Ayaz Mahmood - Live Updates

$2,000 PLH Final Table - Three More Down

Jun 22, '08

Blinds: 10,000/20,000

Chip Leaders:

Big Hands and Storylines:

Ayaz Mahmood Eliminated in Seventh Place ($39,089)

On a flop of QJ3, Ayaz Mahmood moved all in for his last 69,000. Chris Bell called, and showed Q-4 for top pair. Mahmood could only produce J-9, and when the turn and river bricked out, he was sent home in seventh place.

Robert Cheung Eliminated in Sixth Place ($50,100)

Chris Bell raised to 60,000 and Robert Cheung reraised the pot to 210,000. Bell thought it over, and then put Cheung all in for his last 39,000. Cheung showed 99 and Bell was racing with AK. The board came Q7510J and Bell rivered a Broadway straight to send Cheung to the rail in sixth place.

Lee Watkinson Eliminated in Fifth Place ($63,313)

Lee Watkinson and Chris Bell got it all in preflop. Watkinson held A4 but was dominated by Bell's A6. The board came QJ829 to give Bell the nut flush and Watkinson was eliminated in fifth place.

 

 

 

 

 

Player Tags: Lee Watkinson,   Ayaz Mahmood,   Chris Bell,   Robert Cheung

$2,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em - End of Day 2

Jun 21, '08

The final table of event 38 is set and the big name of the lot is Lee Watkinson. Watkinson will be making his first final table since last year's World Series main event where he finished a dissapointing 8th place. Watkinson entered 10-handed play with a paucity of chips, a situation he would soon remedy by winning a race against Robert Cheung. He would never look back and by the time the final table was set, he would be 2nd in chips with 390,000. Jan Von Halle, whose play has been solid as a rock, will enter the final table with the chip lead. Other notables who will have the chance to earn a bracelet tomorrow include Ayaz Mahmood, Robert Cheung, and Chris Bell.

Action will begin tomorrow at 2 p.m. PST.
 

---

Players Left: 9 of 605

Chip Leaders:
Jan Von Halle - 470,000
Lee Watkinson - 390,000
Ayaz Mahmood - 330,000
Robert Cheung - 315,000
Keith Greer - 280,000
Chris Bell - 265,000
Michael Greco - 125,000
Benjamin Roberts - 120,000
Davidi Kitai - 80,000

Average Stack: 161,300

Eliminations:
10^th – Benjamin Zamani
11^th – Michael Binger
12^th – Keith Lehr
13^th – Jeff Sluzinski
14^th – Amato Galasso
15^th – Chris Dombrowski

The Road To The Final Table

Keith Lehr Is A Man Of His Word; He’s Also Eliminated

Before the start of the hand, Keith Lehr in the big blind warned everyone at his 6-handed table not to raise unless they were willing to play for 83,000, the size of his stack. Ayaz Mahmood, undeterred by this portentous statement, raised to 23,000. Action folded around to Lehr who – surprise, surprise – moved all of his chips in. Mahmood made the call and the two showed their hands:

Lehr: A9
Mahmood: 44

The flop came K33. The turn 8 gave Lehr a flush draw in addition to his two overcards. The river was the 7 though, ending Lehr’s day a few hours earlier than he would have liked.

Bell Tolls For Binger

Chris Bell raised from middle position to 25,000 and Michael Binger raised to 78,000, leaving himself 75,000 behind. After a bit of thought, Bell moved all-in and Binger called. The two were racing: Bell’s JJ against Binger’s AQ. Binger was not aided by the board – 975109 – and he was eliminated in 11^th place.

Ayaz Mahmood Folds.... A-K? Really?

Ayaz Mahmood raised to 28,000 and action at the 6-handed table folded to Bob Cheung in the big blind. Cheung stacked his chips and slid them forward and backward in thought, never moving them into the center of the table. After a minute or so of this, Mahmood implored Cheung, “Put your money in.” Another minute passed before Cheung raised the pot, making it 61,000 more and leaving about 160,000 behind. This prompted Mahmood to fold A-K offsuit face up. Mahmood and Cheung were the two biggest stacks at the table at the time; perhaps Mahmood did not want to tangle with someone who could cripple him before the final table.

Final Table Action

Watkinson Doubles Up

Early on at the final table, Lee Watkinson doubled up off of Robert Cheung. Cheung had QQ and Watkinson had AK. The flop was good news for Watkinson – K22 – the king giving him a near lock on the hand. The turn was the A, giving him an unnecessary two pair, but also providing Cheung with a flush draw. The river blanked, however, and Watkinson was able to double up, giving him a stack that would not wane for the remainder of the day.

Greer Doubles Up

Severely short-stacked Keith Greer, in the cutoff, moved 20,000 into the pot for a raise and reached for more chips to add to it, but since he had not announced an amount, the min-raise had to stand. Ayaz Mahmood called the 10,000 extra in the big blind. Both players checked the Q107 flop. On the 8 turn Mahmood bet 30,000, putting Greer all-in. Greer made a quick call and declared a set of tens. His 1010 had Mahmood’s 102 drawing dead. Greer doubled up to a little over 100,000.

Greer Double Doubles Up

Perhaps a simpler title would have been Greer Quadruples Up, but this was anything but a simple hand. Benjamin Zamani raised to 26,000 from middle position. Robert Cheung min-raised to 40,000. The action was only beginning though. Keith Greer, who had been playing extraordinarily tight, moved in for 67,000. Ayaz Mahmood cold-called the 4-bet, and Zamani called also, leaving himself 90,000 behind. Cheung asked the dealer, “The pot is open for a re-raise, right?” The dealer confirmed that it indeed was, and that put Cheung into decision mode. With numbers racing through his head, he stood up, and, after confirming that Mahmood had about 270,000 left behind him, he moved all-in. Mahmood folded, as did Zamani, and the massive pot was to be contested between Cheung and Greer. Greer showed QQ, which was not unexpected, but the table exploded in a cacophony of disbelief when Cheung showed his KQ. The board rolled off harmlessly and Greer was able to more than quadruple up.

The insanity wasn’t quite over yet. Remarkably, Ayaz Mahmood claimed to have fold pocket kings. Then again, perhaps it was not so unbelievable when you consider his berating of Cheung after the hand. He and Cheung got into a bit of a tiff about the hand which was quickly quashed by the dealer as play recommenced.

Michael Greco summed all of the action quite succinctly: “Mental. Mental. Absolutely mental.”

The Backbreaker

Davidi Kitai and Benjamin Zamani, the two short stacks, got all of their chips into the middle and showed the following hands:

Zamani: 1010
Kitai: AQ

The board peeled off A525K and Kitai had doubled up. After counting out what Zamani owed the Frenchman, he was left with a mere two chips. There would be no miracle comeback for Zamani today, as Jan Von Halle took his pair of chips only two hands later. Zamani's 10th place finish is good for $14,314.

Player Tags: Lee Watkinson,   Ayaz Mahmood,   Benjamin Roberts,   Chris Bell,   Michael Binger,   Robert Cheung,   Keith Lehr,   Davidi Kitai,   Michael Greco,   Amato Galasso,   Jeff Sluzinski,   Jan Von Halle,   Keith Greer,   Chris Dombrowski,   Benjamin Zamani

$2,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em - Day 2 - Level 15 Recap

Jun 21, '08

Blinds: 3,000-6,000

Players Left: 15 of 605

Chip Leaders:
Ayaz Mahmood - 250,000
Chris Bell - 250,000
Davidi Kitai - 195,000
Jeff Sluzinski - 180,000
Michael Binger - 170,000
Keith Lehr - 155,000
Benjamin Zamani - 145,000
Michael Greco- 110,000
Benjamin Roberts - 110,000
Amato Galasso - 105,000

Average Stack: 161,300

Eliminations:
16^th – Neil Channing
17^th – Davood Mehrmand
18^th – Eugene Todd
19^th – Dan Quinn
20^th – Rob Perry
21^st – Al Adler


Big Hands and Storylines:

Two Tables Left

It took only 15 minutes to eliminate 3 participants and reach the final 18 players. Players were drawn to their new seats and play resumed. Another 3 players were eliminated before the end of the level, leaving us with only 15 players left.

