Grant Hinkle Wins Event No. 2 ($831,279)
Jun 03, '08
Grant Hinkle raised to 350,000 preflop and James Akenhead reraised to 1.2 million. Hinkle then reraised all in and Akenhead quickly made the all-in call. They both flipped up their cards and revealed:
Hinkle: 10
4
Akenhead: A
K
Hinkle flopped a full house only to improve to quad tens on the turn. The hand was more than enough to win Hinkle his first gold bracelet, and send the Englishman Akenhead to the rail in second place ($520,219). Hinkle was cheered on by his poker professional brother Blair, his mother, as well as James "mig.com" Mackey, and some of his co-workers from Kansas City, Missouri as he accepted the golden prize, along with $831,279 in prize money.
Player Tags: James Akenhead, European Report, Grant Hinkle
NLHE - Heads-Up Match - Akenhead Takes Control
Jun 03, '08
Blinds/Antes: 80,000 - 160,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Left: 2 of 3,929
Chip Counts:
Grant Hinkle: 7,595,000
James Akenhead: 5,050,000
Average Stack: 5,917,500
Eliminations:
None
Big Hands and Storylines:
Hinkle Wins One Early
Hinkle began the heads-up match by taking down an early pot worth 1.5 million. The board read KJ
J28 when Hinkle revealed K8 after both players checked the river. He increased his large lead even more so thanks to this pot.
The Akenhead Headache for Hinkle
Hinkle took down an early pot, but James Akenhead has proved a worthy opponent during the heads-up match by picking up more than his fair share of the small pots that have come to define this heads-up match. Many pots make it to a flop, and the two players seem content feeling each other out for now. This style seems to be playing into the hands of Akenhead as the two chip stacks draw even.
Hinkle Stirkes Back
Hinkle opened the action for 300,000 and Akenhead reraised to 600,000. Hinkle reraised again to 1.2 million and Akenhead made the call. The flop hit the table K74 and Akenhead checked his option. Hinkle bet 1.5 million and Akenhead mucked his cards. Hinkle was able to recoup some of the losses he had suffered at the hands of Akenhead and the chip counts now stand Hinkle - 6.5 million to Akenhead - 5.2 million.
Role Reversal
Let the record show that Akenhead took over the chip lead from Hinkle 36 hands into their heads-up match. He held over 6 million in chips for the first time.
Note: The players went on yet another break 20 minute break.
Player Tags: James Akenhead, European Report, Grant Hinkle
NLHE - Final Table - Chris Ferguson Eliminated in 3rd Place
Jun 03, '08
Blinds/Antes: 50,000 - 100,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Left: 2 of 3,929
Chip Counts:
Grant Hinkle: 7,595,000
James Akenhead: 4,235,000
Average Stack: 5,917,500
Eliminations:
Chris Ferguson - 3rd Place ($388,287)
Big Hands and Storylines:
James Akenhead Doubles up through Jesus
Ferguson raised 350,000 preflop and James Akenhead made the call. The flop rolled out Q98 and Ferguson moved all in. Akenhead quickly called and the two players turned up their hands:
Akenhead: A
A
Ferguson: J
7
Turn and River: 23
Chris Ferguson Eliminated in 3rd Place ($388,287)
Ferguson moved all in preflop for 815,000 and Akenhead made the call. The two players exposed their hole cards:
Ferguson: K
10
Akenhead: A
10
Ferguson was eliminated in third place, and he received a gracious round of applause from the crowd. He kept things interesting until the end of his run, and took home $388,287 for his 27th WSOP final-table appearance.
Note: There was a 10-minute break in the action after Ferguson's exit to reset for the heads-up battle between Grant Hinkle and James Akenhead.
Heads Up Starting Stacks
Grant Hinkle: 7,595,000
James Akenhead: 4,235,000
Player Tags: Chris Ferguson, James Akenhead, European Report, Grant Hinkle
NLHE - Final Table - Mike Ngo (5th) and Theo Tran (4th) Eliminated
Jun 03, '08
Blinds/Antes: 50,000 - 100,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Left: 3 of 3,929
Chip Counts:
Grant Hinkle: 3,650,000
Chris Ferguson: 1,800,000
James Akenhead: 1,750,000
Average Stack: 3,929,000
Eliminations:
Mike Ngo - 5th Place ($268,154)
Theo Tran - 4th Place ($327,148)
Big Hands and Storylines:
Mike Ngo Eliminated in 5th Place ($268,154)
Grant Hinkle raised to 325,000 preflop and Mike Ngo reraised all in for 1.6 million. They then turned up their hands:
Hinkle: A
J
Ngo: A
K
Board: Q538J
Ngo is eliminated in 5th place, and he will take home $268,154 in prize money. Hinkle added to his chip lead, and now holds 4.5 million.
Tran Doubles Up
Hinkle raised to 250,000 and Theo Tran moved all in behind him. Ferguson made the all-in call and Hinkle mucked. They then turned up their hands:
Tran: A
K
Ferguson: 8
8
Board: J103K6
Tran doubled up on the hand, and Ferguson took a huge hit to his stack.
Theo Tran Eliminated in 4th Place ($327,148)
Hinkle raised preflop to 250,000 and Tran made the call. The flop rolled out AK4 and Tran checked. Hinkle raised 300,000 and Tran called. The turn rolled out the A and Tran checked again. Hinkle opened the action again, this time for 700,000, and Tran made the call. The 8 fell on the river and Tran checked for a third time. Hinkle moved all in and Tran made the call. They flipped up their hands and Tran revealed AQ. Hinkle showed A4 and he eliminated Tran with a full house. Tran took home $327,148 for his his fourth-place finish.
The Resurrection
Jesus Three Times
Chris Ferguson moved all in preflop for 430,000 and both Hinkle and James Akenhead made the call. The side pot was arranged and the two live players checked down a board of 1082Q6. Ferguson turned up his hand on the river to reveal KQ, which was good enough for him to triple up! The pre-Ferguson crowd erupted into cheers that echoed across the Amazon Room, momentarily drowning out the consant clatter and chirp of shuffling chips. Jesus was alive and kicking.
Jesus One More Time
Four hands after the crowd-rousing triple up Ferguson found himself facing an all-in decision once again. Hinkle moaved all in preflop and Ferguson made an all-in call. The two then turned up their hands:
Ferguson: A
8
Hinkle: Q
J
Board: K72103
Ferguson tempted fate once more, and survived to tell the tale.
Player Tags: Chris Ferguson, Theo Tran, Mike Ngo, Grant Hinkle
NLHE - Final Table - Aaron Coulthard Eliminated in 6th Place
Jun 03, '08
Blinds/Antes: 40,000 - 80,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Left: 5 of 3,929
Chip Counts:
Grant Hinkle: 3,650,000
Chris Ferguson: 1,800,000
James Akenhead: 1,750,000
Mike Ngo: 1,650,000
Theo Tran: 1,300,000
Average Stack: 2,357,400
Eliminations:
Aaron Coulthard - 6th Place ($211,842)
Big Hands and Storylines:
Grant Hinkle: The Silent Assassin
Grant Hinkle has continued to build a huge stack by taking down small pots. No pot he took down was overwhelming, but he keeps chipping away, and keeps inching away from the competition. Hinkle has quietly become the first player to hold over 3 million in the tournament.
Aaron Coulthard Eliminated in 6th Place ($211,842)
James Akenhead raised to 225,000 preflop and Aaron Coulthard reraised all in for 855,000. Akenhead called and they turned up their hands. Akenhead showed down AK and Coulthard turned up KJ. The board ran out 872Q9. Coulthard was eliminated in 6th place, and he took home $211,842 in prize money.
Player Tags: Aaron Coulthard, James Akenhead, European Report, Grant Hinkle
NLHE - Final Table - David Bach Eliminated in 8th Place
Jun 03, '08
Blinds/Antes: 20,000 - 40,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Left: 7 of 3,929
Chip Counts:
Mike Ngo: 2,300,000
Chris Ferguson: 1,950,000
Theo Tran: 1,840,000
James Akenhead: 1,825,000
Melvin Jones: 1,260,000
Grant Hinkle: 1,250,000
Aaron Coulthard: 1,210,000
Eliminations:
David Bach - 8th Place ($117,988)
Big Hands and Storylines:
Grant Hinkle Scores a Nice Pot
Theo Tran and Grant Hinkle built a pot up to 300,000 on a board of Q4258 before Hinkle moved all in on the river for 700,000. Tran went into the tank for a moment and then mucked his hand.
David Bach Eliminated in 8th Place ($117,988)
David Bach raised all in preflop and both Theo Tran and Chris Ferguson made the call. The flop was dealt K95 and all three players checked. The 3 fell on the turn and Bach moved all in. Tran moved all in over the top of him and Ferguson got out of the way. They then turned up their hands:
Bach: 7
6
Tran: J
9
Turn and River: 32
Bach was eliminated on the hand in 8th place, and he will take home $117,988 in prize money.
Note: There was a 5-minute pause in the action after the elimination of Bach.
James Akenhead Scores a Nice Pot
Chris Ferguson opened the action for 150,000 and James Akenhead raised to 450,000. Ferguson made the call and then both players checked a flop of K88. They also checked the 10 on the turn, and the river fell 2. Akenman bet 500,000 and Ferguson went into the tank for a while before folding.
Note: The players then went on a 30-minute break and should return at 10:20 p.m. Next post will be up at 11 p.m.
Player Tags: Chris Ferguson, David Bach, Theo Tran, James Akenhead, European Report, Grant Hinkle
Grant Hinkle raised to 7,500 from the cutoff and the small blind reraised to 20,000 on the small blind. Hinkle called and they revealed their hands.
4
9
A player raised to 4,500 and Matt Ludlow made the call from middle position. Grant Hinkle then three-bet to 14,000 from the small blind.
Grant Hinkle bet 3,000 under the gun on a flop reading 10
Grant Hinkle opened to 350 from the button and the player in the small blind made it 800 to go. Hinkle thought for a few moments and kept his eyes on his opponent has he placed the additional chips in the pot.
Grant Hinkle and Lee Abramson have been playing quite a few pots during the early levels of Day 1B. The two recently tangled in back-to-back hands.
After a limper and a raise, Grant Hinkle moved the last of his very short stack in with J
Grant Hinkle has gone from Grant Mister Fish to Grant Master Flash over the course of the 2009 PCA, but he is now unfortunately heading to the rail and out to the beach. Craig Boyd moved all in against Hinkle from the small blind for 175,500 preflop and Hinkle made the call. They then turned up their cards: