1. John Monnette – 2,250,000
2. Eric Buchman – 860,000
3. Michele Limongi – 610,000
Eliminations:
4th. Brent Hanks – $78,774
Brent Hanks Eliminated in 4th Place ($78,774) Stud 8
Brent Hanks started the level as the short stack and didn’t wait long before getting it all in on the river with an open pair of sixes against John Monnette.
Hanks: 8 6 9 6
Monnette: K 6 4
Hanks saw fourth street for one bet and it was checked to fifth. Monnette bet the last three streets and Hanks ended up calling all in for the last bet on seventh street. Monnette turned over K 7 2 for a pair of kings (high) and a 7 – 6 – 4 – 3 – 2 low, scooping the pot. Brent Hanks was eliminated in 4th place ($78,774).
Be sure to check back hourly for level-by-level updates of this final table.
1. Eric Buchman – 1,015,000
2. Michele Limongi – 935,000
3. John Monnette – 825,000
4. John Juanda – 545,000
5. Desmond Portano – 155,000
6. Brent Hanks – 155,000
Eliminations:
7th. Adam Kornuth – $32,373
8th. John Racener – $24,797
Brent Hanks Doubles Through Eric Buchman
Brent Hanks completed with A, Eric Buchman raised with J, Hanks reraised and Buchman called.
Hanks: A 3 A 4 Q 4
Buchman: J 6 J 4 Q 10
Hanks got the rest of his chips in on fourth street with split aces against Buchman’s split jacks. Hanks double-paired on sixth street while Buchman failed to improve. Brent Hanks doubled up to over 200,000 to stay alive.
John Racener Eliminated in 8th Place ($24,797) Stud 8
Racener: A 3 6 K K
Buchman: J 7 A 8 2
John Racener was all in on fifth street with a pair of kings against Erich Buchman’s flush draw. Buchman hit the flush on sixth street with the 5, and although Racener double-paired the 3 on sixth, he bricked the river and was the first to go, eliminated in 8th place ($24,797).
Adam Kornuth Eliminated in 7th Place ($32,373) No-Limit Hold’em
Michele Limongi limped in before the flop, Adam Kornuth shoved for 265,000 from the small blind and Limongi called.
Kornuth turned over 8 8 but was behind Limongi’s 1010.
The board came 7 4 2 7 J, no help for Adam Kornuth wo was eliminated in 7th place ($32,373).
Be sure to check back hourly for level-by-level updates of this final table.
Level 23: Geyer Eliminated 9th, Final Table Now Underway
Jun 15, '11
NOTE: Play ended last night with 25 players in accordance with the ten-level rule and resumed at 3:00pm. With the elimination of Adam Geyer in 9th place ($19,268), the official eight-handed final table is now underway.
NOTE: Sixty minute levels with games changing every eight hands.
Andrew Brokos — 780,000
Josh Brikis — 1,200,000
Tony Dunst — 1,060,000
Tournament Leaderboard:
1. Theo Jorgensen — 3,200,000
2. Sanghyon Cheong — 2,870,000
3. Duy Le — 2,700,000
4. Matt Affleck — 2,450,000
5. Michael Skender — 2,450,000
6. Bryn Kenney — 2,220,000
7. Fokke Beukers — 2,015,000
8. Robert Pisano — 2,010,000
9. Alexander Kostritsyn — 1,990,000
10. Cuong Nguyen — 1,900,000
Notable Eliminations:
Will Failla
Shane Rose
Brent Hanks
Paul Varano
Big Hands:
Jean-Robert Bellande Doubles Up a Player
On a flop of 542, Jean-Robert Bellande checked. Larry Karambis bet 100,000. Bellande moved all in and Karambis called all in for 483,000. Karambis exposed the 99 while Bellande tabled the AJ. The turn and river bricked for Bellande and he doubled up his opponent. Bellande was down to 1,100,000 after the hand.
Paul Varano Eliminated
Paul Varano got his stack of 148,000 into the middle with the 109 and was up against Garrett Adelstein’s JJ. The board ran out J102410 and Adelstein busted his opponent. He was at 1,220,000 after the hand.
Bryn Kenney Eliminates a Player
Kenney bet 30,000 from the cutoff and Kelly Johnson raised to 60,000 from the small blind. Kenney made the call. The flop came K93 and Johnson bet 60,000. Kenney raised to 120,000. Johnson moved all in for 380,000 and Kenney called with the 99. Johnson tabled the KQ. The turn brought the 2 and the 3 fell on the river. Kenney took the hand and was at over 2,000,000 a couple hands later.
Shane Rose Eliminated
Shane Rose moved all in for 100,000 from early position and Javed Abrahams called. Rose tabled the 76 and Abrahams exposed the A10. The board ran out K52K2 and Rose was out. Abrahams was up to 750,000 after the hand.
Garrett Beckman Doubles Up
On a 9955 Garrett Beckman moved all in for 302,000. Ryan Dodge called with the QQ but was behind the AA of Beckman. The 9 on the river was safe for Beckman and he doubled to 1,480,000. Dodge was down to just 35,000.