Watkinson Makes Nice Laydown

Lee Watkinson raised to 18,000 from early position and was met by a raise from Keith Lehr. The bet was 45,000 more to Watkinson who only thought for seconds before folding 9-9 face-up. Lehr sportingly showed his J-J and congratulated Watkinson on a nice fold.

Cheung Eliminates Perry

Robert Cheung raised to 20,000 from middle position and Rob Perry moved all-in from the small blind for about 55,000. Cheung called, saying, “I don’t have much.” Cheung turned over QJ and was delighted to see Perry flip 77. The flop was 944, but the turn was the Q and Perry tossed his orange high into the air in frustration (catching it as it came down, of course). The turn 8 brought no help and Perry was eliminated in 20^th place.

Kitai Does In Quinn

Dan Quinn limped on the button, Davidi Kitai call from the small blind, and Michael Binger checked his option. The flop rolled out QJ7 and the two blinds checked to Quinn who bet 12,000. Kitai called and Binger folded. The turn was the A. Kitai checked again, Quinn bet 42,000, and Kitai raised a nominal amount to put Quinn all-in. The two showed their cards:

Kitai: Q10
Quinn: Q9

The river was the 5 and Quinn was eliminated in 19^th place.

Player Tags: Ayaz Mahmood,   Davood Mehrmand,   Benjamin Roberts,   Neil Channing,   Robert Perry,   Chris Bell,   Eugene Todd,   Al Adler,   Michael Binger,   Robert Cheung,   Keith Lehr,   Dan Quinn,   Davidi Kitai,   Michael Greco,   Amato Galasso,   Jeff Sluzinski,   Benjamin Zamani

$2,000 PLH Final Table - Three More Down

Jun 22, '08

Blinds: 10,000/20,000

Chip Leaders:

Big Hands and Storylines:

Ayaz Mahmood Eliminated in Seventh Place ($39,089)

On a flop of QJ3, Ayaz Mahmood moved all in for his last 69,000. Chris Bell called, and showed Q-4 for top pair. Mahmood could only produce J-9, and when the turn and river bricked out, he was sent home in seventh place.

Robert Cheung Eliminated in Sixth Place ($50,100)

Chris Bell raised to 60,000 and Robert Cheung reraised the pot to 210,000. Bell thought it over, and then put Cheung all in for his last 39,000. Cheung showed 99 and Bell was racing with AK. The board came Q7510J and Bell rivered a Broadway straight to send Cheung to the rail in sixth place.

Lee Watkinson Eliminated in Fifth Place ($63,313)

Lee Watkinson and Chris Bell got it all in preflop. Watkinson held A4 but was dominated by Bell's A6. The board came QJ829 to give Bell the nut flush and Watkinson was eliminated in fifth place.

 

 

 

 

 

Player Tags: Lee Watkinson,   Ayaz Mahmood,   Chris Bell,   Robert Cheung

$2,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em - End of Day 2

Jun 21, '08

The final table of event 38 is set and the big name of the lot is Lee Watkinson. Watkinson will be making his first final table since last year's World Series main event where he finished a dissapointing 8th place. Watkinson entered 10-handed play with a paucity of chips, a situation he would soon remedy by winning a race against Robert Cheung. He would never look back and by the time the final table was set, he would be 2nd in chips with 390,000. Jan Von Halle, whose play has been solid as a rock, will enter the final table with the chip lead. Other notables who will have the chance to earn a bracelet tomorrow include Ayaz Mahmood, Robert Cheung, and Chris Bell.

Action will begin tomorrow at 2 p.m. PST.
 

---

Players Left: 9 of 605

Chip Leaders:
Jan Von Halle - 470,000
Lee Watkinson - 390,000
Ayaz Mahmood - 330,000
Robert Cheung - 315,000
Keith Greer - 280,000
Chris Bell - 265,000
Michael Greco - 125,000
Benjamin Roberts - 120,000
Davidi Kitai - 80,000

Average Stack: 161,300

Eliminations:
10^th – Benjamin Zamani
11^th – Michael Binger
12^th – Keith Lehr
13^th – Jeff Sluzinski
14^th – Amato Galasso
15^th – Chris Dombrowski

The Road To The Final Table

Keith Lehr Is A Man Of His Word; He’s Also Eliminated

Before the start of the hand, Keith Lehr in the big blind warned everyone at his 6-handed table not to raise unless they were willing to play for 83,000, the size of his stack. Ayaz Mahmood, undeterred by this portentous statement, raised to 23,000. Action folded around to Lehr who – surprise, surprise – moved all of his chips in. Mahmood made the call and the two showed their hands:

Lehr: A9
Mahmood: 44

The flop came K33. The turn 8 gave Lehr a flush draw in addition to his two overcards. The river was the 7 though, ending Lehr’s day a few hours earlier than he would have liked.

Bell Tolls For Binger

Chris Bell raised from middle position to 25,000 and Michael Binger raised to 78,000, leaving himself 75,000 behind. After a bit of thought, Bell moved all-in and Binger called. The two were racing: Bell’s JJ against Binger’s AQ. Binger was not aided by the board – 975109 – and he was eliminated in 11^th place.

Ayaz Mahmood Folds.... A-K? Really?

Ayaz Mahmood raised to 28,000 and action at the 6-handed table folded to Bob Cheung in the big blind. Cheung stacked his chips and slid them forward and backward in thought, never moving them into the center of the table. After a minute or so of this, Mahmood implored Cheung, “Put your money in.” Another minute passed before Cheung raised the pot, making it 61,000 more and leaving about 160,000 behind. This prompted Mahmood to fold A-K offsuit face up. Mahmood and Cheung were the two biggest stacks at the table at the time; perhaps Mahmood did not want to tangle with someone who could cripple him before the final table.

Final Table Action

Watkinson Doubles Up

Early on at the final table, Lee Watkinson doubled up off of Robert Cheung. Cheung had QQ and Watkinson had AK. The flop was good news for Watkinson – K22 – the king giving him a near lock on the hand. The turn was the A, giving him an unnecessary two pair, but also providing Cheung with a flush draw. The river blanked, however, and Watkinson was able to double up, giving him a stack that would not wane for the remainder of the day.

Greer Doubles Up

Severely short-stacked Keith Greer, in the cutoff, moved 20,000 into the pot for a raise and reached for more chips to add to it, but since he had not announced an amount, the min-raise had to stand. Ayaz Mahmood called the 10,000 extra in the big blind. Both players checked the Q107 flop. On the 8 turn Mahmood bet 30,000, putting Greer all-in. Greer made a quick call and declared a set of tens. His 1010 had Mahmood’s 102 drawing dead. Greer doubled up to a little over 100,000.

Greer Double Doubles Up

Perhaps a simpler title would have been Greer Quadruples Up, but this was anything but a simple hand. Benjamin Zamani raised to 26,000 from middle position. Robert Cheung min-raised to 40,000. The action was only beginning though. Keith Greer, who had been playing extraordinarily tight, moved in for 67,000. Ayaz Mahmood cold-called the 4-bet, and Zamani called also, leaving himself 90,000 behind. Cheung asked the dealer, “The pot is open for a re-raise, right?” The dealer confirmed that it indeed was, and that put Cheung into decision mode. With numbers racing through his head, he stood up, and, after confirming that Mahmood had about 270,000 left behind him, he moved all-in. Mahmood folded, as did Zamani, and the massive pot was to be contested between Cheung and Greer. Greer showed QQ, which was not unexpected, but the table exploded in a cacophony of disbelief when Cheung showed his KQ. The board rolled off harmlessly and Greer was able to more than quadruple up.

