Will Failla Poker Tournament Updates

Will Failla Eliminated

Dec 20, '10

Will Failla moved all in preflop for 19,200 from late position and the button made the call. Their cards:

Failla: A 9
Button: 8 8

Board: Q 6 2 2 5

Failla lost the hand and he was eliminated from the tournament.

Player Tags: Will Failla

Will Failla Eliminated in 27th Place

Dec 06, '10

Will Failla got the last of his chips into the middle with pocket aces in the hole with a 6 3 3 flop sitting on the table and Andrew Lichtenberger had him covered in chips, and in the hand with A 3 in the hole.

The turn and river fell J and 2 and Failla was eliminated in 27th place. He will take home $25,339 in prize money and Lichtenberger grew his chip stack to 1,250,000.

Player Tags: Will Failla,   Andrew Lichtenberger

Will Failla Crippled by Andrew Lichtenberger

Dec 06, '10

There was 150,000 in the pot and a board of 8 7 5 8 6 when Andrew Lichtenberger bet 30,000 under the gun and Will Failla raised to 100,000 from the cutoff.

Lichtenberger made the call and he flipped over two red kings. Failla mucked and his stack shrank to 75,000. Lichtenberger grew his to 815,000.

Player Tags: Will Failla,   Andrew Lichtenberger

Will Failla's Chip Count Blooms

Sep 29, '10

Tony Bloom raised from middle position preflop and Will Failla made the call from the big blind. The flop fell 10-10-7 and Failla checked. Bloom bet and Failla made the call before an 8 fell on the turn. The two got all of the chips into the middle after that and then they flipped over their cards:

Failla: A-10
Bloom: 9-9

The river was a brick and that meant that Bloom was sent to the rail. Failla on the other hand, has joined the six-figure club thanks to Bloom’s chips.

Player Tags: Tony Bloom,   Will Failla

Level 14, Hour Two: Levy in the Lead

Jul 13, '10

Blinds: 1,500-3,000 with a 400 ante

Players Remaining: 927 out of 7,319

Average Chip Count: 236,861

Card Player Chip Counts

Adam Schoenfeld — 115,000
Jon Freidberg — 82,000
Shannon Shorr — 290,000
Tony Dunst — 356,200
Matt Matros — 312,400
Josh Brikis — 475,000
Andrew Brokos — 465,000

Tournament Leaderboard:

1. Filippo Candio – 895,000
2. Duy Le – 891,000
3. Matthew Brown – 880,000
4. Adam Levy – 835,000
5. Johnny Lodden – 770,000
6. Rafal Michalowski – 750,000
7. Max Casal – 735,000
8. Matt Affleck – 733,000
9. Michael Maitre – 707,000
10. Benjamin Straate – 690,000

Notable Eliminations:

David Sands
Tyler Kenney
Jonathan Aguiar

Big Hands:

Roothlus Jumps Into Chip Lead

At the very end of the last level and right before the break, Adam Levy played a monster pot.

Adam Levy and Fabien Dunlop got in five bets prefop and saw a flop of 1092 and Dunlop checked over to Levy, who bet 80,000. Dunlop shoved all-in and Levy snap-called.

Dunlop showed A2 and Levy tabled AA. The turn was the 6 and the river was the 3, which puts Levy at the top of the chip counts with 820,000.

Tyler Kenney Eliminated

It looks like the Kenney brothers won’t be able to mirror the Mizrachi brothers and get to the final table as Tyler Kenney has been eliminated. Before the break he got a bunch of chips in with pocket queens and lost to the pocket eights of his opponent and was unable to have his hand hold.

That hand left him with just 40,000 in chips and after the break, Kenney found all of his chips in the middle with A9 against the AK of Tom Kallaway.

The board bricked off for Kenney and he was eliminated from the tournament.

Corkins Spikes It On The Flop

A player in seat 1 moved all in for 68,300 and Hoyt Corkins eventually threw in a call with the ESPN cameras watching.

“I hope you’ve got tens,” Corkins said. “I wanna be racing.”

It was the worst-case scenario for Corkins as his AJ was dominated by seat 1’s AK.

But the flop turned the tables as it fell J95 to give Corkins the lead. The A on the turn gave him two pair and the 2 on the river cemented the hand for Corkins. He scored the knockout and he was at 533,000.

Shorr Makes The Right Fold

The player in the small blind moved all in for 46,700 after Shannon Shorr had put in a raise preflop. Shorr took a long session in the tank contemplating what to do.

“Just go away,” the small blind said.

“Go away?” Shorr replied.

“Yes, go away,” the small blind reiterated. “Or call, whatever works.”

Shorr gave a grin but then flung his pocket eights into the muck. He was rewarded by the small blind as he tabled AA. Shorr was down to 290,000.

Kostritsyn Turns Rags To Riches

We picked up the action after the board had run out Q429Q. Alexander Kostritsyn fired 6,500 into a pot holding about 30,000 and his opponent mulled over the call.

He eventually threw it in and Kostritsyn tabled the lowly 32 for queens and deuces. It was more than enough, however, as his opponent mucked.

