Corwin Cole Poker Tournament Updates

Day 1B -- Level 2

Jul 08, '11

NOTE: Levels are two hours in length and players are starting with 30,000 in chips. Registration will remain open until the end of the second level.

Players on Day 1B: Unknown

Blinds: 100-200

Notables Remaining:

Notables Eliminated This Level:

Hands:

Eric Froehlich Exits The Tournament Arena

It took a good call and an ill-timed bluff, but Eric Froehlich is now on the rail after moving all in for his last 11,000 on a board reading 10 9 2 K Q with pocket sevens.

His opponent came up with a call, showing pocket aces and took the pot to bust Froehlich.

Mizrachi Storms Back With Turned Two Outer

The featured table hasn’t been kind to Michael Mizrachi, but some of that bad luck turned around thanks to a recent double up.

Mizrachi was all in preflop holding J J against the A K of Derek Bailey. The flop came A Q 6 and left Mizrachi looking for one of the two remaining jacks.

Lucky for him, the J hit the turn and 3 hit the river, giving him the winning set and a new stack of 23,000 in chips.

Rep Porter Runs Into A Cooler

On a flop of J-J-7, 2011 WSOP bracelet winner Rep Porter was all in holding A-J, only to see his opponent turn over pocket sevens for the flopped boat.

The turn and river failed to fill up Porter and he was sent packing. He’ll have to take comfort in another solid summer performance to ease the sting of busting so early in the main event.

Corwin Cole Loses Race With Dead Money In The Pot

Corwin Cole raised to 525 from under the gun and was called two spots to his left by a player in middle position.

The small blind then went all in for his last 2,425 and Cole took some time before raising to 5,725 to isolate the all in player.

The caller folded and Cole opened up A 8. He was pleased to see his opponent show pocket sixes for a race situation, but when the board rolled out K 9 2 7 Q, Cole was forced to ship over some of his chips. Fortunately for him, he still has slightly over his starting stack in front of him.

Ashton Griffin Sent To The Rail

Ashton Griffin was all in on a board of J-6-3-A holding A-J for top two pair, but he didn’t have enough chips to protect his hand, getting a call from a player holding K-Q.

The river was a 10, completing the four-outer and sending Griffin home. According to his twitter account, Griffin failed to cash in any of the 25 events he played this summer.

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Player Tags: Michael Mizrachi,   Eric Froehlich,   Rep Porter,   Corwin Cole,   Ashton Griffin

Level Six, Hour Two: Cole Loses Chip Lead

Jul 09, '10

Blinds: 250-500 with a 50 ante

Players Remaining: 2,023 out of 2,412

Card Player Chip Counts

Justin Marchand – 23,400
Barry Shulman – 140,000
Allyn Jaffrey Shulman – 36,400
Steven A. Murphy – 23,500
Adam Schoenfeld – 28,500

Tournament Leaderboard:

1. Mathieu Sauriol – 217,000
2. Dwyen Ringbauer – 210,000
3. Lauren Kling – 180,000
4. Andrew Liporace – 178,000
5. Corwin Cole – 172,000
6. Johnny Chan – 162,000
7. Jesper Hougaard – 160,000
8. Barny Boatman – 149,000
9. Hoyt Corkins – 145,000
10. Robert Mizrachi – 144,000

Notable Eliminations:

Terrance Chan
Raymond Davis
Dutch Boyd

Big Hands:

Cole Has The Door Slammed In His Face

After a series of raises preflop, a player moved all in for 57,750 and Corwin Cole made the call.

Cole: QQ
Opponent: KK

Cole was in trouble but he appeared to get lucky when the dealer laid out the flop and the Q was the door card. But it was followed by the K and the 8, giving both players a set.

The board finished off 10 and 2 and Cole took a big hit to his stack. He was no longer the chip leader as he dropped to 172,000.

Williams Runs Into Cowboys

David Williams put in a raise to 1,200 preflop. The action went to Manny Minaya on the button and he made it 3,200 to go. Williams made the call and the two saw a flop of JJ6.

Both players checked and the 4 fell on the turn. Williams took a stab with 4,000 but Minaya made the call. The river brought the 3 and Williams kept trying, firing 7,500.

Minaya made the call and Williams tabled 1010. But Minaya tabled KK for the best hand and Williams dropped to 125,000.

Farha Cracks Kings

A player limped in and then another one raised to 2,000 preflop. Sam Farha made the call from the hijack and then the limper shoved for 8,000 more. Both opponents made the call and the flop came 843.

Both players checked and the turn was the 10. They checked again and the 5 came on the river. That prompted a bet of 6,000 from Farha and his opponent mucked.

The all-in player then tabled KK but Farha rivered him, tabling 55 for a set. Farha took scored the knockout and he was at 85,000.

Kaplan Sticks Around

A player raised to 1,400 preflop and Gabe Kaplan made it 5,200 to go from the small blind. His opponent then shoved and Kaplan made the call.

Kaplan tabled AK but he was in bad shape against his opponent’s pocket aces. The flop came down Q107 and Kaplan flopped a gutshot Broadway draw.

The turn was the 9, changing nothing. But the J fell on the river and Kaplan made his straight, surviving his all in and he was at 28,000.

Kling Keeps Moving Up

A player raised to 1,300 preflop and Lauren Kling made the call from the cutoff. The player on the button also called, as did the big blind and the four players saw a flop of 1096.

Everyone checked and the turn was the A. The button fired 3,100 and Kling was the only caller.

The river was the K and both players checked. Kling then tabled 108 for top pair on the flop and the button mucked his hand. Kling took down the pot and she was up to 180,000.

Ted Forrest Doubles Up

Ted Forrest moved all in for 8,250 and was called by his opponent.

Forrest: KK
Opponent: AK

The board ran out Q7296 and Forrest doubled up to 17,000.

Mizrachi Throws Davis Overboard

Picking up the action on the flop, the board read J98 and Robert Mizrachi bet 1,150. Raymond Davis raised to 5,000 and Mizrachi made the call.

The turn was the J and Mizrachi led for 8,650. Davis moved all in for about 30,000 and Mizrachi snapped him off.

Davis: Q10
Mizrachi: J9

Davis flopped the straight but Mizrachi turned a boat and the board finished off with the 5 and Mizrachi scored the knockout. He was at 144,000.

Power Poker For Seidel

Erik Seidel raised to 1,250 and seat 3 and seat 4 both made the call. When action reached seat 6 he raised to 3,700 and action folded around to Seidel. Erik reraised to 10,500 and seats 3 and 4 got out of the way. Seat 6 tanked for a few minutes before letting his hand go.

Seidel took down the pot uncontested, chipping up to around 53,000 in chips.

The Russian Scoops One

Sitting in the big blind, Vitaly Lunkin called a raise from the button and they saw a flop. It came AK6 and Lunkin check-called the button’s bet of 2,600.

The turn was the J and both players checked. They again checked the 7 river and Lunkin showed A4 for top pair. His opponent showed KQ for second pair, and Lunkin’s stack was up to around 105,000 in chips.

Mueller Takes Big Hit

Seat 5 bet 1,500 on a flop of 45A and Greg Mueller made the call.

The turn brought the 8 and seat 4 again bet, 4,200 this time. Mueller again called.

The river was the 7 and seat 5 put in a final bet of 5,600. Mueller tanked long and hard, counted out some extra chips, but decided he’d just call. Seat 5 showed 7 5 for two pair, and Mueller mucked.

Mueller lost around 12,000 on the hand and had around 39,000 after it.

Matros Calls An All-In Bet, Chops

Matt Matros called a short-stacked player’s all in bet for 7,325 preflop and they showed down. Their hands? The same:

Matros: AK
Opponent: AK

It seemed like an obvious chop, but through the turn the board ran 52J4, putting a potential flush out there that could give Matros the nuts. Instead, the A hit on the river and they chopped the pot.

Matros had around 120,000 after the hand.

Lucky Ladies for Somerville

Jason Somerville raised from the cutoff and the big blind moved all-in for 10,000. Somerville promptly called and tabled QQ and was way ahead of his opponent’s AJ.

The board ran out J210KA, which gave his opponent two pair, but Somerville made a straight to win the pot. Somerville has 79,500 in chips.

Michelle’s Bluff Gets Sniffed Out

On the turn, the board read 5267. Tiffany Michelle checked and called a bet of 4,000.

