Berry Johnston Poker Tournament Updates

Berry Johnston Hits The Rail

Aug 05, '12

Pedro Rios raised to 15,000 and Berry Johnston moved all in from the big blind for 59,500.

Rios called with A-K and domianted Johnston’s A-Q. The board offered no help and Johnston was eliminated. Rios now has 325,000 in chips.

Player Tags: Berry Johnston,   Pedro Rios

Leve Seven Hour One Update: Shorr Wins a Big Pot

Jul 09, '10

Blinds: 300-600 with a 75 ante

Players Remaining: 1,800 out of 2,412

Card Player Chip Counts

Barry Shulman – 140,000
Shannon Shorr – 133,000
Matt Matros – 50,000
Allyn Jaffrey Shulman – 36,400
Steven A. Murphy – 23,500
Adam Schoenfeld – 28,500
Justin Marchand – 13,100

Tournament Leaderboard:

1. Dragan Galic – 313,500
2. Robert Mizrachi – 243,000
3. Dwyen Ringbauer – 240,000
4. Cole South – 223,500
5. Jesper Hougaard – 201,000
6. Carter Phillips – 196,000
7. Corwin Cole – 176,000
8. Sam Farha – 176,000
9. Andrew Liporace – 172,000
10. Yevgeiny Timoshenko – 160,000

Notable Eliminations:

Tom McEvoy

Player Twitter Accounts:

Barry Shulman
Erik Seidel
Maria Ho
Chris Moorman
Mike Caro
Jamie Rosen
Daniel Negreanu
Eric Froehlich
Scotty Nguyen
Jennifer Leigh
Antonio Esfandiari
Dennis Phillips
Bryan Devonshire
Annie Duke

Big Hands:

Shorr Vaults Up the Chip Counts

We missed exactly how it happened, but we saw Shannon Shorr getting a whole bunch of chips in preflop against his opponent. His opponent was all-in and the cards were flipped up. Shorr tabled KK and was up against 88.

The board stayed clean for Shorr as it ran out 95A104 and Shorr is now up to 133,000 and eliminating an opponent.

Sediel Stacks A Player

Erik Seidel and another player at his table got into a preflop war which led to Seidel calling his all-in of 10,000 with AK. The other player tabled the K9 and Seidel saw the good news.

The board was good for Seidel as it came out 8764A. Seidel eliminated a player and increased his stack to 51,000 in the process.

Nordberg Takes Opponent to Value Town

Peter Feldman bet 4,000 on the turn after the action was checked to him with the board reading KQ2Q and was called by his opponent.

The river was the J and it was checked to Feldman again. He bet 10,000 this time and was called. Feldman showed Q10 and his opponent mucked. Feldman is up to 73,000 with the pot.

The Dragon Doubles Through Jett

Seat 1 raised to 1,500 and David “The Dragon” Pham moved all in for 8,700 total. Acting after Pham, Chip Jett called and seat 1 got out of the way. Their hands:

Pham: QQ
Jett: AK

The two pros were in a coin flip situation. The flop ran 9103, keep Phan in the lead. The board finished with the 7 and the J and Phan doubled up to around 21,000 in chips. Jett still had around 57,000 after the loss.

Chan Gets Value From The Nuts

On a board showing 10K89A Johnny Chan bet 7,000 into the pot, sending his opponent in seat 1 deep into the tank. After some time, the player called and Chan showed the nuts — QJ for the broadway straight.

His opponent mucked and Chan saw his stack grow to around 140,000.

Don’t Bully Your Seniors

Berry Johnston bet 2,500 on a flop of 2102, and seat 5 decided it was time to test the former main event winner by raising to 6,600. Johnston thought for a minute, then threw out five 5,000 chips. Seat 5 thought briefly and then mucked his hand.

Johnston had around 55,000 after the hand.

Junglen Drops One

Picking up the action after the turn, the board read K935. Adam Junglen fired 2,100 and the player in seat 4 made the call.

The river was the Q and both players checked. Seat 4 tabled AQ for a pair of queens on the river and Junglen mucked.

Junglen dropped the pot and was at 113,000.

Phillips Gets Pushed Out

Dennis Phillips raised to 3,500 from the button and the player in seat 2 raised to 10,000 from the small blind. Phillips tanked and then called so both players could see a flop of AQ9.

The small blind led out for 15,000 and Phillips released his hand rather quickly.

After the hand he was at 40,500.

Hawrilenko Takes It On The Turn

Matt Hawrilenko raised to 1,500 from the button and the player in the big blind made the call. The flop came down Q44 and both players checked.

The turn was the 8 and the big blind checked again. Hawrilenko took a stab with 2,200 and it was enough as the big blind mucked.

Hawrilenko took the pot and he was at 38,000.

Mizrachi’s Ladies Hang On

Picking up the action after the flop had come down Q98, the action was checked to Michael Mizrachi.

He bet 4,000 and the player in seat 4 called. Seat 7 mucked and the remaining two players saw the 10 fall on the turn.

