”
“...the neutrons and the electrons...”
“...the power of positive thinking, you can’t beat it!”

Up-and-down hour for Michelle

Early in the level Tiffany Michelle raised and then called a reraise by Ivan Demidov on the button. After a flop of A43 both players checked. The turn was the 4 and Michelle bet 500,000. Demidov called and the river was the 7. Michelle bet 800,000 and after a couple minutes Demidov raised to 2.2 million. It was now her turn to tank, and after two minutes she folded. Demidov now has 6.5 million chips, while Michelle has 3.15.

Later in the level Michelle limped in from under the gun and was one of three players to see the flop come 977 and Michelle called a bet of 75,000 by Chrstian Dragomir. The turn was the 4 and Dragomir bet 100,000. Tiffany raised to 200,000 and then Dragomir reraised to 400,000. Tiffany then moved all in, forcing Dragomir to fold. Michelle is now up to about four million, while Dragomir has over two million.

Pham-boozled

More from Tiffany Michelle...

Tiffany Michelle raised to 120,000 from under the gun. Kido Pham, to her left, made it 300,000, and Michelle made the call. The flop was 1032 and Michelle led out for a hefty 750,000. Pham considered his options for a moment, but decided to fold. The pot brings Michelle up to 4 million and drops Pham down to under 2 million.

Gould Leaves with the Ladies

Joe Bishop raised to 125,000 preflop, and was only to happy to step out of the way. Alan Gould in the next seat reraised him to 400,000, and then halfway down the table Albert Kim announced another raise, this to 1.1 million. Bishop folded, and Gould then announced all-in for his remaining 1.6 million in chips. Kim instantly called and showed AA, while Gould was drawing slim with QQ. The flop came 863 to give Gould a chance at a running flush, though that disappeared with the 6 on the river. Needing to catch a queen on the end, Kim took down the pot and eliminated his opponent when the 10 completed the board. Kim improved to 7.8 million in chips with the hand.

Yet Kim donated much of that recent gain back just a few hands later. He raised to 105,000 preflop, then was reraised to 425,000 by Bishop. Kim called, and the flop came 1064. Bishop stepped out for 550,000, and Kim made the call. The K was the turn card, and Bishop then announced all-in. Kim was visibly frustrated, noting he had just got the chips and didn’t want to spill them back. He eventually mucked, stating he had queens, then pleaded for Bishop to “show the bluff”. Bishop hesitated, briefly flashing his cards before mucking. The table then insisted the dealer show the cards, and they were proven to be the A10.

Outhred Outted

Alex Outhred had been able to survive with his shortstack thanks to timely all-in shoves that discouraged any callers. But he finally ran out of steam when in the small blind, he woke with AK. Chris Klodnicki had raised from the button to 110,000 and Outhred then went all-in for 495,000. Klodnicki called and showed 99. The doorcard to the flop was the K to give Outhred short-lived life, as behind it lay the 9 to give Klodnicki the set. The 3 and 8 completed the board and Outhred was ousted in 54th place.
 

Player Tags: Alex Outhred,   Chris Klodnicki,   Tiffany Michelle,   Albert Kim,   Alan Gould,   Ivan Demidov,   Cristian Dragomir,   Joe Bishop

$10,000 Main Event - Day 6 - Level 24 (Hour 2)

Jul 13, '08

Players are now on a break. Play will resume at about 2:45 p.m.

Blinds/Antes: 15,000-30,000-4,000

Players Remaining: 58 of 6,844

Chip Leaders:
Gert Andersen - 9,000,000
Brandon Cantu - 6,200,000
Nikolay Losev - 6,000,000
Albert Kim - 5,500,000
Chris Klodnicki - 4,800,000
Aaron Gordon - 4,800,000
Ivan Demidov - 4,400,000
Kelly Kim - 4,000,000
Nicholas Sliwinski - 3,900,000
Andrew Rosskamm - 3,750,000

Eliminations:

59th place - Justin Sadauskas - $115,800
60th place - Mark Owens - $115,800
61st place - Thomas Keller - $115,800
62nd place - Geert Jans - $115,800
63rd place - Brian Tatum - $115,800
64th place- Victor Ramdin - $96,500
65th place - Larry Wright - $96,500
66th place - Chris Zapf - $96,500
67th place - Justin Scott - $96,500
68th place - Suresh Prabhu - $96,500
69th place - Sean davis - $96,500
70th place - Terry Lade - $96,500
71st place - James McManus - $96,500

Big Hands and Storylines

Jason Glass Doubles Through Paul Snead

Jason Glass moved all-in from middle position for his final 280,000 and action folded around to Paul Snead in the big blind. Snead thought for a bit and eventually spoke up: “I will give you some action and.... call.” The cards were turned up: Snead had 44 and Glass had A4. The camera crew shrouded the table from the view of spectators, so Snead called out to his family that he was way ahead. The flop was K95, and Snead remained way ahead. The turn was the 3. Before the river card was dealt, Snead requested of the dealer, “Don’t make it a red deuce!” The river? The 2.

