David Pham - Live Updates

Level 3 Hour 1 Update: David Pham Goes Bust

Jul 04, '09

Blinds: 150-300

Chip Counts:

1. Vadim Gruzglin – 125,000
2. Jim Bookstaff – 114,000
3. Jesse Rios – 112,000
4. Sam Khouiss – 80,500
5. Dave D’Alesandro – 68,000
6. Catherine Hearn – 62,000
7. Grant Levy – 60,200
8. Angelo Ricci – 57,500
9. Paris Heard – 57,000
10. Raymond Davis – 55,000

Card Player Chip Counts:

Todd Brunson — 50,000
Mike Matusow — 31,000
Stephen Murphy – 6,500

Notable Eliminations:

Jeremiah Smith
David Pham

Big Hands

Brunson Drops A Pot

The player in seat 4 raised to 800 preflop from middle position and the small blind called. Todd Brunson was in the big blind and he decided to come along as well. The flop then fell A83. The action was checked to seat 4 who fired 1,700 into the pot. The small blind mucked but Brunson called.

The turn was the 6 and both players checked. They did the same on the 4 river and seat 4 showed A9 for top pair. Brunson showed the losing 1010 and he was down to 55,000.

King Raymer

Greg Raymer and his opponent in seat 3 tangled in a hand where the pot was over 4,000 preflop. The flop then fell 1074. Seat 3 checked to Raymer who fired 3,500 into the pot. Seat 3 then mucked his hand, surrendering the pot to Raymer.

Raymer then tabled KK. “Every time I reraise you I have two kings,” Raymer said. Seat 3 grinned and Raymer was at 44,000.

The Red Queens

After a flop of Q84, Shaun Deeb’s opponent moved all in for 14,500. Deeb then made the call and the players showed their hands.

Deeb: AQ
Opponent: QQ

Deeb flopped top pair but his opponent made a set of ladies. The turn was the 7 and the river was the 9 and Deeb was down to 25,000 after dropping that pot.

Greenstein Takes One

Barry Greenstein raised to800 preflop from under the gun and the action folded around to the big blind. He made the call and the players saw a flop of A8K. The big blind checked and Greenstein fired 1,000. The big blind made the quick call and the 2 came on the turn. Action was checked to Greenstein again and he bet 3,000. The big blind mucked and Greenstein took the pot, getting his stack to 34,000.

Dragon Slayed

David Pham was nursing a short stack and moved it into the middle against the big blind. The big blind called and tabled AK. Pham showed AA, having his opponent dominated. The flop came K85, giving the big blind a pair but Pham still held the lead.

That all changed on the turn when the K showed up and ruined Pham’s good time. Pham needed the case A to make a full house and double up, but the 6 fell on the river instead and Pham was gone from the main event.

Jeremiah Smith Gone

Jeremiah Smith doubled up very early in day 1, but just a few hours later he went bust. On a board showing A937, Smith moved all in and was called by his opponent. Smith tabled pocket threes for a set, but his opponent showed pocket aces for top set. Smith needed the case three to drop on the river but instead the 9 fell, filling up both players but Smith got the sucker’s end and he was eliminated.

Hoyt Corkins Doubles Up

Hoyt Corkins called 300 preflop and another player raised to 950. Action folded around back to Corkins who shoved for his entire stack of 19,875. The other player made the call and tabled AJ. Corkins was in great shape as he was dominating his opponent with AK.

The flop then came K109, giving Corkins top pair but also giving his opponent a Broadway draw. The turn was the 6 and the river paired the board with the 10 and Corkins doubled up to just over 40,000.

Player Tags: Hoyt Corkins,   David Pham,   Barry Greenstein,   Todd Brunson,   Greg Raymer,   Shaun Deeb

Level 1 - Hour 2 Update: Talal Shakerchi Wins Big Pot

Jul 04, '09

Blinds: 50-100

Chip Counts:

1. Dave D’Alesandro — 64,000
2. Jeremiah Smith — 63,000
3. Angelo Ricci — 62,000
4. Talal Shakerchi – 60,000
5. Sam Khouiss — 52,000
6. Allan Vrooman — 40,000
7. Carlos Mortensen — 39,000
8. Juha Helppi – 37,000
9. Kara Scott — 33,600
10. Eddie Sabat — 32,000

Card Player Chip Counts:

Stephen Murphy – 29,250
Todd Brunson — 26,100
Mike Matusow — 26,000

Notable Eliminations:

None

Big Hands

David Pham vs. Jason Young

With just about 1,000 already in the pot, David Pham bets 600 on an AK9 flop, Jason Young calls. The turn is the 9, and this time Pham bets 1,200, Young calls. The river is the J, Pham bets 3,000 and Young calls. Pham shows AK for top two pair while Jason Young flashes the A as he tosses his cards into the muck. “The Dragon” is up to 35,000 in chips after this hand.

Juha Helppi Adds to Stack

On a board of J532, a player bet 2,500 into Juha Helppi. Helppi went into the tank and threw out a raise to 7,500. Helppi’s opponent went into the tank as well and eventually made the fold. Helppi asked, “did you fold kings?” Helppi is at 37,000.

Talal Shakerchi Wins Big Pot

On a board of K4JK, Talal Shakerchi bet 2,500 and his opponent min-raised to 5,000. Shakerchi deliberated momentarily before making the call. The river brought the 8 and Shakerchi bet 4,000 into the large pot. His opponent reraised to 10,000 and Shakerchi made the quick call. He tabled the JJ for jacks full while his opponent turned over the KQ for trip kings. Shakerchi is up to 60,000.

Brian ‘tsarrast’ Rast and Erik Seidel Tangle

With what might be perhaps the toughest combination of two players sitting right next to each other in the field over over 1,000 players, Erik Seidel had the button against Brian Rast’s small blind. Seidel threw out a raise from the button and Rast called. The board ran out 8455A and Seidel bet 600 on the end. Rast contemplated briefly before calling. Seidel turned over the A8 for top two. Rast Mucked. Seidel is at 30,500.

Left in the Deck

Players are on a twenty-minute break and will return at approximately 2:25 pm PDT to begin Level 2.

Player Tags: Juha Helppi,   David Pham,   Erik Seidel,   Jason Young,   Brian Rast

Level 11 Update: Rheem Doubles Up Early

Jun 24, '09

Blinds: 1,200-2,400

Players Remaining: 71 out of 275

Chip Counts:

1. Michiel Brummelhuis – 400,000
2. Toto Leonidas – 241,100
3. Masaaki Kagawa – 216,000
4. Kirill Gerasimov – 213,200
5. Darryll Fish – 209,100
6. Davidi Kitai – 190,000
7. Kwang Lee – 182,400
8. Luke Staudenmaier – 182,000
9. Michael Kamran – 180,000
10. Tim Kamran – 180,000

Average Chip Count: 116,917

Notable Eliminations:

Burt Boutin
Lee Markholt
Marco Johnson

Big Hands:

Chino Rheem Quick To Business

Entering the day as the short stack, Chino Rheem wasted little time as he looked down at his hand from under the gun. He pushed his stack of 11,800 into the middle and Marco Johnson made the call. Rheem turned over A10, dominating Johnson’s A9. The flop came down 752 giving Johnson very little help to knock Rheem out. The 7 came on the turn and Johnson could only knock Rheem out by pairing his nine. The 6 fell on the river and Rheem’s hand was good as he doubled up to almost 24,000 while Johnson was down under 10,000 and would bust later in the level.