Jean-Robert Bellande Eliminates a Player
Jean-Robert Bellande opened and Alper Sar shoved for 205,000. Bellande called with the K7. Sar exposed the AQ. The board ran out KJ98J and Bellande won the hand. Bellande was up to 1,360,000 after the hand.
Brent Hanks Eliminated
Brent Hanks five-bet shoved for 800,000 and John Racener called. Racener tabled the AA and was way ahead of the JJ of Hanks. The board ran out 8652K and Hanks was gone. Racener was up to 1,700,000 after the hand.
Will Failla Eliminated
Will Failla moved all in from the cutoff for 245,000 with the A10 and was called by the pocket aces of Jeffrey Chu. The board ran out 74299 and Failla was gone.
Elia Ahmadian Doubles Up
Elia Ahmadian was all in on a flop of A83 with the QQ for for 43,000. Dalton Mills called with the J8. The turn brought the 10 and the 9 fell on the river, giving Ahmadian the double up to 140,000.
Final Table Update: Brent Hanks Eliminated In 6th Place, Levi 5th
Jun 03, '10
Blinds: 12,000-24,000 with a 3,000 ante
Players Remaining: 4 out of 358
Tournament Leaderboard:
1. Joshua Tieman – 3,005,000
2. Stuart Rutter – 2,406,000
3. Joseph Elpayaa – 2,267,000
4. Neil Channing – 1,269,000
Notable Eliminations:
6. Brent Hanks — $71,998
5. Nicolas Levi — $92,543
Big Hands:
Brent Hanks Eliminated In 6th Place ($71,998)
Brent Hanks raised to 60,000 from the small blind and Nicolas Levi raised to 160,000 from the big blind. Hanks moved in for 600,000 and was called.
Hanks turned over AQ while Levi showed 77.
The board ran out 99573 and Hanks was eliminated.
Nicolas Levi Eliminated In 5th Place ($92,543)
Joshua Tieman raised to 60,000 and Nicolas Levi reraised to 189,000 from the big blind. Tieman put in one more raise and then Levi moved all in. Tieman called and turned over 88. Levi showed JJ and was poised to double up.
However, the board ran out 854A2, giving Tieman a set on the flop and Levi was out.
Chad Batista raised to 65,000 and Brent Hanks moved all in for his last 400,000. Batista instantly called with pocket queens and Hanks revealed pocket deuces. The board helped neither player and Hanks was eliminated. Batista is now up to 1.3 million in chips.
Level 13 Update: Eric Baldwin Clinches 2009 POY Award
Dec 16, '09
Blinds: 2,500-4,000 with a 500 ante
Players Remaining: 61 out of 329
Chip Counts:
1. Joseph Elpayaa — 740,000
2. Steven Landfish — 710,000
3. Curt Kohlberg — 657,000
4. Brent Hanks — 555,000
5. Chad Batista — 550,000
6. Michael McClain — 540,000
7. Matt Stout — 530,000
8. Soheil Shamseddin — 510,000
9. Faraz Jaka — 485,000
10. Scotty Nguyen — 470,000
Average Chip Count: 323,606
Notable Eliminations:
Yevgeniy Timoshenko
Doyle Brunson
John Phan
Vivek Rajkumar
James Mackey
Vadim Trincher
POY Watch — We Have a Winner — Eric Baldwin Wins 2009 Card Player POY!
Yevgeniy Timoshenko was eliminated during level 13 and Eric Baldwin (pictured right) has clinched the 2009 Card Player Player of the Year award. Baldwin will receive a $10,0000 seat in the 2010 World Series of Poker main event and a trophy in recognition of his accomplishment. Baldwin racked up a total of 6,994 points to win the award. He made a very impressive 17 final tables in 2009 and he won four tournament titles, including a win in a $1,000 no-limit hold’em with rebuys at Bellagio this past weekend that served as an exclamation point on his victory. Congratulations to Eric Baldwin!
Baldwin takes over the title from the 2008 POY, John Phan, who scored 6,704 points to win last year’s award. Phan was also eliminated during the 13th level of the tournament today.
One player in the POY top 10 is still active in today’s field and it is Soheil Shamseddin, who holds 510,000. Shamseddin won’t be able to catch Badlwin in the point standings but if he makes the final table in this event he will jump to fourth place, and if he wins he will finish in second place behind Baldwin.
Big Hands:
Vivek Rajkumar Eliminated
Vivek Rajkumar was all in on a board of 975 with pocket tens in the hole and Brent Hanks had him covered in chips with J8 in the hole. The turn brought the 5 and the river fell A to give Hanks a flush and eliminate Rajkumar.
Vadim Trincher Eliminated
Vadim Trincher (pictured left) moved all in preflop from the small blind and seat three made the call from the cutoff. Their cards:
Trincher: 1010
Seat 3: AK
Board: Q73JK
Trincher was eliminated on the hand.
John Phan Eliminated
David Pham raised to 10,500 from middle position preflop and John Phan reraised all in for 40,000 behind him. Kenna James then reraised all in over the top of Phan, which induced the big blind and Pham to fold. The two live players then flipped over their cards:
Phan: 77
James: 99
Board: 982J3
James won the hand with a set of nines to grow his stack to 160,000 and Phan was eliminated on the hand.
1. Steven Landfish — 610,000
2. Brent Hanks — 470,000
3. Matt Stout — 398,000
4. Sorel Mizzi — 380,000
5. Matt Waxman — 377,500
6. Toto Leonidas — 373,000
7. Chad Batista — 355,000
8. Faraz Jaka — 340,000
9. Eric Hershler — 330,000
10. Antonio Esfandiari — 310,000
Average Chip Count: 184,486
Notable Eliminations:
Steve Zolotow
Noah Boeken
Tim West
Todd Brunson
Glen Chorny
Brian Rast
Big Hands:
Steve Zolotow Eliminated
Steve Zolotow (pictured right) moved all in preflop with pocket fives and Bill Kontaratos had him covered with pocket kings. The board was dealt 97348 and Zolotow was eliminated from the tournament. Kontaratos grew his stack to 275,000 after the hand.
Alex Keating Doubles Up Through Doyle Brunson with Quads
Alex Keating raised from early position preflop and Doyle Brunson made the call from the small blind. The flop was dealt 842 and Brunson checked. Keating bet 15,000 and Brunson raised enought o put Keating all in. Keating made the all-in call for 84,400 and they flipped over their cards:
Keating: 1010
Brunson: 99
Turn and River: 1010
Keating makes quad tens on the hand to double up to 188,000 and Brunson takes a hit and now holds 170,000.
Brent Hanks Knocks Out Tim West and Noah Boeken
Noah Boeken raised all in under the gun preflop for 8,500 and Vivek Rajkumar min-raised 14,600. Tim West reraised all in for 56,300 and Brent Hanks (pictured left) made the call. Rajkumar mucked A-J and the three remaining players flipped over their cards:
Boeken: J10
Hanks: QQ
West: KK
Board: A962Q
Hanks hit a set on the river and he knocked out both West and Boeken in one full swoop. Hanks now holds 470,000 in chips.
Steven Landfish Increases his Lead
Steven Landfish showed down 65 on a board of 8437Q for an eight-high straight against Dutch Boyd. Landfish grew his stack to 600,000 after the pot while Boyd watched his holdings shrink to less than 100,000.
POY Watch
Three players from the POY top 10 still remain in the tournament. Cornel Cimpan can pass Eric Baldwin for the lead with a third-place finish or better. Yevgeniy Timoshenko can claim the top spot with a second-place finish or better. Soheil Shamseddin can’t catch Baldwin, even with a win but he can improve his final standing in the POY race with a cash here at Bellagio. Here is a look at their current chip counts:
Chad Batista raised to 65,000 and Brent Hanks moved all in for his last 400,000. Batista instantly called with pocket queens and Hanks revealed pocket deuces. The board helped neither player and Hanks was eliminated. Batista is now up to 1.3 million in chips.
Level 13 Update: Eric Baldwin Clinches 2009 POY Award
Dec 16, '09
Blinds: 2,500-4,000 with a 500 ante
Players Remaining: 61 out of 329
Chip Counts:
1. Joseph Elpayaa — 740,000
2. Steven Landfish — 710,000
3. Curt Kohlberg — 657,000
4. Brent Hanks — 555,000
5. Chad Batista — 550,000
6. Michael McClain — 540,000
7. Matt Stout — 530,000
8. Soheil Shamseddin — 510,000
9. Faraz Jaka — 485,000
10. Scotty Nguyen — 470,000
Average Chip Count: 323,606
Notable Eliminations:
Yevgeniy Timoshenko
Doyle Brunson
John Phan
Vivek Rajkumar
James Mackey
Vadim Trincher
POY Watch — We Have a Winner — Eric Baldwin Wins 2009 Card Player POY!
Yevgeniy Timoshenko was eliminated during level 13 and Eric Baldwin (pictured right) has clinched the 2009 Card Player Player of the Year award. Baldwin will receive a $10,0000 seat in the 2010 World Series of Poker main event and a trophy in recognition of his accomplishment. Baldwin racked up a total of 6,994 points to win the award. He made a very impressive 17 final tables in 2009 and he won four tournament titles, including a win in a $1,000 no-limit hold’em with rebuys at Bellagio this past weekend that served as an exclamation point on his victory. Congratulations to Eric Baldwin!
Baldwin takes over the title from the 2008 POY, John Phan, who scored 6,704 points to win last year’s award. Phan was also eliminated during the 13th level of the tournament today.
One player in the POY top 10 is still active in today’s field and it is Soheil Shamseddin, who holds 510,000. Shamseddin won’t be able to catch Badlwin in the point standings but if he makes the final table in this event he will jump to fourth place, and if he wins he will finish in second place behind Baldwin.
