Mel Judah Poker Tournament Updates

Vladimir Shchmelev Wins Event No. 46 ($279,094)

Jun 28, '13

Level: 27

Blinds: 25,000-50,000

Players Remaining: 1 out of 435

Players Eliminated:

2nd: Mel Judah – $172,361

Live Updates:

Vladimir Shchmelev Wins Event No. 46 ($279,094) — Mel Judah Eliminated in Second Place ($172,361)

Mel Judah raised to 125,000 preflop on the button and Vladimir Shchmelev called on the big blind. The flop fell 552 and Shchmelev checked. Judah bet 125,000 and Shchmelev reraised to 350,000.

Judah called and the turn was dealt 9. Shchmelev raised the pot and Judah reraised all in. Shchmelev called and the two players revealed their hands.

Shchmelev: A722
Judah: AK65

River: Q

Shchmelev won the pot and the tournament with a full house. Judah was eliminated in second place and took home $172,361. Shchmelev was awarded a gold bracelet and the top prize worth $279,094.

Be sure to check back with Card Player for all of your final table action, chip counts, and prize payouts for each gold bracelet event.

Player Tags: Mel Judah

Level 23 Update: Andrey Zaichenko Out 9th, Allyn Jaffrey Shulman Out 8th, Andrey Zaichenko Out 7th, Tyler Nelson Out 6th, John Cernuto Out 5th

Jun 27, '13

Level: 23

Blinds: 15,000-30,000

Players Remaining: 4 out of 435

Average Chip Count: 978,750

Chip Counts:

Seat 2: Brian Hacker – 355,000
Seat 3: Vladimir Shchmelev – 410,000
Seat 4: Mel Judah – 940,000
Seat 7: Ashly Butler – 2,180,000

Players Eliminated:

9th: Alexey Makarov – $22,171
8th: Allyn Jaffrey Shulman – $28,821
7th: Andrey Zaichenko – $37,847
6th: Tyler Nelson – $50,197
5th: John Cernuto – $67,262

Live Updates:

Alexey Makarov Eliminated in Ninth Place ($22,171)

Brian Hacker raised to 37,000 and Mel Judah called. Alexey Makarov reraised to 144,000 and Hacker called. Judah folded and the two players saw a flop dealt K95. Makarov moved all in and Hacker called. The two players then tabled their hands.

Hacker: A552
Makarov: A722

Turn and River: K4

Makarov was eliminated in ninth place and Hacker won the hand with a set of fives.

Allyn Jaffrey Shulman Eliminated in Eighth Place ($28,821)

Allyn Jaffrey Shulman got the last of her chips into the middle preflop against Ashly Butler and then they tabled their hands.

Butler: AJJ4
Shulman: AQ64

Board: J1087Q

Butler flopped a set and it was good to scoop the pot. Shulman was eliminated in eighth place.

Andrey Zaichenko Eliminated in Seventh Place ($37,847)

Ashly Butler raised to 60,000 and Andrey Zaichenko called. The flop was dealt KJ7 and Zaichenko raised all in. Butler called and they revealed their cards.

Butler: A-K-6-2
Zaichenko: A-10-9-8

Turn and River: 44

Butler won the hand with two pair, kings and fours, and Zaichenko was eliminated in fourth place.

Tyler Nelson Eliminated in Sixth Place ($50,197)

Ashly Butler raised to 50,000 and Tyler Nelson reraised all in. Butler called and the two players tabled their cards.

Butler: AAK4
Nelson: AK35

Board: 632AJ

Nelson was eliminated in sixth place and Butler won the hand to grow his stack close to 2 million.

John Cernuto Eliminated in Fifth Place ($67,262)

John Cernuto raised the pot and Ashly Butler reraised. Cernuto called all in and the two players flipped over their cards.

Butler: K632
Cernuto: A1085

Board: A105J4

Cernuto was eliminated in fifth place and Butler continued his strong run to the chip lead with 2.18 million.

Player Tags: John Cernuto,   Allyn Shulman,   Mel Judah,   Andrey Zaichenko,   Alexey Makarov

Official Final Table Begins for Event No. 46 ($3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Eight-or-Better)

Jun 27, '13

The final table of Event No. 46 ($3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Eight-or-Better) has begun, and Card Player will be posting level-by-level updates with all major hands, current chip counts, and prize payouts.

