| Jun 28, '09 |
2009 40th Annual World Series of Poker |
Event 49 - $50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E |
2 |
+ |
Level 11 Update: End of Day 2; Gus Hansen Leads
Jun 28, '09
Day 2 of the $50,000 World Championship of H.O.R.S.E. has come to an end and just 53 players remain out of the 91 that started the day. Hasan Habib came into the day as the overnight chipleader, maintaining that lead almost the entire day until finally relinquishing it to Gus Hansen right before the closing bell.
Both Scotty Nguyen and Freddy Deeb have the survived the day and will return at 2:00 pm PDT to defend their titles. Day 3 is sure to bring a lot of action, so be sure to check back with CardPlayer.com as we bring you live updates, chip counts and eliminations from this marquee event.
Flop Games: Blinds – 3,000-6,000, Limits – 6,000-12,000
Stud Games: Ante — 1,500, Bring-In — 2,000, Completion — 6,000, Limits — 6,000-12,000
Players Remaining: 53 out of 95
Chip Counts:
1. Ray Dehkharghani — 643,000
2. Gus Hansen — 540,000
3. Erik Sagstrom — 500,000
4. Matt Glantz — 475,000
5. Hasan Habib — 440,000
6. David Bach — 405,000
7. John Monnette — 402,000
8. Frank Kassela — 400,000
9. Jani Sointula — 390,000
10. Todd Brunson — 380,000
Average Chip Count: 268,867
Notable Eliminations:
Allen Kessler
Howard Lederer
Michael Saltzburg
Matthew Grapenthien
Abe Mosseri
Nikolay Evdakov
Andy Black
Farzad Bonyadi
Annie Duke
Big Hands:
HOLD’EM
 Bonyadi Doubles Through Lederer, Leaves Him Crippled
Farzad Bontadi and Howard Lederer each get four bets in before the flop.
The flop comes Q 9 9, Bonyadi gets it all in, Lederer calls and has him covered.
Bonyadi: A Q
Lederer: AK
Bonyadi flops a queen to take the lead. The turn and river are the 7 and the 9 as Bonyadi doubles up to 80,000 in chips while Lederer is left with just over 30,000 this hand.
Bonyadi Finishes the Job; Howard Lederer Eliminated
A few hands later and Howard Lederer raises before the flop and Farzad Bonyadi calls.
The flop comes KJ6, Lederer bets out and Bonyadi calls.
The turn is the 2, Lederer gets it all in and Bonyadi calls.
Lederer: 99
Bonyadi: 97
Lederer only has a pair on the turn while Bonyadi has already made a flush. Lederer is drawing dead on the river (10) and is eliminated from the tournament.
RAZZ
 Abe Mosseri Eliminated by Hasan Habib
Abe Mosseri is all in on fourth street against Hasan Habib.
Mosseri: 3-2-4-7-7-7-K
Habib: A-7-8-2-2-4-J
Mosseri started off good on fourth street wen his money went in, but then tripped up on fifth and sixth streets, making a a king-low on the river. Habib makes a jack-low, adding even more chips to his stack as he eliminates Abe Mosseri right before the end of the play.
Dehkharghani Doubles Through Lindgren; Steals late-Night Chiplead
Ray Dehkharghani took control of the pot early with Erick Lindgren calling to a showdown.
Dehkharghani: 6-J-2-A-5-7-7
Lindgren: X-X-4-8-9-4-X
Dehkharghani makes a 7-low and Lindgren mucks his hand. Dehkharghani steals the chiplead with just under 650,000 this hand while Lindgren drops to 100,000 in chips.
Player Tags: Fred Bonyadi, Erick Lindgren, Hasan Habib, Gus Hansen, Howard Lederer, Abe Mosseri, Ray Dehkharghani, Erik Sagstrom
|
| Apr 30, '09 |
2009 PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final - Season V |
EPT Grand Final Championship - Event 1 |
3 |
+ |
|
|
| Apr 22, '09 |
2009 Five-Star World Poker Classic |
WPT Championship - Event 16 |
5 |
+ |
Freddy Bonyadi Eliminated in 47th Place ($32,685)
Apr 22, '09
 Sinan Yoyen raised and Freddy Bonyadi moved all in for 220,000. Yoyen called with pocket tens and Bonyadi showed A-K for a race. The flop brought a ten and Bonyadi was eliminated in 47th place.
Player Tags: Fred Bonyadi, Sinan Yoyen
|
| Mar 19, '09 |
2009 Bay 101 Shooting Star |
WPT Championship - Event 2 |
4 |
+ |
Level 21 Update
Mar 19, '09
Level: 21 -- NOTE: Levels are now 2 hours long
Blinds: 5,000-10,000 with a 1,000 ante
Players Left: 8 of 391
Score Board
Notable Chip Counts
Steve Brecher: 1,920,000
Chris Moore 1,650,000
Michael Kamran: 1,330,000
Thao Le: 670,000
Tony Behari: 640,000
Chau Vu: 450,000
John Monnette: 373,000
Average: 977,500
Shooting Stars
Kathy Liebert: 795,000
In-the-Money Eliminations
9: Farzad Bonyadi -- $60,000
Big Hands:
 Farzad Bonyadi Eliminated in Ninth Place ($60,000)
Farzad Bonyadi raised from the cutoff to 30,000 and Thao Le called from the big blind. The flop was dealt Q92 and both players checked. The turn card fell J, Thao checked, and Bonyadi moved all in. Thao called and they turned up their cards:
Thao: K10
Bonyadi: K-J
The river bricked and Bonyadi was eliminated in ninth place. He will take home $60,000 in prize money. Thao held 680,000 after the hand.
Kathy Liebert Doubles Up
Kathy Liebert raised from the button to 30,000 and Chau Vu made the call from the big blind. The flop was dealt Q96 and Vu checked. Liebert bet 35,000 and Vu made the call. The turn card fell 7 and Vu checked. Liebert bet 70,000 and Vu raised all in. Liebert made the call and they turned up their cards:
Liebert: Q9
Vu: 87
River: J
Liebert doubled up to 538,000 and Vu was knocked down to 460,000.
Chris Moore Makes a Nice Bluff
John Monnette raised preflop and Chris Moore reraised. Monnette made the call and the flop fell 754. Both players checked and the turn fell A. Monnette checked, Moore bet, and Monnette check-raised to 120,000. Moore went into the tank for a few minutes and then he moved all in. Monnette now had to make a decision for his tournament life and he decided to fold. Moore flipped over K5 as he collected the pot. Moore held 1,650,000 after the hand and Monnette was down to 380,000.