Kostritsyn raked in a nice pot and he was up to 590,000.

Sands Turns To Ash

David Sands raised preflop and Filippo Candio repopped to 17,400. Sands then shoved for 70,000 and Candio made the call.

Sands: KK
Candio: AA

Sands was the victim of a cooler and the board ran out 1010465, holding the aces and sending Sands to the rail.

Galfond Straightens One Out

After the flop came down J76, Phil Galfond bet 23,000 and his opponent made the call. The turn was the 8 and both players checked.

The river brought the 10, putting out four cards to a straight. The other player fired 76,000 and Galfond responded by moving all in. His opponent called off his last 220,000 and Galfond tabled J9 for the jack-high straight.

His opponent showed his counterfeited straight, 54, and he made his way to the rail as Galfond took in a huge pot. He was up to 545,000.

Failla Gets Paid, Literally

Will Failla and his opponent got in 31,000 in the middle preflop and saw a flop of Q72.

Failla checked over to his opponent, who bet 35,000. Failla thought for a few seconds before going all-in for 150,000 more.

“Why would you check and let me bet that flop,” said his opponent. “It makes no sense.”

“I’ve been full of it before,” said Failla.

His opponent eventually folded and showed the Q as he let his hand go. Failla offered to show his hand for $20. His opponent immediately reached into his pocket for 20 bucks, handed it over, and was promptly shown KK.

Schoenberg Scores a Double

Erica Schoenberg got all in from the big blind against the player on the button.

The button showed A2 and Schoenberg showed AJ. Thee board ran out 10982Q and Schoenberg doubled up to 85,000, giving her a tiny bit of breathing room.

Player Tags: Hoyt Corkins,   Phil Galfond,   Shannon Shorr,   David Sands,   Will Failla,   Adam Levy,   Alexander Kostritsyn,   Tyler Kenney

Level 20 Hour One Update: Will Failla Eliminated

Jul 14, '10

Blinds: 6,000-12,000 with a 2,000 ante

Players Remaining: 268 out of 7,319

Average Chip Count: 819,291

Card Player Chip Counts:

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.

Player Twitter Accounts

Jean-Robert Bellande
Scotty Nguyen
Tristan Wade
Josh Brikis

CardPlayer TV recently caught up with Josh Brikis for an interview. Check it out!

Player Tags: Elia Ahmadian,   Jean-Robert Bellande,   Garrett Beckman,   Brent Hanks,   Will Failla,   Bryn Kenney,   Paul Varano,   Josh Brikis,   Shane Rose

Level 14, Hour Two: Levy in the Lead

Jul 13, '10

Blinds: 1,500-3,000 with a 400 ante

Players Remaining: 927 out of 7,319

Average Chip Count: 236,861

Card Player Chip Counts

Adam Schoenfeld — 115,000
Jon Freidberg — 82,000
Shannon Shorr — 290,000
Tony Dunst — 356,200
Matt Matros — 312,400
Josh Brikis — 475,000
Andrew Brokos — 465,000

Tournament Leaderboard:

1. Filippo Candio – 895,000
2. Duy Le – 891,000
3. Matthew Brown – 880,000
4. Adam Levy – 835,000
5. Johnny Lodden – 770,000
6. Rafal Michalowski – 750,000
7. Max Casal – 735,000
8. Matt Affleck – 733,000
9. Michael Maitre – 707,000
10. Benjamin Straate – 690,000

Notable Eliminations:

David Sands
Tyler Kenney
Jonathan Aguiar

Big Hands:

Roothlus Jumps Into Chip Lead

At the very end of the last level and right before the break, Adam Levy played a monster pot.

Adam Levy and Fabien Dunlop got in five bets prefop and saw a flop of 1092 and Dunlop checked over to Levy, who bet 80,000. Dunlop shoved all-in and Levy snap-called.

Dunlop showed A2 and Levy tabled AA. The turn was the 6 and the river was the 3, which puts Levy at the top of the chip counts with 820,000.

Tyler Kenney Eliminated

It looks like the Kenney brothers won’t be able to mirror the Mizrachi brothers and get to the final table as Tyler Kenney has been eliminated. Before the break he got a bunch of chips in with pocket queens and lost to the pocket eights of his opponent and was unable to have his hand hold.

That hand left him with just 40,000 in chips and after the break, Kenney found all of his chips in the middle with A9 against the AK of Tom Kallaway.

The board bricked off for Kenney and he was eliminated from the tournament.

Corkins Spikes It On The Flop

A player in seat 1 moved all in for 68,300 and Hoyt Corkins eventually threw in a call with the ESPN cameras watching.

“I hope you’ve got tens,” Corkins said. “I wanna be racing.”

It was the worst-case scenario for Corkins as his AJ was dominated by seat 1’s AK.

But the flop turned the tables as it fell J95 to give Corkins the lead. The A on the turn gave him two pair and the 2 on the river cemented the hand for Corkins. He scored the knockout and he was at 533,000.

