David Benefield Eliminated In Eighth Place ($944,650)
Nov 04, '13
On hand no. 38, just two hands after the elimination of Mark Newhouse, David Benefield found himself all in for 17 big blinds holding K2.
Jay Farber made the call with a dominating AK and it held when the board ran out Q105J2.
Benefield, who doubled up early on in the final table, was eliminated in eighth place, earning $944,650.
The 27-year-old, who now resides in New York City, came into the final table in last place and was a 12-1 underdog to win according to Caesars Entertainment.
Benefield, known by his online name “Raptor,” increased his career live tournament earnings to nearly $2.2 million.
David Benefield moved his last 565,000 all in and got a call from Sam Trickett and Peter Gilmore.
Action was checked down by the two other players and they showed down.
Benefield: 33
Trickett: A8
Gilmore: QJ
Trickett’s aces took the pot and Benefield was gone in 6th, making $135,718 for his efforts.
Makhija finished in 5th Place ($179,866)
Following Benefield’s departure was Amit Makjija. Pushing is last 1,030,000 in from the button, Amit Makhija was called by Sam Trickett, who had him covered.
Mikhija:
Trickett: AQ
Makhija: K6
The board ran out J94A10 and Makhija was gone in 5th, taking $179,866 in prize money. Trickett had more than 6 million after the hand.
The remaining 8 players are on a 60-minute dinner break.
They are:
Jason DeWitt — 2,750,000
Jeff Williams — 2,370,000
James Carroll — 1,910,000
David Benefield — 1,300,000
Samuel Trickett — 1,080,000
Peter Gilmore — 900,000
Paul Foltyn — 800,000
Amit Makhija — 750,000
The final table is officially set for event No. 17, $5,000 no-limit hold’em.
Chip counts for the final 9 are:
Peter Gilmore — 2,305,000
James Carroll — 1,893,000
Jeff Williams — 1,670,000
Jason DeWitt — 1,440,000
David Benefield — 1,433,000
Amit Makhija — 1,117,000
Paul Foltyn — 975,000
Samuel Trickett — 956,000
Manny Minaya — 272,000
Level 7 Update: Tony G and Brett Richey Eliminated
Jun 07, '10
Limits: Bring-in 300, Ante 200, Limits 1,000-2,000
Players Remaining: 128 out of 170
Average Chip Count: 39,843
Tournament Leaderboard:
1. Sirous Jamshidi – 85,000
2. Alessio Isaia – 82,000
3. Marco Johnson – 76,000
4. Barry Greenstein – 74,000
5. Phil Ivey – 74,000
6. Max Pescatori – 67,000
7. Eli Elezra – 62,000
8. David Bach – 60,000
9. Dan Kelly – 58,000
10. Jennifer Harman – 57,000
Notable Eliminations:
Tony G
Brett Richey
Chau Giang
Big Hands:
Brett Richey Gets Cold Decked, Eliminated
Brett Richey check-raised sixth street against his opponent and called the third bet from his opponent.
Richey: (X-X)-7-8-2-10
Opponent: (X-X)-2-3-7-K
Richey called off the last of his chips on the river when his opponent bet. Richey tabled a flush and an eight low as he showed the J-6-5, but his opponent had a straight flush with a better low as he showed the 4-5-6 to send Richey to the Rail.
Benefield Chops with Yamron
David Benefield and Bruce Yamron were tangled in a heads-up pot. Yamron check-called a bet on fourth and Benefield check-called a bet on fifth.
Benefield: (X-X)-5-6-K-6
Yamron: (X-X)-7-5-2-Q
On sixth street, Benefield bet and Yamron called. The same action happened on the river.
Benefield tabled the Ah-8d-4s and Yamron showed 8-7-2 Benefield took the low and Yamron took the high with two pair. Benefield is at 18,500 and Yamron is in much better shape with 49,000.
Tony G Sent Packing
Tony G got the last of his chips in the middle against Barry Greenstein on sixth street with their boards looking like this.
Tony G: (X-X)-A-8-K-J
Greenstein: (X-X)-4-5-4-2
The rivers were dealt and Greenstein showed the 2-2-6, giving him a six high straight, which obviously qualifies as a low. Tony G could only muster up the A-Q-5, for only a pair of aces and was eliminated on day 1. Greenstein, however, has climbed to 74,000.
Level 8 Update: Amnon Filippi and Erik Sagstrom Eliminated
Jun 04, '10
Blinds: Bring-in 300, ante 300, Limits 1,200-2,400
Players Remaining: 88 out of 150
Average Chip Count: 51,136
Tournament Leaderboard:
1. Vladimir Schmelev – 180,000
2. Michael Mizrachi – 164,000
3. John DAgostino – 140,000
4. Doyle Brunson – 114,000
5. Men Nguyen – 94,000
6. Daniel Negreanu – 88,000
7. Scott Seiver – 88,000
8. Daniel Kelly – 79,000
9. Jennifer Harman – 76,000
10. Chris Ferguson – 76,000
Notable Eliminations:
Amnon Filippi
Erik Sagstrom
Huck Seed
Big Hands:
Amnon Filippi Eliminated
Kirk Morrison completed the bring-in and after a moment Alan Boston folded and action was on a very short-stacked Amnon Filippi. Filippi then reraised and it folded back to Morrison. Morrison and Filippi got all of Filippi’s remaining chips in on third street.
Filippi had concealed nines and an ace showing against Morrison’s concealed kings and a ten. By sixth street, Morrison had made kings-up, and Filippi never improved past a pair of nines, sending him home in the beginning of the last level of the day.
Lind Cripples Raptor
On sixth street, George Lind and David Benefield were locked up in a hand with their boards looking like this.
Lind: (X-X)-K-Q-5-2
Benefield: (X-X)-K-9-2-8
Lind bet sixth and was called by Benefield. After the river was dealt, Lind bet again and was called by Benefield. Lind showed A-4-10, giving him an ace-high flush and Benefield mucked and was left with just 4,000, while Lind got back up to 29,000.
Huck Seed Eliminated
Huck Seed got all of his money in against Bill Munley and by sixth street, Munley had aces and jacks showing on his board. Seed was unable to beat the two pair that Munley was showing and he was eliminated.
Erik Sagstrom Eliminated by David Singer
We got to the table as Sagstrom was putting the last of his chips in against David Singer. Singer had nothing but ace high but Sagstrom missed his straight draw and was eliminated from the tournament.
George Lind, Jeff Lisandro, and David Benefield got tangled up in a three-way pot. On fifth street, Lind’s board was (X-X)-Q-7-10, Lisandro’s board was (X-X)-A-K-3, and Benefield’s board was (X-X)-8-5-4.
Lind 600, Lisandro called, and Benefield raised to 1,200, which was called by both players. Benefield then caught a 3, Lisarndro caught the K, and Lind caught the 8. Now Lisandro bet 600 and was called by both players. Lisandro bet again after the river was dealt and Benefield folded and Lind called. Lisandro showed K-10-2 in his hand, showing that he missed his flush, but made three kings and Lind mucked his hand.