Player Tags: Fred Bonyadi, Kathy Liebert, Thao Le, Chau Vu
Level 20 Update
Mar 19, '09
Level: 20 -- NOTE: Levels are now 2 hours long
Blinds: 4,000-8,000 with a 1,000 ante
Players Left: 9 of 391
Score Board
Notable Chip Counts
Steve Brecher: 2,157,000
Michael Kamran: 1,150,000
John Monnette: 835,000
Tony Behari: 820,000
Chris Moore 770,000
Chau Vu: 688,000
Thao Le: 440,000
Farzad Bonyadi: 160,000
Average: 868,888
Shooting Stars
Kathy Liebert: 470,000
In-the-Money Eliminations
15: Steve Dempsey -- $30,000
14: David Forster -- $30,000
13: Frank Khadivi -- $30,000
12: Amnon Filippi -- $40,000
11: Dan O'Brien -- $40,000
10: David Fox -- $60,000
Big Hands:
Chris Moore Doubles Up
Chris Moore checked a flop of 1095 from the big blind and Farzad Bonyadi bet 30,000 from the cutoff. Moore raised to 120,000 and Bonyadi reraised all in. Moore called all in and they turned up their cards:
Moore: 109
Bonyadi: AK
Turn and River: 106
Moore doubled up on the hand to 715,000 and Bonyadi was knocked down to 895,000.
Final Two Tables Seating Chart
Table 1
1: Steve Brecher
2: Kathy Liebert
3: Dan O'Brien
4: Thao Le
5: Chau Vu
6: Freddy Bonyadi
Table 2
 1: Amnon Filippi
2: Tony Behari
3: Michael Kamran
4: David Fox
5: John Monnette
6: Chris Moore
Amnon Filippi Eliminated in 12th Place ($40,000)
John Monnete raised to 22,000 and Amnon Filippi moved all in preflop. Michael Kamran made the call and Monnette did as well. The flop fell K74 and Kamran checked. Monnette bet 80,000 and Kamran mucked. The two live players then turned up their cards:
Monnette: KQ
Filippi: AQ
Turn and River: 8K
Filippi was eliminated on the hand and he will take home $40,000 in prize money.
Dan O'Brien Eliminated in 11th Place ($40,000)
Dan O'Brien got the last of his chips into the middle preflop gainst Farzad Bonyadi. Their cards:
O'Brien: 99
Bonyadi: AK
Board: A10376
O'Brien was eliminated in 11th place and he will take home $40,000 in prize money. Bonyadi held 1,350,000 after the hand.
David Fox Eliminated in 10th Place ($60,000)
 David Fox got all of his chips into the middle against Michael Kamran. Their cards:
Fox: 99
Kamran: QQ
Board: Q6354
Fox was eliminated in 10th place and he will take home $60,000 in prize money. Kamran was up to 1,150,000 after the hand.
Bonyadi vs. Brecher in a HUGE Pot
Thao Le raised under the gun to 28,000 and Farzad Bonyadi called from the button. Steve Brecher raised from the small blind to 204,000 and Le mucked. Bonyadi raised all in and Brecher made the call. Their cards:
Brecher: AA
Bonyadi: KK
Board: J62Q7
Brecher won the huge hand to double to 2,426,000 and take the chip lead. Bonyadi was crippled down to 160,000.
Player Tags: Fred Bonyadi, Amnon Filippi, John Monnette, Chris Moore, Daniel O'Brien, Michael Kamran
Level 16 Update
Mar 18, '09
Level: 16
Blinds: 1,500-3,000 with a 500 ante
Players Left: 47 of 391
Score Board
Notable Chip Counts
Gary Tighe: 485,000
Daniel O'Brien: 435,000
John Monnette: 433,000
Chris Moore: 388,000
Tyler Cornell: 338,000
Vivek Rajkumar: 315,000
Frank Khadivi: 310,000
Faraz Jaka: 305,000
Farzad Bonyadi: 265,000
Tony Behari: 260,000
Average: 126,129
Notable Eliminations
XXX
Shooting Star Watch
Here are the Shooting Stars in action on day 2:
 Brandon Cantu - out
John Cernuto - out
T.J. Cloutier - out
Hoyt Corkins
Allen Cunningham - out
Freddy Deeb - out
Annie Duke - out
Eli Elezra - out
Jennifer Harman - out
Howard Lederer - out
Kathy Liebert
Erick Lindgren - out
Jonathan Little - out
Daniel Negreanu - out
Men Nguyen - out
David Pham - out
Joe Sebok
Gavin Smith - out
Kenny Tran - out
Paul Wasicka
Big Hands:
Kenny Tran Eliminated
Robert Fox bet 15,000 from the small blind on a board of A102K and Kenny Tran made the call in the big blind. The river fell 5 and Fox moved all in. Tran called all in and they flipped up their cards. Tran mucked when Fox showed down J3 and he was knocked out of the tournament just short of the money.
Slow Bubble Play
Play on the money bubble has been slugging along for more than 45 minute with no end in sight. There are multiple short stacks left in the field that are all keeping a close eye on one another.
 Vincent Shaw Busts on the Bubble
Vincent Shaw moved all in preflop for 20,000 and both Hoyt Corkins and Farzad Bonyadi called him down. The two live pllayers checked down a board of 1063Q7 and Corkins bet 15,000. Bonyadi got out of the way and Horkins flipped over 98. Shaw mucked his hand and he busted out of the tournament as the bubble boy. Every player left will now walk away with at least $12,500.