Shorr Makes The Right Fold

The player in the small blind moved all in for 46,700 after Shannon Shorr had put in a raise preflop. Shorr took a long session in the tank contemplating what to do.

“Just go away,” the small blind said.

“Go away?” Shorr replied.

“Yes, go away,” the small blind reiterated. “Or call, whatever works.”

Shorr gave a grin but then flung his pocket eights into the muck. He was rewarded by the small blind as he tabled AA. Shorr was down to 290,000.

Kostritsyn Turns Rags To Riches

We picked up the action after the board had run out Q429Q. Alexander Kostritsyn fired 6,500 into a pot holding about 30,000 and his opponent mulled over the call.

He eventually threw it in and Kostritsyn tabled the lowly 32 for queens and deuces. It was more than enough, however, as his opponent mucked.

Kostritsyn raked in a nice pot and he was up to 590,000.

Sands Turns To Ash

David Sands raised preflop and Filippo Candio repopped to 17,400. Sands then shoved for 70,000 and Candio made the call.

Sands: KK
Candio: AA

Sands was the victim of a cooler and the board ran out 1010465, holding the aces and sending Sands to the rail.

Galfond Straightens One Out

After the flop came down J76, Phil Galfond bet 23,000 and his opponent made the call. The turn was the 8 and both players checked.

The river brought the 10, putting out four cards to a straight. The other player fired 76,000 and Galfond responded by moving all in. His opponent called off his last 220,000 and Galfond tabled J9 for the jack-high straight.

His opponent showed his counterfeited straight, 54, and he made his way to the rail as Galfond took in a huge pot. He was up to 545,000.

Failla Gets Paid, Literally

Will Failla and his opponent got in 31,000 in the middle preflop and saw a flop of Q72.

Failla checked over to his opponent, who bet 35,000. Failla thought for a few seconds before going all-in for 150,000 more.

“Why would you check and let me bet that flop,” said his opponent. “It makes no sense.”

“I’ve been full of it before,” said Failla.

His opponent eventually folded and showed the Q as he let his hand go. Failla offered to show his hand for $20. His opponent immediately reached into his pocket for 20 bucks, handed it over, and was promptly shown KK.

Schoenberg Scores a Double

Erica Schoenberg got all in from the big blind against the player on the button.

The button showed A2 and Schoenberg showed AJ. Thee board ran out 10982Q and Schoenberg doubled up to 85,000, giving her a tiny bit of breathing room.

Player Tags: Hoyt Corkins,   Phil Galfond,   Shannon Shorr,   David Sands,   Will Failla,   Adam Levy,   Alexander Kostritsyn,   Tyler Kenney

Level 20 Hour One Update: Will Failla Eliminated

Jul 14, '10

Blinds: 6,000-12,000 with a 2,000 ante

Players Remaining: 268 out of 7,319

Average Chip Count: 819,291

Card Player Chip Counts:

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.

Player Twitter Accounts

Jean-Robert Bellande
Scotty Nguyen
Tristan Wade
Josh Brikis

CardPlayer TV recently caught up with Josh Brikis for an interview. Check it out!

Player Tags: Elia Ahmadian,   Jean-Robert Bellande,   Garrett Beckman,   Brent Hanks,   Will Failla,   Bryn Kenney,   Paul Varano,   Josh Brikis,   Shane Rose

Final Table Update: Will Failla Eliminated In 4th Place

Jul 01, '10

Blinds: 20,000-40,000 with a 5,000 ante

Players Remaining: 3 out of 965

Average Chip Count: 2,895,000

Tournament Leaderboard:

1. Jon Eaton – 3,350,000
2. Guillaume Darcourt – 2,790,000
3. Ryan Welch – 2,550,000

Notable Eliminations:

4. Will Failla — $163,532

Big Hands:

Will Failla Eliminated In Fourth Place ($163,532)

Will Failla moved all in preflop and Ryan Welch was next to act. He then pushed all in, having Failla covered. The other two players got out of the way and the players showed their hands.

Failla: A7
Welch: AJ

The board ran out KQ256 and Failla received no help as he was eliminated.

Player Tags: Will Failla,   Ryan Welch

Level 4 Update: Erick Lindgren Eliminated, Signs Autograph

May 30, '10

Blinds: 75-150

Players Remaining: 990 out of 4,345

Card Player Chip Counts:

Stephen Murphy – 10,750
Justin Marchand – 5,500
Tony Dunst – 12,000
Jeff Shulman – 9,500

Notable Eliminations:

Erick Lindgren
Jennifer Tilly
Phil Hellmuth

Big Hands:

Mercier Chips Up

We caught this hand at the end of the last level. The player on the button raised to 300 and Jason Mercier called from the small blind. The two saw a flop of 1066 and they both checked. The turn was 3 and Mercier led for 425 and was instantly raised to 1,200.

Mercier thought for a few moments while playing with his chips and eventually tossed in the call. The river was a meaningless 2 and both players checked instantly. The player on the button showed AK and lost to Mercier’s pair of tens with his K10. Mercier’s stack was up to 6,500 after the hand.

Somerville Just Can’t Stop Winning

On the river the board read KQ210K and Jason Somerville had a big stack of big denomination chips out into the middle, well covering his opponent’s 5,000 stack.

Somerville’s opponent tanked for a few minutes and eventually folded, giving the pot to Somerville, who is among the chip leaders with 15,000.

Will Failla Flops the Nuts, Busts Two Players

Will Failla limped in the pot with the 109, along with three other players. The flop came QJ8. The big blind bet 300 of his 2,200 stack and a player in middle position with 6,000 called. Failla raised to 1,200, resulting in the initial bettor moving all in. The player caught in the middle called the all in, as did Failla, who couldn’t reraise. The 7 fell on the turn and the guy in middle position moved all in, with a little bit less than Failla, who made the instant call with the stone nuts. The river bricked and Failla knocked out two players to increase his stack to 13,000.

The Maven Stays Alive

After a limper, David “The Maven” Chicotsky moved in his last 1,050 and was called by the player who limped. The limper showed A9 and was slightly behind the 66 of Chicotsky.

The board ran out 4J72K, keeping The Maven in the tournament and doubling him up to 2,300.

Jeff Shulman Wins a Pot

A player in late position made it 625 and Jeff Shulman (6,450 in chips) called from the cutoff. The flop came 865 and the action went check-check. The 2 landed on the turn and Shulman’s opponent bet 625. Shulman quickly called. The 7 hit the river and it was checked to Shulman, who bet 1,000, and got a quick fold from his opponent. Shulman was at 7,900 after the hand and is now at 9,500.

Phil Hellmuth Runs Into Kings, Has His Day End Early

After a player on the button raised to 350, Phil Hellmuth moved his last 1,750 into the middle. His opponent quickly called and showed KK and was way ahead of Hellmuth’s 99.

The board ran out 8344K, giving Hellmuth’s opponent a full house and leaving Hellmuth still searching for his 12th bracelet.

Left In the Deck:

Lindgren Has Added Sting to Knockout

After Erick Lindgren was eliminated from the tournament and after the hand was over, the player who knocked him out went over to him and got him to autograph a piece of paper for him.

Don’t forget to check out our coverage of the Players Championship while the players take a 20 minute break.

Player Tags: Erick Lindgren,   Jeff Shulman,   Jason Somerville,   Will Failla,   Jason Mercier,   David Chicotsky

Level 2 Update: Gavin Griffin and Ted Lawson Eliminated

May 30, '10

Blinds: 25-50

Players Remaining: 1,699 out of 4,341

Card Player Chip Counts:

Stephen Murphy – 5,500
Justin Marchand – 4,000

Notable Eliminations:

Gavin Griffin
Ted Lawson

Big Hands:

Devil Fish Takes a Hit

David Ulliott called a raise to 200 from Josh Stern and they saw a flop heads up of K108. Stern bet 400 and was called by Ulliott.

The turn was the 2 and now Stern checked. Ulliott bet 700 and was met with a check-raise all in fro 1,625 more.

“They usually do that,” said Ulliott while he was contemplating a call. Ulliott let it go and has dropped to 3,400.

Dunst Grows Stack Quickly

Tony “Bond18” Dunst was already more than doubled up when he found himself in a great position to add more to his stack.

Dunst’s opponent found a way to get his whole stack in preflop with K-Q and was up against Dunst’s A-Q. The board was friendly to Dunst and kept him in the lead the whole way to propel him to 9,500 in chips.

Chan Gets Best of Griffin

We got to the action a little late, but Gavin Griffin was all in and way ahead of Terrance Chan. Chan held pocket queens, but Griffin had pocket aces. The queen on the river sent Griffin home earlier than he would have liked.

Chan is now up to 11,500 and said “It’s the first time I’m genuinely unhappy to win an all-in in a big tournament.”

Will Failla Wins a Large Pot

Will Failla bet 275 on the button with about 4,000 in his stack and the small blind and a player in early position called. The flop came 552 and the small blind checked. The player in early position bet 200 and Failla raised to 600. The initial bettor called and the 10 fell on the turn. Failla’s opponent bet 500 and Failla made the call. The Q hit the felt and it was checked to Failla bet 600. The bet was quickly called and Failla tabled pocket kings while his opponent mucked A-Q face up. Failla is now up to 5,500.

Hal Lubarsky Wins a Pot

Tony Dunst bet 150 from early position and the player next to act called. Hal Lubarsky made the call on the button with about 1,200 in his stack. The flopped AJ9 and action went check-check to Lubarsky, who went all in for about 800. Both his opponents folded and Lubarsky took the 1,425 chip pot.

Ted Lawson Eliminated

Ted Lawson put his stack of 1,075 into the middle with the 66 and was called by a player holding the 1010. The tens held up and Lawson was gone.