Don’t Feed The Fish

A player moved all in preflop and Darryll Fish was the only one to look him up. Fish showed A10 while his opponent was dominated with A2. The flop dropped KJ7, giving Fish’s opponent the nut flush draw. The 9 fell on the turn and Fish was still in the lead. The river card was the 6 and Fish held on to knock out his opponent and improve to 210,000 in chips.

Double Dragon: The Revenge Of Keith Lehr

Keith Lehr and David Pham were tangled in a hand where the flop came down J73. Lehr moved all in and Pham made the call.

Pham: K4
Lehr: KJ

Lehr held the lead with top pair and second kicker but Pham had plenty of outs as he had a diamond-flush draw. The turn brought the 8, giving Pham no help and the 6 on the river cemented the hand for Lehr. He doubled to 160,000 while Pham dropped to 98,000.

Player Tags: David Pham,   Chino Rheem,   Keith Lehr,   Marco Johnson,   Darryll Fish

Level 7 Update: Fish Eliminates Rajkumar, Gains Massive Chiplead

Jun 23, '09

Blinds: 500-1,000

Players Remaining: 161 out of 275

Chip Counts:

1. Darryll Fish — 195,000
2. David Singer — 132,000
3. David Steicke — 95,000
4. Erik Seidel — 94,000
5. Vanessa Rousso — 93,500
6. Luke Staudenmaier — 93,200
7. Tot Leonidas — 83,000
8. Mike Sowers — 76,000
9. Kathy Liebert — 72,500
10. Kevin Stammen — 70,000

Average Chip Count: 51,242

Notable Eliminations:

Vivek Rajkumar
Chris Bell
Ted Lawson
David Baker
Jason Mercier
Adam Junglen
Adam Levy
Marco Traniello

Big Hands:

Vivek Rajkumar Eliminated by Daryyll Fish

With about 35,000 already in the pot on a flop of AJ9, Darryll Fish bets 26,400 and Vivek Rajkumar calls.

The turn is the 10, and this time Fish checks to Rajkumar who moves all in for 46,000. Fish calls and has him covered.

Rajkumar: QQ
Fish: AK

Rajkumar was behind on the turn and would need to river a set or a straight to double up. The river is the 4 and Vivek Rajkumar is eliminated from the tournament. Fish rakes this pot and brings his chip count up to 195,000 this hand.

Ted Lawson Eliminated

Ted Lawson gets it all in before the flop against the player in seat 1.

Lawson: AQ
Seat 1: JJ

Board: 9675K

Ted Lawson missed the board and his opponent’s pocket jacks held up. Lawson is eliminated from the tournament.

The Dragon Doubles Through Marco Traniello

On a flop of Q76, David “The Dragon” Pham bets 6,000 and Marco Traniello raises enough to put Pham all in. Pham calls all in for 19,300 more and both players turn over their cards.

Pham: QJ
Traniello: JJ

Traniello’s pair of jacks are behind Pham’s pair of queens on the flop. The turn is the 7 and the river is the 2 as Pham doubles up to 50,000 this hand while Traniello is left with just 10,000 in chips.

Traniello was eliminated from the event just a few hands later.

Player Tags: David Pham,   Ted Lawson,   Marco Traniello,   Vivek Rajkumar,   Darryll Fish

Level 11 Update: Rheem Doubles Up Early

Jun 24, '09

Blinds: 1,200-2,400

Players Remaining: 71 out of 275

Chip Counts:

1. Michiel Brummelhuis – 400,000
2. Toto Leonidas – 241,100
3. Masaaki Kagawa – 216,000
4. Kirill Gerasimov – 213,200
5. Darryll Fish – 209,100
6. Davidi Kitai – 190,000
7. Kwang Lee – 182,400
8. Luke Staudenmaier – 182,000
9. Michael Kamran – 180,000
10. Tim Kamran – 180,000

Average Chip Count: 116,917

Notable Eliminations:

Burt Boutin
Lee Markholt
Marco Johnson

Big Hands:

Chino Rheem Quick To Business

Entering the day as the short stack, Chino Rheem wasted little time as he looked down at his hand from under the gun. He pushed his stack of 11,800 into the middle and Marco Johnson made the call. Rheem turned over A10, dominating Johnson’s A9. The flop came down 752 giving Johnson very little help to knock Rheem out. The 7 came on the turn and Johnson could only knock Rheem out by pairing his nine. The 6 fell on the river and Rheem’s hand was good as he doubled up to almost 24,000 while Johnson was down under 10,000 and would bust later in the level.

Don’t Feed The Fish

A player moved all in preflop and Darryll Fish was the only one to look him up. Fish showed A10 while his opponent was dominated with A2. The flop dropped KJ7, giving Fish’s opponent the nut flush draw. The 9 fell on the turn and Fish was still in the lead. The river card was the 6 and Fish held on to knock out his opponent and improve to 210,000 in chips.

Double Dragon: The Revenge Of Keith Lehr

Keith Lehr and David Pham were tangled in a hand where the flop came down J73. Lehr moved all in and Pham made the call.

Pham: K4
Lehr: KJ

Lehr held the lead with top pair and second kicker but Pham had plenty of outs as he had a diamond-flush draw. The turn brought the 8, giving Pham no help and the 6 on the river cemented the hand for Lehr. He doubled to 160,000 while Pham dropped to 98,000.

Player Tags: David Pham,   Chino Rheem,   Keith Lehr,   Marco Johnson,   Darryll Fish

Level 7 Update: Fish Eliminates Rajkumar, Gains Massive Chiplead

Jun 23, '09

Blinds: 500-1,000

Players Remaining: 161 out of 275

Chip Counts:

1. Darryll Fish — 195,000
2. David Singer — 132,000
3. David Steicke — 95,000
4. Erik Seidel — 94,000
5. Vanessa Rousso — 93,500
6. Luke Staudenmaier — 93,200
7. Tot Leonidas — 83,000
8. Mike Sowers — 76,000
9. Kathy Liebert — 72,500
10. Kevin Stammen — 70,000

Average Chip Count: 51,242

Notable Eliminations:

Vivek Rajkumar
Chris Bell
Ted Lawson
David Baker
Jason Mercier
Adam Junglen
Adam Levy
Marco Traniello

Big Hands:

Vivek Rajkumar Eliminated by Daryyll Fish

With about 35,000 already in the pot on a flop of AJ9, Darryll Fish bets 26,400 and Vivek Rajkumar calls.

The turn is the 10, and this time Fish checks to Rajkumar who moves all in for 46,000. Fish calls and has him covered.