With the elimination of Zhen Cai in tenth place ($17,219), the nine-handed final table is now set. Play will begin in Level 22 with blinds of 8,000-16,000, and action will continue until a winner is determined. Play may be extended an additional day if it takes more than 10 levels to reach a winner as noted on the official structure sheet. With cards now back in the air, here is a look at the final table and how these players stack up:

Seat 1: Andrey Zaichenko – 275,000
Seat 2: Brian Hacker – 410,000
Seat 3: Vladimir Shchmelev – 775,000
Seat 4: Mel Judah – 315,000
Seat 5: Tyler Nelson – 275,000
Seat 6: John Cernuto – 200,000
Seat 7: Ashly Butler – 620,000
Seat 8: Allyn Jaffrey Shulman – 305,000
Seat 9: Alexey Makarov – 165,000

Although only nine player remain this event attracted a field of 435 players, creating a total prize pool of $1,187,550, and the top 45 players made the money. Here is a look at the final table payouts:

1st Place: $279,094
2nd Place: $172,361
3rd Place: $124,645
4th Place: $91,085
5th Place: $67,262
6th Place: $50,197
7th Place: $37,847
8th Place: $28,821
9th Place: $22,171

Be sure to check back with Card Player at the conclusion of each level for regular updates with all major hands, current chip counts, and prize payouts.

Player Tags: John Cernuto,   Allyn Shulman,   Mel Judah

Event No. 46 Final Day Updates Begin with Official Final Table of Nine Players

Jun 27, '13

The final day of Event No. 46 ($3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Eight-or-Better) begins with 17 players from the initial field of 435 and they will be playing down to a champion tonight. Cards get into the air at 2 p.m. PT and that’s when the remaining field will begin to march down to the final table. Notables still in the hunt include Ari Engel, Mel Judah, John Cernuto, Stephen Chidwick, and Card Player’s own Allyn Jaffrey Shulman.

Card Player will bring you level-by-level updates with chip counts and payouts once the official final table begins with the final nine players in the event. Tune back in at that time to see which player will walk away with the top prize of $279,094 and a World Series of Poker gold bracelet.

Player Tags: John Cernuto,   Allyn Shulman,   Mel Judah,   Stephen Chidwick,   Ari Engel

Level Five Update: Last Level of the Night

Jul 07, '11

NOTE: Day 1A has come to close with roughly 585 players remaining from the 897 who entered the main event on the first day possible. Stay tuned for a recap of the day’s events and official chip counts once they are released by the WSOP staff. Day 1B will begin at noon tomorrow and Card Player will bring you more live coverage from the biggest poker tournament of the year when cards get into the air.

NOTE: Levels are two hours in length and players are starting with 30,000 in chips.

Players on Day 1A: 585 of 897

Blinds: 150-300 with a 25 ante

Notables in Field:

Jani Sointula
Scott Montgomery
Johhny Lodden
Brian Hastings
TJ Cloutier
Eli Elezra
Filippo Candio
Matt Glantz
Faraz Jaka
Tatjana Pasalic
Jason Alexander
Nam Le
Lex Veldhuis
Dutch Boyd
Olivier Busquet
Soi Nguyen
George Danzer
Billy Baxter
Maria Ho
Raymond Rahme

Card Player Chip Counts:

Barry Shulman — 70,000
Josh Brikis — 90,000

Notable Eliminations:

Isaac Haxton
Jude Ainsworth
Chris Klodnicki
Chris Oliver
Brett Richey
Faraz Jaka
Scott Montgomery
Chip Jett

Hands:

Maria Ho is Good with Queens

Maria Ho moved all in preflop and one opponent made the call. Their cards:

Ho: Q Q
Opponent: J J

Board: 9 8 6 10 K

Ho doubled up to 28,000 to survive heading into the last level of the night.

Scott Montgomery Eliminated by the New Chip Leader

The board read 8 6 2 J J when Fred Berger moved all in UTG+1 and Scott Montgomery went into the tank in late position. He eventually decided to make the call and the cards were flipped over.

Berger showed down J 9 and Montgomery held 8 7. They counted out the chips and Montgomery was covered. He headed toward the rail while Berger stacked up his huge amount of chips.

Berger held more than 200,000 after the hand and he should end the night as the chip leader.

