Pascal LeFrancois Poker Tournament Updates

Level 6 Update: Day 1A Ends

Sep 23, '10

NOTE: Day 1A has come to an end. Stay tuned for official chip counts and a recap of the day’s events. Day 1B will begin at noon local time (4 a.m. PST). Check back in at that time for more live coverage. Card Player’s Barry Shulman will begin the defense of his 2009 WSOP Europe main event title tomorrow.

Blinds: 250-500 with a 50 ante

Players Remaining: 75 out of 137

Chip Counts:

1. Nicolas Levi — 153,850
2. Adam Fletcher — 136,025
3. Arnaud Mattern — 135,000
4. Matt Waxman — 120,000
5. Guillaume Gignac — 109,650
6. Leo Margets — 102,000
7. Simon Persson — 91,600
8. Almira Skripchenko — 90,000
9. Bruno Fitoussi — 90,000
10. Pascal LeFrancois – 88,000

Average Chip Count:

54,800

Notable Eliminations:

John Cernuto
Allen Kessler
Joe Serock
Brandon Cantu
Jonathan Duhamel
Dario Alioto

Big Hands:

Cunningham Doubles Up

Allen Cunningham raised to 1,500 preflop and three players made the call. The flop fell A K 6 and Eugene Katchalov checked. Cunningham bet 2,500 and the player right behind him made the call. The fourth player in the pot and Katchalov mucked, leaving two players in contention.

The turn fell 3 and Cunningham bet 7,000. His opponent went into the tank and he eventually raised all in for 27,000. Cunningham had 28,000 behind at that point and he decided to make the call for what was effectively his tournament life. Their cards:

Cunningham: A Q
Opponent: J J

River: 7

Cunningham won the hand to eliminate his opponent and almost double up. He held 6,700 after the hand.

Matt Waxman and the Four Kings

Matt Waxman bet 9,500 and Filippo Candio made the call. The flop fell K K 7 and both players checked. The 3 fell on the turn and both players checked again. The K fell on the river, Candio checked, and Waxman opened the action for 22,900. Candio made the call but he mucked his cards when Waxman turned over A K for quads.

Blanco Blanks Out

Cristiano Blanco makes it 1,300 from under the gun and the player on the button makes the call. The small blind pops it to 4,600 and Blanco moves all in for 17,125. The button folds but he gets a caller in the remaining player and the two flip over their cards. It’s K K versus Blanco’s A Q and with a king as one of the first cards down it’s all over for the Italian pro – K-4-2-2-9.

Juanda Versus Lefrancois

John Juanda bets 1,350 from the hijack position and once again finds himself in a battle against Pascal Lefrancois in the cut-of. The flop is K 8 7 and both players check. The turn is the Q and Juanda bets 2,050. Lefrancois calls and they see the 6 river. Juanda bets 4,850 and Lefrancois once again makes the call. Juanda shows K 6 for two pair and Lefrancois mucks his cards. Juanda is now on 42,500 while Lefrancois drops a little to 81,200.

High Roller Heads-Up Report — First Match Drags

The £10,350 heads-up high roller event has reached the final match between Gus Hansen and Jim Collopy from an initial field of 103. The winner will take home the top prize worth £288,409 and the runner-up will take home £178,211 and some deflated hopes.

First Match: The first round saw Hansen take control but Collopy held on to battle for quite some time before succumbing to a first-game loss. On the final hand he shoved on the button preflop and Hansen made the call. Their cards:

Hansen: 9 9
Collopy: Q 8

Board: J 10 8 7 7

Hansen took a 1-0 lead after the hand and then the two charged forward to game 2. This match delivered some déjà vu with Hansen chipping away at the start and Collopy now finds himself in a hole once again.

Here are the results so far for this event:

3: Ram Vaswani — £96,212
3: Andrew Feldman — £96,212
5: Daniel Negreanu — £47,045
5: Kevin Eyster — £47,045
5: Huck Seed — £47,045
5: Neil Channing — £47,045
9: Howard Lederer — £22,847
9: Martin Kabrhel — £22,847
9: McLean Karr — £22,847
9: Saar Wilf — £22,847
9: Andrew Robl — £22,847
9: Phil Ivey — £22,847
9: Marius Torbergson — £22,847
9: Sondre Svaniek — £22,847

Player Tags: John Juanda,   Allen Cunningham,   Gus Hansen,   Cristiano Blanco,   Pascal LeFrancois,   Jim Collopy