The insanity wasn’t quite over yet. Remarkably, Ayaz Mahmood claimed to have fold pocket kings. Then again, perhaps it was not so unbelievable when you consider his berating of Cheung after the hand. He and Cheung got into a bit of a tiff about the hand which was quickly quashed by the dealer as play recommenced.

Michael Greco summed all of the action quite succinctly: “Mental. Mental. Absolutely mental.”

The Backbreaker

Davidi Kitai and Benjamin Zamani, the two short stacks, got all of their chips into the middle and showed the following hands:

Zamani: 1010
Kitai: AQ

The board peeled off A525K and Kitai had doubled up. After counting out what Zamani owed the Frenchman, he was left with a mere two chips. There would be no miracle comeback for Zamani today, as Jan Von Halle took his pair of chips only two hands later. Zamani's 10th place finish is good for $14,314.

Player Tags: Lee Watkinson,   Ayaz Mahmood,   Benjamin Roberts,   Chris Bell,   Michael Binger,   Robert Cheung,   Keith Lehr,   Davidi Kitai,   Michael Greco,   Amato Galasso,   Jeff Sluzinski,   Jan Von Halle,   Keith Greer,   Chris Dombrowski,   Benjamin Zamani

$2,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em - Day 2 - Level 15 Recap

Jun 21, '08

Blinds: 3,000-6,000

Players Left: 15 of 605

Chip Leaders:
Ayaz Mahmood - 250,000
Chris Bell - 250,000
Davidi Kitai - 195,000
Jeff Sluzinski - 180,000
Michael Binger - 170,000
Keith Lehr - 155,000
Benjamin Zamani - 145,000
Michael Greco- 110,000
Benjamin Roberts - 110,000
Amato Galasso - 105,000

Average Stack: 161,300

Eliminations:
16^th – Neil Channing
17^th – Davood Mehrmand
18^th – Eugene Todd
19^th – Dan Quinn
20^th – Rob Perry
21^st – Al Adler


Big Hands and Storylines:

Two Tables Left

It took only 15 minutes to eliminate 3 participants and reach the final 18 players. Players were drawn to their new seats and play resumed. Another 3 players were eliminated before the end of the level, leaving us with only 15 players left.

Watkinson Makes Nice Laydown

Lee Watkinson raised to 18,000 from early position and was met by a raise from Keith Lehr. The bet was 45,000 more to Watkinson who only thought for seconds before folding 9-9 face-up. Lehr sportingly showed his J-J and congratulated Watkinson on a nice fold.

Cheung Eliminates Perry

Robert Cheung raised to 20,000 from middle position and Rob Perry moved all-in from the small blind for about 55,000. Cheung called, saying, “I don’t have much.” Cheung turned over QJ and was delighted to see Perry flip 77. The flop was 944, but the turn was the Q and Perry tossed his orange high into the air in frustration (catching it as it came down, of course). The turn 8 brought no help and Perry was eliminated in 20^th place.

Kitai Does In Quinn

Dan Quinn limped on the button, Davidi Kitai call from the small blind, and Michael Binger checked his option. The flop rolled out QJ7 and the two blinds checked to Quinn who bet 12,000. Kitai called and Binger folded. The turn was the A. Kitai checked again, Quinn bet 42,000, and Kitai raised a nominal amount to put Quinn all-in. The two showed their cards:

Kitai: Q10
Quinn: Q9

The river was the 5 and Quinn was eliminated in 19^th place.

Player Tags: Ayaz Mahmood,   Davood Mehrmand,   Benjamin Roberts,   Neil Channing,   Robert Perry,   Chris Bell,   Eugene Todd,   Al Adler,   Michael Binger,   Robert Cheung,   Keith Lehr,   Dan Quinn,   Davidi Kitai,   Michael Greco,   Amato Galasso,   Jeff Sluzinski,   Benjamin Zamani

$2,000 Limit Hold'em - Day 2 - Level 12 Recap

Jun 11, '08

Note: The players are now on a 20-minute break

Blinds: 600/1,200

Players Left: 61 of 480

Chip Leaders:
Hien Tran - 69,000
Greg Alston - 68,000
Richard Li - 68,000
Daniel Makowsky - 63,000
Paul Damany - 58,000
Michael Schneider - 57,000
Marwan Abdelal - 55,000
Ayaz Mahmood - 55,000
Tam "Tommy" Hang - 53,000
Supote Chanattanaudorn - 50,000
David Baker - 48,000

Average Stack: 31,500

Eliminations:

Big Hands and Storylines:

Good News...

Matt Hawrilenko raised from the button and the big blind called. The big blind check-raised the KT5 flop and, after Hawrilenko called, the two saw the 4 turn. The big blind bet and Hawrilenko raised all-in for 700 more. The big-blind begrudgingly called with A7 and was drawing dead against Hawrilenko’s AT. Hawrilenko’s double up had him up to 16,000 until...

Bad News...

Hawrilenko opened for a raise in the big blind and Greg Alston 3-bet him from the big blind. Hawrilenko called and the flop came out T62. Hawrilenko check-called and then check-called again on the A turn.  The river was the Q and Hawrilenko checked again. Again Alston bet out but this time Hawrilenko raised him. Alston just called and the two turned over their hands:

Hawrilenko: AQ
Alston: QQ

Hawrilenko dropped all the way back down to 9,000 while Greg Alston is now sitting pretty at 68,000.

They Can Dodge Bullets(...Baby)

Phill Hellmuth, nursing a short-stack of less than 10,000, raised from early position. The table quickly folded around and Hellmuth bellowed, “Gosh dang!” while tossing his pocket aces in plain sight of all.

A Lerning Experience

Derek Lerner raised from the cutoff and Daniel Negreanu called from the big blind. Both players checked the 833 flop. Negreanu then bet out on the 6 turn, eliciting a quick call from Lerner. After Negreanu bet the Q river, he admitted to Lerner that the queen didn’t hit him. Lerner considered all his options before making the call. Negreanu showed 84 to take down the pot. Negreanu’s stack of 29,000 is only slightly bigger than Lerner’s 27,000.

Player Tags: Ayaz Mahmood,   Tommy Hang,   Daniel Negreanu,   Phil Hellmuth,   Marwan Abdelal,   Gregory Alston,   Matt Hawrilenko,   Michael Schneider,   Hien Tran,   Daniel Makowsky,   Derek Lerner,   Richard Li,   Supote Chanattanaudorn,   Paul Damany

$2,000 Limit Hold'em - Day 2 - Level 11 Recap

Jun 11, '08

Blinds: 500/1,000

Players Left: 68 of 480

Chip Leaders:
Hien Tran - 69,000
Richard Li - 66,000
Paul Damany - 58,000
Daniel Makowsky - 58,000
Matt Woodward - 50,000
Derek Lerner - 50,000
David Baker - 50,000
Joseph Sanders - 48,000
Ugur Marangoz - 47,000
Danny Qutami - 46,300

Average Stack: 28,250

Eliminations:
J.C. Tran
Tad Jurgens
Shannon Shorr

Big Hands and Storylines:

So Much For Flopping Well

Ayaz Mahmoud raised pre-flop from middle position and was called by Alon Croitoru in the big blind. Croitoru check-called both the AJT flop and the A turn. The river J double-paired the board and Croituro led out for 2,000. Mahmoud angrily paused his iPod, tore off his headphones, and folded K-Q face-up. Croituro showed A-6 to his opponent and Mahmoud only replied, “I know.” Mahmoud still has 40,000 and Croitoru is now up to 27,000.