Featured Poker Tweet — Faraz Jaka Recounts his Bustout

Italian November Niner Doubles Up

Filippo Candio moved all in on a 10 9 7 4 for 32,900 and one opponent called him down. Their cards:

Candio: 7 7
Opponent: K J

River: 4

Candio doubled up close to 70,000 after the hand.

Judah Doubles up an Opponent

Mel Judah raised to 1,000 preflop from middle position and the button raised all in for a mere 2,775. Judah made the call and they flipped over their cards:

Judah: A Q
Button: K J

Board: K K 10 6 10

Judah doubled up his opponent but is still close to his starting stack of 30,000 near the end of the day 1A.

Johnny Lodden Lays it Down

Johhny Lodden was in the hi-jack and and he paid the price of admission preflop against the button. The flop fell 10 5 3 and Lodden bet 1,600. His opponent made the call and the turn fell 3.

Both players checked and the river fell 8. Lodden checked and his opponent fired out 2,400. Lodden went into the tank for a minute and then mucked his hand.

A Tough Table for Late in the Day

A tough table has come together late in the day in the Amazon Room. The table comprises the talents of Jeff Williams, John Cernuto, Florian Langmann, and Eli Elezra.

Featured Poker Tweet — Bill Chen

Player Tags: Mel Judah,   Maria Ho,   Bill Chen,   Johnny Lodden,   Faraz Jaka,   Scott Montgomery,   Filippo Candio

Mel Judah Goes on Broadway

Jan 24, '11

Mel Judah moved all in on a very short stack worth 3,400 preflop and the small blind made the call. Their cards:

Judah: A 10
Opponent: 10 9

Board: K 5 2 J Q

Judah hit the river help he needed and he doubled up to survive, albeit on a short stack of less than 10,000.

Player Tags: Mel Judah

Level Nine: Habib Eliminated

Jun 13, '10

Blinds: 800-1,500

Players Remaining: 144 out of 212

Average Chip Count: 44,167

Card Player Chip Counts:

Barry Shulman – 76,200
Phil Hellmuth – 84,300
Jennifer Harman – 66,600
Steve Zolotow – 44,700
Todd Brunson – 18,600

Tournament Leaderboard:

1. Eugene Katchalov – 123,200
2. Sergey Altbregin – 112,500
3. David Benyamine – 102,500
4. Sam Farha – 98,500
5. Alexander Kostritsyn – 95,900
6. Tai Nguyen – 94,600
7. George Danzer – 91,700
8. Vladimir Schmelev – 88,300
9. Jeffrey Lisandro – 87,200
10. Brock Parker – 85,900

Notable Eliminations:

Hasan Habib
Nikolay Evdakov
Jerry Buss
Erick Lindgren
Shannon Shorr

Big Hands:

Baldwin’s Boat Takes It

Eric Baldwin raised to 3,000 and Mel Judah made the call, as did the player in the big blind. The flop came down J92 and Baldwin bet 1,500. Judah mucked but the big blind made the call.

The J fell on the turn and Baldwin bet 3,000. The big blind called and the river was the 3.

Baldwin bet 3,000 more and was called one last time. Baldwin tabled KJ53 for a full house and took down the pot.

Habib Flushed Away

Hasan Habib was all in after a flop of 942. He was called by Sergey Altbregin, who had flopped the nut flush with AA105.

Habib received no help on the turn or river as they came JJ and Habib was out.

Sexton Shoots Down Mosseri

Abe Mosseri raised to 3,000 preflop and Mike Sexoton made the call. The flop came down A63. Mosseri checked and Sexton bet 1,500. Mosseri then check-raised to 3,000 and Sexton made the call.

The turn was the J and Mosseri led out with 3,000. Sexton called and both players checked the Q on the river.

Sexton turned over AA73 for a set of aces on the flop and took down the pot. He was at 76,000 while Mosseri was at 36,000.

Player Tags: Hasan Habib,   Mel Judah,   Mike Sexton,   Abe Mosseri,   Eric Baldwin,   Sergey Altbregin

Level 12 Update: Chris Moneymaker Reigns Atop Leaderboard

Apr 27, '10

Blinds: 1,000-2,000 with a 200 ante

Players Remaining: 230 out of 848

Average Chip Count: 110,608

Chip Counts:

1. Chris Moneymaker — 460,000
2. Simon Munz — 340,000
3. Owen Crowe — 310,000
4. Ramzi Jelassi — 260,000
5. Aaron Gustavson — 250,000
6. Toby Lewis — 250,000
7. Paul Berende — 225,000
8. Thiago Nishijima — 215,000
9. Nicolas Levi — 185,000
10. Russell Carson — 180,000

Notable Eliminations:

Liam Flood
Vanessa Rousso
Alfio Battisti
J.J. Liu
Liz Lieu
Nickl Binger

Big Hands:

Mel Judah Chips Up Big

Juan Manuel Pastor raised to 5,200 and the button called before Mel Judah reraised to 33,000, nearly half of his stack.

Pastor folded, but the button moved all in and Judah called for his last 35,000 with AK.

The button showed pocket queens, but Judah connected on a board of A3246 to double up to just under 150,000.

Liam Flood Eliminated

Liam Flood was all in on a queen high flop holding K-Q. Unfortunately, his opponent held A-Q for a higher kicker and ended Flood’s tournament when the turn and river failed to bring a king.

Allie Prescott Doubles Up

Allie Prescott moved all in from the cutoff for his last 30,000 with pocket kings and was called by an opponent holding AJ.

The board rolled out 108334 and Prescott is now sitting with just over 60,000 in chips.

Alfio Battisti Busted by Neil Channing

Team PokerStars Online Pro Alfio Battisti raised to 4,500 and Neil Channing reraised to 14,500 behind him. Battisti then moved all in for 74,000 and Channing immediately made the call, showing pocket kings.

Battisti could only sheepishly reveal pocket tens and they couldn’t find friends on a board of Q8779. Channing is now up to 220,000.

Nothing But A Flesh Wound

Team PokerStars Pro Alex Gomes called a short stacks push of 32,000 with As10h and saw that he was in good shape against his opponent’s QJ.

Unfortunately, the board fell J82K5 and the short stack doubled up. Gomes is still strong, however, with 160,000 in chips.

Aaron Gustavson Takes A Hit

Aaron Gustavson was well on his way to the chip lead, but he lost about 70,000 from his stack after calling Martin Schmidkunz’s all in with pocket queens.

Schmidkunz showed pocket kings and they held to boost his stack to 145,000. Gustavson still has 250,000 to work with.

Player Tags: Mel Judah,   Neil Channing,   Allie Prescott,   Liam Flood,   Aaron Gustavson,   Alexandre Gomes,   Alfio Battisti

Level 18 Update: No Repeat Here, Brooks Out In 13th

Jun 03, '09

Ante: 2,000
Low Card: 3,000
Completion: 10,000
Limits: 10,000-20,000

Players Remaining: 11 out of 142

Chip Counts:

1. Freddie Ellis – 940,000
2. Hasan Habib – 580,000
3. Max Pescatori – 470,000
4. Tim Phan – 435,000
5. Greg Mueller – 390,000
6. Ivan Schertzer – 375,000
7. Eric Drache – 310,000
8. Jeff Lisandro – 305,000
9. Daniel Negreanu – 270,000
10. Ville Wahlbeck – 250,000

Average Chip Count: 250,588

Notable Eliminations:

13th: Eric Brooks – $24,480
12th: Mel Judah – $29,152

Big Hands:

Schertzer Takes Out The Champ, Eric Brooks Out In 13th Place

Eric Brooks was all in against Ivan Schertzer. Once all of the cards were dealt, Brooks could not find a hand to defeat his opponent and the defending champion of this event was sent packing in 13th place.

Mueller Takes One Of Judah’s Legs…

Greg Mueller: X-X-8
Mel Judah: X-X-3

Judah brought in 3,000 with his low card and Mueller completed to 10,000. Judah made the call

Greg Mueller: X-X-89
Mel Judah: X-X-34

Mueller fired another 10,000 and Judah bailed out, leaving himself less than 20,000. Mueller was at 340,000.

…Pescatori Takes the Other, Judah Out In 12th Place

Judah: 53489A(muck)
Max Pescatori: K2K78A5

Mel Judah went all in for 7,000. Hasan Habib decided to make the call as he threw in the 7,000. The action was then on Pescatori who raised 10,000 and Habib mucked a pair of queens. Judah had a whole lot of nothing to fight against Pescatori’s cowboys. He did manage to get a wheel draw heading into the river. However, he bricked, however, and he was eliminated in 12th place. He will take home $29,152 for his efforts.