Player Tags: Ted Lawson,   Gavin Griffin,   Will Failla,   Hal Lubarsky,   Tony Dunst

Level 6 Update: Eric Baldwin Struggles Early

Feb 27, '10

Blinds: 200-400 with a 50 ante

Players Remaining: 435 out of 745

Chip Counts:

1. Masaaki Kagawa — 125,000
2. Mark Seif — 122,000
3. Charles Dolan — 120,000
4. Ben Zamani — 115,000
5. Chansung Choi — 111,000
6. Shawn Buchanan — 100,000
7. Jon Luu — 98,000
8. Eugene Katchalov — 96,000
9. Naoya Kihara — 95,000
10. William James — 78,000

Average Chip Count: 34,252

Notable Eliminations:

Gavin Smith
Tyson Marks
Steve O’Dwyer
Brett Jungblutt

Big Hands:

Eric Baldwin Gets Confused Call From Opponent

The cutoff raised to 900 and Eric Baldwin reraised to 2,550 from the button. The flop came down 9 8 2 and both players checked.

The turn was the 2 and the cutoff checked to Baldwin, who bet 4,750. The cutoff called and the river was the Q.

The cutoff checked, Baldwin bet 8,700 and the cutoff eventually found a call. Baldwin turned over K J and his opponent took a bit before turning over Q J for a rivered pair.

Baldwin was left a bit stunned and asked his opponent if he was going to try and represent one of the flushes if he didn’t pair. His opponent couldn’t find the words to explain his play and Baldwin was left with just 4,100 in his stack.

Will Failla Doubles Up

Will Failla came into the day severely short stacked, but found a way to double up with pocket aces, putting him back at 10,000. He still has work to do, but is no longer in the danger zone.

Bryan Devonshire Doubles

Bryan Devonshire was all in holding pocket kings against Matt Woodward’s A-Q. The board came out safely and Devonshire doubled up to 28,000 in chips.

Jonathan Aguiar Takes Out Tyson Marks

Tyson Marks was all in holding pocket sixes and was looked up by the pocket jacks of Jonathan Aguiar.

The sixes failed to connect with the board and Marks was eliminated. Aguiar is now stacked with 47,000 in chips.

Left in the Deck

POY Madness

On day 1, Card Player awarded both Eric Baldwin and Steve Gross with their resepective Player of the Year and Online Player of the Year trophies.

Ironically, both players are now seated at the same table. They are joined by Daniel Negreanu, Vadim Trincher and Tom McCormick.

Player Tags: Bryan Devonshire,   Jonathan Aguiar,   Eric Baldwin,   Will Failla

Level 6 Update: Two Ladies Top The Chip Counts

Jan 06, '10

Blinds: 200-400 with a 50 ante

Players Remaining: 690 out of 846 (Approximate)

Notable Chip Counts:

Vanessa Rousso — 140,000
Annette Obrestad — 120,000
Darryll Fish — 110,000
Paul Wasicka — 85,000
Carlos Mortensen — 75,000
Liz Lieu — 75,00
J.C. Alvarado — 70,000
Mark Newhouse — 65,000
Chad Batista — 60,000
Phil Ivey — 55,000

Average Chip Count: 36,782

Notable Eliminations:

Leo Fernandez
Joe Cada
Mike Matusow
Will Failla

Big Hands:

Leo Fernandez Takes Really Gross Beat

Team PokerStars pro Leo Fernandez was down to his last 8,000 in chips when he got it in with AK. His opponent revealed AK and Fernandez looked like he was heading for a chop.

Instead, the board ran out Q10593, giving his opponent a spade flush and ending his tournament in the process.

Will Failla Runs Into a Bigger Draw

Will Failla was down to about 11,000 or so when his final hand came down. He, Rene Angelil and another unknown opponent saw a flop of 765 when we caught up to the action.

The unknown bet 1,000, Angelil called and Failla raised to 4,000. The unknown moved all in and Angelil folded. Failla called, stating that he wanted to gamble, with 108 for an open-ended straight draw and the ladder to a ten-high straight. His opponent showed A8, however, killing many of his outs.

The turn and river fell JQ and Failla was eliminated.

Luca Pagano Hunting For Another Final Table

One of the most successful players in EPT history is up to a healthy 45,000 after doubling up with pocket kings.

Luca Pagano bet the whole way on a board reading K7594 and called all in when his opponent raised on the river. Pagano didn’t see a flush in his opponent’s hand and was relieved to see his top set was good.

Pagano currently has the most cashes and final table appearances in EPT history, but is looking for his first victory here in this tournament.

Mike Matusow Sent To The Rail

Mike Matusow was short stacked when he made his final move with A-Q and was relieved to see that he was at least racing against an unknown’s pocket jacks. The board offered no help for “the mouth” and he was eliminated from the tournament.

Player Tags: Mike Matusow,   Leo Fernandez,   Luca Pagano,   Will Failla

Level 6 Update: Into the Dinner Break

May 30, '09

Blinds: 100-200 with a 25 ante

Players Remaining: 1,170 out of 3,000

Notable Eliminations:

Adam Levy

Big Hands:

Nelly Is Eliminated

After busting one opponent in the previous hand, Nelly gets the rest of his chips in the middle with pocket kings against his opponent’s K-Q. The board comes J-10-8-9-3, giving his opponent a king-high straight on the turn. Nelly is eliminated from the tournament.

