Kristy Gazes Poker Tournament Updates

Level 3 Update: Eliminations Start to Flow

Oct 15, '10

Blinds: 100-200 with a 25 ante

Players Remaining: 255 out of 282

Chip Counts:

1. David Peters — 120,000
2. Amit Makhija — 85,000
3. Jeff Shulman — 82,000
4. Vanessa Selbst — 80,000
5. David Sands — 80,000
6. Daniel Negreanu — 77,575
7. Joe Sebok — 75,000
8. Darryll Fish — 70,000
9. Steve Sung — 68,000
10. Michael Kamran — 68,000

Card Player Chip Counts

Barry Shulman — 56,000
Tony Dunst — 39,000

Average Chip Count: 44,235

Notable Eliminations:

Kristy Gazes
Soheil Shamseddin
Raymond Dolan
Nam Le
November Niner Joseph Cheong
Layne Flack
Mike Sexton

Big Hands:

Mike Sexton Eliminated

Lauren Kling raised preflop and Jae Sik made the call. Mike Sexton reraised to 2,000 and Kling mucked. Sik reraised to 6,000 and Sexton popped it up to 14,000. Sik moved all in and Sexton made the all-in call. Their cards:

Sexton: A-A
Sik: Q-Q

Board: J-3-2-8-Q

Sik won the hand with a set of queens and Sexton was eliminated from the tournament in a bad way.

Score One for Happy

The board read K J 3 7 K when Jeff Shulman bet 2,000 and Jonathan Little made the call. Shulman turned over Q J and Little mucked. Shulman had a strong level and he now resides in the top three in chips with 82,000.

Kristy Gazes Eliminated

David Sands bet from the button to open the action with a K Q 10 flop sitting on the table and Kristy gazes made the call from middle position. The turn fell 6 and Gazes checked. Sands bet 6,250 and Gazes check-raised all in for 27,850. Sands made the call and they flipped over their cards:

Gazes: K Q
Sands: J 9

River: 5

Gazes was eliminated on the hand and Sands grew his stack to 80,000.

Nick Binger Makes a Power Move All In

A flop of 9 7 4 was sitting on the table when the button bet 2,000. Nick Binger made the call under the gun and the hi-jack made the call as well. The turn fell 9 and the button bet 6,000. Binger raised all in for 23,500 and the hi-jack mucked. The button went into the tank for a while but he mucked as well. Binger held 30,000 after the hand.

Featured Poker Tweets

Player Tags: Kristy Gazes,   Jeff Shulman,   Mike Sexton,   David Sands,   Nick Binger

Level Three, Hour One: Brian Rast Eliminates a Player

Jul 07, '10

Blinds: 150-300

Notable Chip Counts:

1. Barny Boatman – 140,000
2. David Williams – 107,000
3. Johnny Chan – 80,000
4. Alex Outhred – 68,000
5. Robert Mizrachi – 67,000
6. Leo Margets – 64,300
7. Matt Woodward – 64,000
8. Kai Paulsen – 58,000
9. Carlos Mortensen – 57,600
10. Pieter de Korver – 55,500

Card Player Chip Counts:

Steve Murphy — 37,800
Christina Lindley — 45,500
Dani Stern — 40,000
Tony Dunst — 19,400

Notable Eliminations:

Big Hands:

Brian Rast Eliminates a Player

A player moved all in for 4,450 on a board reading 9872. Brian Rast made the call. Rast tabled the QQ while his opponent exposed the Q10. Rast was fading a number of outs to eliminate his opponent. The J on the river filled one the draws for Rast’s opponent. Rast was down to 38,000 after the hand.

Kristy Gazes With the Knockout

Kristy Gazes got a short-stacked opponent all in preflop and showed QQ against her opponent’s AQ.

The flop ran 102K, giving her opponent a straight draw for more outs. The turn brought the 10 and only a jack or an ace on the river could save her opponent. Instead, the 4 came and Gazes held on for the knockout. She had around 34,000 after the hand.

Kling Looking Good, Chipping Up

Lauren Kling called a bet of 3,550 from her opponent on a flop of AJ7. Both players checked the 9 on the turn, and when the 10 landed on the river Kling’s opponent bet 6,000.

Kling raised to 17,000, sending her opponent into the tank for some time. He eventually folded and Kling saw her stack grow to around 50,000.

Boatman Soars Up The Leaderboard

Entering the action late, Barny Boatman called his opponent’s all in bet on a board of J84K2. Their hands:

Boatman: JJ
Opponent: KJ

Boatman raked a nice pot and is now one of the chip leaders on day 1c with 140,000.

Vicky Coren Eliminated by Big Slick

Vicky Coren got her short stack all in preflop against the player in seat 5. Their hands:

Coren: JJ
Opponent: AK

It was a coin flip situation, but the first card out wasn’t good for Coren. The flop came KQ9, pairing her opponent and leaving her in need of another jack or a ten for a straight. It wasn’t meant to be, as the 7 hit on the turn and the 3 completed the board, eliminating Coren.

Coren was unable to cash at the 2010 WSOP. Follow her on twitter.

Madsen Survives For The Moment

The player in seat 5 raised to 675 preflop and two players called from late position. The action was then on Jeff Madsen on the button and he moved all in for 6,700.
Seat 5 then reshoved to isolate Madsen and the other two callers mucked. Here were their hands:

Madsen: AK
Seat 5: AK

Both players had the same hand but Madsen needed to fade clubs. The board ran out 87254 and Madsen survived his all in with a chop. He was at 7,800 after the hand.

Pavilion Room Update

Jennifer Leigh Doubles Up

Jennifer Leigh was all in on a board of Q972. She was called by an opponent with the AQ for top pair. Leigh tabled the AA and was far ahead. The 9 on the river was safe and Leigh doubled to 44,000.

Player Tags: Kristy Gazes,   Barny Boatman,   Jeff Madsen,   Victoria Coren,   Lauren Kling

Level 16 Hour 2 Update: Money Bubble Bursts

Jul 11, '09

Blinds: 2,500-5,000 with a 500 ante

Players Remaining: 571 out of 6,494

Chip Counts:

1. Bertrand Grospellier – 1,700,000
2. Benjamin Jensen – 1,400,000
3. Ludovic Lacay – 1,400,000
4. James Akenhead – 1,140,000
5. Theo Tran – 1,050,000
6. Billy Kopp – 1,040,000
7. Blair Hinkle – 1,030,000
8. Miika Puumalainen – 1,000,000
9. Matt Affleck – 960,000
10. Eli Adler – 895,000

Card Player Chip Counts:

Jeff Shulman – 270,000
Phil Hellmuth – 200,000

Average Chip Count: 335,318

Notable Eliminations:

Kristy Gazes

Big Hands:

Eastgate Takes One Off Hachem

Joe Hachem raised to 15,000 preflop and Peter Eastgate made the call from the big blind. The flop then fell A58 and both players checked. The turn was the 3 and Hachem bet 18,000 after Eastgate checked. The call was made and the river was the 9. Both players checked one last time and Hachem tabled K8 for middle pair on the flop.

Eastgate then tabled QQ for the best hand and took the pot.

Bobby Baldwin Still Alive

With a flop showing K76, Bobby Baldwin moved all in with A9 and was called by Elias Eldon who was holding QQ.

The turn was the 5 and the bubble was so close to bursting. But the river was the 3 and Baldwin doubled up, much to the chagrin of everyone else in the Amazon Room hoping to cash.

Lou Diamond Phillips Takes One Off Tran

J.C. Tran raised to 13,000 and Lou Diamond Phillips made the call from the big blind. The flop came 876 and Phillips led out for 20,000. Tran made the call and the turn was the 4. Phillips led out one more time, this time for 30,000. Tran then popped it to 80,000 and Phillips made the call.

The river was the Q and Phillips kept the foot to the gas pedal, firing 130,000. Tran mucked and Phillips tabled 55 for the straight and he was at 565,000. Tran was down to 150,000.

Kia Hamadani Is The Bubble Boy

Kia Hamadani was all in for his last 500 on the ante. Reed Hensel raised to 17,000 from the hijack and the blinds called. The flop came down Q6Q and Hensel bet 20,000. The blinds mucked and Hensel tabled 92. It was clearly a move to take the much bigger side pot, but he was also ahead of Hamadani who held 43. The turn was the 9, leaving Hamadani drawing dead. For good measure, the 9 came on the river and the field was officially in the money.

Kenny Tran Picks Off a Short Stack

Max Greenwood moved all in preflop for his last 86,500 chips and was called by Prahlad Friedman on the button. Action was to Kenny Tran in the big blind and Tran decided to move all in himself. Friedman decided to get out of the way and let Tran take on Greenwood himself.

Tran showed KK and Greenwood showed QJ. The board ran out A65K9 and eliminated Greenwood from the tournament, while Kenny Tran increased his stack to 800,000.

Kristy Gazes Eliminated

Kristy Gazes had been nursing a below average stack for a while and she finally moved it in preflop. Dag Palovic made the call and here were their cards.

Gazes: A2
Palovic: 1010

Gazes had only one overcard to Palovic’s pocket pair. The flop then came AJ10, giving Gazes top pair but making Palovic a set. Gazes took a few steps away from the table, anticipating her elimination. But the Q came on the turn and she still had outs. “One time dealer!” Gazes said asking for a king. But the river was the 3 and Gazes joined the flock of players busting out after the bursting of the bubble.

Left In The Deck:

The money bubble has officially burst with the elimination of Kia Hamadani. Everyone in the field is now guaranteed at least $21,365. Hamadani does get the nice consolation prize of being bought in to the 2010 main event and, of course, the fame of being the 2009 bubble boy.

Since 13 hands were played during that entire level, the tournament staff has decided to add three minutes per hands played to the clock. That means the players will have 39 minutes of added play before dinner arrives. Let the all in madness begin.

Dinner Pushed Back

The players have gone on a 20-minute break to color up the blue “500” chips. Most of the field thought their dinner break would be after level 16, but the tournament staff has verified that the field will play one more 120 minute level before they players take their 90 minute dinner break.

Player Tags: J.C. Tran,   Bobby Baldwin,   Kristy Gazes,   Lou Diamond Phillips,   Joe Hachem,   Peter Eastgate

Level 5 Hour 1 Update: Scott Clements Eliminated

Jul 06, '09

Blinds: 200-400 with a 50 ante

Chip Counts:

1. Dutch Boyd – 133,000
2. Josh Arieh – 125,000
3. Blair Hinkle – 120,800
4. Chad Brown – 105,000
5. Adam Schoenfeld – 103,200
6. Prahlad Friedman – 92,000
7. Phil Ivey – 82,000
8. John Racener – 79,000
9. Matthew Hilger – 68,000
10. Jeff Shulman – 56,000

Notable Eliminations:

Amir Vahedi
Scott Clements
Sully Erna

Big Hands

Amir Vahedi Eliminated by Marc Karam

Amir Vahedi gets it all in before the flop, Marc Karam calls and has him covered.

Vahedi: AK
Karam: AQ

Board: 832Q6

Vahedi gets it in as the favorite, but Karam spikes a queen on the turn, eliminating Amir Vahedi just minutes into Level 5.

Scott Clements Eliminated

Scott Clements was short stacked and holding the QQ on a board of J559. Clements got the rest of his chips into the middle with the over pair but was drawing dead against the 55 of his opponent. Clements was sent to the rail.

Sully Erna Eliminated

Godsmack member Sully Erna was crippled when put an opponent all in on a board of J326. His opponent called and tabled the AQ for the nuts. Erna mucked and was eliminated shortly after when his short stack of 1,150 didn’t last.

Kristy Gazes Flops the Nuts, Gets Paid Off

On a flop of J85, the player in seat 7 bets 1,100 and Kristy Gazes calls. The turn is the K, and this time Gazes leads out for 2,675. The river is the K, Gazes bets 5,125 and her opponent goes into the tank. After a few minutes he makes the call and Gazes turns over AQ for the nut flush. Gazes rakes the pot, bringing her stack up to 45,000 at the moment.

Arieh On a Run, Breaks 100K

On a flop of AK7, Josh Arieh bets 2,000 from the cutoff and the player on the button makes the call. The turn is the 4, Arieh bets 5,000 and the button calls. The river is the 7, and once again Arieh bets 5,000 and gets a call. Arieh turns over A9 for top pair, his opponent exposes K10 for middle pair. Arieh rakes the pot, bringing his stack up to 125,000 this hand.

Player Tags: Amir Vahedi,   Josh Arieh,   Kristy Gazes,   Scott Clements,   Marc Karam,   Sully Erna

Level 16 Hour 2 Update: Money Bubble Bursts

Jul 11, '09

Blinds: 2,500-5,000 with a 500 ante

Players Remaining: 571 out of 6,494

Chip Counts:

1. Bertrand Grospellier – 1,700,000
2. Benjamin Jensen – 1,400,000
3. Ludovic Lacay – 1,400,000
4. James Akenhead – 1,140,000
5. Theo Tran – 1,050,000
6. Billy Kopp – 1,040,000
7. Blair Hinkle – 1,030,000
8. Miika Puumalainen – 1,000,000
9. Matt Affleck – 960,000
10. Eli Adler – 895,000

Card Player Chip Counts:

Jeff Shulman – 270,000
Phil Hellmuth – 200,000

Average Chip Count: 335,318

Notable Eliminations:

Kristy Gazes

Big Hands:

Eastgate Takes One Off Hachem

Joe Hachem raised to 15,000 preflop and Peter Eastgate made the call from the big blind. The flop then fell A58 and both players checked. The turn was the 3 and Hachem bet 18,000 after Eastgate checked. The call was made and the river was the 9. Both players checked one last time and Hachem tabled K8 for middle pair on the flop.

Eastgate then tabled QQ for the best hand and took the pot.

Bobby Baldwin Still Alive

With a flop showing K76, Bobby Baldwin moved all in with A9 and was called by Elias Eldon who was holding QQ.

The turn was the 5 and the bubble was so close to bursting. But the river was the 3 and Baldwin doubled up, much to the chagrin of everyone else in the Amazon Room hoping to cash.

Lou Diamond Phillips Takes One Off Tran

J.C. Tran raised to 13,000 and Lou Diamond Phillips made the call from the big blind. The flop came 876 and Phillips led out for 20,000. Tran made the call and the turn was the 4. Phillips led out one more time, this time for 30,000. Tran then popped it to 80,000 and Phillips made the call.

The river was the Q and Phillips kept the foot to the gas pedal, firing 130,000. Tran mucked and Phillips tabled 55 for the straight and he was at 565,000. Tran was down to 150,000.

Kia Hamadani Is The Bubble Boy

Kia Hamadani was all in for his last 500 on the ante. Reed Hensel raised to 17,000 from the hijack and the blinds called. The flop came down Q6Q and Hensel bet 20,000. The blinds mucked and Hensel tabled 92. It was clearly a move to take the much bigger side pot, but he was also ahead of Hamadani who held 43. The turn was the 9, leaving Hamadani drawing dead. For good measure, the 9 came on the river and the field was officially in the money.

Kenny Tran Picks Off a Short Stack

Max Greenwood moved all in preflop for his last 86,500 chips and was called by Prahlad Friedman on the button. Action was to Kenny Tran in the big blind and Tran decided to move all in himself. Friedman decided to get out of the way and let Tran take on Greenwood himself.

Tran showed KK and Greenwood showed QJ. The board ran out A65K9 and eliminated Greenwood from the tournament, while Kenny Tran increased his stack to 800,000.

Kristy Gazes Eliminated

Kristy Gazes had been nursing a below average stack for a while and she finally moved it in preflop. Dag Palovic made the call and here were their cards.

Gazes: A2
Palovic: 1010

Gazes had only one overcard to Palovic’s pocket pair. The flop then came AJ10, giving Gazes top pair but making Palovic a set. Gazes took a few steps away from the table, anticipating her elimination. But the Q came on the turn and she still had outs. “One time dealer!” Gazes said asking for a king. But the river was the 3 and Gazes joined the flock of players busting out after the bursting of the bubble.

Left In The Deck:

The money bubble has officially burst with the elimination of Kia Hamadani. Everyone in the field is now guaranteed at least $21,365. Hamadani does get the nice consolation prize of being bought in to the 2010 main event and, of course, the fame of being the 2009 bubble boy.

Since 13 hands were played during that entire level, the tournament staff has decided to add three minutes per hands played to the clock. That means the players will have 39 minutes of added play before dinner arrives. Let the all in madness begin.

Dinner Pushed Back

The players have gone on a 20-minute break to color up the blue “500” chips. Most of the field thought their dinner break would be after level 16, but the tournament staff has verified that the field will play one more 120 minute level before they players take their 90 minute dinner break.

Player Tags: J.C. Tran,   Bobby Baldwin,   Kristy Gazes,   Lou Diamond Phillips,   Joe Hachem,   Peter Eastgate

Level 5 Hour 1 Update: Scott Clements Eliminated

Jul 06, '09

Blinds: 200-400 with a 50 ante

Chip Counts:

1. Dutch Boyd – 133,000
2. Josh Arieh – 125,000
3. Blair Hinkle – 120,800
4. Chad Brown – 105,000
5. Adam Schoenfeld – 103,200
6. Prahlad Friedman – 92,000
7. Phil Ivey – 82,000
8. John Racener – 79,000
9. Matthew Hilger – 68,000
10. Jeff Shulman – 56,000

Notable Eliminations:

Amir Vahedi
Scott Clements
Sully Erna

Big Hands

Amir Vahedi Eliminated by Marc Karam

Amir Vahedi gets it all in before the flop, Marc Karam calls and has him covered.

Vahedi: AK
Karam: AQ

Board: 832Q6

Vahedi gets it in as the favorite, but Karam spikes a queen on the turn, eliminating Amir Vahedi just minutes into Level 5.

Scott Clements Eliminated

Scott Clements was short stacked and holding the QQ on a board of J559. Clements got the rest of his chips into the middle with the over pair but was drawing dead against the 55 of his opponent. Clements was sent to the rail.

Sully Erna Eliminated

Godsmack member Sully Erna was crippled when put an opponent all in on a board of J326. His opponent called and tabled the AQ for the nuts. Erna mucked and was eliminated shortly after when his short stack of 1,150 didn’t last.

Kristy Gazes Flops the Nuts, Gets Paid Off

On a flop of J85, the player in seat 7 bets 1,100 and Kristy Gazes calls. The turn is the K, and this time Gazes leads out for 2,675. The river is the K, Gazes bets 5,125 and her opponent goes into the tank. After a few minutes he makes the call and Gazes turns over AQ for the nut flush. Gazes rakes the pot, bringing her stack up to 45,000 at the moment.

Arieh On a Run, Breaks 100K

On a flop of AK7, Josh Arieh bets 2,000 from the cutoff and the player on the button makes the call. The turn is the 4, Arieh bets 5,000 and the button calls. The river is the 7, and once again Arieh bets 5,000 and gets a call. Arieh turns over A9 for top pair, his opponent exposes K10 for middle pair. Arieh rakes the pot, bringing his stack up to 125,000 this hand.

Player Tags: Amir Vahedi,   Josh Arieh,   Kristy Gazes,   Scott Clements,   Marc Karam,   Sully Erna

Level 10 Update

Dec 15, '08

Scoreboard

Level: 10
Blinds/Antes: 1,000-2,000 with a 300 ante

Players Left: 148 of 497
Average: 151,000

Notable Chip Counts

Chuck Kelley - 418,000
Kido Pham - 400,000
Antonio Esfandiari - 389,000
Clonie Gowen - 387,000
Phil Hellmuth - 335,000

Notable Eliminations

Michael Gracz
Jennifer Harman
Bertrand Grospellier

Nenad Medic Makes a Big Call

Nenad Medic raised to 5,500 and was called by both Tuan Le and Allen Cunningham on the button. The flop came Q83 and Medic continued with a 10,500 bet. Le folded and Cunningham raised to 28,000. After about a minute of thought, Medic made the call. The turn was the K and both players checked. The river was the 4 and Cunningham gave up. Medic showed A3 for a pair of threes and Cunningham mucked.