In the Money Finishers
45: Wook "Danny" Kim -- $12,500
44: Venkatesh Kirshamoorthy -- $12,500
43: Robert Franscioni -- $12,500
42: Faraz Jaka -- $12,500
41: David Zhang -- $12,500
40: Daniel Urdahl -- $12,500
Player Tags: Hoyt Corkins, Fred Bonyadi, Kenny Tran
Level 15 Update
Mar 18, '09
Level: 15
Blinds: 1,200-2,400 with a 400 ante
Players Left: 46 of 391
Score Board
Notable Chip Counts
Gary Tighe: 485,000
Daniel O'Brien: 435,000
John Monnette: 433,000
Chris Moore: 388,000
Tyler Cornell: 338,000
Vivek Rajkumar: 315,000
Frank Khadivi: 310,000
Faraz Jaka: 305,000
Farzad Bonyadi: 265,000
Tony Behari: 260,000
Average: 126,129
Notable Eliminations
John Cernuto
Glen Chorny
Matt Keikoan
Conner Stockett
Shooting Star Watch
Here are the Shooting Stars in action on day 2:
 Brandon Cantu - out
John Cernuto - out
T.J. Cloutier - out
Hoyt Corkins
Allen Cunningham - out
Freddy Deeb - out
Annie Duke - out
Eli Elezra - out
Jennifer Harman - out
Howard Lederer - out
Kathy Liebert
Erick Lindgren - out
Jonathan Little - out
Daniel Negreanu - out
Men Nguyen - out
David Pham - out
Joe Sebok
Gavin Smith - out
Kenny Tran
Paul Wasicka
Big Hands:
John Cernuto Eliminated
John Cernuto moved all in preflop and Matt Lessinger called him down. Their cards:
Cernuto: 55
Lessinger: 88
Board: 10102KK
Cernuto was knocked out of the tournament on the hand and Lessinger collected the $5,000 bounty.
A Little Bit Slower Now
Action has been a little slower this level as players shake off the rust from the dinner break. Even with the slow down, just 10 more players need to fall before the end of the night.
Farzad Bonyadi Doubles Up
A flop of QQ6 sat on the table along with 100,000 in the pot when Farzad Bonydai moved all in for 85,000. Corkins went into the tank for a long while and finally made the call. Their cards:
Corkins: 1010
Bonyadi: AA
Turn and River: 29
Bonyadi doubled up on the hand to 270,000 and he is now among the chip leaders.
Player Tags: Hoyt Corkins, John Cernuto, Fred Bonyadi
|
| Mar 18, '09 |
2009 Bay 101 Shooting Star |
WPT Championship - Event 2 |
3 |
+ |
Level 21 Update
Mar 19, '09
Level: 21 -- NOTE: Levels are now 2 hours long
Blinds: 5,000-10,000 with a 1,000 ante
Players Left: 8 of 391
Score Board
Notable Chip Counts
Steve Brecher: 1,920,000
Chris Moore 1,650,000
Michael Kamran: 1,330,000
Thao Le: 670,000
Tony Behari: 640,000
Chau Vu: 450,000
John Monnette: 373,000
Average: 977,500
Shooting Stars
Kathy Liebert: 795,000
In-the-Money Eliminations
9: Farzad Bonyadi -- $60,000
Big Hands:
Farzad Bonyadi Eliminated in Ninth Place ($60,000)
Farzad Bonyadi raised from the cutoff to 30,000 and Thao Le called from the big blind. The flop was dealt Q92 and both players checked. The turn card fell J, Thao checked, and Bonyadi moved all in. Thao called and they turned up their cards:
Thao: K10
Bonyadi: K-J
The river bricked and Bonyadi was eliminated in ninth place. He will take home $60,000 in prize money. Thao held 680,000 after the hand.
Kathy Liebert Doubles Up
Kathy Liebert raised from the button to 30,000 and Chau Vu made the call from the big blind. The flop was dealt Q96 and Vu checked. Liebert bet 35,000 and Vu made the call. The turn card fell 7 and Vu checked. Liebert bet 70,000 and Vu raised all in. Liebert made the call and they turned up their cards:
Liebert: Q9
Vu: 87
River: J
Liebert doubled up to 538,000 and Vu was knocked down to 460,000.
Chris Moore Makes a Nice Bluff
John Monnette raised preflop and Chris Moore reraised. Monnette made the call and the flop fell 754. Both players checked and the turn fell A. Monnette checked, Moore bet, and Monnette check-raised to 120,000. Moore went into the tank for a few minutes and then he moved all in. Monnette now had to make a decision for his tournament life and he decided to fold. Moore flipped over K5 as he collected the pot. Moore held 1,650,000 after the hand and Monnette was down to 380,000.
Player Tags: Fred Bonyadi, Kathy Liebert, Thao Le, Chau Vu
Level 20 Update
Mar 19, '09
Level: 20 -- NOTE: Levels are now 2 hours long
Blinds: 4,000-8,000 with a 1,000 ante
Players Left: 9 of 391
Score Board
Notable Chip Counts
Steve Brecher: 2,157,000
Michael Kamran: 1,150,000
John Monnette: 835,000
Tony Behari: 820,000
Chris Moore 770,000
Chau Vu: 688,000
Thao Le: 440,000
Farzad Bonyadi: 160,000
Average: 868,888
Shooting Stars
Kathy Liebert: 470,000
In-the-Money Eliminations
15: Steve Dempsey -- $30,000
14: David Forster -- $30,000
13: Frank Khadivi -- $30,000
12: Amnon Filippi -- $40,000
11: Dan O'Brien -- $40,000
10: David Fox -- $60,000
Big Hands:
Chris Moore Doubles Up
Chris Moore checked a flop of 1095 from the big blind and Farzad Bonyadi bet 30,000 from the cutoff. Moore raised to 120,000 and Bonyadi reraised all in. Moore called all in and they turned up their cards:
Moore: 109
Bonyadi: AK
Turn and River: 106
Moore doubled up on the hand to 715,000 and Bonyadi was knocked down to 895,000.
Final Two Tables Seating Chart
Table 1
1: Steve Brecher
2: Kathy Liebert
3: Dan O'Brien
4: Thao Le
5: Chau Vu
6: Freddy Bonyadi
Table 2
1: Amnon Filippi
2: Tony Behari
3: Michael Kamran
4: David Fox
5: John Monnette
6: Chris Moore
Amnon Filippi Eliminated in 12th Place ($40,000)
John Monnete raised to 22,000 and Amnon Filippi moved all in preflop. Michael Kamran made the call and Monnette did as well. The flop fell K74 and Kamran checked. Monnette bet 80,000 and Kamran mucked. The two live players then turned up their cards:
Monnette: KQ
Filippi: AQ
Turn and River: 8K
Filippi was eliminated on the hand and he will take home $40,000 in prize money.
