Benjamin Zamani Poker Tournament Updates

Ben Zamani Eliminated In 12th Place ($13,325)

Dec 10, '17

Ben Zamani moved all-in from under-the gun for 287,000 and Ankush Mandavia made the call immediately behind him, having him covered by just a couple big blinds.

Giuseppe Pantaleo went into the tank for a bit, but ultimately folded. Zamani showed pocket fours, and was racing against the AQ of Mandavia. The board fell K65AA and Zamani was eliminated.

Mandavia is now up to 640,000.

Player Tags: Benjamin Zamani,   Ankush Mandavia

Benjamin Zamani Eliminated In 6th Place ($29,768)

Mar 15, '16

From the hijack Benjamin Zamani raised to 90,000. After some thought Jared Hamby made it 245,000 to go from the big blind.

Zamani quickly announced that he was all-in for approximately 1.2 million and Hamby just as quickly called with the JJ.

Zamani was in big trouble with the A3, but took the lead after the flop brought the AQ4.

The K on the turn left Hamby drawing slim to win the hand, but the 10 on the river gave him the nut straight and sent Zamani to the rail in sixth place with $29,768.

Player Tags: Benjamin Zamani

River Cools Off What Could Have Been Monster Pot

Mar 15, '16

Ludovic Geilich raised to 70,000 and Ben Zamani called from the button. The flop brought the 1086 and Geilich checked. Zamani checked behind and the 7 hit the turn.

Geilich bet 165,000 and Zamani made the call. The river is the 5 and Geilich checked to Zamani who put out a tiny 100,000 bet relative to the pot.

Geilich flashed pocket sevens for a set on the turn and folded, with any diamond making a flush and any nine or four a straight.

Zamani had the A2 for the nut flush on the turn. The river card had slowed down what could have been a huge pot.

Player Tags: Benjamin Zamani

Jared Hamby Doubles Through Ben Zamani

Mar 15, '16

Christopher Stephan raised to 85,000 and Jared Hamby moved all in behind him for 705,000. Ben Zamani then raised all in from the big blind to isolate. Stephan folded and Zamani showed AK.

Hamby was happy to be in a coin flip situation with pocket sevens, and was even more thrilled when they held on a board of 98322.

Hamby now has about 1,500,000 while Zamani, who was once the runaway chip leader, is down to 1,350,000.

Player Tags: Jared Hamby,   Benjamin Zamani

Ludovic Geilich Takes The Chip Lead From Ben Zamani

Mar 15, '16

Ludovic Geilich raised to 70,000 and Ben Zamani three bet to 175,000. Geilich called and the flop came down 642. Gelich checked and Zamani bet 160,000.

Geilich called and the turn was the 8. This time both players checked and the river was the 2. Geilich bet 545,000 and Zamani tanked for about a minute before making the call.

Geilich showed 96 for a rivered flush and took the pot. He now jumps into the chip lead with 3,400,000 while Zamani slips down to 2,250,000.

Player Tags: Benjamin Zamani,   Ludovic Geilich

Craig Varnell Eliminated In 12th Place ($10,165)

Mar 15, '16

Ben Zamani raised to 52,000 on the button and Craig Varnell three-bet to 162,000 from the small blind. Shawn Sheikhan folded his big blind and Zamani made the call.

The flop came down 1022 and Varnell continued for 201,000. Zamani took a few seconds before making the call and the turn was the Q.

Varnell then shoved all in for his last 750,000 or so and it didn’t take Zamani too long to call. Varnell showed 109 and Zamani revealed AQ for top pair, top kicker.

Varnell was disgusted after seeing Zamani’s cards, clearly annoyed that he had floated him on the flop and hit the turn. The river was the 3 and Varnell was eliminated in 12th place. Zamani now has a massive lead in the tournament with about 3,200,000 in chips.

Player Tags: Craig Varnell,   Benjamin Zamani

Christopher Stephan Gets A Lucky Turn Card

Mar 15, '16

Christopher Stephan raises to 53,000 from under the gun and is called by Ben Zamani in the big blind. The flop is 1065 and Zamani checks. Stephan bets 106,000 and Zamani calls.

The turn is the A and both players check. The river is the 9 and again both players check. Stephan shows pocket kings, but Zamani turns over pocket sixes for a flopped set, clearly annoyed by the ace on the turn that slowed down the action.

Stephan now has 400,000, while Zamani is up to 1,800,000.

Player Tags: Benjamin Zamani,   Christopher Stephan

Jonathan Dull Eliminated In 20th Place ($5,445)

Mar 15, '16

On a flop of J62, Jonathan Dull is all in holding KJ against the 105 of Ben Zamani.