Big Hands:
Vivek Rajkumar Eliminated
Vivek Rajkumar was all in on a board of 975 with pocket tens in the hole and Brent Hanks had him covered in chips with J8 in the hole. The turn brought the 5 and the river fell A to give Hanks a flush and eliminate Rajkumar.
Vadim Trincher Eliminated
Vadim Trincher (pictured left) moved all in preflop from the small blind and seat three made the call from the cutoff. Their cards:
Trincher: 1010
Seat 3: AK
Board: Q73JK
Trincher was eliminated on the hand.
John Phan Eliminated
David Pham raised to 10,500 from middle position preflop and John Phan reraised all in for 40,000 behind him. Kenna James then reraised all in over the top of Phan, which induced the big blind and Pham to fold. The two live players then flipped over their cards:
Phan: 77
James: 99
Board: 982J3
James won the hand with a set of nines to grow his stack to 160,000 and Phan was eliminated on the hand.
1. Steven Landfish — 610,000
2. Brent Hanks — 470,000
3. Matt Stout — 398,000
4. Sorel Mizzi — 380,000
5. Matt Waxman — 377,500
6. Toto Leonidas — 373,000
7. Chad Batista — 355,000
8. Faraz Jaka — 340,000
9. Eric Hershler — 330,000
10. Antonio Esfandiari — 310,000
Average Chip Count: 184,486
Notable Eliminations:
Steve Zolotow
Noah Boeken
Tim West
Todd Brunson
Glen Chorny
Brian Rast
Big Hands:
Steve Zolotow Eliminated
Steve Zolotow (pictured right) moved all in preflop with pocket fives and Bill Kontaratos had him covered with pocket kings. The board was dealt 97348 and Zolotow was eliminated from the tournament. Kontaratos grew his stack to 275,000 after the hand.
Alex Keating Doubles Up Through Doyle Brunson with Quads
Alex Keating raised from early position preflop and Doyle Brunson made the call from the small blind. The flop was dealt 842 and Brunson checked. Keating bet 15,000 and Brunson raised enought o put Keating all in. Keating made the all-in call for 84,400 and they flipped over their cards:
Keating: 1010
Brunson: 99
Turn and River: 1010
Keating makes quad tens on the hand to double up to 188,000 and Brunson takes a hit and now holds 170,000.
Brent Hanks Knocks Out Tim West and Noah Boeken
Noah Boeken raised all in under the gun preflop for 8,500 and Vivek Rajkumar min-raised 14,600. Tim West reraised all in for 56,300 and Brent Hanks (pictured left) made the call. Rajkumar mucked A-J and the three remaining players flipped over their cards:
Boeken: J10
Hanks: QQ
West: KK
Board: A962Q
Hanks hit a set on the river and he knocked out both West and Boeken in one full swoop. Hanks now holds 470,000 in chips.
Steven Landfish Increases his Lead
Steven Landfish showed down 65 on a board of 8437Q for an eight-high straight against Dutch Boyd. Landfish grew his stack to 600,000 after the pot while Boyd watched his holdings shrink to less than 100,000.
POY Watch
Three players from the POY top 10 still remain in the tournament. Cornel Cimpan can pass Eric Baldwin for the lead with a third-place finish or better. Yevgeniy Timoshenko can claim the top spot with a second-place finish or better. Soheil Shamseddin can’t catch Baldwin, even with a win but he can improve his final standing in the POY race with a cash here at Bellagio. Here is a look at their current chip counts:
Chip Counts:
Mark Seif - 387,000
Faraz Jaka - 335,000
Joe Tehan - 265,000
Scott Stanko - 236,000
Alan Sass - 205,000
Terrence Chan - 203,000
Thomas Nielsen - 178,000
Jesse Chinni - 166,000
Curt Kohlberg - 165,000
Jamie Rosen - 155,000
Recent Eliminations:
Big Hands:
Fox Takes a Hit Doubling Up an Opponent
While in the big blind, Stuart Fox faced an all in raise of 47,000 more from his opponent on the button.Fox made the call and turned over AJ, a raise against his opponent’s 33.The flop brought what Fox was undoubtedly dreading, 1032.The Kc on the turn gave some hope of an inside straight, but the 5 on the river failed to deliver.
Brent Hanks Makes the Call of the Day, Eliminates Alan Jaffray
On a board of AQ106, Brent Hanks found himself put to the test by Alan Jaffray.After making a bet, Hanks was raised all in by Jaffray for an additional 66,300 in chips.Hanks went into the tank and deliberated silently for several minutes while Jaffray waited patiently for his opponent to make a decision.Hanks looked and Jaffray and tried to explain his dilemma by saying, “I could be drawing dead if I make this call.”Hanks counted out 66,300 from his stack and paused for a few moments before announcing a call.Jaffray turned over KK, a semi-bluff with a king-high flush draw and an inside straight draw.Hanks pumped his fist as he turned over A9 for one pair, aces.The 3 came on the river, and Hanks immediately stood up to shake Jaffray’s hand.