Pescatori Takes One Off Lisandro

Pescatori: X-X-9
Jeff Lisandro: X-X-10

Pescatori completed to 10,000 and Lisandro popped it to 20,000. Pescatori made the call.

Pescatori: X-X-95
Jeff Lisandro: X-X-107

Lisandro fired another bullet of 10,000 and Pescatori made the call.

Pescatori: X-X-9510
Jeff Lisandro: X-X-1074

Both players checked and saw sixth street.

Pescatori: X-X-9510K
Jeff Lisandro: X-X-1074Q

Pescatori capitalized on the weakness Lisandro showed on the previous street and fired 20,000. Lisandro quickly mucked and Pescatori was around 300,000. Lisandro was down under 200,000.

Negreanu Leaks Some Chips

Daniel Negreanu: X-X-10Q5
Jeff Lisandro: X-X-699

After Max Pescatori folded on fourth street, Lisandro fired 20,000 and Negreanu made the call.

Daniel Negreanu: X-X-10Q59
Jeff Lisandro: X-X-6996

Lisandro was showing two pair and fired 20,000. Negreanu stuck around and they saw the river. Lisandro then fired another shot of 20,000 and Negreanu mucked. Lisandro then offered a side bet to Negreanu, offering him 6 to 1 odds if he turned over a 6 or a 9 from Lisandro’s hole cards. “I couldn’t beat the two pair,” Negreanu said, not biting on the bet. Lisandro finally said “forget it” and raked in the pot, building his stack to almost 400,000. Negreanu was down to around 130,000 after the hand.

Player Tags: Mel Judah,   Daniel Negreanu,   Max Pescatori,   Greg Mueller,   Jeffrey Lisandro,   Eric Brooks,   Ivan Schertzer

Level 17 Update: Ellis Big On Chips, Landfish First to Cash

Jun 03, '09

Ante: 2,000
Low Card: 2,000
Completion: 8,000
Limits: 8,000-16,000

Players Remaining: 13 out of 142

Chip Counts:

1. Freddie Ellis – 680,000
2. Greg Mueller – 560,000
3. Max Pescatori – 449,000
4. Tim Phan – 418,000
5. Hasan Habib – 360,000
6. Ville Wahlbeck – 330,000
7. Ivan Schertzer – 311,000
8. Eric Brooks – 270,000
9. Mel Judah – 220,000
10. Ray Dehkharghani – 211,000

Average Chip Count: 250,588

Notable Eliminations:

16th: Steven Landfish – $21,343
15th: Fu Wong – $21,343
14th: Matt Glantz – $24,480

Big Hands:

Freddy Ellis Taking The Young Boys To School

Ellis: (774)J688
Tim Phan: K635(muck)
Ville Wahlbeck: mucked on river

After the river was dealt, Phan led out with 16,000. Ellis would have none of that nonsense and raised it to 32,000. Wahlbeck thought for a few moments and then mucked. Phan was next to act and he tanked for a few moments, but thought better of messing with Ellis and mucked. It was a good thing too as Ellis showed his diamond flush and his stack ballooned to over 600,000.

Tim Phan Gets Some Chips Back

Eric Brooks: X-X-A
Phan: X-X-6
Fu Wong: X-X-K

Brooks completed to 8,000 and both Phan and Wong made the call.

Eric Brooks: X-X-AJ
Phan: X-X-69
Fu Wong: X-X-K4

Brooks bet 8,000 again and both players stuck around.

Eric Brooks: X-X-AJ2
Phan: X-X-692
Fu Wong: X-X-K44

Wong led out this time for 16,000 as he hit a pair of fours. Brooks mucked and Phan stuck around.

Phan: X-X-6925
Fu Wong: X-X-K443

Wong fired 16,000 again and Phan called. On the river Wong fired another bet of 16,000 and Phan called, showing his A75 for just a pair of fives. It was good enough as Wong mucked and Phan raked in the pot. His stack was at 290,000 while Wong was down to 60,000. Wong later busted in 15th place.

Mueller Takes One Off Judah

Mel Judah: X-X-Q
Greg Mueller: X-X-K

Mel Judah completed to 8,000 and Mueller popped it to 16,000. Judah called and both players saw fourth street.

Mel Judah: X-X-Q9
Greg Mueller: X-X-K3

Mueller fired 8,000 and Judah called.