Level 1 Update: Early Double Ups

Sep 23, '10

Blinds: 50-100

Players Remaining: 134 out of 135 (unofficial)

Chip Counts:

1. Pierre Canali — 63,400
2. Remy Biechel — 60,000
3. Dan Smith — 48,000
4. Arnaud Mattern — 42,600
5. Michael Abecassis — 41,800
6. Pascal LeFrancois — 39,000
7. Joseph Cheong — 37,450
8. Michael Mizrachi — 35,000
9. Chris Ferguson — 32,800
10. Brent Roberts — 31,000

Average Chip Count: 30,000

Notable Eliminations:

Aftab Ahmed

Big Hands:

Pierre Canali Doubles Up

Pierre Canali raised to 250 under the gun and John Juanda made the call right behind him. Aftab Ahmed then reraised to 750 from the big blind. Canali reraised to 2,125 and Juanda got out of the way. Ahmed then reraised again to 5,300 and Canali moved all in for 28,100. Ahmed went into the tank for a few minutes and eventually decided to make the call. Their cards:

Canali: A A
Ahmed: K K

Board: 10 7 4 6 7

Canali took the early chip lead after the hand with 56,500 and Ahmed was crippled. He busted a short time late as the first player to fall from the tournament.

Juanda River a Former Champion?

John Juanda raises from the hijack position and Pascal Lefrancois makes the call from under the gun. The pot now amounts to 1,850.

The flop is dealt J 10 7. Juanda checks and Lefrancois bets 1,225. Juanda calls and the turn is the Q. Juanda bets 2,750 and after a minute of thought Lefrancois makes the call. The river is the 8 and both players quickly and quietly check.

Juanda reveals Q-J while Lefrancois tables two chunky eights for a set and rakes in the pot.

Remy Biechel Doubles Up and Decimates Selbst

The hi-jack opened the pot preflop and Remy Biechel made the call from the button. Vanessa Selbst then reraised to 1,000 and Biechel made it 3,750 to go. Selbst reraised again to 8,750 and Biechel moved all in. Selbst made the call and they flipped over their cards:

Selbst: KK
Biechel: AA

Board: AQ29J

Biechel won the hand to grow his stack to 60,000 and Selbst was left with just 500 heading into the first break of the day.

Left In The Deck:

High Roller Heads-Up Report — Starts at 3 p.m.

The £10,350 is down to the final four players today after a nice-sized field of 103 players entered the prestigious event. There is £288,409 and a gold bracelet up for grabs for first place and the runner up will take home £178,211. The two players that will be eliminated in the semi-finals today will take home £96,212 each.

The final four players and their semi-final matches are:

Gus Hansen vs. Andrew Feldman
Jim Collopy vs. Ram Vaswani

The semi-finals begin at 3 p.m. today and after those matches are settled the final two will return for a best-of-three match to decide who walks away with the bracelet.

Here is a quick rundown of the results for this event so far:

5: Daniel Negreanu — £47,045
5: Kevin Eyster — £47,045
5: Huck Seed — £47,045
5: Neil Channing — £47,045
9: Howard Lederer — £22,847
9: Martin Kabrhel — £22,847
9: McLean Karr — £22,847
9: Saar Wilf — £22,847
9: Andrew Robl — £22,847
9: Phil Ivey — £22,847
9: Marius Torbergson — £22,847
9: Sondre Svaniek — £22,847

Player Tags: John Juanda,   Pascal LeFrancois,   Pierre Canali,   Aftab Ahmed

Level 27 Hour Two Update: LeFrancois Streaking Up the Chip Counts, Brikis and Jetten Hit the Rail

Jul 16, '10

Blinds: 30,000-60,000 with a 10,000 ante

Players Remaining: 51 out of 7,319

Average Chip Count: 4,142,830

Card Player Chip Counts:

Tony Dunst – 1,440,000

Tournament Leaderboard:

1. William Thorson – 10,610,000
2. Filippo Candio – 10,250,000
3. John Racener – 10,100,000
4. Theo Jorgensen – 9,100,000
5. Pascal LeFrancois – 8,800,000
6. Patrick Eskandar – 8,800,000
7. Joseph Cheong – 8,495,000
8. Gabe Costner – 8,285,000
9. Matt Affleck – 7,800,000
10. Bryn Kenney – 7,785,000

Notable Eliminations:

56. Jared Ingles – $138,285
55. Josh Brikis – $138,285
54. Peter Jetten – $168,556
53. Christopher Bolt – $168,556
52. Alexander Kostritsyn – $168,556

Player Twitter Accounts

Josh Brikis
Michael Mizrachi

Big Hands:

Lodden Makes a Good Laydown

Patrick Eskandar raised from middle position to 135,000. Michiel Sijpkens called, Johnny Lodden called from the button, and Matthew Berkey came along from the big blind.

