This Week in Poker: Poker Tournament News Nov. 8 - Nov. 14

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This Week in Tournament Poker

Card Player Live Coverage Event -- World Series of Poker $10,000 no-limit hold'em main event championship final table

The final night at the 2008 World Series of Poker main event was a record-setting affair. New heights were reached for the longest $10,000 no-limit hold'em world championship final table ever, as well as the largest big blind (1 million) in the history of the event. At the end of play, another record fell when Peter Eastgate of Denmark became the youngest world champion in history at 22 years old when he defeated Ivan Demidov of Russia just after 2:30 a.m and took home $9,152,416 in prize money. Card Player was there to catch all of the action from the final table, which you can read about below.

First, a little bit about what these players had to fight through to get to the final match. In July, they had to battle amid a tournament field of 6,844 players, the second largest in history, to make a final table of nine players. After that, they had to wait 117 days before they could return to Las Vegas to play down to the heads-up match on Nov. 9.

Here are the payouts for those who fell yesterday during the play-down to the heads-up match:

3rd: Dennis Phillips -- $4,517,773
4th: Ylon Schwartz -- $3,774,974
5th: Scott Montgomery -- $3,096,768
6th: Darus Suharto -- $2,418,562
7th: David Rheem -- $1,772,650
8th: Kelly Kim -- $1,288,217
9th: Craig Marquis -- $900,670

After all of this, the only thing they had standing in the way of their poker immortality was each other. Here were their chip counts at the start of play at 10 p.m. on Nov. 10:

Peter Eastgate: 79,500,000
Ivan Demidov: 57,725,000

Here are the hands that defined the heads-up match, as featured in CardPlayer.com's live updates:

Ivan Demidov Comes Out Swinging

Ivan Demidov came out of the gates strong in his heads-up match with Peter Eastgate, scoring the first three blows, the majority of them during the first hour, to pull even and then take chip lead with 73,645,000. He did so by accumulating most of the small pots that transpired while these two players warmed up and felt each other out at the beginning of their heads-up match.

Peter Eastgate Fights Back

Peter Eastgate bet 2 million preflop, and Ivan Demidov made the call. The flop was dealt 8 8 5, and both players checked. The A was dealt on the turn, and Eastgate bet 2.25 million. Demidov called, and then both players checked the 4 on the river. They turned up their hands, and Eastgate took down the pot with queen-high over Demidov’s jack-high. The pot put Eastgate back into the chip lead.

Eastgate Increases His Lead

Demidov raised to 1.75 million on the button preflop, and Eastgate made the call. The flop was dealt 9 8 4, and both players checked. The 3 fell on the turn, and Eastgate bet 2.75 million. Demidov made the call, and the river brought the J. Eastgate led out for 3.5 million, and Demidov mucked. The young Russian was knocked down to 55,975,000 after the hand. Eastgate was up to 81,025,000.

Eastgate Wins the Largest Pot So Far Heads-Up

Ivan Demidov raised to 2.8 million preflop, and Peter Eastgate made the call on the button. The flop was dealt A J 3, and both players checked. The J was dealt on the turn, and Eastgate bet 3.25 million. Demidov made the call, and the river brought the Q. Demidov checked, and Eastgate opened the action once again for 6.95 million. Demidov thought for a moment and then he called. Eastgate turned over A Q, and Demidov mucked. Eastgate held 86,325,000 after the hand.

Peter Eastgate Now Holds 100 Million

Ivan Demidov raised preflop to 2.75 million, and Peter Eastgate made the call from the button. The flop was dealt 9 7 6, and Demidov bet 3.625 million. Eastgate made the call, and the J fell on the turn. Both players checked, and the Q fell on the river. Demidov bet 7 million, and Eastgate made the call. They turned up their hands, and Demidov held A 10 against the J 8 of Eastgate. Eastgate held 100,300,000 after the hand. Demidov was knocked down to 36,600,000.

Longest WSOP Final Table Ever

During the last hour, the 2008 main event final table surpassed the 2005 main event final table that was won by Joe Hachem as the longest ever. That table lasted 14 hours and 10 minutes. This one will last much longer.

Biggest WSOP Blind Ever

It was announced that level 39 saw the largest big blind in the history of the WSOP. It was the first time the big blind has ever reached seven figures at 1 million.