Jason Mercier Takes a Pot From Michael Craig

On a board of Q632, and with just under 2,000 already in the pot, Jason Mercier bets 800 on the turn and Michael Craig calls. The river is the 10 and both players check. Acting in turn, Craig shows 22 for bottom pair while Mercier turns over 55 for a better pair. Mercier rakes the pot and brings his stack to 14,500 while Craig falls to just about 3,500 this hand.

…And Now For Your Hourly Will “The Thrill” Update
Will “The Thrill” Failla raises to 600 from under the gun and gets once caller from the big blind. The flop comes AJ5, and both players check. The turn is the 7, Failla bets 1,000 and the big blind calls. The river is the 6, and this time Failla bets 3,000. The big blind tanks for a minute before making the call and turning over A3. No good as Failla shows AQ; the queen plays. Failla rakes yet another pot, bringing his stack to well over 50,000 after this hand.

Dinner Break

The action slithered along this level as play seemed to tighten up before the dinner break. The remaining 1,100 or so players from today’s $1,000 NLH Stimulus event are now on a ninety-minute dinner break and will return at 8:20 pm PDT.

Player Tags: Michael Craig,   Will Failla,   Jason Mercier

Level 5 Update: Failla Leading the Pack

May 30, '09

Blinds: 100-200

Players Remaining: 2,600 out of 3,000

Notable Eliminations:

Greg Mueller
Christian Harder
Men “The Master” Nguyen

Big Hands:

Teddy “Iceman” Monroe Gets Out the Way

With just about 2,000 already in the pot on a board of AJ69, The player in seat 10 asks Iceman how much he has before essentially putting him all in with a 2,500 bet on the turn. Iceman tanks for a while and contemplates his opponent’s “overbet” before ultimately folding he hand. “I’ll show you one time, baby”, seat 10 says as he turns over A-9 for two pair. Iceman breathes a sigh of relief as he makes a big laydown, reserving his last 1,200 chips for a better spot.

Will “The Thrill” Can’t Be Stopped

One player opens for a raise and Will “The Thrill” Failla calls behind him. The flop comes Q82, Failla’s opponent bets 1,500. Failla raises to 3,200 and his opponent moves all in for 9,000. Failla calls and shows K10 for the second nut flush. His opponent shows two red aces and bricks on the turn and river. Failla gets his eighth kill of the day, and is still very much amongst the chip leaders with 40,000 in chips. Correction: Failla has now knocked out eleven players.

Yevgeniy Timoshenko Doubles Up

WPT Championship Winner, Yevgeniy Timoshenko gets it all in pre-flop with AK against an opponent’s 66; Timoshenko was covered. The board comes KQ592, giving Timoshenko top pair on the flop. Timoshenko doubles up to just under 7,000 this hand.

Player Tags: Teddy Monroe,   Will Failla,   Yevgeniy Timoshenko

Level 3 Update: Failla Guns For First Bracelet

May 30, '09

Blinds: 50-100

Players Remaining: 2,860 out of 3,0000

Big Hands:

Will “The Thrill Failla” Looking For His First Bracelet

Failla has been running good so far, just recently getting his fourth knockout of the day. Playing A-6 against an opponent’s J-8 on a J-8-6 board, Failla snaps off another 6 on the turn, sending his latest victim to the rail. Failla has about 9,000 in chips now as he now sets his sights on the player in seat 1. “Out flop me? There’s a bullseye in seat 1. I’m gonna coconut this guy”, he says.

Barry Greenstein Wins a Big Pot at the Break

With just about 2,000 already in the pot, and on a board of 86385, Barry Greenstein bets 1,600 on the river. The player in seat 9 tanks for a minute before making the call. Greenstein turns over Q8 for trip eights and rakes the pot. Greenstein is up to 7,000 in chips after this hand.

“The Thrill” Gets His Sixth K.O.

With two lipmers in front of him, the player in seat 5 raises to 300 before the flop and Will “The Thrill” Failla raises to 1,100 from the small blind. The two limpers fold and Seat 5 calls. The flop comes A-K-3 and Failla leads out for 1,400. Seat 5 reraises all in for another 600 and Failla calls. Seat 5 shows A-K for top two pair while Failla shows a pocket pair of queens. The turn is a J and the river is a 10. Failla makes Broadway on the river and gets his 6th knock-out of the day. Failla is up to 11,000 after this hand.

Barry Shulman Chipping Up

On a flop of 1094, and with 800 already in the pot, Barry Shulman bets 800 and the player in seat 2 calls. The turn is the A and this time Shulman bets 1,200. Seat 2 folds and Shulman rakes the pot. Shulman is up to 8,000 after this hand.

David Singer Makes his Way Up the Leaderboard

The player on the button raises to 100 before the flop and both the big blind and David Singer from the small blind call the raise. The flop comes J82, and Singer bets 225. Both opponents fold and Singer rakes the pot. Singer is up to 8,500 after this hand.

