| Jul 01, '08 |
2008 39th Annual World Series of Poker |
Event 51 - H.O.R.S.E. |
3 |
+ |
$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - End of Day 1
Jun 29, '08
Big Hands and Storylines:
An astounding 803 players entered today’s $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. event, surpassing all expectations. Eliminations were hard to find in the first two or three levels, but the pace picked up in the second half of the day. By the conclusion of day 1, only 184 players were left with a chance of taking home the World Series bracelet.
 A very familiar name sits atop the leaderboard: Phil Hellmuth concluded the day with an impressive 43,000 chips. Winning this event would give Hellmuth a 12th bracelet, further distancing him from Brunson and Chan. In addition, this would be Hellmuth’s first World Series win in a non-hold’em event.
Other big names that Hellmuth will need to contend with to take the title down include:
Joe Hachem - 25,000
Thomas Hunt - 25,000
Victor Ramdin - 23,600
Chad Brown - 22,000
Keith Sexton - 22,000
Arash Ghaneian - 21,000
Michael Craig - 20,000
Esther Taylor - 20,000
Perry Friedman - 18,500
Average Stack: 13,100
Action will resume tomorrow at 3 p.m and play will continue until the final table is reached.
Here is one final hand from day 1 action:
Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha: 300-500 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8: 100 ante, 200 bring in, 500-1,000 stakes
Hold’em
Matusow Gets An Unexpected Out
Mike Matusow raised from late position and was called by a player in the cutoff. The flop came down 10 8 4 . Matusow checked and the cutoff checked behind. The turn was the 2 and Matusow bet out. He was raised by the player in the one seat and he quickly called. The river was the 7 and both players checked without much thought. Matusow showed 75 for a pair of sevens. His opponent tabled A-Q and Matusow’s hand stood up despite missing both his straight and flush draws. That hand brought Mike Matusow up to 11,000 at day’s end. Matusow summed up his day succinctly when he said, “I couldn’t have played better and I couldn’t have felt worse.”
Player Tags: Mike Matusow, Phil Hellmuth, Victor Ramdin, Arash Ghaneian, Keith Sexton, Perry Friedman, Thomas Hunt, Michael Craig, Esther Taylor
$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - Day 1 - Level 7 Recap
Jun 29, '08
Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha: 200-400 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8: 100 ante, 100 bring in, 400-800 stakes
Players Left: 224 of 803
Chip Leaders:
Victor Ramdin - 23,000
Arash Ghaneian - 22,900
Phil Hellmuth Jr. - 19,000
Chad Brown - 18,000
Keith Sexton - 17,000
Mary Jones - 17,000
Perry Friedman - 15,200
John Juanda - 15,000
Eugene Katchalov - 14,100
Michael Binger - 12,500
Average Stack: 10,750
Eliminations:
Brian Micon
David Sklansky
Isabelle Mercier
Big Hands and Storylines:
Table 28: The Place To Be
Though table 28 has lost David Chiu since we last left them, that doesn’t mean that the action has slowed down any. Victor Ramdin has been getting in a number of pots while David Sklansky has remained his usual tight, mathematically sound self (edit: until he was eliminated late in the level). And with Bryan Micon and Mike Matusow providing an endless soundtrack for the players and rail alike, this table is worth keeping tabs on even while the dealer is shuffling the cards. A series of entertaining hands took place in rapid succession during the seven-card-stud eight or better round. Here are those hands:
The Mouth Approves
Going into fourth street with a 7 against Victor Ramdin’s 5 and another player’s 4, Matusow, short-stacked, implored of the dealer, “I really need an ace on this next street.” The dealer gave the first player a K, Ramdin the T, and, to Matusow’s delight, he was delivered the A. He exploded, “That’s how to deal this game dealer!” Matusow bet out with his newfound confidence and the first player folded quickly. While Ramdin was thinking over his decision, Matusow kept up that chatter, saying that he didn’t care whether Ramdin called or not, that either way was good for him. Eventually though, Ramdin folded and Matusow raked in the pot.
A Dramatic Finale... Or Not
Ramdin: 5 8AK
Matusow: 103J8
Victor Ramdin completed with the 5 and Matusow raised with the 10. Ramdin called. Matusow bet fourth street, Ramdin raised, and Matusow called. Ramdin bet fifth street and Matusow called; the same happened on sixth street, only this time Matusow had no further chips to bet. Ramdin showed (Q)(J) and Matusow, professing to having a pair of tens, called for Ramdin to catch “any baby red.” Matusow flipped up his cards: (A)(10). Matusow did have a pair of tens, but the fact that he also had an ace-high flush had completely escaped him until that moment. “I already have a flush!” The only card that Ramdin could catch to win the pot was the A, and when his final card blanked, the 8,000 chip pot was Matusow’s. After the hand, Matusow continued on about his myopia (figuratively, though I believe he is also near-sighted): “I didn’t even know I had it! I knew I had ten-ten-ace...” Fortunately for Matusow he was all-in by the end of the hand anyway, so he didn’t miss gaining an extra bet anywhere.
 Ramdwn’d
As Bryan Micon waxed about one of his recent bad beats, Matusow interrupted him and told him that he wasn’t allowed to tell any bad beat stories at the table. In fact, Matusow asserted, Micon was never in front during the hand; Ramdin was the favorite the entire way through. Micon explained his thought process during the hand, “I knew I was beat high but I had infinite odds; I was trying to scoop low.” At just that moment the fairly subdued Ramdin piped in with some of his own bombast. He averred, “You’re playing against Victor Ramdin. You’re not supposed to scoop the low.” This comment earned a (much coveted) high five from Mike Matusow. By the end of the level Ramdin was chip leader with 23,000, so he had reason to be cocksure.
Micon Gone
Bryan Micon found his remaining 1,200 chips all-in against an opponent on 4th street with the following cards:
Micon: (K)(9)K10
Opponent: (A)(6)8A
Micon needed two-pair to escape elimination, but things took a turn for the worse just seconds later when his opponent was dealt the 8 for aces up. “You are in a world of hurt, my friend,” opined Matusow, despite Micon drawing the 10. Matusow was right, and Micon’s final card blanked. Micon, one of the chip leaders during the early stages of the day, could not quite make it to the end of day 1.
Player Tags: John Juanda, Mike Matusow, Phil Hellmuth, Victor Ramdin, Arash Ghaneian, Keith Sexton, Perry Friedman, Isabelle Mercier, Eugene Katchalov, Mary Jones, Michael Binger, Brian Micon
$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - End of Day 2
Jun 30, '08
 The big story of day 2 was, once again, Phil Hellmuth. Coming into the day as chip leader, he floundered for a bit, relinquishing the lead for most of the day, but ultimately picked himself up by the bootstraps and strode back to the top. By the conclusion of the day, Hellmuth would not only be chip leader once again, but his chip stack would tower over most his competitors’.
With 21 players left, Hellmuth has a real chance of picking up his 12th bracelet, and his first in a non-hold’em event. The final 21 players will return tomorrow at 3 p.m. PST to play for the $256,412 and World Series of Poker bracelet.
Here is an unofficial list of chip leaders heading into tomorrow’s final day:
Phil Hellmuth Jr. - 287,500
James Schaaf - 236,500
Art Young - 175,000
Victor Ramdin - 158,500
Matt Grapenthien - 151,000
Esther Rossi - 133,500
Steven Diano - 120,000
Arash Ghaneian - 114,000
Jason Dollinger - 110,500
Edward Brogdon - 104,500
Tam "Tommy" Hang - 92,000
Here is a bit of action from the final level of the day:
Razz
Razz Not Kind to Arash
Arash Ghaneian: 79210
Esther Rossi: 5Q98
Arash Ghaneian completed and Esther Rossi was the only caller. Ghaneian continued betting on every street until the river. When he was dealt his final card he slowly squeezed it and checked when he had seen what it was. Rossi, having checked her card, fired out a bet for the first time in the hand. Ghaneian called and she showed (A)(4)(3) for an 8-low. Rossi took down the pot and moved up to 130,000. Despite the hit, Ghaneian is still going strong with 110,000.
Stud
Joe Hachem Eliminated
Steven Diano: J1033
Joe Hachem: 2273
Diano completed at the outset with the J and James Schaaf raised with the Q. Joe Hachem, having brought in with the 2, called, and so did Diano. The turn paired Hachem’s upcard and he bet out. Diano called, and Schaaf, looking incredulously toward Hachem and Diano, folded. Hachem bet both fifth and sixth streets, putting himself all-in on the latter round. The two turned over their cards: Hachem showed (A)(K) for a pair of twos while Diano tabled (K)(9). Diano’s measly pair of threes was ahead going to seventh street. Hachem turned over his final card – the 8 – and made his exit from the Brasilia Room, but not before tearing into Diano's hand selection a bit: “Where were you going with that?”
Diano is up to 120,000.
Player Tags: Art Young, Matt Grapenthien, Tommy Hang, Phil Hellmuth, Victor Ramdin, Arash Ghaneian, Esther Rossi, Steven Diano, Joe Hachem, Edward Brogdon, James Schaaf, Jason Dollinger
$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - Day 2 - Level 17 Recap
Jun 30, '08
Note: Play will end for the night at the conclusion of level 18
Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha: 2,000-4,000 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8: 1,000 ante, 1,000 bring in, 4,000-8,000 stakes
Players Left: 26 of 803
Chip Leaders:
Phil Hellmuth - 190,000
Arash Ghaneian - 175,000
Matt Grapenthien - 125,000
Ed Tonnellier – 120,000
Art Young - 112,000
Jens Voertmann - 110,000
James Schaaf - 110,000
Randall Holland - 105,000
Phillip Penn Sr. - 99,000
Michael Scipione - 98,000
Edward Brogdon - 92,000
Average Stack: 92,650
Eliminations:
Alex Jacob
Allen Cunningham
Giovanni Rizzo
Big Hands and Storylines:
Stud
Hellmuth and Tonnellier Tangle Again
Ed Tonnellier: 7109K
Phil Hellmuth: 106AQ
“Omaha” Ed Tonnellier completed with the 7 and Hellmuth raised with the 10. Tonnellier put in a third bet and Hellmuth called. Tonnellier bet out on fourth street and was called by Hellmuth. Hellmuth was dealt an ace on fifth street and opted to check to Tonnellier, who bet. Hellmuth called. “OmahaEd” drew a king on sixth street and bet after Hellmuth checked. As Hellmuth sorted through his chips he asked, “You hit three kings?” Tonnellier replied, “If I hit three kings then why are you calling?” Hellmuth, never content to let anyone else get the last word in, said, “You might have aces. I hope you have aces,” before making the call. Hellmuth checked on seventh street, Tonnellier bet again, and Hellmuth folded. After the hand, Tonnellier showed his set of kings.
Hellmuth has 190,000 and Tonnellier has 120,000.
 Ramdin Gets Hang’d
Tommy Hang: A6K3
Victor Ramdin: QK109
The action picks up on fourth street where Hang bets into Ramdin and garners a call. The action plays out the same on fifth street. Hang slows down on sixth street when Ramdin’s board shows four to a straight, and both players check. Both players check on seventh street as well, and Hang turns over an ace for a pair of aces. Ramdin can only muster a pair of queens, and the pot is Hang’s.
After the pot, Hang was up to 60,000 and Ramdin was on life support with only 12,000.
Omaha/8b
Keith Sexton Doubles Up
Keith Sexton got all in on the turn against Giovanni Rizzo. The board read AJ92 and the two turned over their cards:
Rizzo: AKK4
Sexton: AQ32
The river was the 3 and Sexton avoided Rizzo’s slew of outs. Sexton doubled up to 60,000. Rizzo was knocked down to 20,000 and would be eliminated a short time later.
Player Tags: Randy Holland, Art Young, Phillip "JB" Penn Sr., Matt Grapenthien, Tommy Hang, Allen Cunningham, Ed Tonnellier, Phil Hellmuth, Victor Ramdin, Arash Ghaneian, Keith Sexton, Alex Jacob, Edward Brogdon, Jens Voertmann, Michael Scipione, James Schaaf
$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - Day 2 - Level 15 Recap
Jun 30, '08
Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha: 1,300-2,500 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8: 500 ante, 700 bring in, 2,500-5,000 stakes
Players Left: 45 of 803
Chip Leaders:
Phillip Penn Sr. - 125,000
Steven Diano - 103,000
Arash Ghaneian - 100,000
Joe Bolnick - 87,400
Jason Dollinger - 83,000
Jens Voertmann - 82,000
Randall Holland - 81,500
Allen Cunningham - 78,000
Cliff Pappas – 75,000
Average Stack: 53,525
Eliminations:
David Gee
Greg Jamison
Michael Binger
Big Hands and Storylines:
Hold’em
 Michael Binger vs. Phillip Penn Sr. - Part I
Phillip Penn Sr. raised to 5,000 from middle position and was re-raised by Michael Binger on his left. Penn made the call and they saw a flop of 633. Penn checked and Binger bet. Penn called. The turn was the J, and again Penn checked. Binger bet 5,000 and Penn check-raised him. Binger called, and then called another bet on the K river. Penn Sr. turned over 66 for a flopped full house. Binger showed his AA and, infuriated with the recent development, stormed away from the table, hitting a chair in the process. Binger was down to only 10,000 after that hand.
Omaha/8b
Michael Binger vs. Phillip Penn Sr. – Part II: The Reckoning
A few hands later, with the game having switched to Omaha/8b, William Penn Sr. opened with a raised from middle position which was again re-raised by Binger, who had less than a big bet behind. The flop came 1092 and Penn check-called. Penn check-called a bet of Binger’s final 200 chips on the turn (K) and the two showed their cards:
Binger: AA87
Penn: A876
Binger, in good shape, stood up and awaited the river card. The dealer laid out an 8 and Binger stared at the board for a moment to make sure what he saw was accurate: Penn hit one of his few outs to make a straight. As could be predicted, Binger was not happy, and he stormed from the table once again, this time for good.
Those two hands have propelled Penn to the chip lead with 125,000.
“Let’s Go”
Action folded around to Esther Rossi in the small blind who completed the bet and Jan Suchanek told the dealer, “Let’s go.” The dealer scooped in the two players’ blinds... and then Suchanek threw in a raise. Apparently, Suchanek’s declaration of “Let’s go” was intended as the precursor to a raise and not an indication of a check. After some squabbling between Rossi and Suchanek with the dealer serving as a slightly biased arbiter (after all, nobody likes admitting to a mistake) the floor was called over. After what seemed like hours of explanation to the dealer of what had transpired, it was ruled that uttering the phrase “Let’s go” alone does not indicate a check and that the raise would stand.
After all of that was settled, there was some poker to be played. The dealer put out a flop of A106 and Rossi check-called a bet from Suchanek. Action went check-call again on the K turn, and then both players checked the 10 on the river. Suchanek showed A443 for a pair of aces and that was good enough to take down the pot. Rossi, with 48,000, still has a bit more chips than Suchanek, who has 30,000.
Player Tags: Randy Holland, Phillip "JB" Penn Sr., Allen Cunningham, Greg Jamison, Arash Ghaneian, David Gee, Esther Rossi, Cliff Pappas, Steven Diano, Michael Binger, Jan Suchanek, Jens Voertmann, Joseph Bolnick, Jason Dollinger
$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - Day 2 - Level 14 Recap
Jun 30, '08
Note: The players are now on a 20 minute break
Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha: 1,000-2,000 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8: 500 ante, 500 bring in, 2,000-4,000 stakes
Players Left: 54 of 803
Chip Leaders:
Arash Ghaneian - 102,000
David Gee - 97,000
James Schaaf - 91,000
Chad Brown - 86,000
Phillip Penn Sr. - 82,000
Joe Bolnick -82,000
Jason Dollinger - 81,300
Steven Diano - 78,000
Ed Tonnellier - 76,000
Cliff Pappas – 76,000
Average Stack: 44,600
Eliminations:
Mike Matusow
Big Hands and Storylines:
Hold’em
 The Unsinkable Chad Brown
Tommy Hang raised from the cutoff and Chad Brown re-raised from the small blind. Hang called and the two of them saw a flop. The flop came down QJ3. Brown bet, Hang raised, and Brown called. The turn was the Q and Brown checked to Hang. Hang bet and was quickly raised by Brown. Hang called, and then again called on the 9 river. Brown triumphantly showed AA and Hang mucked his hand.
Omaha/8b
Ramdin Raises River, Reaps Rewards
Victor Ramdin raised pre-flop and was called by James Schaaf in late position. Both players checked the 1095 flop. Ramdin then check-called a bet on the K turn. On the river (9), Ramdin checked for the third time, eliciting a bet from Schaaf. On this street, however, Ramdin raised. Schaaf glowered, knowing that he was beat, and slid his cards into the muck. The hand brings Ramdin up to 33,000.
Mike Matusow Eliminated
On a flop of JJ7, Mike Matusow moved his final 6,000 chips in from the big blind. David Gee and Steven Diano both called. The turn was the 9 and Gee bet, Diano raised, Gee 3-bet, and Diano called. While this was going on, Mike Matusow was announcing to Phil Hellmuth at an adjacent table that he was about to be knocked out. On the river (6) Gee bet and Diano called. Diano asked, “Do you have J-9?” Gee turned over two of his cards: a jack and a nine. Diano angrily threw his J-7 toward the middle of the table. Mike Matusow, meanwhile, was busy showing everyone within view his AA82, saying that if he was going out, that at least he was going out getting most of his chips in pre-flop with that hand. With Matusow’s exit, the room will be a little more subdued, but much less interesting.
Player Tags: Phillip "JB" Penn Sr., Ed Tonnellier, Victor Ramdin, Arash Ghaneian, David Gee, Cliff Pappas, Steven Diano, James Schaaf, Joe Bolnick, Jason Dollinger
$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - Day 2 - Level 13 Recap
Jun 30, '08
Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha: 800-1,500 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8: 300 ante, 500 bring in, 1,500-3,000 stakes
Players Left: 75 of 803
Chip Leaders:
James Schaaf - 91,000
Chad Brown - 86,000
Arash Ghaneian - 76,000
Mike Baxley - 65,000
Ed Tonnellier - 64,000
John Cutter - 61,500
David Gee - 56,000
Phil Hellmuth Jr. - 55,000
Art Young - 52,000
Allen Enciso - 51,000
Average Stack: 32,120
Eliminations:
Eugene Katchalov
Jan Sjavik
Big Hands and Storylines:
Omaha/8b
Eugene Katchalov Eliminated
Eugene Katchalov was all-in pre-flop against three opponents. Two players made it to showdown and they showed KKQ3 and A1052; the former had a pair of kings for high and the latter had the nut low. Katchalov, who had stood up and shook his neighbor’s hand before the river had even been dealt, was, predictably, eliminated.
 Phil Hellmuth Eliminates Jan Sjavik
Jan Sjavik was all-in preflop for about 6,000 against Phil Hellmuth. The two turned over their cards before the flop:
Sjavik: AQ52
Hellmuth: AKJ2
The flop was A106, the turn was the 10, at which point Hellmuth notified the table (and, judging by the volume of his voice, several nearby tables) that he had already clinched the high. The river was the 2, which did not deliver Sjavik a low, and he was eliminated. Hellmuth is now up to 60,000.
Razz
Michael Binger, Meet Razz
Binger: 44A
Opponent: 34J
The player in the 6 seat completed showing the 3 and Michael Binger called in the 1 seat with the 4. The 6 seat, drawing a 4 on fourth street, bet into the Binger, who had paired his four. Binger called. His opponent then bet fifth street. Binger angrily fired his up cards face-down onto the table and conceded the hand. Binger is now down to 20,000.
Player Tags: Art Young, Ed Tonnellier, Phil Hellmuth, Arash Ghaneian, Jan Sjavik, David Gee, Eugene Katchalov, Michael Binger, Allen Enciso, Mike Baxley, John Cutter, James Schaaf
$1,500 HORSE - Final Day - Level 20
Jul 01, '08
Blinds/Antes: Razz, Stud – Ante: 2000, Bring: 2000, Complete: 8000. Hold’em – Blinds: 4000/8000
Players Remaining: 13 of 803
Chip Leaders:
Phil Hellmuth - 420000
Tommy Hang - 282000
Victor Ramdin - 275000
Sam Silverman - 245000
James Schaaf - 205000
Matt Grapenthien - 170000
Edward Brogdon - 155000
Jason Dollinger - 145000
Esther Rossi - 130000
Phillip Penn Sr. - 130000
Eliminations:
Stephen Wolff Eliminated in 17th Place ($6,686)
Art Young Eliminated in 16th Place ($8,878)
Keith Sexton Eliminated in 15th Place ($8,878)
Arash Ghaneian Eliminated in 14th Place ($11,070)
Big Hands:
Stephen Wolff Eliminated in 17th Place ($6,686)
As the remaining players continued to battle down to final table play, Stephen Wolff made his exit during the hold’em round. Wolff got it all in with Phillip Penn on a flop of As8c3h and turned over Ad5c. Penn showed 8s3s for bottom two pair. The turn and river blanked for Wolff, and he earned $6,686 for his 17th place finish.
 Art Young Eliminated in 16th Place ($8,878)
Lonnie Heimowitz’s ten-seven low was good enough to eliminate Art Young during the razz round. Young earned $8,878 for his 16th place finish.
Keith Sexton Eliminated in 15th Place ($8,878)
Steve Diano continued his elimination binge by taking aim on Keith Sexton during the razz round. Diano eliminated Sexton when his eight-low was good against Sexton’s ten-low. Sexton earned $8,878 for his 15th place finish.
Arash Ghaneian Eliminated in 14th Place ($11,070)
Arash Ghaneian was eliminated as the prize amounts continued to rise, earning an $11,070 payday in the stud round when Matt Grapenthein’s two pair, queens and jacks, caused Ghaneian to muck his hole cards.
Player Tags: Art Young, Phil Hellmuth, Victor Ramdin, Arash Ghaneian, Keith Sexton, Steve Wolff, European Report
|
| Jun 30, '08 |
2008 39th Annual World Series of Poker |
Event 51 - H.O.R.S.E. |
2 |
+ |
$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - End of Day 1
Jun 29, '08
Big Hands and Storylines:
An astounding 803 players entered today’s $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. event, surpassing all expectations. Eliminations were hard to find in the first two or three levels, but the pace picked up in the second half of the day. By the conclusion of day 1, only 184 players were left with a chance of taking home the World Series bracelet.
A very familiar name sits atop the leaderboard: Phil Hellmuth concluded the day with an impressive 43,000 chips. Winning this event would give Hellmuth a 12th bracelet, further distancing him from Brunson and Chan. In addition, this would be Hellmuth’s first World Series win in a non-hold’em event.
Other big names that Hellmuth will need to contend with to take the title down include:
Joe Hachem - 25,000
Thomas Hunt - 25,000
Victor Ramdin - 23,600
Chad Brown - 22,000
Keith Sexton - 22,000
Arash Ghaneian - 21,000
Michael Craig - 20,000
Esther Taylor - 20,000
Perry Friedman - 18,500
Average Stack: 13,100
Action will resume tomorrow at 3 p.m and play will continue until the final table is reached.
Here is one final hand from day 1 action:
Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha: 300-500 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8: 100 ante, 200 bring in, 500-1,000 stakes
Hold’em
Matusow Gets An Unexpected Out
Mike Matusow raised from late position and was called by a player in the cutoff. The flop came down 1084. Matusow checked and the cutoff checked behind. The turn was the 2 and Matusow bet out. He was raised by the player in the one seat and he quickly called. The river was the 7 and both players checked without much thought. Matusow showed 75 for a pair of sevens. His opponent tabled A-Q and Matusow’s hand stood up despite missing both his straight and flush draws. That hand brought Mike Matusow up to 11,000 at day’s end. Matusow summed up his day succinctly when he said, “I couldn’t have played better and I couldn’t have felt worse.”