Demidov Takes a Big Hit

Ivan Demidov raised to 2 million preflop from the button, and Peter Eastgate made the call. The flop was dealt K 10 7, and both players checked. The J fell on the turn, and Eastgate bet 2.5 million. Demidov raised to 8 million, and Eastgate made the call. The river brought the 3, and Eastgate checked. Demidov bet 12 million, and Eastgate made the call. They turned up their hands, and Demidov held A 9. Eastgate flipped over 7 4 and he won the pot with a diamond flush to take a huge lead. The 44-million pot kicked his stack up to 107 million, while Demidov held just 28 million after the hand.

The End is Near?

Ivan Demidov raised to 2 million preflop on the button, and Peter Eastgate made the call. The flop was dealt 8 8 5, and both players checked. The 3 fell on the turn, and Eastgate bet 2.5 million. Demidov made the call, and the river brought the 9. Eastgate bet 4.5 million, and Demidov made the call. Eastgate flipped up 3 3 for a full house, and Demidov mucked. Eastgate was now up to 117 million, while Demidov was floundering with just about 20 million.

Peter Eastgate Wins the 2008 WSOP Main Event ($9,152,416)

Peter Eastgate limped on the button, and Ivan Demidov checked preflop. The flop was dealt K 3 2, and Demidov checked. Eastgate bet 1.25 million, and Demidov made the call. The turn card fell 4, and Demidov checked. Eastgate bet 2 million, and Demidov check-raised to 6 million. Eastgate made the call, and the 7 fell on the river. Demidov moved all in for his final 7.95 million, and Easgate called him down. Demidov turnd up 4 2 for two pair, but Eastgate turned A 5 for a wheel, and he won the tournament.

Demidov was eliminated in second place and he will take home $5,809,595 in prize money. Eastgate has become the 2008 world champion of poker and he is $9,152,416 richer. He has also become the youngest WSOP main event champion in history at 22 years old, breaking the record set by Phil Hellmuth in 1989.

Tournament Trail Q and A with Peter Eastgate
CardPlayer TV video at WSOP final-table viewing party

Card Player Live Coverage Event – World Poker Tour World Poker Finals $10,000 no-limit hold’em championship

NOTE: This tournament report was provdied by Julio Rodriguez.

It took hours longer than anybody could have imagined, but the mounting blinds and antes finally put an end to a marathon heads-up session that saw numerous lead changes, huge hands, and even bigger bluffs. When all was said and done, Jonathan Little bested Jonathan Jaffe for his second WPT title and nearly $1.2 million.

Here were the chip counts heading into the final table:

Seat 1: David Pham — 2,038,000
Seat 2: Jonathan Jaffe — 4,131,000
Seat 3: Jonathan Little — 2,021,000
Seat 4: Charles Marchese — 1,718,000
Seat 5: Jack Schanbacher — 1,592,000
Seat 6: Mike Matusow — 816,000

Here's how all of the action went according to CardPlayer.com's live updates page:

Jack Schanbacher Doubles Through Jonathan Jaffe

Jonathan Little raised under the gun to 125,000. Mike Matusow then moved all in for 900,000 from the button. Little made the call and showed pocket nines and once again Matusow was racing with A J.

The board came K 5 3 5 4, and Matusow was eliminated in sixth place, earning $124,048. After the hand, Little's stack was boosted to 3.765 million.

Jack Schanbacher Eliminated in Fifth Place ($182,196)

Jack Schanbacher moved all in for his last 800,000, and David Pham called from the cutoff. The action moved to Jonathan Little in the small blind, who raised to 1.5 million, putting Pham's last 600,000 all in.

Pham tanked for bit before folding pocket tens, and Little showed Q Q. Schanbacher was way behind with 9 8, and the board came J 6 5 6 8 to send him to the rail in fifth place, good for $182,196.

After the hand, Little took the chip lead with 5.825 million. Pham was extremely short-stacked with 595,000.


Charles Marchese Doubles Up

Jonathan Jaffe raised to 140,000, and Charles Marchese moved all in from the small blind for his last 785,000. Jaffe made the call with pocket fives, but was in trouble to Marchese and his pocket sixes.

The board offered no help for Jaffe, and Marchese doubled up to 1.65 million.
 