Snead rose from his chair, ripped the temporary Full-Tilt logo from his hat, and emphatically slammed both the logo and his hat into a nearby garbage can. Snead took his seat only to realize that he had another Full-Tilt logo on his shirt. He stood from his chair a second time, folded up the Full-Tilt logo, and calmly dispensed it in the garbage.

After the hand Snead was down to 650,000.

Geert Jans Eliminated in 62^nd Place

Geert Jans found himself in prime position to double up when he was all-in with AAcs against Nikolay Losev’s QJdh on a board of Q76hch. His happiness did not last long though. The turn card was the Qc, and when the river came the 9s, Jans found himself taking the slow walk away from the playing area. For his 62^nd place finish he will take home $115,800.

Marquis Makes Nines Work

Brian Tatum was operating with a shortstack and was under the gun when he raised to 125,000. Play folded around to Craig Marquis who reraised to 325,000. Tatum then moved all-in for another 385,000 and Marquis called, showing 99. Tatum was live with AJ, but missed the flop that came KK3. The 3 on the turn was another miss, and the K filled the board but improved Marquis’ hand at the same time. Tatum was eliminated in 63rd place.

Chris Zapf Doubles, Then Busts

Garret Beckman raised from middle position to 80,000 and Chris Zapf moved all-in for about 250,000. Beckman made the call with QJ and his cards were live against Zapf’s AK. The board kept Zapf’s lead safe, however, and he managed to double up to 520,000. Later in the level, however, Zapf's luck would come to an end and he would be eliminated in 66th place.

Osterland Stands his Ground

Felix Osterland raised to 100,000 and David Rheem was quick to call from the next seat in the cut-off position. The rest of the field folded, and the flop came down Q75. Osterland bet 100,000 and Rheem again followed him into the pot. Osterland then checked when the 10 showed on the turn, and Rheem took the opportunity to bet 200,000. Osterland then fired back with an all-in check-raise for another 875,000.  Rheem decided to lay his hand down.

Michelle Hits and Runs, and Runs

Tiffany Michelle raised to 90,000 preflop, and was called by Marquis in the cut-off and Jamal Kunbuz in the big blind. The flop came 865, and after Kunbuz checked, Michelle bet 275,000. Both of her opponents folded. A few hands later Michelle was moved to another table to balance the field. Then a few hands after that, her new table was broken down and she was moved once again.

Player Tags: Paul Snead,   Chino Rheem,   Tiffany Michelle,   Jason Glass,   Craig Marquis,   Brian Tatum,   Christopher Zapf

Main Event - Day 4 - Level 18 - Hour 2

Jul 11, '08

Tournament officials have announced that remaining players will only play one more two-hour level tonight when they return from their 90-minute break.

Blinds/Antes: 4,000-8,000-1,000

Players Remaining: 216 of 6,844

Chip Leaders:

Jeremy Joseph - 2,500,000
Brandon Cantu - 1,800,000
Keoni Schwartz - 1,700,000
David Saab - 1,650,000
Phi Nguyen - 1,600,000
Nikolay Losev - 1,600,000
Andrew Rosskamm - 1,500,000
Darus Suharto - 1,500,000
Mark Ketteringham - 1,470,000
David Benefield - 1,400,000

Other Notables

Gus Hansen – 1,400,000
Shawn Sheikhan – 1,100,000
Ylon Schwartz – 1,000,000
Matt Matros – 940,000
Chris Klodnicki – 620,000
Craig Marquis – 550,000
Jeff Madsen – 430,000
Mike Matusow – 415,000
Kido Pham – 400,000
Thomas Keller – 355,000
Andrew Teng – 300,000
Hoyt Corkins – 300,000
Phil Hellmuth – 300,000

Average Chip Stack: 573,000

Eliminations:

Hevad Khan
Evelyn Ng
Jon Turner

Big Hands and Storylines:

Gus Hansen takes monster pot with two pair

After raising to 24,000 from the cutoff position, Hansen then called a reraise to 84,000 by Joseph Ward out of the small blind. The flop came AT5 and Ward bet 100,000. Hansen took a long time to act, but ultimately called. The turn was the 9 and Ward checked. Hansen took his time and then bet 200,000. The action was on Ward and he stood up. He separated 200,000 from his stack and saw he would less than 200,000 remaining. After a couple minutes he moved all in. Hansen called and showed AT. Ward held AQ and needed a queen on the river. The river was the 7 and Hansen took the pot of 1.2 million chips. After the hand he had roughly 1.4 million chips.