Both players checked and the river was the 2. Mizrachi led out with 9,150 and seat 4 mucked his hand as the ESPN cameras swarmed the table.

Mizrachi then gave them something to look at as he flashed QQ for top set. He took the pot and was up to 55,000.

Player Tags: David Pham,   Erik Seidel,   Chip Jett,   Michael Mizrachi,   Johnny Chan,   Berry Johnston,   Matt Hawrilenko,   Peter Feldman,   Shannon Shorr,   Adam Junglen,   Dennis Phillips

$1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Low - Level Ten Recap

Jun 27, '08

Note: Players are on a 20-minute break.

Limits: 200 ante, 200 low card, 800-1,600 limits

Players Remaining: 88 of 544

Average Chip Stack: 18,500

Chip Counts:

Thomas Hunt III - 99,000
Hoang Ta - 72,000
Ben Tang - 45,000
Tim D'Alessandro - 43,000
Mike Hefer - 41,000
Debbie Burkhead - 32,000
Marvin Glusac - 31,000
Ryan Hughes - 31,000
Chris Bjorin - 28,000
George Markakis - 27,000

Eliminations:

David Plastik
Cyndy Violette

Hands and Storylines:

Johnston survives with low

Berry Johnson was all in on third street and a woman was all in on fourth street. Another player called with four spades and appeared to have a great chance at knocking both out. He hit his spade flush on fifth street, but Johnston held a low draw. The woman had a pair of queens and a flush draw, but couldn't do better than the flush already out there. Johnston hit his low on sixth street to chop the pot and finish the hand with 8,000 chips.

Violette knocked out

Cyndy Violette was eliminated when she ran into two opponents with a made low hand and pair of jacks. Violette had a chance at beating both hands, but couldn't catch any of her outs.

Hellmuth's boat bests Downing's set of aces

Phil Hellmuth raised T.J. on seventh street after calling on him down on the previous streets. Downing made the call with a set of aces he got on fifth street, but saw that Hellmuth had fives full of sevens to take down the pot. Downing, who is the poker room manager at Tuscany Casino, made his way to the rail after the hand.

Player Tags: Phil Hellmuth,   Cyndy Violette,   Berry Johnston,   TJ Downing

$1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha High-Low - Day 2 - Level 13 Recap

Jun 25, '08

Blinds: 1,500-3,000

Players Left: 32 of 720

Chip Leaders:
Martin Klaser - 270,000
Joseph Haddad - 131,000
Daniel “Stainley88” Adams - 130,000
Ed Smith - 113,000
Chad Burum - 105,000
Larry Wright - 98,000
Erik Seidel - 86,000
Doug Mandeville - 81,000
Sam Khouiss - 80,000
Shannon Shorr - 60,000

Average Stack: 67,500

Eliminations:
Berry Johnston
Chip Jett
Joe Hachem

Big Hands and Storylines:

Sooner Or Later, All Chips Lead To Klaser

Moments after scoring a big pot off of Erik Seidel, Shannon Shorr had the misfortune of tangling with Martin Klaser. Like all other comers today, Shorr did not fare very well. An 80,000 pot was shipped in Klaser’s direction when his AK83 was good for both the high and low on a board of 962Q5. Klaser is now fully in command of his table, with a staggering 270,000 in chips, while Shorr is left with 60,000.

Dan Adams: Bounty Hunter

While there are no actual bounties in this tournament, Dan “Stainley88” Adams has just succeeded in knocking out two of the more notable players in the field.

First, Chip Jett got his last 11,000 all-in pre-flop with AAK2 but Adams’ AQJ4 wound up victorious when the board – 108893 – made him a straight.

Then Adams continued his predatory ways against Joe Hachem, again getting his opponent all-in pre-flop. This time it was Hachem’s KK54 against Adams’ A742. The flop was a nightmare for Hachem: A74. Not only did it give Adams 3-pair, but Hachem’s low draw was counterfeited. To add insult to injury, the Q on the turn and 3 on the river gave Adams a runner-runner flush. Hachem’s elimination brought an end to the his first deep run of the World Series.

But Wait, There’s More...

Sandwiched between those two hands, Adams won a 100,000 chip pot when he and his opponent got it all-in on a K83 flop. Adams showed KK42 for top set and the second low draw while his opponent  tabled A832 for the nut low draw and bottom two-pair. The turn and river were high cards – J and 10 – and Adams’ hand held up. He now has about 125,000.

Player Tags: Larry Wright,   Erik Seidel,   Chip Jett,   Berry Johnston,   Chad Burum,   Joseph Haddad,   Joe Hachem,   Shannon Shorr,   Sam Khouiss,   Doug Mandeville,   Daniel Adams,   Martin Klaser

Mixed Hold'em - Level 8 - End of Day

Jun 22, '08

Play is done for the night. The remaining 98 players will return at 3 p.m. in the Brazilia Room to play down to the final table. Only one will get the $219,508 first-place prize and bracelet. Stay tuned to Card Player to see who wants it most.