Rajkumar: QQ
Fish: AK

Rajkumar was behind on the turn and would need to river a set or a straight to double up. The river is the 4 and Vivek Rajkumar is eliminated from the tournament. Fish rakes this pot and brings his chip count up to 195,000 this hand.

Ted Lawson Eliminated

Ted Lawson gets it all in before the flop against the player in seat 1.

Lawson: AQ
Seat 1: JJ

Board: 9675K

Ted Lawson missed the board and his opponent’s pocket jacks held up. Lawson is eliminated from the tournament.

The Dragon Doubles Through Marco Traniello

On a flop of Q76, David “The Dragon” Pham bets 6,000 and Marco Traniello raises enough to put Pham all in. Pham calls all in for 19,300 more and both players turn over their cards.

Pham: QJ
Traniello: JJ

Traniello’s pair of jacks are behind Pham’s pair of queens on the flop. The turn is the 7 and the river is the 2 as Pham doubles up to 50,000 this hand while Traniello is left with just 10,000 in chips.

Traniello was eliminated from the event just a few hands later.

Player Tags: David Pham,   Ted Lawson,   Marco Traniello,   Vivek Rajkumar,   Darryll Fish

Level 7 Update: Ho Continues To Roll

Jun 16, '09

Blinds: 500-1,000

Players Remaining: 141 out of 185

Chip Counts

1. Josh Arieh – 103,000
2. Greg Mueller – 95,000
3. Shaun Deeb – 88,000
4. Lex Veldhuis – 74,000
5. Markus Golser – 74,000
6. Mike Sowers – 72,500
7. Maria Ho – 70,000
8. Peter Gould – 60,000
9. Dario Minieri – 58,000
10. Jennifer Harman – 57,000

Average Stack: 37,248

Notable Eliminations:

Mark Newhouse
Phil Hellmuth
Phil Ivey

Big Hands:

Hawrilenko Takes One Off Mueller

Matt Hawrilenko and Greg Mueller were in for 2,000 preflop. The flop then came down A73 and Hawrilenko bet 1,000. Mueller made the call and the 8 fell on the turn. Hawrilenko bet 2,000 and Mueller called again. The K came on the river and Hawrilenko fired another 2,000 into the pot. Mueller called again and Hawrilenko showed A10 for top pair. Mueller flashed QQ and then threw it into the muck. Mueller dropped the pot but he was still around 100,000 in chips.

Dario Blasts Boeken

On a board reading J10910, Dario Minieri bet 2,000 and Noah Boeken made the call. The 10 came on the river and Minieri bet another 2,000. Boeken made the call and Minieri showed down the bullets, AA. Boeken mucked his hand and he was down to 40,000. Minieri was at 74,000 after the hand.

Ho’s Boat On The River Sinks Opponent

Mario Ho raised to 2,000 preflop and the players in seat 1 and 2 made the call. The flop came A94 and action was checked to Ho. She fired 1,000 and seat 1 raised to 2,000. Seat 2 mucked and Ho three-bet to 3,000. Seat 1 then raised himself all in and Ho made the call.

Ho: A10
Seat 1: AJ

Ho was trailing and the case A came on the turn, giving each player a set. But the 10 dropped on the river, giving Ho a full house and sending her opponent to the rail. She raked in the pot and she was at 80,000.

Matusow Struggling

Mike Matusow raised to 2,000 and the player in seat 9 three-bet to 3,000. Matusow made the call and the flop came AJ5. Seat 9 bet 1,000 and Matusow called. The turn was the 6 and seat 9 bet 2,000. Matusow had enough and mucked his hand. He was at 14,200 after dropping that pot.

Set Of Sailboats Flushed For Doyle

Josh Arieh raised to 2,000 preflop and four players called, including David Pham and Doyle Brunson. The flop came 854 and Pham led out with 1,000. Everyone called and the turn was the 4. Pham bet 2,000 and then Brunson raised to 4,000. Arieh got out of the way but Pham called as did seat 1. The river was the Q and Pham bet 4,000. Seat 1 called and Brunson quickly mucked A4 face up. Pham then showed down J8 for a flush, but seat 1 showed A5 for the nut flush. Pham was down to 12,000 while Brunson was down to 20,000.

Player Tags: David Pham,   Josh Arieh,   Greg Mueller,   Mike Matusow,   Doyle Brunson,   Noah Boeken,   Maria Ho,   Matt Hawrilenko,   Dario Minieri

Level 4 Udate: Pham Chips Up

Jun 15, '09

Blinds: 250-500

Players Remaining: 178 out of 185

Chip Counts

1. Shaun Deeb – 85,000
2. Dario Minieri – 63,000
3. Greg Mueller – 60,000
4. Lex Veldhuis – 60,000
5. Markus Golser – 56,000
6. David Oppenheim – 50,600
7. Michiel Brummelhuis – 50,000
8. Daniel Negreanu – 49,500
9. Maria Ho – 49,000
10. David Benyamine – 45,000

Average Stack: 30,833

Notable Eliminations:

Andy Bloch
Brett Richey
Jeff Lisandro

Big Hands:

The Dragon’s Fire

Five players including Sam Grizzle, Doyle Brunson, Chad Brown and David Pham, all called 500 preflop. The flop came down Q94 and the big blind fired 500 after David Pham checked from the small bling. Grizzle, Brunson and Brown all called and then Pham check-raised to 1,000. Everyone except Brunson called and the turn was the 2. Pham led out with 1,000 and everyone called. The river brought the 7 and Pham led out again with 1,000. Only Chad Brown looked him up and Pham turned over KQ for top pair and Brown mucked. Pham took the pot and he was over 40,000 while Brown was at 32,000.

Perry Doesn’t Care For Mad Geniuses

Action folded around to Mike Caro in the small blind and he raised to 1,000. Ralph Perry made the call from the big blind and the players saw a flop of JJ5. Caro checked and Perry bet 500. Caro made the call and the turn was the 3. Caro then led out for 1,000 but Perry would have none of that nonsense and raised to 2,000. Caro then gave up and mucked his hand. He was at 16,000 while Perry was at 33,000.

Rheem Leaks Chips

Chino Rheem raised to 1,000 preflop and Bill Edler three-bet to 1,500. Rheem made the call and the flop came A55. Rheem checked and Edler fired 500. Rheem check-raised to 1,000 and Edler called. The turn was the 2 and both players checked. The river was the 7 and Rheem checked again. Edler bet 1,000 and Rheem mucked his hand. He was down to just 17,000 while Edler was around 34,000.

Kaplan Pushes Ho and Lindgren Away

On a flop of K103, Gabe Kaplan bet 500 into a 2,500 pot and Mario Ho made the call. Erick Lindgren came along as well and the turn was the 8. Kaplan fired another bet, this one 1,000 and Ho mucked her hand. Lindgren followed suit and Kaplan took in the pot. He was around 40,000 while Ho was down to 45,000 and Lindgren was at 31,000.

Left In The Deck:

It was announced that 18 players will be paid. The final survivor of this tournament will earn $460,841 and a bracelet. Players have also gone on a one hour dinner break and will return around 10:40 p.m.