Helge Pedersen Doubles Through Pontus Khosravi

Pontus Khosravi raised from the hijack and Helge Pedersen moved in from the button for 260,000 total. Khosravi made the call and showed AK, but he was trailing the KK of Pedersen. The board – Q7632 – did not help the Swede, and his stack took a big hit. After the confrontation, both players had stacks of about 530,000.

Hellmuth Melts Down in Three Consecutive Hands, But Doubles Later

The action folded to Santeri Valikoski in the small blind, who completed. Phil Hellmuth raised an additional 10,000, and Valikoski made the call. The flop came A52, and Valikoski checked. Hellmuth tossed three orange 5,000 chips across the line. “This is a bluff,” Hellmuth told his opponent as he pointed to the chips. Valikoski made the call and bet 25,000 when the A fell on the turn. Hellmuth announced a raise and added 30,000 to Valikoski’s bet. Valikoski called, and both players checked the 6 on the river. Hellmuth turned over K10, and his opponent showed 75. “No, he didn’t!” Phil Hellmuth screamed as he stood up from the table. “He called a raise with five-seven from out of position, that idiot from Northern Europe.” Hellmuth made quite a point of his opponent’s place of origin, mentioning it several times throughout his tirade.

After knocking his chips into a pile and screaming over and over in frustration, Hellmuth called another opponent’s pre-flop raise on the next hand and lost approximately 60,000 in chips when his opponent’s ace-king made top pair.

On the next hand, Hellmuth made it 20,000 to go from the cut-off and his opponent in the big blind raised to 85,000 total. Hellmuth instantly called, beating his opponent into the pot. His opponent asked how much Hellmuth had behind, as he still had not restacked his chips. When the KQ5 flop fell, the player made a bet of 75,000 and Hellmuth folded pocket jacks face up.

Hellmuth launched into another angry tantrum, culminating in him praying to the heavens for better circumstances and constantly referring to his situation as a "nightmare." Hellmuth finished the bender with under 160,000 in chips after losing approximately two-thirds of his stack in the three-hand span.

Later, though Hellmuth doubled when from the big blind his A-5 turned trips against a player with K-10 and top pair. The board in that hand was 10-9-5-5-Q. Hellmuth ended the level with about 320,000 chips.

Evelyn Ng Eliminated

Keith Ferrera raised to 19,000 from early position and Evelyn Ng pushed all in for her remaining 122,000 as the next player to act. The action folded around, and Ferrera quickly called and turned over KK. Ng’s 1010 were in bad shape, and the 98742 board offered no assistance.

Kostritsyn Loses Massive Pot

Alexander Kostritsyn took a significant blow when Cristian Dragomir snagged a two-outter on the river for a pot in excess of 1,000,000 in chips. Kostritsyn raised preflop to 22,000, Dragomir to his immediate right called, along with one other player and the big blind. The flop came J96, and once the big blind checked, Kostritsyn bet 58,000. Dragomir made the call, and the two were heads-up to see the 2 fall on the turn. Kostritsyn then bet out 105,000, and again Dragomir made the call. The 9 hit the river to pair the board, and Kostritsyn bet another 105,000. Dragomir then raised to 300,000 and Kostritsyn called. It was bad news for Kostritsyn who showed king-jack for top pair. Dragomir held K9 for trips made on the river and scoop the massive pot.

The Rich Get Richer

Chip-leader Jeremy Joseph can do no wrong. He elected to make a massive call against Damien Creurer, who was all-in for 271,000. Joseph, with chips to spare, made the call with KQ, and learned he was up against A9. No problem. Joseph hit the flop of K98, dodged the 10 on the turn, the made trips on the river with the K to add to his stack and send Creurer to the rails.

Khan, sixth a year ago, bows out

On a Q74 flop, Hevad Khan, who was short-stacked at around 150,000, found himself all in and in big trouble against Tiffany Michelle. Khan held 99 and was up against KQ, meaning he needed a nine and no hearts. The turn and river were 105 and Khan was eliminated. After a very loud and very deep run last year, Khan was much more subdued during this year's series. At the start of every tournament an announcement was made warning players not to celebrate excessively. Most if not all the time, the announcement would specifically mention not to lift up any chairs, something Khan did often last year. When he was knocked out today, he quietly got up and waited for his pay slip.

Incredible hand ends with ace-high winning

Stephane Hornet raised from late position, and then Matt Lessinger made a big reraise to 130,000 from the button. Then Alex Borteh came over the top from the big blind. He had both players covered and moved all in. Hornet was frustrated but went ahead and moved all in. The action was back on Lessinger, and he was also extremely exasperated. He ultimately folded, and was shocked to see the hands that were turned up.

