Elliot Smith Poker Tournament Updates

Smith Fights Back

Jan 24, '11

Elliot Smith bet 1,000 from late position with a A 8 2 K board sitting on the table and Elliot Smith made the call from the cutoff.

The river fell 2 and Smith bet 2,500. His opponent made the call and Smith flipped over 9 and 7. His opponent mucked and Smith grew his stack back to its starting size after taking an early hit.

Player Tags: Elliot Smith

An Early Loss for Elliot Smith

Jan 24, '11

There was 10,000 in the pot and the board read J 5 Q 3 when the button bet 4,000. Elliot Smith went into the tank on the cutoff and after a minute or two he made the call.

The button flipped over Q J and won the pot. Smith fell to 13,200 after the hand.

Player Tags: Elliot Smith

Elliot Smith Eliminated, Brett Richey Celebrates

Mar 01, '10

Level 19 — 2,500-5,000 with a 500 ante

Elliot Smith was all in preflop holding A Q against the A 8 of Dan Martin.

The board fell J7582 and Smith was eliminated. After the hand, Brett Richey got up from a table nearby and began to talk to the recently busted Smith.

“Bye bye. You are out of the tournament. You no longer have any chips. Bye bye,” he said. Richey then walked over to Martin and gave him an exaggerated high five.

The normally mild-mannered and polite Richey then apologized to the rest of the table, explaining that he had played a big pot with Smith yesterday and that Smith had celebrated wildly at his expense. “I’m sorry,” he said. “That’s guy is just a huge douche bag.”

Player Tags: Brett Richey,   Dan Martin,   Elliot Smith

Elliot Smith Eliminated in Third Place ($700,000 AUD)

Jan 23, '09

Elliot Smith limped from the button and Stewart Scott moved all in. Smith called for this tournament life and the two players turned up their hands:

Smith: AQ
Scott: A7

Board: KK1075

Smith was eliminated in third place and he will take home $700,000 AUD in prize money.








 

Player Tags: Stewart Scott,   Elliot Smith

Scott Losing His Lead?

Jan 23, '09

Elliot Smith raised to 300,000 from the small blind and Stewart Scott called from the big blind. The flop was dealt 544 and both players checked. The turn fell 9 and both players checked again. The river fell 7 and Smith bet 500,000. Scott made the call and Smith turned over Q7. Scott mucked and his body language is now subdued as his chip lead continues to slip away.

Player Tags: Stewart Scott,   Elliot Smith

Elliot Smith Doubles Up

Jan 23, '09

Stewart Scott raised to 200,000 preflop from the button and Elliot Smith moved all in from the big blind. Scott called him down. Their cards:

Scott: Q10
Smith: A8

Board: 964K7

Smith doubled up to nearly 3 million while Scott is still way out in front with 8,125,000.







 

Player Tags: Stewart Scott,   Elliot Smith

Elliot Smith Doubles Up Again

Jan 23, '09

Elliot Smith raised to 80,000 and Rajkumar Ramakrishnan raised to 350,000. Smith moved all in and Ramakrishnan called him down. Their cards:

Smith: JJ
Ramakrishnan: AK

Board: AK2J3

Smith doubled up on the hand and he now holds 3 million.








 

Player Tags: Elliot Smith,   Rajkumar Ramakrishnan

Richard Ashby Eliminated in Seventh Place ($150,000 AUD)

Jan 23, '09

Rajkumar Ramakrishnan raised to 90,000 preflop and Elliot Smith made the call. Richard Ashby moved all in and both opponents made the call. The flop fell 422 and both Smith and Ramakrishnan checked. The turn fell 10 and the river 9 as the two live players conitnued to check. Ramakrishnan flipped over A-K, which was enough to win the pot over the A-Q held by both Smith and Ashby. Ashby was eliminated on the hand in seventh place and he will take home $150,000 AUD.











 

Player Tags: Richard Ashby,   Elliot Smith,   Rajkumar Ramakrishnan

Elliot Smith Doubles Up

Jan 23, '09

Rajkumar Ramakrishnan bet 120,000 prelop and Elliot Smith made the call. The flop was dealt 965 and Ramakrishan bet 350,000. Smith moved all in and Ramakrsihnan called him down. Their cards:

Ramakrishnan: 1010
Smith: KQ

Turn and River: 210

Smith doubled up on the hand to survive with 755,000.







 

Player Tags: Elliot Smith,   Rajkumar Ramakrishnan

Sorel Mizzi Doubles Up

Jan 22, '09

Sorel Mizzi moved all in preflop and Elliot Smith moved all in over the top of him. Everyone else mucked and the two players flipped up their hands:

Mizzi: AJ
Smith: AK

Board: QJ577

Mizzi doubled up on the hand and he now holds 350,000.