Brogdon Makes a Laydown to an Opponent’s Aggression
Edward Brogdon raised to 9,000 from his position in the cut-off, and the action folded to his opponent in the big blind.After asking how much Brogdon had behind the raise, the big blind just called.The flop came AA8, and the big blind checked.Brogdon continued the aggression by making a bet of 14,000, which was called by his opponent.Both players checked when the 6 fell on the turn.The dealer put down the 9 as the river, and the big blind led out with a bet of 20,000.After deliberating for several minutes, Brogdon ultimately folded his pocket jacks face up.
Brent Hanks raised to 115,000 and was called by Steve Merrifield in the small blind. The flop came down AK5 and Merrifield bet 200,000. Hanks raised to 525,000 and Merrifield moved all in. Hanks quickly called and showed AK for top two pair and Merrifield showed 87 for a flush draw. The turn was the 9, giving Merrifield three more outs and the river was the Q giving him the flush to double up.
Nathan Doudney Doubles Through Shawn Buchanan
Steve Merrifield raised to 125,000 and Shawn Buchana reraised to 300,000. Nathan Doudney moved all in and Merrifield mucked. Buchanan called showing AK and was racing against Doudney's pocket jacks. The board came out 66497 and Doudney doubled up.
Brent "Bhanks11" Hanks Eliminated in 5th Place ($178,327)
Brent Hanks moved all in on the short stack and was called by Steve Merrifield. Hanks turned over A2 but was dominated by Merrifield's A10. The board ran JJ7K4 and Hanks was eliminated in fifth place.
Shawn Buchanan Eliminated in 4th Place ($218,491)
Steve Merrifield raised to 100,000 and Shawn Buchanan moved in. Merrifield made the call and his pocket nines held against AK when the board came 87625. Buchanan was eliminated in fourth place.
Nathan Doudney Eliminated in 3rd Place ($260,261)
Steve Merrifield raised to 105,000 and Nathan Doudney moved all in. Merrifield made the call and showed A9 and was up against K8. The flop came AKJ hitting both players hands, but the turn put Doudney ahead when the 8 hit the board. The river was the 9 and Merrifield made Aces up to beat Doudney's Kings up. Doudney was eliminated in third place.
NOTE: There was a break as the bracelet and cash were brought out to the table.
Eliminations: Nicolas Levi (9th Place), Brent Ditzik (8th Place), Ariel Soffer (7th Place), Jason Sanders (6th Place)
Big Hands and Storylines:
Nicolas Levi Eliminated in 9th Place ($59,442)
Nicolas Levi was all in for 225,000 and Steve Merrifield made the call. Levi showed down pocket sevens and he was racing against the A10 of Merrifield. The board ran out 1066810 and Levi exited the table in ninth place just two hands into play.
Brent Ditzik Eliminated in 8th Place ($83,541)
Duncan Bell raised to 90,000 and Brent Ditzik moved all in. Bell quickly called showing pocket jacks and was up against Ditzik's AQ. The flop brought a queen for Ditzik, but it also came with a jack. There were no runner-runner miracles for Ditzik and he was eliminated in eighth place.
Ariel Soffer Eliminated in 7th Place ($107,639)
On just the eleventh hand of play, Duncan Bell raised to 110,000 and Ariel Soffer moved all in for his last 184,000 with pocket sixes. Bell had J10 and turned a king high straight to eliminate Soffer in seventh place.
Brent "Bhanks11" Hanks Doubles Up, Jason Sanders Crippled
Brent Hanks raised to 85,000 and Jason Sanders made the call. The flop came KJ10 and Sanders moved all in, having Hanks slightly covered. Hanks instantly called and flipped up KK for top set. Sanders sheepishly turned over Q2 for an open-ended straight draw and a backdoor flush draw. The turn ended things quickly when the K gave the young online pro quads and a new stack of 1.4 million. Sanders was left with just over a round of blinds.
Jason Sanders Eliminated in 6th Place ($139,770)
Duncan Bell raised to 100,000 and Jason Sanders called all in with 107. Bell showed 22 and both players were off to the races. The flop of 966 gave Sanders many more outs, but the 2 on the turn ended the hand, and his tournament. Sanders finished in sixth place.
NOTE: Players then went on a 20-minute break while coloring up the 1,000 denomination chips.
The final table for event no. 13 will begin today at 2 p.m. The final 9 players will be vying for a first-prize of $666,777 and a World Series of Poker bracelet. If there is a theme for today’s final table it would have to be inexperience: four of the players today have never made a final table before, and three of the players are making their first ever money-finish in a tournament. Here is a rundown of the players at the final table:
Duncan Bell of Vancouver will be making his first ever final table, but his nerves might be tempered a bit by the massive stack of chips sitting in front of him. Bell comes into the final table as the big chipleader. With 1,966,000 chips he will be coming into the final day with nearly twice that of his second-place rival.