Chop It Up

In the small blind, Matt Matros called a late-position raise and the flop came down AT3. Matros check-raised the flop and his opponent called. Matros led out at the A turn and was again called. The Q river went check-check and the two flipped over their cards:

Matros: T9
Opponent: JT

The queen counterfeited the other player’s kicker and Matros was able to take half the pot. The chop was particularly important to Matros, who only has about 17,000 left.

Everything’s Coming Up Rosen

Douglas Rosen raised from the button and was called by the big blind. On a K65 flop, the big blind checked, Rosen bet, and the blind check-raised. Rosen called and both players checked the 4 turn. When the river card came the 5, the big blind bet and Rosen made the call. The big blind showed 77cd but conceded the pot when Rosen turned over TTcd. Rosen now has 33,000.

Player Tags: Ayaz Mahmood,   J.C. Tran,   Danny Qutami,   Matthew Matros,   Ugur Marangoz,   Matt Woodward,   Joseph Sanders,   Douglas Rosen,   Tad Jurgens,   Shannon Shorr,   Hien Tran,   Alon Croitoru,   Daniel Makowsky,   Derek Lerner,   Richard Li,   Paul Damany

$2,000 Limit Hold'em - Day 2 - Level 10 Recap

Jun 11, '08

Blinds: 400/800

Players Left: 89 of 480

Chip Leaders:
Daniel Negreanu - 50,000
Daniel Makowsky - 49,200
Eric Buchman - 42,000
Ylon Schwartz - 37,500
Ayaz Mahmood - 37,500
Hien Tran - 34,000
Alon Croitoru - 33,700
Casey McCarrell - 31,600
Brendan Taylor - 30,300
Ardell Willis - 30,000

Average Stack: 21,500

Eliminations:
Babak Razi
Vivek Rajkumar

Big Hands and Storylines:

The Table of Death Breaks

For the first two hours, Table 47 over in the blue section contained by far the most talent in the room. Daniel Negreanu, Shannon Shorr, John Phan, J.C. Tran, and Mike Schneider made up the table of death. Fortunately for them (and even more fortunately for their tablemates) the table was just broken and the group was scattered amongst the rest of the tournament field.

What Does It Mean?

Before the table broke, however, Daniel Negreanu was doing some hard-hitting journalistic work. Noticing Mike Schneider’s CardRunners accoutrement, Negreanu asked about the origins of the poker training site’s name, “What does it mean?” Schneider was befuddled and had no answer for Negreanu. Negreanu’s next question was just as difficult to answer, if only because it was a bit more rhetorical: “...do you guys run?”

Schneider Claims One

Unconcerned with the banter of Daniel Negreanu, Mike Schneider involved himself in a pot with Yue Huang. Huang raised from middle position and Schneider raised from the small blind. Huang called and the two saw a 976 flop. Schneider bet and Huang called. Another bet-call ensued on the A turn. Schneider fired a third bullet on the river but Huang laid down his hand, deciding to pick a better spot. The hand took Schneider up to about 20,000, a respectable stack given his table draw.

Player Tags: Ayaz Mahmood,   John Phan,   J.C. Tran,   Daniel Negreanu,   Eric Buchman,   Babak Razi,   Ylon Schwartz,   Casey McCarrell,   Ardell Willis,   Brendan Taylor,   Shannon Shorr,   Mike Schneider,   Hien Tran,   Vivek Rajkumar,   Daniel Makowsky,   Yue Huang

$2,000 Limit Hold'em - Day 2 - Level 9 Recap

Jun 11, '08

Blinds: 300/600

Players Left: 116 of 480

Chip Leaders:
Daniel Negreanu – 50,000
Daniel Makowsky - 49,200
Eric Buchman - 46,500
Alon Croitoru - 33,700
Casey McCarrell - 31,600
Ayaz Mahmood - 30,700
Brendan Taylor - 30,300
Hien Tran - 30,100
Ardell Willis - 30,000
David Rood - 29,300

Average Stack: 16,550

Eliminations:
Brad Augsburger

Big Hands and Storylines:

Negreanu’s Ascent Continues

Daniel Negreanu started the day 4^th in chips but has quickly risen to become chip leader. In the first hand, Negreanu, from the small blind, called Lee Nelson’s pre-flop raise. On a J97 flop, Negreanu check-raised Nelson, who decided to call and see the turn. Negreanu bet out at the 8 turn, garnering another call from Nelson. The river brought the 8 and Negreanu fired another barrel. Nelson had had enough though, and folded quickly. Nelson was left with only 10,000 after the hand.

Only a few hands later Negreanu’s luck would continue. An Tran raised under-the-gun and was met with a three-bet from Negreanu on the button. Tran called and the pair saw a QJJ flop. Negreanu was checked to and forced Tran out of the pot with a bet. “Two tens, boss,” stated Negreanu, who confirmed his statement by tossing his cards in face-up. Negreanu has chipped up to about 50,000 after today’s first round of play.

Don’t Mess with Matros

Matt Matros opened the betting with a raise from the cutoff and was quickly met with a re-raise from Jed Dickerson on the button. Matros called the bet and checked a Q76 flop. After Dickerson made a continuation bet, Matros raised him, causing Dickerson to lay down his hand. After this hand Matros’ stack was boosted to a hearty 28,000. Dickerson is languishing with only 12,000.

Mike Patrick Doubles off Hawrilenko

Shortstack Mike Patrick raised to 1,200 from middle position and got one caller in Matt Hawrilenko from the small blind. Hawrilenko check-called the 754 flop. He checked again on the J turn, and after Patrick had bet, asked to see how much he had left. Patrick lifted his hands to reveal a paltry 700 left behind. Hawrilenko tossed in his chips to make the call. The river was the 8 and Hawrilenko again checked. Patrick put in his final chips and Hawrilenko shook his head and folded. Hawrilenko is now left with 11,000 in chips while Patrick was able to double his stack to about 7,000.

Player Tags: Ayaz Mahmood,   Daniel Negreanu,   Eric Buchman,   Matthew Matros,   An Tran,   Casey McCarrell,   Ardell Willis,   Matt Hawrilenko,   Brendan Taylor,   Lee Nelson,   Hien Tran,   Alon Croitoru,   Daniel Makowsky,   Jed Dickerson,   Mike Patrick,   David Rood,   Brad Augsburger

$2,000 Limit Hold'em - Day 2 Begins Later Today

Jun 11, '08

Day 2 of the $2,000 limit hold'em tournament begins later today with 125 players still in contention for the World Series bracelet. Early on, all eyes will be on Daniel Negreanu. Starting 4th in chips, "Kid Poker" will be looking to take home the $204,434 top-prize and his 4th World Series title.

Here are the leaders going into day 2:

Daniel Makowsky - 49,200
Eric Buchman - 46,500
Alon Croitoru - 33,700
Daniel Negreanu - 32,200
Casey McCarrel - 31,600
Ayaz Mahmood - 30,700
Brendan Taylor - 30,300
Hien Tran - 30,100
Ardell Willis - 30,000
David Rood - 29,300
David Baker - 29,200

Day 2 play will begin at 3 p.m. PST.

Player Tags: Ayaz Mahmood,   Daniel Negreanu,   Eric Buchman,   Casey McCarrell,   Ardell Willis,   Brendan Taylor,   Hien Tran,   Alon Croitoru,   Daniel Makowsky,   David Rood

Day Five Ends

Jul 14, '07

Hevad "Rain" Khan Does A Little Dance

"Rain" Khan and Avi Cohen get it all in preflop. Cohen has A-8 but Khan has him dominated with A-K. Cohen gets no help on the board and he finishes in 43rd place. After the hand, Khan puts on a show for ESPN. Khan shouts at the top of his lungs once the pot starts moving in his direction and then yells, "I'm good at basketball!" Once the cameras pick up on this, Khan begins to dance around the room pretending to dribble a basketball while maintaining a constant barrage of yelps and shouts. Some of the rail loves it, and some of the rail does not. Regardless, ESPN has officially found its bad guy for the broadcast. The question remains whether or not Khan can live up to his counterparts in Josh Arieh, Shawn Sheikhan and Eric Molina. 

