Dan Harrington Poker Tournament Updates

Level Four Hour Two Update: Alexander Kostritsyn Looking Strong

Jul 06, '10

Blinds: 150-300 with a 25 ante

Number of Entrants 1,489

Average Chip Count 37,888

Notable Chip Counts:

1. Gabe Walls — 178,000
2. Robert Miller — 155,000
3. Phil Galfond — 145,000
4. Jim Collopy — 114,000
5. Alex Kostritsyn — 106,000
6. Phil Laak — 105,000
7. John Kabbaj — 98,000
8. James Dempsey — 92,000
9. Jason DeWitt — 92,000
10. Kido Pham — 90,000

Card Player Chip Counts:

Jon Friedberg – 39,000
Michael Piper – 14,000
Josh Brikis – 90,000

Notable Eliminations

None

Big Hands:

Perry Friedman Bests His Opponent’s Jacks

Perry Friedman raised to 900 from middle position and was three-bet to 3,000. Friedman made the call and the flop was K103.

Friedman checked and called a bet of 3,000 from his opponent. The turn was the A and both players checked. The river came the 9 and Friedman checked and called a bet of 5,000.

His opponent showed JJ and Friedman’s KQ took the pot.

George Lind Doubles

George Lind got his last 19,000 in the middle and was called by his opponent. Lind showed KK and his opponent showed JJ.

The dealer didn’t bring a jack to the board and Lind doubled up to 40,000.

Jim Collopy Chops a Big Pot

A player in middle position bet 800 and Jim Collopy raised to 2,675. A player directly to his left smooth called and so did the original raiser. The flop came A103 and it was checked to Collopy. He fired out a bet of 5,275. The opponent to his left called and the original bettor folded. The turn brought the 6 and Collopy bet 11,575. His opponent raised him to 31,575. Collopy tanked before finally calling. The turn brought the 2 and Collopy checked. His opponent instantly moved all in for 25,000 and Collopy went into the tank once again. He eventually called and his opponent tabled A-K for top pair. Collopy rolled over the same hand for the chop.

Dan Harrington Climbing Back Up

On a flop of Q55 Dan Harrington’s opponent check-called a bet of 1,500. The 9 on the turn prompted a bet from both players. The 4 fell on the river and Harrington’s opponent checked. Harrington bet 3,000 and was called. Harrington tabled the A3 and his opponent mucked. Harrington is back to the starting stack of 30,000 again.

Alexander Kostritsyn Over 100,000

On a flop of QQ10 Alexander Kostritsyn bet 3,000 before his opponent raised to 10,000. Kostritsyn called. The turn brought the 2 and Kostritsyn check-called 10,000. The 8 landed on the river and action went check-check. Kostritsyn tabled the Q9 and was good. He was up to 106,000 after the hand.

Smith Plays Top Two Passive

The board on the turn read K49A and Jordan Smith checked over to his opponent, who bet 1,900. Smith called and they saw the 5 fall on the river.

Both players checked and Smith turned over AK, giving him top two pair and the pot. Smith climbs to 34,300 with the win.

Reisenberg Doubles With Aces

Jason Reisenberg got all in preflop for 8,750 holding AA against his opponent’s AK.

The flop came 296 and his opponent started begging the dealer for running clubs. The 2 turn left him drawing dead and the 6 finished the board, doubling Reisenberg up to around 18,000.

Hershiser Loses Big One on Bad Kicker

Seat 4 raised to 800 preflop from under the gun and was called by Orel Hershiser and the player in the big blind.

The flop ran K37 and all players checked. The 7 landed on the turn and the big blind bet 1,250. Seat 4 called and Hershiser reraised to 3,600.

The big blind called and seat 4 got out of the way. The 2 came on the river and both players checked it down. Hershiser showed K9 for two pair with a nine-kicker. The big blind looked surprised as he turned over KJ for the same two pair with a higher kicker to take the pot.

Hershiser had 20,400 after the hand.

Ladny Lets It Go on River

Seat 3 raised to 800 and Eric Ladny made the call. The flop ran 77K and both players checked.

When the turn brought the Q, Ladny checked to seat 3 who fired 1,000 into the pot. Ladny called and the 2 fell on the river. Ladny again checked and when seat 3 bet 2,500 Ladny thought for a while and let his hand go.

Ladny had around 30,000 after the loss.