Limit Blinds: 500-1,000
No Limit Blinds: 200-400 with an ante of 50

Average Chip Stack: 22,378

Chip Counts:
Johnathan Tamayo: 76,000
Correy Parpart: 39,000
Fabrice Soulier: 37,500
Richard Redmond: 37,000
Jan Von Halle: 30,000
Michael Guzzardi: 27,000
Lou Esposito: 26,000
Al Barbieri: 23,500
David Plastik: 23,000
Tino Lechich: 22,000

Players Left: 98 of 731

Eliminations: David Benyamine, Ari Engel

Big Hands/Storylines:

Limit Session

Parker Gets Better of Benyamine

In a fast paced hand that leads one to believe that these twoni have played a fair amount of poker online, Brock Parker raised to 3,000 from the button after seat 1 raised to 2,000. David Benyamine called from the big blind and so did seat 1. The flop came AQ3 and action was checked around to Parker who fired 1,000 instantly. Benyamine called just as quick but seat 1 folded. The turn was the 6 and Benyamine checked to Parker who bet 2,000 and Benyamine called again all within a second. The river was the 9 and action was again checked to Parker who fired 2,000 but Benyamine finally yielded and mucked. Benyamine would bust shortly after when his K-10 ran into his opponent's K-Q all in.

Boeree Takes Nice Pot

On a board of KJ92 Liv Boeree counted her chips and moved them around a bit before eventually checking. Her opponent checked behind her and the river brought the Q. Boeree bet out 2,000 and her opponent squirmed in his seat while thinking the hand over. He eventually mucked and she took a nice pot that took her back up to around 14,000.

Big Stacks Ready to Gamble

Michael Guzzardi has a lot of chips and also a lot of gamble. After seat 1 raised to 2,000, Guzzardi reraised to 3,000 and was called by seat 1. The flop came 752 and seat 1 bet out 1,000, which Guzzardi called right away. The turn was the 3 and seat 1 again bet out, 2,000 this time. Guzzardi slowed down and thought for a bit before laying his cards down. Even after the loss, Guzzardi had a nice stack and ended the level with around 27,000 in chips.

No Limit Session

Nick Binger Doubles

Nick Binger was in the small blind when the button raised to 1,500. Binger pushed his last 8,525 all in and the buton made the call. Binger thought he was in bad shape but was actually in a coin flip situation, with his A10 up against the button's 33. The flop came KJ7 and missed Binger. But the turn brought the 10 and Binger took the lead. The river was meaningless and Binger doubled to nearly 20,000.

Johnston Runs Into Kings, Eliminated

Berry Johnston called a player's raise and the flop came 772. His opponent bet out 2,500 and Johnston raised to 10,000. His opponent moved enough chips in to cover Johnston and Johnston slammed his cards down on the table and tanked. After three minutes another player called the clock on him and the countdown began. Johnston finally called, though he seemed to know he was behind. He flipped JJ over and his assumption was correct, as his opponent flipped KK. Johnston was already walking away from the table as the turn and the river missed, coming 37 and Johnston was eliminated. As he left he muttered, "Only hand I had for a while."
 

Player Tags: David Benyamine,   Brock Parker,   Berry Johnston,   Nick Binger,   European Report,   Michael Guzzardi,   Liv Boeree

Mixed Hold'em - Level 5 - Hellmuth Gone

Jun 22, '08

Limit Blinds: 200-400
No Limit Blinds: 100-200

Average Chip Stack: 9,372

Chip Counts:
Ivan Schertzer: 31,000
Tino Lechich: 29,000
David Pham: 22,000
Jan Von Halle: 18,000
Heath Chick: 17,000
Al Barbieri: 15,500
Mimi Tran: 14,400
Chris Stephen: 14,000
Michael Guzzardi: 13,000
Liv Boeree: 13,000

Players Left: 234 of 731

Eliminations: Phil Hellmuth

Big Hands/Storylines

Hellmuth Sighting - Hellmuth Eliminated

Phil Hellmuth was missing for much of the last level. The reason is that Hellmuth was playing this tournament and the 2-7 triple low ball event at the same time. He had been running back and forth on several occasions. Playing two tournaments at once is something he said he hasn't done in some time.
However, he can rest his legs a bit, as he was eliminated from this event with ten minutes remaining in the no-limit level.

Limit Session

Benyamine's 7s are Good

Fresh of his first ever WSOP bracelet win, David Benyamine raised to 800 from middle position and was called by the small blind and big blind. The flop came 1064, the small blind checked, the big blind bet out 800, Benyamine raised to 800, the small blind got out of the way and folded and the big blind called. The turn was the 10 and the big blind led out 800. Benyamine made the call and both players checked the 3 river card.
Benyamine turned over 77 and his opponent showed K6 for the busted flush draw and middle pair. Benyamine took a nice pot and added on to his stack that now approaches 15,000.

Haxton Goes Bust Against "Nothing"

Isaac Haxton called his opponent's bet on the flop of J-7-4 and when his opponent bet on the 2 turn card Haxton went all in. His opponent had to call but admitted, "I got nothing," and flipped over A-K. Haxton had to be thrilled to hear that because his 8-7 was in the lead. But the dreaded river card was a king and Haxton was eliminated.

Johnston Loses Big Pot

Berry Johnston bet 400 on a Q75 and was raised to 800 by his opponent. He made the call and the turn was the A. His opponent led out for 800 and Johnston called. Both players checked the 2 river and Johnston's opponent showed AQ for top two pair. Johnston mucked his hand and dropped to around 2,000 in chips.

No Limit Session

Nam Le With The KO

Nam Le made a raise and his opponent moved all in. Le made the easy call with KK and was a big favorite over his opponent's JJ. The flop was Q92. The turn was horrible for Le, bringing the J to give his opponent the set. However, the 10 was Le's perfect card on the river, giving him a straight to eliminate his opponent and chip up to around 10,000.

Billy "The Croc" Argyros Doubles Opponent

Facing an opponent's raise, Billy Argyros moved all in over the top having his opponent easily covered. Argyros showed AK and was up against JJ. The flop was great for Argyros, running A108 to give him top pair. But the turn was the J, leaving Argyros drawing dead to a queen for a straight. The river was the 2 and Argyros doubled his opponent. Though he lost the hand, Argyros still had around 7,000 in chips.

 

Player Tags: Nam Le,   David Benyamine,   Phil Hellmuth,   Berry Johnston,   Billy Argyros,   Isaac Haxton,   European Report

$10,000 World Championship Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better - End of Day 2

Jun 20, '08

The final two-tables are set! Level 17 saw 7 eliminations and the staff at the Rio decided to call it a night with 18 players remaining. Foremost among the players returning tomorrow will be Mike Matusow. With a big stack of chips and an even bigger mouth, Matusow will be happy with nothing less than his 2nd bracelet of this year's series. To do so, he will have to fend off a number of big names. Hendon Mobber Ram Vaswani will enter the final day with the chip lead and he too will have a multiple-bracelet motivation: a win in this event will give him bracelets in consecutive years. Also in the hunt are high stakes cash specialists Chau Giang and David Benyamine. Benyamine, who was bounced on the final table bubble of the $5,000 stud high/low event only a few days ago, will have extra incentive to make a final table run here.

The players will reconvene at the Rio tomorrow at 3 p.m. PST.
 

Here is a recap of the final level of the day:

Blinds: 5,000-10,000

Players Left: 18 of 235

Chip Leaders:
Ram Vaswani - 450,000
Mike Matusow - 390,000
Chau Giang - 370,000
Greg Jamison - 315,000
Eugene Katchalov - 290,000
Toto Leonidas - 265,000
David Benyamine - 260,000
David Chiu - 260,000
Berry Johnston - 260,000
Hieu Ma - 230,000

Average Stack: 261,000

Eliminations:
19^th – Patrick Rao
20^th – James Grove
21^st – James Van Alstyne
22^nd – Danny Smith
23^rd – Brad Booth
24^th – Bruno Fitoussi
25^th – Dustin Sitar

Big Hands and Storylines:

Dustin Donates And Goes Home

The two short stacks at the table Dustin Sitar and Stuart “thedonator” Patterson got all-in pre-flop and showed the following hands:

Patterson: A1072
Sitar: AKJ6

When the board – 109429 – had been dealt, Patterson’s nines and tens were enough to take down the pot. Sitar, slightly covered by Patterson, was eliminated in 25^th place. Patterson is now up to 80,000.

“You Gotta Get Lucky”

Brad Booth raised from late position. Mike Matusow called from the button saying, “I’ll give you some action,” and William McMahon called in the big blind. The flop came JJ8. McMahon checked, Booth bet, Matusow raised, and his two rivals called. The turn was the 9 and McMahon and Booth both checked to Matusow who bet. This time McMahon cagily raised and Booth, with only 3,000 chips left, was forced to fold. Matusow called and the pair saw the river: 10. McMahon bet, Matusow raised, the call was made and they showed their hands:

Matusow: KKJ10
McMahon: KJ95

Matusow had re-drawn out on the river after McMahon had spiked a 6-outer on the turn. After the conclusion of the hand there was much discussion about whether the hand had played itself or if there was any other way it could have been played. Matusow put his inimitable stamp on the conversation when he opined, “You don’t think Phil Hellmuth has 11 bracelets because he plays good, do you? You gotta get lucky!” Matusow, whether through luck, skill, or a bit of both, is now up to 390,000.

You Gotta Get Lucky: Part II

The very next hand, William McMahon got most of his chips into the pot against David Chiu by the flop. McMahon bet his last 20,000 on the turn with the board reading KK510 and Chiu, after a great deal of thought, made a frustrated call. Chiu’s frustration grew when he saw McMahon’s holding: A10103. Chiu was drawing to only 3 outs with AA92 but the river was an unhelpful 9. The hand elevated McMahon to 120,000. Hey, you gotta get lucky.