David Pham Eliminated in Fourth Place ($240,344)

Charles Marchese completed from the small blind, and David Pham moved all in from the big blind. Marchese called with K J, and Pham showed pocket deuces.

The board came A J 4 A 9, and Marchese paired his jack to eliminate Pham in fourth place. Pham earned $240,344 for his efforts and also added a projected 1,230 points to his Card Player Player of the Year standings.

That brings his total to 5,252, putting him in third place, leap-frogging Ivan Demidov, who finished second in the WSOP main event last night. Had Pham won tonight, he would have only been 300 points shy of John Phan, who has held what once looked like an insurmountable lead since August.
 

Flashback - 2007 WPT Niagara

As we watch this three-handed battle between Jonathan Little, Jonathan Jaffe, and Charles Marchese, I am reminded of a similar situation, also featuring the young gun Little.

Three-handed at the 2007 World Poker Tour stop in Niagara Falls, Canada, Little, Scott Clements, and unknown David Cloutier played a marathon session of small-ball poker. Little and Clements took turns grinding the relatively passive Cloutier down and chopped up his blinds and antes accordingly.

With Marchese playing less than one-tenth of the hands he's been dealt, it looks like Jaffe and Little will have no problem recreating the same risk-free situation as they march toward heads-up play. Of course, in poker, all things are possible, as the two Jonathans have already shown a propensity to play big pots against each other.
 

Charles Marchese Eliminated in Third Place ($337,256)

Jonathan Little raised to 150,000, and Charles Marchese moved all in for 1.69 million. Little made the call and showed pocket queens, and Marchese was in trouble with A J.

The board came 9 8 2 6 2, and Marchese was eliminated. His patience throughout the tournament netted him $337,256.


Marathon Heads-Up Play

Both players exchanged the chip lead several times for more than five hours before the tournament was ultimately decided. In the process, Jonathan Little broke his own record for the amount of hands played at a WPT final table with 275. The old record was 271, when Little was defeated by Scott Clements at the 2007 North American Poker Championships.
 

Jonathan Jaffe Eliminated in Second Place ($670,636)

Jonathan Little raised to 850,000, and Jonathan Jaffe moved all in. Little made the call with A Q, and Jaffe showed A 10. The board ran out 8 8 6 K Q, and Little claimed his second WPT title and nearly $1.2 million.

Jaffe earned $670,636 for his runner-up performance.
 

Jonathan Little Wins the 2008 Foxwoods World Poker Finals

Here are the final results:

1. Jonathan Little — $1,120,310
2. Jonathan Jaffe — $670,636
3. Charles Marchese — $337,256
4. David “The Dragon” Pham — $240,344
5. Jack Schanbacher — $182,196
6. Mike “The Mouth” Matusow — $124,048

Master Classics of Poker

The final table at the €6,000 Lido Poker no-limit hold'em main event was still being contested at press time. Here are the summary statistis for the tournament and standings at the beginning of the final table.

Number of entries: 335
Total prize pool: €2,010,000
Places paid: 37

Final-Table Chip Counts:

Nokolas Liakos -- 995,000
L Larrson -- 628,000
R Neilsen -- 576,000
Edwin Tournier -- 485,000
E Ekerot -- 482,000
Mr. Sanhaji -- 319,000
Jan Sorensen -- 278,000
Steve Jelinek -- 185,000
R Refos -- 118,000

Notable Cashes: Sorel Mizzi (15th), Johan Storakers (17th), Michael Martin (20th), Rolf Slotboom (21st), Davidi Kitai (22nd), Surinder Sunar (26th)

Master Classics of Poker Preview

Asia Pacific Poker Tour Manila

At press time, the PokerStars APPT Manila event was about to begin day-2 action after two day-one flights saw an impressive turnout. The $2,080 no-limit hold'em main event attracted a field of 285 players and 77 of them survived to day 2. A total of 32 players will be paid in the event, and the eventual champion will take home $162,856 at the conclusion of the final table on Sunday, Nov. 16.

APPT Manila Preview Story

WSOP Circuit Event – Harvey’s Lake Tahoe

At press time, day 1 of the $5,000 no-limit hold'em main event had just begun level 4, and 117 of the original 132 players still remained in action. The top 18 players will receive prize money in this event, and the champion will take home $181,379 after the conclusion of the final table on Sunday, Nov. 16.