Player Tags: Mike Matusow, Phil Hellmuth, Victor Ramdin, Arash Ghaneian, Keith Sexton, Perry Friedman, Thomas Hunt, Michael Craig, Esther Taylor
$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - Day 1 - Level 7 Recap
Jun 29, '08
Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha: 200-400 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8: 100 ante, 100 bring in, 400-800 stakes
Players Left: 224 of 803
Chip Leaders:
Victor Ramdin - 23,000
Arash Ghaneian - 22,900
Phil Hellmuth Jr. - 19,000
Chad Brown - 18,000
Keith Sexton - 17,000
Mary Jones - 17,000
Perry Friedman - 15,200
John Juanda - 15,000
Eugene Katchalov - 14,100
Michael Binger - 12,500
Average Stack: 10,750
Eliminations:
Brian Micon
David Sklansky
Isabelle Mercier
Big Hands and Storylines:
Table 28: The Place To Be
Though table 28 has lost David Chiu since we last left them, that doesn’t mean that the action has slowed down any. Victor Ramdin has been getting in a number of pots while David Sklansky has remained his usual tight, mathematically sound self (edit: until he was eliminated late in the level). And with Bryan Micon and Mike Matusow providing an endless soundtrack for the players and rail alike, this table is worth keeping tabs on even while the dealer is shuffling the cards. A series of entertaining hands took place in rapid succession during the seven-card-stud eight or better round. Here are those hands:
The Mouth Approves
Going into fourth street with a 7 against Victor Ramdin’s 5 and another player’s 4, Matusow, short-stacked, implored of the dealer, “I really need an ace on this next street.” The dealer gave the first player a K, Ramdin the T, and, to Matusow’s delight, he was delivered the A. He exploded, “That’s how to deal this game dealer!” Matusow bet out with his newfound confidence and the first player folded quickly. While Ramdin was thinking over his decision, Matusow kept up that chatter, saying that he didn’t care whether Ramdin called or not, that either way was good for him. Eventually though, Ramdin folded and Matusow raked in the pot.
A Dramatic Finale... Or Not
Ramdin: 58AK
Matusow: 103J8
Victor Ramdin completed with the 5 and Matusow raised with the 10. Ramdin called. Matusow bet fourth street, Ramdin raised, and Matusow called. Ramdin bet fifth street and Matusow called; the same happened on sixth street, only this time Matusow had no further chips to bet. Ramdin showed (Q)(J) and Matusow, professing to having a pair of tens, called for Ramdin to catch “any baby red.” Matusow flipped up his cards: (A)(10). Matusow did have a pair of tens, but the fact that he also had an ace-high flush had completely escaped him until that moment. “I already have a flush!” The only card that Ramdin could catch to win the pot was the A, and when his final card blanked, the 8,000 chip pot was Matusow’s. After the hand, Matusow continued on about his myopia (figuratively, though I believe he is also near-sighted): “I didn’t even know I had it! I knew I had ten-ten-ace...” Fortunately for Matusow he was all-in by the end of the hand anyway, so he didn’t miss gaining an extra bet anywhere.
Ramdwn’d
As Bryan Micon waxed about one of his recent bad beats, Matusow interrupted him and told him that he wasn’t allowed to tell any bad beat stories at the table. In fact, Matusow asserted, Micon was never in front during the hand; Ramdin was the favorite the entire way through. Micon explained his thought process during the hand, “I knew I was beat high but I had infinite odds; I was trying to scoop low.” At just that moment the fairly subdued Ramdin piped in with some of his own bombast. He averred, “You’re playing against Victor Ramdin. You’re not supposed to scoop the low.” This comment earned a (much coveted) high five from Mike Matusow. By the end of the level Ramdin was chip leader with 23,000, so he had reason to be cocksure.
Micon Gone
Bryan Micon found his remaining 1,200 chips all-in against an opponent on 4th street with the following cards:
Micon: (K)(9)K10
Opponent: (A)(6)8A
Micon needed two-pair to escape elimination, but things took a turn for the worse just seconds later when his opponent was dealt the 8 for aces up. “You are in a world of hurt, my friend,” opined Matusow, despite Micon drawing the 10. Matusow was right, and Micon’s final card blanked. Micon, one of the chip leaders during the early stages of the day, could not quite make it to the end of day 1.
Player Tags: John Juanda, Mike Matusow, Phil Hellmuth, Victor Ramdin, Arash Ghaneian, Keith Sexton, Perry Friedman, Isabelle Mercier, Eugene Katchalov, Mary Jones, Michael Binger, Brian Micon
$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - End of Day 2
Jun 30, '08
The big story of day 2 was, once again, Phil Hellmuth. Coming into the day as chip leader, he floundered for a bit, relinquishing the lead for most of the day, but ultimately picked himself up by the bootstraps and strode back to the top. By the conclusion of the day, Hellmuth would not only be chip leader once again, but his chip stack would tower over most his competitors’.
With 21 players left, Hellmuth has a real chance of picking up his 12th bracelet, and his first in a non-hold’em event. The final 21 players will return tomorrow at 3 p.m. PST to play for the $256,412 and World Series of Poker bracelet.
Here is an unofficial list of chip leaders heading into tomorrow’s final day:
Phil Hellmuth Jr. - 287,500
James Schaaf - 236,500
Art Young - 175,000
Victor Ramdin - 158,500
Matt Grapenthien - 151,000
Esther Rossi - 133,500
Steven Diano - 120,000
Arash Ghaneian - 114,000
Jason Dollinger - 110,500
Edward Brogdon - 104,500
Tam "Tommy" Hang - 92,000
Here is a bit of action from the final level of the day:
Razz
Razz Not Kind to Arash
Arash Ghaneian: 79210
Esther Rossi: 5Q98
Arash Ghaneian completed and Esther Rossi was the only caller. Ghaneian continued betting on every street until the river. When he was dealt his final card he slowly squeezed it and checked when he had seen what it was. Rossi, having checked her card, fired out a bet for the first time in the hand. Ghaneian called and she showed (A)(4)(3) for an 8-low. Rossi took down the pot and moved up to 130,000. Despite the hit, Ghaneian is still going strong with 110,000.
Stud
Joe Hachem Eliminated
Steven Diano: J1033
Joe Hachem: 2273
Diano completed at the outset with the J and James Schaaf raised with the Q. Joe Hachem, having brought in with the 2, called, and so did Diano. The turn paired Hachem’s upcard and he bet out. Diano called, and Schaaf, looking incredulously toward Hachem and Diano, folded. Hachem bet both fifth and sixth streets, putting himself all-in on the latter round. The two turned over their cards: Hachem showed (A)(K) for a pair of twos while Diano tabled (K)(9). Diano’s measly pair of threes was ahead going to seventh street. Hachem turned over his final card – the 8 – and made his exit from the Brasilia Room, but not before tearing into Diano's hand selection a bit: “Where were you going with that?”
Diano is up to 120,000.
Player Tags: Art Young, Matt Grapenthien, Tommy Hang, Phil Hellmuth, Victor Ramdin, Arash Ghaneian, Esther Rossi, Steven Diano, Joe Hachem, Edward Brogdon, James Schaaf, Jason Dollinger
$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - Day 2 - Level 17 Recap
Jun 30, '08
Note: Play will end for the night at the conclusion of level 18
Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha: 2,000-4,000 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8: 1,000 ante, 1,000 bring in, 4,000-8,000 stakes
Players Left: 26 of 803
Chip Leaders:
Phil Hellmuth - 190,000
Arash Ghaneian - 175,000
Matt Grapenthien - 125,000
Ed Tonnellier – 120,000
Art Young - 112,000
Jens Voertmann - 110,000
James Schaaf - 110,000
Randall Holland - 105,000
Phillip Penn Sr. - 99,000
Michael Scipione - 98,000
Edward Brogdon - 92,000
Average Stack: 92,650
Eliminations:
Alex Jacob
Allen Cunningham
Giovanni Rizzo
Big Hands and Storylines:
Stud
Hellmuth and Tonnellier Tangle Again
Ed Tonnellier: 7109K
Phil Hellmuth: 106AQ
“Omaha” Ed Tonnellier completed with the 7 and Hellmuth raised with the 10. Tonnellier put in a third bet and Hellmuth called. Tonnellier bet out on fourth street and was called by Hellmuth. Hellmuth was dealt an ace on fifth street and opted to check to Tonnellier, who bet. Hellmuth called. “OmahaEd” drew a king on sixth street and bet after Hellmuth checked. As Hellmuth sorted through his chips he asked, “You hit three kings?” Tonnellier replied, “If I hit three kings then why are you calling?” Hellmuth, never content to let anyone else get the last word in, said, “You might have aces. I hope you have aces,” before making the call. Hellmuth checked on seventh street, Tonnellier bet again, and Hellmuth folded. After the hand, Tonnellier showed his set of kings.
Hellmuth has 190,000 and Tonnellier has 120,000.
Ramdin Gets Hang’d
Tommy Hang: A6K3
Victor Ramdin: QK109
The action picks up on fourth street where Hang bets into Ramdin and garners a call. The action plays out the same on fifth street. Hang slows down on sixth street when Ramdin’s board shows four to a straight, and both players check. Both players check on seventh street as well, and Hang turns over an ace for a pair of aces. Ramdin can only muster a pair of queens, and the pot is Hang’s.
