Level One, Hour Two Update: David Benyamine Starts Well
Jul 08, '10
Blinds: 50-100
Average Chip Count: 30,000
Notable Chip Counts:
1. Kara Scott – 71,000
2. Brent Baldrey – 65,000
3. Corey Emery – 60,000
4. Alex Aram – 60,000
5. Steve Billirakis – 57,000
6. Aaron Gustavson – 48,000
7. Amanda Musumeci – 47,000
8. David Benyamine – 46,000
9. Bill Chen – 46,000
10. Phil Ivey – 45,700
Card Player Family Chip Counts
Jeff Shulman — 30,000
Jennifer Harman — 30,000
Steve Zolotow — 30,000
Notable Eliminations:
None
Player Twitter Accounts
Phil Ivey
Doyle Brunson
Jeff Shulman
Bryan Micon
Jonathan Little
Cyndy Violette
Vanessa Rousso
Zachary Clark
Big Hands:
Phil Ivey Faces a Minimum Four-Bet
A player in the cutoff bet 250 and Phil Ivey raised to 800 total. The player in the small blind four-bet to 1,350 and it was folded to the cutoff. She folded and Ivey quickly called.
The flop came 9
63
8
and action went check-check. The 8 fell on the turn and Ivey’s opponent bet 1,200. Ivey insta-called and the 10 landed on the river. The small blind checked and Ivey bet 4,300. Ivey’s opponent deliberated before eventually folding. Ivey was at 34,000 in chips after the hand.
Steve Billirakis Starting off Strong
On a board of 10937 was faced with a 6,000-chip bet. Billirakis called and the river brought the J. Billirakis led out for 4,000 and his opponent called. Billirakis tabled the J9 for two pair. His opponent mucked the KK
. Billirakis was up to 54,000 after the hand.
David Benyamine Drops A Pot
David Benyamine raised to 300 preflop and the small blind made the call. The flop came down A63 and both players checked.
The turn was the 6 and the small blind led out with 500. Benyamine made the call and the river was the 8.
The small blind led out with 500 again and Benyamine decided to look him up. The small blind showed A7 for aces and sixes and Benyamine mucked. Despite dropping that pot, Benyamine was off to a strong start with close to 49,000 in chips.
Cindy Violette Takes One Down
Cyndy Violette raised to 300 and was called by two players. The flop came 9dKh5c and Violette bet 1,000 to force out her opponents. She had around 31,500 after the hand.
“This is Our Maaain Event Of The Evening”
Bruce Buffer raised to 350 from middle position and was called by JJ Lui on the button. The flop ran 782 and Buffer led for 525. Lui folded and Buffer chipped back up to around his starting stack of 30,000.
Joe Serock Takes One From Elizabeth
On a 3-way flop of A78 seat 2 checked and so did Joe Serock. Shannon Elizabeth bet 600 and seat 2 folded, but Serock called.
The 7 fell on the turn and Serock led for 1,800. Elizabeth called and the A fell on the river. Both players checked and Elizabeth mucked when she saw Serock’s Q7.
Serock was at around 39,000 after the hand, while Elizabeth dropped to around 23,000.
Hevad Khan Loses a Big One
Hevad Khan called a bet of 2,250 from seat 7 on a board of 599A. On the 6 river Khan checked and seat 7 fired 7,600. There was already a lot in the pot, and Khan tanked for a moment before electing to fold.
He had 26,000 after the hand.
Steve Dannenmann Run Over By Jacks
Steve Dannenmann bet 250 on a board of 36Q7 and was called by seat 1. The button then raised to 1,050 and Dannenmann called, while seat 1 got out of the way.
The K river was checked around and a stubborn moment left Dannenmann and the player on the button refusing to show their cards first. Finally Dannenmann showed 75 for a pair and the button showed JJ for a better pair. After the loss Dannenmann had around 28,000.
Kenny Tran Wins a Pot
Kenny Tran had the button and was tangled up in a pot versus a player in the cutoff. On a board of AK63 the action went check-check. The 8 fell on the river and the cutoff checked. Tran bet 4,000 and the cutoff tanked. He eventually made the call and Tran exposed the 72 for a flush. Tran’s opponent mucked and Tran raked in the pot. He was up to about the starting stack after the hand.