The flop was 932 and Eskandar bet 200,000 after a check from Berkey. Sijpkens folded and Lodden raised to 590,000. Berkey folded and Eskandar moved all-in and had Lodden covered. Lodden let his hand go and kept his 2,950,000. He made a good decision since Eskandar showed the 99, giving him top set.

David Benyamine Eliminated

At the end of the last hour, David Benyamine was eliminated. He raised from the button and got into a preflop raising war with Pascal LeFrancois until all the money got into the middle.

Benyamine was at risk for his last 1,400,000 with the Q10 and LeFrancois held the AJ. The dealer dealt out the 3109 flop and Benyamine would need runners. The 9 on the turn left Benyamine drawing dead and he finished in 58th place.

LeFrancois Streaking

Jonathan Driscoll opened on the button to 145,000 and was met with a three-bet to 455,000 from Pascal LeFrancois from the small blind. After a fold from the big blind, Driscoll made it 1,025,000 to go and LeFrancois moved all-in for 4,725,000. Driscoll made the call.

LeFrancois tabled QQ and Driscoll showed JJ. The dealer dealt out the board of 8A3510 and Driscoll slipped to 1,700,000 and LeFrancois moved to 9,300,000 which puts him near the top of the chip counts.

Brikis Crippled, Eliminated

Action folded to Christopher Bolt on the button and he moved all-in for 785,000 and Josh Brikis made the call from the big blind. Brikis tabled Kd10s and was slightly behind the AJ of Bolt.

The board ran out A84Q9 and Brikis was down to just 45,000 in chips. He doubled up the next hand is up to 160,000 but was eliminated shortly thereafter.

Thorson Climbing

John Racener raised to 140,000 under-the-gun and William Thorson made the call, as well as Michael Mizrachi and Duy Le from the blinds.

Mizrachi led out for 300,000 on a flop of K109. Le made the call and Racener folded before Thorson raised to 975,000. Mizrachi folded after two minutes in the tank and Le made the call.

The 2 peeled off on the turn and Le checked over to Thorson who bet 2,000,000. Le was in a tough spot and thought for a few minutes before folding AQ face-up on the table.

Thorson showed his 1010, giving him a set of tens to move to 9,500,000 in chips.

Costner Pressures Kostritsyn

Joseph Cheong raised in early position to 140,000 and Alexander Kostritsyn called in middle position before Gabe Costner called from the big blind.

The flop came 967 and Costner checked over to Cheong, who bet 240,000. Kostritsyn and Costner made the call and the 10 came on the turn.

Costner and Cheong both checked to Kostritsyn, who bet 825,000. Costner then put in a check-raise to 1,800,000. Cheong folded and Kostritsyn went into the tank for a while before eventually deciding to let it go and keep his 3,900,000 for another hand. Costner cracked the 10 million chip mark with the pot.

Jetten Crippled and Eliminated

It was a battle of the blinds and Peter Jetten somehow found all of his chips in the middle with the 95 against Dag Palovic, who had AQ. Palovic was actually all-in for 1,030,000, with Jetten covering him by 15,000.

The flop was JQQ and after the 4 fell on the turn, Jetten was drawing dead. He was eliminated on the next hand, but another player went out before him, earning an extra $30,000.

Thorson Forces Grinder to Fold

Tony Dunst raised to 130,000 and was three-bet by William Thorson to 415,000. Michael Mizrachi made it 915,000 which got a quick fold from Dunst. Thorson quickly grabbed a stack of 100,000 denomination chips and slid them out into the middle and announced he was all-in.

Mizrachi went deep into the tank for quite a while. Thorson eventually called the clock on Mizrachi. Mizrachi eventually elected to fold, but Thorson said he could pick a card to see. After Mizrachi picked one, Thorson revealed the Q and raked in a pot that would send him to 10,600,000 in chips.

Affleck Wins One

After a limp from William Thorson and Michael Mizrachi, Matt Affleck raised to 230,000. Thorson made the call and Mizrachi folded.

It was checked to the river as the board came out J910108 and Thorson fired 210,000. Affleck made it 775,000 and after a while, Thorson let his hand go. Affleck chipped up to 7,800,000 after stacking his newly found chips.