Player Tags: Dan Harrington,   Perry Friedman,   Jordan Smith,   Eric Ladny,   Orel Hershiser,   George Lind

Poker Hall of Fame and Player of the Year

Nov 08, '10

The action has been held up here at the Penn and Teller Theater to recognize some individuals who have excelled in the game of poker.

Jeff Madsen won the 2006 WSOP Player of the Year award, but Harrahs felt that he wasn’t properly recognized for his achievement, winning two bracelets and scoring four top-three finishes overall. Ty Stewart took the mic and gave him his long overdue props, much to the delight of the crowd.

The next player introduced was Frank Kassela, who was crowned the 2010 Player of the Year on Saturday when Michael Mizrachi was eliminated from the main event in fifth place. Kassela received $30,000 in tournament buy-ins for his accomplishment.

After that, Nolan Dalla took the stage to introduce one this year’s Poker Hall of Fame inductees, Dan Harrington.

Doyle Brunson then came to the stage to introduce another inductee, Erik Seidel. Both were given long introductions about their poker past and then formally inducted. After each gave their acceptance speech, they were welcomed by standing ovations from the audience here in the theater.

The final two heads up players will now be introduced before play resumes.

Player Tags: Frank Kassela,   Erik Seidel,   Dan Harrington,   Jeff Madsen

Level Four Hour Two Update: Alexander Kostritsyn Looking Strong

Jul 06, '10

Blinds: 150-300 with a 25 ante

Number of Entrants 1,489

Average Chip Count 37,888

Notable Chip Counts:

1. Gabe Walls — 178,000
2. Robert Miller — 155,000
3. Phil Galfond — 145,000
4. Jim Collopy — 114,000
5. Alex Kostritsyn — 106,000
6. Phil Laak — 105,000
7. John Kabbaj — 98,000
8. James Dempsey — 92,000
9. Jason DeWitt — 92,000
10. Kido Pham — 90,000

Card Player Chip Counts:

Jon Friedberg – 39,000
Michael Piper – 14,000
Josh Brikis – 90,000

Notable Eliminations

None

Big Hands:

Perry Friedman Bests His Opponent’s Jacks

Perry Friedman raised to 900 from middle position and was three-bet to 3,000. Friedman made the call and the flop was K103.

Friedman checked and called a bet of 3,000 from his opponent. The turn was the A and both players checked. The river came the 9 and Friedman checked and called a bet of 5,000.

His opponent showed JJ and Friedman’s KQ took the pot.

George Lind Doubles

George Lind got his last 19,000 in the middle and was called by his opponent. Lind showed KK and his opponent showed JJ.

The dealer didn’t bring a jack to the board and Lind doubled up to 40,000.

Jim Collopy Chops a Big Pot

A player in middle position bet 800 and Jim Collopy raised to 2,675. A player directly to his left smooth called and so did the original raiser. The flop came A103 and it was checked to Collopy. He fired out a bet of 5,275. The opponent to his left called and the original bettor folded. The turn brought the 6 and Collopy bet 11,575. His opponent raised him to 31,575. Collopy tanked before finally calling. The turn brought the 2 and Collopy checked. His opponent instantly moved all in for 25,000 and Collopy went into the tank once again. He eventually called and his opponent tabled A-K for top pair. Collopy rolled over the same hand for the chop.

Dan Harrington Climbing Back Up

On a flop of Q55 Dan Harrington’s opponent check-called a bet of 1,500. The 9 on the turn prompted a bet from both players. The 4 fell on the river and Harrington’s opponent checked. Harrington bet 3,000 and was called. Harrington tabled the A3 and his opponent mucked. Harrington is back to the starting stack of 30,000 again.

Alexander Kostritsyn Over 100,000

On a flop of QQ10 Alexander Kostritsyn bet 3,000 before his opponent raised to 10,000. Kostritsyn called. The turn brought the 2 and Kostritsyn check-called 10,000. The 8 landed on the river and action went check-check. Kostritsyn tabled the Q9 and was good. He was up to 106,000 after the hand.

Smith Plays Top Two Passive

The board on the turn read K49A and Jordan Smith checked over to his opponent, who bet 1,900. Smith called and they saw the 5 fall on the river.

Both players checked and Smith turned over AK, giving him top two pair and the pot. Smith climbs to 34,300 with the win.

Reisenberg Doubles With Aces

Jason Reisenberg got all in preflop for 8,750 holding AA against his opponent’s AK.

The flop came 296 and his opponent started begging the dealer for running clubs. The 2 turn left him drawing dead and the 6 finished the board, doubling Reisenberg up to around 18,000.

Hershiser Loses Big One on Bad Kicker

Seat 4 raised to 800 preflop from under the gun and was called by Orel Hershiser and the player in the big blind.

The flop ran K37 and all players checked. The 7 landed on the turn and the big blind bet 1,250. Seat 4 called and Hershiser reraised to 3,600.

The big blind called and seat 4 got out of the way. The 2 came on the river and both players checked it down. Hershiser showed K9 for two pair with a nine-kicker. The big blind looked surprised as he turned over KJ for the same two pair with a higher kicker to take the pot.

Hershiser had 20,400 after the hand.

Ladny Lets It Go on River

Seat 3 raised to 800 and Eric Ladny made the call. The flop ran 77K and both players checked.

When the turn brought the Q, Ladny checked to seat 3 who fired 1,000 into the pot. Ladny called and the 2 fell on the river. Ladny again checked and when seat 3 bet 2,500 Ladny thought for a while and let his hand go.

Ladny had around 30,000 after the loss.

Player Tags: Dan Harrington,   Perry Friedman,   Jordan Smith,   Eric Ladny,   Orel Hershiser,   George Lind

Poker Hall of Fame and Player of the Year

Nov 08, '10

The action has been held up here at the Penn and Teller Theater to recognize some individuals who have excelled in the game of poker.

Jeff Madsen won the 2006 WSOP Player of the Year award, but Harrahs felt that he wasn’t properly recognized for his achievement, winning two bracelets and scoring four top-three finishes overall. Ty Stewart took the mic and gave him his long overdue props, much to the delight of the crowd.

The next player introduced was Frank Kassela, who was crowned the 2010 Player of the Year on Saturday when Michael Mizrachi was eliminated from the main event in fifth place. Kassela received $30,000 in tournament buy-ins for his accomplishment.

After that, Nolan Dalla took the stage to introduce one this year’s Poker Hall of Fame inductees, Dan Harrington.

Doyle Brunson then came to the stage to introduce another inductee, Erik Seidel. Both were given long introductions about their poker past and then formally inducted. After each gave their acceptance speech, they were welcomed by standing ovations from the audience here in the theater.

The final two heads up players will now be introduced before play resumes.

Player Tags: Frank Kassela,   Erik Seidel,   Dan Harrington,   Jeff Madsen

Level 7 Update: Harrington Busts, Lederer Doubles

Jun 28, '10

Blinds: 400-800 with a 100 ante

Players Remaining: 17 out of 27

Average Chip Count: 47,647

Tournament Leaderboard:

1. Huck Seed – 94,400
2. Johnny Chan – 71,600
3. Scotty Nguyen – 68,700
4. Erik Seidel – 63,900
5. Joe Hachem – 59,000
6. Daniel Negreanu – 51,000
7. Chris Ferguson – 48,100
8. Mike Matusow – 48,000
9. Barry Greenstein – 46,200
10. Allen Cunningham – 43,400

Notable Eliminations:

Dan Harrington

Big Hands:

Action Dan Eliminated

Mike Matusow raised to 2,400 and Daniel Negreanu called from the hijack. Dan Harrington opted to move all-in for 17,000 in the small blind. Matusow folded, but Negreanu made the call.

It appears that Harrington was making the squeeze play that he made famous in his own book. He turned over QJ and was in big trouble against Negreanu’s AA.

The board ran out 56787, which kept Negreanu’s aces in the lead and Harrington was eliminated.

Professor Doubles Through The Brat

Phil Hellmuth opened for 1,600 under-the-gun and Howard Lederer called from the big blind.

The flop came J108 and both players checked. The 2 fell on the turn and the action started. Lederer bet 2,500, Hellmuth raised and Lederer moved all-in for 14,700 and was called.

Lederer turned up the A4, giving him the nut flush and Hellmuth showed 22, giving him a set. The river was the A, meaning Hellmuth failed to fill up and Lederer doubled up to 33,800.

Harman Doubles Through Hachem

Annie Duke raised to 2,200 from the cutoff and Joe Hachem made it 4,900 on the button. Jennifer Harman checked her hole cards a few times before moving all-in for 15,100.

Duke folded and Hachem tanked before making the call. Hachem tabled 55 and was hoping to be in a race, but he wasn’t because Harman showed the AA.