The 20-minute Hand:  Bill Edler vs. Jeff Banghart

Bill Edler raises to $150,000 and Jeff "Mr. Rain" Banghart makes the call, along with the big blind. The flop comes K Q 8 and Banghart bets $300,000. The big blind folds and Edler thinks for awhile before making it $650,000 to go.  Now Banghart goes into the tank, coming up after a few minutes to call. The turn is the 6 and Edler contemplates his next move for a few minutes between sips of coffee before betting out $600,000. Banghart now stands up and thinks out loud for awhile. Banghart announces that Edler must have a hand like A J. He then asks Edler if he feels like gambling.  Throughout the questioning, Edler doesn't flinch. "I don't think I can fold," says Banghart, as he decides to push all in for $1,180,000 more. Edler asks for a count and then takes about eight minutes to count out his stack and make a decision.  Edler would be left with about $2,100,000 if he folded. After finally making up his mind, Edler says, "Well it couldn't go to a nicer guy," and makes the call. Edler turns over 6 5 for bottom pair and a flush draw. Banghart is in the lead with K J. The rail is very vocal about how surprising it is that these two don't have bigger hands. The river brings the J giving Banghart two pair he didn't want and Edler his flush. Edler and Banghart shake hands congratulating each other graciously before Edler goes to work on stacking his massive pot. Banghart is our 41st-place finisher. 

Rep Porter Eliminated

Team PokerStars member Rep Porter has busted out of the tournament in 39th place, and he took home $237,865.

Last Woman Standing

Maria Ho was eliminated in 38th place. She was the final woman left in the tournament and took home $237,865. Her A-10 did not improve against her opponent’s pocket tens.

Rail Birds

Greg Mueller, Shawn Buchanan, and Justin Bonomo are all hanging out in the ‘No Limit Lounge.’ They are over by table two sweating Scott Freeman.

An Ohio Boy Doubled Up

Ryan Elson was all in with A Q against Mikkel Madsen, who held pocket eights. “Come on Casey,” pleaded Elson with the dealer as he threw down Q 7 4 K J. Elson doubled up and he screamed, “Wooooo,” along with his supporters on the rail. After surviving the hand he was so pumped up that he could hardly stay in his seat. At one point he folded his hand in the dark. “It’s not like we’re playing for $8 million,” said Ray Henson.

Henson vs. Nguyen Baby

On a board of 7 6 3 2 Scotty Nguyen bet $500,000 and Ray Henson made the call. The turn brought the 7 and Nguyen fired out $800,000. Henson took a moment and then called after he and Nguyen traded a flurry of statements punctuated by “…Baby!” Nguyen flashed A-8 as he said, “I missed my flush.” Henson turned over 6 5 and took down the pot.

Edler Takes a Tough Beat

Bill Edler had his opponent’s all-in bet with pocket queens. Unfortunately for Edler, his opponent held pocket aces. The board rolled out 8 4 4 5 J and Edler took a large hit. He now has a lot of work ahead of him to make the final table.

Ayaz Mahmood Eliminated in 37th Place and Play Ends on Day Five

Ayaz Mahmood was eliminated a few hands after the players went on a 20 minute break, and play ended on day five. The players are bagging up their chips right now and will return at noon tomorrow to play down from 36 players to a final table of nine players. Check back in to CardPlayer.com to catch all the action.
Notable Chip Counts

David Tran                                             10,030,000
Kenny Tran	5,045,000
Lee Watkinson	3,550,000
Scotty Nguyen	1,750,000

Pokerstars Online Qualifiers

Hevad "Rain" Khan	6,900,000
Jason Welch	2,215,000

 

Player Tags: Ayaz Mahmood,   Scotty Nguyen,   Jeff Banghart,   Bill Edler,   Maria Ho,   Hevad Khan,   Mikkel Madsen,   Ryan Elson,   Avi Cohen

Players on Break

Jul 13, '07

Tournament officials announced that the players would be going on their intended level break an hour early in order to organize the tables properly. The players will return in 20 minutes to finish the level and play half of one more level before leaving on a dinner break. Tournament director Jack Effel also cleared up any confusion about the schedule by confirming that play will last either four and a half levels today or until the field is down to 99 players.

Carlos Mortensen didn't take long to get all his chips in the middle early on in this level and ran head first into an overpair. Mortensen had pushed with pocket jacks only to find his opponent was holding pocket queens. Mortensen didn't improve and the 2001 Main Event champion was sent to the rail.

With the field condensing, many notable players are finding themselves sitting by or across from other notables they have played with many times before. Sharing the felt at table 59 was Gus Hansen, Daniel Alaei, Ayaz Mahmood and Scotty Nguyen. The four players only sat together for a few hands before ESPN scooped them up and sat them at the featured table.

Sorel Mizzi started level 17 with over $700,000 and looked comfortable to go deep in this year's Main Event. The poker gods had a different plan for Mizzi and cut his tournament shorter than many had anticipated. Two players at Mizzi's table, Ed Betlow and the player in seat eight limped into the pot for $10,000 each. Mizzi raised to $51,000 and both players called to see a flop. The flop came J 7 3 and Mizzi bet out $93,000. Betlow raised to $200,000 and the player in seat eight folded right away. Mizzi took a few moments to think and then declared that he was all in. Once the $200,000 bet was called, Mizzi had pushed for $419,000 more. Betlow asked MIzzi if he would show him his cards if he folded. Mizzi sat in his chair silent. "Ok then. It's a sick call but here we go" said Betlow as he pushed $419,000 into the middle. Mizzi turned over K J for top pair and Betlow showed A 7 for middle pair with top kicker. Everyone at the table was slightly surprised at Betlow's call. The turn brought the A and Mizzi stared hard with hatred at the card. The river was the 8 and Sorel Mizzi stood up from the table. "I would have folded if you would have shown me" Betlow said as Mizzi left the table. "You played well sir" said Mizzi as he walked away.

Jason Sell was also eliminated in the first half of level 17 after finding himself all in with A K. Steven Garfinkle called the all in bet with pocket queens. The flop came Q J 4 and took most of the mystery out of it. The turn was the 5 and the river brought the 2.

A big bet on the river helped Neil Channing take a large pot off of Kirk Morrison shortly before the two were moved to the on deck featured table. Morrison raised to $30,000 preflop and Channing popped him to $110,000 total. Morrison made the call and the flop came down K J J. Channing threw out $75,000 and Morrison didn't hesitate to make the call. The turn was the 8 and both players checked. The river brought the K and Channing fired out $160,000. Morrison took a slow sip of his beer and threw his cards in the muck. Channing took down the large pot without ever having to show his cards.

Player Tags: Ayaz Mahmood,   Scotty Nguyen,   Gus Hansen,   Daniel Alaei,   Neil Channing,   Edward Betlow,   Jason Sell,   Kirk Morrison,   Sorel Mizzi

Day Five Ends

Jul 14, '07

Hevad "Rain" Khan Does A Little Dance

"Rain" Khan and Avi Cohen get it all in preflop. Cohen has A-8 but Khan has him dominated with A-K. Cohen gets no help on the board and he finishes in 43rd place. After the hand, Khan puts on a show for ESPN. Khan shouts at the top of his lungs once the pot starts moving in his direction and then yells, "I'm good at basketball!" Once the cameras pick up on this, Khan begins to dance around the room pretending to dribble a basketball while maintaining a constant barrage of yelps and shouts. Some of the rail loves it, and some of the rail does not. Regardless, ESPN has officially found its bad guy for the broadcast. The question remains whether or not Khan can live up to his counterparts in Josh Arieh, Shawn Sheikhan and Eric Molina. 