Brandon Adams Bests Mueller
On fifth street, Brandon Adams bet and was called by Mueller with his board looking like (X-X)-A-3-5. Mueller’s board was (X-X)-Q39. Mueller paired his nine when he caught the 9 on sixth and Adams caught the J and both players checked.
The river was dealt face down and both players knocked the table again. Adams exposed the AQ7 in the hole, giving him a pair of aces and Mueller mucked his hand. Adams is up to 33,000.
Master of Broadway
Entering late on heads up action between Men Nguyen and Abe Mosseri, The Master bet on the end and Mosseri called to see the bad news. The Master showed 10-J-Q-K-A for the broadway straight, and Mosseri mucked, giving the 3,000 pot to The Master. He had 34,200 after the hand.
D’Agostino Shows Opponent Who Is King
John D’Agostino bet and was called on 4th and 5th street before checking 5th street. Seat 1 checked behind him and D’Agostino fired again on 6th street and was called. Both players checked the end and showed down.
Seat 1: (X-X) 9A10K-(X)
D’Agostino: (X-X) K549 – D’Agostino showed the K in the hole for the pair of kings, and seat 1 mucked. The pot put D’Agostino’s stack around 31,500.
Ivey Wins a Pot, What a Shocker
Phil Ivey completed the bring-in showing the 10 and was called by Ylon Schwartz, Marco Traniello, and Cory Zeidman. Traniello then bet every street up to the river, and was called by every player. On the river their boards looked like this.
1. Rui Cao — 590,000
2. Sean Keeton — 355,000
3. Faraz Jaka — 325,000
4. Matthew Waxman — 312,000
5. Lars Bonding — 288,300
6. Aurelien Guiglini — 285,000
7. Shaun Deeb — 265,000
8. Rory Matthews — 256,000
9. David Peters — 237,400
10. Peter Feldman — 230,000
Average Chip Count: 156,404
Notable Eliminations:
Kenna James
Barny Boatman
David Benefield
David Benefield Eliminated
David Benefield gets it all in before the flop for 42,000 with AJ against the pocket queens of his opponent.
The board comes 962J10, no help for Benefield who is eliminated from the tournament.
Ray Davis Doubles Up
Ray Davis gets it all in for 95,800 before the flop against a single opponent.
Davis: AK
Opponent: QQ
Board: 9738J
Davis turns the nut flush and doubles up to 190,000 on the bubble.
Bubble Breaks; 3 Players Split 90th Place ($9,159)
They have finally reached the money in Event no. 54, and there were three players that were all eliminated on the same hand during hand-for-hand play. As a result, they will split the 90th place payout ($9,159), each earning $3,053 for a net loss of $1,947.
1. Phil Laak — 280,00
2. Tony G — 255,000
3. Scott Seiver — 250,000
4. Justin Bonomo — 240,000
5. David Chiu — 240,000
6. Michael DeMichele — 230,000
7. Evan McNiff — 215,000
8. Markus Lehmann — 215,000
9. Kyle Wilson — 210,000
10. Nam Le — 205,000
Average Chip Count: 127,619
Notable Eliminations:
Florian Langmann
John Juanda
Jonathan Little
Daniel Negreanu
Big Hands:
Nam Le Flops a Set, Climbs Up the Leaderboard
On a board of J72K, Nam Le bets 15,000, the player in seat 6 raises to 34,000, Ryan Fair folds, and Nam Le calls the raise after a few minutes in the tank. The river is the 8, and seat 6 checks to Le who bets 25,000. Seat 6 calls and Le turns over 22 for bottom set. Seat 6 mucks his hand and Le rakes the pot. Le is up to 205,000 after this hand, securing himself a current spot on the leaderboard.
Phil Galfond doubles up
With AA, Phil Galfond moved all in and was called by seat 6 with AK. The flop was 99A, and Galfond was free rolling. Running nines did not come and Galfond doubled up to 218,000.
Markus Lehmann Wins Big Pot, Breaks 200K
Kathy Liebert raises to 2,300 from under the gun, David Benefield reraises to 8,2000 from middle position, Markus Lehmann calls from the button, Blake Cahail calls from the big blind, and Kathy Liebert calls the reraise. The flop comes K94, Benefield and bets 11,700. Lehmann calls while both Cahail and Liebert fold. The turn is the K, and both players check. The river is the 2, and both players check again. Bennefield turns over 88 while Lehmann shows JJ for the better two-pair. Lehmann climbs up the leaderboard to 215,000 this hand while Benefield falls to 110,000, follwed by Liebert with 80,000 and Cahail with 65,000.
Scott Seiver Takes a Hand against Phil Hellmuth
On a flop of AAA, Hellmuth bet out 8,000 and Seiver quickly called. Hellmuth checked dark and the turn was the 5 and Seiver checked behind. The river was the A, putting all four aces on the board and Hellmuth checked. Seiver made a big bet and Hellmuth said, “I don’t think I can call you with 6 high,” before showing pocket sixes and folding.
Andy Bloch Moves All-in
Four way action pre-flop had pros J.C. Tran, Alec Torelli, Yevgeniy Timoshenko and Andy Bloch see a flop of 994. Bloch checked and Timoshenko bet out 18,000. Tran quickly folded and Torelli, the pre-flop raiser, contemplated for awhile and called. Action was back to Bloch, who moved all in for 53,100 more and Timoshenko instantly folded. Torelli asked for a count before eventually folding.
Daniel Negreanu is Eliminated
The short stacked Negreanu raised pre-flop with ace queen and was set all in by Doug Lee for 35,000, who was holding pocket threes. The flop brought a queen and everything looked good for a double up, however a 3 on the turn gave Lee a set and had Negreanu drawing dead.
Left In The Deck:
Phil Hellmuth and Phil Ivey, both at the same table, have begun negotiating prop bets.
David Benefield is all in holding AK against last year's final tablist Kris Kuykendall and his JJ.
The flop comes 1083 and Benefield has flopped the nut flush, giving him a stranglehold on the hand.
Of course, the 8 on the turn makes things more interesting. Benefield says, "It's not over yet," and sure enough, the J hits the river, giving Kuykendall the pot with a full house.
Recent Eliminations: Amit Makhija, Jeffrey Lisandro, Kirk Morrison, Bryan Devonshire.
Big Hands and Storylines:
Makhija Busts Out
Amit Makhija was nursing a shortstack, but appeared on the verge of successfully staving off his elimination midway through the second hour of level 4. It all ended when his flopped two pair ran into a straight.
Just previously, Makhija held only 5425 in chips when he was the big blind. Play was folded to the button who raised to 900, and Makhija had enough chips to scare off his opponent with an all-in. The move brought him to 6650 in chips. Then two hands later as the button, Makhija watched as the player in the cut-off put in an initial raise to 725. Again Makhija pushed all-in, and again his opponent folded in the face of the move.
