Level 7 Update: Jason Mercier Busts Adam Geyer
May 28, '09
Blinds: 1,000-2,000 with 300 ante
Players Remaining: 141 out of 201
Chip Counts:
1. Lex Veldhuis — 530,000
2. Justin Bonomo — 470,000
3. Antonio Esfandiari — 470,000
4. Alan Sass — 450,000
5. Chris Moneymaker — 380,000
6. Bruno Fitoussi — 367,000
7. Andy Black — 343,000
8. Mark Seif — 330,000
9. Phil Galfond — 320,000
10. Frank Kassela — 310,000
Average Chip Count: 171,000
Notable Eliminations:
Adam “csimmsux” Geyer
Mikael Thuritz
Eli Elezra
Jennifer Harman
Gavin Smith
Jeff Garza
Big Hands:
Jason Mercier Takes Out Adam Geyer
Antonio Esfandiari raised to 6,400 from the cutoff and Adam Geyer reraised to 17,000 on the button. The action moved to Jason Mercier who reraised from the small blind. Esfandiari folded and Geyer reluctantly moved in for his last 30,000 or so. Mercier flipped up pocket aces and Geyer showed down pocket queens.
The board ran out K
10
5
42
giving no help to the three-time FTOPS champion and Geyer was eliminated. Mercier now has 255,000 in chips.
David Baker Chips Up
On a board reading 952A Isaac Haxton bet 15,000. David “WhooooKidd” Baker stared his opponent down and decided to make the call. The river was the J and Haxton went into the tank. After about three minutes of dead silence, he tapped the table and Baker followed suit. Haxton turned over 76 for a missed straight draw and Baker showed K9 to take the pot with third pair. Baker now has 247,000 in chips.
Andy Bloch Getting Picked on by Alec Torelli
After losing a big pot earlier to Torelli, Bloch checked a board showing J1047k. Torelli launched a bet of 25,000 and Bloch went into a massive tank session. After almost 10 minutes, Bloch made the call. Torelli flipped over KJ for top two pair. Bloch mucked and his stack dwindled to 17,000. Torelli was at 250,000.
A few hands later, Bloch doubled up with pocket kings against his opponent’s ace-queen.
Chris Moore Doubles Through Andy Black
Andy Black raised to 6,000 from the hijack. Chris Moore was next to act and move in for his last 30,000. Black talked to Moore for a bit before making the call and showing 55. More showed AJ and the board ran out J610Q4, giving Moore top pair and doubling him up to 60,000. Black took a slight hit, leaving his stack at 350,000.
“Action” Jeff Garza Sent Home By Phil Galfond
Jeff Garza was all in and called holding A-Q but was dominated by Phil Galfond’s superior A-K. The board rolled out nine high offering no help to the recently turned 21 Garza. Galfond now has a stack of 320,000.
Phil Hellmuth Crippled By Alan “The Usher” Sass
Alan Sass raised to 5,500 and Phil Hellmuth reraised to 15,000 directly behind him. Sass made the call and the flop came out 654. Sass led into Hellmuth for 19,400 and Hellmuth called.
The turn was the K and Sass checked. Hellmuth fired in a bet of 35,000 and Sass called. The river was the Q and Hellmuth moved all in for 183,000, which had Sass covered by about 37,000. Sass called showing K9 and Hellmuth mucked his hand.
After the hand, Hellmuth pulled one of our reporters aside to admit that he held A-7 for a busted open-ended straight draw. “I’d get penalized for saying this at the table, but I just wanted to let it be known that the most horrible players in the world usually beat me,” said Hellmuth.
The hand drew further attention when it was revealed that the dealer had miscounted the all-in stacks, giving Sass some more of Hellmuth chips. Hellmuth, clearly upset, responded with, “What are you trying to give it all to him?”
Not quite, as Hellmuth still has about 37,000 in chips.
Russell Rosenblum Doubles Up
Russell Rosenblum found himself and his stack of about 100,000 all in preflop holding pocket kings against the pocket jacks of Philippe Rouas. The kings held and Rosenblum safely doubled up to about 210,000.
Player Tags: Andy Bloch, Antonio Esfandiari, Phil Hellmuth, Russell Rosenblum, Andy Black, Chris Moore, Alan Sass, Adam Geyer, Alec Torelli, Philippe Rouas, David Baker, Jason Mercier
Level 17 Update: Getting Close to the Bubble
May 29, '09
Blinds: 9,000-18,000 with a 2,000 ante.
Players Remaining: 29 out of 201
Chip Counts:
1. Justin Bonomo — 2,200,000
2. Greg Raymer — 1,750,000
3. David Baker — 1,530,000
4. Lex Veldhuis — 1,450,000
5. Dani Stern — 1,250,000
6. Vitaly Lunkin — 1,150,000
7. Brian Townsend — 1,060,000
8. Doshi Suresh — 1,000,000
9. Noah Schwartz — 955,000
10. Sorel Mizzi — 940,000
Average Chip Count: 868,965
Notable Eliminations:
Ali Eslami
Alan Sass
Sami Kelopuro
Kirill Gerasimov
Evan McNiff
Marco Johnson
Nam Le
Big Hands:
David Chiu Doubles Through Greg Raymer
Just a few moments into the level, David Chiu was all in holding A-K against the A-9 of Greg Raymer. The board bricked for both players and Chiu doubled up to 260,000. Raymer is still far and away the chip leader with 2.5 million.