Player Tags: David Pham,   Erick Lindgren,   Chad Brown,   Doyle Brunson,   Mike Caro,   Gabe Kaplan,   Maria Ho,   Chino Rheem,   Ralph Perry

Final Table Update: Baron Takes Out Two

Jun 08, '09

Blinds: 15,000-30,000 with a 4,000 ante

Players Remaining: 8 out of 655

Chip Counts:

1. Fabian Quoss — 2,629,000
2. Isaac Baron — 2,295,000
3. Mike Sowers — 1,690,000
4. Danny Illingworth — 934,000
5. Billy Kopp — 676,000
6. Brian Lemke — 644,000
7. Liya Gerasimova — 506,000
8. Thomas Keller — 464,000

Average Chip Count: 1,228,125

Notable Eliminations:

10. David Pham — $47,501
9. Christian Iacobellis — $66,403

Elimination Hands:

David Pham Eliminated in Tenth Place ($47,501) Christian Iacobellis Eliminated in Ninth Place ($66,403)

David Pham moved in for his last 155,000 in middle position and Isaac Baron moved all in from the button to isolate.

Instead, Christian Iacobellis called all in from the small blind.

Pham showed KQ, Iacobellis showed AK and Baron showed 1010.

The board came J8675 and Baron’s tens took out two players, bringing his stack to 2,200,000.

Player Tags: David Pham,   Isaac Baron,   Christian Iacobellis

Level 8 Update: Matusow and Ivey Eliminated

Jun 05, '09

Level Structure:

2-7 triple draw, limit hold’em, and Omaha 8OB: 600-1,200 blinds and 1,200-2,400 limits

7-card stud, razz, and 7-card stud 8OB: 300 ante, 300 bring-in, with a 1,200 completion and 1,200-2,400 limits

no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha: 300-600 blinds with a 150 ante

NOTES: Games change every eight hands. Two players will be forced to sit out during 2-7 triple draw each hand.

Players Remaining: 144 out of 194

Chip Counts:

1. Daniel Negreanu – 110,000
2. Jimmy Fricke – 86,000
3. Vanessa Rousso – 85,000
4. Nick Schulman – 78,000
5. Steve Sung – 74,000
6. David Singer – 74,000
7. James Van Alstyne – 70,000
8. Dario Minieri – 68,000
9. Andy Bloch – 62,000
10. Brandon Adams – 61,000

Average Chip Count: 40,138

Notable Eliminations:

Phil Ivey
Mike Matusow
Noah Schwartz

Big Hands:

Stud

No Justice For Mikey, Matusow One Outed And Is Eliminated

David Pham: X-X-J8
Mike Matusow: X-X-QA

Matusow bet 1,200 and Pham made the call.

David Pham: X-X-J88
Mike Matusow: X-X-QA6

Pham checked after pairing up and Matusow fired 2,400. Pham made the call.

David Pham: X-X-J88K
Mike Matusow: X-X-QA69

Matusow fired another bet of 2,400 and Pham pounced, raising to 4,800. Matusow thought for a while before calling himself all in. “You got three eights David?” Matusow asked. Pham did not as he turned over K9 for kings up, much to the delight of Matusow who showed AQ for aces up. Matusow needed to dodge the K, the last king left as someone folded the K at the start of the hand. Pham glanced at his card and announced that it had paint. Sure enough, he showed the case king and Matusow was in shock. “I just got one outed after playing for nine hours,” Matusow said as he turned over the 5 and he made his exit.

Omaha 8

Singer Drops One

On a board showing Q82J, David Singer fired 2,400 and the player in seat 6 made the call. The river brought the 8 and Singer fired another 2,400. His opponent made the call and Singer showed J932 for Jacks up, but his opponent tabled KJ1010 for the same hand but with a higher kicker. He raked in the pot and Singer was down to 58,000.

Triple Draw

Toto Picks Up A Pot

Toto Leonidas three bet the action to 3,600 before the second draw and Chau Giang made the call along with seat 6. On the second draw, each player drew one card and Leonidas bet 2,400. Both opponents made the call. On the third draw, Leonidas stood pat while his opponents each took one card. Everyone checked after the final draw and Leonidas tabled 85432 for an eight-low. Giang and seat 6 mucked and Leonidas was around 16,000 while Giang was down to 30,000.

King High Good Enough, Madsen Takes One Off Sung

Prior to the first draw, Jeff Madsen three-bet to 3,600 and Steve Sung made the call. Both players drew two cards on the first draw and then they both checked. Sung then took one card on the second draw while Madsen elected to take two cards. Sung then fired 2,400 before Madsen even got his cards. Madsen called and then both players took one card on the final draw. They both checked and Madsen flashed the K expecting Sung to show something better. Sung then flashed the A and mucked his hand after Madsen revealed the rest of his hand, 8743. He took down the pot with king-high and he was at 22,000 while Sung was doing just fine with 63,000.

Player Tags: David Pham,   Toto Leonidas,   Mike Matusow,   David Singer,   Chau Giang,   Jeff Madsen

Level 1 Update: David Tran, Chris McCormack Eliminated

May 31, '09

Blinds: 25-25

Players Remaining: 2,990 out of 3,021

Notable Eliminations:

David Tran
Chris McCormack

Big Hands:

David Tran Eliminated

Down to his last 50 in chips, David Tran checks his option from the big blind with 4 limpers in front of him. The flop comes 876, and Tran moves all in for his last 25. The player in seat 2 calls and they turn over their cards. Tran turns over 74 for middle pair with a gutshot straight draw, but seat 2 shows 109 for the made nut straight. Tran makes his straight on the turn when the 5 hits the board, but he is now drawing dead to the river. The river is the 9 and David Tran is eliminated from the event.

Chris McCormack Eliminated

Chris McCormack was eliminated early in Level 1 when he ran his five-high flush into a king-high flush with the ace on board. McCormack is just one of several pros to be busted from this tournament in the first few minutes.

Jimmy Tran, Back to Even

After collecting a few buy-ins and building up a decent stack, Jimmy Tran gets involved in this pot, with a flop of KQ7. Tran checks to the button who bets 300, Tran calls. The turn is the 10, and once again Tran checks to the button who this time bets 800, Tran calls. The river is the 3 and both players check. Tran shows QQ for a set of queens, but the player on the button turns over 54 for a small flush. The player on the button rakes the pot and Jimmy Tran smiles as he riffles through the rest of chips. “Back to even”, he laughs.

“The Dragon” Off to a Slow Start

The player in seat 1 raises to 125 from middle position and David Pham calls from the small blind. The flop comes 982, and Pham leads out for 175. Seat 10 raises to 400 and Pham calls. The turn is the Q, and this time Pham checks. Seat 10 bets 500 and Pham folds after a few minutes in the tank. After this hand Pham is down to 1,600 in chips.

Left In The Deck:

Even in the massive, sold-out field for the event, professional players Jonathan Little and Matthew Glantz have found themselves at the same table among an ocean of amateurs.