Player Tags: Toto Leonidas,   Tony Ma,   David Benyamine,   Mike Matusow,   Greg Jamison,   David Chiu,   Ram Vaswani,   Chau Giang,   Bruno Fitoussi,   Berry Johnston,   James Van Alstyne,   Dustin Sitar,   Eugene Katchalov,   William McMahon,   Brad Booth,   Stuart Paterson

$10,000 World Championship Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better - Day 2 - Level 16 Recap

Jun 20, '08

Note: The players are now on a 20-minute break

Blinds: 4,000-8,000

Players Left: 26 of 235

Chip Leaders:
Ram Vaswani - 385,000
Chau Giang - 360,000
David Benyamine - 320,000
David Chiu - 285,000
Berry Johnston – 250,000
Mike Matusow - 235,000
Greg Jamison - 215,000
Eugene Katchalov - 185,000
Toto Leonidas - 180,000
Jason Gray - 160,000
James Grove - 160,000

Average Stack:

Eliminations:
26^th – Tony Ma
27^th – Alexander Kostritsyn
Doyle Brunson
Erick Lindgren
Max Pescatori

Big Hands and Storylines:

They’re In The Money

The bubble has just burst and the players remaining are all now guaranteed to walk away from this tournament a bit richer than when they started (prop bets and cross-booking aside). Those who finish in places 19-27 will take home $22,090.

Whichever Comes First

According to the higher-ups here at the Rio, tonight’s event will play until the end of level 18 or until we reach the final table, whichever comes first. The former is looking far more likely with 26 players still remaining. If all goes according to plan, we should be out of here by about 3:30 tonight.

Katch Him If You Can

Eugene Katchalov just won a nice pot off of Toto Leonidas when Leonidas, after raising pre-flop from under-the-gun, check-called on every street against the Ukraine-born New Yorker. The final board was Q87Q4 and Katchalov showed A842 His two-pair, queens and eights, and nut low scooped him the pot, taking him up to 185,000. Leonidas is right on his tail with 180,000.

Dehkharghani Doubles

Ray Dehkharghani bet into two players on a flop of Q62, Danny Smith folded and Mike Matusow called. With only 26,000 left going into the turn, Dehkharghani committed himself by firing at Matusow when an 8 landed. Matusow set his opponent all-in and they revealed their hands:

Matusow: AJ62
Dehkharghani: KQJ10

The river was the Q and Dehkharghani scooped the pot, more than doubling him up to 80,000. The hand only took a sliver out of Matusow’s stack, which now sits at 220,000.

Berry Bests Brunson, Brad Booth

 Brad Booth raised from middle position and got calls from Berry Johnston in middle position and Doyle Brunson in the small blind. The flop came K106 and Brunson led out, Booth raised, and Johnston raised him. Both Brunson and Booth called the bet and the turn was the 10. Brunson and Booth checked to Berry who, predictably, bet. This time Brunson and Booth bowed out of the hand and allowed Johnston to take down the pot. Berry Johnston now has 250,000 in chips. Booth is sitting with 100,000. Brunson was eliminated not too long after this hand, right on the bubble.

Player Tags: Toto Leonidas,   Erick Lindgren,   Tony Ma,   Max Pescatori,   David Benyamine,   Mike Matusow,   Doyle Brunson,   Greg Jamison,   David Chiu,   Jason Gray,   Ram Vaswani,   Chau Giang,   Berry Johnston,   Ray Dehkharghani,   Eugene Katchalov,   Brad Booth,   Alexander Kostritsyn

$10,000 Omaha 8/b World Championship - Berry Johnston Eliminated in 10th Place ($38,657)

Jun 21, '08

Blinds: 13,000-25,000
Stakes: 25,000-50,000

Players Left: 9

Chip Counts:
David Benyamine: 1,020,000
David Chiu: 730,000
Toto Leonidas: 720,000
Jason Gray: 590,000
Greg Jamison: 470,000
Eugene Katchalov: 310,000
Tony Ma: 300,000
Mike Matusow: 195,000
Ram Vaswani: 175,000

Eliminations:
Berry Johnston Eliminated in 10th Place ($38,657)

Big Hands:

Berry Johnston Eliminated in 10th Place ($38,657)

Ram Vaswani raised in late position and Berry Johnston called all in for his last 19,000.

Johnston: AKQ8
Vaswani: 4432

Board: 665A3

Vaswani flopped an open-ended straight draw and hit the wheel on the turn. Berry Johnston was drawing slim on the river, failing to improve, and as a result he was eliminated in 10th place ($38,657).