Mel Judah: X-X-Q97
Greg Mueller: X-X-K37

Mueller fired another shot, this one 16,000 and Judah had enough as he mucked his hand. His stack was down to 240,000 while Mueller was around 420,000.

Matt Glantz Doubles Through Mel Judah, Busts in 14th Later

Glantz: AKQA9K(2)
Judah: QQ6577(muck)

Matt Glantz was all in for his last 37,000 and Mel Judah made the call. Judah was ahead with a pair of Queens but Glantz took the lead on fourth street when he paired his ace. Judah caught consecutive sevens for two pair, but Glantz caught another king for aces up. Judah mucked his river card and Glantz doubled up to around 75,000 while Judah was down to just under 100,000. The good news was short lived for Glantz as he busted later against Hasan Habib when he made a set a Kings on the river to best Glantz’s set of Queens.

Kid Poker Cripples Judah

Mel Judah: X-X-10K
Daniel Negreanu: X-X-72

Judah fired 8,000 and Negreanu made the call.

Mel Judah: X-X-10K8
Daniel Negreanu: X-X-727

Negreanu paired up and fired 16,000. Judah thought for a bit before making the call.

Mel Judah: X-X-10K8Q
Daniel Negreanu: X-X-72710

Negreanu bet again and Judah called. On the river, Negreanu fired another shot but Judah mucked. Negreanu showed 77 in the hole for quads. He was near 300,000 while Judah was left with just 35,000.

Player Tags: Mel Judah,   Daniel Negreanu,   Greg Mueller,   Eric Brooks,   Tim Phan,   Matthew Glantz,   Ville Wahlbeck,   Freddie Ellis,   Fu Wong

$10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha - Level Nine

Jun 29, '08

Blinds: 600-1,200

Players Remaining: 99 of 381

Average Chip Stack: 77,000

Eliminations:

Terrence Chan
Andy Bloch
Thomas Wohlroos
Alex Kravchenko
Mel Judah

Hands and Storylines:

Lisandro's bold bet fails to work

After raising and then calling a reraise, Jeff Lisandro bet enough to put his opponent all in on a K98 flop. His opponent had under 9,000 left and the pot already had 55,000 in it, but he was extremely worried he was beat. He finally called with AAK8 and was ahead of Lisandro's TJQQ. The turn and river were K6 and Lisandro's opponent took down the pot with a full house.

Mizrachi doubles with straight

Michael Mizrachi was one of three players to put 8,500 into the pot and see a 864 flop. Mizrachi open pushed for 23,500 and one player called and the second folded, showing a pair of aces. Mizrachi held 9765 for a straight, and was way ahead of his opponent's K854. The turn and river were AK and Mizrachi had more than 70,000 after the hand.

Clemens river bet too much for D'Agostino

With the board T9378, John D'Agostino checked and Scott Clements bet 25,000. D'Agostino took a couple minutes to count his stack and debate calling, but ultimately folded. After the hand he had 55,000 chips, while Clements was up to 75,000.

Chan up to 80k

Johnny Chan bet 10,000 on the flop and then 25,000 on the turn on a board of K982. One of the two others in the hand called his flop bet, but he then folded on the turn. 

Judah's trips run into boat

Mel Judah bet 5,000 and was raised to 10,000 on a KQQ flop. He only had about 10,000 chips left and chose to put them in. But he saw he was drawing dead when Q-J-T-8 was up against A-K-Q-7. The turn and river were 6K and Judah headed for the exit.

Player Tags: Mel Judah,   John D'Agostino,   Michael Mizrachi,   Johnny Chan,   Jeffrey Lisandro,   Scott Clements

$1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo - Level 1

Jun 26, '08

Ante: 10
Bring In: 15
Complete: 50
Limits: 50/100

Players Entered: 495

Storylines/Big Hands

Cards were in the air a little after the scheduled start time as tournament officials moved the tournament to the Brasilia Room and players were still finding their seats as the event began.

Elizabeth Misses Draw

Shannon Elizabeth had the bring-in with the 5, and was called by three players. Elizabeth added the K on fourth street to take the betting lead, and added the 6 on fifth street. The player to her left had drawn an ace and bet out 100, and when action came to Elizabeth she raised to 200, which drew three calls. Elizabeth added the 4 on sixth street, and the same pattern played out again, with one player folding. Seat 3, to Elizabeth's left, showed Q6A3, while seat 1 showed J835. Play was checked after the final card was dealt, and Elizabeth showed A-K-10, a missed low draw and a pairs of kings for high. Seat 1 held 5-2-2 for two pair and swept the pot.