The turn is the 4, leaving Dull drawing dead. The inconsequential river is the 9 and Dull heads for the rail. After taking a hit to start the day, Zamani is back up to 870,000.

Player Tags: Jonathan Dull,   Benjamin Zamani

Jared Hamby Wins A Big One Off Ben Zamani

Mar 15, '16

Ben Zamani raises to 32,000 in middle position and is called by Bill Leunis on the button, Jared Hamby in the small blind and Jonathan Dull in the big blind. The flop comes down 764 and Hamby and Dull check.

Zamani bets 40,000 and Leunis folds. Hamby check raises to 110,000 and Dull folds. Zamani calls and the turn is the 9. Hamby bets 160,000 and Zamani calls after about 30 seconds in the tank.

The river is the J and Hamby bets 260,000, which is a little less than half of his remaining stack. Zamani thinks it over for about a minute before mucking his hand, shipping the pot to Hamby.

Hamby now sits with 1,260,000, but Zamani has taken a hit down to a below average stack of 600,000.

Player Tags: Jared Hamby,   Benjamin Zamani

Ben Zamani Takes One Off of Chance Kornuth

Dec 13, '13

Ben Zamani limps in on the button and the small blind completed before Chance Kornuth raised to 2,600 from the big blind. Zamani and the small blind came along and the dealer burned and turned a flop of QJ6.

The small blind checks and Kornuth fires 2,625 into the middle. Zamani is his only caller and the 9 falls on the turn. Kornuth bets 6,150 and Zamani calls again. The river is the 8 and Kornuth takes a few moments before checking. Zamani bets 6,200 Kornuth releases his hand.

Kornuth slides to 46,700 in chips, while Zamani climbs to 44,300

Player Tags: Benjamin Zamani,   Chance Kornuth

Ryan Karp Eliminated

Jan 09, '10

Benjamin Zamani raised to 70,000 and Ryan Karp reraised to 200,000. Zamani then put him all in and Karp called his last 650,000 with AK.

Zamani showed pocket fives and they held when the board came 742310. Karp was eliminated and Zamani chipped up to 1.9 million.

Player Tags: Benjamin Zamani,   Ryan Karp

Bryn Kenney Eliminated

Jan 09, '10

Bryn Kenney shoved from the button for his last 400,000 or so and Benjamin “xxthesteinxx” Zamani made the call with A10.

Kenney showed pocket deuces, but they failed to hold when the board produced an ace. Zamani is now cruising safely with 1.1 million.

Player Tags: Bryn Kenney,   Benjamin Zamani

Barry Shulman Doubles Up

Jan 10, '10

Barry Shulman raised to 135,000 from the button and Benjamin Zamani made the call from the big blind. The flop was dealt J93 and Zamani checked. Shulman bet 400,000 and Zamani reraised all in. Shulman made the all-in call for 2,155,000 and they flipped over their cards:

Shulman: AQ
Zamani: Q10

Turn and River: 4 and A

Shulman won the hand to double up and he now holds 4.3 million.

Player Tags: Barry Shulman,   Benjamin Zamani

Richard Toth Eliminated in 14th Place ($115,000)

Jan 10, '10

Benjamin Zamani raised to 135,000 preflop from the button and Richard Toth reraised all in for 680,000. Zamani made the call and they flipped over their cards:

Toth: 65
Zamani: 66

Board: AQ1044

Toth was eliminated in 14th place and he will take home $115,000.

Player Tags: Richard Toth,   Benjamin Zamani

Jimmie Guinther Eliminated in 23rd Place ($75,000)

Jan 10, '10

Benjamin Zamani raised to 105,000 preflop on the hi-jack and Jimmie Guinther reraised all in for 500,000 from the cutoff. Zamani made the call and they flipped over their cards:

Zamani: 88
Guinther: 77

Board: 106249

Guinther was eliminated in 23rd place on the hand and he will take home $75,000 in prize money.

Player Tags: Jimmie Guinther,   Benjamin Zamani

Bentley Takes a Huge Hit

Jan 10, '10

Benjamin Zamani raised under the gun and Ryan D’Angelo reraised to 250,000 on the button. Wayne Bentley called in the big blind and Zamani called as well. The flop was dealt 832 and Bentley checked. Zamani bet 225,000 and D’Angelo mucked. Bentley raised all in and Zamani called. Their cards:

Zamani: 22
Bentley: JJ

Turn and River: 6 and 7

Zamani doubled up to 4 million and Bentely was left hurting with 700,000.

Player Tags: Benjamin Zamani,   Wayne Bentley

Benjamin Zamani Eliminated in Fourth Place ($1,000,000)

Jan 11, '10

Benjamin Zamani raised to 400,000 preflop from the cutoff and Harrison Gimbel reraised all in from the small blind. Zamani made the all-in call for 5.9 million and they flipped over their cards:

Zamani: A10
Gimbel: 88

Board: 8657J

Zamani was eliminated on the hand in fourth place and he will take home $1 million in prize money. Gimbel now holds 16,805,000.

Player Tags: Benjamin Zamani

Benjamin Zamani Doubles up Through Barry Shulman

Jan 11, '10

Benjamin Zamani moved all in preflop under the gun for 2,660,000 and Barry Shulman made the call in the big blind. Their cards:

Zamani: AJ
Shulman: AK

Board: 87523

Zamani hit a runner-runner diamond flush to win the hand and double up to 5.5 million. Shulman was left with 2.3 million after the hand.

Player Tags: Barry Shulman,   Benjamin Zamani

Quads for Gimbel

Jan 11, '10

Harrison Gimbel raised to 360,000 preflop in the hi-jack and Benjamin Zamani made the call on the button. The flop was dealt Q33 and both players checked. They also checked the 10 on the turn and the river brought the 10. Gimbel bet 225,000 and Zamani called. Zamani turned over pocket eights and Gimbel flipped over pocket tens for quad tens. Gimbel won the hand and grew his stack to 13.9 million.

Player Tags: Benjamin Zamani

"What Are You Doing?"

Jan 11, '10

Benjamin Zamani raised to 250,000 preflop UTG+1 and Ryan D’Angelo reraised to 575,000 on the button. Zamani made the call and the flop fell 843. Both players checked and the 9 fell on the turn.

Zamani checked, D’Angelo bet 375,000, and Zamani called. The river fell K and Zamani bet 575,000. D’Angelo made the call and Zamani flipped over A5. D’Angelo turned over Q6 and said, “What are you doing?”

Someone in the audience said, “That’s street poker.”

Player Tags: Ryan D'Angelo,   Benjamin Zamani

Ryan Karp Eliminated

Jan 09, '10

Benjamin Zamani raised to 70,000 and Ryan Karp reraised to 200,000. Zamani then put him all in and Karp called his last 650,000 with AK.

Zamani showed pocket fives and they held when the board came 742310. Karp was eliminated and Zamani chipped up to 1.9 million.

Player Tags: Benjamin Zamani,   Ryan Karp

Bryn Kenney Eliminated

Jan 09, '10

Bryn Kenney shoved from the button for his last 400,000 or so and Benjamin “xxthesteinxx” Zamani made the call with A10.

Kenney showed pocket deuces, but they failed to hold when the board produced an ace. Zamani is now cruising safely with 1.1 million.

Player Tags: Bryn Kenney,   Benjamin Zamani

Barry Shulman Doubles Up

Jan 10, '10

Barry Shulman raised to 135,000 from the button and Benjamin Zamani made the call from the big blind. The flop was dealt J93 and Zamani checked. Shulman bet 400,000 and Zamani reraised all in. Shulman made the all-in call for 2,155,000 and they flipped over their cards:

Shulman: AQ
Zamani: Q10

Turn and River: 4 and A

Shulman won the hand to double up and he now holds 4.3 million.

Player Tags: Barry Shulman,   Benjamin Zamani

Richard Toth Eliminated in 14th Place ($115,000)

Jan 10, '10

Benjamin Zamani raised to 135,000 preflop from the button and Richard Toth reraised all in for 680,000. Zamani made the call and they flipped over their cards:

Toth: 65
Zamani: 66

Board: AQ1044

Toth was eliminated in 14th place and he will take home $115,000.

Player Tags: Richard Toth,   Benjamin Zamani

Jimmie Guinther Eliminated in 23rd Place ($75,000)

Jan 10, '10

Benjamin Zamani raised to 105,000 preflop on the hi-jack and Jimmie Guinther reraised all in for 500,000 from the cutoff. Zamani made the call and they flipped over their cards:

Zamani: 88
Guinther: 77

Board: 106249

Guinther was eliminated in 23rd place on the hand and he will take home $75,000 in prize money.

Player Tags: Jimmie Guinther,   Benjamin Zamani

Bentley Takes a Huge Hit

Jan 10, '10

Benjamin Zamani raised under the gun and Ryan D’Angelo reraised to 250,000 on the button. Wayne Bentley called in the big blind and Zamani called as well. The flop was dealt 832 and Bentley checked. Zamani bet 225,000 and D’Angelo mucked. Bentley raised all in and Zamani called. Their cards:

Zamani: 22
Bentley: JJ

Turn and River: 6 and 7

Zamani doubled up to 4 million and Bentely was left hurting with 700,000.