Hornet: AK
Borteh: KQ

Board: 73386

Lessinger, who had 250,000 chips left, said he folded two queens. Borteh now has 285,000 chips left, while Hornet is now up to 500,000 chips.

Player Tags: Evelyn Ng,   Gus Hansen,   Phil Hellmuth,   Alex Borteh,   Tiffany Michelle,   Hevad Khan,   Jeremy Joseph,   Santeri Valikoski,   Alexander Kostritsyn,   Cristian Dragomir,   Stephan Hornet

$10,000 Main Event - Day 7 - Level 29 (Hr. 2)

Jul 14, '08

Note: Players will be going on a 20 minute break. Play will resume at around 4:50

Blinds/Antes: 50,000-100,000-10,000

Players Remaining: 18 out of 6,844

Average Chip Stack: 7.6 million

Eliminations:
18th place - Jason Riesenberg - $334,535 19th place - Albert Kim - $257,334
20th place - Brandon Cantu - $257,334
21st place - Paul Snead - $257,334

Big Hands and Storylines:

Montgomery Gets Miracle and 11 Million Pot, Snead Eliminated in 21st ($257,334)

Paul Snead raised to 300,000 from the button and then called a reraise to 800,000 from Scott Montgomery in the big blind. The flop was JT3 and Montgomery bet 1.5 million. Then Snead raised to three million, and then Montgomery reraised all in for 1.76 million more. Snead took over five minutes to deliberate, and said multiple times he might have to call because of the odds he was getting and that he has outs. Then Tiffany Michelle called the clock, and as the tournament director counted down to one he called.

Snead: J7
Montgomery: A4

Incredibly, Montgomery tried to bluff Snead out of the hand when he would have to call if he hit the board in any way. With over 11 million chips on the line, the turn was the 8, meaning the A was no longer an out for Montgomery. But he caught the A on the river to the amazement of everyone at the table and in the crowd.

With about 400,000 chips left, Snead pushed all in with A-T and was up against Craig Marquis's A-K. The board didn't bring any help, and Snead will head out with a lot of money, but a lot of "what ifs" as well.

Cantu Can't Cut It - Eliminated in 20th Place ($257,334)

Peter Eastgate opened with a raise to 300,000, and Brandon Cantu shoved from the button for 2.3 million. Eastgate made the call, tabling AQ against Cantu's 99. The flop gave Cantu good reason to sweat, running out 863. The turn improved Cantu's chances of doubling up with the 8, but the 4 sealed his fate and sent him to the rail in 20th place. Eastgate climbed to over 9 million after the hand.

Tough Start for Rheem

Play was delayed for several minutes as players redrew their seat assignments once the field was narrowed down to the final two tables. Chino Rheem may wish they had delayed even longer, as he now sits behind the smallest stack in the tournament with only 2.3 million.

In a heads-up battle with Craig Marquis, Rheem greeted a preflop raise with a reraise to 450,000 which Marquis called. The flop came 953, and Marquis stepped out for 700,000. Rheem came over the top, raising to 1.7 million. Unafraid of the power move, Marquis then announced all-in, and Rheem was forced to lay his hand down.

The significant damage came a few hands later, however. Ivan Demidov raised to 300,000 from under the gun, and both Rheem and Joe Bishop made the call. The flop came J106, and after Demidov checked, Rheem bet 400,000. Bishop called and Demidov folded. The turn paired the board with the 6, and Rheem stabbed again with a 900,000 bet. Bishop then reraised to 2 million, and Rheem made the call. The Q on the river completed a potential flush draw, and Rheem checked. Bishop stepped out for 1.5 million and Rheem called. Bishop then showed him the bad news, 66 for quads hit on the turn.

Tiffany Michelle Gets No Respect

Jason Riesenberg raised to 275,000 from late position, and Tiffany Michelle reraised to 775,000 from the button. Scott Montgomery then moved all in from the big blind, forcing both players out of the pot.

On the very next hand, Tiffany Michelle opened with a raise to 300,000. She was called by both Dennis and Scott Montgomery in the small blind. Montgomery checked the flop of AKJ, and Tiffany continued firing, this time for 500,000. Dennis then reraised to a total of 1.3 million. Tiffany went into the tank for some time, but eventually surrendered the hand, dropping down to a total count of around 4.6 million.

Jason Riesenberg eliminated in 18th place ($334,534)

Jason Riesenberg raised to 275,000 and was called by Dennis Phillips and Dean Hamrick. The flop was QQ3 and Riesenberg bet 350,000. Only Hamrick called, and the 9 came on the turn. Riesenberg bet 675,000 and Hamrick again called. The river was the K and this time Riesenberg checked. Hamrick then moved all in and Riesenberg called all in. Hamrick showed pocket nines for a full house, and Riesenberg immediately sunk in his seat. He flipped over Q8 for trips, shook some hands and left the table.