Sami Kelopuro Busts to Lex Veldhuis
Lex Vedlhuis raised to 45,000 and Sami Kelopuro moved all in for his last 300,000. Veldhuis made the call and showed AJ for a dominating hand against Kelopuro’s A9.
The board came KK7K8 and Veldhuis came out on top, sending Kelopuro to the rail out of the money. Veldhuis has closed the gap on the chip leaders with 1,405,000.
Alan Sass Hits the Rail
Alan Sass jammed it in preflop with A6 and David Pham made the call with AK. A king on the flop and a blank on the turn had Sass drawing dead. Pham now sits with a slightly healthier 420,000.
Double Elimination For David Baker
Kirill Gerasimov was short stacked and moved all in holding K5. Evan McNiff tried to isolate behind him holding A-8 offsuit. Unfortunately for both players, David Baker woke up with pocket queens behind them and made the call.
The flop came AJ2 giving McNiff the best hand with a pair of aces and Gerasimov the nut flush draw. Visably upset, Baker hit his slim outs on the turn when the Q hit. The river was a safe 7 and Baker took out both players.
Marco Johnson Busts to Justin Bonomo
Marco Johnson was all in holding K10 against the AQ of Justin Bonomo. The board didn’t help Johnson and he exited from the tournament floor. Bonomo now has 2.2 million.
Nam Le Busts In a Suck, Re-Suck Situation
Nam Le got it all in on a AK10 flop holding AJ against the K10 of Dani Stern. The turn was great for Le when the J hit, but the K on the river sent Le to the rail. Stern is now sitting with 1.25 million.
Player Tags: David Pham, Nam Le, Kirill Gerasimov, Greg Raymer, Justin Bonomo, Alan Sass, Marco Johnson, David Baker, Evan McNiff, Dani Stern
Level 15 Update: Greg Raymer Gets Stronger
May 29, '09
Blinds: 6,000-12,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 40 out of 201
Chip Counts:
1. Greg Raymer — 2,660,000
2. Lex Veldhuis — 1,400,000
3. Matth Glantz — 1,058,000
4. Brian Townsend — 1,015,000
5. Justin Bonomo — 980,000
6. Ted Forrest — 940,000
7. Vitaly Lunkin — 915,000
8. Sorel Mizzi — 840,000
9. Chris Moneymaker — 835,000
10. David Pham — 820,000
Average Chip Count: 603,000
Notable Eliminations:
James Mackey
Alex Jacob
Dale Pinchot
Big Hands:
Greg Raymer Takes Out James Mackey
Shortly into the level, James Mackey found himself all in holding K-Q. Unfortunately, Greg Raymer woke up with A-K. The board brought a king, but Raymer’s kicker was enough to send Mackey home out of the money. After the hand, Raymer stacked ballooned to 1.67 million.
Alec Torelli Picks Up a Big Pot With an All-In Move
Greg Raymer opened from early position to 30,000 and Vanessa Rousso made the call. Brian Rast then raised to 105,000 in the hijack and the action moved over to Alec Torelli. After a few minutes in thought, Torelli moved all in for 810,000.
Raymer quickly folded, as did Rousso. Rast asked for a count, saw that his 650,000 was well covered and the folded. Torelli moved up to approximately 960,000.
Phil Galfond Doubles Through Justin Bonomo
Phil Galfond found himself all in holding a dominating A-K against Justin Bonomo and his A-J. A king hit the flop and Bonomo failed to catch up, doubling Galfond to 488,000 in chips. Bonomo is still healthy with about 1.1 million.
Sami Kelopuro Doubles Up Courtesy of Alan Sass
After an all-in and call, Sami Kelopuro revealed his pocket queens and was way ahead of Alan Sass and his pocket eights. The board ran out Q63J4 and Kelopuro’s set of queens were enough to double him up to about 375,000 in chips.
Chris Moneymaker Gives Up Some Chips to Noah Schwartz
Noah Schwartz was all in on the short stack holding pocket kings against the pocket sevens of Chris Moneymaker. The board failed to help the 2003 champion and Schwartz doubled up to 320,000. Moneymaker dropped below the million mark with 910,000.
Sorel Mizzi Doubles Through Frank Kassela
On a flop of J107 Sorel Mizzi is all in holding J-10 for top two pair against Frank Kassela’s and his pocket eights. Kassela needs an eight or a nine to bust Mizzi but the turn and river come 610, giving Mizzi a boat and a newly formed stack of about 750,000 in chips.
Player Tags: Frank Kassela, Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer, James Mackey, Justin Bonomo, Vanessa Rousso, Brian Rast, Phil Galfond, Alan Sass, Noah Schwartz, Alec Torelli, Sorel Mizzi, Sami Kelopuro
ElkY Gets Lucky On Alan Sass
Tough Luck For Justin Bonomo Sends Him Out
Alan Sass came into the day with nearly 600,000 in chips, but lost a few pots early. His A-K brought him hopes of a double up, but he ran into Per Ummer's pocket aces to hit the rail in 31st place.
On a board of K
Newhouse rakes a pot