The 239 remaining players are now on a 15 minute break. Dave Colclough is the latest casualty.
Dave “El Blondie” Colclough has been at the top of Europe’s player rankings since the system’s inception in 2000. Although best known as an Omaha specialist, Colclough has proven he can mix up his styles with the best of them. This former computer programmer first drew Europe’s attention with his appearances on Late Night Poker.
The 2003 European Player of the Year was inducted into the European Poker Players Hall of Fame in 2005 and has earned over $1.9 million in tournament action. Colclough is probably most famous in the United States for his final table appearance at the World Poker Tour Grand Prix de Paris event.
Notable players stepping out for day 1A of this €4,000 buy-in event include Barny Boatman, Paul Testud, Danny Ryan, Marcel Luske, Katja Thater, Andreas Krause, Fintan Gavin, Sorel Mizzi, Annette Obrestad, Dave Colclough, and Markus Golser.
We're half way through level one and a sell out 270 players have taken to the felt. There will also be 270 players for tomorrow bring the total to 540 and creating a prize pool of €2.16 million.
Dave “El Blondie” Colclough has been at the top of Europe’s player rankings since the system’s inception in 2000. Although best known as an Omaha specialist, Colclough has proven he can mix up his styles with the best of them. This former computer programmer first drew Europe’s attention with his appearances on Late Night Poker. The 2003 European Player of the Year was inducted into the European Poker Players Hall of Fame in 2005 and has earned over $1.9 million in tournament action. Colclough is probably most famous in the United States for his final table appearance at the World Poker Tour Grand Prix de Paris event.
Note: Players are on a 20-minute break. Play will resume at 10:50 p.m.
Blinds: 500-1,000
Players Remaining: 126 of 381
Average Chip Stack: 60,500
Chip Leaders:
Josh Arieh - 317,000
David Benefield - 170,000
Billy Argyros - 168,000
Peter Jetten - 155,000
Noah Boaken - 154,000
Guillaume Patry - 146,000
Leif Force - 140,000
Bill Chen - 116,000
Clonie Gowen - 115,000
Mikael Hogbom - 107,000
Eliminations:
Ryan Daut
Allen Kessler
Hands and Storylines:
Raptor loses chips, then gets them back
After a Q85 flop, it checked around to David Benefield on the button, and he bet 4,000. The small blind raised to 20,000 and after a third player folded Benefield moved all in. The small blind called with AAK2 for a pair of aces and a flush draw, but was behind Benefield's pair of eights for a set. But the turn and river were J and T, respectively, giving the small blind a backdoor straight and the pot of over 100,000 chips.
Later in the level, with the board T9732, Benefield bet 32,000 and was called. He showed 8664 for a ten-high straight and took the pot to jump up to about 170,000 chips.
Wahlroos's gutsy call fails
After a flop of K52, David Colclough moved all in after a bet by Thomas Wahlroos. It was just over 15,000 and after a minute Wahlroos made the call and quickly found out he had few outs. Colclough held AKQ7, well ahead of Wahlroos's AJ62. A spade came on the turn, giving the pot to Colclough. After the hand he was up to about 50,000 chips, while Wohlroos had just 3,500.
Dave “El Blondie” Colclough has been at the top of Europe’s player rankings since the system’s inception in 2000. Although best known as an Omaha specialist, Colclough has proven he can mix up his styles with the best of them. This former computer programmer first drew Europe’s attention with his appearances on Late Night Poker. The 2003 European Player of the Year was inducted into the European Poker Players Hall of Fame in 2005 and has earned over $1.9 million in tournament action. Colclough is probably most famous in the United States for his final table appearance at the World Poker Tour Grand Prix de Paris event.
On a flop of 9-8-7 Dave “El Blondie” Colclough shipped his chips into the middle holding a pair of eights but his trips were no match for Katja Thater’s straight — she had J-10 — and the Blonde Brummie was sent to the rail.
Shortly afterwards a child started screaming and wailing and Thater quipped ”Mummy, he cracked my aces,” to the smiles of her table mates. “They’re starting younger and younger these internet kids,” one of them drolly noted.
There are 341 players still in the tournament with 30 minutes lift in level three. The average chip count is 17,419.
The players have just gone on dinner break and will return at 9 p.m. to the start of Level 5 where the blinds will increase to $300-$600 with a $75 ante.