Player Tags: Dean Hamrick,   Paul Snead,   Brandon Cantu,   Tiffany Michelle,   Peter Eastgate,   Jason Riesenberg,   Scott Montgomery,   Joe Bishop

Main Event - Day 7 - Level 28

Jul 14, '08

Blinds/Antes: 40,000-80,000-10,000

Players Remaining: 25 out of 6,844

Chip Leaders:
Peter Eastgate - 12,830,000
Dennis Phillips 12,250,000
Craig Marquis 10,300,000
Paul Snead - 10,200,000
Kelly Kim - 8,650,000
David 'Chino' Rheem - 7,600,000
Tiffany Michelle - 7,400,000
Gert Andersen - 5,920,000
Toni Judet - 5,900,000
Joe Bishop - 5,050,000

Average Chip Stack: 5.26 million

Eliminations:

26th place - Phi Nguyen - $257,334
27th place - Michael Carroll - $257,334

Big Hands and Storylines

Michael Carroll Eliminated in 27th place ($257,334)

Three players saw a flop of A54. Gert Andersen checked, and Michael Carroll moved all in for his last 735,000. Joe Bishop made the call, and was quite unhappy to see Gert Andersen move all in over the top behind him. Bishop folded his hand in frustration, but saw that he had made a good laydown as Gert Andersen flipped over 44 for flopped bottom set. Carroll was far behind with only A9, and failed to improve as the turn and river came J10, bringing his Main Event run to an end in 27th place.

Phi Nguyen Eliminated in 26th Place ($257,334)

After Paul Snead entered the pot and was called by Tiffany Michelle, Phi Nguyen moved all in for under one million. Snead was the only caller.

Nguyen: AT
Snead: JJ

Board: 93258

Michelle Drops Three Million Early in Level

On the first hand of the day, Owen Crowe raised from middle position and Tiffany Michelle called from late position. The two saw a 875 flop and Crowe bet 375,000. Michelle called and the turn was the 3. Crowe checked and Michelle bet 500,000. Crowe then reraised 1.075 million more. Michelle folded and Crowe flipped over J9.

Paul Snead raised from early position and was called by three players. The flop came 643 and Snead bet 600,000. Michelle, sitting to her immediate left, then raised to 1.6 million. It folded around to Snead, and he quickly moved all in, a raise of about four million. Michelle took a few minutes to think, and while she did Snead paced around and talked to his wife and Joe Awada a few feet from the table. Finally Michelle folded and Snead took down the pot. Michelle began the day with nearly 10 million and now has under seven million.

Player Tags: Phi Nguyen,   Paul Snead,   Owen Crowe,   Tiffany Michelle

$10,000 Main Event - Day 6 - Level 25 (Hour 1)

Jul 13, '08

Blinds/Antes: 20,000-40,000-5,000

Players Remaining: 50 of 6,844

Eliminations:

51st place - Alfredo Fernandez - $135,100
52nd place - Mark Ketteringham - $135,100
53rd place - Alan Gould - $135,100
54th place - Alex Caiaffa - $135,100
55th place - Rafael Caiaffa - $115,800
56th place - Eric Bamer - $115,800

Big Hands and Storylines:

Alfredo Fernandez Eliminated by Mike Matusow

Mike Matusow made the standard table raise to 110,000 from second position. Alfredo Fernandez, on Matusow’s left, wasted no time before moving all-in for 600,000. Action folded back around to Matusow who made a pretty swift call with AQ. His call was dead-on; Fernandez turned up J10. The board rolled out K664A and Fernandez was eliminated. The nice addition to his stack brings Matusow up to 3.3 million.

A Moment With Matusow

After the aforementioned hand, Matusow let the table know how good he was playing, and how luck was on his side. Some snippets from his peroration:

“...I just know it...”
“...I can feel it...”
“...the neutrons and the electrons...”
“...the power of positive thinking, you can’t beat it!”

Up-and-down hour for Michelle

Early in the level Tiffany Michelle raised and then called a reraise by Ivan Demidov on the button. After a flop of A43 both players checked. The turn was the 4 and Michelle bet 500,000. Demidov called and the river was the 7. Michelle bet 800,000 and after a couple minutes Demidov raised to 2.2 million. It was now her turn to tank, and after two minutes she folded. Demidov now has 6.5 million chips, while Michelle has 3.15.

Later in the level Michelle limped in from under the gun and was one of three players to see the flop come 977 and Michelle called a bet of 75,000 by Chrstian Dragomir. The turn was the 4 and Dragomir bet 100,000. Tiffany raised to 200,000 and then Dragomir reraised to 400,000. Tiffany then moved all in, forcing Dragomir to fold. Michelle is now up to about four million, while Dragomir has over two million.

Pham-boozled

More from Tiffany Michelle...

Tiffany Michelle raised to 120,000 from under the gun. Kido Pham, to her left, made it 300,000, and Michelle made the call. The flop was 1032 and Michelle led out for a hefty 750,000. Pham considered his options for a moment, but decided to fold. The pot brings Michelle up to 4 million and drops Pham down to under 2 million.

Gould Leaves with the Ladies

Joe Bishop raised to 125,000 preflop, and was only to happy to step out of the way. Alan Gould in the next seat reraised him to 400,000, and then halfway down the table Albert Kim announced another raise, this to 1.1 million. Bishop folded, and Gould then announced all-in for his remaining 1.6 million in chips. Kim instantly called and showed AA, while Gould was drawing slim with QQ. The flop came 863 to give Gould a chance at a running flush, though that disappeared with the 6 on the river. Needing to catch a queen on the end, Kim took down the pot and eliminated his opponent when the 10 completed the board. Kim improved to 7.8 million in chips with the hand.

Yet Kim donated much of that recent gain back just a few hands later. He raised to 105,000 preflop, then was reraised to 425,000 by Bishop. Kim called, and the flop came 1064. Bishop stepped out for 550,000, and Kim made the call. The K was the turn card, and Bishop then announced all-in. Kim was visibly frustrated, noting he had just got the chips and didn’t want to spill them back. He eventually mucked, stating he had queens, then pleaded for Bishop to “show the bluff”. Bishop hesitated, briefly flashing his cards before mucking. The table then insisted the dealer show the cards, and they were proven to be the A10.

Outhred Outted

Alex Outhred had been able to survive with his shortstack thanks to timely all-in shoves that discouraged any callers. But he finally ran out of steam when in the small blind, he woke with AK. Chris Klodnicki had raised from the button to 110,000 and Outhred then went all-in for 495,000. Klodnicki called and showed 99. The doorcard to the flop was the K to give Outhred short-lived life, as behind it lay the 9 to give Klodnicki the set. The 3 and 8 completed the board and Outhred was ousted in 54th place.
 

Player Tags: Alex Outhred,   Chris Klodnicki,   Tiffany Michelle,   Albert Kim,   Alan Gould,   Ivan Demidov,   Cristian Dragomir,   Joe Bishop

$10,000 Main Event - Day 6 - Level 24 (Hour 2)

Jul 13, '08

Players are now on a break. Play will resume at about 2:45 p.m.

Blinds/Antes: 15,000-30,000-4,000

Players Remaining: 58 of 6,844

Chip Leaders:
Gert Andersen - 9,000,000
Brandon Cantu - 6,200,000
Nikolay Losev - 6,000,000
Albert Kim - 5,500,000
Chris Klodnicki - 4,800,000
Aaron Gordon - 4,800,000
Ivan Demidov - 4,400,000
Kelly Kim - 4,000,000
Nicholas Sliwinski - 3,900,000
Andrew Rosskamm - 3,750,000

Eliminations:

59th place - Justin Sadauskas - $115,800
60th place - Mark Owens - $115,800
61st place - Thomas Keller - $115,800
62nd place - Geert Jans - $115,800
63rd place - Brian Tatum - $115,800
64th place- Victor Ramdin - $96,500
65th place - Larry Wright - $96,500
66th place - Chris Zapf - $96,500
67th place - Justin Scott - $96,500
68th place - Suresh Prabhu - $96,500
69th place - Sean davis - $96,500
70th place - Terry Lade - $96,500
71st place - James McManus - $96,500

Big Hands and Storylines

Jason Glass Doubles Through Paul Snead

Jason Glass moved all-in from middle position for his final 280,000 and action folded around to Paul Snead in the big blind. Snead thought for a bit and eventually spoke up: “I will give you some action and.... call.” The cards were turned up: Snead had 44 and Glass had A4. The camera crew shrouded the table from the view of spectators, so Snead called out to his family that he was way ahead. The flop was K95, and Snead remained way ahead. The turn was the 3. Before the river card was dealt, Snead requested of the dealer, “Don’t make it a red deuce!” The river? The 2.

Snead rose from his chair, ripped the temporary Full-Tilt logo from his hat, and emphatically slammed both the logo and his hat into a nearby garbage can. Snead took his seat only to realize that he had another Full-Tilt logo on his shirt. He stood from his chair a second time, folded up the Full-Tilt logo, and calmly dispensed it in the garbage.