Player Tags: David Tran,   David Pham,   Jimmy Tran,   Matthew Glantz,   Chris McCormack,   Jonathan Little

Level 18 Update: Neil Chriss Busts on the Bubble

May 29, '09

Blinds: 10,000-20,000 with a 3,000 ante

Players Remaining: 23 out of 201

Chip Counts:

1. Justin Bonomo — 2,200,000
2. Greg Raymer — 2,090,000
3. David Baker — 1,700,000
4. Lex Veldhuis — 1,600,000
5. Ted Forrest — 1,560,000
6. Vitaly Lunkin — 1,080,000
7. Brian Townsend — 1,060,000
8. Noah Schwartz — 1,050,000
9. Alec Torelli — 1,025,000
10. Sorel Mizzi — 960,000

Average Chip Count: 1,048,695

Notable Eliminations:

Out of the Money

Phil Galfond
Neil Chriss

In the Money

27. Vanessa Rousso — $71,858
26. J.C. Tran — $71,858
25. Sorel Mizzi — $71,858
24. David Pham — $71,858

Big Hands:

Phil Galfond Busts to Ted Forrest

A short stacked Phil Galfond moved all in holding AQ but unfortunately ran into the AA of Ted Forrest. The board came out KK6J9 and Galfond was eliminated in 29th place.

The remaining 28 players are now playing hand-for-hand.

Neil Chriss Becomes Unfortunate Bubble Boy

Alec Torelli raised to 50,000 on the button and both Neil Chriss and Greg Raymer came along in the blinds. The flop came out A96 and Chriss led out for 100,000. Raymer folded and Torelli moved all in, putting Chriss to the test.

Chriss made the call showing A4 and was temporarily ahead of Torelli’s 87 for an open-ended straight draw. But the turn and river came 59 giving Torelli the winning straight and making Chriss the bubble boy.

Vanessa Rousso Eliminated in 27th Place ($71,858)
_
Keith Lehr raised to 75,000 and Vanessa Rousso moved all in behind him for her last 350,000. Lehr made the call and showed AK which was racing against Rousso’s QQ. The board came out J765A and Lehr rivered his ace to make Rousso the first player to finish in the money.

J.C. Tran Eliminated in 26th Place ($71,858)

J.C. Tran raised to 105,000, basically committing the rest of his stack. Matt Marafioti then reraised to 700,000, more than enough to put him all in. Tran called with QJ and was crushed by Marafioti’s QQ. To add insult to injury, the case queen hit the flop and Marafioti went on to make a full house, eliminating Tran from the tournament.

Sorel Mizzi Eliminated in 25th Place ($71,858)

Sorel Mizzi and David Baker got in all in preflop with Baker having the bigger stack. Mizzi showed QQ and Baker showed AK. The flop came 543 and Mizzi kept the lead, until the turn and river came KA giving Baker the winning two pair.

David Pham Eliminated in 24th Place ($71,858)

On the very last hand of the evening, David Pham moved all in for 320,000 and Matt Marafioti called in the big blind with KK. Pham could only show Q9 and it missed it’s draws when the board ran out J1073A.

Player Tags: J.C. Tran,   David Pham,   Ted Forrest,   Vanessa Rousso,   Neil Chriss,   Phil Galfond,   Keith Lehr,   Alec Torelli,   Sorel Mizzi,   Matt Marafioti

Level 17 Update: Getting Close to the Bubble

May 29, '09

Blinds: 9,000-18,000 with a 2,000 ante.

Players Remaining: 29 out of 201

Chip Counts:

1. Justin Bonomo — 2,200,000
2. Greg Raymer — 1,750,000
3. David Baker — 1,530,000
4. Lex Veldhuis — 1,450,000
5. Dani Stern — 1,250,000
6. Vitaly Lunkin — 1,150,000
7. Brian Townsend — 1,060,000
8. Doshi Suresh — 1,000,000
9. Noah Schwartz — 955,000
10. Sorel Mizzi — 940,000

Average Chip Count: 868,965

Notable Eliminations:

Ali Eslami
Alan Sass
Sami Kelopuro
Kirill Gerasimov
Evan McNiff
Marco Johnson
Nam Le

Big Hands:

David Chiu Doubles Through Greg Raymer

Just a few moments into the level, David Chiu was all in holding A-K against the A-9 of Greg Raymer. The board bricked for both players and Chiu doubled up to 260,000. Raymer is still far and away the chip leader with 2.5 million.

Sami Kelopuro Busts to Lex Veldhuis

Lex Vedlhuis raised to 45,000 and Sami Kelopuro moved all in for his last 300,000. Veldhuis made the call and showed AJ for a dominating hand against Kelopuro’s A9.

The board came KK7K8 and Veldhuis came out on top, sending Kelopuro to the rail out of the money. Veldhuis has closed the gap on the chip leaders with 1,405,000.

Alan Sass Hits the Rail

Alan Sass jammed it in preflop with A6 and David Pham made the call with AK. A king on the flop and a blank on the turn had Sass drawing dead. Pham now sits with a slightly healthier 420,000.

Double Elimination For David Baker

Kirill Gerasimov was short stacked and moved all in holding K5. Evan McNiff tried to isolate behind him holding A-8 offsuit. Unfortunately for both players, David Baker woke up with pocket queens behind them and made the call.

The flop came AJ2 giving McNiff the best hand with a pair of aces and Gerasimov the nut flush draw. Visably upset, Baker hit his slim outs on the turn when the Q hit. The river was a safe 7 and Baker took out both players.

Marco Johnson Busts to Justin Bonomo

Marco Johnson was all in holding K10 against the AQ of Justin Bonomo. The board didn’t help Johnson and he exited from the tournament floor. Bonomo now has 2.2 million.

Nam Le Busts In a Suck, Re-Suck Situation

Nam Le got it all in on a AK10 flop holding AJ against the K10 of Dani Stern. The turn was great for Le when the J hit, but the K on the river sent Le to the rail. Stern is now sitting with 1.25 million.

Player Tags: David Pham,   Nam Le,   Kirill Gerasimov,   Greg Raymer,   Justin Bonomo,   Alan Sass,   Marco Johnson,   David Baker,   Evan McNiff,   Dani Stern

Level 6 Update: Jesus is Eliminated

May 28, '09

Blinds: 800-1600 with a 200 ante

Players Remaining: 150 out of 201

Chip Counts:

1. Antonio Esfandiari — 470,000
2. Justin Bonomo — 470,000
3. Mark Seif — 450,000
4. Chris Moneymaker — 415,000
5. Matthew Glantz — 400,000
6. Bruno Fitoussi — 367,000
7. Frank Kassela — 340,000
8. Lex Veldhuis — 330,000
9. Isaac Haxton — 324,000
10. Eric Kesselman — 315,000

Average Chip Count: 160,800

Notable Eliminations:

Annie Duke
Chris Ferguson
Shaun Deeb

Big Hands:

Ivan Demidov Rivers a Flush

After a bet of 17,100 on the flop of 356 by Ivan Demidov, Vanessa Rousso and Eric Kesselman called. The turn brought the 5 and Rousso checked, Demidov checked and Kesselman checked. The river was the 6, completely the back door flush draw. Rousso checked, Demidov bet out 22,000 quickly and Kesselman thought about it briefly for making the call. Rousso folded and Demidov tabled AQ and Kesselman mucked. Demidov is now back up to 130,000.

