Level 2 Update: A Few Big Names Stroll in Late
Jun 26, '09
Flop Games: 500-1000
Stud Games: Ante — 200, Bring-In — 300, Completion — 1,000, Stakes — 1,000-2,000
Players Remaining: 93 out of 93
Big Hands:
Hold’Em
Bill Chen’s Pocket Kings Run into Pocket Kings
Bill Chen and his opponent got in four bets preflop and took a flop heads-up. The flop was A
9
2 and Chen bet 1000 after his opponent checked. The bet was called and the turn was the Q. Now Chen’s opponent bets 2,000 and Chen called.
The river was the 4 and both players check. Chen shows the KK
, while his opponent shows the KK
and they chop the pot.
David Chiu Smacked Down By Three Ladies
Jani Sointula and David Chiu crossed paths in a pot. The flop came down QQJ and Sointula bet 1,000. Chiu made the call and the turn was the 2. Sointula quickly threw in 2,000 and Chiu called just as quickly. The river was the 7 and another 2,000 went into the middle courtesy of Sointula. Chiu made the call and Sointula tabled AQ for a set and Chiu mucked his hand. After dropping that hand, Chiu was down to 130,000.
Omaha/8
Benyamine Scoops Tulchinskiy
David Benyamine and Mikhail Tulchinskiy were involved in a hand that saw more than 14,000 in chips enter the middle by the turn.
The board showed A595 and Tulchinskiy fired 2,000. Benyamine raised to 4,000 and was called. The river was the A and Benyamine checked again to Tulchinskiy. He fired another 2,000 and Benyamine looked disgusted. His head turned away from the felt, he threw in the call and Tulchinskiy showed 8342 for a bunch of busted draws. Benyamine showed K654 for a pair and an 8-low and scooped the pot. Benyamine was around 180,000 after winning the hand.
Scotty Nguyen Makes Quads, But Gets No Action
There was a bet and a raise on a flop of KJQ between Scotty Nguyen, Daniel Alaei, and Fabrice Soulier. All three of them saw the turn which was the J.
Nguyen leads out for 2,000 and gets two pretty quick folds. Disgusted with himself he shows the JJ.
“I only bet because I thought there were kings and queens full out there,” said Nguyen.
After the hand, the defending H.O.R.S.E champion’s stack improved to around 163,000 in chips.
Justin Smith Takes One
Four players called Annie Duke’s big blind of 1,000 and she checked her option. The flop came down J96 and Eli Elezra led out with 1,000. Duke mucked and David Chiu made the call. Alexander Kostritsyn also called and the action was lastly on Justin Smith. He raised to 2,000 and everyone called.
The turn brought the 10 and the action was checked around to Smith. He bet 2,000 and Elezra called. Chiu got out of the way and Kostritsyn made the call. The river was the J and the action was checked to Smith again. He bet another 2,000 and his opponents mucked, sending the pot his way. Smith was around 180,000 after the hand.
Razz
Justin Smith Tangles With Huck Seed in Weird Hand
Justin Smith and Huck Seed are heads up in a pot with on fourth street with their boards looking like this.
Seed: X-X-7-K
Smith: X-X-K-3
Smith checked called a 1,000 bet from Seed.
Seed: X-X-7-K-3
Smith: X-X-K-3-K
Even though Smith hit the worst card in the deck for his hand, he still called 2,000 from Seed.
Seed: X-X-7-K-3-4
Smith: X-X-K-3-K-5
Out of turn, Smith led out for 2,000. “You are betting now, you want to check?” said Seed. Since Smith’s action was out of turn, they both check and they go to the river. Seed bet 2,000 on the river and was called by Smith.
Seed announced “King-nine” as he showed the K-9-4 as he three down cards. Smith mucked and Seed took the pot.
John Hanson Rakes a Big Pot
John Hanson completed the bet on third street showing the 3 and was immediately raised by Ali Eslami, who was showing the 4. Joe Cassidy called two bets cold showing the 7 and John Hanson called the extra 1000.
Hanson: 3-6
Cassidy: 7-J
Eslami: 4-10
On fourth street, Hanson bet 1000 and was called in both spots.
Hanson: 3-6-6
Cassidy: 7-J-Q
Eslami: 4-10-K
Eslami checked fifth street, Hanson bet and got a fold from Cassidy, but Eslami stuck around for another card.
Hanson: 3-6-6-3
Eslami: 4-10-K-8
Eslami now bets and gets raised by Hanson. Eslami instantly calls and on the river Eslami checks and calls a bet from Hanson who shows the (A-4-8) as his down cards, good for an 8-6-4-3-A and the pot.
Stud High
Justin Bonomo Jacks Up Billirakis
Picking up the action on fourth street, Steve Billirakis and Justin Bonomo were tangled up in a hand.
Billirakis: X-X-K9
Bonomo: X-X-53
Billirakis bets 1,000 and Bonomo makes the call.
Billirakis: X-X-K96
Bonomo: X-X-533
Bonomo paired up and led out with 2,000. Billirakis made the call.
Billirakis: X-X-K96Q
Bonomo: X-X-533Q
Both players received a queen and both players checked. The river was dealt and both players checked again. Bonomo then showed down (JJK) and Billirakis mucked. Bonomo raked in the pot and was around 145,000 while Billiarakis was around 190,000.
Freedy Deeb Gets Best of Steve Sung
Freddy Deeb bet fourth street and got three callers. He bet fifth street and was only called by Steve Sung. They went to sixth street heads up.
Deeb: X-X-K-Q-10-3
Sung: X-X-A-10-K-8
Sung checked and called 2000 from Deeb on sixth street and the river was dealt face down. Sung checked the river and Deeb bet again. After a few moments, Sung turned his up-cards face down and mucked his hand, giving Deeb the pot.
Stud/8
“These No Limit Players”
Picking up the action on sixth street, Phil Ivey and Erick Lindgren were involved in a hand.
Ivey: X-X-2348
Lindgren: X-X-3102A
Erick Lindgren fired out 2,000 and Phil Ivey raised it to 4,000. Lindgren made the call and the river was dealt. Ivey bet another 2,000 on the river and Lindgren called after some thought. “No pair,” Ivey said as he showed (75-X) for 7-low. Lindgren tabled (AQ-X) and the players chopped the pot.
“I hate playing with these people that only play no-limit,” Ivey joked after the hand. Lindgren gave a grin and Ivey followed suit.
Player Tags: Scotty Nguyen, Erick Lindgren, David Benyamine, Eli Elezra, David Chiu, Phil Ivey, Steve Billirakis, Jani Sointula, Justin Bonomo, John Hanson, Alexander Kostritsyn, Justin Smith, Mikhail Tulchinskiy
Dag Martin Mikkelsen moves all in preflop and both Pieter De Korver and Mikhail Tulchinskiy call him down. The two live players check down a board of 10
Matt Woodward is big blind, Mikhail Tulchinskiy raises to 425,000 from the button, and Woodward calls. 
Mikhail Tulchinskiy raises to 350,000 preflop and Pieter De Korver quickly moves all in for 1.4 million. Tulchinskiy calls and they flip up their cards:
Pieter De Korver moves all in preflop for 1.1 million and Mikhail Tulchinskiy calls him down, looking for his third elimination in a row. Their cards:
Mere seconds later there is another all-in. Eric Qu is all-in with K-Q versus Mikhail Tulchinskiy's with A
Moments back from break and Mikhail Tulchinskiy raises 350,000, Alem Shah moves all in with A
Eric Qu min raises to 200,000 from under the gun. Daniel Zink thinks about it for a few moments and then calls. It folds around to Mikhail Tulchinskiy, who calls. A
Dag Martin Mikkelsen raises 250,000, Mikhail Tulchinksiy calls, and Eric Qu shoves for 2,170,000. It's 1,920,000 more for Tulchinskiy to call. Qu takes his sunglasses off, stretches, and waits for Tulchinskiy to call. He then says, "Call me!" After three minutes, Tulchinskiy folds. Qu takes down 750,000.