The dealer dealt the A86 on the flop and it was basically over for Hachem. The 2 on the turn sealed his fate and Harman doubled up to 38,000, while Hachem fell to 42,000.

Player Tags: Dan Harrington,   Phil Hellmuth,   Howard Lederer

Level 14 Hour 2 Update: Kirk Morrison Eliminated

Jul 11, '09

Blinds: 1,500-3,000 with a 400 ante

Players Remaining: 810 out of 6,494

Chip Counts:

1. Bertrand Grospellier – 1,380,500
2. Ludovic Lacay – 890,000
3. Christian Heich – 870,00
4. Saar Wilf – 820,000
5. Jordan Morgan – 773,000
6. Gabe Walls – 725,000
7. James Akenhead – 698,000
8. Brennan Hanson – 685,000
9. Owen Crowe – 650,000
10. Eli Adler – 604,000

Card Player Chip Counts:

Phil Hellmuth – 500,000
Jeff Shulman – 188,000

Average Chip Count: 220,884

Notable Eliminations:

Jeff Lisandro
Kirk Morrison
Shawn Buchanan

Big Hands:

Kevin Saul Victim to Bluff

Kevin Saul raised from late position and a player in the big blind reraised to 35,000. Saul made the call and both players saw a flop of 844. The big blind bet 60,000 and Saul thought for awhile before finally making the call. The turn brought the J and the big blind fired out once again, this time for 85,000. Saul went into the tank for minutes before finally mucking. His opponent exposed the 32 for three-high. Saul is at 400,000.

Alex Kostritsyn Bluffed out of 400,000 Pot

On a flop of 842, Alex Kostritsyn bet out from the big blind and player in middle position made the call. The K hit the turn and Kostritsyn bet 39,000. His opponent called and the 9 fell on the river. Kostritsyn bet 58,000 and his opponent quickly went all in for 128,000 more. Kostritsyn went into the tank for minutes before finally mucking. His opponent showed the J10 for jack-high to take down the massive 400,000 pot. Kostritsyn is now at 350,000.

Kirk Morrison Eliminated

After a flop of 763, Kirk Morrison was faced with a 16,000 bet from an opponent. Morrison minraised to 32,000, leaving only 7,000 behind. His opponent moved all in and Morrison made the quick call. Morrison exposed the 88 and was up against the JJ of his opponent. The board bricked out for Morrison as it came AK, and he was eliminated.

Hevad Khan Cracks a Set of Aces

On a board of A92, Hevad Khan moved his opponent all in with the 109 and was called by the AA of his opponent. Khan needed to hit a heart to win the pot and the turn wasn’t one as the 5 hit. The 6 fell on the river as Khan nailed his flush to win the hand. The former final table member from 2007 is now at 255,000.

J.C. Alvarado Takes a Hit

With a flop of 833 sitting on the table one player moved all in and J.C. Alvarado made the call. Their cards:

Alvarado: J8
Opponent: QQ

Turn and River: J4

Alvarado lost the hand and his stack dropped to just 70,000.

Shawn Buchanan Eliminated

Shawn Buchanan was in the big blind when the small blind moved all in for about 100,000. Buchanan made the call with the JJ and was ahead of the K6 of his opponent. The board ran out 1063K7 and Buchanan lost to the kings and sixes of his opponent. He was left with just 3,500 in chips and was eliminated shortly after.

Dan Harrington Takes a Hit

The small blind raised to 8,500 preflop and Dan Harrington made the call from the big blind. The flop was dealt AJ5 and the small blind bet 9,500. Harrintgon made the call and the turn fell Q. The small blind checked and Harrington bet 16,000. The small blind made the call and the river fell 5.

The small blind checked and Harrington bet 37,000. The small blind then raised all in for 36,700 more and Harrinton made the call. The small blind showed down A5 and Harrington flipped over K2. Harrington was knocked down to 200,000 after the hand.