Bolt Eliminated

Christopher Bolt got all his money in the middle preflop against Benjamin Statz. Statz held the Q10 and Bolt tabled the AK

The fop came 762, seemingly pretty harmless for Bolt. The 4 on the turn gave Statz a flush draw, however, which got there on the river with the 7 and Bolt was eliminated.

Kostritsyn Eliminated

On the last hand before the break, Bryn Kenney raised to 160,000 under-the-gun and Alexander Kostritsyn three-bet to 575,000 on the button. Kenney moved all-in and Kostritsyn quickly made the call.

Kenney was in a world of hurt when he tabled his AQ and was up against Kostritsyn’s KK.

The flop brought some real drama as it came J73, giving Kenney a flush draw along with an overcard. The turn was a brick as the dealer dealt the 3, but the 5 completed Kenney’s flush.

After a count down of the chips, Kostritsyn was covered by Kenney and Kostritsyn was gone in 52nd place.

Player Tags: David Benyamine,   Peter Jetten,   Johnny Lodden,   Alexander Kostritsyn,   Josh Brikis,   Pascal LeFrancois

Level 34 Hour One Update: Pascal LeFrancois Eliminated, Final Table of Ten Forms

Jul 17, '10

Blinds: 150,000-300,000 with a 40,000 ante

Players Remaining: 10 out of 7,319

Average Chip Count: 21,957,000

Tournament Leaderboard:

1. Jonathan Duhamel — 50,200,000
2. John Racener — 30,100,000
3. Joseph Cheong — 27,900,000
4. John Dolan — 24,700,000
5. Matthew Jarvis — 22,535,000
6. Soi Nguyen — 16,400,000
7. Jason Senti — 12,185,000
8. Filippo Candio — 11,920,000
9. Michael Mizrachi — 8,800,000
10. Brandon Steven — 5,640,000

Player Twitter Accounts

Michael Mizrachi

Eliminations:

11. Pascal LeFrancois — $635,011

Big Hands:

Brandon Steven Doubles Up

Jason Senti bet 700,000 from the button and Brandon Steven moved all in for 2,550,000 from the small blind. Action was back to Senti and he called to put Steven at risk. Senti tabled the K10 and was in bad shape versus the AK of Steven.

The flop came Q58 and Steven was still in good shape.

The A on the turn paired Steven, but gave his opponent outs for a straight.

The 6 on the river was gold for Steven and he doubled to 5,640,000.

John Dolan Wins a Pot

John Dolan bet 725,000. Pascal LeFrancois called from the small blind. LeFrancois check-called 800,000 on a flop of JJ2. Bot players checked a 6 turn and a 9 river. LeFrancois tabled the AQ for ace-high and was no good against the 44 of Dolan.

Pascal LeFrancois Eliminated in 11th Place ($635,011)

Jonathan Duhamel opened to 750,000. Pascal LeFrancois called from the button. Joseph Cheong raised from the small blind to 2,550,000 million. Duhamel folded. LeFrancois moved all in. Cheong quickly called with the KK and was in great shape versus the QJ of LeFrancois. The board ran out J62K3 and LeFrancois was gone in 11th place.

The final 10 were set after the hand!

Left in the Deck:

The players are now on a 20-minute break.

Player Tags: Jonathan Duhamel,   John Dolan,   Brandon Steven,   Pascal LeFrancois,   Jason Senti

Level 31, Hour Two Update: Filippi Candio Wins Huge Pot

Jul 17, '10

Blinds: 80,000-160,000 with a 20,000 ante

Players Remaining: 19 out of 7,319

Average Chip Count: 11,556,316

Tournament Leaderboard:

1. Filippo Candio — 27,000,000
2. Jonathan Duhamel — 20,300,000
3. Pascal LeFrancois — 20,200,000
4. John Racener — 19,600,000
5. Matthew Jarvis — 18,450,000
6. Soi Nguyen — 15,200,000
7. Matt Affleck — 12,225,000
8. Jason Senti — 10,300,000
9. Adam Levy — 10,280,000
10. Michiel Sijpkens — 9,700,000

Player Twitter Accounts

Michael Mizrachi
Adam Levy

Eliminations:

21. Redmond Lee — $317,161
20. Patrick Eskandar — $317,161

Big Hands:

Redmond Lee Eliminated in 21st Place ($317,161)

Redmond Lee moved all in preflop for 2,445,000. Michiel Sijpkens called from the button with pocket tens. Lee tabled pocket fours and was in bad shape. The board ran out J76AQ and Lee was gone. Sijpkens was up to 13,500,000 after the hand.