Dan O'Brien Eliminated in 11th Place ($40,000)
Dan O'Brien got the last of his chips into the middle preflop gainst Farzad Bonyadi. Their cards:
O'Brien: 99
Bonyadi: AK
Board: A10376
O'Brien was eliminated in 11th place and he will take home $40,000 in prize money. Bonyadi held 1,350,000 after the hand.
David Fox Eliminated in 10th Place ($60,000)
David Fox got all of his chips into the middle against Michael Kamran. Their cards:
Fox: 99
Kamran: QQ
Board: Q6354
Fox was eliminated in 10th place and he will take home $60,000 in prize money. Kamran was up to 1,150,000 after the hand.
Bonyadi vs. Brecher in a HUGE Pot
Thao Le raised under the gun to 28,000 and Farzad Bonyadi called from the button. Steve Brecher raised from the small blind to 204,000 and Le mucked. Bonyadi raised all in and Brecher made the call. Their cards:
Brecher: AA
Bonyadi: KK
Board: J62Q7
Brecher won the huge hand to double to 2,426,000 and take the chip lead. Bonyadi was crippled down to 160,000.
Player Tags: Fred Bonyadi, Amnon Filippi, John Monnette, Chris Moore, Daniel O'Brien, Michael Kamran
Level 16 Update
Mar 18, '09
Level: 16
Blinds: 1,500-3,000 with a 500 ante
Players Left: 47 of 391
Score Board
Notable Chip Counts
Gary Tighe: 485,000
Daniel O'Brien: 435,000
John Monnette: 433,000
Chris Moore: 388,000
Tyler Cornell: 338,000
Vivek Rajkumar: 315,000
Frank Khadivi: 310,000
Faraz Jaka: 305,000
Farzad Bonyadi: 265,000
Tony Behari: 260,000
Average: 126,129
Notable Eliminations
XXX
Shooting Star Watch
Here are the Shooting Stars in action on day 2:
Brandon Cantu - out
John Cernuto - out
T.J. Cloutier - out
Hoyt Corkins
Allen Cunningham - out
Freddy Deeb - out
Annie Duke - out
Eli Elezra - out
Jennifer Harman - out
Howard Lederer - out
Kathy Liebert
Erick Lindgren - out
Jonathan Little - out
Daniel Negreanu - out
Men Nguyen - out
David Pham - out
Joe Sebok
Gavin Smith - out
Kenny Tran - out
Paul Wasicka
Big Hands:
Kenny Tran Eliminated
Robert Fox bet 15,000 from the small blind on a board of A102K and Kenny Tran made the call in the big blind. The river fell 5 and Fox moved all in. Tran called all in and they flipped up their cards. Tran mucked when Fox showed down J3 and he was knocked out of the tournament just short of the money.
Slow Bubble Play
Play on the money bubble has been slugging along for more than 45 minute with no end in sight. There are multiple short stacks left in the field that are all keeping a close eye on one another.
Vincent Shaw Busts on the Bubble
Vincent Shaw moved all in preflop for 20,000 and both Hoyt Corkins and Farzad Bonyadi called him down. The two live pllayers checked down a board of 1063Q7 and Corkins bet 15,000. Bonyadi got out of the way and Horkins flipped over 98. Shaw mucked his hand and he busted out of the tournament as the bubble boy. Every player left will now walk away with at least $12,500.
In the Money Finishers
45: Wook "Danny" Kim -- $12,500
44: Venkatesh Kirshamoorthy -- $12,500
43: Robert Franscioni -- $12,500
42: Faraz Jaka -- $12,500
41: David Zhang -- $12,500
40: Daniel Urdahl -- $12,500
Player Tags: Hoyt Corkins, Fred Bonyadi, Kenny Tran
Level 15 Update
Mar 18, '09
Level: 15
Blinds: 1,200-2,400 with a 400 ante
Players Left: 46 of 391
Score Board
Notable Chip Counts
Gary Tighe: 485,000
Daniel O'Brien: 435,000
John Monnette: 433,000
Chris Moore: 388,000
Tyler Cornell: 338,000
Vivek Rajkumar: 315,000
Frank Khadivi: 310,000
Faraz Jaka: 305,000
Farzad Bonyadi: 265,000
Tony Behari: 260,000
Average: 126,129
Notable Eliminations
John Cernuto
Glen Chorny
Matt Keikoan
Conner Stockett
Shooting Star Watch
Here are the Shooting Stars in action on day 2:
Brandon Cantu - out
John Cernuto - out
T.J. Cloutier - out
Hoyt Corkins
Allen Cunningham - out
Freddy Deeb - out
Annie Duke - out
Eli Elezra - out
Jennifer Harman - out
Howard Lederer - out
Kathy Liebert
Erick Lindgren - out
Jonathan Little - out
Daniel Negreanu - out
Men Nguyen - out
David Pham - out
Joe Sebok
Gavin Smith - out
Kenny Tran
Paul Wasicka
Big Hands:
John Cernuto Eliminated
John Cernuto moved all in preflop and Matt Lessinger called him down. Their cards:
Cernuto: 55
Lessinger: 88
Board: 10102KK
Cernuto was knocked out of the tournament on the hand and Lessinger collected the $5,000 bounty.
A Little Bit Slower Now
Action has been a little slower this level as players shake off the rust from the dinner break. Even with the slow down, just 10 more players need to fall before the end of the night.
Farzad Bonyadi Doubles Up
A flop of QQ6 sat on the table along with 100,000 in the pot when Farzad Bonydai moved all in for 85,000. Corkins went into the tank for a long while and finally made the call. Their cards:
Corkins: 1010
Bonyadi: AA
Turn and River: 29
Bonyadi doubled up on the hand to 270,000 and he is now among the chip leaders.