After the pot, Hang was up to 60,000 and Ramdin was on life support with only 12,000.
Omaha/8b
Keith Sexton Doubles Up
Keith Sexton got all in on the turn against Giovanni Rizzo. The board read AJ92 and the two turned over their cards:
Rizzo: AKK4
Sexton: AQ32
The river was the 3 and Sexton avoided Rizzo’s slew of outs. Sexton doubled up to 60,000. Rizzo was knocked down to 20,000 and would be eliminated a short time later.
Player Tags: Randy Holland, Art Young, Phillip "JB" Penn Sr., Matt Grapenthien, Tommy Hang, Allen Cunningham, Ed Tonnellier, Phil Hellmuth, Victor Ramdin, Arash Ghaneian, Keith Sexton, Alex Jacob, Edward Brogdon, Jens Voertmann, Michael Scipione, James Schaaf
$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - Day 2 - Level 15 Recap
Jun 30, '08
Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha: 1,300-2,500 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8: 500 ante, 700 bring in, 2,500-5,000 stakes
Players Left: 45 of 803
Chip Leaders:
Phillip Penn Sr. - 125,000
Steven Diano - 103,000
Arash Ghaneian - 100,000
Joe Bolnick - 87,400
Jason Dollinger - 83,000
Jens Voertmann - 82,000
Randall Holland - 81,500
Allen Cunningham - 78,000
Cliff Pappas – 75,000
Average Stack: 53,525
Eliminations:
David Gee
Greg Jamison
Michael Binger
Big Hands and Storylines:
Hold’em
Michael Binger vs. Phillip Penn Sr. - Part I
Phillip Penn Sr. raised to 5,000 from middle position and was re-raised by Michael Binger on his left. Penn made the call and they saw a flop of 633. Penn checked and Binger bet. Penn called. The turn was the J, and again Penn checked. Binger bet 5,000 and Penn check-raised him. Binger called, and then called another bet on the K river. Penn Sr. turned over 66 for a flopped full house. Binger showed his AA and, infuriated with the recent development, stormed away from the table, hitting a chair in the process. Binger was down to only 10,000 after that hand.
Omaha/8b
Michael Binger vs. Phillip Penn Sr. – Part II: The Reckoning
A few hands later, with the game having switched to Omaha/8b, William Penn Sr. opened with a raised from middle position which was again re-raised by Binger, who had less than a big bet behind. The flop came 1092 and Penn check-called. Penn check-called a bet of Binger’s final 200 chips on the turn (K) and the two showed their cards:
Binger: AA87
Penn: A876
Binger, in good shape, stood up and awaited the river card. The dealer laid out an 8 and Binger stared at the board for a moment to make sure what he saw was accurate: Penn hit one of his few outs to make a straight. As could be predicted, Binger was not happy, and he stormed from the table once again, this time for good.
Those two hands have propelled Penn to the chip lead with 125,000.
“Let’s Go”
Action folded around to Esther Rossi in the small blind who completed the bet and Jan Suchanek told the dealer, “Let’s go.” The dealer scooped in the two players’ blinds... and then Suchanek threw in a raise. Apparently, Suchanek’s declaration of “Let’s go” was intended as the precursor to a raise and not an indication of a check. After some squabbling between Rossi and Suchanek with the dealer serving as a slightly biased arbiter (after all, nobody likes admitting to a mistake) the floor was called over. After what seemed like hours of explanation to the dealer of what had transpired, it was ruled that uttering the phrase “Let’s go” alone does not indicate a check and that the raise would stand.
After all of that was settled, there was some poker to be played. The dealer put out a flop of A106 and Rossi check-called a bet from Suchanek. Action went check-call again on the K turn, and then both players checked the 10 on the river. Suchanek showed A443 for a pair of aces and that was good enough to take down the pot. Rossi, with 48,000, still has a bit more chips than Suchanek, who has 30,000.
Player Tags: Randy Holland, Phillip "JB" Penn Sr., Allen Cunningham, Greg Jamison, Arash Ghaneian, David Gee, Esther Rossi, Cliff Pappas, Steven Diano, Michael Binger, Jan Suchanek, Jens Voertmann, Joseph Bolnick, Jason Dollinger
$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - Day 2 - Level 14 Recap
Jun 30, '08
Note: The players are now on a 20 minute break
Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha: 1,000-2,000 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8: 500 ante, 500 bring in, 2,000-4,000 stakes
Players Left: 54 of 803
Chip Leaders:
Arash Ghaneian - 102,000
David Gee - 97,000
James Schaaf - 91,000
Chad Brown - 86,000
Phillip Penn Sr. - 82,000
Joe Bolnick -82,000
Jason Dollinger - 81,300
Steven Diano - 78,000
Ed Tonnellier - 76,000
Cliff Pappas – 76,000
Average Stack: 44,600
Eliminations:
Mike Matusow
Big Hands and Storylines:
Hold’em
The Unsinkable Chad Brown
Tommy Hang raised from the cutoff and Chad Brown re-raised from the small blind. Hang called and the two of them saw a flop. The flop came down QJ3. Brown bet, Hang raised, and Brown called. The turn was the Q and Brown checked to Hang. Hang bet and was quickly raised by Brown. Hang called, and then again called on the 9 river. Brown triumphantly showed AA and Hang mucked his hand.
Omaha/8b
Ramdin Raises River, Reaps Rewards
Victor Ramdin raised pre-flop and was called by James Schaaf in late position. Both players checked the 1095 flop. Ramdin then check-called a bet on the K turn. On the river (9), Ramdin checked for the third time, eliciting a bet from Schaaf. On this street, however, Ramdin raised. Schaaf glowered, knowing that he was beat, and slid his cards into the muck. The hand brings Ramdin up to 33,000.
Mike Matusow Eliminated
On a flop of JJ7, Mike Matusow moved his final 6,000 chips in from the big blind. David Gee and Steven Diano both called. The turn was the 9 and Gee bet, Diano raised, Gee 3-bet, and Diano called. While this was going on, Mike Matusow was announcing to Phil Hellmuth at an adjacent table that he was about to be knocked out. On the river (6) Gee bet and Diano called. Diano asked, “Do you have J-9?” Gee turned over two of his cards: a jack and a nine. Diano angrily threw his J-7 toward the middle of the table. Mike Matusow, meanwhile, was busy showing everyone within view his AA82, saying that if he was going out, that at least he was going out getting most of his chips in pre-flop with that hand. With Matusow’s exit, the room will be a little more subdued, but much less interesting.
Player Tags: Phillip "JB" Penn Sr., Ed Tonnellier, Victor Ramdin, Arash Ghaneian, David Gee, Cliff Pappas, Steven Diano, James Schaaf, Joe Bolnick, Jason Dollinger
$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - Day 2 - Level 13 Recap
Jun 30, '08
Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha: 800-1,500 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8: 300 ante, 500 bring in, 1,500-3,000 stakes
Players Left: 75 of 803
Chip Leaders:
James Schaaf - 91,000
Chad Brown - 86,000
Arash Ghaneian - 76,000
Mike Baxley - 65,000
Ed Tonnellier - 64,000
John Cutter - 61,500
David Gee - 56,000
Phil Hellmuth Jr. - 55,000
Art Young - 52,000
Allen Enciso - 51,000
Average Stack: 32,120
Eliminations:
Eugene Katchalov
Jan Sjavik
Big Hands and Storylines:
Omaha/8b
Eugene Katchalov Eliminated
Eugene Katchalov was all-in pre-flop against three opponents. Two players made it to showdown and they showed KKQ3 and A1052; the former had a pair of kings for high and the latter had the nut low. Katchalov, who had stood up and shook his neighbor’s hand before the river had even been dealt, was, predictably, eliminated.
Phil Hellmuth Eliminates Jan Sjavik
Jan Sjavik was all-in preflop for about 6,000 against Phil Hellmuth. The two turned over their cards before the flop:
Sjavik: AQ52
Hellmuth: AKJ2
The flop was A106, the turn was the 10, at which point Hellmuth notified the table (and, judging by the volume of his voice, several nearby tables) that he had already clinched the high. The river was the 2, which did not deliver Sjavik a low, and he was eliminated. Hellmuth is now up to 60,000.