Matt Affleck Still Recovering

Joseph Cheong bet on a flop of AJ10. Matt Affleck called and David Baker folded. The Q fell on the turn and Cheong bet 1,125,000 this time. Affleck made the call. The 3 fell on the river and action went check-check. Affleck tabled the 1010 for trip tens and Cheong mucked. Affleck was up to 12,250,000 after the hand. Cheong fell to 23,300,000.

Adam Levy Doubles Up

Adam Levy opened to 480,000 from the small blind. Benjamin Statz called from the big blind. The flop came 942 and Levy checked. Statz bet 400,000. Levy check-raised to 1,050,000. Statz reraised to 2,000,000. Levy moved all in for 4,600,000 million and Statz called to put Levy at risk.

Their cards:

Levy: 44
Statz: A5

Statz was in bad shape and the 10 on the turn was no help. The 10 fell on the river and Levy doubled to 10,280,000. Statz was down to 6,400,000.

Brandon Stevens Doubles Up

Michiel Sijpkens opened to 380,000. Brandon Steven called from the big blind and he checked a 753 flop. Sijkens shoved and Steven called all in for 1,700,000. Sijpkens tabled the A7. However, Steven turned over the nuts with the 64. Sijpkens was drawing dead on the turn. He fell to 11,500,000 while Steve doubled to 4,400,000.

John Dolan Doubles Up

Michael Mizrachi opened to 380,000 from under the gun. Sijpkens raised to 960,000. John Dolan moved all in for 2,265,000 from the button. Mizrachi folded. Sijpkens called with the A10. Dolan tabled the QQ and was ahead. The board ran out 96357 and Dolan doubled up to 5,200,000.

Filippi Candio Wins Huge Double Up

Filippi Candio opened and Joseph Cheong raised to 1,125,000. Candio made the call. The flop came 665 and Cheong bet 1,550,000. Candio raised to 4,425,000. Cheong moved all in with his massive stack. Candio called all in for 12,100,000, making the pot about 26,000,000. Candio tabled the 75 for sixes and fives. However, Cheong tabled the AA and was way ahead. The turn brought the 8 and Cheong needed to dodge one card to become the overwhelming chip leader of the tournament with about 37,000,000. However, the 4 pealed off the deck and Candio hit a straight. Cheong, the former chip leader, was down to about 10,000,000 while Candio was up to 27,000,000.

Pascal LeFrancois Over 20 Million

Pascal LeFrancois bet 375,000 and Patrick Eskandar made the call. The flop came Q72 and action went check-check. The 4 fell on the turn. LeFrancois bet 475,000 chips. Eskandar called. LeFrancois bet 980,000 on the 6 river. LeFrancois’ bet was called again and he tabled the 22 for a set. Eskandar mucked and was down to 1,200,000. LeFrancois was over 20,000,000 after the hand.

Player Tags: Benjamin Statz,   John Dolan,   Redmond Lee,   Adam Levy,   Matt Affleck,   Brandon Steven,   Pascal LeFrancois,   Joseph Cheong

Level 27 Hour Two Update: LeFrancois Streaking Up the Chip Counts, Brikis and Jetten Hit the Rail

Jul 16, '10

Blinds: 30,000-60,000 with a 10,000 ante

Players Remaining: 51 out of 7,319

Average Chip Count: 4,142,830

Card Player Chip Counts:

Tony Dunst – 1,440,000

Tournament Leaderboard:

1. William Thorson – 10,610,000
2. Filippo Candio – 10,250,000
3. John Racener – 10,100,000
4. Theo Jorgensen – 9,100,000
5. Pascal LeFrancois – 8,800,000
6. Patrick Eskandar – 8,800,000
7. Joseph Cheong – 8,495,000
8. Gabe Costner – 8,285,000
9. Matt Affleck – 7,800,000
10. Bryn Kenney – 7,785,000

Notable Eliminations:

56. Jared Ingles – $138,285
55. Josh Brikis – $138,285
54. Peter Jetten – $168,556
53. Christopher Bolt – $168,556
52. Alexander Kostritsyn – $168,556

Player Twitter Accounts

Josh Brikis
Michael Mizrachi

Big Hands:

Lodden Makes a Good Laydown

Patrick Eskandar raised from middle position to 135,000. Michiel Sijpkens called, Johnny Lodden called from the button, and Matthew Berkey came along from the big blind.

The flop was 932 and Eskandar bet 200,000 after a check from Berkey. Sijpkens folded and Lodden raised to 590,000. Berkey folded and Eskandar moved all-in and had Lodden covered. Lodden let his hand go and kept his 2,950,000. He made a good decision since Eskandar showed the 99, giving him top set.

David Benyamine Eliminated

At the end of the last hour, David Benyamine was eliminated. He raised from the button and got into a preflop raising war with Pascal LeFrancois until all the money got into the middle.

Benyamine was at risk for his last 1,400,000 with the Q10 and LeFrancois held the AJ. The dealer dealt out the 3109 flop and Benyamine would need runners. The 9 on the turn left Benyamine drawing dead and he finished in 58th place.

LeFrancois Streaking

Jonathan Driscoll opened on the button to 145,000 and was met with a three-bet to 455,000 from Pascal LeFrancois from the small blind. After a fold from the big blind, Driscoll made it 1,025,000 to go and LeFrancois moved all-in for 4,725,000. Driscoll made the call.

LeFrancois tabled QQ and Driscoll showed JJ. The dealer dealt out the board of 8A3510 and Driscoll slipped to 1,700,000 and LeFrancois moved to 9,300,000 which puts him near the top of the chip counts.

Brikis Crippled, Eliminated

Action folded to Christopher Bolt on the button and he moved all-in for 785,000 and Josh Brikis made the call from the big blind. Brikis tabled Kd10s and was slightly behind the AJ of Bolt.

The board ran out A84Q9 and Brikis was down to just 45,000 in chips. He doubled up the next hand is up to 160,000 but was eliminated shortly thereafter.

Thorson Climbing

John Racener raised to 140,000 under-the-gun and William Thorson made the call, as well as Michael Mizrachi and Duy Le from the blinds.

Mizrachi led out for 300,000 on a flop of K109. Le made the call and Racener folded before Thorson raised to 975,000. Mizrachi folded after two minutes in the tank and Le made the call.

The 2 peeled off on the turn and Le checked over to Thorson who bet 2,000,000. Le was in a tough spot and thought for a few minutes before folding AQ face-up on the table.

Thorson showed his 1010, giving him a set of tens to move to 9,500,000 in chips.

Costner Pressures Kostritsyn

Joseph Cheong raised in early position to 140,000 and Alexander Kostritsyn called in middle position before Gabe Costner called from the big blind.

The flop came 967 and Costner checked over to Cheong, who bet 240,000. Kostritsyn and Costner made the call and the 10 came on the turn.

Costner and Cheong both checked to Kostritsyn, who bet 825,000. Costner then put in a check-raise to 1,800,000. Cheong folded and Kostritsyn went into the tank for a while before eventually deciding to let it go and keep his 3,900,000 for another hand. Costner cracked the 10 million chip mark with the pot.

Jetten Crippled and Eliminated

It was a battle of the blinds and Peter Jetten somehow found all of his chips in the middle with the 95 against Dag Palovic, who had AQ. Palovic was actually all-in for 1,030,000, with Jetten covering him by 15,000.

The flop was JQQ and after the 4 fell on the turn, Jetten was drawing dead. He was eliminated on the next hand, but another player went out before him, earning an extra $30,000.

Thorson Forces Grinder to Fold

Tony Dunst raised to 130,000 and was three-bet by William Thorson to 415,000. Michael Mizrachi made it 915,000 which got a quick fold from Dunst. Thorson quickly grabbed a stack of 100,000 denomination chips and slid them out into the middle and announced he was all-in.

Mizrachi went deep into the tank for quite a while. Thorson eventually called the clock on Mizrachi. Mizrachi eventually elected to fold, but Thorson said he could pick a card to see. After Mizrachi picked one, Thorson revealed the Q and raked in a pot that would send him to 10,600,000 in chips.

Affleck Wins One

After a limp from William Thorson and Michael Mizrachi, Matt Affleck raised to 230,000. Thorson made the call and Mizrachi folded.

It was checked to the river as the board came out J910108 and Thorson fired 210,000. Affleck made it 775,000 and after a while, Thorson let his hand go. Affleck chipped up to 7,800,000 after stacking his newly found chips.

Bolt Eliminated

Christopher Bolt got all his money in the middle preflop against Benjamin Statz. Statz held the Q10 and Bolt tabled the AK

The fop came 762, seemingly pretty harmless for Bolt. The 4 on the turn gave Statz a flush draw, however, which got there on the river with the 7 and Bolt was eliminated.

Kostritsyn Eliminated

On the last hand before the break, Bryn Kenney raised to 160,000 under-the-gun and Alexander Kostritsyn three-bet to 575,000 on the button. Kenney moved all-in and Kostritsyn quickly made the call.

Kenney was in a world of hurt when he tabled his AQ and was up against Kostritsyn’s KK.

The flop brought some real drama as it came J73, giving Kenney a flush draw along with an overcard. The turn was a brick as the dealer dealt the 3, but the 5 completed Kenney’s flush.

After a count down of the chips, Kostritsyn was covered by Kenney and Kostritsyn was gone in 52nd place.

Player Tags: David Benyamine,   Peter Jetten,   Johnny Lodden,   Alexander Kostritsyn,   Josh Brikis,   Pascal LeFrancois

Level 34 Hour One Update: Pascal LeFrancois Eliminated, Final Table of Ten Forms

Jul 17, '10

Blinds: 150,000-300,000 with a 40,000 ante

Players Remaining: 10 out of 7,319

Average Chip Count: 21,957,000

Tournament Leaderboard:

1. Jonathan Duhamel — 50,200,000
2. John Racener — 30,100,000
3. Joseph Cheong — 27,900,000
4. John Dolan — 24,700,000
5. Matthew Jarvis — 22,535,000
6. Soi Nguyen — 16,400,000
7. Jason Senti — 12,185,000
8. Filippo Candio — 11,920,000
9. Michael Mizrachi — 8,800,000
10. Brandon Steven — 5,640,000

Player Twitter Accounts

Michael Mizrachi

Eliminations:

11. Pascal LeFrancois — $635,011

Big Hands:

Brandon Steven Doubles Up

Jason Senti bet 700,000 from the button and Brandon Steven moved all in for 2,550,000 from the small blind. Action was back to Senti and he called to put Steven at risk. Senti tabled the K10 and was in bad shape versus the AK of Steven.

The flop came Q58 and Steven was still in good shape.

The A on the turn paired Steven, but gave his opponent outs for a straight.

The 6 on the river was gold for Steven and he doubled to 5,640,000.

John Dolan Wins a Pot

John Dolan bet 725,000. Pascal LeFrancois called from the small blind. LeFrancois check-called 800,000 on a flop of JJ2. Bot players checked a 6 turn and a 9 river. LeFrancois tabled the AQ for ace-high and was no good against the 44 of Dolan.

Pascal LeFrancois Eliminated in 11th Place ($635,011)

Jonathan Duhamel opened to 750,000. Pascal LeFrancois called from the button. Joseph Cheong raised from the small blind to 2,550,000 million. Duhamel folded. LeFrancois moved all in. Cheong quickly called with the KK and was in great shape versus the QJ of LeFrancois. The board ran out J62K3 and LeFrancois was gone in 11th place.

The final 10 were set after the hand!

Left in the Deck:

The players are now on a 20-minute break.

Player Tags: Jonathan Duhamel,   John Dolan,   Brandon Steven,   Pascal LeFrancois,   Jason Senti

Level 31, Hour Two Update: Filippi Candio Wins Huge Pot

Jul 17, '10

Blinds: 80,000-160,000 with a 20,000 ante

Players Remaining: 19 out of 7,319

Average Chip Count: 11,556,316

Tournament Leaderboard:

1. Filippo Candio — 27,000,000
2. Jonathan Duhamel — 20,300,000
3. Pascal LeFrancois — 20,200,000
4. John Racener — 19,600,000
5. Matthew Jarvis — 18,450,000
6. Soi Nguyen — 15,200,000
7. Matt Affleck — 12,225,000
8. Jason Senti — 10,300,000
9. Adam Levy — 10,280,000
10. Michiel Sijpkens — 9,700,000

Player Twitter Accounts

Michael Mizrachi
Adam Levy

Eliminations:

21. Redmond Lee — $317,161
20. Patrick Eskandar — $317,161

Big Hands:

Redmond Lee Eliminated in 21st Place ($317,161)

Redmond Lee moved all in preflop for 2,445,000. Michiel Sijpkens called from the button with pocket tens. Lee tabled pocket fours and was in bad shape. The board ran out J76AQ and Lee was gone. Sijpkens was up to 13,500,000 after the hand.

Matt Affleck Still Recovering

Joseph Cheong bet on a flop of AJ10. Matt Affleck called and David Baker folded. The Q fell on the turn and Cheong bet 1,125,000 this time. Affleck made the call. The 3 fell on the river and action went check-check. Affleck tabled the 1010 for trip tens and Cheong mucked. Affleck was up to 12,250,000 after the hand. Cheong fell to 23,300,000.