Mizzi Drops One
With 650 in the pot, the board read 10523. Sorel Mizzi fired 350 and the player in seat 9 made the call.
The river was the 3 and Mizzi checked. Seat 9 fired 1,575 and Mizzi threw away his hand. He was at 32,000 after the loss.
Ferguson Can’t Call
Chris Ferguson raised to 600 on the button and the player in seat 5 made the call from middle position. The flop came down 642 and seat 5 checked.
Ferguson fired 1,000 and seat 5 quickly check-raised to 2,000. Ferguson thought for a bit and made the call. The turn was the 4 and seat 5 checked again.
Ferguson thought for a little while longer and bet 3,000. Seat 5 called again and the river was the 10.
Seat 5 took the lead this time, firing 2,500 and Ferguson released his hand. Ferguson was down to 26,000 after dropping that pot.
Rousso Bluffs Off Half Her Stack
Picking up the action after the flop came down Q85, Vanessa Rousso led out with 3,500 and the player in seat 7 made the call.
The turn was the J and Rousso thought long before sliding out 7,000. Seat 7 then tanked and asked Rousso for a count. The rest of the players at the table left as the 20-minute break had begun.
Seat 7 eventually called and the river was the 9. Rousso played with her chips awhile but checked. Seat 7 checked behind and Rousso tabled AK for ace-high. Seat 7 tabled 87 for a pair of eights and a heart draw on the flop.
Rousso dropped a big pot before the break and she was down to 26,000 after starting the hand with close to 49,000.
Player Tags: Chris Ferguson, David Benyamine, Cyndy Violette, Phil Ivey, Kenny Tran, Joanne Liu, Steve Billirakis, Bruce Buffer, Vanessa Rousso, Steve Dannenmann, Shannon Elizabeth, Sorel Mizzi, Hevad Khan, Joseph Serock
Level 18 Hour One Update: Jason Mercier and Vanessa Selbst Eliminated
Jul 14, '10
Blinds: 4,000-8,000 with a 1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 468 out of 7,319
Average Chip Count: 469,167
Card Player Chip Counts:
Adam Schoenfeld — 130,000
Andrew Brokos — 1,240,000
Josh Brikis — 1,45,000
Tournament Leaderboard:
1. Daniel Chamberlain – 2,460,000
2. Martijn Schirp – 2,080,000
3. Phil Galfond – 1,866,000
4. James Carroll – 1,840,000
5. Duy Le – 1,700,000
6. Ryan Eriquezzo – 1,600,000
7. Matt Affleck – 1,590,000
8. Garrett Adelstein – 1,500,000
9. Tony Dunst – 1,495,000
10. Theo Jorgensen – 1,460,000
Notable Eliminations:
Bart Hanson
Carter Phillips
Vanessa Selbst
Jason Mercier
Sam Farha
Big Hands:
Eric Baldwin Chips Up With River Value Bet
We caught up with the hand on the river with over 150,000 in the middle and the board reading A21057. Eric Baldwin had led out for 103,000 and that sent his opponent deep into the tank.
The bet sent his opponent into the tank and the ESPN cameras rushed over to film the action. After a minute or two of thinking, his opponent slid out a call and Baldwin tabled the AQ. His opponent angrily mucked his cards while showing the 10.
Baldwin is up to 625,000 with that pot.
Jean-Robert Bellande Rivers a Straight
We caught up with the action on the river with Jean-Robert Bellande betting 85,000 on a board of 581024. His opponent eventually made the call and Bellande tabled A3, good for a straight and his opponent mucked.
“I’ve been planning this out for a while now,” Bellande said. “You get it in behind and just get there and boom! You have a stack.”
Bellande does have a stack as he sits with 530,000.
Sam Farha Doubles Up
Sam Farha moved all in for 85,000 and Isaac Baron made the call. Farha exposed the AA and was in great shape versus the AQ of Baron. The board ran out Q-9-3-5-2 and Farha doubled to 185,000. Baron was at 170,000 after the hand.