After the dealer peeled off the 5 river, Tiffany Michelle led out for 7,000. “Really?” asked her opponent. “Will you show if I fold?”

Michelle didn’t respond and eventually her opponent made the call. Michelle showed AJ, giving her a busted flush draw and her opponent showed 44. Michelle lost the pot, but still has 49,000 in chips.

Hollywood Left Seeing Stars

We caught up with the action on the river with the board reading J96Q10 and Jennifer “Jennicide” Leigh had put “Hollywood” Dave Stann all-in and Stann made the call.

Leigh tabled A9, giving her the nuts and Stann just flashed the K, showing he had a straight. Leigh moves to 65,000 in chips with knockout.

Left in the Deck:

“Miami” John Cernuto is supposedly sitting at the featured table right in front of us, but he has yet to show up for the tournament today. He has been being blinded off for the last three hours and is down to 12,000 in chips.

Player Tags: Robert Mizrachi,   Erik Seidel,   Raymond Davis,   Ted Forrest,   Greg Mueller,   Gabe Kaplan,   David Williams,   Sam Farha,   Vitaly Lunkin,   Corwin Cole,   Lauren Kling

Level Six Hour One Update: Ted Lawson Busts

Jul 09, '10

NOTE: Here is the break down of the schedule for the rest of the day:

Level 7
First Half of Level 8
Dinner Break: 90 minutes
Second Half of Level 8
First Half of Level 9

Day 2A will end around 11 p.m.

Blinds: 250-500 with a 50 ante

Players Remaining: 2,412 out of 2,412

Average Chip Count:

Card Player Chip Counts

Barry Shulman – 113,325
Matt Matros – 50,000
Allyn Jaffrey Shulman – 36,400
Steven A. Murphy – 23,500
Justin Marchand – 23,400
Adam Schoenfeld – 23,000
Bryan Devonshire – 13,800

Tournament Leaderboard:

1. Corwin Cole – 230,000
2. Mathieu Sauriol – 217,000
3. Dwyen Ringbauer – 192,000
4. Andrew Liporace – 178,000
5. Lauren Kling – 168,000
6. Jorn Walthaus – 160,000
7. Josef Monro 152,000
8. Barny Boatman – 150,000
9. Johnny Chan – 149,000
10. Michael Reed – 142,125

Notable Eliminations:

James Akenhead
Ted Lawson
Rob Hollink

Big Hands:

Ted Lawson Eliminated

After the flop came down Q65, seat 7 fired 5,000. Ted Lawson was next to act and he took his time to make a decision.

The bet was more than a third of his remaining stack and after much deliberation, he finally moved all in. His opponent snap-called and they showed their hands:

Lawson: 99
Seat 7: AQ

Lawson was trailing and the board finished off J and A and Lawson was eliminated.

Seiver Takes One

Scott Seiver raised to 1,100 preflop and the player in seat 8 made the call. The flop came down Q94 and Seiver led out with 2,000.

His opponent decided to let it go there before losing any more chips and Seiver took down the pot. He was at 54,000.

Mizrachi Bluff Fails

We got to the table after the board had run out A5323. The player in seat 9 had fired a bet and Michael Mizrachi raised to almost 30,000.

His opponent tanked long and the ESPN cameras caught all the action. Finally, seat 9 made the call and Mizrachi lightly tapped the table.

“Ace-jack?” Mizrachi inquired.

His opponent turned over A10 for aces-up and Mizrachi dropped a big pot. He was at 95,000 after the hand.

Alaei Doubles

Daniel Alaei and his opponent got all of the money in the middle on a flop of J97.

Daniel Alaei showed J10 and had the lead against his opponent’s A7. The turn was the 9 and the river bricked off, doubling up Alaei to 30,000.

Duke Scores a Double

On a flop of 3210, Annie Duke checked and her opponent bet 8,000. Duke check-raised to 17,500 and her opponent went into the tank and thought for three minutes before moving all-in. Duke snap-called and tabled 33 and left her opponent drawing very thin with his KK.

The ESPN crew was called over to film the all-in pot. The turn was the 2 and the river was the 6, eliminating her opponent and doubling Duke up to 130,000.

After the hand, Duke joked with the rest of her table about how painful it can be to wait so long for each card to be dealt with the cameras filming.

Sneaky Kaplan Gets Caught

On a flop of J97 Gabe Kaplan checked to Luca Pagano, who bet 2,300.

After some deliberation and asking the dealer what the bet was, Kaplan threw out 5,300. The floor was called over, eventually deciding that Kaplan’s bet was merely a call.

Action continued as both players checked the 7 turn. When the K fell on the river Kaplan led out for 3,100 and Pagano paused for thought. He called and as Kaplan announced “queen-high,” Pagano turned over 49 for two pair to take the pot and chip up to around 31,000.

Kaplan had just 10,400 after the hand.

Cole Going Strong

On a board of 10Q3K, the day’s starting chip leader Corwin Cole checked to his opponent, who bet 6,000 from the button.

Cole check-raised to 35,000, putting his opponent all in for essentially 16,000. His opponent called and they showed down:

Cole: K10
Opponent: K9

Cole held two pair to his opponent’s one pair and straight draw. The 8 river helped neither player and Corwin busted another player while chipping up to 230,000.

Mueller Takes One Down

Greg Mueller check-raised his opponent from 1,600 to 4,400 on a flop of KK3. His opponent called and the turn brought the A.

Mueller checked and called when his opponent fired 6,000 into the pot on the turn. The 6 fell on the river and both players checked. Mueller showed A7 for two pair and his opponent mucked.

Mueller had 34,000 after the hand.

Scotty Gets Action

Scotty Nguyen and two other players saw a flop of AA5. The first player bet 2,500, Nguyen called, and the third party made it 7,500. The first player folded and Nguyen moved all-in for 18,650.

His opponent went into the tank for a solid five minutes before calling. Nguyen showed 55, giving him a full house and was ahead of the A4 of his opponent.

The turn was the K and the river was the Q and Nguyen doubled up to 62,000.

Hasan Habib Gets a Knockout

The player on the button raised to 1,200 and Hasan Habib made it 7,000 from the big blind. The button then moved all-in for his last 20,000 and Habib made the call.

Habib showed AK and was ahead of the button’s QJ. The flop came AA5, giving Habib trips and leaving his opponent nearly drawing dead. The turn was the 4 and the river was the 3, giving the pot to Habib, as he moved up to 72,000 in chips.

Player Tags: Scotty Nguyen,   Annie Duke,   Hasan Habib,   Ted Lawson,   Michael Mizrachi,   Gabe Kaplan,   Daniel Alaei,   Scott Seiver,   Corwin Cole

Day 2A Begins At Noon

Jul 09, '10

Click Here for Day 1D End-of-Day Chip Counts and Results.

Day 2A is just hours away. There will be 2,407 players filling the Rio, including overall chip leader Corwin Cole.

Others returning include Michael Mizrachi, Lauren Kling, Barry Shulman, and Johnny Chan. The field will play four levels with a 90-minute dinner break after level two.

Stay tuned to CardPlayer.com as we bring you all of the hourly live updates from the day’s action.

Here are the chip counts of the players returning to play today (combined day 1A and day 1C fields):

(Chip counts continued in post below)

Player Tags: Corwin Cole

Level 14 Update: Corwin Cole Eliminated

May 31, '10

Blinds: 1,000-2,000 with a 300 ante

Players Remaining: 188 out of 4,345

Average Chip Count: 69,335

Card Player Chip Counts:

Jon Friedberg – 46,000

Tournament Leaderboard:

1. Andrew Youngblood – 215,000
2. Drew Crawford – 190,000
3. Marc Goldman – 190,000
4. Nancy Todd Tyner – 170,000
5. Jeremiah Degreef – 170,000
6. Terry Fleischer – 130,000
7. Adam Shuman – 130,000
8. David Vanwert – 120,000
9. Deepak Bhatti – 120,000
10. Robert Scott – 110,000

Notable Eliminations:

Corwin Cole — $2,463

Big Hands:

Eric Baldwin Almost Doubles Up

Eric Baldwin moved all in for 35,000 with pocket nines and was called by an opponent with queens. The flop of AK2 offered no help. The 8 also was no help. However, the 9 on the river gave Baldwin the pot and 70,000 in chips.

Corwin Cole Eliminated

Corwin Cole moved all in with the A9 and was called by an opponent who held pocket nines. The board ran dry for Cole and he was gone.

Aguiar’s Kings Cracked

Jon Aguiar three-bet an opponent with the KK and was delighted to call the four-bet all-in of his opponent.

His opponent showed JJ and was way behind. That was until the flop came JQ3. The turn was the 4 and the river was the 6 and Aguiar’s stack fell to the 60,000 area.

Markholt Goes From Zero to Hero in a Matter of Minutes

After a raise to 11,000 and a call, Lee Markholt tossed his last 9,100 into the middle. The fop came A82 and one of the players shoved all-in and caused the other player to fold.

It seemed that as soon as Markholt turned over his pocket nines, the 9 fell on the turn to give him a set and the 8 on the river gave a full house and pot.

Only a few hands later after tripling up to around 35,000 he found all his chips in the middle preflop with pocket aces against the A-Q of his opponent. His aces held and went from 9,100 to 70,000 in a matter of 10 minutes.

Player Tags: Lee Markholt,   Eric Baldwin,   Corwin Cole

Level 15 Update: Day 3 Ends

Oct 23, '09

Blinds: 4,000-8,000 with a 500 ante

Players Left: 37 of 275

Average Chip Count: 445,946

Chip Counts:

1. Jonas Entin — 1,120,000
2. Corwin Cole — 1,020,000
3. Jason Lavallee — 950,000
4. Dee Luong — 720,000
5. Dutch Boyd — 681,000
6. Brandon Cantu — 645,000
7. Matthew Glantz — 640,000
8. Mark Seif — 608,000
9. Chris Ferguson — 500,000
10. Jason Somerville — 500,000

Notable Eliminations:

Bob Safai
Scott Clements

Big Hands:

Corwin Cole Eliminates Bob Safai and Grows Chip Stack to 1 Million

Bob Safai moved all in preflop and Corwin Cole (pictured right) made the call. Their cards:

Safai: 99
Cole: AJ

Board: AJ4K3

Cole made aces up and Safai was eliminated. Cole grew his stack to more than 1 million on the hand.

Scott Clements Eliminated

With 80,000 in the pot and a board of 975A sitting on the table Scott Clements bet 80,000 from the big blind and Freddy Deeb called in middle position. The river card fell K and Clements checked. Deeb moved all in for 15,000 and Clements made the call. Deeb showed down pocket aces and Clements mucked. Deeb doubled up to 470,000 and Clements watched his stack plummet down to 3,000. He was eliminated a few minutes later.

Player Tags: Scott Clements,   Freddy Deeb,   Corwin Cole,   Bob Safai

Level 14 Update: Somerville Gets Stronger

Oct 23, '09

Blinds: 3,000-6,000 with a 500 ante

Players Left: 45 of 275

Average Chip Count: 366,000

Chip Counts:

1. Jason Somerville — 915,000
2. Jason Lavallee — 870,000
3. Dee Luong — 800,000
4. Matt Stout — 790,000
5. Jonas Entin — 725,000
6. Dutch Boyd — 610,000
7. Scott Clements — 445,000
8. Andy Bloch — 430,000
9. Matthew Glantz — 360,000
10. Steve Brecher — 350,000

Notable Eliminations:

Adam Geyer
Alan Smurfit
Mike Leah

Big Hands:

Jason Somerville Crosses the 900,000 Mark

Jason Somerville raised on the button and the big blind reraised an additional 30,000. Somerville set him all in with pocket sevens and the big blinds called with KQ.

The board came Q96108 and Somerville’s backdoor straight took it down to send the opponent to the rail and put his stack at 915,000.

Adam Geyer Busts to Dee Luong

Adam Geyer (pictured right) raised to 14,000 and Dee Luong reraised and Geyer announced all in. Luong called with AK and was racing against Geyer’s pocket queens.

The board came down 822A5 and Luong’s pair of aces sent Geyer to the rail short of the money. Luong now has 800,000, well above her husband Prahlad Friedman who is still alive in this tournament.

Corwin Cole Chips Up Big

During the level, Corwin Cole (pictured left) busted a player with set over set to bring his stack to a very impressive 760,000.

Brandon Cantu Busts POY Candidate Mike Leah

On a flop of Js10h8s, Brandon Cantu was all in and covering Mike Leah, who made the call with Jd10d. Cantu showed KsQh for the up and down straight draw and it hit when the turn and river came 9h4c.

Cantu now sits with 545,000.

Player Tags: Dee Luong,   Jason Somerville,   Brandon Cantu,   Adam Geyer,   Mike Leah,   Corwin Cole

Level 18 Update: In The Money Eliminations

Oct 24, '09

Blinds: 8,000-16,000 with a 2,000 ante

Players Left: 18 of 275

Average Chip Count: 916,000

Chip Counts:

1. Jason Lavallee — 3,050,000
2. Matthew Glantz — 1,400,000
3. Tommy Vedes — 1,250,000
4. Kido Pham — 1,200,000
5. Jason Burt — 1,150,000
6. Shawn Cunix — 1,100,000
7. Freddy Deeb — 1,035,000
8. Terry Ryan — 760,000
9. Larry Berg — 635,000
10. Richard Sciuto — 583,000

Notable Eliminations:

27. Markus Gonsalves — $23,885
26. Prahlad Friedman — $23,885
25. Chris Ferguson — $23,885
24. Mark Seif — $23,885
23. Chad Batista — $23,885
22. Lee Markholt — $23,885
21. Corwin Cole — $23,885
20. Jonas Entin — $23,855
19. Terry Ryan — $23,855

Big Hands:

Markus Gonsalves Eliminated in 27th Place ($23,885)

Markus Gonsalves got the rest of his short stack all in for 167,000 and Mark Seif made the call. Larry Berg then moved all in for 147,000 and Seif called that as well.Berg showed pocket queens, Gonsalves showed pocket kings and Seif was behind with A9.

The board ran out 1032QA and Berg’s set of queens gave him the near triple up and send Gonsalves to the rail. Berg now has 635,000 and Seif takes a hit down to 660,000.

Prahlad Friedman Eliminated in 26th Place ($23,885)

Prahlad Friedman (pictured right) raised in middle position and Jason Lavallee called on the button. The flop came down 1077 and Lavallee bet 59,000.

Freidman moved all in for 340,000 and Lavallee called with pocket jacks. Friedman showed AK and needed help, but it didn’t come when the Q and 4 completed the board.

Friedman is now eliminated and Lavallee is over the 2 million mark.

Chris Ferguson Eliminated in 25th Place ($23,885)

Chris Ferguson raised to 40,000 and Jonas Entin reraised to 178,000 from the small blind. Ferguson moved all in for 300,000 and Etin called.

Ferguson showed AQ and was in major trouble to Entin’s AA. The board offered no miracles and Ferguson was eliminated, boosting Entin’s stack back to 1 million.

Mark Seif Eliminated in 24th Place ($23,885)

Mark Seif has been eliminated from the tournament by Larry Berg. Seif held top pair, but ran into the set of sixes from Berg, who chips up to 1.4 million.

Chad Batista Eliminated in 23rd Place ($23,885)

Chad Batista was all in with a superior A-K against Corwin Cole’s A-J. Batista looked fine until the board produced a jack and sent him to the rail.

Lee Markholt Eliminated in 22nd Place ($23,855)

The perpetually short stack Lee Markholt was eliminated during the chaos of the level and details are unknown.

Corwin Cole Eliminated in 21st Place ($23,855)

Freddy Deeb raised and Jason Lavallee called on the button. Corwin Cole then reraised to 188,000 from the small blind. Deeb folded and Lavallee moved all in.

Cole instantly called with pocket aces and is in great shape against Lavallee’s pocket jacks. Unfortunately, the flop brings a jack and Cole’s tournament comes to an end. Lavallee now has over 3 million, more than double his closest opponent.

Jonas Entin Eliminated in 20th Place ($23,885)

Jonas Entin raised to 42,000 from under the gun and Kido Pham made the call. The flop came down KQ7 and Entin bet 100,000.

Pham then moved all in and Entin called for his last 200,000. Pham showed pocket sevens for the set and Entin was in major trouble with AQ.

The turn and river came 43 and Entin was eliminated. Pham now has 1,500,000 in chips.

Terry Ryan Eliminated in 19th Place ($23,855)

Terry Ryan was just eliminated by Jason Lavallee when he moved all in on the river and was snap called by a spade flush.

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Chris Ferguson,   Prahlad Friedman,   Freddy Deeb,   Chad Batista,   Jason Lavallee,   Markus Gonsalves,   Jonas Entin,   Corwin Cole

Level 16 Update: Dan Shak Takes Horrible Beat

Oct 24, '09

Blinds: 5,000-10,000 with a 1,000 ante

Players Left: 33 of 275

Average Chip Count: 500,000

Chip Counts:

1. Jonas Entin — 1,070,000
2. Jason Lavallee — 1,030,000
3. Tommy Vedes — 1,010,000
4. Dee Luong — 735,000
5. Mark Seif — 715,000
6. Kido Pham — 700,000
7. Chad Batista — 650,000
8. Jason Burt — 600,000
9. Jason Somerville — 590,000
10. Shawn Cunix — 575,000

Notable Eliminations:

Nestor Martinez
Dan Shak
Mike Chiappetta
Cliff Josephy

Big Hands:

Chad Batista Gets Lucky To Stay Alive

Chad “lilholdem954” Batista (pictured right) found himself all in for over 300,000 in chips holding pocket jacks and was in bad shape against chip leader Corwin Cole’s pocket queens.

No problem for the online pro, however, when the board came J972A, giving him the winning set.

He now has over 630,000 while Cole took a hit down to 685,000.

Dan Shak Takes Really Tough Beat

Dan Shak and Tommy Vedes got into a raising war preflop that saw Shak’s AK go up against Vedes and his AQ.

The flop came out KK10 giving Shak trips, but the turn was the J, giving Vedes the Broadway straight.

Shak needed help on the river, but it was the 9 that ended his tournament, giving Vedes a huge pot and a stack of over 1 million.

Freddy Deeb Slows Down Jason Lavallee

Jason Lavallee raised to 25,000 and Freddy Deeb called in the cutoff. The flop came A76 and both players checked.

The turn was the A and Lavallee bet 41,000. Deeb minraised to 82,000 and Lavallee just called.

Both players checked down the 5 on the river and Lavallee showed AQ to win the pot and cross the million dollar mark.

Cliff Josephy Eliminated by Kido Pham

Some more bad luck for Cliff Josephy when his pocket jacks were cracked by the AJ of Kido Pham.

The board was safe until an ace hit the turn, giving Pham the elimination credit and a new stack of 700,000 in chips.

Player Tags: Dan Shak,   Kido Pham,   Cliff Josephy,   Tommy Vedes,   Freddy Deeb,   Chad Batista,   Jason Lavallee,   Corwin Cole

Level 15 Update: Day 3 Ends

Oct 23, '09

Blinds: 4,000-8,000 with a 500 ante

Players Left: 37 of 275

Average Chip Count: 445,946

Chip Counts:

1. Jonas Entin — 1,120,000
2. Corwin Cole — 1,020,000
3. Jason Lavallee — 950,000
4. Dee Luong — 720,000
5. Dutch Boyd — 681,000
6. Brandon Cantu — 645,000
7. Matthew Glantz — 640,000
8. Mark Seif — 608,000
9. Chris Ferguson — 500,000
10. Jason Somerville — 500,000

Notable Eliminations:

Bob Safai
Scott Clements

Big Hands:

Corwin Cole Eliminates Bob Safai and Grows Chip Stack to 1 Million

Bob Safai moved all in preflop and Corwin Cole (pictured right) made the call. Their cards:

Safai: 99
Cole: AJ

Board: AJ4K3

Cole made aces up and Safai was eliminated. Cole grew his stack to more than 1 million on the hand.

Scott Clements Eliminated

With 80,000 in the pot and a board of 975A sitting on the table Scott Clements bet 80,000 from the big blind and Freddy Deeb called in middle position. The river card fell K and Clements checked. Deeb moved all in for 15,000 and Clements made the call. Deeb showed down pocket aces and Clements mucked. Deeb doubled up to 470,000 and Clements watched his stack plummet down to 3,000. He was eliminated a few minutes later.

Player Tags: Scott Clements,   Freddy Deeb,   Corwin Cole,   Bob Safai

Level 14 Update: Somerville Gets Stronger

Oct 23, '09

Blinds: 3,000-6,000 with a 500 ante

Players Left: 45 of 275

Average Chip Count: 366,000

Chip Counts:

1. Jason Somerville — 915,000
2. Jason Lavallee — 870,000
3. Dee Luong — 800,000
4. Matt Stout — 790,000
5. Jonas Entin — 725,000
6. Dutch Boyd — 610,000
7. Scott Clements — 445,000
8. Andy Bloch — 430,000
9. Matthew Glantz — 360,000
10. Steve Brecher — 350,000

Notable Eliminations:

Adam Geyer
Alan Smurfit
Mike Leah

Big Hands:

Jason Somerville Crosses the 900,000 Mark

Jason Somerville raised on the button and the big blind reraised an additional 30,000. Somerville set him all in with pocket sevens and the big blinds called with KQ.

The board came Q96108 and Somerville’s backdoor straight took it down to send the opponent to the rail and put his stack at 915,000.

Adam Geyer Busts to Dee Luong

Adam Geyer (pictured right) raised to 14,000 and Dee Luong reraised and Geyer announced all in. Luong called with AK and was racing against Geyer’s pocket queens.

The board came down 822A5 and Luong’s pair of aces sent Geyer to the rail short of the money. Luong now has 800,000, well above her husband Prahlad Friedman who is still alive in this tournament.

Corwin Cole Chips Up Big

During the level, Corwin Cole (pictured left) busted a player with set over set to bring his stack to a very impressive 760,000.

Brandon Cantu Busts POY Candidate Mike Leah

On a flop of Js10h8s, Brandon Cantu was all in and covering Mike Leah, who made the call with Jd10d. Cantu showed KsQh for the up and down straight draw and it hit when the turn and river came 9h4c.

Cantu now sits with 545,000.

Player Tags: Dee Luong,   Jason Somerville,   Brandon Cantu,   Adam Geyer,   Mike Leah,   Corwin Cole

Level 18 Update: In The Money Eliminations

Oct 24, '09

Blinds: 8,000-16,000 with a 2,000 ante

Players Left: 18 of 275

Average Chip Count: 916,000

Chip Counts:

1. Jason Lavallee — 3,050,000
2. Matthew Glantz — 1,400,000
3. Tommy Vedes — 1,250,000
4. Kido Pham — 1,200,000
5. Jason Burt — 1,150,000
6. Shawn Cunix — 1,100,000
7. Freddy Deeb — 1,035,000
8. Terry Ryan — 760,000
9. Larry Berg — 635,000
10. Richard Sciuto — 583,000

Notable Eliminations:

27. Markus Gonsalves — $23,885
26. Prahlad Friedman — $23,885
25. Chris Ferguson — $23,885
24. Mark Seif — $23,885
23. Chad Batista — $23,885
22. Lee Markholt — $23,885
21. Corwin Cole — $23,885
20. Jonas Entin — $23,855
19. Terry Ryan — $23,855

Big Hands:

Markus Gonsalves Eliminated in 27th Place ($23,885)

Markus Gonsalves got the rest of his short stack all in for 167,000 and Mark Seif made the call. Larry Berg then moved all in for 147,000 and Seif called that as well.Berg showed pocket queens, Gonsalves showed pocket kings and Seif was behind with A9.

The board ran out 1032QA and Berg’s set of queens gave him the near triple up and send Gonsalves to the rail. Berg now has 635,000 and Seif takes a hit down to 660,000.

Prahlad Friedman Eliminated in 26th Place ($23,885)

Prahlad Friedman (pictured right) raised in middle position and Jason Lavallee called on the button. The flop came down 1077 and Lavallee bet 59,000.

Freidman moved all in for 340,000 and Lavallee called with pocket jacks. Friedman showed AK and needed help, but it didn’t come when the Q and 4 completed the board.

Friedman is now eliminated and Lavallee is over the 2 million mark.

Chris Ferguson Eliminated in 25th Place ($23,885)

Chris Ferguson raised to 40,000 and Jonas Entin reraised to 178,000 from the small blind. Ferguson moved all in for 300,000 and Etin called.

Ferguson showed AQ and was in major trouble to Entin’s AA. The board offered no miracles and Ferguson was eliminated, boosting Entin’s stack back to 1 million.

Mark Seif Eliminated in 24th Place ($23,885)

Mark Seif has been eliminated from the tournament by Larry Berg. Seif held top pair, but ran into the set of sixes from Berg, who chips up to 1.4 million.

Chad Batista Eliminated in 23rd Place ($23,885)

Chad Batista was all in with a superior A-K against Corwin Cole’s A-J. Batista looked fine until the board produced a jack and sent him to the rail.

Lee Markholt Eliminated in 22nd Place ($23,855)

The perpetually short stack Lee Markholt was eliminated during the chaos of the level and details are unknown.

Corwin Cole Eliminated in 21st Place ($23,855)

Freddy Deeb raised and Jason Lavallee called on the button. Corwin Cole then reraised to 188,000 from the small blind. Deeb folded and Lavallee moved all in.

Cole instantly called with pocket aces and is in great shape against Lavallee’s pocket jacks. Unfortunately, the flop brings a jack and Cole’s tournament comes to an end. Lavallee now has over 3 million, more than double his closest opponent.

Jonas Entin Eliminated in 20th Place ($23,885)

Jonas Entin raised to 42,000 from under the gun and Kido Pham made the call. The flop came down KQ7 and Entin bet 100,000.

Pham then moved all in and Entin called for his last 200,000. Pham showed pocket sevens for the set and Entin was in major trouble with AQ.

The turn and river came 43 and Entin was eliminated. Pham now has 1,500,000 in chips.

Terry Ryan Eliminated in 19th Place ($23,855)

Terry Ryan was just eliminated by Jason Lavallee when he moved all in on the river and was snap called by a spade flush.

Player Tags: Mark Seif,   Chris Ferguson,   Prahlad Friedman,   Freddy Deeb,   Chad Batista,   Jason Lavallee,   Markus Gonsalves,   Jonas Entin,   Corwin Cole

Level 16 Update: Dan Shak Takes Horrible Beat

Oct 24, '09

Blinds: 5,000-10,000 with a 1,000 ante

Players Left: 33 of 275

Average Chip Count: 500,000

Chip Counts:

1. Jonas Entin — 1,070,000
2. Jason Lavallee — 1,030,000
3. Tommy Vedes — 1,010,000
4. Dee Luong — 735,000
5. Mark Seif — 715,000
6. Kido Pham — 700,000
7. Chad Batista — 650,000
8. Jason Burt — 600,000
9. Jason Somerville — 590,000
10. Shawn Cunix — 575,000

Notable Eliminations:

Nestor Martinez
Dan Shak
Mike Chiappetta
Cliff Josephy

Big Hands:

Chad Batista Gets Lucky To Stay Alive

Chad “lilholdem954” Batista (pictured right) found himself all in for over 300,000 in chips holding pocket jacks and was in bad shape against chip leader Corwin Cole’s pocket queens.

No problem for the online pro, however, when the board came J972A, giving him the winning set.

He now has over 630,000 while Cole took a hit down to 685,000.

Dan Shak Takes Really Tough Beat

Dan Shak and Tommy Vedes got into a raising war preflop that saw Shak’s AK go up against Vedes and his AQ.

The flop came out KK10 giving Shak trips, but the turn was the J, giving Vedes the Broadway straight.

Shak needed help on the river, but it was the 9 that ended his tournament, giving Vedes a huge pot and a stack of over 1 million.

Freddy Deeb Slows Down Jason Lavallee

Jason Lavallee raised to 25,000 and Freddy Deeb called in the cutoff. The flop came A76 and both players checked.

The turn was the A and Lavallee bet 41,000. Deeb minraised to 82,000 and Lavallee just called.

Both players checked down the 5 on the river and Lavallee showed AQ to win the pot and cross the million dollar mark.

Cliff Josephy Eliminated by Kido Pham

Some more bad luck for Cliff Josephy when his pocket jacks were cracked by the AJ of Kido Pham.

The board was safe until an ace hit the turn, giving Pham the elimination credit and a new stack of 700,000 in chips.

Player Tags: Dan Shak,   Kido Pham,   Cliff Josephy,   Tommy Vedes,   Freddy Deeb,   Chad Batista,   Jason Lavallee,   Corwin Cole

Level 6 Update: Jesus is Eliminated

May 28, '09

Blinds: 800-1600 with a 200 ante

Players Remaining: 150 out of 201

Chip Counts:

1. Antonio Esfandiari — 470,000
2. Justin Bonomo — 470,000
3. Mark Seif — 450,000
4. Chris Moneymaker — 415,000
5. Matthew Glantz — 400,000
6. Bruno Fitoussi — 367,000
7. Frank Kassela — 340,000
8. Lex Veldhuis — 330,000
9. Isaac Haxton — 324,000
10. Eric Kesselman — 315,000

Average Chip Count: 160,800

Notable Eliminations:

Annie Duke
Chris Ferguson
Shaun Deeb

Big Hands:

Ivan Demidov Rivers a Flush

After a bet of 17,100 on the flop of 356 by Ivan Demidov, Vanessa Rousso and Eric Kesselman called. The turn brought the 5 and Rousso checked, Demidov checked and Kesselman checked. The river was the 6, completely the back door flush draw. Rousso checked, Demidov bet out 22,000 quickly and Kesselman thought about it briefly for making the call. Rousso folded and Demidov tabled AQ and Kesselman mucked. Demidov is now back up to 130,000.

Dennis Philips Doubles Through Doug Lee

A short-stacked Dennis Phillips gets it all in with AA against Doug Lee’s KJ on a flop of A72. The turn and river bring no help to Lee who is down to 65,000 after doubling Phillips up to 85,000 this hand.

Annie Duke is Eliminated

On a flop of 10Q3, Antonio Esfandiari bet out and Annie Duke called. The turn brought the 8 and Esfandiari bet out again, and Duke called. The river was the 4 and Esfandiari put Annie Duke all in for about 70,000. Duke thought for about 2 minutes before calling. Esfandiari turned over 33, and Duke mucked AQ. Esfandiari is now up to 460,000.

Dragon Eliminates Corwin Cole

David “The Dragon” Pham raises to 4,500 from early position, Corwin Cole reraises to 12,500 from middle position and Pham calls. The flop comes Q53, and Corwin bets 16,400. Pham calls and the turn is the J. This time Cole checks to Pham who bets 25,000, enough to put his opponent all in. Cole calls off his tournament life and flips over KK for the overpair, but Pham turns over JJ for middle set. The river is the Q, giving Pham a full house, and sending Cole home early. After eliminating Corwin Cole this hand, Pham is sitting just under 250,000.

Chris Ferguson is Eliminated

On a flop of J98, Chris Ferguson moved all in and was called by Chris Moneymaker, while Humberto Brenes, who was also in the hand, folded. Ferguson tabled 1010 and Moneymaker had him dominated with J10, and Ferguson was hoping for a split pot. The turn was the K and the river was the K, eliminating Ferguson and vaulting Moneymaker to 360,000 in chips.

Dinner Break

The remaining 165 players are now on a dinner break. Join us at 8:30 PST when play resumes.

Player Tags: Humberto Brenes,   David Pham,   Chris Ferguson,   Antonio Esfandiari,   Chris Moneymaker,   Vanessa Rousso,   Dennis Phillips,   Corwin Cole,   Ivan Demidov

Corwin Cole Eliminated

Mar 17, '09

Corwin Cole moved all in for 40,000 or so and Wayne Boich moved all in behind him to isolate. Alex Melnikow thought it over in the big blind for a bit before mucking.

Cole showed A10 but was in major trouble to Boich's KK. The board filled out KQ954 and Cole was eliminated.

The final 13 players are now beginning hand-for-hand play.

Player Tags: Wayne Boich,   Corwin Cole

Corwin Cole Eliminated in 7th Place ($21,640)

Dec 09, '08

Corwin Cole moves all in for his last 91,000 and is called by Hafiz Khan in the small blind.

Cole shows pocket sixes and is racing against Khan's A9.

The board comes AK10A10 and Khan's full house eliminates Cole in seventh place.

Player Tags: Hafiz Khan,   Corwin Cole

Corwin Cole Gets a Freebie

Oct 29, '08

In one of the most bizarre plays we've seen thus far, Corwin Cole just busted a player who voluntarily called all in with Queen high.

The flop was A76 and Cole put his opponent all in with A5. Incredibly, his opponent made the call with Q5, needing runner runner just to chop. The turn and river came J3 and Cole increased his stack to 300,000.

Player Tags: Corwin Cole

$1,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Day 2 - Level 20 Recap

Jul 01, '08

Note: The players are now on a 20 minute break

Blinds: 10,000-20,000

Players Left: 11 of 2,693

Chip Leaders:
Corwin Cole - 1,450,000
Jeffery Courtney - 1,280,000
Matthew Matros - 875,000
Farzad Rouhani - 720,000
Daniel Heimiller - 710,000
Scott Sitron - 600,000
Voitto Rintala - 530,000
Andrey Zaichenko - 470,000
Todd Hanks - 460,000
David Daneshgar - 420,000

Average Stack: 734,450

Eliminations:
12^th – Brock Mishler
13^th – Joachim Berg-Jensen
14^th – Elliot Smith

Big Hands and Storylines:

Joachim Berg-Jensen Eliminated By Dan Heimiller

Dan Heimiller raised from early position and action folded around to Joachim Berg-Jensen in the small blind. Berg-Jensen shoved for 255,000 and was called by Heimiller. Berg-Jensen had AK but Heimiller had QQ and a slight lead. The flop was ten-high and rainbow, and Berg-Jensen was left to catch either an ace or king on the turn/river to take down the pot and continue on in the tournament. The turn was the 2 and Berg-Jensen was down to one final card. The river was the 3 and that was all she wrote for Berg-Jensen.

Heimiller Eliminates Another

Brock Mishler opened the betting by moving all-in on the button for approximately 200,000. Dan Heimiller made the call from the big blind and then two showed their cards:

Mishler: J10
Heimiller: A8

The board came down 7735Q and Heimiller’s ace-high would hold up to take down the pot, eliminating Mishler.

This pot brought Heimiller’s stack to nearly 1,300,000, but he would later be cut down to 710,000 after a failed bluff attempt against Jeffery Courtney.

Player Tags: Farzad Rouhani,   David Daneshgar,   Voitto Rintala,   Scott Sitron,   Andrey Zaichenko,   Elliot Smith,   Corwin Cole,   Jeff Courtney,   Brock Mishler,   Joachim Berg-Jensen,   Todd Hanks

$1,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Day 2 - Level 19 Recap

Jul 01, '08

Blinds: 8,000-16,000

Players Left: 14 of 2,693

Chip Leaders:
Matthew Matros - 1,025,000
Corwin Cole - 895,000
Daniel Heimiller - 830,000
Farzad Rouhani - 720,000
Jeffery Courtney - 630,000
Gary Biggar - 623,000
Andrey Zaichenko - 620,000
Voitto Rintala - 530,000
Todd Hanks - 460,000
David Daneshgar - 420,000

Average Stack: 577,075

Eliminations:
15^th – Cody Slaubaugh
16^th – Lars Sundberg
17^th – Daniel Hughes
18^th – Eric Jolly
19^th – Petter Frannson
20^th – Richard Kirsch

Big Hands and Storylines:

Corwin, For The Win

The players redrew at 18 players, and despite the full 9-handed tables in play, table 1 was still packed with action. Elliot Smith raised to 40,000 from middle position and Scott Sitron, on his left, raised to 110,000. Corwin Cole, after a moment’s thought, moved all-in for 328,000. Eric Jolly then called all-in. Smith folded and Sitron called, having everyone covered. The three showed their hands:

Scott Sitron: AA
Corwin Cole: QQ
Eric Jolly: JJ

The flop came 862 and nothing had changed. The turn came K, Sitron was one card away from a massive chip advantage at the table, but the river changed that. The river was the Q and Corwin Cole took down the pot, though you would never know it by his expression. He sat stone-faced, moving only to rake in the monster pot. After the hand, Cole had 950,000, Sitron had 250,000, and Jolly was eliminated... which nobody could deny.

Daniel Hughes Eliminated

Daniel Hughes moved all-in for 145,000 from late position. Andrey Zaichenko moved all-in behind him and everybody else folded. Hughes showed A10 and Zaichenko had QQ. The flop came Q82 and Hughes was drawing almost dead. The 10 sealed his fate and he was eliminated in 17^th place.

Zaichenko Gives Some Back

Action folded around to Gary Biggar in the small blind and he shoved all-in for about 123,000. Zaichenko looked down at his cards in the big blind and he opted to call. The two turned over:

Biggar: A8
Zaichenko: K7

The flop helped out Biggar a lot: A97. The turn, though, was the 10, giving Zaichenko an open-ended straight draw. The river was the blank of all blanks – the 2 – and Biggar doubled up to 250,000. Zaichenko still has about 900,000.

Player Tags: Farzad Rouhani,   David Daneshgar,   Richard Kirsch,   Daniel Hughes,   Cody Slaubaugh,   Voitto Rintala,   Scott Sitron,   Andrey Zaichenko,   Corwin Cole,   Jeff Courtney,   Todd Hanks

$1,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Day 2 - Level 18 Recap

Jul 01, '08

Blinds: 6,000-12,000

Players Left:   20 of 2,693

Chip Leaders:
Dan Heimiller – 1,100,000
Andrey Zaichenko - 750,000
Matthew Matros - 712,000
Farzad Rouhani - 600,000
Scott Sitron - 570,000
Richard Kirsch - 490,000
Cody Slaubaugh - 475,000
Elliot Smith - 380,000
Voitto Rintala - 310,000
Corwin Cole - 282,000

Average Stack: 403,950

Eliminations:
21^st – Martin Cardno
22^nd – Paulo Nunes
23^rd – Joe Neiman
24^th – Dan Harmetz
25^th – Mimi Tran
26^th – Anders Fraulund
27^th – Andrew Garvin

Big Hands and Storylines:

Heimiller Time

Dan Heimiller raised to 40,000 in late position and action folded around to Andrew Garvin in the blinds. Garvin moved all-in for about 180,000. Heimiller insta-called and flipped up AA. Garvin showed 99. The board came 10758K and Garvin was eliminated. Heimiller grew his stack to an even more impressive 1,100,000.

Biggar is Better; Mimi Tran Eliminated

Gary Biggar and Mimi Tran, both short-stacked, got all-in pre-flop. Biggar had Tran dominated with his AQ going against her KQ. The flop came 1044 and the turn was the 6. Going to the river, Tran had only 3 outs, and when the 4 peeled off, her tournament was over. After winning the hand Biggar was up to 175,000.

Set Over Set Propels Rouhani

Farzad Rouhani raised to 36,000 from early position and Andriy Zaichenko made the call from the cutoff. The two saw a flop of 985. Rouhani led out for 32,000 and Zaichenko raised to 100,000. Undeterred by this show of strength, Rouhani moved all-in and was snap-called by Zaichenko. The two turned over their hands:

Rouhani: 99
Zaichenko: 55

Zaichenko did not make quads and he took a big hit, now at 750,000. Rouhani’s double up gives him 600,000.

Player Tags: Farzad Rouhani,   Mimi Tran,   Richard Kirsch,   Andrew Garvin,   Dan Harmetz,   Cody Slaubaugh,   Voitto Rintala,   Scott Sitron,   Martin Cardno,   Andrey Zaichenko,   Elliot Smith,   Corwin Cole,   Anders Fraulund

$1,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Day 2 - Level 17 Recap

Jul 01, '08

Blinds: 5,000-10,000

Players Left:  28 of 2,693

Chip Leaders:
Matthew Matros - 712,000
Scott Sitron - 570,000
Richard Kirsch - 490,000
Cody Slaubaugh - 410,000
Elliot Smith - 380,000
Andrey Zaichenko - 375,000
Farzad Rouhani - 310,000
Voitto Rintala - 310,000
Joseph Neiman - 310,000
Corwin Cole - 282,000

Average Stack: 288,535

Eliminations:
Ben Spraggons
John McCauley
Esther Garza
Tim Barchie

Big Hands and Storylines:

Sundberg Doubles Up Through Tran

Mimi Tran raised to 30,000 from the button and Lars Sundberg moved all-in from the big blind. It was 49,000 more to Tran and she analyzed her decision. After about 50 seconds of thought, she made the call and the two turned up their cards:

Sundberg: 88
Tran: AQ

The board came 10975J and Sundberg won the hand with a jack-high straight. Sundberg now has 170,000 while Tran is languishing with 100,000.

Matros Keeps Accumulating

Twice during recent rounds, players have attempted to steal the blinds of Matt Matros. On both occasions Matros put in a big raise and forced the players to lay down their hands. Matt Matros did play a hand that went to showdown though. Anders Fraulund raised to 30,000 and this time Matros opted to call in the big blind. Matros checked the 965 flop and called a 45,000 bet from Fraulund. Both players checked when the 6 paired the board. The river was the 7 and Matros led out for 90,000. Fraulund called instantly and when Matros had confirmed this with the dealer he showed A6 for turned trips. Fraulund showed K9 and said, “Good hand.”

Matros has about 700,000. Fraulund is down to 160,000.

Tim Barchie Eliminated By Cody Slaubaugh

Tim Barchie moved all-in from early position and action folded around to Cody “thugmoneymkr” Slaubaugh in the small blind. It was 80,000 more to call for him. Instead of simply calling, he shoved over the raise for about 300,000. The big blind folded and the two showed their hands:

Barchie: A4
Slaubaugh: A6

The flop was perfect for Slaugbaugh: J106. Barchie could not catch up and he was eliminated.

Slaubaugh now has 410,000.

Player Tags: Farzad Rouhani,   Mimi Tran,   Richard Kirsch,   Cody Slaubaugh,   Voitto Rintala,   Scott Sitron,   Andrey Zaichenko,   Elliot Smith,   Corwin Cole,   Tim Barchie,   Anders Fraulund

$1,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Day 2 - Level 16

Jul 01, '08

Note: The players are now on a 20 minute break

Blinds: 4,000-8,000

Players Left:  35 of 2,693

Chip Leaders:
Daniel Heimiller - 610,000
Scott Sitron - 570,000
Matthew Matros - 550,000
Andrey Zaichenko - 430,000
Corwin Cole - 404,000
Elliot Smith - 380,000
Cody Slaubaugh - 355,000
Joachim Berg-Jensen - 350,000
Richard Kirsch - 340,000
Anders Fraulund - 330,000

Average Stack: 230,825

Eliminations:
Alvin Zeidenfeld
Gary Marcum
Vanessa Rousso

Big Hands and Storylines:

Matros and Heimiller Butt Heads

Two of the bigger stacks in the tournament, Matt Matros and Dan Heimiller, played a fairly large pot in the last level. Action folded around to Matros in the small blind and he raised it to 24,000. Dan Heimiller made a fairly quick call. The flop ran off 988 and Matros led out with a bet of 35,000. Heimiller made another quick call. Matros checked on the 10 turn and Heimiller bet 80,000. Matros stacked a column of orange chips, pulled them back in toward his stack, and declared himself all-in.

Heimiller was now stuck. He stared at the board, talking to himself, for nearly 7 minutes before Matros called the clock on him. The floorwoman came over and informed Heimiller that he had one minute to make a decision and at the end of the one minute his hand would be ruled dead. No sooner than she had finished her speech, Heimiller folded his hand.

After this confrontation, Matros is up to 520,000. Heimiller would be down to 455,000 but later chipped up to 610,000 to become chip leader.

Cardno Not Card Dead

Alvin Zeidenfeld, action having folded to him, moved all-in from the button for 63,500. Mimi Tran folded and Martin Cardno made a quick call. Zeidenfeld showed QJ and Cardno had A8. The board – K7793 – changed nothing, and Cardno won the hand. After a few moments of counting by the dealer (with some help by Mimi Tran), it was decided that Cardno had more chips and Zeidenfeld was eliminated.  Cardno now has 140,000.

Garvin Stomps, Eliminates Marcum

Gary Marcum moved all-in from middle position for 70,000 and Andrew Garvin made a quick call after action folded around to him. Marcum, without much confidence, showed A8. His pessimism was warranted, however, as Garvin showed AA. There would be no miracle for Marcum as the board rolled out Q549A. Marcum was covered by a few thousand, and he was eliminated. After the hand Garvin was up to 140,000.

Player Tags: Richard Kirsch,   Andrew Garvin,   Alvin Zeidenfeld,   Cody Slaubaugh,   Scott Sitron,   Martin Cardno,   Andrey Zaichenko,   Elliot Smith,   Corwin Cole,   Gary Marcum,   Anders Fraulund,   Joachim Berg-Jensen

$1,500 No Limit Hold'em - Day 2 - Level 15 Recap

Jul 01, '08

Blinds: 3,000-6,000

Players Left:  52 of 2,693

Chip Leaders:
Scott Sitron - 560,000
Corwin Cole - 420,000
Andrey Zaichenko - 370,000
Jeffery Courtney - 240,000
Mimi Tran - 230,000
Cody Slaubaugh - 220,000
Daniel Heimiller - 192,000
Gary Marcum - 180,000
Hans Erlandsson - 175,000
Matthew Matros - 168,000
Alvin Zeidenfeld - 163,000

Average Stack: 155,365

Eliminations:
Jason Morgan
John Monnette
Nath Pizzolatto

Big Hands and Storylines:

It’s a Good Day To Have Ace-Queen: Part I

John McCauley raised to 30,000 from the cutoff and the button moved all-in for 120,000. McCauley, who only had 60,000 left behind, made the call with AQ while the button had 66. The flop was J95 and the turn was the 10, giving McCauley an open-ended straight-draw in addition to his two over cards. Before either player even had a chance to soak in the suspense, the dealer turned over the Q, giving McCauley new life in the tournament. After the hand he was up to about 190,000.

It’s a Good Day To Have Ace-Queen: Part II

Corwin Cole raised to 15,000 from early position. A player in middle position called, and the player to his left moved all-in. The dealer counted up the chips and it was 52,000 more to Cole. After only about 20 seconds of thought, Cole made the call. The third player quickly folded and the two showed their hands:

Cole: AQ
Opponent: 88

The flop came K99 and Cole was drawing to six outs. The 5 was unhelpful, but once again, a queen – the Q – appeared on the river to help out ace-queen. Cole's opponent wasted no extra time at the table. He immediately walked over to the payout stand, located a mere 4 or 5 feet from his seat, and informed the tournament officials that he had been eliminated.

Cole is now up to 420,000.

Spraggons’ Kings Crack Aces

Ben “Spraggs” Spraggons and James Morgan got all in pre-flop. Morgan was well ahead with his AA dominating Spraggons’ KK. The flop was harmless: 842. The turn was anything but harmless however. When the K came off the deck Morgan sprung from his chair like it was electrified and began to bemoan his bad luck, “I’m not meant to win this year.” The turn blanked, and just like that Spraggons was up to 90,000. Morgan, down to 30,000, would be eliminated two hands later when his 73 was no match for, what else, KK.

Player Tags: Mimi Tran,   Alvin Zeidenfeld,   Cody Slaubaugh,   Jason Morgan,   Hans Erlandsson,   Scott Sitron,   Andrey Zaichenko,   Corwin Cole,   Gary Marcum,   Jeff Courtney

$1,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Final Table - Corwin and Rouhani Eliminated

Jul 02, '08

Note: The players are now on a 60-minute dinner break

Blinds: 40,000-80,000, 5,000 ante

Chip Counts:
Scott Sitron - 3,655,000
David Daneshgar - 2,750,000
Dan Heimiller - 1,690,000

Eliminations:
Fourth Place – Farzad Rouhani - ($231,584)
Fifth Place – Corwin Cole - ($189,311)

Big Hands and Storylines:

Corwin Cole Eliminated In Fifth Place ($189,311)

Corwin Cole moved all-in from the cutoff for 870,000 and action folded around to Scott Sitron in the small blind. Sitron made the call and the two showed their cards:

Cole: 98
Sitron: A8

SItron had Cole dominated. The A63 flop made things even bleaker for Cole. The K on the turn was the clincher, and Sitron would win the hand, moving up to 2,785,000. For finishing in fifth place, Cole will leave here with $189,311.

Farzad Rouhani Eliminated in Fourth Place ($231,584)

Farzad Rouhani opened the action from the button by moving all-in for 515,000. Scott Sitron again woke up with a hand in the blinds and called with 1010. Rouhani disgustedly turned up his A9 and awaited the flop. The flop would bring good news only to Sitron, as he hit a set on the 1042 flop. The 4 on the turn filled Sitron up and made him the first player in the tournament to surpass 3 million chips. Farzad Rouhani will take away $231,584 from his second final table of this year’s World Series.

David Daneshgar Doubles Through Dan Heimiller

David Daneshgar raised to 250,000 on the button, Dan Heimiller made it 800,000 from the small blind, and Scott Sitron ducked out of the hand. Daneshgar instantly moved all-in. Heimiller seemed to know that his hand was no good, but, getting about 4-to-1 on his money, he made the call with A10. Daneshgar, though ahead with JJ, did not look like a man who was confident in his lead. The board – KK73Q – strengthened Daneshgar’s resolve though, and he doubled up to 2,780,000. Heimiller dropped to third of three with 2,090,000.

Player Tags: Farzad Rouhani,   David Daneshgar,   Scott Sitron,   Corwin Cole

$1,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Final Table - War of Attrition

Jul 02, '08

Blinds: 30,000-60,000, 5,000 ante

Chip Counts:
Scott Sitron - 2,705,000
David Daneshgar - 1,530,000
Daniel Heimiller - 1,450,000
Farzad Rouhani – 1,305,000
Corwin Cole - 1,055,000

Big Hands and Storylines:

Dan Heimiller Doubles Through Corwin Cole

Dan Heimiller moved all-in from under the gun for about 425,000 and Corwin Cole made the call from the big blind. Corwin had Heimiller dominated – A9 versus A6 – but for the second time on the day, his lead would not last. The doorcard was the 6, and that was joined by the 6 and 2. Heimiller beamed, asking the dealer for “one more six.” The board ran out J and 5, and while Heimiller didn’t get his fourth 5, he did win the pot, giving him 900,000 in chips. The blow to Cole’s stack left him with 1,260,000.

Corwin Cole Doubles Through Farzad Rouhani

Farzad Rouhani raised from the cutoff and Corwin Cole quickly moved all-in from the big blind for 940,000 total. Rouhani seemed agitated; he stood up and paced back and forth. He returned to his seat but did not sit down, instead he leaned over it and maddeningly stacked and re-stacked his chips, the normally airy clacking of chips replaced by a series of deep thuds. Rouhani shoved his chips into the middle and slammed down his cards: AQ. Cole showed 55 and the two were racing. Rouhani’s fortuitous luck continued when the flop came AK7. But just as quickly as his lead came did it dissolve into thin air. The 5 on the turn gave Cole new and unexpected life. When the river bricked – 6 – Cole was back among the chip leaders with 1,935,000. Rouhani slipped back to 1,480,000.

Dan Heimiller Doubles Through Corwin Cole

Action folded around to Corwin Cole with a short-stacked Dan Heimiller behind him in the big blind. Cole, fresh off of his double up, moved all in. Heimiller snap-called him from the big blind and the two revealed their cards:

Cole: A3
Heimiller: AK

The flop game 1085 and things got just a bit more tense for Heimiller, in addition to the three treys, he would also have to fade 8 spades. The turn was the 9 and Heimiller was one card away from a vital double up. The river was the 9 and Heimiller doubled up to 1,450,000. Corwin, after having just won a pot for his tournament life, found himself back down around 1,200,000.

Farzad Rouhani Doubles Through David Daneshgar

David Daneshgar raised from the cutoff to 155,000. Action folded around to Farzad Rouhani in the big blind who moved in for 500,000 more. After much contemplation Daneshgar made the call. Rouhani showed AK and Daneshgar showed the cause for his deliberation, flipping over 75. The flop – Q107 – made Daneshgar look like a genius, and so did the 6 on the turn. Poker is a fickle game though, and the K on the river ripped the pot from Daneshgar’s grasp. Rouhani went from the brink of elimination to a stack of 1,355,000.

Player Tags: Farzad Rouhani,   David Daneshgar,   Scott Sitron,   Corwin Cole

$1,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Final Table - Matt Matros Eliminated

Jul 02, '08

Note: The players are now on a 20 minute break

Blinds: 25,000-50,000, 5,000 ante

Chip Counts:
Farzad Rouhani - 2,220,000
Scott Sitron - 1,955,000
Corwin Cole - 1,750,000
David Daneshgar – 1,625,000
Daniel Heimiller – 400,000

Eliminations:
Sixth Place – Matt Matros ($148,875)

Big Hands and Storylines:

Matt Matros Eliminated in Sixth Place ($148,875)

Corwin Cole, first to act, raised to 125,000 and Matt Matros wasted no time in moving all-in for his 690,000 chips. Cole audibly sighed before making the call and the two showed their cards:

Matros: AQ
Cole: A9

The flop came down K94 and Matros shook his head in disbelief. The 10 on the turn gave Cole the flush and spelled the end of the day for Matros. For his sixth place finish Matros took home $148,875.

Heimiller Chipping Up

Dan Heimiller went from short stack of 400,000 to over a million in chips in a very unorthodox manner. Instead of doubling up on a single hand, Heimiller was steadily chipping up playing post-flop poker, winning 4 out of 5 hands at one point.

Daneshgar Goes To The Break In Style

David Daneshgar raised to 125,000 from under-the gun and he was called by Dan Heimiller on the button. The flop came 1085 and Daneshgar led out for 200,000. Heimiller mulled it over before making a smallish raise to 500,000. Before Heimiller had even finished moving his chips into the pot, Daneshgar moved all-in. Heimiller folded immediately and Daneshgar took down the pot.

That pot brought Daneshgar up to 1,625,000 and ended Heimiller's recent run, knocking him down to around 400,000.

Player Tags: Farzad Rouhani,   David Daneshgar,   Scott Sitron,   Corwin Cole

$1,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Final Table - Courtney and Zaichenko Eliminated

Jul 02, '08

Blinds: 20,000-40,000, 5,000 ante

Chip Counts:
David Daneshgar - 1,910,000
Scott Sitron - 1,820,000
Farzad Rouhani - 1,725,000
Corwin Cole - 1,500,000
Daniel Heimiler - 580,000
Matthew Matros - 495,000

Eliminations:
Seventh Place – Andrey Zaichenko ($112,116)
Eighth Place – Jeff Courtney ($84,546)

Big Hands and Storylines:

Jeff Courtney Eliminated in Eighth Place ($84,546)

Today was just not Jeff Courtney’s day. On three occasions the young man from Lancaster, Pennsylvania got his chips in with a solid hand against Farzad Rouhani, and on three occasions he would lose a big pot.

The final blow took place minutes after returning from a 20-minute break. Rouhani raised to 105,000 and Courtney moved all-in for 475,000 from the button. After a bit of thinking, Rouhani said, “Let’s go,” and made the call, showing AQ, a hand that he had folded earlier in a not too dissimilar situation. He was racing against Courtney’s JJ. The flop was another dagger for Courtney: Q94, and when the turn (4) and river (9) failed to improve his hand, he would be eliminated. For his three days of work, Jeff Courtney took home $84,546.

Corwin Cole Doubles Through Matt Matros

Corwin Cole raised to 100,000 from the cutoff and was called by Matt Matros in the small blind. The flop came AK6 and Matros checked to Cole. Cole bet 135,000 and action was back on Matros. The Yale grad did not take very long before sliding in a stack of green chips totaling 400,000. Cole then moved all-in and was insta-called by Matros. The two showed their hands:

Cole: 66
Matros: QJ

Cole flopped a set of sixes but still needed to dodge Matros’ 11 outs. When the A came on the turn all suspense was dashed. That hand gave Cole the chip lead with 2,115,000. After a couple of hours of patient play as the chip leader, Matros suddenly became the shortstack with 480,000.

Andrey Zaichenko Eliminated in Seventh Place ($112,116)

The table folded around to Andrey Zaichenko who open-shoved for 770,000 on the button. Scott Sitron quickly called from the small blind and Daneshgar folded. Sitron had the goods – KK – but that was not the case for Zaichenko, who showed his 96. Zaichenko would fall even further behind on the KQ2 flop. The 9 turn and A river provided no miracles for the Russian and his day was done. Zaichenko’s seventh place finish was good for $112,116.

Sitron’s timely kings helped propel him to 1,880,000.

David Daneshgar Doubles Through Corwin Cole

Daneshgar raised to 105,000 from the button and Corwin Cole moved all-in from the big blind. Daneshgar was clearly uncomfortable with the decision to be made, first sprawling face down across the table and then standing up with his arms crossed. Trusting his read, Daneshgar made the call with AJ. Cole smiled and turned over 86. An excellent call by Daneshgar for sure, but he was still only a 59 percent favorite going to the flop. The board came A942A and Daneshgar won the hand handily.

Daneshgar’s double up took him to 1,910,000 and Cole took a slight hit, dropping to 1,475,000.

Player Tags: Farzad Rouhani,   David Daneshgar,   Scott Sitron,   Andrey Zaichenko,   Corwin Cole,   European Report,   Jeff Courtney