Razz
Michael Binger, Meet Razz
Binger: 44A
Opponent: 34J
The player in the 6 seat completed showing the 3 and Michael Binger called in the 1 seat with the 4. The 6 seat, drawing a 4 on fourth street, bet into the Binger, who had paired his four. Binger called. His opponent then bet fifth street. Binger angrily fired his up cards face-down onto the table and conceded the hand. Binger is now down to 20,000.
Player Tags: Art Young, Ed Tonnellier, Phil Hellmuth, Arash Ghaneian, Jan Sjavik, David Gee, Eugene Katchalov, Michael Binger, Allen Enciso, Mike Baxley, John Cutter, James Schaaf
$1,500 HORSE - Final Day - Level 20
Jul 01, '08
Blinds/Antes: Razz, Stud – Ante: 2000, Bring: 2000, Complete: 8000. Hold’em – Blinds: 4000/8000
Players Remaining: 13 of 803
Chip Leaders:
Phil Hellmuth - 420000
Tommy Hang - 282000
Victor Ramdin - 275000
Sam Silverman - 245000
James Schaaf - 205000
Matt Grapenthien - 170000
Edward Brogdon - 155000
Jason Dollinger - 145000
Esther Rossi - 130000
Phillip Penn Sr. - 130000
Eliminations:
Stephen Wolff Eliminated in 17th Place ($6,686)
Art Young Eliminated in 16th Place ($8,878)
Keith Sexton Eliminated in 15th Place ($8,878)
Arash Ghaneian Eliminated in 14th Place ($11,070)
Big Hands:
Stephen Wolff Eliminated in 17th Place ($6,686)
As the remaining players continued to battle down to final table play, Stephen Wolff made his exit during the hold’em round. Wolff got it all in with Phillip Penn on a flop of As8c3h and turned over Ad5c. Penn showed 8s3s for bottom two pair. The turn and river blanked for Wolff, and he earned $6,686 for his 17th place finish.
Art Young Eliminated in 16th Place ($8,878)
Lonnie Heimowitz’s ten-seven low was good enough to eliminate Art Young during the razz round. Young earned $8,878 for his 16th place finish.
Keith Sexton Eliminated in 15th Place ($8,878)
Steve Diano continued his elimination binge by taking aim on Keith Sexton during the razz round. Diano eliminated Sexton when his eight-low was good against Sexton’s ten-low. Sexton earned $8,878 for his 15th place finish.
Arash Ghaneian Eliminated in 14th Place ($11,070)
Arash Ghaneian was eliminated as the prize amounts continued to rise, earning an $11,070 payday in the stud round when Matt Grapenthein’s two pair, queens and jacks, caused Ghaneian to muck his hole cards.
Player Tags: Art Young, Phil Hellmuth, Victor Ramdin, Arash Ghaneian, Keith Sexton, Steve Wolff, European Report
|
| Jun 29, '08 |
2008 39th Annual World Series of Poker |
Event 51 - H.O.R.S.E. |
1 |
+ |
$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - End of Day 1
Jun 29, '08
Big Hands and Storylines:
An astounding 803 players entered today’s $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. event, surpassing all expectations. Eliminations were hard to find in the first two or three levels, but the pace picked up in the second half of the day. By the conclusion of day 1, only 184 players were left with a chance of taking home the World Series bracelet.
A very familiar name sits atop the leaderboard: Phil Hellmuth concluded the day with an impressive 43,000 chips. Winning this event would give Hellmuth a 12th bracelet, further distancing him from Brunson and Chan. In addition, this would be Hellmuth’s first World Series win in a non-hold’em event.
Other big names that Hellmuth will need to contend with to take the title down include:
Joe Hachem - 25,000
Thomas Hunt - 25,000
Victor Ramdin - 23,600
Chad Brown - 22,000
Keith Sexton - 22,000
Arash Ghaneian - 21,000
Michael Craig - 20,000
Esther Taylor - 20,000
Perry Friedman - 18,500
Average Stack: 13,100
Action will resume tomorrow at 3 p.m and play will continue until the final table is reached.
Here is one final hand from day 1 action:
Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha: 300-500 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8: 100 ante, 200 bring in, 500-1,000 stakes
Hold’em
Matusow Gets An Unexpected Out
Mike Matusow raised from late position and was called by a player in the cutoff. The flop came down 1084. Matusow checked and the cutoff checked behind. The turn was the 2 and Matusow bet out. He was raised by the player in the one seat and he quickly called. The river was the 7 and both players checked without much thought. Matusow showed 75 for a pair of sevens. His opponent tabled A-Q and Matusow’s hand stood up despite missing both his straight and flush draws. That hand brought Mike Matusow up to 11,000 at day’s end. Matusow summed up his day succinctly when he said, “I couldn’t have played better and I couldn’t have felt worse.”
Player Tags: Mike Matusow, Phil Hellmuth, Victor Ramdin, Arash Ghaneian, Keith Sexton, Perry Friedman, Thomas Hunt, Michael Craig, Esther Taylor
$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - Day 1 - Level 7 Recap
Jun 29, '08
Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha: 200-400 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8: 100 ante, 100 bring in, 400-800 stakes
Players Left: 224 of 803
Chip Leaders:
Victor Ramdin - 23,000
Arash Ghaneian - 22,900
Phil Hellmuth Jr. - 19,000
Chad Brown - 18,000
Keith Sexton - 17,000
Mary Jones - 17,000
Perry Friedman - 15,200
John Juanda - 15,000
Eugene Katchalov - 14,100
Michael Binger - 12,500
Average Stack: 10,750
Eliminations:
Brian Micon
David Sklansky
Isabelle Mercier
Big Hands and Storylines:
Table 28: The Place To Be
Though table 28 has lost David Chiu since we last left them, that doesn’t mean that the action has slowed down any. Victor Ramdin has been getting in a number of pots while David Sklansky has remained his usual tight, mathematically sound self (edit: until he was eliminated late in the level). And with Bryan Micon and Mike Matusow providing an endless soundtrack for the players and rail alike, this table is worth keeping tabs on even while the dealer is shuffling the cards. A series of entertaining hands took place in rapid succession during the seven-card-stud eight or better round. Here are those hands:
The Mouth Approves
Going into fourth street with a 7 against Victor Ramdin’s 5 and another player’s 4, Matusow, short-stacked, implored of the dealer, “I really need an ace on this next street.” The dealer gave the first player a K, Ramdin the T, and, to Matusow’s delight, he was delivered the A. He exploded, “That’s how to deal this game dealer!” Matusow bet out with his newfound confidence and the first player folded quickly. While Ramdin was thinking over his decision, Matusow kept up that chatter, saying that he didn’t care whether Ramdin called or not, that either way was good for him. Eventually though, Ramdin folded and Matusow raked in the pot.
A Dramatic Finale... Or Not
Ramdin: 58AK
Matusow: 103J8
Victor Ramdin completed with the 5 and Matusow raised with the 10. Ramdin called. Matusow bet fourth street, Ramdin raised, and Matusow called. Ramdin bet fifth street and Matusow called; the same happened on sixth street, only this time Matusow had no further chips to bet. Ramdin showed (Q)(J) and Matusow, professing to having a pair of tens, called for Ramdin to catch “any baby red.” Matusow flipped up his cards: (A)(10). Matusow did have a pair of tens, but the fact that he also had an ace-high flush had completely escaped him until that moment. “I already have a flush!” The only card that Ramdin could catch to win the pot was the A, and when his final card blanked, the 8,000 chip pot was Matusow’s. After the hand, Matusow continued on about his myopia (figuratively, though I believe he is also near-sighted): “I didn’t even know I had it! I knew I had ten-ten-ace...” Fortunately for Matusow he was all-in by the end of the hand anyway, so he didn’t miss gaining an extra bet anywhere.
Ramdwn’d
As Bryan Micon waxed about one of his recent bad beats, Matusow interrupted him and told him that he wasn’t allowed to tell any bad beat stories at the table. In fact, Matusow asserted, Micon was never in front during the hand; Ramdin was the favorite the entire way through. Micon explained his thought process during the hand, “I knew I was beat high but I had infinite odds; I was trying to scoop low.” At just that moment the fairly subdued Ramdin piped in with some of his own bombast. He averred, “You’re playing against Victor Ramdin. You’re not supposed to scoop the low.” This comment earned a (much coveted) high five from Mike Matusow. By the end of the level Ramdin was chip leader with 23,000, so he had reason to be cocksure.