Player Tags: Ram Vaswani,   Berry Johnston

$10,000 World Championship Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better - End of Day 2

Jun 20, '08

The final two-tables are set! Level 17 saw 7 eliminations and the staff at the Rio decided to call it a night with 18 players remaining. Foremost among the players returning tomorrow will be Mike Matusow. With a big stack of chips and an even bigger mouth, Matusow will be happy with nothing less than his 2nd bracelet of this year's series. To do so, he will have to fend off a number of big names. Hendon Mobber Ram Vaswani will enter the final day with the chip lead and he too will have a multiple-bracelet motivation: a win in this event will give him bracelets in consecutive years. Also in the hunt are high stakes cash specialists Chau Giang and David Benyamine. Benyamine, who was bounced on the final table bubble of the $5,000 stud high/low event only a few days ago, will have extra incentive to make a final table run here.

The players will reconvene at the Rio tomorrow at 3 p.m. PST.
 

Here is a recap of the final level of the day:

Blinds: 5,000-10,000

Players Left: 18 of 235

Chip Leaders:
Ram Vaswani - 450,000
Mike Matusow - 390,000
Chau Giang - 370,000
Greg Jamison - 315,000
Eugene Katchalov - 290,000
Toto Leonidas - 265,000
David Benyamine - 260,000
David Chiu - 260,000
Berry Johnston - 260,000
Hieu Ma - 230,000

Average Stack: 261,000

Eliminations:
19^th – Patrick Rao
20^th – James Grove
21^st – James Van Alstyne
22^nd – Danny Smith
23^rd – Brad Booth
24^th – Bruno Fitoussi
25^th – Dustin Sitar

Big Hands and Storylines:

Dustin Donates And Goes Home

The two short stacks at the table Dustin Sitar and Stuart “thedonator” Patterson got all-in pre-flop and showed the following hands:

Patterson: A1072
Sitar: AKJ6

When the board – 109429 – had been dealt, Patterson’s nines and tens were enough to take down the pot. Sitar, slightly covered by Patterson, was eliminated in 25^th place. Patterson is now up to 80,000.

“You Gotta Get Lucky”

Brad Booth raised from late position. Mike Matusow called from the button saying, “I’ll give you some action,” and William McMahon called in the big blind. The flop came JJ8. McMahon checked, Booth bet, Matusow raised, and his two rivals called. The turn was the 9 and McMahon and Booth both checked to Matusow who bet. This time McMahon cagily raised and Booth, with only 3,000 chips left, was forced to fold. Matusow called and the pair saw the river: 10. McMahon bet, Matusow raised, the call was made and they showed their hands:

Matusow: KKJ10
McMahon: KJ95

Matusow had re-drawn out on the river after McMahon had spiked a 6-outer on the turn. After the conclusion of the hand there was much discussion about whether the hand had played itself or if there was any other way it could have been played. Matusow put his inimitable stamp on the conversation when he opined, “You don’t think Phil Hellmuth has 11 bracelets because he plays good, do you? You gotta get lucky!” Matusow, whether through luck, skill, or a bit of both, is now up to 390,000.

You Gotta Get Lucky: Part II

The very next hand, William McMahon got most of his chips into the pot against David Chiu by the flop. McMahon bet his last 20,000 on the turn with the board reading KK510 and Chiu, after a great deal of thought, made a frustrated call. Chiu’s frustration grew when he saw McMahon’s holding: A10103. Chiu was drawing to only 3 outs with AA92 but the river was an unhelpful 9. The hand elevated McMahon to 120,000. Hey, you gotta get lucky.

Player Tags: Toto Leonidas,   Tony Ma,   David Benyamine,   Mike Matusow,   Greg Jamison,   David Chiu,   Ram Vaswani,   Chau Giang,   Bruno Fitoussi,   Berry Johnston,   James Van Alstyne,   Dustin Sitar,   Eugene Katchalov,   William McMahon,   Brad Booth,   Stuart Paterson

$10,000 World Championship Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better - Day 2 - Level 16 Recap

Jun 20, '08

Note: The players are now on a 20-minute break

Blinds: 4,000-8,000

Players Left: 26 of 235

Chip Leaders:
Ram Vaswani - 385,000
Chau Giang - 360,000
David Benyamine - 320,000
David Chiu - 285,000
Berry Johnston – 250,000
Mike Matusow - 235,000
Greg Jamison - 215,000
Eugene Katchalov - 185,000
Toto Leonidas - 180,000
Jason Gray - 160,000
James Grove - 160,000

Average Stack:

Eliminations:
26^th – Tony Ma
27^th – Alexander Kostritsyn
Doyle Brunson
Erick Lindgren
Max Pescatori

Big Hands and Storylines:

They’re In The Money

The bubble has just burst and the players remaining are all now guaranteed to walk away from this tournament a bit richer than when they started (prop bets and cross-booking aside). Those who finish in places 19-27 will take home $22,090.

Whichever Comes First

According to the higher-ups here at the Rio, tonight’s event will play until the end of level 18 or until we reach the final table, whichever comes first. The former is looking far more likely with 26 players still remaining. If all goes according to plan, we should be out of here by about 3:30 tonight.

Katch Him If You Can

Eugene Katchalov just won a nice pot off of Toto Leonidas when Leonidas, after raising pre-flop from under-the-gun, check-called on every street against the Ukraine-born New Yorker. The final board was Q87Q4 and Katchalov showed A842 His two-pair, queens and eights, and nut low scooped him the pot, taking him up to 185,000. Leonidas is right on his tail with 180,000.