Player Tags: Benjamin Zamani,   Wayne Bentley

Benjamin Zamani Eliminated in Fourth Place ($1,000,000)

Jan 11, '10

Benjamin Zamani raised to 400,000 preflop from the cutoff and Harrison Gimbel reraised all in from the small blind. Zamani made the all-in call for 5.9 million and they flipped over their cards:

Zamani: A10
Gimbel: 88

Board: 8657J

Zamani was eliminated on the hand in fourth place and he will take home $1 million in prize money. Gimbel now holds 16,805,000.

Player Tags: Benjamin Zamani

Benjamin Zamani Doubles up Through Barry Shulman

Jan 11, '10

Benjamin Zamani moved all in preflop under the gun for 2,660,000 and Barry Shulman made the call in the big blind. Their cards:

Zamani: AJ
Shulman: AK

Board: 87523

Zamani hit a runner-runner diamond flush to win the hand and double up to 5.5 million. Shulman was left with 2.3 million after the hand.

Player Tags: Barry Shulman,   Benjamin Zamani

Quads for Gimbel

Jan 11, '10

Harrison Gimbel raised to 360,000 preflop in the hi-jack and Benjamin Zamani made the call on the button. The flop was dealt Q33 and both players checked. They also checked the 10 on the turn and the river brought the 10. Gimbel bet 225,000 and Zamani called. Zamani turned over pocket eights and Gimbel flipped over pocket tens for quad tens. Gimbel won the hand and grew his stack to 13.9 million.

Player Tags: Benjamin Zamani

"What Are You Doing?"

Jan 11, '10

Benjamin Zamani raised to 250,000 preflop UTG+1 and Ryan D’Angelo reraised to 575,000 on the button. Zamani made the call and the flop fell 843. Both players checked and the 9 fell on the turn.

Zamani checked, D’Angelo bet 375,000, and Zamani called. The river fell K and Zamani bet 575,000. D’Angelo made the call and Zamani flipped over A5. D’Angelo turned over Q6 and said, “What are you doing?”

Someone in the audience said, “That’s street poker.”

Player Tags: Ryan D'Angelo,   Benjamin Zamani

Ryan Karp Eliminated

Jan 09, '10

Benjamin Zamani raised to 70,000 and Ryan Karp reraised to 200,000. Zamani then put him all in and Karp called his last 650,000 with AK.

Zamani showed pocket fives and they held when the board came 742310. Karp was eliminated and Zamani chipped up to 1.9 million.

Player Tags: Benjamin Zamani,   Ryan Karp

Bryn Kenney Eliminated

Jan 09, '10

Bryn Kenney shoved from the button for his last 400,000 or so and Benjamin “xxthesteinxx” Zamani made the call with A10.

Kenney showed pocket deuces, but they failed to hold when the board produced an ace. Zamani is now cruising safely with 1.1 million.

Player Tags: Bryn Kenney,   Benjamin Zamani

Barry Shulman Doubles Up

Jan 10, '10

Barry Shulman raised to 135,000 from the button and Benjamin Zamani made the call from the big blind. The flop was dealt J93 and Zamani checked. Shulman bet 400,000 and Zamani reraised all in. Shulman made the all-in call for 2,155,000 and they flipped over their cards:

Shulman: AQ
Zamani: Q10

Turn and River: 4 and A

Shulman won the hand to double up and he now holds 4.3 million.

Player Tags: Barry Shulman,   Benjamin Zamani

Richard Toth Eliminated in 14th Place ($115,000)

Jan 10, '10

Benjamin Zamani raised to 135,000 preflop from the button and Richard Toth reraised all in for 680,000. Zamani made the call and they flipped over their cards:

Toth: 65
Zamani: 66

Board: AQ1044

Toth was eliminated in 14th place and he will take home $115,000.

Player Tags: Richard Toth,   Benjamin Zamani

Jimmie Guinther Eliminated in 23rd Place ($75,000)

Jan 10, '10

Benjamin Zamani raised to 105,000 preflop on the hi-jack and Jimmie Guinther reraised all in for 500,000 from the cutoff. Zamani made the call and they flipped over their cards:

Zamani: 88
Guinther: 77

Board: 106249

Guinther was eliminated in 23rd place on the hand and he will take home $75,000 in prize money.

Player Tags: Jimmie Guinther,   Benjamin Zamani

Bentley Takes a Huge Hit

Jan 10, '10

Benjamin Zamani raised under the gun and Ryan D’Angelo reraised to 250,000 on the button. Wayne Bentley called in the big blind and Zamani called as well. The flop was dealt 832 and Bentley checked. Zamani bet 225,000 and D’Angelo mucked. Bentley raised all in and Zamani called. Their cards:

Zamani: 22
Bentley: JJ

Turn and River: 6 and 7

Zamani doubled up to 4 million and Bentely was left hurting with 700,000.

Player Tags: Benjamin Zamani,   Wayne Bentley

Benjamin Zamani Eliminated in Fourth Place ($1,000,000)

Jan 11, '10

Benjamin Zamani raised to 400,000 preflop from the cutoff and Harrison Gimbel reraised all in from the small blind. Zamani made the all-in call for 5.9 million and they flipped over their cards:

Zamani: A10
Gimbel: 88

Board: 8657J

Zamani was eliminated on the hand in fourth place and he will take home $1 million in prize money. Gimbel now holds 16,805,000.

Player Tags: Benjamin Zamani

Benjamin Zamani Doubles up Through Barry Shulman

Jan 11, '10

Benjamin Zamani moved all in preflop under the gun for 2,660,000 and Barry Shulman made the call in the big blind. Their cards:

Zamani: AJ
Shulman: AK

Board: 87523

Zamani hit a runner-runner diamond flush to win the hand and double up to 5.5 million. Shulman was left with 2.3 million after the hand.

Player Tags: Barry Shulman,   Benjamin Zamani

Quads for Gimbel

Jan 11, '10

Harrison Gimbel raised to 360,000 preflop in the hi-jack and Benjamin Zamani made the call on the button. The flop was dealt Q33 and both players checked. They also checked the 10 on the turn and the river brought the 10. Gimbel bet 225,000 and Zamani called. Zamani turned over pocket eights and Gimbel flipped over pocket tens for quad tens. Gimbel won the hand and grew his stack to 13.9 million.

Player Tags: Benjamin Zamani

"What Are You Doing?"

Jan 11, '10

Benjamin Zamani raised to 250,000 preflop UTG+1 and Ryan D’Angelo reraised to 575,000 on the button. Zamani made the call and the flop fell 843. Both players checked and the 9 fell on the turn.

Zamani checked, D’Angelo bet 375,000, and Zamani called. The river fell K and Zamani bet 575,000. D’Angelo made the call and Zamani flipped over A5. D’Angelo turned over Q6 and said, “What are you doing?”

Someone in the audience said, “That’s street poker.”

Player Tags: Ryan D'Angelo,   Benjamin Zamani

Level 2 Update: Daniel Negreanu Upset

Dec 14, '09

Blinds: 100-200

Players Remaining: 236 out of 244 (unofficial)

Chip Counts:

1. John Cernuto — 135,000
2. Mike Watson — 110,000
3. Antonio Esfandiari — 105,000
4. Adam Geyer — 95,000
5. Evan McNiff — 95,000
6. Chad Batista — 95,000
7. James Mackey — 90,000
8. Jennifer Tilly — 90,000
9. Carter King — 80,000
10. Yevgeniy Timoshenko — 78,000

Card Player Chip Counts:

Barry Shulman — 68,000

Average Chip Count: 62,000

Notable Eliminations:

Jason Burt

Big Hands:

Chino Rheem’s Trips Boost Him Above Starting Stack

Mike McClain raised to 525 in early position and was called by Mohsin Charania and Chino Rheem in the blinds. The flop came down K42 and everyone checked.

The turn was the 8 and Rheem fired in a bet of 800. McClain called and Charania got out of the way. The river was the 8 and Rheem bet 2,200. McClain called and Rheem showed him 108 to scoop the pot with trips. The defending champion now has over 65,000 in chips.

Scott Montgomery Makes Sure He Gets Paid

The cutoff raised to 600 and Scott Montgomery called on the button. The flop came A89 and both players checked.

The turn was the 2 and the cutoff bet 1,000. Montgomery called and the river was the A. The cutoff checked and Montgomery put in a bet of 2,700.

His opponent thought for a few moments before making the call, however, his chips did not entirely cross the line. Montgomery paused to ask the dealer if it was an official call and once he receieved confirmation, he turned over the winning AJ for trip aces.

We’re not sure if Montgomery was afraid of an angle shoot, but either way, he now has a stack of 51,000.

Jason Mercier Headed South With His Stack

We’re not entirely sure of the preflop action, but it appeared as though Jason Mercier raised to 625 in the cutoff and Soheil Shamseddin reraised to 1,800 from the small blind. Benjamin Zamani then reraised to 5,925 and Mercier made the call.

Shamseddin folded and both players checked a flop of K103. The turn was the 6 and Zamani bet 7,000, getting a call from Mercier. The river was the 3 and both players checked.

Zamani showed A10 to take the pot and boost his stack to 68,000. Meanwhile, Mercier is down to 48,000.

Left In The Deck:

Negreanu Not Happy About Table Draw

There are currently three tables in the poker room and Daniel Negreanu is seated at one, clearly not happy about his table draw.

On his personal twitter account (RealKidPoker), Negreanu voiced his concerns.

“Wow Bellagio officially runs the worst tourney in the country now. Sign up after a guy and you get position on him at the table. Mind boggling. At my table Men and Scotty Nguyen and Elky. We all signed up together.”

Here’s a look at the rest of Negreanu’s lineup.

Seat 1: Billy Kopp
Seat 2: Men Nguyen
Seat 4: Scotty Nguyen
Seat 6: Daniel Negreanu
Seat 8: Bertrand “ElKy” Grospellier
Seat 9: Mike Leah
Seat 10: Russell Rosenblum

All three tables are pretty stacked with well-known professionals, but it doesn’t look like they will break anytime soon, thanks to the very slow structure and extremely deep stacks.

POY Watch:

Card Player TV spoke with current Player of the Year leader Eric Baldwin about his chances to take the overall crown, as well as his recent victory in the $1,000 rebuy tournament here at Bellagio.

Player Tags: Daniel Negreanu,   Michael McClain,   Chino Rheem,   Soheil Shamseddin,   Eric Baldwin,   Benjamin Zamani,   Scott Montgomery,   Jason Mercier

Benjamin Zamani Eliminated

Mar 12, '09

With 17,000 in the pot and a flop of Q107 on show. Benjamin Zamani pushes all in for 46,800 and his opponent calls with Q10. Zamani also shows two pair but is behind with 107.

The turn is the 4 and the river the 4 and Zamani is no more.

Player Tags: Benjamin Zamani

$2,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em - End of Day 2

Jun 21, '08

The final table of event 38 is set and the big name of the lot is Lee Watkinson. Watkinson will be making his first final table since last year's World Series main event where he finished a dissapointing 8th place. Watkinson entered 10-handed play with a paucity of chips, a situation he would soon remedy by winning a race against Robert Cheung. He would never look back and by the time the final table was set, he would be 2nd in chips with 390,000. Jan Von Halle, whose play has been solid as a rock, will enter the final table with the chip lead. Other notables who will have the chance to earn a bracelet tomorrow include Ayaz Mahmood, Robert Cheung, and Chris Bell.

Action will begin tomorrow at 2 p.m. PST.
 

---

Players Left: 9 of 605

Chip Leaders:
Jan Von Halle - 470,000
Lee Watkinson - 390,000
Ayaz Mahmood - 330,000
Robert Cheung - 315,000
Keith Greer - 280,000
Chris Bell - 265,000
Michael Greco - 125,000
Benjamin Roberts - 120,000
Davidi Kitai - 80,000

Average Stack: 161,300

Eliminations:
10^th – Benjamin Zamani
11^th – Michael Binger
12^th – Keith Lehr
13^th – Jeff Sluzinski
14^th – Amato Galasso
15^th – Chris Dombrowski

The Road To The Final Table

Keith Lehr Is A Man Of His Word; He’s Also Eliminated

Before the start of the hand, Keith Lehr in the big blind warned everyone at his 6-handed table not to raise unless they were willing to play for 83,000, the size of his stack. Ayaz Mahmood, undeterred by this portentous statement, raised to 23,000. Action folded around to Lehr who – surprise, surprise – moved all of his chips in. Mahmood made the call and the two showed their hands:

Lehr: A9
Mahmood: 44

The flop came K33. The turn 8 gave Lehr a flush draw in addition to his two overcards. The river was the 7 though, ending Lehr’s day a few hours earlier than he would have liked.

Bell Tolls For Binger

Chris Bell raised from middle position to 25,000 and Michael Binger raised to 78,000, leaving himself 75,000 behind. After a bit of thought, Bell moved all-in and Binger called. The two were racing: Bell’s JJ against Binger’s AQ. Binger was not aided by the board – 975109 – and he was eliminated in 11^th place.

Ayaz Mahmood Folds.... A-K? Really?

Ayaz Mahmood raised to 28,000 and action at the 6-handed table folded to Bob Cheung in the big blind. Cheung stacked his chips and slid them forward and backward in thought, never moving them into the center of the table. After a minute or so of this, Mahmood implored Cheung, “Put your money in.” Another minute passed before Cheung raised the pot, making it 61,000 more and leaving about 160,000 behind. This prompted Mahmood to fold A-K offsuit face up. Mahmood and Cheung were the two biggest stacks at the table at the time; perhaps Mahmood did not want to tangle with someone who could cripple him before the final table.

Final Table Action

Watkinson Doubles Up

Early on at the final table, Lee Watkinson doubled up off of Robert Cheung. Cheung had QQ and Watkinson had AK. The flop was good news for Watkinson – K22 – the king giving him a near lock on the hand. The turn was the A, giving him an unnecessary two pair, but also providing Cheung with a flush draw. The river blanked, however, and Watkinson was able to double up, giving him a stack that would not wane for the remainder of the day.

Greer Doubles Up

Severely short-stacked Keith Greer, in the cutoff, moved 20,000 into the pot for a raise and reached for more chips to add to it, but since he had not announced an amount, the min-raise had to stand. Ayaz Mahmood called the 10,000 extra in the big blind. Both players checked the Q107 flop. On the 8 turn Mahmood bet 30,000, putting Greer all-in. Greer made a quick call and declared a set of tens. His 1010 had Mahmood’s 102 drawing dead. Greer doubled up to a little over 100,000.

Greer Double Doubles Up

Perhaps a simpler title would have been Greer Quadruples Up, but this was anything but a simple hand. Benjamin Zamani raised to 26,000 from middle position. Robert Cheung min-raised to 40,000. The action was only beginning though. Keith Greer, who had been playing extraordinarily tight, moved in for 67,000. Ayaz Mahmood cold-called the 4-bet, and Zamani called also, leaving himself 90,000 behind. Cheung asked the dealer, “The pot is open for a re-raise, right?” The dealer confirmed that it indeed was, and that put Cheung into decision mode. With numbers racing through his head, he stood up, and, after confirming that Mahmood had about 270,000 left behind him, he moved all-in. Mahmood folded, as did Zamani, and the massive pot was to be contested between Cheung and Greer. Greer showed QQ, which was not unexpected, but the table exploded in a cacophony of disbelief when Cheung showed his KQ. The board rolled off harmlessly and Greer was able to more than quadruple up.

The insanity wasn’t quite over yet. Remarkably, Ayaz Mahmood claimed to have fold pocket kings. Then again, perhaps it was not so unbelievable when you consider his berating of Cheung after the hand. He and Cheung got into a bit of a tiff about the hand which was quickly quashed by the dealer as play recommenced.

Michael Greco summed all of the action quite succinctly: “Mental. Mental. Absolutely mental.”

The Backbreaker

Davidi Kitai and Benjamin Zamani, the two short stacks, got all of their chips into the middle and showed the following hands:

Zamani: 1010
Kitai: AQ

The board peeled off A525K and Kitai had doubled up. After counting out what Zamani owed the Frenchman, he was left with a mere two chips. There would be no miracle comeback for Zamani today, as Jan Von Halle took his pair of chips only two hands later. Zamani's 10th place finish is good for $14,314.

Player Tags: Lee Watkinson,   Ayaz Mahmood,   Benjamin Roberts,   Chris Bell,   Michael Binger,   Robert Cheung,   Keith Lehr,   Davidi Kitai,   Michael Greco,   Amato Galasso,   Jeff Sluzinski,   Jan Von Halle,   Keith Greer,   Chris Dombrowski,   Benjamin Zamani

$2,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em - Day 2 - Level 15 Recap

Jun 21, '08

Blinds: 3,000-6,000

Players Left: 15 of 605

Chip Leaders:
Ayaz Mahmood - 250,000
Chris Bell - 250,000
Davidi Kitai - 195,000
Jeff Sluzinski - 180,000
Michael Binger - 170,000
Keith Lehr - 155,000
Benjamin Zamani - 145,000
Michael Greco- 110,000
Benjamin Roberts - 110,000
Amato Galasso - 105,000

Average Stack: 161,300

Eliminations:
16^th – Neil Channing
17^th – Davood Mehrmand
18^th – Eugene Todd
19^th – Dan Quinn
20^th – Rob Perry
21^st – Al Adler


Big Hands and Storylines:

Two Tables Left

It took only 15 minutes to eliminate 3 participants and reach the final 18 players. Players were drawn to their new seats and play resumed. Another 3 players were eliminated before the end of the level, leaving us with only 15 players left.

Watkinson Makes Nice Laydown

Lee Watkinson raised to 18,000 from early position and was met by a raise from Keith Lehr. The bet was 45,000 more to Watkinson who only thought for seconds before folding 9-9 face-up. Lehr sportingly showed his J-J and congratulated Watkinson on a nice fold.

Cheung Eliminates Perry

Robert Cheung raised to 20,000 from middle position and Rob Perry moved all-in from the small blind for about 55,000. Cheung called, saying, “I don’t have much.” Cheung turned over QJ and was delighted to see Perry flip 77. The flop was 944, but the turn was the Q and Perry tossed his orange high into the air in frustration (catching it as it came down, of course). The turn 8 brought no help and Perry was eliminated in 20^th place.

Kitai Does In Quinn

Dan Quinn limped on the button, Davidi Kitai call from the small blind, and Michael Binger checked his option. The flop rolled out QJ7 and the two blinds checked to Quinn who bet 12,000. Kitai called and Binger folded. The turn was the A. Kitai checked again, Quinn bet 42,000, and Kitai raised a nominal amount to put Quinn all-in. The two showed their cards:

Kitai: Q10
Quinn: Q9

The river was the 5 and Quinn was eliminated in 19^th place.

Player Tags: Ayaz Mahmood,   Davood Mehrmand,   Benjamin Roberts,   Neil Channing,   Robert Perry,   Chris Bell,   Eugene Todd,   Al Adler,   Michael Binger,   Robert Cheung,   Keith Lehr,   Dan Quinn,   Davidi Kitai,   Michael Greco,   Amato Galasso,   Jeff Sluzinski,   Benjamin Zamani

$1,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Level 17 Recap

Jun 15, '08

Blinds/Antes: 5,000-10,000-1,000

Players Remaining: 36 of 2,706

Average Chip Stack: 159,000

Chip Leaders:

Richard Alm - 576,000
Malyshev Nikolay - 560,000
Tony Gargano - 465,000
Deb Blair - 410,000
Phillip Yeh - 373,000
Barry Schultz - 340,000
Aliaksandr Dzianisau - 274,000
Jason Duffy - 245,000
Ali Salman - 240,000
Danny Dang - 210,000

Eliminations:

37th: Jean Robert Bellande
38th: Justin Pechie
39th: Ben Zamani
40th: Trai Dang
41st: Don Zewin
42nd: Steve Matulac

Big Hands and Storylines:

Bellande out in 37th place

Jean-Robert Bellande moved all in with AQ from the big blind and found himself in huge hole against Philip Yeh's A-K. The flop gave him the chance at a split of the pot when it came T-6-6, but it didn't work out for him and he was eliminated. Bellande won $10,711 for his two-day effort.

Zamani ousted by Blair

Ben Zamani found himself all in on a jack-high flop, and after the turn and river was dealt he was all out. Zamani held a two to go with his jack, while Deb Blair's kicker was a king. At the end of the level Blair, who is the only female left in the field, had over 400,000 chips.

Pechie out after run-in with aces

Justin Pechie, very short-stacked, pushed all in from the big blind with A-K. However, the player under the gun, Trevor Donaldson, held pocket aces and instantly called. Pechie headed to the exit, and Donaldson now has roughly 200,000 chips.

Player Tags: Jean-Robert Bellande,   Deb Blair,   Benjamin Zamani

$1,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Level 15 Recap

Jun 15, '08

Blinds/Antes: 3,000-6,000-500

Players Remaining: 51 of 2,706

Average Chip Stack: 159,000

Chip Leaders:

Richard Alm - 520,000
Phillip Yeh - 400,000
Harold Akiona - 380,000
John Myung - 360,000
Benjamin Zamani - 320,000
Harold Akiona - 320,000
Malyshev Nikolay - 310,000
Ali Salman - 280,000
Aliaksandr Dzianisau - 260,000

Big Hands and Storylines:

Players frustrated by tourney structure

As the players returned from dinner break, many of them discussed the tournament's structure. With the blinds now heading to four and eight thousand, many players have less than 20 big blinds.

Battle goes Akiona's way

A player from early position raised to 17,000 and three players made the call. The flop came 974 and Ben Zamani bet 21,000. Harold Akiona raised to 71,000. The other two players got out of the way and Zamani made the call. Both players checked after the 8 on the turn and T on the river. Akiona showed KQ for the flush, which beat Zamani's pocket nines for a set. After the hand Akiona had roughly 380,000 chips, while Zamani had 350,000 chips.

Gray makes blind call and wins

A player moved all in from middle position for 31,500. It folded to Jason Gray in the big blind, and he asked a couple times how much for him to call. Finally he made the call and flipped over his hand for everyone -- including himself -- to see. He had 72, and was up against his opponent's AT. But a seven and two came on the flop, and he won the pot with two pair. After the hand Gray had ove 150,000 chips.

Player Tags: Jason Gray,   Benjamin Zamani,   Harold Akiona