The 20-minute Hand:  Bill Edler vs. Jeff Banghart

Bill Edler raises to $150,000 and Jeff "Mr. Rain" Banghart makes the call, along with the big blind. The flop comes K Q 8 and Banghart bets $300,000. The big blind folds and Edler thinks for awhile before making it $650,000 to go.  Now Banghart goes into the tank, coming up after a few minutes to call. The turn is the 6 and Edler contemplates his next move for a few minutes between sips of coffee before betting out $600,000. Banghart now stands up and thinks out loud for awhile. Banghart announces that Edler must have a hand like A J. He then asks Edler if he feels like gambling.  Throughout the questioning, Edler doesn't flinch. "I don't think I can fold," says Banghart, as he decides to push all in for $1,180,000 more. Edler asks for a count and then takes about eight minutes to count out his stack and make a decision.  Edler would be left with about $2,100,000 if he folded. After finally making up his mind, Edler says, "Well it couldn't go to a nicer guy," and makes the call. Edler turns over 6 5 for bottom pair and a flush draw. Banghart is in the lead with K J. The rail is very vocal about how surprising it is that these two don't have bigger hands. The river brings the J giving Banghart two pair he didn't want and Edler his flush. Edler and Banghart shake hands congratulating each other graciously before Edler goes to work on stacking his massive pot. Banghart is our 41st-place finisher. 

Rep Porter Eliminated

Team PokerStars member Rep Porter has busted out of the tournament in 39th place, and he took home $237,865.

Last Woman Standing

Maria Ho was eliminated in 38th place. She was the final woman left in the tournament and took home $237,865. Her A-10 did not improve against her opponent’s pocket tens.

Rail Birds

Greg Mueller, Shawn Buchanan, and Justin Bonomo are all hanging out in the ‘No Limit Lounge.’ They are over by table two sweating Scott Freeman.

An Ohio Boy Doubled Up

Ryan Elson was all in with A Q against Mikkel Madsen, who held pocket eights. “Come on Casey,” pleaded Elson with the dealer as he threw down Q 7 4 K J. Elson doubled up and he screamed, “Wooooo,” along with his supporters on the rail. After surviving the hand he was so pumped up that he could hardly stay in his seat. At one point he folded his hand in the dark. “It’s not like we’re playing for $8 million,” said Ray Henson.

Henson vs. Nguyen Baby

On a board of 7 6 3 2 Scotty Nguyen bet $500,000 and Ray Henson made the call. The turn brought the 7 and Nguyen fired out $800,000. Henson took a moment and then called after he and Nguyen traded a flurry of statements punctuated by “…Baby!” Nguyen flashed A-8 as he said, “I missed my flush.” Henson turned over 6 5 and took down the pot.

Edler Takes a Tough Beat

Bill Edler had his opponent’s all-in bet with pocket queens. Unfortunately for Edler, his opponent held pocket aces. The board rolled out 8 4 4 5 J and Edler took a large hit. He now has a lot of work ahead of him to make the final table.

Ayaz Mahmood Eliminated in 37th Place and Play Ends on Day Five

Ayaz Mahmood was eliminated a few hands after the players went on a 20 minute break, and play ended on day five. The players are bagging up their chips right now and will return at noon tomorrow to play down from 36 players to a final table of nine players. Check back in to CardPlayer.com to catch all the action.
Notable Chip Counts

David Tran                                             10,030,000
Kenny Tran	5,045,000
Lee Watkinson	3,550,000
Scotty Nguyen	1,750,000

Pokerstars Online Qualifiers

Hevad "Rain" Khan	6,900,000
Jason Welch	2,215,000

 

Player Tags: Ayaz Mahmood,   Scotty Nguyen,   Jeff Banghart,   Bill Edler,   Maria Ho,   Hevad Khan,   Mikkel Madsen,   Ryan Elson,   Avi Cohen

Players on Break

Jul 13, '07

Tournament officials announced that the players would be going on their intended level break an hour early in order to organize the tables properly. The players will return in 20 minutes to finish the level and play half of one more level before leaving on a dinner break. Tournament director Jack Effel also cleared up any confusion about the schedule by confirming that play will last either four and a half levels today or until the field is down to 99 players.

Carlos Mortensen didn't take long to get all his chips in the middle early on in this level and ran head first into an overpair. Mortensen had pushed with pocket jacks only to find his opponent was holding pocket queens. Mortensen didn't improve and the 2001 Main Event champion was sent to the rail.

With the field condensing, many notable players are finding themselves sitting by or across from other notables they have played with many times before. Sharing the felt at table 59 was Gus Hansen, Daniel Alaei, Ayaz Mahmood and Scotty Nguyen. The four players only sat together for a few hands before ESPN scooped them up and sat them at the featured table.

Sorel Mizzi started level 17 with over $700,000 and looked comfortable to go deep in this year's Main Event. The poker gods had a different plan for Mizzi and cut his tournament shorter than many had anticipated. Two players at Mizzi's table, Ed Betlow and the player in seat eight limped into the pot for $10,000 each. Mizzi raised to $51,000 and both players called to see a flop. The flop came J 7 3 and Mizzi bet out $93,000. Betlow raised to $200,000 and the player in seat eight folded right away. Mizzi took a few moments to think and then declared that he was all in. Once the $200,000 bet was called, Mizzi had pushed for $419,000 more. Betlow asked MIzzi if he would show him his cards if he folded. Mizzi sat in his chair silent. "Ok then. It's a sick call but here we go" said Betlow as he pushed $419,000 into the middle. Mizzi turned over K J for top pair and Betlow showed A 7 for middle pair with top kicker. Everyone at the table was slightly surprised at Betlow's call. The turn brought the A and Mizzi stared hard with hatred at the card. The river was the 8 and Sorel Mizzi stood up from the table. "I would have folded if you would have shown me" Betlow said as Mizzi left the table. "You played well sir" said Mizzi as he walked away.

Jason Sell was also eliminated in the first half of level 17 after finding himself all in with A K. Steven Garfinkle called the all in bet with pocket queens. The flop came Q J 4 and took most of the mystery out of it. The turn was the 5 and the river brought the 2.

A big bet on the river helped Neil Channing take a large pot off of Kirk Morrison shortly before the two were moved to the on deck featured table. Morrison raised to $30,000 preflop and Channing popped him to $110,000 total. Morrison made the call and the flop came down K J J. Channing threw out $75,000 and Morrison didn't hesitate to make the call. The turn was the 8 and both players checked. The river brought the K and Channing fired out $160,000. Morrison took a slow sip of his beer and threw his cards in the muck. Channing took down the large pot without ever having to show his cards.

Player Tags: Ayaz Mahmood,   Scotty Nguyen,   Gus Hansen,   Daniel Alaei,   Neil Channing,   Edward Betlow,   Jason Sell,   Kirk Morrison,   Sorel Mizzi

Down to 35

Jun 27, '07

There are only 35 players left in the $2,000 Limit Hold 'Em tournament that is in it's second day of play.

Rolf Slotboom, editor of CardPlayer Europe, was eliminated in 38th place and taking home $4,725. Slotboom was eliminated when he was all in with K-7 and it failed to improve against Ayaz Mahmood's K-J.

There is a new chip leader, Joe Mandia has $140,000 in chips and has just moved to the left of one time chip leader Joe Sebok. The two former chip leaders in this tournament, Joe Sebok and Noah Boeken have had some misfortune after playing in the front of the pack for most of the day. Boeken is down to just $40,000 and Sebok just doubled up to $65,000. Sebok and his opponent were both in for $9,000 preflop and the dealer laid out A Q 5. Sebok bet out $3,000 and his oppponent called. The turn was the 2 after a series of raises and reraises Sebok was all in. His opponent called and showed A 6 and Sebok had flopped another set and showed Q Q. The river was the 4 and Sebok doubled up to $67,000 after losing most of his stack earlier in the level. Sebok lost most of his chips in a hand where he had top two pair and his opponent drew to a flush.