 

Player Tags: Sorel Mizzi,   Elliot Smith

Patrik Antonius Eliminated in 41st Place ($20,000 AUD)

Jan 21, '09

Patrik Antonius bet 22,000 on a board of JJ83 and both Elliot Smith and Richard Ashby called him down. The river fell 5 and Antonius bet 70,000. Smith mucked and Ashby made the call. Their cards:

Ashby: J5
Antonius: KJ

Ashby won the hand with trip jacks and Antonius was eliminated in 41st place. He will take home $20,000 AUD in prize money.








 

Player Tags: Patrik Antonius,   Richard Ashby,   Elliot Smith

Elliot Smith Eliminated in Third Place ($700,000 AUD)

Jan 23, '09

Elliot Smith limped from the button and Stewart Scott moved all in. Smith called for this tournament life and the two players turned up their hands:

Smith: AQ
Scott: A7

Board: KK1075

Smith was eliminated in third place and he will take home $700,000 AUD in prize money.








 

Player Tags: Stewart Scott,   Elliot Smith

Scott Losing His Lead?

Jan 23, '09

Elliot Smith raised to 300,000 from the small blind and Stewart Scott called from the big blind. The flop was dealt 544 and both players checked. The turn fell 9 and both players checked again. The river fell 7 and Smith bet 500,000. Scott made the call and Smith turned over Q7. Scott mucked and his body language is now subdued as his chip lead continues to slip away.

Player Tags: Stewart Scott,   Elliot Smith

Elliot Smith Doubles Up

Jan 23, '09

Stewart Scott raised to 200,000 preflop from the button and Elliot Smith moved all in from the big blind. Scott called him down. Their cards:

Scott: Q10
Smith: A8

Board: 964K7

Smith doubled up to nearly 3 million while Scott is still way out in front with 8,125,000.







 

Player Tags: Stewart Scott,   Elliot Smith

Elliot Smith Doubles Up Again

Jan 23, '09

Elliot Smith raised to 80,000 and Rajkumar Ramakrishnan raised to 350,000. Smith moved all in and Ramakrishnan called him down. Their cards:

Smith: JJ
Ramakrishnan: AK

Board: AK2J3

Smith doubled up on the hand and he now holds 3 million.








 

Player Tags: Elliot Smith,   Rajkumar Ramakrishnan

Richard Ashby Eliminated in Seventh Place ($150,000 AUD)

Jan 23, '09

Rajkumar Ramakrishnan raised to 90,000 preflop and Elliot Smith made the call. Richard Ashby moved all in and both opponents made the call. The flop fell 422 and both Smith and Ramakrishnan checked. The turn fell 10 and the river 9 as the two live players conitnued to check. Ramakrishnan flipped over A-K, which was enough to win the pot over the A-Q held by both Smith and Ashby. Ashby was eliminated on the hand in seventh place and he will take home $150,000 AUD.











 

Player Tags: Richard Ashby,   Elliot Smith,   Rajkumar Ramakrishnan

Elliot Smith Doubles Up

Jan 23, '09

Rajkumar Ramakrishnan bet 120,000 prelop and Elliot Smith made the call. The flop was dealt 965 and Ramakrishan bet 350,000. Smith moved all in and Ramakrsihnan called him down. Their cards:

Ramakrishnan: 1010
Smith: KQ

Turn and River: 210

Smith doubled up on the hand to survive with 755,000.







 

Player Tags: Elliot Smith,   Rajkumar Ramakrishnan

Sorel Mizzi Doubles Up

Jan 22, '09

Sorel Mizzi moved all in preflop and Elliot Smith moved all in over the top of him. Everyone else mucked and the two players flipped up their hands:

Mizzi: AJ
Smith: AK

Board: QJ577

Mizzi doubled up on the hand and he now holds 350,000.








 

Player Tags: Sorel Mizzi,   Elliot Smith

Patrik Antonius Eliminated in 41st Place ($20,000 AUD)

Jan 21, '09

Patrik Antonius bet 22,000 on a board of JJ83 and both Elliot Smith and Richard Ashby called him down. The river fell 5 and Antonius bet 70,000. Smith mucked and Ashby made the call. Their cards:

Ashby: J5
Antonius: KJ

Ashby won the hand with trip jacks and Antonius was eliminated in 41st place. He will take home $20,000 AUD in prize money.








 

Player Tags: Patrik Antonius,   Richard Ashby,   Elliot Smith

Elliot Smith Eliminated in Third Place ($700,000 AUD)

Jan 23, '09

Elliot Smith limped from the button and Stewart Scott moved all in. Smith called for this tournament life and the two players turned up their hands:

Smith: AQ
Scott: A7

Board: KK1075

Smith was eliminated in third place and he will take home $700,000 AUD in prize money.








 

Player Tags: Stewart Scott,   Elliot Smith

Scott Losing His Lead?