After the hand Snead was down to 650,000.

Geert Jans Eliminated in 62^nd Place

Geert Jans found himself in prime position to double up when he was all-in with AAcs against Nikolay Losev’s QJdh on a board of Q76hch. His happiness did not last long though. The turn card was the Qc, and when the river came the 9s, Jans found himself taking the slow walk away from the playing area. For his 62^nd place finish he will take home $115,800.

Marquis Makes Nines Work

Brian Tatum was operating with a shortstack and was under the gun when he raised to 125,000. Play folded around to Craig Marquis who reraised to 325,000. Tatum then moved all-in for another 385,000 and Marquis called, showing 99. Tatum was live with AJ, but missed the flop that came KK3. The 3 on the turn was another miss, and the K filled the board but improved Marquis’ hand at the same time. Tatum was eliminated in 63rd place.

Chris Zapf Doubles, Then Busts

Garret Beckman raised from middle position to 80,000 and Chris Zapf moved all-in for about 250,000. Beckman made the call with QJ and his cards were live against Zapf’s AK. The board kept Zapf’s lead safe, however, and he managed to double up to 520,000. Later in the level, however, Zapf's luck would come to an end and he would be eliminated in 66th place.

Osterland Stands his Ground

Felix Osterland raised to 100,000 and David Rheem was quick to call from the next seat in the cut-off position. The rest of the field folded, and the flop came down Q75. Osterland bet 100,000 and Rheem again followed him into the pot. Osterland then checked when the 10 showed on the turn, and Rheem took the opportunity to bet 200,000. Osterland then fired back with an all-in check-raise for another 875,000.  Rheem decided to lay his hand down.

Michelle Hits and Runs, and Runs

Tiffany Michelle raised to 90,000 preflop, and was called by Marquis in the cut-off and Jamal Kunbuz in the big blind. The flop came 865, and after Kunbuz checked, Michelle bet 275,000. Both of her opponents folded. A few hands later Michelle was moved to another table to balance the field. Then a few hands after that, her new table was broken down and she was moved once again.

Player Tags: Paul Snead,   Chino Rheem,   Tiffany Michelle,   Jason Glass,   Craig Marquis,   Brian Tatum,   Christopher Zapf

Main Event - Day 4 - Level 18 - Hour 2

Jul 11, '08

Tournament officials have announced that remaining players will only play one more two-hour level tonight when they return from their 90-minute break.

Blinds/Antes: 4,000-8,000-1,000

Players Remaining: 216 of 6,844

Chip Leaders:

Jeremy Joseph - 2,500,000
Brandon Cantu - 1,800,000
Keoni Schwartz - 1,700,000
David Saab - 1,650,000
Phi Nguyen - 1,600,000
Nikolay Losev - 1,600,000
Andrew Rosskamm - 1,500,000
Darus Suharto - 1,500,000
Mark Ketteringham - 1,470,000
David Benefield - 1,400,000

Other Notables

Gus Hansen – 1,400,000
Shawn Sheikhan – 1,100,000
Ylon Schwartz – 1,000,000
Matt Matros – 940,000
Chris Klodnicki – 620,000
Craig Marquis – 550,000
Jeff Madsen – 430,000
Mike Matusow – 415,000
Kido Pham – 400,000
Thomas Keller – 355,000
Andrew Teng – 300,000
Hoyt Corkins – 300,000
Phil Hellmuth – 300,000

Average Chip Stack: 573,000

Eliminations:

Hevad Khan
Evelyn Ng
Jon Turner

Big Hands and Storylines:

Gus Hansen takes monster pot with two pair

After raising to 24,000 from the cutoff position, Hansen then called a reraise to 84,000 by Joseph Ward out of the small blind. The flop came AT5 and Ward bet 100,000. Hansen took a long time to act, but ultimately called. The turn was the 9 and Ward checked. Hansen took his time and then bet 200,000. The action was on Ward and he stood up. He separated 200,000 from his stack and saw he would less than 200,000 remaining. After a couple minutes he moved all in. Hansen called and showed AT. Ward held AQ and needed a queen on the river. The river was the 7 and Hansen took the pot of 1.2 million chips. After the hand he had roughly 1.4 million chips.

Helge Pedersen Doubles Through Pontus Khosravi

Pontus Khosravi raised from the hijack and Helge Pedersen moved in from the button for 260,000 total. Khosravi made the call and showed AK, but he was trailing the KK of Pedersen. The board – Q7632 – did not help the Swede, and his stack took a big hit. After the confrontation, both players had stacks of about 530,000.