Player Tags: Hoyt Corkins, John Cernuto, Fred Bonyadi
|
| Feb 22, '09 |
2009 L.A. Poker Classic |
No-Limit Hold'em Championship (WPT) - Event 35 |
2 |
+ |
Level 9 Update
Feb 22, '09
Level: 9
Blinds: 300-600 with a 75 ante
Players Left: 261 out of 696
 Score Board
Notable Chip Counts
Antonio Esfandiari - 300,000
Kofi Farkye - 176,000
KJ Nam - 175,000
Mickey Mills - 151,000
Zach Hyman - 141,000
Mike Sowers - 139,000
Dan O'Brien - 129,000
Anthony Venturini - 125,000
Phil Ivey - 122,000
Young Phan - 120,000
Average:53,333
Notable Eliminations
 Joe Sebok
Mike Matusow
Erik Seidel
David Tran
Roy Winston
Jason Potter
Tony Cousineau
Gavin Griffin
Vanessa Rousso
Theo Tran
Raymond Davis
Philippe Rouas
Noah Schwartz
Thayer Rasmussen
Allen Cunningham
Chad Batista
Jared Hamby
Van Nguyen
 Featured Table
Table 19
Seat 1: Paul Smith
Seat 2: Nick Schulman
Seat 3: Greg Thompson
Seat 4: Eric Hershler
Seat 5: Dan O'Brien -- 87,000
Seat 7: Karga Holt
Seat 8: Isaac Haxton
Seat 9: Paul Wasicka -- 85,000
Paul Smith Takes a Hit
On a board of Q726. with 2,400 in the pot, Paul Smith bet 3,500 and Greg Thompson made the call. The 9 fell on the river and seat 3 bet 3,500. Smith thought for a moment and then mucked his hand.
Big Hands:
 Joe Sebok Eliminated by Farzad Bonyadi
Joe Sebok was short stacked and all in holding A-Q against the pocket sevens of Freddy Bonyadi. The board offered no help and Sebok was eliminated from the tournament.
James "Jsizzle20" St. Hilaire Can't Get Action From Danny Wong
The betting action is unknown, but James St. Hilaire held a set of nines on a board of 9-8-3-7-K. Wong thought over his option on the river before mucking bottom set of threes, keeping himself alive in the tournament.
 Erik Seidel Eliminated by Young Phan
Erik Seidel got it all in holding kings and feeling comfortable, but his outlook changed when he saw Young Phan's pocket aces. The board helped neither player and Seidel was eliminated from the tournament.
Gavin Griffin Loses Out to a Flopped Flush
Gavin Griffin was all in holding pocket nines and up against his opponent's A10. The flop brings three clubs and Griffin is drawing very slim. The turn and river bricked his runner-runner outs and Griffin was eliminated from the tournament.
Phil Hellmuth Doubles Up Through David Chiu
On a flop of K55 Phil Hellmuth checked and David Chiu bet. Hellmuth check-raised and Chiu shoved all in. Hellmuth made the all-in call and flipped over K-10. Chiu held AJ and the turn and river fell 74. Hellmuth doubled up on the hand to survive.
 Shenko's Shank
With over 15,000 in the pot and K32AJ on the board, Yevgeniy Timoshenko bet 9,500 from the button and his opponent went into the tank in middle position. He eventually made the call and Timoshenko flipped over AJ to win the pot.
Player Tags: Young Phan, Fred Bonyadi, Joe Sebok, Danny Wong, James St Hilaire
|
| Feb 17, '09 |
2009 L.A. Poker Classic |
H.O.R.S.E Championship - Event 29 |
2 |
+ |
Freddy Bonyadi Eliminated
Feb 17, '09
 Limit Hold'em
Freddy Bonyadi moved all in preflop and was called by both Nick Schulman and Jeff Madsen. Madsen bet the 833 flop and Schulman gave it up, leaving hiimself with just 10,000 in chips.
Madsen showed JJ and Bonyadi failed to catch up when his KQ bricked out.
Madsen's good run continues and he has built his stack to 216,000.
Player Tags: Fred Bonyadi, Nick Schulman, Jeff Madsen
Jeff Madsen Wins a Nice One
Feb 17, '09
 Omaha Eight-or-Better
Jeff Madsen raised to 1,600 preflop, Farzad Bonyadi called, and Howard Lederer put in a raise, which both of his opponents called. The flop was dealt AQ4 and Bonyadi bet 800. Lederer raised to 1,600 and both opponents made the call. The J fell on the turn and Madsen bet 5,000. Both opponents made the call agin and the river fell 8. Madsen bet 2,500 and both opponents made the call. Madsen turned up K10J4 and he took down the pot when both Lederer and Bonyadi mucked their hands.
Player Tags: Fred Bonyadi, Howard Lederer, Jeff Madsen
|
| Jun 27, '08 |
2008 39th Annual World Series of Poker |
Event 45 - World Championship H.O.R.S.E. |
3 |
+ |
$50,000 H.O.R.S.E. - Day 3 - Level 15
Jun 27, '08
Limits and Blinds:
Hold'em and Omaha 8OB: 6,000 small blind -12,000 big blind
Stud Games: 3,000 ante - 3,000 bring-in - 12,000 completion
Players Left: 35 of 148
Chip Leaders:
Michael DeMichele - 1,280,000
Barry Greenstein - 1,010,000
Joseph Michael - 770,000
Andy Bloch: 727,000
Farzad Bonyadi: 700,000
Daniel Negreanu: 620,000
Matthew Glantz: 590,000
Lyle Berman: 545,000
Patrick Bueno: 520,000
Huck Seed - 480,000
Average Stack: 422,857
Chip Mover:
Farzad Bonyadi shot up to 700,000 during the last level and he now sits in the top five, gaining 230,000 during the last level.
Eliminations:
"Miami" John Cernuto
Chris Reslock
Keith Sexton
Abe Mosseri
Steve Zolotow
Justin Bonomo
Greg Mascio
 Big Hands and Storylines:
Hold'em
Erick Lindgren Doubles Up
Erick Lindgren raised to 24,000 preflop from the small blind and Marcel Luske made the call from the big blind. The flop rolled out J85 and Lindgren opened the action with the last of his chips. Luske made the call and they turned up their hands:
Luske: 75
Lindgren: A8
Turn and River: Q2
Lindgren doubled up on the hand to survive. Lindgren also doubled up a second time against Daniel Negreanu in the razz rotation for this level.
Stud 8OB
Ralph Perry Scoops
Ralph Perry and Raymond Davis got involved in a series of bets and raises all the way to seventh street. Their exposed cards:
Perry: A8Q3
Davis: AK6J
Perry turned up 543, which scooped the pot when Davis mucked.
Zolotow Takes the Low to Survive
 On third street Katja Thater bet 12,000 and Steve Zolotow raised to 24,000. Thater made it another bet to go, and then Zolotow moved all in for the last of his chips. Thater made the call and they opened up thier hands. Full board after seventh street:
Zolotow: (74)924A(8)
Thater: (JJ)9KQA(2)
Thater took the high, while Zolotow took the low to survive. The run of luck would not conitnue for Zolotow though, and he hit the rail just a few hands later in the hold'em round.