British Columbia is sure to be represented well today: Shawn Buchanan, second in chips, is from Abbotsford, BC. Buchanan has 4 World Series of Poker cashes to his name, but his greatest accomplishment is taking down a World Poker Tour title at the 2007 Mandalay Bay Poker Championship. After taking home over $750,000 in that event, he should be more at ease at today’s final table.
Steven Merrifield has been slowly building his way toward this day. The Fairmont, West Virginia native has cashed in 3 World Series of Poker Circuit events this year, each score bigger than the last. Then last week, he made his first World Series cash, finishing 53rd in the $1,000 no-limit hold’em with rebuys event.
Jason Sanders will begin the day with 1,099,000 in chips, but regardless of where he finishes this is guaranteed to be his biggest score ever. Sanders has no major cashes to his name, but a final table at the World Series of Poker is quite a way to start the list. Sanders hails from Simi Valley, California.
You might not consider Brent Hanks a major threat going into this final table if you were to look solely at his live numbers. The Filmore, NY resident has only two lifetime live cashes totaling $8,000. The online tournament world knows full well the talent of Hanks however . "BHanks11" is currently 7th in Card Player's Online Player of the Year ranking, having won both the PokerStars Sunday Million and Nightly Hundred Grand this year. Hanks will hope to carry over his online success to the brick and mortar world with a win today.
Brent Ditzik of Phoenix, Arizona commences our group of players who will be starting with a short stack. With blinds starting at 12,000/24,000 and a 3,000 ante, Ditzik’s stack of 384,000 leaves him with only 16 big blinds to start the day. This is Ditzik’s first ever final table.
Nicolas Levi from France has only 4 major cashes in his career, but they are quite the collection. He has, to his credit: a European Poker Tour final table, finishing 7th in Dortmund; a World Series of Poker cash in a 6-handed event; a World Series of Poker Europe cash, finishing 27th in the Main Event in London; and just earlier this year he made his first ever money appearance in a World Poker Tour event at the Five-Star World Poker Classic. A 6th place finish today will surpass Levi’s best tournament cash of $112,667.
Hollywood’s Ariel Soffer has the odds stacked against him today. Not only has he never had a major tournament cash, but he is also coming into today’s event as a short-stack. A win today by Soffer would be a true underdog tale. Soffer will begin today’s event with 191,000.
Nathan Doudney will enter today’s event with less than 10 big blinds, but this event already has to be considered a success for. Until this tournament, despite three cashes, Doudney had never finished higher than 33rd in a World Series of Poker event. The man from Bend, Texas will need quite a bit of help from the poker gods today to go deep at the final table.
$2500 NLHE - Day 2 - Level 17 - Theo Tran Eliminated
Jun 08, '08
Blinds: 5,000-10,000 (1,000 Ante), moving up to 6,000-12,000 (1,000 Ante)
Players Remaining: 24
Average Stack: 291,042
Eliminations: Theo Tran
Notable Hands:
The ol' K8 ball
Duncan Bell shoved all-in over the top of a raise from Adam Katz, who eventually folded the hand. Although Bell mucked his cards, he informed CardPlayer that he had just executed "The ol' K-8 ball" reraise, a highly effective re-steal technique that added another pile of chips to his stack. Double, Double
Joel Casper moved all in over the top of Brent Ditzik's raise. Ditzik thought for a moment before making the call with 65. Casper excitedly tabled 1010, maintaining his lead as the board ran out KQ379 and doubling up to stay alive.
Frank Vukasin has doubled up twice over the past level. The first time, he moved all in and was called by Pete deBest.
Vukasin: JQ
deBest: A5
Vukasin trailed, but picked up some more outs as the flop came K103. The turn brought the 3, leaving both players sweating to the river, which brought the J to give Vukasin a pair for the win. A few hands later and Vukasin was all in again, this time getting called by Duncan Bell. After Bell made the call, Vukasin asked "Do you have rockets?" and looked ready to turn over his hand before he was informed that there was another player still left to act. The question may have signalled some strength , however, as that player folded, allowing Bell to show AK and a very excited Vukasin to show his KK. Bell failed to catch his ace, and Vukasin's stack continued to expand at an alarming rate.
Theo Tran Gone
Tran was all in with A9 against the A8 of Brent Hanks. Hanks hit the flop, however, when the dealer laid out K108. Tran failed to find another nine, with the turn and river bringing Q7, and he was sent home just before the end of the level.
Brent Hanks raised to 115,000 and was called by Steve Merrifield in the small blind. The flop came down AK5 and Merrifield bet 200,000. Hanks raised to 525,000 and Merrifield moved all in. Hanks quickly called and showed AK for top two pair and Merrifield showed 87 for a flush draw. The turn was the 9, giving Merrifield three more outs and the river was the Q giving him the flush to double up.
Nathan Doudney Doubles Through Shawn Buchanan
Steve Merrifield raised to 125,000 and Shawn Buchana reraised to 300,000. Nathan Doudney moved all in and Merrifield mucked. Buchanan called showing AK and was racing against Doudney's pocket jacks. The board came out 66497 and Doudney doubled up.