Micon Gone
Bryan Micon found his remaining 1,200 chips all-in against an opponent on 4th street with the following cards:
Micon: (K)(9)K10
Opponent: (A)(6)8A
Micon needed two-pair to escape elimination, but things took a turn for the worse just seconds later when his opponent was dealt the 8 for aces up. “You are in a world of hurt, my friend,” opined Matusow, despite Micon drawing the 10. Matusow was right, and Micon’s final card blanked. Micon, one of the chip leaders during the early stages of the day, could not quite make it to the end of day 1.
Player Tags: John Juanda, Mike Matusow, Phil Hellmuth, Victor Ramdin, Arash Ghaneian, Keith Sexton, Perry Friedman, Isabelle Mercier, Eugene Katchalov, Mary Jones, Michael Binger, Brian Micon
$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - End of Day 2
Jun 30, '08
The big story of day 2 was, once again, Phil Hellmuth. Coming into the day as chip leader, he floundered for a bit, relinquishing the lead for most of the day, but ultimately picked himself up by the bootstraps and strode back to the top. By the conclusion of the day, Hellmuth would not only be chip leader once again, but his chip stack would tower over most his competitors’.
With 21 players left, Hellmuth has a real chance of picking up his 12th bracelet, and his first in a non-hold’em event. The final 21 players will return tomorrow at 3 p.m. PST to play for the $256,412 and World Series of Poker bracelet.
Here is an unofficial list of chip leaders heading into tomorrow’s final day:
Phil Hellmuth Jr. - 287,500
James Schaaf - 236,500
Art Young - 175,000
Victor Ramdin - 158,500
Matt Grapenthien - 151,000
Esther Rossi - 133,500
Steven Diano - 120,000
Arash Ghaneian - 114,000
Jason Dollinger - 110,500
Edward Brogdon - 104,500
Tam "Tommy" Hang - 92,000
Here is a bit of action from the final level of the day:
Razz
Razz Not Kind to Arash
Arash Ghaneian: 79210
Esther Rossi: 5Q98
Arash Ghaneian completed and Esther Rossi was the only caller. Ghaneian continued betting on every street until the river. When he was dealt his final card he slowly squeezed it and checked when he had seen what it was. Rossi, having checked her card, fired out a bet for the first time in the hand. Ghaneian called and she showed (A)(4)(3) for an 8-low. Rossi took down the pot and moved up to 130,000. Despite the hit, Ghaneian is still going strong with 110,000.
Stud
Joe Hachem Eliminated
Steven Diano: J1033
Joe Hachem: 2273
Diano completed at the outset with the J and James Schaaf raised with the Q. Joe Hachem, having brought in with the 2, called, and so did Diano. The turn paired Hachem’s upcard and he bet out. Diano called, and Schaaf, looking incredulously toward Hachem and Diano, folded. Hachem bet both fifth and sixth streets, putting himself all-in on the latter round. The two turned over their cards: Hachem showed (A)(K) for a pair of twos while Diano tabled (K)(9). Diano’s measly pair of threes was ahead going to seventh street. Hachem turned over his final card – the 8 – and made his exit from the Brasilia Room, but not before tearing into Diano's hand selection a bit: “Where were you going with that?”
Diano is up to 120,000.
Player Tags: Art Young, Matt Grapenthien, Tommy Hang, Phil Hellmuth, Victor Ramdin, Arash Ghaneian, Esther Rossi, Steven Diano, Joe Hachem, Edward Brogdon, James Schaaf, Jason Dollinger
$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - Day 2 - Level 17 Recap
Jun 30, '08
Note: Play will end for the night at the conclusion of level 18
Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha: 2,000-4,000 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8: 1,000 ante, 1,000 bring in, 4,000-8,000 stakes
Players Left: 26 of 803
Chip Leaders:
Phil Hellmuth - 190,000
Arash Ghaneian - 175,000
Matt Grapenthien - 125,000
Ed Tonnellier – 120,000
Art Young - 112,000
Jens Voertmann - 110,000
James Schaaf - 110,000
Randall Holland - 105,000
Phillip Penn Sr. - 99,000
Michael Scipione - 98,000
Edward Brogdon - 92,000
Average Stack: 92,650
Eliminations:
Alex Jacob
Allen Cunningham
Giovanni Rizzo
Big Hands and Storylines:
Stud
Hellmuth and Tonnellier Tangle Again
Ed Tonnellier: 7109K
Phil Hellmuth: 106AQ
“Omaha” Ed Tonnellier completed with the 7 and Hellmuth raised with the 10. Tonnellier put in a third bet and Hellmuth called. Tonnellier bet out on fourth street and was called by Hellmuth. Hellmuth was dealt an ace on fifth street and opted to check to Tonnellier, who bet. Hellmuth called. “OmahaEd” drew a king on sixth street and bet after Hellmuth checked. As Hellmuth sorted through his chips he asked, “You hit three kings?” Tonnellier replied, “If I hit three kings then why are you calling?” Hellmuth, never content to let anyone else get the last word in, said, “You might have aces. I hope you have aces,” before making the call. Hellmuth checked on seventh street, Tonnellier bet again, and Hellmuth folded. After the hand, Tonnellier showed his set of kings.
Hellmuth has 190,000 and Tonnellier has 120,000.
Ramdin Gets Hang’d
Tommy Hang: A6K3
Victor Ramdin: QK109
The action picks up on fourth street where Hang bets into Ramdin and garners a call. The action plays out the same on fifth street. Hang slows down on sixth street when Ramdin’s board shows four to a straight, and both players check. Both players check on seventh street as well, and Hang turns over an ace for a pair of aces. Ramdin can only muster a pair of queens, and the pot is Hang’s.
After the pot, Hang was up to 60,000 and Ramdin was on life support with only 12,000.
Omaha/8b
Keith Sexton Doubles Up
Keith Sexton got all in on the turn against Giovanni Rizzo. The board read AJ92 and the two turned over their cards:
Rizzo: AKK4
Sexton: AQ32
The river was the 3 and Sexton avoided Rizzo’s slew of outs. Sexton doubled up to 60,000. Rizzo was knocked down to 20,000 and would be eliminated a short time later.
Player Tags: Randy Holland, Art Young, Phillip "JB" Penn Sr., Matt Grapenthien, Tommy Hang, Allen Cunningham, Ed Tonnellier, Phil Hellmuth, Victor Ramdin, Arash Ghaneian, Keith Sexton, Alex Jacob, Edward Brogdon, Jens Voertmann, Michael Scipione, James Schaaf
$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - Day 2 - Level 15 Recap
Jun 30, '08
Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha: 1,300-2,500 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8: 500 ante, 700 bring in, 2,500-5,000 stakes
Players Left: 45 of 803
Chip Leaders:
Phillip Penn Sr. - 125,000
Steven Diano - 103,000
Arash Ghaneian - 100,000
Joe Bolnick - 87,400
Jason Dollinger - 83,000
Jens Voertmann - 82,000
Randall Holland - 81,500
Allen Cunningham - 78,000
Cliff Pappas – 75,000
Average Stack: 53,525
Eliminations:
David Gee
Greg Jamison
Michael Binger
Big Hands and Storylines:
Hold’em
Michael Binger vs. Phillip Penn Sr. - Part I
Phillip Penn Sr. raised to 5,000 from middle position and was re-raised by Michael Binger on his left. Penn made the call and they saw a flop of 633. Penn checked and Binger bet. Penn called. The turn was the J, and again Penn checked. Binger bet 5,000 and Penn check-raised him. Binger called, and then called another bet on the K river. Penn Sr. turned over 66 for a flopped full house. Binger showed his AA and, infuriated with the recent development, stormed away from the table, hitting a chair in the process. Binger was down to only 10,000 after that hand.
Omaha/8b
Michael Binger vs. Phillip Penn Sr. – Part II: The Reckoning
A few hands later, with the game having switched to Omaha/8b, William Penn Sr. opened with a raised from middle position which was again re-raised by Binger, who had less than a big bet behind. The flop came 1092 and Penn check-called. Penn check-called a bet of Binger’s final 200 chips on the turn (K) and the two showed their cards:
Binger: AA87
Penn: A876
Binger, in good shape, stood up and awaited the river card. The dealer laid out an 8 and Binger stared at the board for a moment to make sure what he saw was accurate: Penn hit one of his few outs to make a straight. As could be predicted, Binger was not happy, and he stormed from the table once again, this time for good.