Jan 23, '09

Elliot Smith raised to 300,000 from the small blind and Stewart Scott called from the big blind. The flop was dealt 544 and both players checked. The turn fell 9 and both players checked again. The river fell 7 and Smith bet 500,000. Scott made the call and Smith turned over Q7. Scott mucked and his body language is now subdued as his chip lead continues to slip away.

Player Tags: Stewart Scott,   Elliot Smith

Elliot Smith Doubles Up

Jan 23, '09

Stewart Scott raised to 200,000 preflop from the button and Elliot Smith moved all in from the big blind. Scott called him down. Their cards:

Scott: Q10
Smith: A8

Board: 964K7

Smith doubled up to nearly 3 million while Scott is still way out in front with 8,125,000.







 

Player Tags: Stewart Scott,   Elliot Smith

Elliot Smith Doubles Up Again

Jan 23, '09

Elliot Smith raised to 80,000 and Rajkumar Ramakrishnan raised to 350,000. Smith moved all in and Ramakrishnan called him down. Their cards:

Smith: JJ
Ramakrishnan: AK

Board: AK2J3

Smith doubled up on the hand and he now holds 3 million.








 

Player Tags: Elliot Smith,   Rajkumar Ramakrishnan

Richard Ashby Eliminated in Seventh Place ($150,000 AUD)

Jan 23, '09

Rajkumar Ramakrishnan raised to 90,000 preflop and Elliot Smith made the call. Richard Ashby moved all in and both opponents made the call. The flop fell 422 and both Smith and Ramakrishnan checked. The turn fell 10 and the river 9 as the two live players conitnued to check. Ramakrishnan flipped over A-K, which was enough to win the pot over the A-Q held by both Smith and Ashby. Ashby was eliminated on the hand in seventh place and he will take home $150,000 AUD.











 

Player Tags: Richard Ashby,   Elliot Smith,   Rajkumar Ramakrishnan

Elliot Smith Doubles Up

Jan 23, '09

Rajkumar Ramakrishnan bet 120,000 prelop and Elliot Smith made the call. The flop was dealt 965 and Ramakrishan bet 350,000. Smith moved all in and Ramakrsihnan called him down. Their cards:

Ramakrishnan: 1010
Smith: KQ

Turn and River: 210

Smith doubled up on the hand to survive with 755,000.







 

Player Tags: Elliot Smith,   Rajkumar Ramakrishnan

Sorel Mizzi Doubles Up

Jan 22, '09

Sorel Mizzi moved all in preflop and Elliot Smith moved all in over the top of him. Everyone else mucked and the two players flipped up their hands:

Mizzi: AJ
Smith: AK

Board: QJ577

Mizzi doubled up on the hand and he now holds 350,000.








 

Player Tags: Sorel Mizzi,   Elliot Smith

Patrik Antonius Eliminated in 41st Place ($20,000 AUD)

Jan 21, '09

Patrik Antonius bet 22,000 on a board of JJ83 and both Elliot Smith and Richard Ashby called him down. The river fell 5 and Antonius bet 70,000. Smith mucked and Ashby made the call. Their cards:

Ashby: J5
Antonius: KJ

Ashby won the hand with trip jacks and Antonius was eliminated in 41st place. He will take home $20,000 AUD in prize money.








 

Player Tags: Patrik Antonius,   Richard Ashby,   Elliot Smith

$1,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Day 2 - Level 20 Recap

Jul 01, '08

Note: The players are now on a 20 minute break

Blinds: 10,000-20,000

Players Left: 11 of 2,693

Chip Leaders:
Corwin Cole - 1,450,000
Jeffery Courtney - 1,280,000
Matthew Matros - 875,000
Farzad Rouhani - 720,000
Daniel Heimiller - 710,000
Scott Sitron - 600,000
Voitto Rintala - 530,000
Andrey Zaichenko - 470,000
Todd Hanks - 460,000
David Daneshgar - 420,000

Average Stack: 734,450

Eliminations:
12^th – Brock Mishler
13^th – Joachim Berg-Jensen
14^th – Elliot Smith

Big Hands and Storylines:

Joachim Berg-Jensen Eliminated By Dan Heimiller

Dan Heimiller raised from early position and action folded around to Joachim Berg-Jensen in the small blind. Berg-Jensen shoved for 255,000 and was called by Heimiller. Berg-Jensen had AK but Heimiller had QQ and a slight lead. The flop was ten-high and rainbow, and Berg-Jensen was left to catch either an ace or king on the turn/river to take down the pot and continue on in the tournament. The turn was the 2 and Berg-Jensen was down to one final card. The river was the 3 and that was all she wrote for Berg-Jensen.

Heimiller Eliminates Another

Brock Mishler opened the betting by moving all-in on the button for approximately 200,000. Dan Heimiller made the call from the big blind and then two showed their cards:

Mishler: J10
Heimiller: A8

The board came down 7735Q and Heimiller’s ace-high would hold up to take down the pot, eliminating Mishler.

This pot brought Heimiller’s stack to nearly 1,300,000, but he would later be cut down to 710,000 after a failed bluff attempt against Jeffery Courtney.

Player Tags: Farzad Rouhani,   David Daneshgar,   Voitto Rintala,   Scott Sitron,   Andrey Zaichenko,   Elliot Smith,   Corwin Cole,   Jeff Courtney,   Brock Mishler,   Joachim Berg-Jensen,   Todd Hanks

$1,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Day 2 - Level 18 Recap

Jul 01, '08

Blinds: 6,000-12,000

Players Left:   20 of 2,693

Chip Leaders:
Dan Heimiller – 1,100,000
Andrey Zaichenko - 750,000
Matthew Matros - 712,000
Farzad Rouhani - 600,000
Scott Sitron - 570,000
Richard Kirsch - 490,000
Cody Slaubaugh - 475,000
Elliot Smith - 380,000
Voitto Rintala - 310,000
Corwin Cole - 282,000

Average Stack: 403,950

Eliminations:
21^st – Martin Cardno
22^nd – Paulo Nunes
23^rd – Joe Neiman
24^th – Dan Harmetz
25^th – Mimi Tran
26^th – Anders Fraulund
27^th – Andrew Garvin

Big Hands and Storylines:

Heimiller Time

Dan Heimiller raised to 40,000 in late position and action folded around to Andrew Garvin in the blinds. Garvin moved all-in for about 180,000. Heimiller insta-called and flipped up AA. Garvin showed 99. The board came 10758K and Garvin was eliminated. Heimiller grew his stack to an even more impressive 1,100,000.

Biggar is Better; Mimi Tran Eliminated

Gary Biggar and Mimi Tran, both short-stacked, got all-in pre-flop. Biggar had Tran dominated with his AQ going against her KQ. The flop came 1044 and the turn was the 6. Going to the river, Tran had only 3 outs, and when the 4 peeled off, her tournament was over. After winning the hand Biggar was up to 175,000.

Set Over Set Propels Rouhani

Farzad Rouhani raised to 36,000 from early position and Andriy Zaichenko made the call from the cutoff. The two saw a flop of 985. Rouhani led out for 32,000 and Zaichenko raised to 100,000. Undeterred by this show of strength, Rouhani moved all-in and was snap-called by Zaichenko. The two turned over their hands:

Rouhani: 99
Zaichenko: 55

Zaichenko did not make quads and he took a big hit, now at 750,000. Rouhani’s double up gives him 600,000.

Player Tags: Farzad Rouhani,   Mimi Tran,   Richard Kirsch,   Andrew Garvin,   Dan Harmetz,   Cody Slaubaugh,   Voitto Rintala,   Scott Sitron,   Martin Cardno,   Andrey Zaichenko,   Elliot Smith,   Corwin Cole,   Anders Fraulund

$1,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Day 2 - Level 17 Recap

Jul 01, '08

Blinds: 5,000-10,000

Players Left:  28 of 2,693

Chip Leaders:
Matthew Matros - 712,000
Scott Sitron - 570,000
Richard Kirsch - 490,000
Cody Slaubaugh - 410,000
Elliot Smith - 380,000
Andrey Zaichenko - 375,000
Farzad Rouhani - 310,000
Voitto Rintala - 310,000
Joseph Neiman - 310,000
Corwin Cole - 282,000

Average Stack: 288,535

Eliminations:
Ben Spraggons
John McCauley
Esther Garza
Tim Barchie

Big Hands and Storylines:

Sundberg Doubles Up Through Tran

Mimi Tran raised to 30,000 from the button and Lars Sundberg moved all-in from the big blind. It was 49,000 more to Tran and she analyzed her decision. After about 50 seconds of thought, she made the call and the two turned up their cards:

Sundberg: 88
Tran: AQ

The board came 10975J and Sundberg won the hand with a jack-high straight. Sundberg now has 170,000 while Tran is languishing with 100,000.

Matros Keeps Accumulating

Twice during recent rounds, players have attempted to steal the blinds of Matt Matros. On both occasions Matros put in a big raise and forced the players to lay down their hands. Matt Matros did play a hand that went to showdown though. Anders Fraulund raised to 30,000 and this time Matros opted to call in the big blind. Matros checked the 965 flop and called a 45,000 bet from Fraulund. Both players checked when the 6 paired the board. The river was the 7 and Matros led out for 90,000. Fraulund called instantly and when Matros had confirmed this with the dealer he showed A6 for turned trips. Fraulund showed K9 and said, “Good hand.”

Matros has about 700,000. Fraulund is down to 160,000.

Tim Barchie Eliminated By Cody Slaubaugh

Tim Barchie moved all-in from early position and action folded around to Cody “thugmoneymkr” Slaubaugh in the small blind. It was 80,000 more to call for him. Instead of simply calling, he shoved over the raise for about 300,000. The big blind folded and the two showed their hands:

Barchie: A4
Slaubaugh: A6

The flop was perfect for Slaugbaugh: J106. Barchie could not catch up and he was eliminated.

Slaubaugh now has 410,000.

Player Tags: Farzad Rouhani,   Mimi Tran,   Richard Kirsch,   Joseph Neiman,   Cody Slaubaugh,   Voitto Rintala,   Scott Sitron,   Andrey Zaichenko,   Elliot Smith,   Corwin Cole,   Tim Barchie,   Anders Fraulund

$1,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Day 2 - Level 16

Jul 01, '08

Note: The players are now on a 20 minute break

Blinds: 4,000-8,000

Players Left:  35 of 2,693

Chip Leaders:
Daniel Heimiller - 610,000
Scott Sitron - 570,000
Matthew Matros - 550,000
Andrey Zaichenko - 430,000
Corwin Cole - 404,000
Elliot Smith - 380,000
Cody Slaubaugh - 355,000
Joachim Berg-Jensen - 350,000
Richard Kirsch - 340,000
Anders Fraulund - 330,000

Average Stack: 230,825

Eliminations:
Alvin Zeidenfeld
Gary Marcum
Vanessa Rousso

Big Hands and Storylines:

Matros and Heimiller Butt Heads

Two of the bigger stacks in the tournament, Matt Matros and Dan Heimiller, played a fairly large pot in the last level. Action folded around to Matros in the small blind and he raised it to 24,000. Dan Heimiller made a fairly quick call. The flop ran off 988 and Matros led out with a bet of 35,000. Heimiller made another quick call. Matros checked on the 10 turn and Heimiller bet 80,000. Matros stacked a column of orange chips, pulled them back in toward his stack, and declared himself all-in.

Heimiller was now stuck. He stared at the board, talking to himself, for nearly 7 minutes before Matros called the clock on him. The floorwoman came over and informed Heimiller that he had one minute to make a decision and at the end of the one minute his hand would be ruled dead. No sooner than she had finished her speech, Heimiller folded his hand.

After this confrontation, Matros is up to 520,000. Heimiller would be down to 455,000 but later chipped up to 610,000 to become chip leader.

Cardno Not Card Dead

Alvin Zeidenfeld, action having folded to him, moved all-in from the button for 63,500. Mimi Tran folded and Martin Cardno made a quick call. Zeidenfeld showed QJ and Cardno had A8. The board – K7793 – changed nothing, and Cardno won the hand. After a few moments of counting by the dealer (with some help by Mimi Tran), it was decided that Cardno had more chips and Zeidenfeld was eliminated.  Cardno now has 140,000.

Garvin Stomps, Eliminates Marcum

Gary Marcum moved all-in from middle position for 70,000 and Andrew Garvin made a quick call after action folded around to him. Marcum, without much confidence, showed A8. His pessimism was warranted, however, as Garvin showed AA. There would be no miracle for Marcum as the board rolled out Q549A. Marcum was covered by a few thousand, and he was eliminated. After the hand Garvin was up to 140,000.

Player Tags: Richard Kirsch,   Andrew Garvin,   Alvin Zeidenfeld,   Cody Slaubaugh,   Scott Sitron,   Martin Cardno,   Andrey Zaichenko,   Elliot Smith,   Corwin Cole,   Gary Marcum,   Anders Fraulund,   Joachim Berg-Jensen

$1,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Level 7

Jun 30, '08

Blinds: 300/600 with 75 ante

Players Left: 460 of 2693

Average Stack: 17,524

Chip Leaders:

Jim Miller - 83,000
Lisa Surdyka - 62,300
Dan Harmetz - 41,000
Jason Gross - 38,100
David Pham - 36,200
Mark Sloane - 32,400
Jeff Blenkarn - 31,000
Richard Kirsch - 26,300
Alan Jaffray - 24,300
Tommy Vedes - 23,600

Big Hands

Same people just flame out with style. That was the case at table 4 in the blue section of the Amazon Room immediately after the dinner break.

Rockets -- Part One

Seat 10 was next to under the gun, and with blinds at 300/600, and with 18,775 in chips, the player pronounced himself all-in. Play was folded around the table and it appeared the move would go uncontested. Then Eduardo Handall in the big blind looked down and found himself staring at AA. What did you expect him to do? His call, for 10,000 even, proved to be up against the AQ of seat 10. The flop could have been dangerous, coming 643, but Handall held the only heart. It came into play with the K on the turn, and Handall doubled up.

Rockets -- Part 2

It didn't end there. Now seat 10 was under the gun, and with the rest of the table waiting impatiently, the player brought out his notebook and began making various calculations, seemingly stunned at the turn of events. After almost a minute, he then stunned the table by again announcing "all-in". A collective groan followed, until play got to Elliot Smith, already among the chip leaders. Smith then asked for an exact count, which the dealer provided. It was 8,700. Smith made the call, and when the rest of the field folded, Smith delivered the bad news. Now it was his turn with the rockets, holding AA. Seat 10 entered the showdown with 86. At least he can say he lost to the nuts, as the flop came A103, giving Elliot trips, then the A on the turn produced quads. Suddenly there was a seat open at table 4.

Rousso Drops a Few

The player under the gun raised to 4725 all-in, and play was folded to Vanessa Rousso. With a healthy chip stack she made the call and showed AQ. Her opponent held JJ. The flop came K74, followed by the 8 and 2, and Rousso shipped her chips across the table, though still held over 11,000 in chips.

The Manchester Flush

Rob Sherwood, from Manchester, United Kingdom, wasn't sure he wanted a call. After an early position raise made it 1700 to go, Sherwood shoved all-in for 5675 more. He was called by the raiser, who held AQ. Sherwood tabled AK. The flop hit him where it hurts, coming Q62. But the 5 on the turn added additional outs, and one came home as the 9 spiked the river to give Sherwood the nut flush for the victory.

Yambra Makes the Call

Another all-in shove -- an extremly popular move as level 7 continued -- came to the tune of 4650, and play was folded to Ronnie Yambra in the big blind. He opted to call and showed KQ. His opponent didn't appreciate the call, flipping over 1010. He didn't appreciate the end result either, having dodged the flop of 742, before the Q on the turn effectively ended his night. The 9 ended his evening and Yambra swepted in the chips.
 

Player Tags: Vanessa Rousso,   Ronnie Yambra,   Elliot Smith,   Robert Sherwood

$1,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Day 2 - Level 20 Recap

Jul 01, '08

Note: The players are now on a 20 minute break

Blinds: 10,000-20,000

Players Left: 11 of 2,693

Chip Leaders:
Corwin Cole - 1,450,000
Jeffery Courtney - 1,280,000
Matthew Matros - 875,000
Farzad Rouhani - 720,000
Daniel Heimiller - 710,000
Scott Sitron - 600,000
Voitto Rintala - 530,000
Andrey Zaichenko - 470,000
Todd Hanks - 460,000
David Daneshgar - 420,000

Average Stack: 734,450

Eliminations:
12^th – Brock Mishler
13^th – Joachim Berg-Jensen
14^th – Elliot Smith

Big Hands and Storylines:

Joachim Berg-Jensen Eliminated By Dan Heimiller

Dan Heimiller raised from early position and action folded around to Joachim Berg-Jensen in the small blind. Berg-Jensen shoved for 255,000 and was called by Heimiller. Berg-Jensen had AK but Heimiller had QQ and a slight lead. The flop was ten-high and rainbow, and Berg-Jensen was left to catch either an ace or king on the turn/river to take down the pot and continue on in the tournament. The turn was the 2 and Berg-Jensen was down to one final card. The river was the 3 and that was all she wrote for Berg-Jensen.

Heimiller Eliminates Another

Brock Mishler opened the betting by moving all-in on the button for approximately 200,000. Dan Heimiller made the call from the big blind and then two showed their cards:

Mishler: J10
Heimiller: A8

The board came down 7735Q and Heimiller’s ace-high would hold up to take down the pot, eliminating Mishler.

This pot brought Heimiller’s stack to nearly 1,300,000, but he would later be cut down to 710,000 after a failed bluff attempt against Jeffery Courtney.

Player Tags: Farzad Rouhani,   David Daneshgar,   Voitto Rintala,   Scott Sitron,   Andrey Zaichenko,   Elliot Smith,   Corwin Cole,   Jeff Courtney,   Brock Mishler,   Joachim Berg-Jensen,   Todd Hanks

$1,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Day 2 - Level 18 Recap

Jul 01, '08

Blinds: 6,000-12,000

Players Left:   20 of 2,693

Chip Leaders:
Dan Heimiller – 1,100,000
Andrey Zaichenko - 750,000
Matthew Matros - 712,000
Farzad Rouhani - 600,000
Scott Sitron - 570,000
Richard Kirsch - 490,000
Cody Slaubaugh - 475,000
Elliot Smith - 380,000
Voitto Rintala - 310,000
Corwin Cole - 282,000

Average Stack: 403,950

Eliminations:
21^st – Martin Cardno
22^nd – Paulo Nunes
23^rd – Joe Neiman
24^th – Dan Harmetz
25^th – Mimi Tran
26^th – Anders Fraulund
27^th – Andrew Garvin

Big Hands and Storylines:

Heimiller Time

Dan Heimiller raised to 40,000 in late position and action folded around to Andrew Garvin in the blinds. Garvin moved all-in for about 180,000. Heimiller insta-called and flipped up AA. Garvin showed 99. The board came 10758K and Garvin was eliminated. Heimiller grew his stack to an even more impressive 1,100,000.

Biggar is Better; Mimi Tran Eliminated

Gary Biggar and Mimi Tran, both short-stacked, got all-in pre-flop. Biggar had Tran dominated with his AQ going against her KQ. The flop came 1044 and the turn was the 6. Going to the river, Tran had only 3 outs, and when the 4 peeled off, her tournament was over. After winning the hand Biggar was up to 175,000.

Set Over Set Propels Rouhani

Farzad Rouhani raised to 36,000 from early position and Andriy Zaichenko made the call from the cutoff. The two saw a flop of 985. Rouhani led out for 32,000 and Zaichenko raised to 100,000. Undeterred by this show of strength, Rouhani moved all-in and was snap-called by Zaichenko. The two turned over their hands:

Rouhani: 99
Zaichenko: 55

Zaichenko did not make quads and he took a big hit, now at 750,000. Rouhani’s double up gives him 600,000.

Player Tags: Farzad Rouhani,   Mimi Tran,   Richard Kirsch,   Andrew Garvin,   Dan Harmetz,   Cody Slaubaugh,   Voitto Rintala,   Scott Sitron,   Martin Cardno,   Andrey Zaichenko,   Elliot Smith,   Corwin Cole,   Anders Fraulund

$1,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Day 2 - Level 17 Recap

Jul 01, '08

Blinds: 5,000-10,000

Players Left:  28 of 2,693

Chip Leaders:
Matthew Matros - 712,000
Scott Sitron - 570,000
Richard Kirsch - 490,000
Cody Slaubaugh - 410,000
Elliot Smith - 380,000
Andrey Zaichenko - 375,000
Farzad Rouhani - 310,000
Voitto Rintala - 310,000
Joseph Neiman - 310,000
Corwin Cole - 282,000

Average Stack: 288,535

Eliminations:
Ben Spraggons
John McCauley
Esther Garza
Tim Barchie

Big Hands and Storylines:

Sundberg Doubles Up Through Tran

Mimi Tran raised to 30,000 from the button and Lars Sundberg moved all-in from the big blind. It was 49,000 more to Tran and she analyzed her decision. After about 50 seconds of thought, she made the call and the two turned up their cards:

Sundberg: 88
Tran: AQ

The board came 10975J and Sundberg won the hand with a jack-high straight. Sundberg now has 170,000 while Tran is languishing with 100,000.

Matros Keeps Accumulating

Twice during recent rounds, players have attempted to steal the blinds of Matt Matros. On both occasions Matros put in a big raise and forced the players to lay down their hands. Matt Matros did play a hand that went to showdown though. Anders Fraulund raised to 30,000 and this time Matros opted to call in the big blind. Matros checked the 965 flop and called a 45,000 bet from Fraulund. Both players checked when the 6 paired the board. The river was the 7 and Matros led out for 90,000. Fraulund called instantly and when Matros had confirmed this with the dealer he showed A6 for turned trips. Fraulund showed K9 and said, “Good hand.”

Matros has about 700,000. Fraulund is down to 160,000.

Tim Barchie Eliminated By Cody Slaubaugh

Tim Barchie moved all-in from early position and action folded around to Cody “thugmoneymkr” Slaubaugh in the small blind. It was 80,000 more to call for him. Instead of simply calling, he shoved over the raise for about 300,000. The big blind folded and the two showed their hands:

Barchie: A4
Slaubaugh: A6

The flop was perfect for Slaugbaugh: J106. Barchie could not catch up and he was eliminated.

Slaubaugh now has 410,000.

Player Tags: Farzad Rouhani,   Mimi Tran,   Richard Kirsch,   Joseph Neiman,   Cody Slaubaugh,   Voitto Rintala,   Scott Sitron,   Andrey Zaichenko,   Elliot Smith,   Corwin Cole,   Tim Barchie,   Anders Fraulund

$1,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Day 2 - Level 16

Jul 01, '08

Note: The players are now on a 20 minute break

Blinds: 4,000-8,000

Players Left:  35 of 2,693

Chip Leaders:
Daniel Heimiller - 610,000
Scott Sitron - 570,000
Matthew Matros - 550,000
Andrey Zaichenko - 430,000
Corwin Cole - 404,000
Elliot Smith - 380,000
Cody Slaubaugh - 355,000
Joachim Berg-Jensen - 350,000
Richard Kirsch - 340,000
Anders Fraulund - 330,000

Average Stack: 230,825

Eliminations:
Alvin Zeidenfeld
Gary Marcum
Vanessa Rousso

Big Hands and Storylines:

Matros and Heimiller Butt Heads

Two of the bigger stacks in the tournament, Matt Matros and Dan Heimiller, played a fairly large pot in the last level. Action folded around to Matros in the small blind and he raised it to 24,000. Dan Heimiller made a fairly quick call. The flop ran off 988 and Matros led out with a bet of 35,000. Heimiller made another quick call. Matros checked on the 10 turn and Heimiller bet 80,000. Matros stacked a column of orange chips, pulled them back in toward his stack, and declared himself all-in.

Heimiller was now stuck. He stared at the board, talking to himself, for nearly 7 minutes before Matros called the clock on him. The floorwoman came over and informed Heimiller that he had one minute to make a decision and at the end of the one minute his hand would be ruled dead. No sooner than she had finished her speech, Heimiller folded his hand.

After this confrontation, Matros is up to 520,000. Heimiller would be down to 455,000 but later chipped up to 610,000 to become chip leader.

Cardno Not Card Dead

Alvin Zeidenfeld, action having folded to him, moved all-in from the button for 63,500. Mimi Tran folded and Martin Cardno made a quick call. Zeidenfeld showed QJ and Cardno had A8. The board – K7793 – changed nothing, and Cardno won the hand. After a few moments of counting by the dealer (with some help by Mimi Tran), it was decided that Cardno had more chips and Zeidenfeld was eliminated.  Cardno now has 140,000.

Garvin Stomps, Eliminates Marcum

Gary Marcum moved all-in from middle position for 70,000 and Andrew Garvin made a quick call after action folded around to him. Marcum, without much confidence, showed A8. His pessimism was warranted, however, as Garvin showed AA. There would be no miracle for Marcum as the board rolled out Q549A. Marcum was covered by a few thousand, and he was eliminated. After the hand Garvin was up to 140,000.

Player Tags: Richard Kirsch,   Andrew Garvin,   Alvin Zeidenfeld,   Cody Slaubaugh,   Scott Sitron,   Martin Cardno,   Andrey Zaichenko,   Elliot Smith,   Corwin Cole,   Gary Marcum,   Anders Fraulund,   Joachim Berg-Jensen

$1,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Level 7

Jun 30, '08

Blinds: 300/600 with 75 ante

Players Left: 460 of 2693

Average Stack: 17,524

Chip Leaders:

Jim Miller - 83,000
Lisa Surdyka - 62,300
Dan Harmetz - 41,000
Jason Gross - 38,100
David Pham - 36,200
Mark Sloane - 32,400
Jeff Blenkarn - 31,000
Richard Kirsch - 26,300
Alan Jaffray - 24,300
Tommy Vedes - 23,600

Big Hands

Same people just flame out with style. That was the case at table 4 in the blue section of the Amazon Room immediately after the dinner break.

Rockets -- Part One

Seat 10 was next to under the gun, and with blinds at 300/600, and with 18,775 in chips, the player pronounced himself all-in. Play was folded around the table and it appeared the move would go uncontested. Then Eduardo Handall in the big blind looked down and found himself staring at AA. What did you expect him to do? His call, for 10,000 even, proved to be up against the AQ of seat 10. The flop could have been dangerous, coming 643, but Handall held the only heart. It came into play with the K on the turn, and Handall doubled up.

Rockets -- Part 2

It didn't end there. Now seat 10 was under the gun, and with the rest of the table waiting impatiently, the player brought out his notebook and began making various calculations, seemingly stunned at the turn of events. After almost a minute, he then stunned the table by again announcing "all-in". A collective groan followed, until play got to Elliot Smith, already among the chip leaders. Smith then asked for an exact count, which the dealer provided. It was 8,700. Smith made the call, and when the rest of the field folded, Smith delivered the bad news. Now it was his turn with the rockets, holding AA. Seat 10 entered the showdown with 86. At least he can say he lost to the nuts, as the flop came A103, giving Elliot trips, then the A on the turn produced quads. Suddenly there was a seat open at table 4.

Rousso Drops a Few

The player under the gun raised to 4725 all-in, and play was folded to Vanessa Rousso. With a healthy chip stack she made the call and showed AQ. Her opponent held JJ. The flop came K74, followed by the 8 and 2, and Rousso shipped her chips across the table, though still held over 11,000 in chips.

The Manchester Flush

Rob Sherwood, from Manchester, United Kingdom, wasn't sure he wanted a call. After an early position raise made it 1700 to go, Sherwood shoved all-in for 5675 more. He was called by the raiser, who held AQ. Sherwood tabled AK. The flop hit him where it hurts, coming Q62. But the 5 on the turn added additional outs, and one came home as the 9 spiked the river to give Sherwood the nut flush for the victory.

Yambra Makes the Call

Another all-in shove -- an extremly popular move as level 7 continued -- came to the tune of 4650, and play was folded to Ronnie Yambra in the big blind. He opted to call and showed KQ. His opponent didn't appreciate the call, flipping over 1010. He didn't appreciate the end result either, having dodged the flop of 742, before the Q on the turn effectively ended his night. The 9 ended his evening and Yambra swepted in the chips.
 

Player Tags: Vanessa Rousso,   Ronnie Yambra,   Elliot Smith,   Robert Sherwood