Brent "Bhanks11" Hanks Eliminated in 5th Place ($178,327)
Brent Hanks moved all in on the short stack and was called by Steve Merrifield. Hanks turned over A2 but was dominated by Merrifield's A10. The board ran JJ7K4 and Hanks was eliminated in fifth place.
Shawn Buchanan Eliminated in 4th Place ($218,491)
Steve Merrifield raised to 100,000 and Shawn Buchanan moved in. Merrifield made the call and his pocket nines held against AK when the board came 87625. Buchanan was eliminated in fourth place.
Nathan Doudney Eliminated in 3rd Place ($260,261)
Steve Merrifield raised to 105,000 and Nathan Doudney moved all in. Merrifield made the call and showed A9 and was up against K8. The flop came AKJ hitting both players hands, but the turn put Doudney ahead when the 8 hit the board. The river was the 9 and Merrifield made Aces up to beat Doudney's Kings up. Doudney was eliminated in third place.
NOTE: There was a break as the bracelet and cash were brought out to the table.
Eliminations: Nicolas Levi (9th Place), Brent Ditzik (8th Place), Ariel Soffer (7th Place), Jason Sanders (6th Place)
Big Hands and Storylines:
Nicolas Levi Eliminated in 9th Place ($59,442)
Nicolas Levi was all in for 225,000 and Steve Merrifield made the call. Levi showed down pocket sevens and he was racing against the A10 of Merrifield. The board ran out 1066810 and Levi exited the table in ninth place just two hands into play.
Brent Ditzik Eliminated in 8th Place ($83,541)
Duncan Bell raised to 90,000 and Brent Ditzik moved all in. Bell quickly called showing pocket jacks and was up against Ditzik's AQ. The flop brought a queen for Ditzik, but it also came with a jack. There were no runner-runner miracles for Ditzik and he was eliminated in eighth place.
Ariel Soffer Eliminated in 7th Place ($107,639)
On just the eleventh hand of play, Duncan Bell raised to 110,000 and Ariel Soffer moved all in for his last 184,000 with pocket sixes. Bell had J10 and turned a king high straight to eliminate Soffer in seventh place.
Brent "Bhanks11" Hanks Doubles Up, Jason Sanders Crippled
Brent Hanks raised to 85,000 and Jason Sanders made the call. The flop came KJ10 and Sanders moved all in, having Hanks slightly covered. Hanks instantly called and flipped up KK for top set. Sanders sheepishly turned over Q2 for an open-ended straight draw and a backdoor flush draw. The turn ended things quickly when the K gave the young online pro quads and a new stack of 1.4 million. Sanders was left with just over a round of blinds.
Jason Sanders Eliminated in 6th Place ($139,770)
Duncan Bell raised to 100,000 and Jason Sanders called all in with 107. Bell showed 22 and both players were off to the races. The flop of 966 gave Sanders many more outs, but the 2 on the turn ended the hand, and his tournament. Sanders finished in sixth place.
NOTE: Players then went on a 20-minute break while coloring up the 1,000 denomination chips.
The final table for event no. 13 will begin today at 2 p.m. The final 9 players will be vying for a first-prize of $666,777 and a World Series of Poker bracelet. If there is a theme for today’s final table it would have to be inexperience: four of the players today have never made a final table before, and three of the players are making their first ever money-finish in a tournament. Here is a rundown of the players at the final table:
Duncan Bell of Vancouver will be making his first ever final table, but his nerves might be tempered a bit by the massive stack of chips sitting in front of him. Bell comes into the final table as the big chipleader. With 1,966,000 chips he will be coming into the final day with nearly twice that of his second-place rival.
British Columbia is sure to be represented well today: Shawn Buchanan, second in chips, is from Abbotsford, BC. Buchanan has 4 World Series of Poker cashes to his name, but his greatest accomplishment is taking down a World Poker Tour title at the 2007 Mandalay Bay Poker Championship. After taking home over $750,000 in that event, he should be more at ease at today’s final table.
Steven Merrifield has been slowly building his way toward this day. The Fairmont, West Virginia native has cashed in 3 World Series of Poker Circuit events this year, each score bigger than the last. Then last week, he made his first World Series cash, finishing 53rd in the $1,000 no-limit hold’em with rebuys event.
Jason Sanders will begin the day with 1,099,000 in chips, but regardless of where he finishes this is guaranteed to be his biggest score ever. Sanders has no major cashes to his name, but a final table at the World Series of Poker is quite a way to start the list. Sanders hails from Simi Valley, California.
You might not consider Brent Hanks a major threat going into this final table if you were to look solely at his live numbers. The Filmore, NY resident has only two lifetime live cashes totaling $8,000. The online tournament world knows full well the talent of Hanks however . "BHanks11" is currently 7th in Card Player's Online Player of the Year ranking, having won both the PokerStars Sunday Million and Nightly Hundred Grand this year. Hanks will hope to carry over his online success to the brick and mortar world with a win today.