Kristy Gazes Doubles Up on the Short Stack

Kristy Gazes was all in holding pocket jacks against her opponent's A-K. The flop brought both a king and a jack and Gazes was able to double up to 38,000 in chips.

Marco Traniello Gets Hurt With the Ladies

The Traniello-Harman family had a bad level. Jennifer was eliminated and Marco's pocket queens ran into Minh Ly's pocket kings. The board failed to help Traniello and he was crippled down to just under 8 big blinds.

Player Tags: Kristy Gazes,   Minh Ly,   Allen Cunningham,   Marco Traniello,   Nenad Medic

$1,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Level 15

Jun 29, '08

Blinds: 3000/6000 with 500 ante

Players Left: 57 of 2,718

Average Stack: 132,605

Chip Leaders:

Rasmus Nielsen - 750,000
Men Nguyen - 380,000
Peter Nguyen - 365,000
J.C. Tran - 340,000
Jody Mitchell - 335,000
Brett Switzer - 315,000
Anderson Silva - 264,000
Paul Kim - 260,000
Tuan Vu - 250,000
Andy Black - 235,000

Eliminations: John Green, Greg Mueller, Robert Vecchio.

Big Hands

Mueller Meltdown

An apparent on-going battle between Greg Mueller and Rasmus Nielsen came to a sudden and immediate end midway through the level, when the two butted heads one last time. Mueller was on the button and raised to 17,000 preflop. Nielsen, in the small blind, sent out a reraise to 77,000. Mueller countered with a massive shove, sending his remaining 250,000 in chips into the center of the table. Nielsen made the call and showed AK, which dominated Mueller's K10. Nielsen hit the flop that came A42, then added the K on the turn for good measure. The J completed the board and Mueller was sent to the rail while Nielsen was sent to the top of the chip count.

"Kristy and the Five of Diamonds . . . "

Kristy Gazes may have been singing to herself after staving off elimination in stunning fashion. Play was folded to Gazes who, one from the cut-off, pushed all-in for 24,000. David "Dragon" Pham was the button and appeared to be considering the call, which would have been for a third of his stack. He folded, but the small blind instantly called and showed AK. Gazes turned over K5 and shrugged, "diamonds are a girl's best friend." The flop didn't offer much promise, coming 774. But the 6 on the turn made her open-ended, which caused Gazes to mutter, "Oh Baby Doll." When the 8 on the river completed the straight, Gazes fired out another "Oh Baby Doll!" and scooped the chips.

Tran Settles for Chop

J.C. Tran was the big blind and watched the player in seat 9 raise to 15,000. Tran called and the flop came A96. After both players checked, the Q was turned and again both players checked. The river was the 10, seat 9 bet 15,000 and Tran called. Seat 9 showed A7, not as co-ordinated as Tran's A7 but equally effective to split the pot.

Rajkumar Collects a Few More

Seat 1 raised to 20,000 and Vivek Rajkumar raised all-in to 90,000. Seat 1 tanked before making the laydown.


 

Player Tags: J.C. Tran,   David Pham,   Kristy Gazes,   Greg Mueller,   Vivek Rajkumar,   Rasmus Nielsen

$1,500 No Limit Hold'em - Mueller and Black Moving Up

Jun 29, '08

Note: Players are on a 20-minute break

Blinds/Antes: 1,000-2,000 with a 300 Ante

Players Left: 144 of 2,718

Chip Leaders:

Young Phan: 187,000
Micah Raskin: 175,200
Tuan "Tommy" Vu: 145,000
Greg Alexander: 145,000
Greg Mueller: 135,000
Jon Friedberg: 130,000
Manelic Minaya: 127,300
Matthew Matros: 113,600
Rasmus Nielsen: 110,600
J.C. Tran: 100,000

Average Stack: 56,625

Big Hands:

A Slow Roll Special

After a flop of KJ10, the player in seat 2 checked the action to Kristy Gazes. She moved all in and the action was back on seat 2. He looked down at his cards three times. Finally, he decided to make the call. "I gotta call you. I got a straight," he said as he turned over Q9. Gazes just nodded her head and turned over KQ for top pair and an open ended straight draw. The turn made her straight as the A hit the felt. The 5 came on the river and both players chopped the pot. Gazes was around 36,000.

Mueller Has Door Slammed Shut, Then Cracks It Open

On a board that read 533510, Greg Mueller fired 14,000 into the pot. His opponent ins seat 2 made the call and Mueller announced, "Ace high." His opponent turned over QQ and Mueller lost a big pot, dropping down to around 65,000. But he would get those chips back moments later as he was able to crack another opponent's pocket aces and Mueller rebuilt his stack to around 130,000.

"Welcome to the Table Andrew"

Andrew Black was moved to Kristy Gazes' table. He then got involved with the player in seat 8. Black moved all in preflop from the cutoff after his opponent raised to 5,500. Seat 8 made the call and tabled K10. Black showed down AJ. The board ran out 5338A and Black knocked out his opponent, increasing his stack to around 70,000 in the process. "Welcome to the table, Andrew," Black said with a smile.

The Bulldozer

On a flop of 972, the player in seat 2 bet 6,000 and Hevad Khan made the call. The turn was the A and seat 2 led out with another 9,500. Khan moved all in and his opponent mucked. Khan raked in the pot and his stack was well over 80,000.

Player Tags: Kristy Gazes,   Greg Mueller,   Andy Black,   Hevad Khan,   European Report

Event 49 - $1500 NLHE - Level 9

Jun 28, '08

Blinds: 500-1,000

Ante: 100

Players Remaining: 274

Eliminations: Jonathan Little

Notable Hands:
Too Little Too Late

A player in early position made a standard opening raise to 3,000, and Jonathan Little reraised all in from the big blind for another 5,000. The player made the call, and had Little's AJ dominated with AQ. Little was effectively dead to a jack, which he was unable to find as the board ran out 9439K. Little went home several spots short of the bubble burst.

Gazes Good Enough

Kristy Gazes raised preflop to 3,000, and was called only by the button. Both players checked the flop of AJ2, and the turn of 9. The 10 fell on the river, and Gazes fired out a bet of 4,500. The button smiled and said, "Did you get there?" as he tossed in the call. Gazes had indeed got there, turning over QJ. The button just smiled, and sent a few chips her way across the felt.

Black Comes Back

Action folded around to the small blind, who made a minimum raise to a total of 2,000. Black called the additional 1,000 from the big blind. The flop came Q109, and the small blind bet out 4,000. Black quickly made the call, and the dealer peeled off the turn, the A. The player again bet 4,000, and Black moved all in. His opponent called, showing KK. Black was in good shape holding AQ, and managed to stave off further trouble when the 4 fell on the river. Black doubled up, and his opponent was left with less than 3,000 in chips.

Make It Rain, Make It Rain

More precise details are lacking, but on the turn of a board showing 1082J, Hevad Khan had moved in for around 30,000 into an already sizable pot. After some deliberation, his opponent folded, and Khan raked in a monster without a showdown.

Play has gone to hand for hand as we await the elimination of the 271st player and the ensuing pop of the money bubble.

Player Tags: Kristy Gazes,   Andy Black,   Jonathan Little,   Hevad Khan

Event 49 - $1500 NLHE - Level 8

Jun 28, '08

Blinds: 400-800

Ante: 100

Players Remaining: 350

Average Stack: 23,297

Chip Leaders:

Young Phan: 73,000
John Murphy: 57,000
Greg "FBT" Mueller: 57,000
Manny Minaya: 52,000
Nancy Todd Tyner: 50,000
JC Tran: 42,000
Hevad 'Rain' Khan: 39,000
Men 'The Master' Nguyen: 38,075
Michael Laing: 38,000
David Pham: 36,000

Eliminations: Joe Awada, Michael Craig, Allen Kessler

Notable Hands:
Bullets for Bulldozer

On a flop of Q62, Hevad Khan pushed out a bet of 7,000. His opponent in seat 4 raised all in, and Khan quickly made the call. Khan held AA, and the hammer that would put the final nail in the coffin of his opponent, who held only Q9. The turn was the 2, and the river the 10, and Khan continued his comeback.

The Chainsaw Chops It Up

Allen Kessler completed from the small blind and Joe Awada checked his option. They both checked the flop: AK3. They both checked the 10 on the turn. They both checked the jack on the river. They both flipped over a 10 (Awada 10-8, Kessler 10-5). They both won half of the pot.

The walk would not be enough for Awada, however, who was eliminated later in the level after running running his A-Q into big slick and failling to improve.

What Do You Call An Irishman In A Cooler?

One player, sitting in seat 8, limped in from early position. Andy Black popped the action up to 4,000, pushing out the rest of the table. Seat 8 then moved all in, and Black rolled his eyes and made the call. He seemed to have already accepted the fact that his QQ would be no good against his opponent, who did indeed have Black beat with KK. But for a moment it seemed there was still hope for Black, as the doorcard on the flop showed the Q. Even then, Black seemed resigned to his fate, and sure enough the full flop read K3Q. A player at the other end of the table interjected, saying "Are you serious?" Black responded flatly, "Yes, he's serious," and watched grimly as the dealer put out the 710. Black counted down the double up, and fell to around 20,000 in chips.

Later in the level, Kristy Gazes raised 2,200 from under the gun. Action folded around to Andy Black in the big blind, who shoved all in. Gazes thought briefly before making the call, and turned over her hand: AQ. Black held a matching AQ, and both players took back their chips as the board ran out K847Q.

Players are on a 20 minute break while the green 25 chips are colored up and raced off. After the break, they will play for another two levels before stopping for the day.

Player Tags: Kristy Gazes,   Allen Kessler,   Andy Black,   Hevad Khan

$1,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Level 15

Jun 29, '08

Blinds: 3000/6000 with 500 ante

Players Left: 57 of 2,718

Average Stack: 132,605

Chip Leaders:

Rasmus Nielsen - 750,000
Men Nguyen - 380,000
Peter Nguyen - 365,000
J.C. Tran - 340,000
Jody Mitchell - 335,000
Brett Switzer - 315,000
Anderson Silva - 264,000
Paul Kim - 260,000
Tuan Vu - 250,000
Andy Black - 235,000

Eliminations: John Green, Greg Mueller, Robert Vecchio.

Big Hands

Mueller Meltdown

An apparent on-going battle between Greg Mueller and Rasmus Nielsen came to a sudden and immediate end midway through the level, when the two butted heads one last time. Mueller was on the button and raised to 17,000 preflop. Nielsen, in the small blind, sent out a reraise to 77,000. Mueller countered with a massive shove, sending his remaining 250,000 in chips into the center of the table. Nielsen made the call and showed AK, which dominated Mueller's K10. Nielsen hit the flop that came A42, then added the K on the turn for good measure. The J completed the board and Mueller was sent to the rail while Nielsen was sent to the top of the chip count.

"Kristy and the Five of Diamonds . . . "

Kristy Gazes may have been singing to herself after staving off elimination in stunning fashion. Play was folded to Gazes who, one from the cut-off, pushed all-in for 24,000. David "Dragon" Pham was the button and appeared to be considering the call, which would have been for a third of his stack. He folded, but the small blind instantly called and showed AK. Gazes turned over K5 and shrugged, "diamonds are a girl's best friend." The flop didn't offer much promise, coming 774. But the 6 on the turn made her open-ended, which caused Gazes to mutter, "Oh Baby Doll." When the 8 on the river completed the straight, Gazes fired out another "Oh Baby Doll!" and scooped the chips.

Tran Settles for Chop

J.C. Tran was the big blind and watched the player in seat 9 raise to 15,000. Tran called and the flop came A96. After both players checked, the Q was turned and again both players checked. The river was the 10, seat 9 bet 15,000 and Tran called. Seat 9 showed A7, not as co-ordinated as Tran's A7 but equally effective to split the pot.

Rajkumar Collects a Few More

Seat 1 raised to 20,000 and Vivek Rajkumar raised all-in to 90,000. Seat 1 tanked before making the laydown.


 

Player Tags: J.C. Tran,   David Pham,   Kristy Gazes,   Greg Mueller,   Vivek Rajkumar,   Rasmus Nielsen

$1,500 No Limit Hold'em - Mueller and Black Moving Up

Jun 29, '08

Note: Players are on a 20-minute break

Blinds/Antes: 1,000-2,000 with a 300 Ante

Players Left: 144 of 2,718

Chip Leaders:

Young Phan: 187,000
Micah Raskin: 175,200
Tuan "Tommy" Vu: 145,000
Greg Alexander: 145,000
Greg Mueller: 135,000
Jon Friedberg: 130,000
Manelic Minaya: 127,300
Matthew Matros: 113,600
Rasmus Nielsen: 110,600
J.C. Tran: 100,000

Average Stack: 56,625

Big Hands:

A Slow Roll Special

After a flop of KJ10, the player in seat 2 checked the action to Kristy Gazes. She moved all in and the action was back on seat 2. He looked down at his cards three times. Finally, he decided to make the call. "I gotta call you. I got a straight," he said as he turned over Q9. Gazes just nodded her head and turned over KQ for top pair and an open ended straight draw. The turn made her straight as the A hit the felt. The 5 came on the river and both players chopped the pot. Gazes was around 36,000.