Player Tags: Barry Greenstein,   Barry Shulman,   Will Failla

Level 2 Update: Joe Sebok, Antonio Esfandiari Eliminated

May 30, '09

Blinds: 25-50

Players Remaining: 2,961 out of 3,000

Notable Eliminations:

Joe Sebok
Antonio Esfandiari
Allyn Jaffrey Shulman

Big Hands:

Sebok…Out

Just minutes into the the second level of play, Joe Sebok gets it all in with A-K against an opponent’s pocket queens. Sebok fails to improve and is eliminated from the tournament.

Sorel Mizzi Folds to a Raise on the River

Sorel Mizzi opens from middle position for a raise to 50 and gets three callers behind him, including both of the blinds. The flop comes KK3, and Mizzi bets 100. The player in seat 1 calls while both the blinds fold. The turn is the 2, and both players check. The river is the 8, and Mizzi bets 200. Seat 1 raises to 700 and Mizzi goes into the tank. After a minute or so, Mizzi throws his cards into the muck. He is down to 2,000 after this hand.

Adam Levy Moves All-in

After a button raise to 150 and a small blind re-raise, Adam Levy moved all in from the big blind. The button quickly folded and the small blind contemplated briefly before releasing his hand. After this hand, Levy is up to 3,500 in chips.

Will “The Thrill” Failla Flops Straight Flush, Doubles Up

With the 56, Will Failla saw a dream flop of 978. Even with a monster hand, Failla was able to get action all the way down to the river and eventually doubled through his opponent in seat 5. Failla is now up to 6,300 in chips.

Antonio Esfandiari Eliminated; Gets Caught Lying

The Magician moved all-in with the 108 on the river with a busted open-ended straight flush draw. Esfandiari’s all-in river bluff did not work as he ran into the quad sevens of his opponent.

Marco Traniello Doubles Up

The player in seat 7 raises to 100 from middle position and Marco Traniello moves all in for a total of 1,125, also in middle position. The player in seat 1 calls behind him and the original raiser in seat 7 folds. Both players turn over their cards; Traniello has AK, his opponent has QQ. The board comes A10399, pairing Traniello’s ace on the flop, allowing to him to slightly more than double up to 2,400 in chips.

Player Tags: Antonio Esfandiari,   Marco Traniello,   Joe Sebok,   Will Failla,   Adam Levy

Level 14 Update: J.C. Tran Continues To Leak Chips

Jun 01, '09

Blinds: 1,000-2,000 with a 300 ante

Players Remaining: 299 out of 6,021

Chip Counts:

1. Zach Melaney – 355,000
2. Will Failla – 120,000
3. Alex Shin — 103,300
4. Mark Fink — 100,300
5. John Monnette — 90,000
6 J.C. Tran – 88,000
7. Danny Fuhs — 85,700
8. Lee Watkinson – 77,000
9. Allen Puzantyan — 76,100
10. Thomas Bass — 74,700

Average Chip Count: 60,411

Big Hands:

J.C. Tran Hands Over 60,000 Chip Pot

On a flop of 7JJ, J.C. Tran fired out a bet of 5,000 that was called by Zach Melaney in the big blind. The 10 hit the turn and Melaney once again checked to Tran, who bet 8,000. Melaney quickly announced raised and put out 20 yellow chips, for a raise of 12,000 on top.

Tran went into the tank briefly before making the call. The 2 fell on the river and Melaney checked without hesitation and Tran contemplated momentarily before checking behind. Melaney announced he had a jack, and turned over the KJ for trips. Tran mucked and handed over the pot to the now biggest stack in the room. Tran is down under 200,000.

Will “The Thrill” Faillia Moved In On Twice, Forced To Fold

Still with one of the biggest stacks in the room, Will Faillia re-raised to 7,900 pre-flop on the button and was moved in on from a player in early position who made it 45,300 more. Faillia folded the hand. In a later spot, Faillia opened the pot for 4,000 and was moved in on by the player to his immediate left who raised to 19,700 total. The player next to act went into the tank before eventually folding, and action was back to Faillia who made the fold.

J.C. Tran Going in Reverse

After steam rolling to the big chip lead earlier in the day, J.C. Tran is having a rough time with his table.

In a blind vs. blind confrontation, J.C. Tran was in the big blind on a board of 3Q3Q when the small blind fired out 10,000. Tran min-raised to 20,000 and it was quickly called. The 2 hit the river and the small blind led out for 19,000. Tran went into the tank for a few minutes before finally folding to the river bet.

In an even bigger battle that Tran come out on the wrong side of was in a hand against the new chip leader of the tournament. On a flop of A72, Zach Melaney checked from under the gun. Tran bet out 9,000 and Melaney called. The turn brought the 2 and Melaney once again checked. Tran bet 20,000 this time and Melaney quickly called. The 6 fell on the river and Melaney checked for a third time. Tran looked disgusted and checked behind. Melaney tabled AK for top pair and Tran quickly mucked and left the room for the dinner break. Melaney began counting his 355,000 in chips as players left the room. Tran is down to 88,000.