Dennis Philips Doubles Through Doug Lee

A short-stacked Dennis Phillips gets it all in with AA against Doug Lee’s KJ on a flop of A72. The turn and river bring no help to Lee who is down to 65,000 after doubling Phillips up to 85,000 this hand.

Annie Duke is Eliminated

On a flop of 10Q3, Antonio Esfandiari bet out and Annie Duke called. The turn brought the 8 and Esfandiari bet out again, and Duke called. The river was the 4 and Esfandiari put Annie Duke all in for about 70,000. Duke thought for about 2 minutes before calling. Esfandiari turned over 33, and Duke mucked AQ. Esfandiari is now up to 460,000.

Dragon Eliminates Corwin Cole

David “The Dragon” Pham raises to 4,500 from early position, Corwin Cole reraises to 12,500 from middle position and Pham calls. The flop comes Q53, and Corwin bets 16,400. Pham calls and the turn is the J. This time Cole checks to Pham who bets 25,000, enough to put his opponent all in. Cole calls off his tournament life and flips over KK for the overpair, but Pham turns over JJ for middle set. The river is the Q, giving Pham a full house, and sending Cole home early. After eliminating Corwin Cole this hand, Pham is sitting just under 250,000.

Chris Ferguson is Eliminated

On a flop of J98, Chris Ferguson moved all in and was called by Chris Moneymaker, while Humberto Brenes, who was also in the hand, folded. Ferguson tabled 1010 and Moneymaker had him dominated with J10, and Ferguson was hoping for a split pot. The turn was the K and the river was the K, eliminating Ferguson and vaulting Moneymaker to 360,000 in chips.

Dinner Break

The remaining 165 players are now on a dinner break. Join us at 8:30 PST when play resumes.

Player Tags: Humberto Brenes,   David Pham,   Chris Ferguson,   Antonio Esfandiari,   Chris Moneymaker,   Vanessa Rousso,   Dennis Phillips,   Corwin Cole,   Ivan Demidov

Level 2 Update: 2008 November Nine Finalist Scott Montgomery Busts Early

May 28, '09

Blinds: 300-600 with a 75 ante

Players Remaining: 196 out of 201

Chip Counts:

1. Phil Laak — 280,00
2. Tony G — 255,000
3. Scott Seiver — 250,000
4. Justin Bonomo — 240,000
5. David Chiu — 240,000
6. Michael DeMichele — 230,000
7. Evan McNiff — 215,000
8. Kyle Wilson — 210,000
9. Vivek Rajkumar — 190,000
10. Andy Black — 185,000

Average Chip Count: 122,500

Notable Eliminations:

Scott Montgomery
Tom Dwan

Big Hands:

Greg Mueller Wins a Big pot off of Steve Gross

With just about 5,000 already in the pot, Steve Gross bets 2,800 on a flop of 822. Mueller raises another 6,000 and Gross calls. The turn is the 6, and this time Gross checks to Mueller who bets 13,000. Gross calls and the river is the Q. Gross once again checks to Mueller who this time bets 38,000. Gross calls and Mueller turns over 88 for a full house. Gross mucks his cards and is down to 67,000 after this hand while Mueller climbs up to 175,000 in chips.

Scott Montgomery is Eliminated

On a flop of AJ2, Scott Seiver checked from the small blind. Tom Dwan bet out and Scott Montgomery raised to 50,000. Scott Seiver went into the tank for minutes and eventually raised all-in. Dwan folded instantly and Montgomery called all-in instantly as he was committed to the pot. Seiver turned over AQ and Montgomery flipped over the 87 for a flush draw and backdoor straight draw. The turn was the 9, giving Montgomery extra outs. The river bricked out and Seiver won a large pot and eliminated Montgomery who rushed away from the table.

Freddy Deeb Steals a Nice Pot on the Turn

Freddy Deeb raises to 1,800 from middle position and Michael DeMichele calls from the button. Shawn Buchanan reraises to 6,500 from the small blind, Deeb calls and DeMichele folds. The flop comes 1052, and Buchanan bets 11,000. Deeb calls and the turn is the 5. This time Deeb leads out for 20,000 and Buchanan mucks his cards. After the hand, Deeb climbs back up to his starting stack while Buchanan falls down to 65,000 in chips and DeMichele is left with just under 140,000.

Shawn Buchanan Can’t Buy a Pot

Shawn Buchanan raises to 1,525 from under the gun and Ali Eslami reraises to 4,000 from the small blind. Buchanan calls and the flop comes Q102. This time Eslami leads out for 7,500 and Buchanan calls. The turn is the 5, Eslami bets 20,000 and Buchanan folds. Eslami rakes the pot bringing his chip count up to 153,000 this hand, while Buchanan falls down to just 50,000 in chips.

Tom Dwan is Eliminated

On a board of 5382, Tom Dwan was faced with a 53,000 chip bet from David Pham. Dwan went into the tank and eventually called all-in. The players turned over the cards and the online phenom turned over 66, for a pair and a gut shot straight draw. Pham turned over KK and was well in front. The river brought a third king for Pham and Durrr was knocked out early.

Left In The Deck:

Mike Matusow and Andy Black exchange needling from their respective tables. Matusow starts telling Black that his beard will eventually grow to be on the floor because he won’t win a tournament in the next four years.

Player Tags: David Pham,   Shawn Buchanan,   Tom Dwan,   Freddy Deeb,   Scott Seiver,   Michael DeMichele,   Scott Montgomery

Level 18 Update: Neil Chriss Busts on the Bubble

May 29, '09

Blinds: 10,000-20,000 with a 3,000 ante

Players Remaining: 23 out of 201

Chip Counts:

1. Justin Bonomo — 2,200,000
2. Greg Raymer — 2,090,000
3. David Baker — 1,700,000
4. Lex Veldhuis — 1,600,000
5. Ted Forrest — 1,560,000
6. Vitaly Lunkin — 1,080,000
7. Brian Townsend — 1,060,000
8. Noah Schwartz — 1,050,000
9. Alec Torelli — 1,025,000
10. Sorel Mizzi — 960,000

Average Chip Count: 1,048,695

Notable Eliminations:

Out of the Money

Phil Galfond
Neil Chriss

In the Money

27. Vanessa Rousso — $71,858
26. J.C. Tran — $71,858
25. Sorel Mizzi — $71,858
24. David Pham — $71,858

Big Hands:

Phil Galfond Busts to Ted Forrest

A short stacked Phil Galfond moved all in holding AQ but unfortunately ran into the AA of Ted Forrest. The board came out KK6J9 and Galfond was eliminated in 29th place.

The remaining 28 players are now playing hand-for-hand.