Mueller Has Door Slammed Shut, Then Cracks It Open

On a board that read 533510, Greg Mueller fired 14,000 into the pot. His opponent ins seat 2 made the call and Mueller announced, "Ace high." His opponent turned over QQ and Mueller lost a big pot, dropping down to around 65,000. But he would get those chips back moments later as he was able to crack another opponent's pocket aces and Mueller rebuilt his stack to around 130,000.

"Welcome to the Table Andrew"

Andrew Black was moved to Kristy Gazes' table. He then got involved with the player in seat 8. Black moved all in preflop from the cutoff after his opponent raised to 5,500. Seat 8 made the call and tabled K10. Black showed down AJ. The board ran out 5338A and Black knocked out his opponent, increasing his stack to around 70,000 in the process. "Welcome to the table, Andrew," Black said with a smile.

The Bulldozer

On a flop of 972, the player in seat 2 bet 6,000 and Hevad Khan made the call. The turn was the A and seat 2 led out with another 9,500. Khan moved all in and his opponent mucked. Khan raked in the pot and his stack was well over 80,000.

Player Tags: Kristy Gazes,   Greg Mueller,   Andy Black,   Hevad Khan,   European Report

Event 49 - $1500 NLHE - Level 9

Jun 28, '08

Blinds: 500-1,000

Ante: 100

Players Remaining: 274

Eliminations: Jonathan Little

Notable Hands:
Too Little Too Late

A player in early position made a standard opening raise to 3,000, and Jonathan Little reraised all in from the big blind for another 5,000. The player made the call, and had Little's AJ dominated with AQ. Little was effectively dead to a jack, which he was unable to find as the board ran out 9439K. Little went home several spots short of the bubble burst.

Gazes Good Enough

Kristy Gazes raised preflop to 3,000, and was called only by the button. Both players checked the flop of AJ2, and the turn of 9. The 10 fell on the river, and Gazes fired out a bet of 4,500. The button smiled and said, "Did you get there?" as he tossed in the call. Gazes had indeed got there, turning over QJ. The button just smiled, and sent a few chips her way across the felt.

Black Comes Back

Action folded around to the small blind, who made a minimum raise to a total of 2,000. Black called the additional 1,000 from the big blind. The flop came Q109, and the small blind bet out 4,000. Black quickly made the call, and the dealer peeled off the turn, the A. The player again bet 4,000, and Black moved all in. His opponent called, showing KK. Black was in good shape holding AQ, and managed to stave off further trouble when the 4 fell on the river. Black doubled up, and his opponent was left with less than 3,000 in chips.

Make It Rain, Make It Rain

More precise details are lacking, but on the turn of a board showing 1082J, Hevad Khan had moved in for around 30,000 into an already sizable pot. After some deliberation, his opponent folded, and Khan raked in a monster without a showdown.

Play has gone to hand for hand as we await the elimination of the 271st player and the ensuing pop of the money bubble.

Player Tags: Kristy Gazes,   Andy Black,   Jonathan Little,   Hevad Khan

Event 49 - $1500 NLHE - Level 8

Jun 28, '08

Blinds: 400-800

Ante: 100

Players Remaining: 350

Average Stack: 23,297

Chip Leaders:

Young Phan: 73,000
John Murphy: 57,000
Greg "FBT" Mueller: 57,000
Manny Minaya: 52,000
Nancy Todd Tyner: 50,000
JC Tran: 42,000
Hevad 'Rain' Khan: 39,000
Men 'The Master' Nguyen: 38,075
Michael Laing: 38,000
David Pham: 36,000

Eliminations: Joe Awada, Michael Craig, Allen Kessler

Notable Hands:
Bullets for Bulldozer

On a flop of Q62, Hevad Khan pushed out a bet of 7,000. His opponent in seat 4 raised all in, and Khan quickly made the call. Khan held AA, and the hammer that would put the final nail in the coffin of his opponent, who held only Q9. The turn was the 2, and the river the 10, and Khan continued his comeback.

The Chainsaw Chops It Up

Allen Kessler completed from the small blind and Joe Awada checked his option. They both checked the flop: AK3. They both checked the 10 on the turn. They both checked the jack on the river. They both flipped over a 10 (Awada 10-8, Kessler 10-5). They both won half of the pot.

The walk would not be enough for Awada, however, who was eliminated later in the level after running running his A-Q into big slick and failling to improve.

What Do You Call An Irishman In A Cooler?

One player, sitting in seat 8, limped in from early position. Andy Black popped the action up to 4,000, pushing out the rest of the table. Seat 8 then moved all in, and Black rolled his eyes and made the call. He seemed to have already accepted the fact that his QQ would be no good against his opponent, who did indeed have Black beat with KK. But for a moment it seemed there was still hope for Black, as the doorcard on the flop showed the Q. Even then, Black seemed resigned to his fate, and sure enough the full flop read K3Q. A player at the other end of the table interjected, saying "Are you serious?" Black responded flatly, "Yes, he's serious," and watched grimly as the dealer put out the 710. Black counted down the double up, and fell to around 20,000 in chips.

Later in the level, Kristy Gazes raised 2,200 from under the gun. Action folded around to Andy Black in the big blind, who shoved all in. Gazes thought briefly before making the call, and turned over her hand: AQ. Black held a matching AQ, and both players took back their chips as the board ran out K847Q.

Players are on a 20 minute break while the green 25 chips are colored up and raced off. After the break, they will play for another two levels before stopping for the day.

Player Tags: Kristy Gazes,   Allen Kessler,   Andy Black,   Hevad Khan

$1,000 NL Hold'em w/Rebuys - Level 5

Jun 25, '08

Blinds: 150/300 with 25 ante

Players Left: 420 of 879 (field accounted for 2508 rebuys and add-ons combined)

Chip Leaders:

Mark Seif - 73,000
Jason Mercier - 62,000
Jamie Rosen - 54,400
John Phan - 51,000
J.C. Tran - 50,300
Brandon Cantu - 46,500
Nicholas Levi - 44,600
Richard Fohrenbach - 41,200
Terrence Chan - 41,000
Peter Feldman - 36,400

Eliminations: Phil Gordon, Kristy Gazes, Nikolay Evdakov, David Pham, Antonio Esfandiari, Shannon Elizabeth, Vivek Rajkumar, Jean-Robert Bellande.

Big Hands/Storylines

Players were divided between the Amazon Room and Brasilia Room to start the tournament, but following level 4 all Brasilia Room players were moved into the main Amazon facility.
It was almost a reunion of sorts of ladies night on Poker After Dark. Clonie Gowen and Vanessa Rousso are seated together, while behind them were Kristy Gazes and Kathy Liebert. Gazes wouldn't last however, falling victim to a cruel river.

Don't Trust the Queen of Diamonds . . .

Kristy Gazes moved all-in for her final 4,175 in chips and drew a lone call from seat 10 who showed AQ. Gazes held in her possession 44. She dodged the flop that came J106, and the 10 on the turn did her no damage. But the Q on the river sent Gazes packing.

Gowen Takes the Initiative

Clonie Gowen was one of five players to call the blind and see the flop for 300. A dangerous looking 976 board was checked by the first four players, including Vanessa Rousso. Gowen then bet out 1500, and drew four folds in response to take the pot.

Gordon Makes Right Read at Wrong Time

Play was still at 300 when it came to the cutoff who raised to 800. The button called, then Phil Gordon in the small blind raised to 3500. The cutoff folded and the button called. The flop came A42. Gordon checked and the button player moved all-in, having enough chips to cover Gordon's remaining 10,300. Gordon made several motions as if he was about to call, trying to draw a response. Eventually, sensing weakness, he did make the decision to call, and was rewarded when his opponent showed 75 for a small flush draw. Gordon was ahead with A8. The J on the turn kept Gordon in the lead, but the 3 on the turn put an end to the night for the Little Green Book author.

Dragon Slayer

He hasn't been officially put to rest, but David "Dragon" Pham was crippled after a recent battle. The flop came K92, and after the 8 on the turn Pham bet 2,000, leaving him with just 2,825 in chips. The A on the river made it a four-flush board, and now his opponent in seat 1 bet enough to put Pham all-in. Pham laid it down but was eliminated a few hands later.

Dzianisau Knocks off Two

Seat 1 moved all-in for 4200, seat 3 followed all-in for 3550, and Aliaksandr Dzianisau made the call from late position. Seat 1 held 1010, seat 3 showed AK, and Dzianisau proved to be ahead with QQ. The flop hit seat 3, coming KJ8, but ran out 68 to give Dzianisau the flush for the winning hand.







 

Player Tags: David Pham,   Kristy Gazes,   Phil Gordon,   Clonie Gowen,   Aliaksandr Dzianisau

$3,000 No-Limit - Level Seven

Jun 15, '08

Blinds/Antes: 300/600/75

Players Remaining: 162 of 716

Average Stack: 26,519

Chip Counts:
Jimmy Fricke - 112,000
John Phan - 79,000
Matthew Vengrin - 77,000
Justin Newton - 73,000
David Singer - 65,000
Frank Vizza - 58,000
Ryan Young - 53,000
Mike Sowers - 52,000
Kathy Liebert - 45,000
Stuart Patterson - 44,000

Big Hands:

Kristy Gazes Takes One Down with Aces

After raising pre-flop from early position and getting called by the player in the big blind, Kristy Gazes and her opponent looked down at a flop of 654.  Her opponent checked and Gazes made a bet of 600.  Her opponent called and again checked when the J fell on the turn.  Gazes gathered 3,500 and tossed it across the line.  Her opponent folded, causing Gazes to say, “Finally!”  She revealed her AA as she dragged the pot.  Gazes remains one of the tournament short stacks, sitting with less than 10,000 in chips.

David Singer Folds Under Pressure

A player in late position raised to 1,700 and David Singer elected to defend his big blind by calling.  The flop came Q102 and Singer checked.  His opponent checked behind and the K was dealt on the turn.  Singer checked and his opponent bet 2,000.  Singer gathered two yellow chips from his stack and held them in his hand as he deliberated a call.  Singer eventually mucked his hand, and his opponent took the pot.  Singer still sat way above the tournament average with over 60,000 in chips.

Mike Sowers Continues to Vacuum Chips

From his position one away from under-the-gun, Mike Sowers threw in a raise to 1,700.  A player in late position made the call, and all other players folded.  On a 665 flop, Sowers made a bet of 2,700.  His opponent folded, and Sowers won the pot.  Sowers finished the hand with over 45,000 in chips.

Player Tags: Kristy Gazes,   David Singer,   Mike Sowers

$3,000 No-Limit - Justice For Raymer

Jun 15, '08

Note: Players are now on a 90-minute dinner break. Action will resume around 8:20 p.m.

Blinds/Antes: 200-400 with a 50 ante

Players Left: 210 of 716

Chip Leaders:
Frank Vizza: 68,000
John Phan: 60,000
Mike Sowers: 53,000
G. Richard Tatalovich: 46,000
Jason Somerville: 32,500
Steve Sung: 30,000
Nicolas Levi: 30,000
David Singer: 30,000
Stuart Patterson: 28,000
Cliff Pappas: 27,000

Average Stack: 20,457

Eliminations: Jimmy Tran

Big Hands:

Justice is Served

In the previous level Greg Raymer suckered an opponent into making a move. The player shoved for about 6,000 and Raymer, holding pocket kings, of course called. His opponent had 10-6 and ended up rivering a straight and taking the wind out of Raymer's sails.
Well, the best way to preface a hand that was played halfway through level 6 is with Raymer's own words. "We know what justice would be." Raymer put his remaining 3,350 all in from early position and was called by the same player who sucked out on him earlier. This time the roles were reversed and Raymer turned over 62 and his nemesis held AQ. The board was beautiful for the Fossil Man - coming out Q73J5, giving him the flush and doubling him up to nearly 7,000.

Chop It Up!

On a board of 8835, Kathy Liebert bet 2,000 and was called by the player in seat 4. The 5 fell on the river and Liebert thought more a minute before checking. Her opponent checked as well and they showed down:
Liebert: AJ
Seat 4: AK
They chopped the pot.

Too Rich For His Blood

The player on the button raised to 1,500 and Barny Boatman called from the big blind. The flop came K85. Both players checked the flop, checked the A turn, then Boatman bet out 1,500 on the 10 river. His opponent quickly moved all in for 5,000 more and Boatman let go of his hand.

What The Fricke?

The player in seat 3 put out a raise to 1,050 and action folded a few spots to Jimmy Fricke. Fricke thought for a second then threw out a reraise to 3,100. Seat 3 mucked and Fricke took the pot uncontested. His aggressive style has been giving his table problems all day.