Judah Spills Early

Mel Judah was in a heads-up battle, and on the surface appeared in OK shape. He showed A-K-K-Q while his opponent showed 9-10-J-2. But Judah was called to the end before being raised, when his opponent showed 9-9-2 in the hole for a full house.

Barbieri Misses Out

Al Barbieri, who claimed second in the $1,500 Seven-Card Stud straight high event earlier in the WSOP, was showing 344Q and bet with his pair of fours until sixth street. Seat 3 was showing 4323, while seat 7 showed 87A7. Sixth and seventh street was checked by all three players, and seat 7 won the high hand with aces and sevens while seat 3 took down the low.

 

Player Tags: Mel Judah,   Al Barbieri,   Shannon Elizabeth

$1,500 PLO - Level Four

Jun 24, '08

Blinds/Antes: 100/200

Players Remaining: 351 of 720

Average Stack: 6,334

Chip Counts:
Stephen Graboski - 26,000
Randy Kaas - 14,200
Gavin Smith - 14,000
Martin "Dick" Corpuz - 13,200
George Danzer - 12,500
Eric Lynch - 12,400
Joe Hachem - 10,000
Jean-Robert Bellande - 10,000
Chip Jett - 10,000Brett Jungblut - 8,800

Big Hands:

Four-Way All In Pot Draws a Crowd

The spectators and media were buzzing around table No. 46 as a massive pot was brewing. Barny Boatman and Layne Flack, also at the table but not involved in the hand, looked on as several players put their tournament life at risk. With two players all in pre-flop, the two remaining active players saw a flop of J108. The first player put the other all in, and after serious deliberation the player called. All players turned over their hands:

Seat 1: 9964
Seat 3: AKJ2
Seat 6: A952
Seat 8: AJ42

The final board: J101085

Seats 8 and 3 chopped the pot with the same high hand. Seat 6, who was all in pre-flop, was eliminated. Seat 1 had all the players covered, and took a large hit but remains alive.

Jeff Madsen Crippled By Three-Way All In Pot

The action continued to heat up in level 4 as many of the tournaments shorter stacks began to aggressively push all in. After one such player got all his chips in pre-flop from under-the-gun, Jeff Madsen and his opponent on the button remained active players on a flop of K85. Madsen put his remaining opponent all in and got a call. Madsen turned over KKA2 for a set of kings, and his opponent on the button turned over A763 for an open-ended straight draw and low draw. The opponent who was all in pre-flop turned over 7432.

The final board read: AK985

The button scooped the side pot with a straight and a low and split the main pot with the under-the-gun player’s nut low. Madsen was crippled and left the hand with only 975 in chips.

Mel Judah on the Brink of Elimination

In an already large pot, Mel Judah checked from the small blind when the 975 flop fell. The player in the cut-off checked, and the button bet 1,000. Both players called, and the Q appeared on the turn. Judah bet 4,000 and the cut-off moved all in for slightly more than Judah’s bet. The button folded, and Judah made the call. The hands were turned over:

Judah: 8643 (nut straight)
Opponent: AK92 (nut flush and nut low draw)

The 4 on the river completed both draws for his opponent, and Judah was left with less than 1,000 in chips.

Player Tags: Mel Judah,   Gavin Smith,   Stephen Graboski,   Jeff Madsen,   Randy Kaas,   European Report

$1,500 PLO - Level Two

Jun 24, '08

Note: Players are now on a 20 minute break.

Blinds/Antes: 50/100

Players Remaining: 714

Average Stack: 650,000

Chip Counts:
Jean-Robert Bellande - 13,000
Gavin Smith - 12,000
Brett Jungblut - 7,500
Jan Von Halle - 7,200
Barny Boatman - 5,000
Noah Jefferson - 4,700
Alan Smurfit - 4,650
Mel Judah - 4,150
Chip Jett - 4,100
Shannon Shorr - 3,900

Recent Eliminations:
Barry Shulman

Big Hands:

Barry Shulman Eliminated by Jean-Robert Bellande

Jean-Robert Bellande raised to 375 from middle position and Barry Shulman made the call from the small blind. The flop came J75, and Shulman led out with a pot-sized bet. Bellande asked Shulman how many chips he had remaining before calling. Shulman checked the 4h on the turn, and Bellande bet enough to put Shulman all in. Barry quickly called and turned over Q1098. “I just have a set,” Bellande said as he turned over his A553. The river failed to complete a straight for Shulman, and he hit the rail.