Dehkharghani Doubles

Ray Dehkharghani bet into two players on a flop of Q62, Danny Smith folded and Mike Matusow called. With only 26,000 left going into the turn, Dehkharghani committed himself by firing at Matusow when an 8 landed. Matusow set his opponent all-in and they revealed their hands:

Matusow: AJ62
Dehkharghani: KQJ10

The river was the Q and Dehkharghani scooped the pot, more than doubling him up to 80,000. The hand only took a sliver out of Matusow’s stack, which now sits at 220,000.

Berry Bests Brunson, Brad Booth

 Brad Booth raised from middle position and got calls from Berry Johnston in middle position and Doyle Brunson in the small blind. The flop came K106 and Brunson led out, Booth raised, and Johnston raised him. Both Brunson and Booth called the bet and the turn was the 10. Brunson and Booth checked to Berry who, predictably, bet. This time Brunson and Booth bowed out of the hand and allowed Johnston to take down the pot. Berry Johnston now has 250,000 in chips. Booth is sitting with 100,000. Brunson was eliminated not too long after this hand, right on the bubble.

Player Tags: Toto Leonidas,   Erick Lindgren,   Tony Ma,   Max Pescatori,   David Benyamine,   Mike Matusow,   Doyle Brunson,   Greg Jamison,   David Chiu,   Jason Gray,   Ram Vaswani,   Chau Giang,   Berry Johnston,   Ray Dehkharghani,   Eugene Katchalov,   Brad Booth,   Alexander Kostritsyn

$10,000 Omaha 8/b World Championship - Berry Johnston Eliminated in 10th Place ($38,657)

Jun 21, '08

Blinds: 13,000-25,000
Stakes: 25,000-50,000

Players Left: 9

Chip Counts:
David Benyamine: 1,020,000
David Chiu: 730,000
Toto Leonidas: 720,000
Jason Gray: 590,000
Greg Jamison: 470,000
Eugene Katchalov: 310,000
Tony Ma: 300,000
Mike Matusow: 195,000
Ram Vaswani: 175,000

Eliminations:
Berry Johnston Eliminated in 10th Place ($38,657)

Big Hands:

Berry Johnston Eliminated in 10th Place ($38,657)

Ram Vaswani raised in late position and Berry Johnston called all in for his last 19,000.

Johnston: AKQ8
Vaswani: 4432

Board: 665A3

Vaswani flopped an open-ended straight draw and hit the wheel on the turn. Berry Johnston was drawing slim on the river, failing to improve, and as a result he was eliminated in 10th place ($38,657).

Player Tags: Ram Vaswani,   Berry Johnston

Italy vs. England

Jun 16, '08

Blinds/Antes: 150-300 with a 25 ante

Players Left: 378 of 1,012

Chip Leaders:

Andrew Emory: 60,000
Ian Kim: 55,200
Max Pescatori: 40,000
Ed Fernandez: 39,000
Jonas Danielsson: 35,500
Justin Filtz: 35,000
Mark Vos: 32,000
Hevad Kahn: 32,000
David Ulliott: 29,500

Average Stack: 13,368

Eliminations: John Murphy, Nenad Medic

Big Hands:

Super Dario Runs Into a Devil Fish

Before the flop, the player in seat 2 raised to 900. Dario Minieri repopped it to 3,000 total and the action was on Dave "Devil Fish" Ulliott. He thought for a while and decided to call. The player in seat 2 thought better of tangling with these two Europeans and mucked. The flop came down 724. Minieri led out with 4,000 and Ulliott pounced, going all in. Minieri folded and Ulliott turned over 1010 and raked in the pot. He was at 29,000 at that point while Minieri was at 22,000.

Johnston vs. Morgan

On a board of 955, Jordan Morgan bet 500 and Berry Johnston min-raised to 1,000. Morgan made the call and the turn was the 9, putting two pair on the board. Morgan and Johnston checked and the river was the 6. Morgan checked and Johnston bet 1,000. Morgan threw his cards into the muck and Johnston took the pot, putting his stack around 18,000. Later, the two would tangle again.

In a three-way pot and with a board reading KQA94 action was checked to Morgan who bet 2,500. The player in seat 6 folded and the action was on Johnston. He thought for a bit and then mucked his hand, giving Morgan the pot and improving his stack to around 30,000.

John Murphy Gone

On a board showing 876, seat 1 bet and Murphy raised all in. Seat 1 made the call after a couple of minutes in the tank and turned over 96 for bottom pair and an open ended straight draw along with a backdoor flush draw. Murphy had a similar hand. He flipped over 65 for bottom pair and an open ended straight draw, but his opponent had one of his outs. The turn was the Q and the river brought another red lady with the Q and Murphy was eliminated.