Neil Chriss Becomes Unfortunate Bubble Boy

Alec Torelli raised to 50,000 on the button and both Neil Chriss and Greg Raymer came along in the blinds. The flop came out A96 and Chriss led out for 100,000. Raymer folded and Torelli moved all in, putting Chriss to the test.

Chriss made the call showing A4 and was temporarily ahead of Torelli’s 87 for an open-ended straight draw. But the turn and river came 59 giving Torelli the winning straight and making Chriss the bubble boy.

Vanessa Rousso Eliminated in 27th Place ($71,858)
_
Keith Lehr raised to 75,000 and Vanessa Rousso moved all in behind him for her last 350,000. Lehr made the call and showed AK which was racing against Rousso’s QQ. The board came out J765A and Lehr rivered his ace to make Rousso the first player to finish in the money.

J.C. Tran Eliminated in 26th Place ($71,858)

J.C. Tran raised to 105,000, basically committing the rest of his stack. Matt Marafioti then reraised to 700,000, more than enough to put him all in. Tran called with QJ and was crushed by Marafioti’s QQ. To add insult to injury, the case queen hit the flop and Marafioti went on to make a full house, eliminating Tran from the tournament.

Sorel Mizzi Eliminated in 25th Place ($71,858)

Sorel Mizzi and David Baker got in all in preflop with Baker having the bigger stack. Mizzi showed QQ and Baker showed AK. The flop came 543 and Mizzi kept the lead, until the turn and river came KA giving Baker the winning two pair.

David Pham Eliminated in 24th Place ($71,858)

On the very last hand of the evening, David Pham moved all in for 320,000 and Matt Marafioti called in the big blind with KK. Pham could only show Q9 and it missed it’s draws when the board ran out J1073A.

Player Tags: J.C. Tran,   David Pham,   Ted Forrest,   Vanessa Rousso,   Neil Chriss,   Phil Galfond,   Keith Lehr,   Alec Torelli,   Sorel Mizzi,   Matt Marafioti

Level 17 Update: Getting Close to the Bubble

May 29, '09

Blinds: 9,000-18,000 with a 2,000 ante.

Players Remaining: 29 out of 201

Chip Counts:

1. Justin Bonomo — 2,200,000
2. Greg Raymer — 1,750,000
3. David Baker — 1,530,000
4. Lex Veldhuis — 1,450,000
5. Dani Stern — 1,250,000
6. Vitaly Lunkin — 1,150,000
7. Brian Townsend — 1,060,000
8. Doshi Suresh — 1,000,000
9. Noah Schwartz — 955,000
10. Sorel Mizzi — 940,000

Average Chip Count: 868,965

Notable Eliminations:

Ali Eslami
Alan Sass
Sami Kelopuro
Kirill Gerasimov
Evan McNiff
Marco Johnson
Nam Le

Big Hands:

David Chiu Doubles Through Greg Raymer

Just a few moments into the level, David Chiu was all in holding A-K against the A-9 of Greg Raymer. The board bricked for both players and Chiu doubled up to 260,000. Raymer is still far and away the chip leader with 2.5 million.

Sami Kelopuro Busts to Lex Veldhuis

Lex Vedlhuis raised to 45,000 and Sami Kelopuro moved all in for his last 300,000. Veldhuis made the call and showed AJ for a dominating hand against Kelopuro’s A9.

The board came KK7K8 and Veldhuis came out on top, sending Kelopuro to the rail out of the money. Veldhuis has closed the gap on the chip leaders with 1,405,000.

Alan Sass Hits the Rail

Alan Sass jammed it in preflop with A6 and David Pham made the call with AK. A king on the flop and a blank on the turn had Sass drawing dead. Pham now sits with a slightly healthier 420,000.

Double Elimination For David Baker

Kirill Gerasimov was short stacked and moved all in holding K5. Evan McNiff tried to isolate behind him holding A-8 offsuit. Unfortunately for both players, David Baker woke up with pocket queens behind them and made the call.

The flop came AJ2 giving McNiff the best hand with a pair of aces and Gerasimov the nut flush draw. Visably upset, Baker hit his slim outs on the turn when the Q hit. The river was a safe 7 and Baker took out both players.

Marco Johnson Busts to Justin Bonomo

Marco Johnson was all in holding K10 against the AQ of Justin Bonomo. The board didn’t help Johnson and he exited from the tournament floor. Bonomo now has 2.2 million.

Nam Le Busts In a Suck, Re-Suck Situation

Nam Le got it all in on a AK10 flop holding AJ against the K10 of Dani Stern. The turn was great for Le when the J hit, but the K on the river sent Le to the rail. Stern is now sitting with 1.25 million.

Player Tags: David Pham,   Nam Le,   Kirill Gerasimov,   Greg Raymer,   Justin Bonomo,   Alan Sass,   Marco Johnson,   David Baker,   Evan McNiff,   Dani Stern

Level 6 Update: Jesus is Eliminated

May 28, '09

Blinds: 800-1600 with a 200 ante

Players Remaining: 150 out of 201

Chip Counts:

1. Antonio Esfandiari — 470,000
2. Justin Bonomo — 470,000
3. Mark Seif — 450,000
4. Chris Moneymaker — 415,000
5. Matthew Glantz — 400,000
6. Bruno Fitoussi — 367,000
7. Frank Kassela — 340,000
8. Lex Veldhuis — 330,000
9. Isaac Haxton — 324,000
10. Eric Kesselman — 315,000

Average Chip Count: 160,800

Notable Eliminations:

Annie Duke
Chris Ferguson
Shaun Deeb

Big Hands:

Ivan Demidov Rivers a Flush

After a bet of 17,100 on the flop of 356 by Ivan Demidov, Vanessa Rousso and Eric Kesselman called. The turn brought the 5 and Rousso checked, Demidov checked and Kesselman checked. The river was the 6, completely the back door flush draw. Rousso checked, Demidov bet out 22,000 quickly and Kesselman thought about it briefly for making the call. Rousso folded and Demidov tabled AQ and Kesselman mucked. Demidov is now back up to 130,000.

Dennis Philips Doubles Through Doug Lee

A short-stacked Dennis Phillips gets it all in with AA against Doug Lee’s KJ on a flop of A72. The turn and river bring no help to Lee who is down to 65,000 after doubling Phillips up to 85,000 this hand.

Annie Duke is Eliminated

On a flop of 10Q3, Antonio Esfandiari bet out and Annie Duke called. The turn brought the 8 and Esfandiari bet out again, and Duke called. The river was the 4 and Esfandiari put Annie Duke all in for about 70,000. Duke thought for about 2 minutes before calling. Esfandiari turned over 33, and Duke mucked AQ. Esfandiari is now up to 460,000.

Dragon Eliminates Corwin Cole

David “The Dragon” Pham raises to 4,500 from early position, Corwin Cole reraises to 12,500 from middle position and Pham calls. The flop comes Q53, and Corwin bets 16,400. Pham calls and the turn is the J. This time Cole checks to Pham who bets 25,000, enough to put his opponent all in. Cole calls off his tournament life and flips over KK for the overpair, but Pham turns over JJ for middle set. The river is the Q, giving Pham a full house, and sending Cole home early. After eliminating Corwin Cole this hand, Pham is sitting just under 250,000.