Hold'em
Billy Argyros Triples Up - Ivey Low
Billy Argyos moved all in preflop against Phil Ivey and Jim Bechtel on a flop of 875. Both players made the call and then Ivey also moved all in against Bechtel after the 7 fell on the turn. Bechtel made the call, covering both of his opponents. Their cards:
Bechtel: AQ
Ivey: A5
Argyros: 97
River: 5
Argryos tripled up on the hand, and Ivey won the side pot with Bechtel to survive, although his chip stack was very low after the hand.
Note: The players went on a 20-minute break after the level. Cards back in the air at 11:40 p.m. Level 16 recap up at 1:10 a.m.
Player Tags: Fred Bonyadi, Erick Lindgren, Raymond Davis, Steve Zolotow, Marcel Luske, James Bechtel Sr., Katja Thater, Ralph Perry, European Report
$50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E - Day 2 - Level 13 Recap
Jun 27, '08
Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha: 4,000-8,000 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8: 2,000 ante, 2,000 bring in, 8,000-16,000 stakes
Players Left: 46 of 148
Chip Leaders:
Joseph Michael - 730,000
Edwin Ting - 690,000
Barry Greenstein - 655,000
Lyle Berman - 603,000
Michael DeMichele - 590,000
Chad Brown - 550,000
Huck Seed - 525,000
James Mackey - 510,000
Farzad "Fred" Bonyadi - 480,000
David Oppenheim - 475,000
Average Stack: 321,750
Eliminations:
Dario Minieri
Greg Mueller
Isabelle Mercier
Big Hands and Storylines:
Omaha/8b
Minh Ly Doubles Up
Minh Ly raised from early position and was called by Barry Greenstein in middle position, Phil Ivey in the small blind, and Layne Flack in the big blind. The flop was Q97 and Ivey bet out and Flack folded. Ly raised, Greenstein folded, and Ivey called. On the 3 turn Ivey check-called a bet from Ly. The river was the A and Ivey checked again. Ly bet, leaving himself only 20,000 behind, and Ivey folded rather quickly. The pot brought Ly up to 150,000 and knocked Ivey down to a perilously low 100,000.
Razz
Greg Mueller Eliminated
After a raise and a re-raise, Greg Mueller was all-in on third street against Chris Reslock:
Mueller: (2)(9)4JJ109
Reslock: (3)(6)45J107
After all of the cards had been dealt, Reslock’s 7-low was good to take down the smallish pot. Mueller, unlike most players who dart from the tournament floor at light speed, lingered around his table for a few minutes before taking a leisurely walk out of the Amazon Room.
 Dario Minieri Eliminated
Having gotten all-in as a short-stack a number of times in the Omaha/8b portion of the event only to repeatedly claim a chopped pot, Dario Minieri got himself all-in on third street against Andy Bloch in razz. There would be no split pot this time; it was either double up or go home for Minieri. Unfortunately for the diminutive Italian, he would be sent packing. Despite starting with 5-2-A, he could only make a 9-8 low. Bloch’s 5-3-2 turned into an 8-5 on seventh street and the pot was his. Bloch now has about 210,000.
Stud
Isabelle Mercier Eliminated
Ralph Perry: AA93
Justin Bonomo: J974
Isabelle Mercier: 7322
On seventh street, with Isabelle Mercier all-in, Ralph Perry bet into Justin Bonomo. Bonomo mulled over a decision and opted to simply call. Perry insta-mucked, not even giving Bonomo a chance to show his cards. When Bonomo did reveal his downcards – (Q)(6)(5) – it was apparent to Mercier that he had made a flush, and that her day was over. Bonomo is now up to 170,000.
Player Tags: Fred Bonyadi, Barry Greenstein, Minh Ly, Chad Brown, Huck Seed, David Oppenheim, Greg Mueller, Lyle Berman, Phil Ivey, James Mackey, Isabelle Mercier, Justin Bonomo, Dario Minieri, Michael DeMichele, Joseph Michael, Edwin Ting, European Report
$50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E - Day 2 - Level 6 Recap
Jun 26, '08
Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha: 900-1,800 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8: 400 ante, 500 bring in, 1,800-3,600 stakes
Players Left: 136 of 148
Chip Leaders:
Ray Dehkharghani - 220,000
William Chen - 215,000
Steve Wolff - 204,000
Erick Lindgren - 202,000
Abraham "Abe" Mosseri - 196,000
Chris Reslock - 195,000
Steve Sung - 194,000
Patrik Antonius - 190,000
Doug Ganger - 190,000
Farzad "Fred" Bonyadi - 185,000
Average Stack: 108,825
Big Hands and Storylines:
Hold’em
Good Start For Forrest
Erick Lindgren raised from middle position and action folded around to Ted Forrest in the big blind who made the call. The flop was J1010 and Forrest check-called a bet from Lindgren. The turn was the 7. Again Forrest checked and Lindgren bet. Forrest then raised and Lindgren called. Forrest bet the 4 river and Lindgren made the call. Forrest showed down KJ and took down a nice sized pot. Forrest is now just below the starting stack of 100,000. Lindgren is among the chip leaders with 200,000.
Horse Does Start With An “H”
Having been questioned about the situation by a few players, Jack Effel brought up the issue of whether the first game of each day should be hold’em or, instead, a game chosen by random draw. Effel asked for a show of hands from those who were in favor of a random game to start off each day. His request was met by only a meager show of hands, indicative more perhaps of the players ambivalence toward the situation than any real opinion. With such a lackluster show of hands, it appears that hold’em will be the game to start each of the days of this tournament. Mickey Appleman said it best, “Why complicate things?”
Omaha/8b
 Fitoussi Gets Cut Out
Hasan Habib limped from early position and was joined on the flop by David Singer, Patrick Bueno, Michael Binger, and Bruno Fitoussi. The flop came AK2. Fitoussi checked, Habib bet, Singer and Bueno folded, Binger raised, and Fitoussi and Habib called. On the J turn, Fitoussi checked, Habib bet, Binger raised again, and Fitoussi and Habib called. The river was the 6. Again Fitoussi checked, Habib bet, and Binger and Fitoussi called. Habib showed A422 for the nut flush while Binger tabled 10543 for the nut low. Fitoussi showed... nothing. He mucked his hand quietly and shuffled his remaining 40,000 in chips. Habib has a more stable 80,000, and Binger has an even better 115,000.