Those two hands have propelled Penn to the chip lead with 125,000.
“Let’s Go”
Action folded around to Esther Rossi in the small blind who completed the bet and Jan Suchanek told the dealer, “Let’s go.” The dealer scooped in the two players’ blinds... and then Suchanek threw in a raise. Apparently, Suchanek’s declaration of “Let’s go” was intended as the precursor to a raise and not an indication of a check. After some squabbling between Rossi and Suchanek with the dealer serving as a slightly biased arbiter (after all, nobody likes admitting to a mistake) the floor was called over. After what seemed like hours of explanation to the dealer of what had transpired, it was ruled that uttering the phrase “Let’s go” alone does not indicate a check and that the raise would stand.
After all of that was settled, there was some poker to be played. The dealer put out a flop of A106 and Rossi check-called a bet from Suchanek. Action went check-call again on the K turn, and then both players checked the 10 on the river. Suchanek showed A443 for a pair of aces and that was good enough to take down the pot. Rossi, with 48,000, still has a bit more chips than Suchanek, who has 30,000.
Player Tags: Randy Holland, Phillip "JB" Penn Sr., Allen Cunningham, Greg Jamison, Arash Ghaneian, David Gee, Esther Rossi, Cliff Pappas, Steven Diano, Michael Binger, Jan Suchanek, Jens Voertmann, Joseph Bolnick, Jason Dollinger
$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - Day 2 - Level 14 Recap
Jun 30, '08
Note: The players are now on a 20 minute break
Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha: 1,000-2,000 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8: 500 ante, 500 bring in, 2,000-4,000 stakes
Players Left: 54 of 803
Chip Leaders:
Arash Ghaneian - 102,000
David Gee - 97,000
James Schaaf - 91,000
Chad Brown - 86,000
Phillip Penn Sr. - 82,000
Joe Bolnick -82,000
Jason Dollinger - 81,300
Steven Diano - 78,000
Ed Tonnellier - 76,000
Cliff Pappas – 76,000
Average Stack: 44,600
Eliminations:
Mike Matusow
Big Hands and Storylines:
Hold’em
The Unsinkable Chad Brown
Tommy Hang raised from the cutoff and Chad Brown re-raised from the small blind. Hang called and the two of them saw a flop. The flop came down QJ3. Brown bet, Hang raised, and Brown called. The turn was the Q and Brown checked to Hang. Hang bet and was quickly raised by Brown. Hang called, and then again called on the 9 river. Brown triumphantly showed AA and Hang mucked his hand.
Omaha/8b
Ramdin Raises River, Reaps Rewards
Victor Ramdin raised pre-flop and was called by James Schaaf in late position. Both players checked the 1095 flop. Ramdin then check-called a bet on the K turn. On the river (9), Ramdin checked for the third time, eliciting a bet from Schaaf. On this street, however, Ramdin raised. Schaaf glowered, knowing that he was beat, and slid his cards into the muck. The hand brings Ramdin up to 33,000.
Mike Matusow Eliminated
On a flop of JJ7, Mike Matusow moved his final 6,000 chips in from the big blind. David Gee and Steven Diano both called. The turn was the 9 and Gee bet, Diano raised, Gee 3-bet, and Diano called. While this was going on, Mike Matusow was announcing to Phil Hellmuth at an adjacent table that he was about to be knocked out. On the river (6) Gee bet and Diano called. Diano asked, “Do you have J-9?” Gee turned over two of his cards: a jack and a nine. Diano angrily threw his J-7 toward the middle of the table. Mike Matusow, meanwhile, was busy showing everyone within view his AA82, saying that if he was going out, that at least he was going out getting most of his chips in pre-flop with that hand. With Matusow’s exit, the room will be a little more subdued, but much less interesting.
Player Tags: Phillip "JB" Penn Sr., Ed Tonnellier, Victor Ramdin, Arash Ghaneian, David Gee, Cliff Pappas, Steven Diano, James Schaaf, Joe Bolnick, Jason Dollinger
$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - Day 2 - Level 13 Recap
Jun 30, '08
Stakes:
Hold’em/Omaha: 800-1,500 blinds
Stud/Razz/Stud8: 300 ante, 500 bring in, 1,500-3,000 stakes
Players Left: 75 of 803
Chip Leaders:
James Schaaf - 91,000
Chad Brown - 86,000
Arash Ghaneian - 76,000
Mike Baxley - 65,000
Ed Tonnellier - 64,000
John Cutter - 61,500
David Gee - 56,000
Phil Hellmuth Jr. - 55,000
Art Young - 52,000
Allen Enciso - 51,000
Average Stack: 32,120
Eliminations:
Eugene Katchalov
Jan Sjavik
Big Hands and Storylines:
Omaha/8b
Eugene Katchalov Eliminated
Eugene Katchalov was all-in pre-flop against three opponents. Two players made it to showdown and they showed KKQ3 and A1052; the former had a pair of kings for high and the latter had the nut low. Katchalov, who had stood up and shook his neighbor’s hand before the river had even been dealt, was, predictably, eliminated.
Phil Hellmuth Eliminates Jan Sjavik
Jan Sjavik was all-in preflop for about 6,000 against Phil Hellmuth. The two turned over their cards before the flop:
Sjavik: AQ52
Hellmuth: AKJ2
The flop was A106, the turn was the 10, at which point Hellmuth notified the table (and, judging by the volume of his voice, several nearby tables) that he had already clinched the high. The river was the 2, which did not deliver Sjavik a low, and he was eliminated. Hellmuth is now up to 60,000.
Razz
Michael Binger, Meet Razz
Binger: 44A
Opponent: 34J
The player in the 6 seat completed showing the 3 and Michael Binger called in the 1 seat with the 4. The 6 seat, drawing a 4 on fourth street, bet into the Binger, who had paired his four. Binger called. His opponent then bet fifth street. Binger angrily fired his up cards face-down onto the table and conceded the hand. Binger is now down to 20,000.
Player Tags: Art Young, Ed Tonnellier, Phil Hellmuth, Arash Ghaneian, Jan Sjavik, David Gee, Eugene Katchalov, Michael Binger, Allen Enciso, Mike Baxley, John Cutter, James Schaaf
$1,500 HORSE - Final Day - Level 20
Jul 01, '08
Blinds/Antes: Razz, Stud – Ante: 2000, Bring: 2000, Complete: 8000. Hold’em – Blinds: 4000/8000
Players Remaining: 13 of 803
Chip Leaders:
Phil Hellmuth - 420000
Tommy Hang - 282000
Victor Ramdin - 275000
Sam Silverman - 245000
James Schaaf - 205000
Matt Grapenthien - 170000
Edward Brogdon - 155000
Jason Dollinger - 145000
Esther Rossi - 130000
Phillip Penn Sr. - 130000
Eliminations:
Stephen Wolff Eliminated in 17th Place ($6,686)
Art Young Eliminated in 16th Place ($8,878)
Keith Sexton Eliminated in 15th Place ($8,878)
Arash Ghaneian Eliminated in 14th Place ($11,070)
Big Hands:
Stephen Wolff Eliminated in 17th Place ($6,686)
As the remaining players continued to battle down to final table play, Stephen Wolff made his exit during the hold’em round. Wolff got it all in with Phillip Penn on a flop of As8c3h and turned over Ad5c. Penn showed 8s3s for bottom two pair. The turn and river blanked for Wolff, and he earned $6,686 for his 17th place finish.
Art Young Eliminated in 16th Place ($8,878)
Lonnie Heimowitz’s ten-seven low was good enough to eliminate Art Young during the razz round. Young earned $8,878 for his 16th place finish.
Keith Sexton Eliminated in 15th Place ($8,878)
Steve Diano continued his elimination binge by taking aim on Keith Sexton during the razz round. Diano eliminated Sexton when his eight-low was good against Sexton’s ten-low. Sexton earned $8,878 for his 15th place finish.
Arash Ghaneian Eliminated in 14th Place ($11,070)
Arash Ghaneian was eliminated as the prize amounts continued to rise, earning an $11,070 payday in the stud round when Matt Grapenthein’s two pair, queens and jacks, caused Ghaneian to muck his hole cards.
Player Tags: Art Young, Phil Hellmuth, Victor Ramdin, Arash Ghaneian, Keith Sexton, Steve Wolff, European Report
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