Chris Ferguson is Eliminated

On a flop of J98, Chris Ferguson moved all in and was called by Chris Moneymaker, while Humberto Brenes, who was also in the hand, folded. Ferguson tabled 1010 and Moneymaker had him dominated with J10, and Ferguson was hoping for a split pot. The turn was the K and the river was the K, eliminating Ferguson and vaulting Moneymaker to 360,000 in chips.

Dinner Break

The remaining 165 players are now on a dinner break. Join us at 8:30 PST when play resumes.

Player Tags: Humberto Brenes,   David Pham,   Chris Ferguson,   Antonio Esfandiari,   Chris Moneymaker,   Vanessa Rousso,   Dennis Phillips,   Corwin Cole,   Ivan Demidov

Level 2 Update: 2008 November Nine Finalist Scott Montgomery Busts Early

May 28, '09

Blinds: 300-600 with a 75 ante

Players Remaining: 196 out of 201

Chip Counts:

1. Phil Laak — 280,00
2. Tony G — 255,000
3. Scott Seiver — 250,000
4. Justin Bonomo — 240,000
5. David Chiu — 240,000
6. Michael DeMichele — 230,000
7. Evan McNiff — 215,000
8. Kyle Wilson — 210,000
9. Vivek Rajkumar — 190,000
10. Andy Black — 185,000

Average Chip Count: 122,500

Notable Eliminations:

Scott Montgomery
Tom Dwan

Big Hands:

Greg Mueller Wins a Big pot off of Steve Gross

With just about 5,000 already in the pot, Steve Gross bets 2,800 on a flop of 822. Mueller raises another 6,000 and Gross calls. The turn is the 6, and this time Gross checks to Mueller who bets 13,000. Gross calls and the river is the Q. Gross once again checks to Mueller who this time bets 38,000. Gross calls and Mueller turns over 88 for a full house. Gross mucks his cards and is down to 67,000 after this hand while Mueller climbs up to 175,000 in chips.

Scott Montgomery is Eliminated

On a flop of AJ2, Scott Seiver checked from the small blind. Tom Dwan bet out and Scott Montgomery raised to 50,000. Scott Seiver went into the tank for minutes and eventually raised all-in. Dwan folded instantly and Montgomery called all-in instantly as he was committed to the pot. Seiver turned over AQ and Montgomery flipped over the 87 for a flush draw and backdoor straight draw. The turn was the 9, giving Montgomery extra outs. The river bricked out and Seiver won a large pot and eliminated Montgomery who rushed away from the table.

Freddy Deeb Steals a Nice Pot on the Turn

Freddy Deeb raises to 1,800 from middle position and Michael DeMichele calls from the button. Shawn Buchanan reraises to 6,500 from the small blind, Deeb calls and DeMichele folds. The flop comes 1052, and Buchanan bets 11,000. Deeb calls and the turn is the 5. This time Deeb leads out for 20,000 and Buchanan mucks his cards. After the hand, Deeb climbs back up to his starting stack while Buchanan falls down to 65,000 in chips and DeMichele is left with just under 140,000.

Shawn Buchanan Can’t Buy a Pot

Shawn Buchanan raises to 1,525 from under the gun and Ali Eslami reraises to 4,000 from the small blind. Buchanan calls and the flop comes Q102. This time Eslami leads out for 7,500 and Buchanan calls. The turn is the 5, Eslami bets 20,000 and Buchanan folds. Eslami rakes the pot bringing his chip count up to 153,000 this hand, while Buchanan falls down to just 50,000 in chips.

Tom Dwan is Eliminated

On a board of 5382, Tom Dwan was faced with a 53,000 chip bet from David Pham. Dwan went into the tank and eventually called all-in. The players turned over the cards and the online phenom turned over 66, for a pair and a gut shot straight draw. Pham turned over KK and was well in front. The river brought a third king for Pham and Durrr was knocked out early.

Left In The Deck:

Mike Matusow and Andy Black exchange needling from their respective tables. Matusow starts telling Black that his beard will eventually grow to be on the floor because he won’t win a tournament in the next four years.

Player Tags: David Pham,   Shawn Buchanan,   Tom Dwan,   Freddy Deeb,   Scott Seiver,   Michael DeMichele,   Scott Montgomery

Level 13 Update

Mar 18, '09

Big Hands:

Annie Duke Eliminated

Annie Duke moved all in preflop from the cutoff and the button and Dave Forster made the call. The flop was dealt A32 and both live players check. The turn fell 9 and Forster bet 10,000. The button mucked and Forster and Duke flipped up their cards:

Forster: 109
Duke: 66

River: 3

Duke was eliminated and Forster was awarded the $5,000 bounty.

David Pham Eliminated

David Pham moved all in preflop, and the cutoff and Vikaly Yarkov called him down. Their cards:

Yarkov: A10
Pham: 88
Cutoff: KK

Board: KJ3KJ

Pham was eliminated and Yarkov collected the $5,000 bounty.
 
Joe Sebok Doubles Up Again

Joe Sebok moved all in on a flop of J109 with 87 and one player called him down with J10. The turn and river fell 4A and and Sebok doubled up again. He now holds 170,000 to jumps to the top of the leader board.

Jonathan Little Eliminated by Hoyt Corkins

Jonathan Little was eliminated by the set of Hoyt Corkins when his flush draw failed to come to fruition. Corkins collected the $5,000 bounty and Little was bounced.

Player Tags: Hoyt Corkins,   David Pham,   Annie Duke,   Joe Sebok,   Jonathan Little

Level 11 Update

Mar 18, '09

Big Hands:

Men Nguyen Eliminated

Men Nguen moved all in on a board of K1078 and Erick Lindgren called him down. Their cards:

Nguyen: 109
Lindgren: 86

River: 4

The Master was eliminated from the tournament and Lindgren was awarded a $5,000 bounty.

Erick Lindgren Eliminated

Erick Lindgren reraised Dan O'Brien to 8,000 after O'Brien opened the pot for a small raise preflop. O'Brien reraised enough to put Lindgren all in and he made the call. Their cards:

Lindgren: AA
O'Brien: KK

Board: K105Q8

Lindgren was eliminated on the hand and O'Brien was awarded the $5,000 bounty.

Gary Tighe Takes the Chip Lead

A player in early position, David Pham (button), and Gary Tighe (big blind) see a flop of 763. Action is checked to Pham, who bet 5,100. Tighe raised to 10,600 and early position mucked. Pham reraised to 23,600 and Tighe made the call. The turn fell J and Tighe moved all in for 63,400. Pham went into the tank for several minutes and finally made the call. Their cards:

Pham: 8-8
Tighe: KJ

River: 9

Tighe won the pot to double up to 182,000 and he has further increased that stack to a dominating chip lead of 252,000. Pham was knocked down to 59,000 after the hand.

Player Tags: David Pham,   Erick Lindgren,   Men Nguyen,   Daniel O'Brien,   Gary Tighe