Notable Chip Counts

Joseph Mandia	140,000
David Plastik	95,000
Joe Sebok	41,000
Noah Boeken	40,000
Warren Karp	32,000

Player Tags: Ayaz Mahmood,   Noah Boeken,   Joe Sebok,   Rolf Slotboom

Play Concludes For The Night

Jun 26, '07

With about 30 minutes left in Level 11 tournament officials have stopped play for the night. 

61 players survived to see Day Two, with a few of the formerly-big stacks wishing they could take a mulligan on that last level.

Joe Sebok was very active in that last level, but saw his $40,000 in chips dip down closer to $20,000 after his opponent hit the nut flush against his second-nut flush with running hearts, and then he had pocket Kings cracked by A-J.

Rick Fuller also lost a large portion of his stack, once again raising Rolf Slotboom's big blind.  After a flop of 8 7 6 Slotboom bet $1,500, Fuller raised, and Slotboom called.  The turn was the 9, Slotboom bet $3,000, Fuller raised to $6,000, Slotboom reraised to $9,000, Fuller made it $12,000, and Slotboom called.  The turn 6 paired the board, Slotboom checked, Fuller bet, and Slotboom made a reluctant call, saying, "Maybe we'll split it"  Fuller immediately replied "Boy, did I donk off chips to you!" tabling Q Q.  Slotboom nearly jumped out of his seat as he flipped over 10 7, and raked in the pot.

Noah Boeken has ended the day second in chips, flopping a full house with a pocket pair of fours to help build his stack over $80,000.  David Plastik is also enjoying a healthy chipstack going into Day 2.  Other notables still in the field include bracelet winner Benjamin Lin, Ayaz Mahmood, and Terence Chan.

Play will resume tomorrow at 2pm PST.

Keep your browsers tuned to CardPlayer.com for your favorite Pro Blogs and all the tournamnent action.

Player Tags: Ayaz Mahmood,   David Plastik,   Rick Fuller,   Noah Boeken,   Benjamin Lin,   Terrence Chan,   Joe Sebok,   Rolf Slotboom

Down to 35

Jun 27, '07

There are only 35 players left in the $2,000 Limit Hold 'Em tournament that is in it's second day of play.

Rolf Slotboom, editor of CardPlayer Europe, was eliminated in 38th place and taking home $4,725. Slotboom was eliminated when he was all in with K-7 and it failed to improve against Ayaz Mahmood's K-J.

There is a new chip leader, Joe Mandia has $140,000 in chips and has just moved to the left of one time chip leader Joe Sebok. The two former chip leaders in this tournament, Joe Sebok and Noah Boeken have had some misfortune after playing in the front of the pack for most of the day. Boeken is down to just $40,000 and Sebok just doubled up to $65,000. Sebok and his opponent were both in for $9,000 preflop and the dealer laid out A Q 5. Sebok bet out $3,000 and his oppponent called. The turn was the 2 after a series of raises and reraises Sebok was all in. His opponent called and showed A 6 and Sebok had flopped another set and showed Q Q. The river was the 4 and Sebok doubled up to $67,000 after losing most of his stack earlier in the level. Sebok lost most of his chips in a hand where he had top two pair and his opponent drew to a flush.

Notable Chip Counts

Joseph Mandia	140,000
David Plastik	95,000
Joe Sebok	41,000
Noah Boeken	40,000
Warren Karp	32,000

Player Tags: Ayaz Mahmood,   Noah Boeken,   Joe Sebok,   Rolf Slotboom

Play Concludes For The Night

Jun 26, '07

With about 30 minutes left in Level 11 tournament officials have stopped play for the night. 

61 players survived to see Day Two, with a few of the formerly-big stacks wishing they could take a mulligan on that last level.

Joe Sebok was very active in that last level, but saw his $40,000 in chips dip down closer to $20,000 after his opponent hit the nut flush against his second-nut flush with running hearts, and then he had pocket Kings cracked by A-J.

Rick Fuller also lost a large portion of his stack, once again raising Rolf Slotboom's big blind.  After a flop of 8 7 6 Slotboom bet $1,500, Fuller raised, and Slotboom called.  The turn was the 9, Slotboom bet $3,000, Fuller raised to $6,000, Slotboom reraised to $9,000, Fuller made it $12,000, and Slotboom called.  The turn 6 paired the board, Slotboom checked, Fuller bet, and Slotboom made a reluctant call, saying, "Maybe we'll split it"  Fuller immediately replied "Boy, did I donk off chips to you!" tabling Q Q.  Slotboom nearly jumped out of his seat as he flipped over 10 7, and raked in the pot.

Noah Boeken has ended the day second in chips, flopping a full house with a pocket pair of fours to help build his stack over $80,000.  David Plastik is also enjoying a healthy chipstack going into Day 2.  Other notables still in the field include bracelet winner Benjamin Lin, Ayaz Mahmood, and Terence Chan.

Play will resume tomorrow at 2pm PST.

Keep your browsers tuned to CardPlayer.com for your favorite Pro Blogs and all the tournamnent action.

Player Tags: Ayaz Mahmood,   David Plastik,   Rick Fuller,   Noah Boeken,   Benjamin Lin,   Terrence Chan,   Joe Sebok,   Rolf Slotboom

Headed to Dinner

Jun 24, '07

The atmosphere in the Poker Pavilion can be described as distracting, to say the least. A stark contrast from most days in "The Tent" as it has affectionately come to be known, the temperature is not tropical but borderline frigid. A number of players have been complaining about the cold climate in the pavilion and the air conditioning that has been running on full blast. Players have been seen trading sweatshirts and one player has gotten into the habit of getting out of his seat between hands and doing push ups to stay warm. Another distraction to add to the equation is the tournament officials and their inconsistency concerning the dinner break. The "official" dinner break has now been changed to 9:20 p.m. and at least one player in the field was clearly frustrated by all the changes. When the announcement came over the loud speaker, one player jumped out of his seat and yelled, "I'm gonna kill you man! Shut up over there!"

Clonie Gowen, Ayaz Mahmood and Bertrand "Elky" Grosspellier have all been eliminated at the start of this hour's No Limit level. Grosspellier had pushed all in blind on the two previous hands and decided to do it again from middle position. Instead of scaring people away however, this time he recieved a call from the player in seat nine and Mimi Tran. Tran showed Q Q, Grosspellier turned up Q 8 and the player in seat nine showed A 4. The board came A A 5 2 K and Tran took down the large pot and eliminated Grosspellier in the process.

Jeff Lisandro was able to double up at the beginning of the No Limit level to the tune of $23,000. Lisandro was all in with pocket kings against his opponent's pocket aces. A king hit on the river and Lisandro stayed alive and doubled up. Lisandro had been playing many pots in the No Limit portion of the last level and his increased aggressiveness is typical across the field coming out of a slow Limit level.

The players are now on a one hour dinner break and play will resume at approximately 10:30 p.m.
Notable Chip Counts

J.C. Tran	9,250
Paul Darden	8,500
Miami John Cernuto	5,500
Phil Gordon	4,700
Young Phan	1,700

Player Tags: Ayaz Mahmood,   Clonie Gowen,   Jeffrey Lisandro

Day Two - Hour Two

Jun 15, '07

Double Trouble

Players were on a fifteen minute break for the fist part of the hour ,and when they returned action got down to the final two tables quickly. Eric Lynch, Arnold Spee, the talkative Dau Ly, and Andy Black were seated together at table 67. Scott Clements was seated with Ayaz Mahmood on table 61. Clements was still the chip leader with $340,000 and Ly trailed in second with $260,000.