The next hand spelled his doom, however. From the cut-off Makhija raised to 900, and the big blind was the lone caller. The flop came AQJ, the big blind checked, and Makhija bet 1200. The big blind called the bet, and together they saw the 9 hit the turn. The big blind checked, Makhija bet 3200, and the big blind then check-raised to put Makhija all-in. Makhija made the instant call, showing AQ. But the big blind had filled his straight, holding 108. Needing an ace or queen on the river to stay alive, Makhija saw the 3 come down and end his main event.
Lisandro Loves His Luck, Later Loses
Despite patiently nursing a short stack throughout most of the level, Jeffrey Lisandro ultimately ended up with a one-way ticket to the rail after a successful double up.Lisandro first got it all in with 44 for his last 2,800 against his opponent’s QJ.The flop was beautiful for Lisandro, bringing J104.The 2 on the turn had his opponent drawing dead, and Lisandro collected his chips.
Within two hands, Lisandro again got his chips back into the middle against the same opponent, this time while holding AsQs against his opponent’s KK.The flop brought another set with K54, and the 8 on the turn this time had Lisandro drawing dead.Lisandro made his exit.
Moneymaker drops some chips, but going strong
With the board Q55K8, Chris Moneymaker and his opponent both checked. His opponent flipped over A8 and Moneyaker mucked. The pot had just a few thousand in it, and Moneymaker currently has around 70,000 chips.
Gowen's small bluff fails
With the board A9848, Clonie Gowen bet 3,000 and her opponent called. Gowen immediately mucked her hand, and though he didn't need to her opponent showed A7. After the hand Gowen was up to 60,000 chips.
Devonshire out, Mattern takes chip lead
On a T86 flop, a series of back-and-forth raises ends with Bryan Devonshire all in and Arnaud Mattern right there with him in a monster pot. They both hold 9-7, but Mattern's cards are spades giving him a flush draw. And what do you know -- it made a difference. After the A on the turn, the A came on the river to give Mattern the pot and give him 155,000 chips.
Don’t Mess with Singer
A player in middle position raised to 1000 and David Singer, one of the chip leaders of the day, called from the button, as did the big blind. The flop came KQ2, the big blind checked, and the original raiser bet out 1600. Singer made the call and the big blind folded. The J hit the turn and his opponent came out for 2500. Singer then put in a reraise to 7000. His opponent then mucked his hand.
Boredom for some
It's the main event and there are millions at stake, but for some players the slow pace of play creates the need for distractions. Nenad Medic has been playing solitare on his ipod and David Benefield has been reading a book. But it looks like they're also playing some good poker when the time calls for it; Medic and Benefield have 90,000 and 60,000 chips, respectively.
After calling a raise from the big blind, Bill Chen and two others saw the flop come 1087. Chen checked and the next player to act bet 3,600. The third player folded and Chen moved all in. The bettor had about 16,000 left and Chen had him covered. After a couple minutes to consider he called with JJ. Chen held A10 and needed to improve. But unfortunately for him the turn and river came JQ. After the hand Chen was down to about 17,000 chips.
Goldstein Gets Tough Table Draw
Ken “SCKenny” Goldstein has found himself today at quite a challenging table. Along with Zachary King and Andrew Robl, both of whom have final-tabled an event this year, Goldstein is accompanied by Mike Matusow.
When Card Player checked on the table, Matusow was embroiled in a conversation about live versus online players. Matusow agreed with the sentiment that he could not beat the best internet players online, but also reminded them that the World Series is a live tournament. “This ain’t a video game,” quipped Matusow.
John Juanda Eliminated
John Juanda moved all-in on a flop of 975 and his opponent called. Juanda had a gutshot straight draw and two overcards with J10, and his opponent had A9 for top pair. Juanda’s hand did not improve and he was bounced from the tournament early on day 2b.
Madsen makes call, loses
With the board 9-7-3-8-3, Jeff Madsen checked and his opponent moved all in for about 10,000. Madsen though it over for a couple minutes and made the call. His opponent flipped over aces to take the pot over about 30,000. After the hand Madsen had about 95,000 chips.
River helps Benefield add to stack
In a blind vs. blind battle, David Benefield bet 1,500 from the big blind and then called a raise to 4,000 on a 9-5-3 flop. The turn was a six and Benefield called a 5,000 bet from the small blind. The river brought a second five to the board and the small blind again bet 5,000. This time Benefield moved all in, and his opponent called off the rest of his chips, which was about 10,000 total. Benefield showed 7-5 for trips, while his opponent had pocket kings. With the pot Benefield stack was up to about 140,000.
Nicholas Sliwinski Eliminates Phongthep Thiptinnakon
Action folded around to Phongthep Thiptinnakon who moved in for 115,000. Action folded to Nicholas Sliwinski in the big blind. He insta-called and showed AK. Thiptinnakon’s KQ was dominated and when the board came A647A he was eliminated. That infusion of chips lifts Sliwinski to almost 800,000.
Ylon Schwartz Joins The Million Chip Club
On a board of JJ7, Edward Roger had to decide whether or not to call Ylon Schwartz’s bet of 309,000. After quiet and careful deliberation, Roger made the call. The two showed their hands:
Schwartz: QQ
Roger: 88
The turn was the J, sealing the hand for Schwarz. With that pot, Schwartz jumps to just over one million in chips. Roger is still more than healthy with about 750,000.
David Saab Hits Alan Jaffray Hard
An important hand occurred in the last level that we just got wind of via David Saab:
Action folded around to Helge Pederen in the cutoff who raised to 18,000. Alan Jaffray called on the button. David Saab, in the small blind, made it 60k to go after a bit of hesitation. Pedersen laid down his hand and action was back on Jaffray. Jaffray, perhaps suspicious of Saab (who had squeezed earlier), raised to 300k. Saab then moved all-in for another 500,000 and Jaffray made the call. Saab showed A-K and his hand held up against Jaffray’s A-9 offsuit. That hand decimated Jaffray’s stack, and he would be eliminated a short time later.
Saab now sits as one of the chip leaders with 1.7 million.
'Raptor' Swoops in for a Monster
David “Raptor” Benefield swept in with such precision, Eric Tom never knew what hit him. There was a raise to 24,000 from a player in early position, and Tom smooth-called from middle position. The player in front of the cut-off made the call as well, and Benefield in the small blind called to create a four-way pot, as James McManus in the big blind folded. The flop came 875, and after two checks, Tom stepped out for 100,000. Play was folded to Benefield, who called. The J hit the turn, and after Benefield checked, Tom announced all-in for 320,000. Benefield snap-called and showed the bad news – 96 in his hand for the nut straight plus a flush draw. Tom, with his QQ, was drawing dead as the 3 hit the river, and Benefield scooped in the monster 980,000 pot.
Queens Work for Qiu
Unlike Tom, the red ladies worked for Andrew Qiu. He was all-in for 149,000 with QQ against the AK of Terry Lade. The board ran out 95329 and Qiu doubled up.
Billirakis Bounces Marcon
Marco Marcon announced all-in from middle position for 113,000, and play was folded to Steve Billarakis in the small blind who made the call. Marcon held 77 while Billirakis held A10. Marcon watched as an ace flopped, coming A99, and never caught up with the 8 on the turn and 2 on the river.
Matusow Doubles Through Keller with Aces
On a flop of 983, Mike Matusow shipped in his remaining 271,000 into a pot already containing over 100,000 in chips.His opponent, Thomas Keller, went into the tank and deliberated for several minutes while considering his options.After counting out the necessary amount for a call, Keller announced as much and turned over 1010.Matusow stood up and pumped his fists into the air as he flipped over AA.After Matusow settled down, the dealer put down the K on the turn.“A jack would have been more interesting,” commented Gus Hansen, who wandered over from his nearby table to watch the action and brought a burst of laughter from the spectators.“I mean, for me.I’m just passing by,” he added.The 2 fell on the river, and Matusow won a large pot bringing his stack to almost 700,000.Keller was crippled and left with under 200,000 in chips.
Cantu bluffs to take down huge pot of over 700k
With the board 1010Q2, the small blind checked and then Brandon Cantu bet 125,000 from the button. The small blind thought it over for a long time before raising to 275,000. Cantu immediately asked how many chips he had left. When he heard about 350,000 he moved all in. The small blind folded and Cantu jumped out of his seat and flipped over AJ. Mike Matusow, who recently doubled up, turned around and took a look at the table. "Did you check-raise bluff Brandon?" Matusow asked. "You should have moved all in then. You have no idea how sick he is?"
Recent Eliminations:
Allen Cunningham (116th place)
Kellen Hunter (115th place)
Adam York (114th place)
Steve Pestal (113th place)
Jeff Madsen (112th place)
Robert Fuller (111th place)
Reggie Lyons (110th place)
Greg Debora (109th place)
Nghia Le (108th place)
Nathan Hays (107th place)
Sylvain Coeur (106th place)
Shawn Sheikhan (105th place)
Kara Scott (104th place)
Big Hands and Storylines:
Adam York Eliminated by Mark Vos
Mark Vos raised from middle position and action folded around to Adam York who moved all in for about 310,000. Vos made the call and the two turned up their hands:
York: AK
Vos: 77
Vos seemed unconcerned as the dealer slapped down the burn card. He walked over to the rail and started conversing with a buddy, turning just in time to see the dealer lay out QQ2. “He’s still alive,” said Vos to his friend, referencing a hand in which York drew out on his opponent, “the river is his card.” The turn was the 6, and the river was the 9. This time the river was Vos’s card, and that pot vaulted him up to about 2.2 million.
Kostritsyn’s Back on the Up
Reagan Silber raised to 50,000 from the cutoff and was called by young Alexander Kostritsyn in the small blind. Kostritsyn checked the Q33 flop and Silber led out for 75,000. Quickly, Kostritsyn slid in a large column of orange chips, making it 125,000 to go. The raise was quickly called by Silber. The turn was the A and Kostritsyn fired a bet of 200,000 which was again quickly called. The river was the J and Kostritsyn slid in a stack of chips in no distinguishable order: some green, some orange, some gold. When asked how much, the dealer counted down the stack: 320,000. Silber considered his decision for a minute as the wall of reporters around the table grew deeper. Silber made the call and Kostritsyn showed K8 for the flush. Silber flashed Q-10 and unhappily mucked his hand. That hand brings Kostritsyn up to about 1.8 million.
Kostritsyn Takes Another Hit
On a flop of A93, Alexander Kostritsyn faced a bet of 150,000 from an opponent into an already large pot.Kostritsyn raised to a total of 350,000, and the remaining player folded his hand.The initial bettor went into the tank momentarily before electing to call the bet.The turn brought the J, and the player checked.Kostritsyn quickly checked behind, and the river came 6.Again both players checked, and Kostritsyn mucked when his opponent turned over AQ for top pair.
Cunningham knocked out
Allen Cunningham, down to just 255,000 chips, moved all in from late position and was called by Tim Loecke in the small blind. Cunningham held QJ, while Loecke held pocket aces. The board came 7-6-3-8-8, and the fourth-place finisher in 2006 was drawing dead by the turn.
Caiaffa Flushes Out Hunter
Kellen Hunter was in late position and raised to 45,000, which Rafael Caiaffa in the small blind and Larry Wright in the big blind both called. The flop came down 872, and Caiaffa led at the pot with a 105,000 bet. Wright made the call from the big blind, then Hunter moved all-in for 307,000. Caiaffa made the call and Wright mucked his hand. Hunter held QQ and was in the lead, but needed to dodge a club as Caiaffa held QJ. Hunter didn’t dodge well enough as the 3 fell on the turn and he was drawing dead at that point. The 3 on the river made it official and Hunter was eliminated.
Benefield Collects Nice Pot
David Benefield was in the cut-off and raised to 55,000, which was enough to lure both Paul Snead and Chris Klodnicki into the pot from the blinds. The flop came 653, and when Snead checked, Klodnicki stabbed at the pot with a 100,000 bet. Benefield called while Snead folded. The Q came on the turn and Klodnicki checked his option, before calling a 175,000 bet from Benefield. The action, and the 10 on the river, was enough to slow both players who checked at the end. Benefield announced a pair of sixes and showed 86, which was enough to take down the pot.
Whoops for Osterland
Robert Hwang was under the gun and raised to 53,000. Play was folded to Felix Osterland on the button, who announced raise and then put out 60,000, unaware that Hwang had already raised. The floor was called and Osterland was forced to make the minimum raise, which resulted in 86,000 being put forward. Hwang used the opportunity to reraise to 280,000, and Osterland was forced to muck his hand.
Wilds Survives All-In
Mark Wilds was all-in for 199,000 while holding KQ on a flop of 1085. He was called by Tri Nguyen who held 76 for the open-ended straight draw. The 3 on the turn didn’t help, and the Q on the river gave Wilds the insurance he needed as he doubled up.
Recent Eliminations: Amit Makhija, Jeffrey Lisandro, Kirk Morrison, Bryan Devonshire.
Big Hands and Storylines:
Makhija Busts Out
Amit Makhija was nursing a shortstack, but appeared on the verge of successfully staving off his elimination midway through the second hour of level 4. It all ended when his flopped two pair ran into a straight.
Just previously, Makhija held only 5425 in chips when he was the big blind. Play was folded to the button who raised to 900, and Makhija had enough chips to scare off his opponent with an all-in. The move brought him to 6650 in chips. Then two hands later as the button, Makhija watched as the player in the cut-off put in an initial raise to 725. Again Makhija pushed all-in, and again his opponent folded in the face of the move.
The next hand spelled his doom, however. From the cut-off Makhija raised to 900, and the big blind was the lone caller. The flop came AQJ, the big blind checked, and Makhija bet 1200. The big blind called the bet, and together they saw the 9 hit the turn. The big blind checked, Makhija bet 3200, and the big blind then check-raised to put Makhija all-in. Makhija made the instant call, showing AQ. But the big blind had filled his straight, holding 108. Needing an ace or queen on the river to stay alive, Makhija saw the 3 come down and end his main event.
Lisandro Loves His Luck, Later Loses
Despite patiently nursing a short stack throughout most of the level, Jeffrey Lisandro ultimately ended up with a one-way ticket to the rail after a successful double up.Lisandro first got it all in with 44 for his last 2,800 against his opponent’s QJ.The flop was beautiful for Lisandro, bringing J104.The 2 on the turn had his opponent drawing dead, and Lisandro collected his chips.
Within two hands, Lisandro again got his chips back into the middle against the same opponent, this time while holding AsQs against his opponent’s KK.The flop brought another set with K54, and the 8 on the turn this time had Lisandro drawing dead.Lisandro made his exit.
Moneymaker drops some chips, but going strong
With the board Q55K8, Chris Moneymaker and his opponent both checked. His opponent flipped over A8 and Moneyaker mucked. The pot had just a few thousand in it, and Moneymaker currently has around 70,000 chips.
Gowen's small bluff fails
With the board A9848, Clonie Gowen bet 3,000 and her opponent called. Gowen immediately mucked her hand, and though he didn't need to her opponent showed A7. After the hand Gowen was up to 60,000 chips.
Devonshire out, Mattern takes chip lead
On a T86 flop, a series of back-and-forth raises ends with Bryan Devonshire all in and Arnaud Mattern right there with him in a monster pot. They both hold 9-7, but Mattern's cards are spades giving him a flush draw. And what do you know -- it made a difference. After the A on the turn, the A came on the river to give Mattern the pot and give him 155,000 chips.
Don’t Mess with Singer
A player in middle position raised to 1000 and David Singer, one of the chip leaders of the day, called from the button, as did the big blind. The flop came KQ2, the big blind checked, and the original raiser bet out 1600. Singer made the call and the big blind folded. The J hit the turn and his opponent came out for 2500. Singer then put in a reraise to 7000. His opponent then mucked his hand.
Boredom for some
It's the main event and there are millions at stake, but for some players the slow pace of play creates the need for distractions. Nenad Medic has been playing solitare on his ipod and David Benefield has been reading a book. But it looks like they're also playing some good poker when the time calls for it; Medic and Benefield have 90,000 and 60,000 chips, respectively.
After calling a raise from the big blind, Bill Chen and two others saw the flop come 1087. Chen checked and the next player to act bet 3,600. The third player folded and Chen moved all in. The bettor had about 16,000 left and Chen had him covered. After a couple minutes to consider he called with JJ. Chen held A10 and needed to improve. But unfortunately for him the turn and river came JQ. After the hand Chen was down to about 17,000 chips.
Goldstein Gets Tough Table Draw
Ken “SCKenny” Goldstein has found himself today at quite a challenging table. Along with Zachary King and Andrew Robl, both of whom have final-tabled an event this year, Goldstein is accompanied by Mike Matusow.
When Card Player checked on the table, Matusow was embroiled in a conversation about live versus online players. Matusow agreed with the sentiment that he could not beat the best internet players online, but also reminded them that the World Series is a live tournament. “This ain’t a video game,” quipped Matusow.
John Juanda Eliminated
John Juanda moved all-in on a flop of 975 and his opponent called. Juanda had a gutshot straight draw and two overcards with J10, and his opponent had A9 for top pair. Juanda’s hand did not improve and he was bounced from the tournament early on day 2b.
Madsen makes call, loses
With the board 9-7-3-8-3, Jeff Madsen checked and his opponent moved all in for about 10,000. Madsen though it over for a couple minutes and made the call. His opponent flipped over aces to take the pot over about 30,000. After the hand Madsen had about 95,000 chips.
River helps Benefield add to stack
In a blind vs. blind battle, David Benefield bet 1,500 from the big blind and then called a raise to 4,000 on a 9-5-3 flop. The turn was a six and Benefield called a 5,000 bet from the small blind. The river brought a second five to the board and the small blind again bet 5,000. This time Benefield moved all in, and his opponent called off the rest of his chips, which was about 10,000 total. Benefield showed 7-5 for trips, while his opponent had pocket kings. With the pot Benefield stack was up to about 140,000.
Nicholas Sliwinski Eliminates Phongthep Thiptinnakon
Action folded around to Phongthep Thiptinnakon who moved in for 115,000. Action folded to Nicholas Sliwinski in the big blind. He insta-called and showed AK. Thiptinnakon’s KQ was dominated and when the board came A647A he was eliminated. That infusion of chips lifts Sliwinski to almost 800,000.
Ylon Schwartz Joins The Million Chip Club
On a board of JJ7, Edward Roger had to decide whether or not to call Ylon Schwartz’s bet of 309,000. After quiet and careful deliberation, Roger made the call. The two showed their hands:
Schwartz: QQ
Roger: 88
The turn was the J, sealing the hand for Schwarz. With that pot, Schwartz jumps to just over one million in chips. Roger is still more than healthy with about 750,000.
David Saab Hits Alan Jaffray Hard
An important hand occurred in the last level that we just got wind of via David Saab:
Action folded around to Helge Pederen in the cutoff who raised to 18,000. Alan Jaffray called on the button. David Saab, in the small blind, made it 60k to go after a bit of hesitation. Pedersen laid down his hand and action was back on Jaffray. Jaffray, perhaps suspicious of Saab (who had squeezed earlier), raised to 300k. Saab then moved all-in for another 500,000 and Jaffray made the call. Saab showed A-K and his hand held up against Jaffray’s A-9 offsuit. That hand decimated Jaffray’s stack, and he would be eliminated a short time later.
Saab now sits as one of the chip leaders with 1.7 million.
'Raptor' Swoops in for a Monster
David “Raptor” Benefield swept in with such precision, Eric Tom never knew what hit him. There was a raise to 24,000 from a player in early position, and Tom smooth-called from middle position. The player in front of the cut-off made the call as well, and Benefield in the small blind called to create a four-way pot, as James McManus in the big blind folded. The flop came 875, and after two checks, Tom stepped out for 100,000. Play was folded to Benefield, who called. The J hit the turn, and after Benefield checked, Tom announced all-in for 320,000. Benefield snap-called and showed the bad news – 96 in his hand for the nut straight plus a flush draw. Tom, with his QQ, was drawing dead as the 3 hit the river, and Benefield scooped in the monster 980,000 pot.
Queens Work for Qiu
Unlike Tom, the red ladies worked for Andrew Qiu. He was all-in for 149,000 with QQ against the AK of Terry Lade. The board ran out 95329 and Qiu doubled up.
Billirakis Bounces Marcon
Marco Marcon announced all-in from middle position for 113,000, and play was folded to Steve Billarakis in the small blind who made the call. Marcon held 77 while Billirakis held A10. Marcon watched as an ace flopped, coming A99, and never caught up with the 8 on the turn and 2 on the river.
Matusow Doubles Through Keller with Aces
On a flop of 983, Mike Matusow shipped in his remaining 271,000 into a pot already containing over 100,000 in chips.His opponent, Thomas Keller, went into the tank and deliberated for several minutes while considering his options.After counting out the necessary amount for a call, Keller announced as much and turned over 1010.Matusow stood up and pumped his fists into the air as he flipped over AA.After Matusow settled down, the dealer put down the K on the turn.“A jack would have been more interesting,” commented Gus Hansen, who wandered over from his nearby table to watch the action and brought a burst of laughter from the spectators.“I mean, for me.I’m just passing by,” he added.The 2 fell on the river, and Matusow won a large pot bringing his stack to almost 700,000.Keller was crippled and left with under 200,000 in chips.
Cantu bluffs to take down huge pot of over 700k
With the board 1010Q2, the small blind checked and then Brandon Cantu bet 125,000 from the button. The small blind thought it over for a long time before raising to 275,000. Cantu immediately asked how many chips he had left. When he heard about 350,000 he moved all in. The small blind folded and Cantu jumped out of his seat and flipped over AJ. Mike Matusow, who recently doubled up, turned around and took a look at the table. "Did you check-raise bluff Brandon?" Matusow asked. "You should have moved all in then. You have no idea how sick he is?"
Recent Eliminations:
Allen Cunningham (116th place)
Kellen Hunter (115th place)
Adam York (114th place)
Steve Pestal (113th place)
Jeff Madsen (112th place)
Robert Fuller (111th place)
Reggie Lyons (110th place)
Greg Debora (109th place)
Nghia Le (108th place)
Nathan Hays (107th place)
Sylvain Coeur (106th place)
Shawn Sheikhan (105th place)
Kara Scott (104th place)
Big Hands and Storylines:
Adam York Eliminated by Mark Vos
Mark Vos raised from middle position and action folded around to Adam York who moved all in for about 310,000. Vos made the call and the two turned up their hands:
York: AK
Vos: 77
Vos seemed unconcerned as the dealer slapped down the burn card. He walked over to the rail and started conversing with a buddy, turning just in time to see the dealer lay out QQ2. “He’s still alive,” said Vos to his friend, referencing a hand in which York drew out on his opponent, “the river is his card.” The turn was the 6, and the river was the 9. This time the river was Vos’s card, and that pot vaulted him up to about 2.2 million.
Kostritsyn’s Back on the Up
Reagan Silber raised to 50,000 from the cutoff and was called by young Alexander Kostritsyn in the small blind. Kostritsyn checked the Q33 flop and Silber led out for 75,000. Quickly, Kostritsyn slid in a large column of orange chips, making it 125,000 to go. The raise was quickly called by Silber. The turn was the A and Kostritsyn fired a bet of 200,000 which was again quickly called. The river was the J and Kostritsyn slid in a stack of chips in no distinguishable order: some green, some orange, some gold. When asked how much, the dealer counted down the stack: 320,000. Silber considered his decision for a minute as the wall of reporters around the table grew deeper. Silber made the call and Kostritsyn showed K8 for the flush. Silber flashed Q-10 and unhappily mucked his hand. That hand brings Kostritsyn up to about 1.8 million.
Kostritsyn Takes Another Hit
On a flop of A93, Alexander Kostritsyn faced a bet of 150,000 from an opponent into an already large pot.Kostritsyn raised to a total of 350,000, and the remaining player folded his hand.The initial bettor went into the tank momentarily before electing to call the bet.The turn brought the J, and the player checked.Kostritsyn quickly checked behind, and the river came 6.Again both players checked, and Kostritsyn mucked when his opponent turned over AQ for top pair.
Cunningham knocked out
Allen Cunningham, down to just 255,000 chips, moved all in from late position and was called by Tim Loecke in the small blind. Cunningham held QJ, while Loecke held pocket aces. The board came 7-6-3-8-8, and the fourth-place finisher in 2006 was drawing dead by the turn.
Caiaffa Flushes Out Hunter
Kellen Hunter was in late position and raised to 45,000, which Rafael Caiaffa in the small blind and Larry Wright in the big blind both called. The flop came down 872, and Caiaffa led at the pot with a 105,000 bet. Wright made the call from the big blind, then Hunter moved all-in for 307,000. Caiaffa made the call and Wright mucked his hand. Hunter held QQ and was in the lead, but needed to dodge a club as Caiaffa held QJ. Hunter didn’t dodge well enough as the 3 fell on the turn and he was drawing dead at that point. The 3 on the river made it official and Hunter was eliminated.
Benefield Collects Nice Pot
David Benefield was in the cut-off and raised to 55,000, which was enough to lure both Paul Snead and Chris Klodnicki into the pot from the blinds. The flop came 653, and when Snead checked, Klodnicki stabbed at the pot with a 100,000 bet. Benefield called while Snead folded. The Q came on the turn and Klodnicki checked his option, before calling a 175,000 bet from Benefield. The action, and the 10 on the river, was enough to slow both players who checked at the end. Benefield announced a pair of sixes and showed 86, which was enough to take down the pot.
Whoops for Osterland
Robert Hwang was under the gun and raised to 53,000. Play was folded to Felix Osterland on the button, who announced raise and then put out 60,000, unaware that Hwang had already raised. The floor was called and Osterland was forced to make the minimum raise, which resulted in 86,000 being put forward. Hwang used the opportunity to reraise to 280,000, and Osterland was forced to muck his hand.
Wilds Survives All-In
Mark Wilds was all-in for 199,000 while holding KQ on a flop of 1085. He was called by Tri Nguyen who held 76 for the open-ended straight draw. The 3 on the turn didn’t help, and the Q on the river gave Wilds the insurance he needed as he doubled up.
Recent Eliminations: Amit Makhija, Jeffrey Lisandro, Kirk Morrison, Bryan Devonshire.
Big Hands and Storylines:
Makhija Busts Out
Amit Makhija was nursing a shortstack, but appeared on the verge of successfully staving off his elimination midway through the second hour of level 4. It all ended when his flopped two pair ran into a straight.
Just previously, Makhija held only 5425 in chips when he was the big blind. Play was folded to the button who raised to 900, and Makhija had enough chips to scare off his opponent with an all-in. The move brought him to 6650 in chips. Then two hands later as the button, Makhija watched as the player in the cut-off put in an initial raise to 725. Again Makhija pushed all-in, and again his opponent folded in the face of the move.
The next hand spelled his doom, however. From the cut-off Makhija raised to 900, and the big blind was the lone caller. The flop came AQJ, the big blind checked, and Makhija bet 1200. The big blind called the bet, and together they saw the 9 hit the turn. The big blind checked, Makhija bet 3200, and the big blind then check-raised to put Makhija all-in. Makhija made the instant call, showing AQ. But the big blind had filled his straight, holding 108. Needing an ace or queen on the river to stay alive, Makhija saw the 3 come down and end his main event.
Lisandro Loves His Luck, Later Loses
Despite patiently nursing a short stack throughout most of the level, Jeffrey Lisandro ultimately ended up with a one-way ticket to the rail after a successful double up.Lisandro first got it all in with 44 for his last 2,800 against his opponent’s QJ.The flop was beautiful for Lisandro, bringing J104.The 2 on the turn had his opponent drawing dead, and Lisandro collected his chips.
Within two hands, Lisandro again got his chips back into the middle against the same opponent, this time while holding AsQs against his opponent’s KK.The flop brought another set with K54, and the 8 on the turn this time had Lisandro drawing dead.Lisandro made his exit.
Moneymaker drops some chips, but going strong
With the board Q55K8, Chris Moneymaker and his opponent both checked. His opponent flipped over A8 and Moneyaker mucked. The pot had just a few thousand in it, and Moneymaker currently has around 70,000 chips.
Gowen's small bluff fails
With the board A9848, Clonie Gowen bet 3,000 and her opponent called. Gowen immediately mucked her hand, and though he didn't need to her opponent showed A7. After the hand Gowen was up to 60,000 chips.
Devonshire out, Mattern takes chip lead
On a T86 flop, a series of back-and-forth raises ends with Bryan Devonshire all in and Arnaud Mattern right there with him in a monster pot. They both hold 9-7, but Mattern's cards are spades giving him a flush draw. And what do you know -- it made a difference. After the A on the turn, the A came on the river to give Mattern the pot and give him 155,000 chips.
Don’t Mess with Singer
A player in middle position raised to 1000 and David Singer, one of the chip leaders of the day, called from the button, as did the big blind. The flop came KQ2, the big blind checked, and the original raiser bet out 1600. Singer made the call and the big blind folded. The J hit the turn and his opponent came out for 2500. Singer then put in a reraise to 7000. His opponent then mucked his hand.
Boredom for some
It's the main event and there are millions at stake, but for some players the slow pace of play creates the need for distractions. Nenad Medic has been playing solitare on his ipod and David Benefield has been reading a book. But it looks like they're also playing some good poker when the time calls for it; Medic and Benefield have 90,000 and 60,000 chips, respectively.
After calling a raise from the big blind, Bill Chen and two others saw the flop come 1087. Chen checked and the next player to act bet 3,600. The third player folded and Chen moved all in. The bettor had about 16,000 left and Chen had him covered. After a couple minutes to consider he called with JJ. Chen held A10 and needed to improve. But unfortunately for him the turn and river came JQ. After the hand Chen was down to about 17,000 chips.
Goldstein Gets Tough Table Draw
Ken “SCKenny” Goldstein has found himself today at quite a challenging table. Along with Zachary King and Andrew Robl, both of whom have final-tabled an event this year, Goldstein is accompanied by Mike Matusow.
When Card Player checked on the table, Matusow was embroiled in a conversation about live versus online players. Matusow agreed with the sentiment that he could not beat the best internet players online, but also reminded them that the World Series is a live tournament. “This ain’t a video game,” quipped Matusow.
John Juanda Eliminated
John Juanda moved all-in on a flop of 975 and his opponent called. Juanda had a gutshot straight draw and two overcards with J10, and his opponent had A9 for top pair. Juanda’s hand did not improve and he was bounced from the tournament early on day 2b.
Madsen makes call, loses
With the board 9-7-3-8-3, Jeff Madsen checked and his opponent moved all in for about 10,000. Madsen though it over for a couple minutes and made the call. His opponent flipped over aces to take the pot over about 30,000. After the hand Madsen had about 95,000 chips.
River helps Benefield add to stack
In a blind vs. blind battle, David Benefield bet 1,500 from the big blind and then called a raise to 4,000 on a 9-5-3 flop. The turn was a six and Benefield called a 5,000 bet from the small blind. The river brought a second five to the board and the small blind again bet 5,000. This time Benefield moved all in, and his opponent called off the rest of his chips, which was about 10,000 total. Benefield showed 7-5 for trips, while his opponent had pocket kings. With the pot Benefield stack was up to about 140,000.
Nicholas Sliwinski Eliminates Phongthep Thiptinnakon
Action folded around to Phongthep Thiptinnakon who moved in for 115,000. Action folded to Nicholas Sliwinski in the big blind. He insta-called and showed AK. Thiptinnakon’s KQ was dominated and when the board came A647A he was eliminated. That infusion of chips lifts Sliwinski to almost 800,000.
Ylon Schwartz Joins The Million Chip Club
On a board of JJ7, Edward Roger had to decide whether or not to call Ylon Schwartz’s bet of 309,000. After quiet and careful deliberation, Roger made the call. The two showed their hands:
Schwartz: QQ
Roger: 88
The turn was the J, sealing the hand for Schwarz. With that pot, Schwartz jumps to just over one million in chips. Roger is still more than healthy with about 750,000.
David Saab Hits Alan Jaffray Hard
An important hand occurred in the last level that we just got wind of via David Saab:
Action folded around to Helge Pederen in the cutoff who raised to 18,000. Alan Jaffray called on the button. David Saab, in the small blind, made it 60k to go after a bit of hesitation. Pedersen laid down his hand and action was back on Jaffray. Jaffray, perhaps suspicious of Saab (who had squeezed earlier), raised to 300k. Saab then moved all-in for another 500,000 and Jaffray made the call. Saab showed A-K and his hand held up against Jaffray’s A-9 offsuit. That hand decimated Jaffray’s stack, and he would be eliminated a short time later.
Saab now sits as one of the chip leaders with 1.7 million.
'Raptor' Swoops in for a Monster
David “Raptor” Benefield swept in with such precision, Eric Tom never knew what hit him. There was a raise to 24,000 from a player in early position, and Tom smooth-called from middle position. The player in front of the cut-off made the call as well, and Benefield in the small blind called to create a four-way pot, as James McManus in the big blind folded. The flop came 875, and after two checks, Tom stepped out for 100,000. Play was folded to Benefield, who called. The J hit the turn, and after Benefield checked, Tom announced all-in for 320,000. Benefield snap-called and showed the bad news – 96 in his hand for the nut straight plus a flush draw. Tom, with his QQ, was drawing dead as the 3 hit the river, and Benefield scooped in the monster 980,000 pot.
Queens Work for Qiu
Unlike Tom, the red ladies worked for Andrew Qiu. He was all-in for 149,000 with QQ against the AK of Terry Lade. The board ran out 95329 and Qiu doubled up.
Billirakis Bounces Marcon
Marco Marcon announced all-in from middle position for 113,000, and play was folded to Steve Billarakis in the small blind who made the call. Marcon held 77 while Billirakis held A10. Marcon watched as an ace flopped, coming A99, and never caught up with the 8 on the turn and 2 on the river.
Matusow Doubles Through Keller with Aces
On a flop of 983, Mike Matusow shipped in his remaining 271,000 into a pot already containing over 100,000 in chips.His opponent, Thomas Keller, went into the tank and deliberated for several minutes while considering his options.After counting out the necessary amount for a call, Keller announced as much and turned over 1010.Matusow stood up and pumped his fists into the air as he flipped over AA.After Matusow settled down, the dealer put down the K on the turn.“A jack would have been more interesting,” commented Gus Hansen, who wandered over from his nearby table to watch the action and brought a burst of laughter from the spectators.“I mean, for me.I’m just passing by,” he added.The 2 fell on the river, and Matusow won a large pot bringing his stack to almost 700,000.Keller was crippled and left with under 200,000 in chips.
Cantu bluffs to take down huge pot of over 700k
With the board 1010Q2, the small blind checked and then Brandon Cantu bet 125,000 from the button. The small blind thought it over for a long time before raising to 275,000. Cantu immediately asked how many chips he had left. When he heard about 350,000 he moved all in. The small blind folded and Cantu jumped out of his seat and flipped over AJ. Mike Matusow, who recently doubled up, turned around and took a look at the table. "Did you check-raise bluff Brandon?" Matusow asked. "You should have moved all in then. You have no idea how sick he is?"
Recent Eliminations:
Allen Cunningham (116th place)
Kellen Hunter (115th place)
Adam York (114th place)
Steve Pestal (113th place)
Jeff Madsen (112th place)
Robert Fuller (111th place)
Reggie Lyons (110th place)
Greg Debora (109th place)
Nghia Le (108th place)
Nathan Hays (107th place)
Sylvain Coeur (106th place)
Shawn Sheikhan (105th place)
Kara Scott (104th place)
Big Hands and Storylines:
Adam York Eliminated by Mark Vos
Mark Vos raised from middle position and action folded around to Adam York who moved all in for about 310,000. Vos made the call and the two turned up their hands:
York: AK
Vos: 77
Vos seemed unconcerned as the dealer slapped down the burn card. He walked over to the rail and started conversing with a buddy, turning just in time to see the dealer lay out QQ2. “He’s still alive,” said Vos to his friend, referencing a hand in which York drew out on his opponent, “the river is his card.” The turn was the 6, and the river was the 9. This time the river was Vos’s card, and that pot vaulted him up to about 2.2 million.
Kostritsyn’s Back on the Up
Reagan Silber raised to 50,000 from the cutoff and was called by young Alexander Kostritsyn in the small blind. Kostritsyn checked the Q33 flop and Silber led out for 75,000. Quickly, Kostritsyn slid in a large column of orange chips, making it 125,000 to go. The raise was quickly called by Silber. The turn was the A and Kostritsyn fired a bet of 200,000 which was again quickly called. The river was the J and Kostritsyn slid in a stack of chips in no distinguishable order: some green, some orange, some gold. When asked how much, the dealer counted down the stack: 320,000. Silber considered his decision for a minute as the wall of reporters around the table grew deeper. Silber made the call and Kostritsyn showed K8 for the flush. Silber flashed Q-10 and unhappily mucked his hand. That hand brings Kostritsyn up to about 1.8 million.
Kostritsyn Takes Another Hit
On a flop of A93, Alexander Kostritsyn faced a bet of 150,000 from an opponent into an already large pot.Kostritsyn raised to a total of 350,000, and the remaining player folded his hand.The initial bettor went into the tank momentarily before electing to call the bet.The turn brought the J, and the player checked.Kostritsyn quickly checked behind, and the river came 6.Again both players checked, and Kostritsyn mucked when his opponent turned over AQ for top pair.
Cunningham knocked out
Allen Cunningham, down to just 255,000 chips, moved all in from late position and was called by Tim Loecke in the small blind. Cunningham held QJ, while Loecke held pocket aces. The board came 7-6-3-8-8, and the fourth-place finisher in 2006 was drawing dead by the turn.
Caiaffa Flushes Out Hunter
Kellen Hunter was in late position and raised to 45,000, which Rafael Caiaffa in the small blind and Larry Wright in the big blind both called. The flop came down 872, and Caiaffa led at the pot with a 105,000 bet. Wright made the call from the big blind, then Hunter moved all-in for 307,000. Caiaffa made the call and Wright mucked his hand. Hunter held QQ and was in the lead, but needed to dodge a club as Caiaffa held QJ. Hunter didn’t dodge well enough as the 3 fell on the turn and he was drawing dead at that point. The 3 on the river made it official and Hunter was eliminated.
Benefield Collects Nice Pot
David Benefield was in the cut-off and raised to 55,000, which was enough to lure both Paul Snead and Chris Klodnicki into the pot from the blinds. The flop came 653, and when Snead checked, Klodnicki stabbed at the pot with a 100,000 bet. Benefield called while Snead folded. The Q came on the turn and Klodnicki checked his option, before calling a 175,000 bet from Benefield. The action, and the 10 on the river, was enough to slow both players who checked at the end. Benefield announced a pair of sixes and showed 86, which was enough to take down the pot.
Whoops for Osterland
Robert Hwang was under the gun and raised to 53,000. Play was folded to Felix Osterland on the button, who announced raise and then put out 60,000, unaware that Hwang had already raised. The floor was called and Osterland was forced to make the minimum raise, which resulted in 86,000 being put forward. Hwang used the opportunity to reraise to 280,000, and Osterland was forced to muck his hand.
Wilds Survives All-In
Mark Wilds was all-in for 199,000 while holding KQ on a flop of 1085. He was called by Tri Nguyen who held 76 for the open-ended straight draw. The 3 on the turn didn’t help, and the Q on the river gave Wilds the insurance he needed as he doubled up.
On hand no. 38, just two hands after the elimination of Mark Newhouse, David Benefield found himself all in for 17 big blinds holding K
2
K
and it held when the board ran out Q
Raptor Gone in 6th Place ($135,718)
3
J
Makhija finished in 5th Place ($179,866)
4
Brett Richey Gets Cold Decked, Eliminated
Tony G Sent Packing
Amnon Filippi Eliminated
Huck Seed Eliminated
Jeff Lisandro Picks Up a Three-Way Pot
Master of Broadway
David Benefield Eliminated
Nam Le Flops a Set, Climbs Up the Leaderboard
David Benefield is all in holding A
Amit Makhija was nursing a shortstack, but appeared on the verge of successfully staving off his elimination midway through the second hour of level 4. It all ended when his flopped two pair ran into a straight.
Moneymaker drops some chips, but going strong
Chen short on chips after doubling up opponent
'Raptor' Swoops in for a Monster
Matusow Doubles Through Keller with Aces
Kostritsyn’s Back on the Up