Player Tags: Berry Johnston,   John Murphy,   Jordan Morgan,   European Report

Razz Round 7 Recap

Jun 13, '08

Blinds: ante 100, bring-in 100, completion 400
Stakes: 400-800

Players Left: 152 of 453

Chip Leaders:

Jonathan Schwartz: 18,200
David Bach: 16,600
Michael Wattel: 15,500
Nokolay Edvakov: 13,500
Vanessa Rousso: 13,000
Dewey Tomko: 11,500
Steve Wolff: 11,100
Andy Bloch: 11,000
Sam Grizzle: 11,000
Cyndy Viollette: 10,600

Eliminations: Chad Brown

Big Hands:

Loaded With Talent

One table features Berry Johnston, Barry Greenstein and Kevin Saul.
In one hand, Saul and Greenstein got heads up after 4th-street. Greenstein led out with bets of 800 on 5th and 6th street and Saul called. They checked the final card down and their cards were:
Saul: A896 (X X X)
Greenstein: 5AJ9 (74J)
Greenstein showed a 9-low and Saul mucked his hand.

Lisandro With the Knockout

The player in seat 6 bet every street and Jeffrey Lisandro called him down, even raising on 5th-street. Seat 6 got all in and the showdown was:
Lisandro: A27A(6-9-4)
Seat 6: 42AK (J-8-5)
Lisandro's 7-low beat his opponent's 8-low and seat 6 was eliminated. Lisandro had around 8,000 after the hand.

No Check For You

In a strange hand full of paint, Shawn Sheikhan called the player in seat 1's bet on 3rd, 4th and 5th-street. Because there were so many face cards showing on the table, Sheikhan said, "I want to check it down," and checked. Seat 1 replied, "Nope," and bet 800 on 6th and 7th street. Sheikhan called and they showed their cards:
Sheikhan: 3Q3K (J-2-A)
Seat 1: 44JQ (6-2-A)
Sheikhan's Q-low couldn't beat seat 1's J-low and Sheikhan lost the pot.

Getting Low

Amnon Filippi is down to around 1,000 in chips after calling the player in seat 1 at his table through 5th street before folding. Their cards were:
Seat 1: 936 (X X -)
Filippi: 793 (X X -)

Fo' Grizzle

Showing the 9 Sam Grizzle saw his opponent's J and said, "I can beat a jack," leading for 400 from the get go. When he 800 on 4th street and his opponent folded. Grizzle still has a big stack with around 11,000 in chips.

Player Tags: Barry Greenstein,   Shawn Sheikhan,   Jeffrey Lisandro,   Berry Johnston,   Amnon Filippi,   Kevin Saul

$3,000 H.O.R.S.E - Level 13

Jun 12, '08

Limits:

Hold'em/Omaha8b: 2,000-4,000
Razz/Stud/Stud8b: 2,000-4,000

Players Left: 45 of 414

Chip Counts:

Jennifer Harman-Traniello: 120,000
Phil Ivey: 115,000
Doug Ganger: 114,000
James Mackey: 95,000
Tad Jurgens: 93,000
Marco Traniello: 80,000
Hoyt Corkins: 78,000
Alexander Jung: 78,000
Kevin Saul: 76,000
Mandy Calara: 73,000

Average Stack: 55,200

Eliminations: Shannon Elizabeth, Berry Johnston

Big Hands and Storylines:

Razz

A Champion Falls

Berry Johnston was battling a short stack for a long time before gettin gall in against Kevin Saul. Their cards were:
Johnston: K-Q-5-4 (X-X-X)
Saul: 6-6-4-A (9-5-4)
Saul showed a 9-low and Johnston mucked his band and was eliminated.

Ivey Crushes Razz

Phil Ivey has repeatedly raised throughout the razz level, making his opponents fold and taking several small pots. He has around 115,000 in chips.

Hold'em

Broadway Ends the Star's Run

After much deliberation, Shannon Elizabeth called a bet of 4,000 after the turn on a board of KJ10Q. The river brought the 6 and her opponent bet enough to put her all in. Elizabeth looked disgusted but made the call. She showed J-J for a flopped set of jacks, but her opponent had made the broadway straight on the turn with A-K and Elizabeth was eliminated.

Dutchman Flying High

Marcel Luske raised to 4,000 and was called by the player in the small blind. The flop came K63. The small blind checked and Luske bet out 2,000. His opponent called and both players checked the 6 turn card. The A came on the river and Luske immediately bet out 4,000, causing his opponent to shake his head and fold.

Omaha

A Trio of Threes

James Mackey raised to 4,000 and was called by the player in seat 5. The flop came 1083 and Mackey continued his aggressive play, betting 2,000. Seat 5 made the call and the 3 hit on the turn. The player called again and both players checked on the 2 river. Mackey showed 6643 for a set of threes and his opponent angrily tossed his cards high into the air and into the muck. Mackey ended the level well, with around 95,000 in chips.

Player Tags: Phil Ivey,   Marcel Luske,   Berry Johnston,   James Mackey,   Kevin Saul,   Shannon Elizabeth,   European Report