Left In The Deck

The chip leader is on rush. After being down to under 20,000 before the break just two levels ago, Zach Melaney is now up to 355,000.

The players are currently on a 90 minute dinner break.

Player Tags: J.C. Tran,   Will Failla

Level 12 Update: Tran Still on Top, 535 Players In the Money

Jun 01, '09

Blinds: 600-1,200 with 100 ante

Players Remaining: 535 out of 6,012

Chip Counts:

1. J.C. Tran – 165,000
2. Will Failla – 150,000
3. Alex Shin — 103,300
4. Mark Fink — 100,300
5. John Monnette — 90,000
6. Danny Fuhs — 85,700
7. Allen Puzantyan — 76,100
8. Thomas Bass — 74,700
9. Jack Powell — 72,900
10. Michael Pietrzak – 63,900

Average Chip Count: 29,611

Big Hands:

John Aguiar Not Giving Anything Away

John Aguiar raises to 2,300 from under the gun and the player in seat 6 calls. The flop comes 873, and Aguiar bets 3,800. Seat 6 raises to 9,000 and Aguir tanks for a minute before folding. After this hand Aguiar is up to 95,000 in chips.

Will “The Thrill” Closing In on the Chip Lead

Will “The Thrill” Failla raises to 3,000 with AK and the player in seat 3 moves all-in for 18,300. Failla calls and his opponent turns over 1010. The flop comes J109; seat 3 flops middle set and Failla flops the straight-flush draw. The turn is a queen, giving Failla Broadway and yet another knock-out. After this hand Failla is up to just about 150,000 in chips as he closes in on J.C. Tran and the chip lead.

J.C. Tran Still on Top

The player in seat 4 raises to 3,800 from early position, the small blind calls and J.C. Tran reraises to 12,000 from the big blind. Seat 4 moves all in for 13,800, the small blind folds and Tran calls. Seat 4 turns over KK while Tran shows AQ. The board comes 10749K, no help for Tran who is doubled through this hand. Barely a dent in his stack as Tran still has 165,000 in chips which looks good for the chip lead at the moment.

John Monnette Knocks Out An Opponent

Holding the AK, Monnette called the 11,400 all-in bet of an opponent with A7. The board was great for Monnette as it came 6310. The K hit the turn and Monnette had his opponent drawing dead. After losing some earlier pots, Monnette is now back up to 90,000.

Left In The Deck:

In The Money

The remaining 535 or so players left in today’s event have just made the money. With 621 places being paid, two players busted on the bubble and they will split the 621st spot and pay-out of $1,894. That equates to $947.00 each, or a net loss of $53.000 each

Player Tags: J.C. Tran,   John Monnette,   Jonathan Aguiar,   Will Failla

Level 11 Update: Jason Mercier Eliminated, Failla & Monnette Break 100K

Jun 01, '09

Blinds: 500-1,000 with a 100 ante

Players Remaining: 651 out of 6,012

Chip Counts:

1. J.C. Tran — 140,000
2. Alex Shin — 103,300
3. John Monnette — 102,000
4. Will Failla — 101,000
5. Mark Fink — 100,300
6. Danny Fuhs — 85,700
7. Allen Puzantyan — 76,100
8. Thomas Bass — 74,700
9. Jack Powell — 72,900
10 . Michael Pietrzak — 63,900

Average Chip Count: 27,746

Notable Eliminations:

Jason Mercier

Big Hands:

Jason Mercier Eliminated

The shorter stack of Jason Mercier was faced up against an under the gun raise and re-raise by another opponent. Mercier moved the last of his 11,000 chip stack into the pot and was called by the AA of his opponent. Mercier exposed QQ and needed to get lucky early on day two in order to fall into the money. The board ran out 9KJ84 and Mercier was sent to the rail.

J.C. Tran Continues To Roll

Raising pre-flop very frequently, J.C. has been bullying his table with his big stack. In one hand, Tran raised pre-flop to 2,700 and his opponent two seats to his left, re-raised to 6,000. Tran contemplated briefly before putting out a tower of yellow 1,000 chips to set his opponent all-in. His opponent quickly folded and rushed away from the table, leaving his short stack still alive. After this hand Tran is up to just about 140,000 in chips.

Will “The Thrill” Knocks One Out, Breaks 100K

Will “The Thrill” Failla raises to 3,000 from under the gun with pocket sixes and gets three callers behind. The flop comes 5-5-2 with two diamonds and Failla bets 7,500. The player in seat 2 moves all in and the other two players fold around to Failla. Failla calls and his opponent shows pocket queens.

Suck! Failla spikes a 6 on the turn and gets his first kill of the day. After this hand Failla is up to 90,000 and change. He would go on to steal a few more small pots by the end of the level, breaking the 100K chip mark.

John Monnette Breaks 100K

With just about 30,000 already in the pot on a board of K768, John Monnette bets 10,000 and gets his opponent to fold. Monnette rakes another pot and brings his chip count to just over 100,000 this hand.

Left In The Deck:

The field is now 30 players away from the money.

Player Tags: J.C. Tran,   John Monnette,   Will Failla,   Jason Mercier