Player Tags: Dan Harrington,   Shawn Buchanan,   Kevin Saul,   Kirk Morrison,   Hevad Khan,   Alexander Kostritsyn

Level 15 Hour 2 Update: Mueller's Third Bracelet Will Have to Wait

Jul 11, '09

Blinds: 2,000-4,000 with a 500 ante

Players Remaining: 659 out of 6,494

Chip Counts:

1. Bertrand Grospellier – 1,600,000
2. Benjamin Jensen – 1,100,000
3. Ludovic Lacay – 925,000
4. Jason Brice – 858,500
5. Jordan Morgan – 811,000
6. Eli Adler – 810,000
7. Kasper Cordes – 796,000
8. James Akenhead – 794,000
9. Billy Kopp – 792,000
10. Tyler Patterson – 784,000

Card Player Chip Counts:

Jeff Shulman – 160,000
Phil Hellmuth – 240,000

Average Chip Count: 283,581

Notable Eliminations:

Greg Mueller
J.C. Alvarado
Brian Lemke
Hevad Khan

Big Hands:
Greg Mueller Eliminated

On the turn with the board reading 78810, Greg Mueller bet 18,000 and was called by Nichoel Peppe. They both watched the J fall on the river and now Mueller checked and Peppe took the initiative and bet 25,000. Mueller called and mucked his hand when Peppe showed him J10. That hand left him with 39,000.

Shortly after, he was in the big blind and it folded around to Jeff Norman in the small blind, who limped in. Mueller shoved all in and Norman called instantly. Norman tabled AA and Mueller held 66. The board didn’t improve Mueller and his quest for a third bracelet will have to wait until next year.

Tom Schneider Doubles Up

Tom Schneider found a way to get all of his 136,000 into the middle preflop and was called by Thai Tran. Tran held AQ and was in dire straights against Schneider’s AA.

Tran never picked up anything resembling outs as the board ran out 7583J, and Schneider would double up.

A few hands later, Tom Schneider raised to 12,000 from the cutoff and the small blind made the call. The flop came 1023 and the action was checked to Schneider and he fired 18,000. The small blind called and the turn was the 4. Action was checked again to Schneider and he bet 40,000. That was enough to chase away the small blind and Schneider took the pot. He was at 400,000.

Dan Harrington Makes a Big Raise, Takes the Pot

After some heavy preflop action that ended up with about 50,000 in the middle, there was a flop taken heads-up between Dan Harrington and Paren Arzoomanian. The flop was QJ7 and Arzoomanian led out for 20,000. Harrington made a huge raise to 135,000, leaving himself with just 84,000 behind.

Arzoomanian tanked for a few moments before letting his hand go and Harrington chipped up to 295,000.

J.C. Tran Gets Rolling

J.C. Tran doubled up again, this time through Lou Diamond Phillips. Tran moved in preflop with pocket queens and Phillips called with pocket tens. The board held Tran’s ladies and he doubled to 190,000.

A few hands later, the player in seat 2 raised to 10,500 preflop and Tran made the call from the small blind. The flop came down 10105 and both players checked. The turn was the 9 and Tran led out with 11,000. Seat 2 made the call and the river was the 8. Both players checked again and Tran showed 33 and it was good for the pot. He was up to 205,000.

Brian Lemke Eliminated

On a flop of A95, Brian Lemke shoved all in at his opponent. His opponent, who had less chips than Lemke, called and showed A5, good for two pair. Lemke had 23 needed a 4 to fill his gutshot straight. Lemke missed and was down to just 50,000 in chips.

Just a few hands later Lemke committed his last 50,000 with AQ and was called by another player who showed KK. Lemke flopped top pair, but never improved as the board ran out Q57102 and another bracelet winner was sent to the rail.

Left In The Deck:

One of the tournament directors has just gotten on the microphone to announce that the spectators that are on the rail, need to move to another area, as hand-for-hand play is going to start soon. With 670 players remaining, 22 players need to be eliminated and then the money bubble will burst.

Player Tags: J.C. Tran,   Dan Harrington,   Greg Mueller,   Tom Schneider

Level 14 Hour 2 Update: Kirk Morrison Eliminated

Jul 11, '09

Blinds: 1,500-3,000 with a 400 ante

Players Remaining: 810 out of 6,494

Chip Counts:

1. Bertrand Grospellier – 1,380,500
2. Ludovic Lacay – 890,000
3. Christian Heich – 870,00
4. Saar Wilf – 820,000
5. Jordan Morgan – 773,000
6. Gabe Walls – 725,000
7. James Akenhead – 698,000
8. Brennan Hanson – 685,000
9. Owen Crowe – 650,000
10. Eli Adler – 604,000

Card Player Chip Counts:

Phil Hellmuth – 500,000
Jeff Shulman – 188,000

Average Chip Count: 220,884

Notable Eliminations:

Jeff Lisandro
Kirk Morrison
Shawn Buchanan

Big Hands:

Kevin Saul Victim to Bluff

Kevin Saul raised from late position and a player in the big blind reraised to 35,000. Saul made the call and both players saw a flop of 844. The big blind bet 60,000 and Saul thought for awhile before finally making the call. The turn brought the J and the big blind fired out once again, this time for 85,000. Saul went into the tank for minutes before finally mucking. His opponent exposed the 32 for three-high. Saul is at 400,000.