Hellmuth Melts Down in Three Consecutive Hands, But Doubles Later

The action folded to Santeri Valikoski in the small blind, who completed. Phil Hellmuth raised an additional 10,000, and Valikoski made the call. The flop came A52, and Valikoski checked. Hellmuth tossed three orange 5,000 chips across the line. “This is a bluff,” Hellmuth told his opponent as he pointed to the chips. Valikoski made the call and bet 25,000 when the A fell on the turn. Hellmuth announced a raise and added 30,000 to Valikoski’s bet. Valikoski called, and both players checked the 6 on the river. Hellmuth turned over K10, and his opponent showed 75. “No, he didn’t!” Phil Hellmuth screamed as he stood up from the table. “He called a raise with five-seven from out of position, that idiot from Northern Europe.” Hellmuth made quite a point of his opponent’s place of origin, mentioning it several times throughout his tirade.

After knocking his chips into a pile and screaming over and over in frustration, Hellmuth called another opponent’s pre-flop raise on the next hand and lost approximately 60,000 in chips when his opponent’s ace-king made top pair.

On the next hand, Hellmuth made it 20,000 to go from the cut-off and his opponent in the big blind raised to 85,000 total. Hellmuth instantly called, beating his opponent into the pot. His opponent asked how much Hellmuth had behind, as he still had not restacked his chips. When the KQ5 flop fell, the player made a bet of 75,000 and Hellmuth folded pocket jacks face up.

Hellmuth launched into another angry tantrum, culminating in him praying to the heavens for better circumstances and constantly referring to his situation as a "nightmare." Hellmuth finished the bender with under 160,000 in chips after losing approximately two-thirds of his stack in the three-hand span.

Later, though Hellmuth doubled when from the big blind his A-5 turned trips against a player with K-10 and top pair. The board in that hand was 10-9-5-5-Q. Hellmuth ended the level with about 320,000 chips.

Evelyn Ng Eliminated

Keith Ferrera raised to 19,000 from early position and Evelyn Ng pushed all in for her remaining 122,000 as the next player to act. The action folded around, and Ferrera quickly called and turned over KK. Ng’s 1010 were in bad shape, and the 98742 board offered no assistance.

Kostritsyn Loses Massive Pot

Alexander Kostritsyn took a significant blow when Cristian Dragomir snagged a two-outter on the river for a pot in excess of 1,000,000 in chips. Kostritsyn raised preflop to 22,000, Dragomir to his immediate right called, along with one other player and the big blind. The flop came J96, and once the big blind checked, Kostritsyn bet 58,000. Dragomir made the call, and the two were heads-up to see the 2 fall on the turn. Kostritsyn then bet out 105,000, and again Dragomir made the call. The 9 hit the river to pair the board, and Kostritsyn bet another 105,000. Dragomir then raised to 300,000 and Kostritsyn called. It was bad news for Kostritsyn who showed king-jack for top pair. Dragomir held K9 for trips made on the river and scoop the massive pot.

The Rich Get Richer

Chip-leader Jeremy Joseph can do no wrong. He elected to make a massive call against Damien Creurer, who was all-in for 271,000. Joseph, with chips to spare, made the call with KQ, and learned he was up against A9. No problem. Joseph hit the flop of K98, dodged the 10 on the turn, the made trips on the river with the K to add to his stack and send Creurer to the rails.

Khan, sixth a year ago, bows out

On a Q74 flop, Hevad Khan, who was short-stacked at around 150,000, found himself all in and in big trouble against Tiffany Michelle. Khan held 99 and was up against KQ, meaning he needed a nine and no hearts. The turn and river were 105 and Khan was eliminated. After a very loud and very deep run last year, Khan was much more subdued during this year's series. At the start of every tournament an announcement was made warning players not to celebrate excessively. Most if not all the time, the announcement would specifically mention not to lift up any chairs, something Khan did often last year. When he was knocked out today, he quietly got up and waited for his pay slip.

Incredible hand ends with ace-high winning

Stephane Hornet raised from late position, and then Matt Lessinger made a big reraise to 130,000 from the button. Then Alex Borteh came over the top from the big blind. He had both players covered and moved all in. Hornet was frustrated but went ahead and moved all in. The action was back on Lessinger, and he was also extremely exasperated. He ultimately folded, and was shocked to see the hands that were turned up.

Hornet: AK
Borteh: KQ

Board: 73386

Lessinger, who had 250,000 chips left, said he folded two queens. Borteh now has 285,000 chips left, while Hornet is now up to 500,000 chips.

Player Tags: Evelyn Ng,   Gus Hansen,   Phil Hellmuth,   Alex Borteh,   Tiffany Michelle,   Hevad Khan,   Jeremy Joseph,   Santeri Valikoski,   Alexander Kostritsyn,   Cristian Dragomir,   Stephan Hornet