Ayaz Mahmood Eliminated in 15th

A board of Q Q 8 K 5 sat on the table when Mahmood’s opponent flipped over A A 10 3. Mahmood mucked his hand, rapped the table in a good-natured salute, and headed toward the payout table in 15th place.

Arnold Spee’s Last Stand

Spee was down to his final chip stack of 20 by this point and he entered all-in mode. His first push received no call. That trend didn’t continue for long though, he was called a few hands later and put his tournament life on the line with A K 7 6. Dau Ly turned over A 8 3 2. The board was dealt A Q 5 9 2 and Spee was the unlucky 13th-place finisher.

The Ly Files

Dau Ly continued to provide a quote per minute. Here are some of his highlights from the hour:

“The heat is on.”
“Rock and roll, let’s go!”
“If you bet, you’ll win this pot.”
After winning a hand – “It’s good, of course it’s good.”
Right before folding - “If I put you all in, you’ll be 11th [place].”

Down to the Final Ten

Scott Clements then eliminated Gary Lungren in 12th place when he turned over Q Q 5 2 on a board of Q J J 5 3. Hilbert Shirey was busted soon after in 11th place and action was down to the final table. The players took a ten minute break, while all the chips were moved to the featured final table stage.

Player Tags: Ayaz Mahmood,   Arnold Spee,   Scott Clements,   Dau Ly

Three Tables

Jun 14, '07

Ayaz Mahmood flopped a set of Kings on the last hand before the break, turned a full house and got all of his money into the pot. Following that double up the $100 chips were raced off the table.  After the color up, the players went on a 15 minute break.  Once the break had finished it was decided that play will continue tonight until just after 2am PST.

 

In unusual situation, the two chip leaders butted heads with four tables remaining.  Scott Clements and Justin Scott got all of their money in on the flop, with Clements ahead with bottom set against Scott’s flush draw.  Scott hit the flush, but the board paired on the river, and Clements now has over $250,000, when the average stack is merely $50,000

 

Eric Lynch, and Johnny Chan have pushed their stacks to around $90,000, while Burt Boutin, Matt Matros, and Arnold Spee continue to hang on.  They have redrawn the final three tables, for the last hour of play.

Player Tags: Ayaz Mahmood,   Arnold Spee,   Burt Boutin,   Matthew Matros,   Johnny Chan,   Scott Clements,   Justin Scott,   Eric Lynch

Back From Dinner

Jun 14, '07

There are currently 8 tables remaining with 72 players, only 18 elminations until the money is reached.

Chris Ferguson is currently playing in both this event and the Stud Eight-or-better Championship.  He can fully focus on Omaha as the other event is on dinner break.

Burt Boutin currently has a very healthy stack of chips, and is looking to take down this pot limit Omaha event in the same fashion that he did the $5,000 with rebuys event.

Noah Boeken butted heads with Ayaz Mahmood early on in the event.  Boeken moved all in over the top of Mahmood's raise on the turn with the board reading 10 9 5 A.  Mahmood made the fold, guessing that Boeken held the QJ in his hand.  Boeken did show him his AQQ as he collected the pot.

Josh Arieh made a score early in the level.  Arieh opened the betting in a four-way pot with a flop of A 5 4.  The next player to act re-raised, prompting the other two players to fold.  Arieh re-raised all in and his opponent made the call.  Aried showed QQ32,  for a flopped wheel, and his opponent showed 8654.  The turn and river were an 8 and J, and Arieh doubled up.

Keep tuned to CardPlayer.com as these players continue to fight down to the final nine tonight.

Player Tags: Ayaz Mahmood,   Josh Arieh,   Chris Ferguson,   Burt Boutin,   Noah Boeken

Day Two - Hour Two

Jun 15, '07

Double Trouble

Players were on a fifteen minute break for the fist part of the hour ,and when they returned action got down to the final two tables quickly. Eric Lynch, Arnold Spee, the talkative Dau Ly, and Andy Black were seated together at table 67. Scott Clements was seated with Ayaz Mahmood on table 61. Clements was still the chip leader with $340,000 and Ly trailed in second with $260,000.

Ayaz Mahmood Eliminated in 15th

A board of Q Q 8 K 5 sat on the table when Mahmood’s opponent flipped over A A 10 3. Mahmood mucked his hand, rapped the table in a good-natured salute, and headed toward the payout table in 15th place.

Arnold Spee’s Last Stand

Spee was down to his final chip stack of 20 by this point and he entered all-in mode. His first push received no call. That trend didn’t continue for long though, he was called a few hands later and put his tournament life on the line with A K 7 6. Dau Ly turned over A 8 3 2. The board was dealt A Q 5 9 2 and Spee was the unlucky 13th-place finisher.

The Ly Files

Dau Ly continued to provide a quote per minute. Here are some of his highlights from the hour:

“The heat is on.”
“Rock and roll, let’s go!”
“If you bet, you’ll win this pot.”
After winning a hand – “It’s good, of course it’s good.”
Right before folding - “If I put you all in, you’ll be 11th [place].”

Down to the Final Ten

Scott Clements then eliminated Gary Lungren in 12th place when he turned over Q Q 5 2 on a board of Q J J 5 3. Hilbert Shirey was busted soon after in 11th place and action was down to the final table. The players took a ten minute break, while all the chips were moved to the featured final table stage.

Player Tags: Ayaz Mahmood,   Arnold Spee,   Scott Clements,   Dau Ly

Three Tables

Jun 14, '07

Ayaz Mahmood flopped a set of Kings on the last hand before the break, turned a full house and got all of his money into the pot. Following that double up the $100 chips were raced off the table.  After the color up, the players went on a 15 minute break.  Once the break had finished it was decided that play will continue tonight until just after 2am PST.

 

In unusual situation, the two chip leaders butted heads with four tables remaining.  Scott Clements and Justin Scott got all of their money in on the flop, with Clements ahead with bottom set against Scott’s flush draw.  Scott hit the flush, but the board paired on the river, and Clements now has over $250,000, when the average stack is merely $50,000

 

Eric Lynch, and Johnny Chan have pushed their stacks to around $90,000, while Burt Boutin, Matt Matros, and Arnold Spee continue to hang on.  They have redrawn the final three tables, for the last hour of play.

Player Tags: Ayaz Mahmood,   Arnold Spee,   Burt Boutin,   Matthew Matros,   Johnny Chan,   Scott Clements,   Justin Scott,   Eric Lynch

Back From Dinner

Jun 14, '07

There are currently 8 tables remaining with 72 players, only 18 elminations until the money is reached.

Chris Ferguson is currently playing in both this event and the Stud Eight-or-better Championship.  He can fully focus on Omaha as the other event is on dinner break.

Burt Boutin currently has a very healthy stack of chips, and is looking to take down this pot limit Omaha event in the same fashion that he did the $5,000 with rebuys event.

Noah Boeken butted heads with Ayaz Mahmood early on in the event.  Boeken moved all in over the top of Mahmood's raise on the turn with the board reading 10 9 5 A.  Mahmood made the fold, guessing that Boeken held the QJ in his hand.  Boeken did show him his AQQ as he collected the pot.

Josh Arieh made a score early in the level.  Arieh opened the betting in a four-way pot with a flop of A 5 4.  The next player to act re-raised, prompting the other two players to fold.  Arieh re-raised all in and his opponent made the call.  Aried showed QQ32,  for a flopped wheel, and his opponent showed 8654.  The turn and river were an 8 and J, and Arieh doubled up.

Keep tuned to CardPlayer.com as these players continue to fight down to the final nine tonight.

Player Tags: Ayaz Mahmood,   Josh Arieh,   Chris Ferguson,   Burt Boutin,   Noah Boeken