Hachem Makes Top Pair, Top Kicker Fold

World Series of Poker 2005 main event winner Joseph Hachem raised from middle position and was quickly called by Full Tilt pro Gavin Smith, who was next to act. The action folded the player in the small blind, and he made the call. The three players saw a flop of K103. The small blind checked, and Hachem made a pot-sized bet of 1,150. Smith threw away his hand, and the small blind labored before ultimately folding and showing the AK. Hachem and Gavin continued to mix it up during most of the level.

Paul Darden Chops One Up With His Fellow Blind

After seeing the player in the cut-off and the player on the button limp into the pot, Paul Darden completed from the small blind and the big blind checked his option. The flop came AK7, and Darden checked. The big blind led out with a bet of 300, causing both the limpers to fold. Darden made the call and checked again to the big blind when the 3 fell on the turn. The big blind checked behind, and the J fell on the river. Darden made a pot-sized bet of 1,000, and his opponent called. Darden turned over 8422 for the nut low and one pair of deuces for high. His opponent showed 10c7s7c6c for a set of sevens, no low. The pot was split between the two.

Player Tags: Mel Judah,   Barry Shulman,   Gavin Smith,   Paul Darden,   Barny Boatman,   Jean-Robert Bellande,   Joe Hachem,   European Report

World Championship Omaha High-Low Split 8 or Better - Level 11 - Booth Climbing

Jun 20, '08

Blinds: 1,300-2,500

Players Left: 92 of 235

Chip Counts:
Bob Slezak: 162,000
Soheil Shamseddin: 126,000
Brad Booth: 123,000
Ray Dehkharghani: 109,000
Greg Jamison: 99,000
Shunjiro Uchida: 97,000
Meng La: 95,000
Robert Stevanovski: 93,000
William McMahon: 88,500
Scott Bohlman: 85,000

Eliminations: Gabe Kaplan, Shannon Elizabeth, David Sklansky

Big Hands:

Tough Love for Elizabeth

Tom Love and Chris "Jesus" Ferguson called Shannon Elizabeth's all in bet on a flop of A93 and Ferguson kept firing on the 7 turn and then both players checked the J river. Love showed A-9-5-2 for two pair and the 7-low. Ferguson showed A-7-6-4 and couldn't beat either of Love's hands. Elizabeth showed 10-7-3-2 and was eliminated from the tournament.

Lawson Gone to Monster

Ted Lawson led out 2,500 on a Q85 flop and was called by Gabe Kaplan and Brent Carter. On the 2 turn, Carter bet 5,000 and Gaplan and Lawson called. The river was the 2 and Carter bet 5,000 again and was called by both players.
Carter confidently showed A3K2 for the nut flush and 8-low. Kaplan showed A387 for the same 8-low and Lawson mucked his hand and was eliminated. Carter took 3/4 of the pot and has around 45,000.

Booth Climbs the Ranks

Mel Judah bet 2,500 into a flop of KQ7 and Brad Booth called. The turn was the A, Judah checked and Booth fired 5,000. Judah mucked and Booth continues to accumulate chips, nearing 123,000.

Too Late For Duke

Annie Duke bet 2,500 on a flop of J74 and was called by her opponent. She bet 5,000 when the A came on the turn and was again called. The K came on the river and Duke check-called her opponent. Her opponent showed A932 and Duke mucked her hand. A split second later she said, "Wait! Wait! Pick it up!" but it was too late and her hand was considered dead. She said she may have had a better hand than she thought.

Same Hands Lose to Slightly Better One

Chau Giang bet 2,500 and was called on a AQ10 flop by the players in seat 4 and seat 7. All three players checked the J turn and Q river and showed down their hands.Both Giang and seat 4 showed A-7 as the best cards they could muster from their hands, and seat 7 showed A-9 to take narrowly take the pot.

Player Tags: Annie Duke,   Mel Judah,   Ted Lawson,   Gabe Kaplan,   Chau Giang,   Tom Love,   Brad Booth,   Shannon Elizabeth,   European Report