WSOP Circuit Event Lake Tahoe Preview Story

Selected Tournament Results:

Scotty Nguyen Poker Challenge V

$3,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event

Number of entries: 136
Total prize pool: $395,760
First-place prize: $98,941
Places paid: 14

Final-Table Results:

1: Scott Standridge -- $98,941
2: Michael Wolf -- $55,406
3: Tony Lay -- $48,283
4: Bronson Tyler Tucker -- $35,618
5: Scotty Nguyen -- $25,724
6: Keith Yarbough -- $20,975
7: Jason Ke -- $19,788
8: Debbie Inman -- $17,809
9: Steve Baker -- $16,820

Card Player Player of the Year Update

POY Standings:

John Phan — 6,704
Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier — 5,410
David “The Dragon” Pham — 5,222
Ivan Demidov — 4,940
Erik Seidel — 4,754
David Benyamine — 4,376
Peter Eastgate — 4,320
Vinny Pahuja — 3,918
Michael Martin — 3,800
Michael Binger — 3,792

POY Movement

With no movement taking place at the top of the leader board in the two weeks leading up to Nov. 9, the World Series of Poker main event made the largest impact on the Card Player Player of the Year leader board. Each member of the November Nine walked away with at least 350 points, and the winner, Peter Eastgate jumped up to seventh place on the leader board by claiming the most lucrative victory of the year worth 4,200 points and $9,152,416. Eastgate now holds 4,320 points total, with 120 of those points coming from his 18th-place finish at EPT London in October. Ivan Demidov may have finished runner up in the main event, but he jumped ahead of Eastgate in the POY standings. Demidov has now won a total of 4,940 points in 2008, and he currently sits in fourth place on the leader board. Demidov was awarded 3,500 points, along with $5,809,595 for finishing in second place in the second largest poker tournament of all time, but it wasn’t the only WSOP main event final table of the year for him. Demidov also made the final table of the £10,000 WSOP Europe main event in October, where he finished in third place to take home 1,440 points and £334,850 in prize money. Demidov still sits 1,684 points behind the current leader John Phan. Two other players that jumped into the POY fray after the conclusion of the world championship were Scott Montgomery, who finished in fifth place at the final table (1,750 points and $3,096,768) to jump up to 20th place overall, and Dennis Phillips, who finished in third place at the final table (2,800 points and $4,517,773) to jump up to 45th place overall.

Two other players made major moves away from the WSOP as well. David “The Dragon” Pham finished in fourth place at the WPT World Poker Finals, and he took home $240,344 and 1,200 points. This was Pham’s 10th final-table appearance for the year and he has now made $1,301,083 playing tournament poker in 2008. Pham currently holds 5,222 points total and sits in third place. This is the second year in a row that the reigning POY champion has scored at least 5,000 points. Vinny Pahuja jumped back into the top 10 on the leader board when he finished in fourth place in the $2,000 no-limit hold’em event at the Borgata $350,000 Guaranteed Deep Stack tournament. Pahuja took home $54,740 and 468 points that allowed him to leap frog eight players in a tight race. Pahuja has now made $559,161 playing tournament poker in 2008 by cashing 19 times. Pahuja currently holds 3,918 points total, which is good for eighth place.

Looking Ahead

Card Player Live Coverage Event – EPT Warsaw

20,000 PLN No-Limit Hold’em Main Event

Saturday, Nov. 15: Day 1A (All tournament days begin at 2 p.m. CET) – eight levels
Sunday, Nov. 16: Day 1B – eight levels
Monday, Nov. 17: Day 2 – levels 9-16 or down to 32 players
Tuesday, Nov. 18: Day 3 – down to eight players
Wednesday, Nov. 19: Final Table

EPT Warsaw Preview Story

Heartland Poker Tour – Columbus, MN

$1,500 HPT No-limit Hold’em Main Event

Sunday, Nov. 16: Day 1
Monday, Nov. 17: Final Table

Caesars Palace Mega Stack Series

Event Schedule

Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza IV

Event Schedule

Turkey Shoot/ Ho-Ho Hold’em – The Bicycle Casino

Event Schedule

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