Adam Levy Doubles Up

Adam Levy opened to 480,000 from the small blind. Benjamin Statz called from the big blind. The flop came 942 and Levy checked. Statz bet 400,000. Levy check-raised to 1,050,000. Statz reraised to 2,000,000. Levy moved all in for 4,600,000 million and Statz called to put Levy at risk.

Their cards:

Levy: 44
Statz: A5

Statz was in bad shape and the 10 on the turn was no help. The 10 fell on the river and Levy doubled to 10,280,000. Statz was down to 6,400,000.

Brandon Stevens Doubles Up

Michiel Sijpkens opened to 380,000. Brandon Steven called from the big blind and he checked a 753 flop. Sijkens shoved and Steven called all in for 1,700,000. Sijpkens tabled the A7. However, Steven turned over the nuts with the 64. Sijpkens was drawing dead on the turn. He fell to 11,500,000 while Steve doubled to 4,400,000.

John Dolan Doubles Up

Michael Mizrachi opened to 380,000 from under the gun. Sijpkens raised to 960,000. John Dolan moved all in for 2,265,000 from the button. Mizrachi folded. Sijpkens called with the A10. Dolan tabled the QQ and was ahead. The board ran out 96357 and Dolan doubled up to 5,200,000.

Filippi Candio Wins Huge Double Up

Filippi Candio opened and Joseph Cheong raised to 1,125,000. Candio made the call. The flop came 665 and Cheong bet 1,550,000. Candio raised to 4,425,000. Cheong moved all in with his massive stack. Candio called all in for 12,100,000, making the pot about 26,000,000. Candio tabled the 75 for sixes and fives. However, Cheong tabled the AA and was way ahead. The turn brought the 8 and Cheong needed to dodge one card to become the overwhelming chip leader of the tournament with about 37,000,000. However, the 4 pealed off the deck and Candio hit a straight. Cheong, the former chip leader, was down to about 10,000,000 while Candio was up to 27,000,000.

Pascal LeFrancois Over 20 Million

Pascal LeFrancois bet 375,000 and Patrick Eskandar made the call. The flop came Q72 and action went check-check. The 4 fell on the turn. LeFrancois bet 475,000 chips. Eskandar called. LeFrancois bet 980,000 on the 6 river. LeFrancois’ bet was called again and he tabled the 22 for a set. Eskandar mucked and was down to 1,200,000. LeFrancois was over 20,000,000 after the hand.

Player Tags: Benjamin Statz,   John Dolan,   Redmond Lee,   Adam Levy,   Matt Affleck,   Brandon Steven,   Pascal LeFrancois,   Joseph Cheong

Level 29 Update: Max Steinberg Eliminated, Pascal LeFrancois Wins Event No. 8

Jun 05, '10

Blinds: 50,000-100,000 with a 10,000 ante

Players Remaining: 1 out of 2,341

Average Chip Count: 10,534,500

Tournament Leaderboard:

1. Pascal LeFrancois — 10,534,500

Eliminations

2. Max Steinberg – $352,916

Elimination Hands

Max Steinberg Eliminated in 2nd Place ($352,916)

Pascal LeFrancois limped in and Max Steinberg checked. The flop came KJ4 and Steinberg bet 140,000. LeFrancois made the call. The 5 on the turn prompted Steinberg to bet 360,000. Once again the bet was called. The 10 hit the felt and Steinberg moved all in. LeFrancois contemplated briefly before making the call with the J6. Steinberg’s 43 was no good and he was eliminated in second place. LeFrancois won the bracelet and $568,974.

Player Tags: Max Steinberg,   Pascal LeFrancois

Level 28 Update: Kevin Howe Eliminated, Heads Up Begins

Jun 05, '10

Blinds: 40,000-80,000 with a 10,000 ante

Players Remaining: 2 out of 2,341

Average Chip Count: 5,267,250

Tournament Leaderboard:

1. Pascal LeFrancois — 9,184,500
2. Max Steinberg — 1,350,000

Eliminations

2. Kevin Howe – $249,351

Elimination Hands

Kevin Howe Eliminated in 3rd Place ($249,351)

Pascal LeFrancois opened to 180,000 on the button. Kevin Howe reraised to 455,000, prompting a four-bet from LeFrancois. Howe moved all in and LeFrancois made the call with the KK, while Howe tabled the A10. The flop of 853 gave Howe the nut flush draw, however the turn and river bricked and he was eliminated in third place.

Player Tags: Pascal LeFrancois