A Bad Spot

Kristy Gazes bet 800 on a flop of K103 and was called by the player in seat 4. The 7 came on the turn and Gazes again fired out, 1,600 this time. Her opponent came over the top of her all in for about 7,000 and Gazes quickly folded, showing just a queen-high.

Player Tags: Kathy Liebert,   Kristy Gazes,   Barny Boatman,   Greg Raymer,   Jimmy Fricke,   European Report

Robl Gone, Gazes Climbing

Jun 15, '08

Blinds/Antes: 100-200

Players Left: 495 of 716

Chip Leaders:

Steve Sung: 28,000
G. Richard Tatalovich: 26,000
Jennifer Tilly: 25,700
Tomislav Dobrilovic: 22,000
Jason Somerville: 20,000
Kristy Gazes: 18,500
John Phan: 17,000
Alex Jacob: 15,500
Stephen Dwyer: 14,000

Avegrage Stack: 7,577

Eliminations: Andrew Robl, Michael Binger, Chau Giang

Big Hands:

Robl Out

Andrew Robl, who finished 3rd in the mixed hold'em event won by Erick Lindgren earlier in the series, bet 600 on a flop of 762. The player in seat 9 called and the K fell on the turn. Robl pushed his remaining stack into the middle and was instantly called by seat 9. Robl showed JJ, but seat 9 flopped a set with 77. The river missed Robl and he was sent packing.

Bruno Folds the Ladies

On a board of K876, Bruno Fitoussi bet 300 and seat 6 moved all in for nearly 3,000 more. Fitoussi tanked and eventually mucked, showing his opponent QQ.

Young Ousts Two Players

On a flop of 742, Ryan Young called seat 8's 4,275 all in bet, as did the player in seat 5. Young had both players covered. Seat 8 showed QQ, seat 5 showed AA and Young showed 77 for top set on the flop. The turn was the 10 and the river was the 6. Young added two notches on his belt and his stack grew to 25,000.

Rocketman

Alex Jacob, the man with the best afro in poker, moved all in on a board showing K965. His opponent in seat 3 made the call after much thought. Jacob showed his opponent the bad news as he tabled AA, dominating seat 3's AQ. The river was the A giving Jacob a set and a pot of over 17,000.

Caught in a Gaze

Kristy Gazes had a tough decision. The flop had come 998. Her opponent in seat 6 moved all in for 3,200 and Gazes went into the tank. Finally, she grabbed the 3,200 and flung it into the pot, clearly thinking she might be beat. She showed 1010. Her opponent showed 85, bringing a smile to Gazes' face. The turn was the 2 and the Q on the river gave Gazes the win, eliminating her opponent. She was around 23,000 after the hand.

Murphy Cracks Slick

John Murphy raised to 450 and was called by the player in seat 5. The flop came KQJ. Murphy moved all in and was called by his opponent. Murphy turned over KQ for top two pair, while his opponent showed down AK for top pair, top kicker. The turn was the 3 and the river was the 8, giving Murphy the pot and doubling his stack to around 6,000.

Player Tags: Kristy Gazes,   Bruno Fitoussi,   John Murphy,   Ryan Young,   Alex Jacob,   Andrew Robl,   European Report

$2,000 Omaha High-Low - Level 10 recap

Jun 09, '08

Blinds: 400-800

Players left: 120 of 553

Average chip stack: 18,400

Chip leaders:

Sassan Shamlou - 53,000
John Cernuto - 49,000
Kevin Petersen - 48,000
Ivan Demidov - 40,000
Scott Clements - 38,000
Dave Stann - 38,000

Eliminations:

Victor Ramdin
Eric Froelich

Big Hands: 

Kristy gets more chips to gaze at

Kristy Gazes, who had just moved to a new table, raised from middle position to 1,600 and was called by the big blind. The two saw a 736 flop. The big blind checked and then called a bet of 800 by Gazes. The turn was the 4, and the big blind again checked. Gazes bet 1,600, and this time the big blind folded. After the hand Gazes had about 20,000 chips. She began the day with just 8,000 chips.

'The Master' lays hand down on river

Men Nguyen is one of four players to see the river. The board is 68T47. After a bet and a raise, Nguyen folded his hand and two players are all in. The player who had both players covered turned over A-2 and J-9 for the jack-high straight and best low hand to eliminate both players.

Chiu folds to 3-bet

With the board showing JJQ8, David Chiu raised his opponent's 1,600 bet another 1,600. His opponent then reraised to 4,800 and had just 2,000 chips left. Chiu thought for a couple minutes, but then folded. After the hand he had just 12,000 chips, less than one-half of what he began the day with.

Williams joins the tournament

David Williams had been playing the $1,500 no-limit hold'em shootout since noon and missed the first hour and a half of this event. But when he was eliminated he hustled over and quickly got to work. Just a couple hands after he arrived he raised from the button and saw a 464 flop with the big blind. Williams bet after his opponent checked and took down the pot. After the hand Williams, who began the day with 31,000 chips, was at about 22,000.

Player Tags: Kristy Gazes,   Men Nguyen,   David Chiu,   David Williams

$2,000 Omaha H/L - Level One

Jun 08, '08

Blinds/Antes: 25/50, 50-100 limits

Players Remaining: 520 of 520

Big Hands:

Kristy Gazes Starts Out the Day Getting Quartered

On a board of T9742, two early position players checked to a player in middle position who made a bet of 100.  Kristi Gazes called in the cut-off as did the other two players.  Kristi eagerly flipped over her A364 to show that she had made the nut low.  Unfortunately, the bettor turned over the AK93 for the nut high (ace-high flush) and nut low (ace-trey).  Gazes wound up with a quarter of the pot, an unfavorable outcome in Omaha high-low split.

Ted Forrest Mucks to the Nut Straight

After one limp from the player under-the-gun and a raise from a player in middle position, Ted Forrest cold-called the raise from the button.  Both blinds called the raise as well, as did the under-the-gun limper.  All five saw a flop of K97.  All players checked to Forrest, who made a bet.  Only the big blind and the initial raiser called, and the three remaining players saw the T turn card.  The big blind led out, the original aggressor folded, and Forrest called.  Forrest faced another bet from his lone opponent on fifth street after the 5 hit the felt.  After his bet was called, the big blind turned over QJ49 for the nut straight.  Because a low was not present on this board, this hand would be guaranteed to scoop the entire pot unless Forrest held exactly a queen-jack for a tied nut straight.  Forrest instead mucked his cards.

Do you play too many Omaha eight-or-better starting hands?  Lou Krieger has advice for you about Omaha high-low split.

Player Tags: Kristy Gazes,   Ted Forrest