Alex Kostritsyn Bluffed out of 400,000 Pot

On a flop of 842, Alex Kostritsyn bet out from the big blind and player in middle position made the call. The K hit the turn and Kostritsyn bet 39,000. His opponent called and the 9 fell on the river. Kostritsyn bet 58,000 and his opponent quickly went all in for 128,000 more. Kostritsyn went into the tank for minutes before finally mucking. His opponent showed the J10 for jack-high to take down the massive 400,000 pot. Kostritsyn is now at 350,000.

Kirk Morrison Eliminated

After a flop of 763, Kirk Morrison was faced with a 16,000 bet from an opponent. Morrison minraised to 32,000, leaving only 7,000 behind. His opponent moved all in and Morrison made the quick call. Morrison exposed the 88 and was up against the JJ of his opponent. The board bricked out for Morrison as it came AK, and he was eliminated.

Hevad Khan Cracks a Set of Aces

On a board of A92, Hevad Khan moved his opponent all in with the 109 and was called by the AA of his opponent. Khan needed to hit a heart to win the pot and the turn wasn’t one as the 5 hit. The 6 fell on the river as Khan nailed his flush to win the hand. The former final table member from 2007 is now at 255,000.

J.C. Alvarado Takes a Hit

With a flop of 833 sitting on the table one player moved all in and J.C. Alvarado made the call. Their cards:

Alvarado: J8
Opponent: QQ

Turn and River: J4

Alvarado lost the hand and his stack dropped to just 70,000.

Shawn Buchanan Eliminated

Shawn Buchanan was in the big blind when the small blind moved all in for about 100,000. Buchanan made the call with the JJ and was ahead of the K6 of his opponent. The board ran out 1063K7 and Buchanan lost to the kings and sixes of his opponent. He was left with just 3,500 in chips and was eliminated shortly after.

Dan Harrington Takes a Hit

The small blind raised to 8,500 preflop and Dan Harrington made the call from the big blind. The flop was dealt AJ5 and the small blind bet 9,500. Harrintgon made the call and the turn fell Q. The small blind checked and Harrington bet 16,000. The small blind made the call and the river fell 5.

The small blind checked and Harrington bet 37,000. The small blind then raised all in for 36,700 more and Harrinton made the call. The small blind showed down A5 and Harrington flipped over K2. Harrington was knocked down to 200,000 after the hand.

Player Tags: Dan Harrington,   Shawn Buchanan,   Kevin Saul,   Kirk Morrison,   Hevad Khan,   Alexander Kostritsyn

Level 15 Hour 2 Update: Mueller's Third Bracelet Will Have to Wait

Jul 11, '09

Blinds: 2,000-4,000 with a 500 ante

Players Remaining: 659 out of 6,494

Chip Counts:

1. Bertrand Grospellier – 1,600,000
2. Benjamin Jensen – 1,100,000
3. Ludovic Lacay – 925,000
4. Jason Brice – 858,500
5. Jordan Morgan – 811,000
6. Eli Adler – 810,000
7. Kasper Cordes – 796,000
8. James Akenhead – 794,000
9. Billy Kopp – 792,000
10. Tyler Patterson – 784,000

Card Player Chip Counts:

Jeff Shulman – 160,000
Phil Hellmuth – 240,000

Average Chip Count: 283,581

Notable Eliminations:

Greg Mueller
J.C. Alvarado
Brian Lemke
Hevad Khan

Big Hands:
Greg Mueller Eliminated

On the turn with the board reading 78810, Greg Mueller bet 18,000 and was called by Nichoel Peppe. They both watched the J fall on the river and now Mueller checked and Peppe took the initiative and bet 25,000. Mueller called and mucked his hand when Peppe showed him J10. That hand left him with 39,000.

Shortly after, he was in the big blind and it folded around to Jeff Norman in the small blind, who limped in. Mueller shoved all in and Norman called instantly. Norman tabled AA and Mueller held 66. The board didn’t improve Mueller and his quest for a third bracelet will have to wait until next year.

Tom Schneider Doubles Up

Tom Schneider found a way to get all of his 136,000 into the middle preflop and was called by Thai Tran. Tran held AQ and was in dire straights against Schneider’s AA.

Tran never picked up anything resembling outs as the board ran out 7583J, and Schneider would double up.

A few hands later, Tom Schneider raised to 12,000 from the cutoff and the small blind made the call. The flop came 1023 and the action was checked to Schneider and he fired 18,000. The small blind called and the turn was the 4. Action was checked again to Schneider and he bet 40,000. That was enough to chase away the small blind and Schneider took the pot. He was at 400,000.

Dan Harrington Makes a Big Raise, Takes the Pot

After some heavy preflop action that ended up with about 50,000 in the middle, there was a flop taken heads-up between Dan Harrington and Paren Arzoomanian. The flop was QJ7 and Arzoomanian led out for 20,000. Harrington made a huge raise to 135,000, leaving himself with just 84,000 behind.

Arzoomanian tanked for a few moments before letting his hand go and Harrington chipped up to 295,000.

J.C. Tran Gets Rolling

J.C. Tran doubled up again, this time through Lou Diamond Phillips. Tran moved in preflop with pocket queens and Phillips called with pocket tens. The board held Tran’s ladies and he doubled to 190,000.

A few hands later, the player in seat 2 raised to 10,500 preflop and Tran made the call from the small blind. The flop came down 10105 and both players checked. The turn was the 9 and Tran led out with 11,000. Seat 2 made the call and the river was the 8. Both players checked again and Tran showed 33 and it was good for the pot. He was up to 205,000.

Brian Lemke Eliminated

On a flop of A95, Brian Lemke shoved all in at his opponent. His opponent, who had less chips than Lemke, called and showed A5, good for two pair. Lemke had 23 needed a 4 to fill his gutshot straight. Lemke missed and was down to just 50,000 in chips.

Just a few hands later Lemke committed his last 50,000 with AQ and was called by another player who showed KK. Lemke flopped top pair, but never improved as the board ran out Q57102 and another bracelet winner was sent to the rail.

Left In The Deck:

One of the tournament directors has just gotten on the microphone to announce that the spectators that are on the rail, need to move to another area, as hand-for-hand play is going to start soon. With 670 players remaining, 22 players need to be eliminated and then the money bubble will burst.

Player Tags: J.C. Tran,   Dan Harrington,   Greg Mueller,   Tom Schneider

Getting Ready to Begin

Aug 23, '08

There is a slight delay to the start of the 2008 Legends of Poker, as players continue to file in from the harsh L.A. heat. The action is scheduled to begin at 2:15, though 2:30 is looking like the better over/under for those taking side bets.

Last year, "Action" Dan Harrington navigated his way through a tough field of 485 en route to his first World Poker Tour victory and a first place prize of $1.6 million. Harrington was joined at the final table by David "The Dragon" Pham, Tom Schneider, Joe Sebok and Lee Markholt.

Player Tags: David Pham,   Dan Harrington

Card Player TV - Dan Harrington

Aug 24, '08

During yesterday's flight, Card Player TV's own Lizzy Harrison spoke to Legends of Poker defending champion Dan Harrington about his approach to this year's tournament.

Player Tags: Dan Harrington

The Champion Falls

Aug 25, '08

There will be no repeat in this year's Legends of Poker tournament. Action Dan Harrington has been eliminated joining a slew of new railbirds that have been busting out at a rapid rate.

Player Tags: Dan Harrington

Getting Ready to Begin

Aug 23, '08

There is a slight delay to the start of the 2008 Legends of Poker, as players continue to file in from the harsh L.A. heat. The action is scheduled to begin at 2:15, though 2:30 is looking like the better over/under for those taking side bets.

Last year, "Action" Dan Harrington navigated his way through a tough field of 485 en route to his first World Poker Tour victory and a first place prize of $1.6 million. Harrington was joined at the final table by David "The Dragon" Pham, Tom Schneider, Joe Sebok and Lee Markholt.

Player Tags: David Pham,   Dan Harrington

Card Player TV - Dan Harrington

Aug 24, '08

During yesterday's flight, Card Player TV's own Lizzy Harrison spoke to Legends of Poker defending champion Dan Harrington about his approach to this year's tournament.

Player Tags: Dan Harrington

The Champion Falls

Aug 25, '08

There will be no repeat in this year's Legends of Poker tournament. Action Dan Harrington has been eliminated joining a slew of new railbirds that have been busting out at a rapid rate.

Player Tags: Dan Harrington

Getting Ready to Begin

Aug 23, '08

There is a slight delay to the start of the 2008 Legends of Poker, as players continue to file in from the harsh L.A. heat. The action is scheduled to begin at 2:15, though 2:30 is looking like the better over/under for those taking side bets.

Last year, "Action" Dan Harrington navigated his way through a tough field of 485 en route to his first World Poker Tour victory and a first place prize of $1.6 million. Harrington was joined at the final table by David "The Dragon" Pham, Tom Schneider, Joe Sebok and Lee Markholt.

Player Tags: David Pham,   Dan Harrington

Card Player TV - Dan Harrington

Aug 24, '08

During yesterday's flight, Card Player TV's own Lizzy Harrison spoke to Legends of Poker defending champion Dan Harrington about his approach to this year's tournament.

Player Tags: Dan Harrington

The Champion Falls

Aug 25, '08

There will be no repeat in this year's Legends of Poker tournament. Action Dan Harrington has been eliminated joining a slew of new railbirds that have been busting out at a rapid rate.

Player Tags: Dan Harrington

$5,000 No-Limit Hold'em / Six Handed - Level One Recap

Jun 26, '08

Blinds: 25-50

Entrants So Far: 780

Notable Names in Field:

Dan Harrington
Antonio Esfandiari
David Williams
Nam Le
Dave Ulliott
Jimme Fricke

Hands and Storylines:

Saul goes out just minutes in

Shortly after folding to a river bet in a pot with about 2,000 chips in it, Kevin Saul was at it again. After a J-6-3 flop with two diamonds, Saul moved all in for about 9,000 and, after thinking it over for about two minutes, was called by a player in the small blind. Saul held pocket kings but was behind his opponent's 6-3 for two pair. The turn and river were a five and deuce, respectively, and Saul's day came to a quick conclusion.

Action Dan takes down small pot

Dan Harrington plays just a few tournaments a year, and this event is one of them. It's a fact that is not lost with spectators; Harrington has had a group of people following his table the entire hour. With a board of 943A8, Harrington bet 300. One player called and the other folded. Harrington flipped over AJ to take down the pot.

Rousso loses chips early

After checking on the turn of a K924 board, Vanessa Rousso faced a bet of 1,200 and after a couple minutes of deliberation made the call. The river was the 8 and both players quickly checked. Rousso's opponent showed AK and took down the pot.
 

Off in the Brasilia Room, late registrations continued to expand the tournament field as tables were added throughout the first level.

One of the more experienced pairings had Ted Lawson and Barry Shulman seated together. In one hand Lawson came away with a disappointing chopped pot. Lawson was the button and limped to see the flop come 986. The big blind and player under the gun both checked, as did Lawson. The 10 came on the turn, and Lawson called a bet of 225. The river brought the 7 to complete the straight on board. His remaining opponent checked and Lawson checked as well, frustrated as he showed 107 for a flopped straight that wound up counterfeited. His opponent showed Q4 for the missed flush draw, and both players split the pot.

Myung Can’t Limp to Victory

John Myung was at a table of contented limpers in the first level. When he was in the big blind, Myung checked his option and was one of five players to see the flop come 732. The small blind bet and Myung stepped out of the way, as did the others. The next hand as small blind, Myung called and created four-way action. Again the flop came seven high, reading 744. All four checked, and when the J hit on the turn, the big blind bet and everyone folded again.

Player Tags: John Myung,   Dan Harrington,   Ted Lawson,   Vanessa Rousso,   Kevin Saul

Shooting Star: Dan Harrington Eliminated

Mar 11, '08

On a board of 1094K Dan Harrington gets it all in and turns up 96 after Hasan Habib calls him down and exposes pocket aces. The river brings the Q and Harrington is eliminated. Habib collects the $5,000 bounty on Harrington and then continues the hunt for more.

Player Tags: Hasan Habib,   Dan Harrington

Two Fallen Stars

Mar 11, '08

Both Eli Elezra and Dan Harrington have been eliminated and their opponents awarded the $5,000 bounty. Hand details coming soon.

Player Tags: Dan Harrington,   Eli Elezra