Now Everybody Really Loves Robert Everybody Loves Raymond star, Brad Garrett was in rare form tonight and Table no. 8 was the place to be during Level 4. Garrett got involved in a big hand with the player in seat no.1 and it went like this… On a flop of 10 8 2, Garrett led out with $1,200 and the player in seat no. 1 raised to $3,000. Garrett made the call and the turn brought the A. Seat no. 1 bet another $3,000 and Garrett was put to an apparently tough decision. Seat no. 1 offered Garrett an easy way out by telling him that if he were to fold his cards that seat no. 1 would show him his hand. A light bulb went on over Garrett’s head and he said, “Ok, I’ll see one more card then.” Garrett makes the call just as his on-set little brother, Ray Romano walks over and the crowd of media starts to gather. Garrett exposes the 8 and the 7 for the flush draw before the river and Romano says, “Why did you show your hand, you just cost yourself a bet.” Garrett replies, “Why are you even over here?” Romano says, “Cause you’re my ride home.”, and everyone gets a good laugh. The river brings the K and Garrett hits his flush draw and goes on a rampage followed by a barrage of kisses for the dealer and “a round of rubs” for everyone at the table. Garrett celebrates by buying everyone at his table a ten minute massage. He jokes with Romano saying, “You have a show, go back to your table and move all-in.” Romano replies, “Now you know why I ended the show.” Everyone gets a great laugh from the poker playing comedy duo while table no. 8 enjoys their free massage compliments of Brad Garrett.
And Now For Some Real Poker News…
Two-time Main event winners Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan have both been eliminated this past round and will have to wait until next to go for their third Main Event title. Johnny Chan was eliminated when his opponent in seat no. 3 raised to $1,200 before the flop and Chan smooth called behind him followed by the player in the big blind. The flop came 10 6 3, and seat no. 3 bet out $1,200. Johnny Chan re-raises all-in for another $600 and the big blind raises $3,000 more, getting seat no.3 to fold his hand. Chan shows A K while the big blind turns over K 10. The turn and river bring the 7 and the 10, not enough help for Chan as he is eliminated right before the dinner break on day 1.
Online poker phenom, Lex Veldhuis was also eliminated right before the dinner break. Veldhuis raised to $1,200 and the player in seat no. 8 made the call. The flop came 10 9 5 and seat no. 8 bet $4,000. Veldhuis re-raises to $10,500 and seat no. 8 makes the call. The turn brought the J and seat no. 8 moved all-in (had Vedhuis covered). Veldhuis calls all-in with K 7 and seat no. 8 turned over Q 10. The river brought 5, no help to Lex Veldhuis as he is eliminated at the halfway point of Day 1. As he gathers his things and walks away from the table he comments, “I’ll gamble with that flop…if I win I’m up over $55,000. F**k it, I’ll just go play the cash games now.”
Dave Colclough was also eliminated this level. On flop of A-J-8, Colclough gets all of his money in the pot with A-J against his opponent’s A-10. The turn and river bring a 9 and a 7, giving his opponent a backdoor straight and sending Colclough to the rail just before dinner.
Elsewhere on the European front Andy Black had taken a hit and his stack had dropped to about $39,000 when he got heads up in a pot with the board reading Jd3d8c6s9s and scooped it when his Q-Q trumped his opponent’s A-J. He’s back up to about $55,000.
Roy ‘The Boy’ Brindley is gone. He re-raised all-in as the shortstack with 2-2 and got called by A-K which hit.
Thomas Wahlroos is grinding away with half his original stack. He took down a small pot with a raise when CardPlayer.com was passing, smiled while shrugging his shoulders and said, ‘I’m just fishing for chips.’
Michael Greco has $27,000 in chips, Irish Open winner Marty Smyth has $13,200, Dave ‘Devilfish’ Ulliott has $8,400, Per Hildebrand has $20,100, Julian Gardiner has $71,000, Mickey Wernick has $26,000, John Magill has $45,000, Joe Beevers has $45,000 and Sigi Stockinger has around $40,000.
While many of the pros seemed to fall early this year, others were just off to an early start. www.PokerStars.com ambassador, Victor Ramdin was having a tough time getting any action at his table, and for the last few hours he could take almost any pot with an uncontested raise. Almost any pot except for this one…On a board of 8 4 3 A 10, Ramdin fires $5,000 at the pot and gets looked-up by the player in seat no. 1. Ramdin shows 4 4 and takes down a massive pot with a set of fours which could explain the reason he has been getting so much respect today.
Players will return at 9 p.m., so be sure to check back with CardPlayer.com to see all of the action as it unfolds.
There were 40 players at the beginning of level 13 and now that number has decreased to just 33. Tournament offcials announced that hand for hand play would begin at 37 players, with the money starting at 36. Hand for hand play last around a half an hour until Mickey Appleman and Marco Traniello got tangled up in a hand. With the board showing A J 9 the two players got all their money in the middle and Traniello had Appleman well covered. Traniello showed A J 10 3 and Appleman turned over A 9 2 2. Appleman needed a nine or a two on the turn or river to stay alive. The turn brought the K and the river was the 4. Appleman was eliminated in 37th place, on the bubble.