Stud
“I Can’t Believe I Laid It Down!”
With boards reading:
Eli Elezra: Q10K2
Annie Duke: 3896
Elezra after leading out on 5th street, checked his hand on 6th street. Duke bet and Elezra went into the tank. After about 90 seconds of thinking, he flipped his upcards over and the conceded the pot to Duke. Apparently Elezra wasn’t too crushed by the lost pot, as he joked, “I can’t believe I laid that down. Two fours!” Elezra has about 85,000. Even with that pot Duke finds herself with only 30,000 in chips.
Stud/8b
Kaplan and Corkins Split Galfond’s Chips
Corkins: 7452
Kaplan: JQ104
Galfond: AK68
Hoyt Corkins completed with the 7 up, Gabe Kaplan called with the J, Phil Galfond raised with an A, and the two others called. Galfond led into his two elder statesmen on 4th street and was called by both. 5th street and 6th street shared the same action: Galfond checked, Corkins bet, and Kaplan and Galfond both called. Corkins bet 7th street and was raised by Kaplan, this put Galfond in a difficult position and he was forced to lay down his hand. A bit overeager, Kaplan flipped over his hand before Corkins made his decision. Corkins saw his opponent’s JJT for a full house and made the call, showing A43 for a wheel. Corkins took down half of the pot, but was unlucky not to scoop it. After the hand, Corkins had 45,000, Kaplan 85,000, and Galfond 95,000.
Player Tags: Hoyt Corkins, Fred Bonyadi, Annie Duke, Erick Lindgren, Hasan Habib, Ted Forrest, Eli Elezra, Gabe Kaplan, Bruno Fitoussi, Abe Mosseri, Ray Dehkharghani, Chris Reslock, Steve Wolff, William Chen, Steve Sung, Michael Binger, Phil Galfond, Doug Ganger
|
| Jun 26, '08 |
2008 39th Annual World Series of Poker |
Event 45 - World Championship H.O.R.S.E. |
2 |
+ |
$50,000 H.O.R.S.E. - Day 3 - Level 15
Jun 27, '08
Limits and Blinds:
Hold'em and Omaha 8OB: 6,000 small blind -12,000 big blind
Stud Games: 3,000 ante - 3,000 bring-in - 12,000 completion
Players Left: 35 of 148
Chip Leaders:
Michael DeMichele - 1,280,000
Barry Greenstein - 1,010,000
Joseph Michael - 770,000
Andy Bloch: 727,000
Farzad Bonyadi: 700,000
Daniel Negreanu: 620,000
Matthew Glantz: 590,000
Lyle Berman: 545,000
Patrick Bueno: 520,000
Huck Seed - 480,000
Average Stack: 422,857
Chip Mover:
Farzad Bonyadi shot up to 700,000 during the last level and he now sits in the top five, gaining 230,000 during the last level.
Eliminations:
"Miami" John Cernuto
Chris Reslock
Keith Sexton
Abe Mosseri
Steve Zolotow
Justin Bonomo
Greg Mascio
Big Hands and Storylines:
Hold'em
Erick Lindgren Doubles Up
Erick Lindgren raised to 24,000 preflop from the small blind and Marcel Luske made the call from the big blind. The flop rolled out J85 and Lindgren opened the action with the last of his chips. Luske made the call and they turned up their hands:
Luske: 75
Lindgren: A8
Turn and River: Q2
Lindgren doubled up on the hand to survive. Lindgren also doubled up a second time against Daniel Negreanu in the razz rotation for this level.
Stud 8OB
Ralph Perry Scoops
Ralph Perry and Raymond Davis got involved in a series of bets and raises all the way to seventh street. Their exposed cards:
Perry: A8Q3
Davis: AK6J
Perry turned up 543, which scooped the pot when Davis mucked.
Zolotow Takes the Low to Survive
On third street Katja Thater bet 12,000 and Steve Zolotow raised to 24,000. Thater made it another bet to go, and then Zolotow moved all in for the last of his chips. Thater made the call and they opened up thier hands. Full board after seventh street:
Zolotow: (74)924A(8)
Thater: (JJ)9KQA(2)
Thater took the high, while Zolotow took the low to survive. The run of luck would not conitnue for Zolotow though, and he hit the rail just a few hands later in the hold'em round.
Hold'em
Billy Argyros Triples Up - Ivey Low
Billy Argyos moved all in preflop against Phil Ivey and Jim Bechtel on a flop of 875. Both players made the call and then Ivey also moved all in against Bechtel after the 7 fell on the turn. Bechtel made the call, covering both of his opponents. Their cards:
Bechtel: AQ
Ivey: A5
Argyros: 97
River: 5
Argryos tripled up on the hand, and Ivey won the side pot with Bechtel to survive, although his chip stack was very low after the hand.
Note: The players went on a 20-minute break after the level. Cards back in the air at 11:40 p.m. Level 16 recap up at 1:10 a.m.
Player Tags: Fred Bonyadi, Erick Lindgren, Raymond Davis, Steve Zolotow, Marcel Luske, James Bechtel Sr., Katja Thater, Ralph Perry, European Report
$50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E - Day 2 - Level 13 Recap
Jun 27, '08
Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha: 4,000-8,000 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8: 2,000 ante, 2,000 bring in, 8,000-16,000 stakes
Players Left: 46 of 148
Chip Leaders:
Joseph Michael - 730,000
Edwin Ting - 690,000
Barry Greenstein - 655,000
Lyle Berman - 603,000
Michael DeMichele - 590,000
Chad Brown - 550,000
Huck Seed - 525,000
James Mackey - 510,000
Farzad "Fred" Bonyadi - 480,000
David Oppenheim - 475,000
Average Stack: 321,750
Eliminations:
Dario Minieri
Greg Mueller
Isabelle Mercier
Big Hands and Storylines:
Omaha/8b
Minh Ly Doubles Up
Minh Ly raised from early position and was called by Barry Greenstein in middle position, Phil Ivey in the small blind, and Layne Flack in the big blind. The flop was Q97 and Ivey bet out and Flack folded. Ly raised, Greenstein folded, and Ivey called. On the 3 turn Ivey check-called a bet from Ly. The river was the A and Ivey checked again. Ly bet, leaving himself only 20,000 behind, and Ivey folded rather quickly. The pot brought Ly up to 150,000 and knocked Ivey down to a perilously low 100,000.