Brent Ditzik of Phoenix, Arizona commences our group of players who will be starting with a short stack. With blinds starting at 12,000/24,000 and a 3,000 ante, Ditzik’s stack of 384,000 leaves him with only 16 big blinds to start the day. This is Ditzik’s first ever final table.
Nicolas Levi from France has only 4 major cashes in his career, but they are quite the collection. He has, to his credit: a European Poker Tour final table, finishing 7th in Dortmund; a World Series of Poker cash in a 6-handed event; a World Series of Poker Europe cash, finishing 27th in the Main Event in London; and just earlier this year he made his first ever money appearance in a World Poker Tour event at the Five-Star World Poker Classic. A 6th place finish today will surpass Levi’s best tournament cash of $112,667.
Hollywood’s Ariel Soffer has the odds stacked against him today. Not only has he never had a major tournament cash, but he is also coming into today’s event as a short-stack. A win today by Soffer would be a true underdog tale. Soffer will begin today’s event with 191,000.
Nathan Doudney will enter today’s event with less than 10 big blinds, but this event already has to be considered a success for. Until this tournament, despite three cashes, Doudney had never finished higher than 33rd in a World Series of Poker event. The man from Bend, Texas will need quite a bit of help from the poker gods today to go deep at the final table.
$2500 NLHE - Day 2 - Level 17 - Theo Tran Eliminated
Jun 08, '08
Blinds: 5,000-10,000 (1,000 Ante), moving up to 6,000-12,000 (1,000 Ante)
Players Remaining: 24
Average Stack: 291,042
Eliminations: Theo Tran
Notable Hands:
The ol' K8 ball
Duncan Bell shoved all-in over the top of a raise from Adam Katz, who eventually folded the hand. Although Bell mucked his cards, he informed CardPlayer that he had just executed "The ol' K-8 ball" reraise, a highly effective re-steal technique that added another pile of chips to his stack. Double, Double
Joel Casper moved all in over the top of Brent Ditzik's raise. Ditzik thought for a moment before making the call with 65. Casper excitedly tabled 1010, maintaining his lead as the board ran out KQ379 and doubling up to stay alive.
Frank Vukasin has doubled up twice over the past level. The first time, he moved all in and was called by Pete deBest.
Vukasin: JQ
deBest: A5
Vukasin trailed, but picked up some more outs as the flop came K103. The turn brought the 3, leaving both players sweating to the river, which brought the J to give Vukasin a pair for the win. A few hands later and Vukasin was all in again, this time getting called by Duncan Bell. After Bell made the call, Vukasin asked "Do you have rockets?" and looked ready to turn over his hand before he was informed that there was another player still left to act. The question may have signalled some strength , however, as that player folded, allowing Bell to show AK and a very excited Vukasin to show his KK. Bell failed to catch his ace, and Vukasin's stack continued to expand at an alarming rate.
Theo Tran Gone
Tran was all in with A9 against the A8 of Brent Hanks. Hanks hit the flop, however, when the dealer laid out K108. Tran failed to find another nine, with the turn and river bringing Q7, and he was sent home just before the end of the level.
Brent Hanks Eliminated in 4th Place ($78,774)
6
9
6
John Racener Eliminated in 8th Place ($24,797)
4
2
, Jean-Robert Bellande checked. Larry Karambis bet 100,000. Bellande moved all in and Karambis called all in for 483,000. Karambis exposed the 9
9
Garrett Beckman Doubles Up
Brent Hanks Eliminated
Brent Hanks Eliminated In 6th Place ($71,998)
Nicolas Levi Eliminated In 5th Place ($92,543)
Chad Batista raised to 65,000 and Brent Hanks moved all in for his last 400,000. Batista instantly called with pocket queens and Hanks revealed pocket deuces. The board helped neither player and Hanks was eliminated. Batista is now up to 1.3 million in chips.
Vadim Trincher Eliminated
Steve Zolotow Eliminated
Brent Hanks Knocks Out Tim West and Noah Boeken
Fox Takes a Hit Doubling Up an Opponent
Nathan Doudney Doubles Through Shawn Buchanan
Nathan Doudney Eliminated in 3rd Place ($260,261)
Nicolas Levi Eliminated in 9th Place ($59,442)
Brent Ditzik Eliminated in 8th Place ($83,541)
Ariel Soffer Eliminated in 7th Place ($107,639)
Jason Sanders Eliminated in 6th Place ($139,770)
British Columbia is sure to be represented well today: Shawn Buchanan, second in chips, is from Abbotsford, BC. Buchanan has 4 World Series of Poker cashes to his name, but his greatest accomplishment is taking down a World Poker Tour title at the 2007 Mandalay Bay Poker Championship. After taking home over $750,000 in that event, he should be more at ease at today’s final table.
A few hands later and Vukasin was all in again, this time getting called by Duncan Bell. After Bell made the call, Vukasin asked "Do you have rockets?" and looked ready to turn over his hand before he was informed that there was another player still left to act. The question may have signalled some strength , however, as that player folded, allowing Bell to show A