Shortly before hand for hand play began, Dave Colclough and Ken Strandi were eliminated. Colclough got it all in preflop against Leo Fernandez. Colclough had A J 9 5 and Fernandez showed A K K Q and was in the lead with his kings. The board came 4 4 2 6 A and Colclough was sent to the rail out of the money. Strandi was all in preflop up against David Chiu. Chiu had K K 7 6 and was ahead of Strandi's A 9 9 4. The dealer put out K Q 9 Q Q and Chiu had the bigger full house.
After the bubble burst, Steve Sung took a big chunk out of Tim Phan's stack. A preflop betting war had Sung all in preflop for $230,000 against Phan who had him covered. Sung turned up A A 10 8 and Phan called with K K Q 4. The board bricked out for Phan when it came J 9 4 5 7 and Sung's aces held up. Sung doubled up to $460,000 and Phan was left with a huge dent in his stack.
The players seemed to relax a little after the bubble burst with Joe Beevers, Donnacha O'Dea and Doyle Brunson sharing jokes as the table passed around the payout structure.
Patrik Antonius is looking frustrated. He has been asked by the floor supervisor several times to remove his head phones. He was insistent that he wasn’t listening to music but has been asked to remove them all the same.
Roy Brindley, who is seated to Antonius’ right, told CardPlayer.com at break, ‘He's put on a great display on how to blow 250,000 chips! I don't know why he doesn't just throw his chips in the air and give some to everybody. It's been embarrassing. In the first 45 minutes he must have been in 15 pots and he's lost 14 of them and he's played 13 of them desperately badly and he's about to explode.’ Read Roy’s Pro Blog at CardPlayer.com.
Brindley lost a chunk of change at the beginning of level 14 when his A-A-Q-Q ran into Q-Q-10-J on a board of 2-10-10-J-8 and he looked exasperated, forming a gun with his fingers and putting it to his head.
This tournament marks the seventh cash in the 2007 World Series of Poker for Michael Binger. The record number of cashes in any World Series is eight and it remains to be seen if Binger can tie or pass that record with only three events remaining.
Current Eliminations
36th Place - Paul Jackson ($22,137)
35th Place - Dario Alioto ($22,137)
34th Place - Joe Beevers ($22,137)
33rd Place - Antonio Solario ($22,137)
The past level saw a flurry of eliminations after the bubble burst in first half of the hour, after very quick hand-for-hand play. Per usual, players were much more willing to take races after they made the money, and it seemed that every table had someone all in with 9-9 against A-J. Paul Wolfe found himself in a better situation than that, with J-J against the A 10 of Devin Porter. The situation changed drastically after the flop brought A Q 8. The turn and river did not improve Wolfe and he was sent to the rail in 50th ($4,797). David Colclough was also eliminated in the race-fest. Thorsson A Q ran into an opponents A-K on an A-A-K-x-x board and got his stack severely crippled. Only 46 players remain going into day two. With only 37 players to lose until the final table, day two should be short compared to the second days of many other events at the WSOP. Make sure to check in as play resumes tomorrow at 3 p.m. here at Cardplayer.com.
There are currently 37 players remaining. The players are on break while the $500 chips are being colored off the tables.
David Colclough was eliminated just before the break. He was unable to overcome Chau Giang's Aces. Humberto Brenes, and his shark were also sent packing courtesy of Giang's Aces. Giang took about $40,000 off of Brenes in a previous pot, with a pot sized value bet on the river. Both players had Kings (Brenes had a flush draw that missed), but Chau had an Ace kicker to trump Brenes's Queen. Later on a K-8-7 board, Brenes moved-in and got called by Giang. Brenes could only muster a pair of eights, and he was eliminated.
David Williams has managed to build his stack up a bit with some savvy plays as well. First he picked off a bluff on the river with only a pair of tens. Then in a pot with Michael Binger, he forced Binger to make a big fold. Binger led out with a pot-sized bet of $31,500 on a flop of 7 3 3. Williams then raised all in for $63,000 total. Binger would be all in himself if he called. Binger stewes for a while then showed A J as he mucked his hand.
Padraig Parkinson was eliminated by Gioi Luong. Parkinson moved all in for his last $14,000 and was called by three players. Luong pushed the other callers out on the A Q 3x flop. Parkinson held the nut flush draw, and Luong had Aces and Queens. The turn was the Q filling up Luong, and the river was meaningless.
Eoghan O'Dea has dropped from $130,000 in chips to $52,000 at a tough table containing Mike Sexton and Ram Vaswani.
Julian Gardiner has $110,000 and Andreas Krause has around $100,000.
Raptor loses chips, then gets them back
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Dave Colclough
On a flop of 9-8-7 Dave “El Blondie” Colclough shipped his chips into the middle holding a pair of eights but his trips were no match for Katja Thater’s straight — she had J-10 — and the Blonde Brummie was sent to the rail.