Jason Mercier Doubles Up Robert Mizrachi, Eliminated Shortly Thereafter
Jason Mercier bet 19,000 from middle position and Robert Mizrachi three-bet to 55,000 on the button. Mercier moved all in and Mizrachi called 338,000 for his tournament life. Mizrachi exposed the K-K and was way ahead of the 5-5 of Mercier. The board ran out Q-10-8-K-9 and Mizrachi doubled to 690,000. Mercier was left with 133,000 after the hand.
Later in the level, Jason Mercier open-shoved in late position with the A10 and ran into the pocket aces of Olivier Daeninckx. The board ran out 9425Q. Mercier was eliminated with five cashes at the 2010 World Series of Poker, but with no final tables.
Bruce Buffer Eliminated
With a board reading 1088K6 Bruce Buffer moved all in and Pierre Canali called. Buffer exposed the AA and was crushed versus the 88 of Canali. Buffer was sent to the rail.
Vanessa Selbst Eliminated
Vanessa Selbst was down to about 150,000 when she shoved with the A2. She was called by a player holding the KJ. The flop came jack-high and Selbst was eliminated with the turn and river bricked for her. The main event was Selbst’s first cash of the summer.
Dan Lu Doubles Up a Player
Dominykas Karmazinas shoved from early position for 55,000 and Dan Lu called on the button. Karmazinas was at risk with the AK. Lu tabled the AJ and was behind. The board ran out AQ5K3 and Lu dropped to 365,000.
Jean-Robert Bellande Doubles Up an Opponent
Jean Robert Bellande limped from late position and Alper Sar shoved for 80,000. Bellande called with the A9 and was in a coin flip versus the 33 of his opponent. The board ran out JJ86K and Bellande doubled up his opponent. He was down to 550,000 after the hand.
Michael Mizrachi Doubles Up
The flop read 876 with 55,000 in the middle. Michael Mizrachi checked to his opponent, who bet 35,000. Mizrachi moved all in for 192,000. His opponent called with the AJ for the nut flush draw. Mizrachi exposed the KK. The turn brought the 6 and the 5 fell on the river. Mizrachi faded the outs and doubled to about 430,000.
Jacobs’ All-In Forces Folds
Alex Jacobs raised to 18,000 from late position and was called by both blinds.
The flop came 10K3 and after both blinds checked, Jacobs waved his hands and motioned all-in. The small blind quickly folded, but the big blind asked for a count. After finding out it was just under 150,000, he mucked his hand.
Jacobs is sitting with 200,000 after he stacked his newly found chips.
Sammy Farha Crippled, Eliminated
Ryan Milisits moved all-in for 102,000 from middle position and Sam Farha made the call from late position. Milisits showed A10 and Farha showed AQ.
The board ran out 106475 and Milisits doubled up, while Farha was left with only 20,000. Within a few hands, Farha’s A-2 couldn’t improve against Paul Varano’s pocket sevens and Farha was gone.
Left in the Deck
Jean-Robert Has Ideas
Jean-Robert was talking at his table about the ideas he has for the Tournament of Champions. He thinks that the more bracelets you have, the more chips you should add to your stack. He said that the tournament directors shot the idea down, but he thinks it would add a nice twist to the tournament and give people more incentives to win bracelets.
Former Card Player Intern Crusing
Jameson Singer, a former Card Player intern in 2006 currently is hovering around the 1 million chip mark. Singer now plays tournaments full-time online and is known as “TheDrake.”
Player Twitter Accounts
Jean-Robert Bellande
Bernard Lee
Scotty Nguyen
Tristan Wade
Brandon Cantu
Player Tags: Sam Farha, Jean-Robert Bellande, Bruce Buffer, Vanessa Selbst, Eric Baldwin, Dan Lu, Jason Mercier
It folded around to a short-stacked player in the small blind, who moved all-in for 22,200. Bruce Buffer quickly made the call from the big blind with the A
K
.
10
8
A player opened with a raise to 900 and Sabir Rasulov three-bet to 2,000.
Bruce Buffer raised to 21,000 from under the gun and Ajay Gnanasambanthan called out of the big blind. The flop brought the K
Bruce Buffer raised to 1,200 from early position and was called by Larry Quang, Bob Samuels and both blinds.
With a board of 8