Razz
Greg Mueller Eliminated
After a raise and a re-raise, Greg Mueller was all-in on third street against Chris Reslock:
Mueller: (2)(9)4JJ109
Reslock: (3)(6)45J107
After all of the cards had been dealt, Reslock’s 7-low was good to take down the smallish pot. Mueller, unlike most players who dart from the tournament floor at light speed, lingered around his table for a few minutes before taking a leisurely walk out of the Amazon Room.
Dario Minieri Eliminated
Having gotten all-in as a short-stack a number of times in the Omaha/8b portion of the event only to repeatedly claim a chopped pot, Dario Minieri got himself all-in on third street against Andy Bloch in razz. There would be no split pot this time; it was either double up or go home for Minieri. Unfortunately for the diminutive Italian, he would be sent packing. Despite starting with 5-2-A, he could only make a 9-8 low. Bloch’s 5-3-2 turned into an 8-5 on seventh street and the pot was his. Bloch now has about 210,000.
Stud
Isabelle Mercier Eliminated
Ralph Perry: AA93
Justin Bonomo: J974
Isabelle Mercier: 7322
On seventh street, with Isabelle Mercier all-in, Ralph Perry bet into Justin Bonomo. Bonomo mulled over a decision and opted to simply call. Perry insta-mucked, not even giving Bonomo a chance to show his cards. When Bonomo did reveal his downcards – (Q)(6)(5) – it was apparent to Mercier that he had made a flush, and that her day was over. Bonomo is now up to 170,000.
Player Tags: Fred Bonyadi, Barry Greenstein, Minh Ly, Chad Brown, Huck Seed, David Oppenheim, Greg Mueller, Lyle Berman, Phil Ivey, James Mackey, Isabelle Mercier, Justin Bonomo, Dario Minieri, Michael DeMichele, Joseph Michael, Edwin Ting, European Report
$50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E - Day 2 - Level 6 Recap
Jun 26, '08
Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha: 900-1,800 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8: 400 ante, 500 bring in, 1,800-3,600 stakes
Players Left: 136 of 148
Chip Leaders:
Ray Dehkharghani - 220,000
William Chen - 215,000
Steve Wolff - 204,000
Erick Lindgren - 202,000
Abraham "Abe" Mosseri - 196,000
Chris Reslock - 195,000
Steve Sung - 194,000
Patrik Antonius - 190,000
Doug Ganger - 190,000
Farzad "Fred" Bonyadi - 185,000
Average Stack: 108,825
Big Hands and Storylines:
Hold’em
Good Start For Forrest
Erick Lindgren raised from middle position and action folded around to Ted Forrest in the big blind who made the call. The flop was J1010 and Forrest check-called a bet from Lindgren. The turn was the 7. Again Forrest checked and Lindgren bet. Forrest then raised and Lindgren called. Forrest bet the 4 river and Lindgren made the call. Forrest showed down KJ and took down a nice sized pot. Forrest is now just below the starting stack of 100,000. Lindgren is among the chip leaders with 200,000.
Horse Does Start With An “H”
Having been questioned about the situation by a few players, Jack Effel brought up the issue of whether the first game of each day should be hold’em or, instead, a game chosen by random draw. Effel asked for a show of hands from those who were in favor of a random game to start off each day. His request was met by only a meager show of hands, indicative more perhaps of the players ambivalence toward the situation than any real opinion. With such a lackluster show of hands, it appears that hold’em will be the game to start each of the days of this tournament. Mickey Appleman said it best, “Why complicate things?”
Omaha/8b
Fitoussi Gets Cut Out
Hasan Habib limped from early position and was joined on the flop by David Singer, Patrick Bueno, Michael Binger, and Bruno Fitoussi. The flop came AK2. Fitoussi checked, Habib bet, Singer and Bueno folded, Binger raised, and Fitoussi and Habib called. On the J turn, Fitoussi checked, Habib bet, Binger raised again, and Fitoussi and Habib called. The river was the 6. Again Fitoussi checked, Habib bet, and Binger and Fitoussi called. Habib showed A422 for the nut flush while Binger tabled 10543 for the nut low. Fitoussi showed... nothing. He mucked his hand quietly and shuffled his remaining 40,000 in chips. Habib has a more stable 80,000, and Binger has an even better 115,000.
Stud
“I Can’t Believe I Laid It Down!”
With boards reading:
Eli Elezra: Q10K2
Annie Duke: 3896
Elezra after leading out on 5th street, checked his hand on 6th street. Duke bet and Elezra went into the tank. After about 90 seconds of thinking, he flipped his upcards over and the conceded the pot to Duke. Apparently Elezra wasn’t too crushed by the lost pot, as he joked, “I can’t believe I laid that down. Two fours!” Elezra has about 85,000. Even with that pot Duke finds herself with only 30,000 in chips.
Stud/8b
Kaplan and Corkins Split Galfond’s Chips
Corkins: 7452
Kaplan: JQ104
Galfond: AK68
Hoyt Corkins completed with the 7 up, Gabe Kaplan called with the J, Phil Galfond raised with an A, and the two others called. Galfond led into his two elder statesmen on 4th street and was called by both. 5th street and 6th street shared the same action: Galfond checked, Corkins bet, and Kaplan and Galfond both called. Corkins bet 7th street and was raised by Kaplan, this put Galfond in a difficult position and he was forced to lay down his hand. A bit overeager, Kaplan flipped over his hand before Corkins made his decision. Corkins saw his opponent’s JJT for a full house and made the call, showing A43 for a wheel. Corkins took down half of the pot, but was unlucky not to scoop it. After the hand, Corkins had 45,000, Kaplan 85,000, and Galfond 95,000.
Player Tags: Hoyt Corkins, Fred Bonyadi, Annie Duke, Erick Lindgren, Hasan Habib, Ted Forrest, Eli Elezra, Gabe Kaplan, Bruno Fitoussi, Abe Mosseri, Ray Dehkharghani, Chris Reslock, Steve Wolff, William Chen, Steve Sung, Michael Binger, Phil Galfond, Doug Ganger
|
Seat 4 raises to 7,100 preflop and Farzad Bonyadi reraises to 22,100. Seat 4 makes the call and the two players open up their hands: